NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: During a time of surging political polarization across the country, Bill McBride, who is retiring from his role as executive director of the National Governors Association, gave an insider’s perspective on how the bulwark of bipartisan cooperation operates to solve national crises.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, McBride discussed his role working with both Republican and Democratic governors to lead the 117-year-old organization through some of the most tumultuous periods in recent U.S. history, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under his leadership, the NGA achieved record participation from all 50 states and the five inhabited U.S. territories. He has led the NGA alongside four different governors who served as chairmen: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat; Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican; Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat; and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican. He has advanced several bipartisan policy initiatives that have had a national impact.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY TENSIONS SEEP INTO BIPARTISAN GROUP AS GOVERNORS RESISTING TRUMP’S AGENDA RECONSIDER DUES

He explained that while politicians in Congress can get mired in political games – as evidenced by the government shutdown – governors are under tremendous pressure to get things done. The pressure to perform often helps them to focus on solutions rather than politics.

“Executives have to produce, and you have to make rapid decisions, because if you don’t, things just don’t get done.”

According to McBride, the NGA has thrived in some of the most difficult circumstances. He said that the pandemic was a real turning point for bringing governors of both parties to the table to discuss difficult problems. During that time, the NGA convened governors weekly to coordinate strategy, share data, and engage directly with federal agencies.

“I think we did something like 67 weeks of those calls. And we get 40 to 45 governors on those calls. And looking back on it, we covered everything. You know, it started with what is the pandemic? You know what caused this virus? Then we talked about vaccines and getting vaccines and testing equipment and supplies and just all the challenges that the governors were facing,” he said. “It really brought the group very close together. And it wasn’t just the weekly calls we were having, because then they started calling each other individually and trading information. So, it was a huge resource for the governors.”

INCOMING NGA CHAIR ‘DISAPPOINTED’ IN DEM GOVERNORS ‘PLAYING POLITICS’ IN BIPARTISAN GROUP

McBride lamented that this type of bipartisanship has become increasingly rare outside of groups like the NGA.

“I think we’ve gotten to a point where people are locked in different camps and they’re not willing to reach across the aisle and to talk to somebody else, because maybe out of fear, maybe out stubbornness, but I think you can actually learn a lot from reaching across the aisle and getting different opinions from different people before you form your own opinions,” he explained.

The NGA was founded as the Conference of Governors in 1908 at the call of President Theodore Roosevelt. McBride explained that by staying out of politics, the NGA has been able to keep its focus on helping governors find practical policy solutions to problems that every state experiences.

“Governors are executives and have to get things done,” he explained. “We deal with everything from energy, education, infrastructure, homeland security, cyber security. I could go on and on. And we have teams that work on those policy issues and work with governors’ offices to help them create policy solutions.”

“We’re really a policy-driven organization, but another thing that’s very important is we’re bipartisan, we’re not a political organization. We don’t get involved in political campaigns,” he went on.

“I have found it fascinating in the time that I’ve been here, when you see the governors together from both political parties, how they get along with each other,” he noted. “Granted, they have philosophical differences on things, but they’re all executives running states facing similar problems, and they learn from each other, and they spend time with each other and share ideas.”

NEW NGA CHAIR SAYS AMERICA IS ‘EXCEPTIONAL’ IN PUSH TO REVIVE A FADING DREAM

He likened the NGA’s mission to an initiative launched by Cox when he was chair called “Disagree Better.” He shared that he believes this initiative helped prepare Cox to respond so well to the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

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“Disagree Better was modeled on the idea that we can disagree with each other, but we don’t have to hate each other,” he said. “Governor Cox did a tremendous job on that, and I have to say, I think it really helped prepare him for the situation he encountered in Utah with the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk.”

“We have seen Governor Cox step up to the moment and talk about this issue of how we can disagree with each other, but we don’t have to resort to violence,” he said. “Governors can take a lead on that, and I think they have.”

Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani defended Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James following her grand jury indictment on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution, calling it a “shameless act of political retribution” from the Trump administration. 

“This is not simply an attack on Attorney General Tish James,” Mamdani said Friday during a press conference with local New York leaders speaking out in defense of James. “This is an attack on our city. And each one of us represents different parts of that same city, and we speak with one voice today.” 

A grand jury in Virginia indicted James Thursday months after Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte said in a criminal referral to the Department of Justice in April that James allegedly falsified mortgage records to obtain more favorable loans. 

Mamdani — a left-wing candidate who has advocated for and backed communist principles, including calling for the seizure of the “means of production” — said he spoke with James after she was indicted Thursday and relayed she was confident she would win the case against her. 

LETITIA JAMES’ OWN WORDS COME BACK TO HAUNT HER AFTER FEDERAL BANK FRAUD CHARGES FILED

“Last night, she told me, ‘Don’t worry about me,'” he said. “And that’s indicative of an attorney general who has spent all of her time worrying about the people of this city. And so I know that the crosshairs the Trump administration is putting the attorney general through is because of the fact that she has had the audacity to stand up to him at a time when so many have bowed.” 

“She has also made it clear to myself and many others that she has a full confidence in the legal team around her that will ensure that not only will she have the record of having won the case in the courtroom behind us, but winning this case as well,” Mamdani later added, referring to the New York City courthouse where President Donald Trump stood trial in the interim of his first and second presidency in New York v. Trump. 

James is a longtime political foe of Trump’s, including campaigning for the attorney general job in 2018 by vowing to aggressively pursue legal charges against Trump if elected. 

Her office filed 100 legal challenges against the first Trump administration and said after his second presidential win in 2024 that she would continue challenging him in the courts to “defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law.” 

James’ office also launched the New York civil fraud case against Trump and the Trump Organization over allegations of faulty business practices, winning a nearly $500 million judgment in 2024. 

Mamdani continued that the indictment is a “shameless act of political retribution” at the hands of Trump against James. 

ANDERSON COOPER SAYS IT WAS ‘NOT A GREAT LOOK’ FOR LETITIA JAMES TO THREATEN TO SUE TRUMP AFTER HER ELECTION

“What Donald Trump has sought to do with taking over the federal government is to advance his own greed and his own agenda,” he said. “And we are now watching, as in the pursuit of that advancement, he lays waste to our democracy. This is a blatant miscarriage of justice. This is a shameless act of political retribution.” 

“Instead of prosecuting Tish James for doing her job, Donald Trump should be doing his. Because Donald Trump ran for president on three promises: to carry out mass deportation, to punish his political enemies and to ease the cost of living crisis,” he said, claiming Trump is “fundamentally incapable of delivering on” the third promise. 

He vowed to defend James amid the legal troubles while slamming Trump’s “authoritarian administration.”

“This indictment is instructive in two clear ways,” he said. “The first, in its example of an authoritarian administration that is looking to punish those for whom their only crime is holding Donald Trump to the same laws that every American should be held to. And the second is what it asks of each of us. Will we sit idly by as an authoritarian president like Donald Trump attacks the very fabric of this democracy?” 

NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES’ INDICTMENT SPARKS SHARP PARTISAN DIVIDE

Pulte’s criminal referral letter in April pointed to a Norfolk, Virginia, home James purchased in 2023, which she identified on mortgage documents and a Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac form as a property that would serve as her primary residence. 

James is legally required to live in New York as a statewide elected official in that state. 

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The criminal referral also cited past reported issues with James’ properties, including a 2001 purchase of a Brooklyn, New York, property. The certificate of occupancy lists the property as a five-unit residence, while James’ mortgages list the property as four units, which could affect mortgage agreements.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and James’ office for comment Friday afternoon and has not yet received any responses. 

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

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) saw more than 20,000 applicants in less than two weeks for “Homeland Defender” roles as the Department of Homeland Security ramps up their hiring campaign.

The recruitment campaign at USCIS began Sept. 30, and sources at the agency say a hiring campaign of this scale has never been done before.

“I am thrilled with the tremendous response we have received from fiercely dedicated, America-first patriots who want to serve as Homeland Defenders,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow told Fox News Digital.

ALLEGED CHICAGO GANG LEADER OFFERED BOUNTY TO KILL BORDER PATROL COMMANDER, FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY

“In mere days, more than 20,000 Americans have stepped forward, ready to serve on the frontlines to protect our nation’s sovereignty and restore integrity to our immigration system after four disastrous years of failed Biden administration immigration policies,” Edlow explained to Fox. “These applicants are not just candidates—they are guardians of our values, prepared to defend our homeland. We look forward to bringing on this group soon.”

The role of a Homeland Defender is to determine whether legal migrants are eligible for green cards, extended visas, or citizenship. Homeland Defenders were previously titled “Immigration Services Officer,” though the position was rebranded under the Trump administration. 

14,021 applications were submitted to the USCIS Service Center Operations Directorate and 8,627 applications were submitted to the USCIS Field Operations Directorate. 

The USCIS website touts a potential $50,000 signing bonus, remote work, and no college degree required. 

Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruiting also saw a massive uptick in applications, hitting 141,000 in early Sept.

BLUE STATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER ICE BUSTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ ON LICENSE

Immigration officers across various agencies under DHS have faced scrutiny and security threats by protestors and Democrats alike. 

Secretary Kristi Noem said that ICE agents “are now facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them as they risk their lives to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” in August.

The Trump Administration’s recent deployment of agents to Chicago has been widely criticized by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, and has faced some legal challenges as ICE officers make arrests.

NOEM: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DOUBLING DOWN WITH NEW FEDERAL FACILITIES IN CHICAGO, PORTLAND

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, a Biden-appointed judge, tightened ICE’s ability to make warrantless arrests in a Chicago federal court on Tuesday. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to send National Guardsmen to rein in the city’s violent crime amid ICE agent deployment, a move which could also face legal hurdles.

As of late Sept., DHS said that 1.6 million illegal immigrants have been voluntarily self-deported, while 400,000 were removed by federal law enforcement.

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“The Trump administration is on pace to shatter historic records and deport nearly 600,000 illegal aliens by the end of President Donald Trump’s first year since returning to office,” the agency said in a statement.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

President Donald Trump has called off efforts to arrange a meeting with President Xi Jinping after China tightened export controls on rare earth minerals this week. 

“Some very strange things are happening in China!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to Countries throughout the World, that they want to impose Export Controls on each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths, and virtually anything else they can think of, even if it’s not manufactured in China.”

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” Trump added. 

“One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America. There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration.”

TOP INSURANCE CEO IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER SCATHING AD CAMPAIGN EXPOSES CHINA TIES

The president said his relationship with China over the past six months has been “very good” and called the crackdown on exports “surprising.” 

“I have always felt that they’ve been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I have been proven right!” he added. 

The administration had suggested Trump might meet Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this month in South Korea, but “now there seems to be no reason to do so,” he said.

US TURNS TO FINLAND TO CLOSE ARCTIC ‘ICEBREAKER GAP’ AS RUSSIA, CHINA EXPAND POLAR PRESENCE

Over the past few decades, China has captured a dominant position in the rare earth minerals and magnets industry and now uses that control — vital for electronics worldwide — as political leverage.

“There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World ‘captive,’ but that seems to have been their plan for quite some time, starting with the ‘Magnets’ and, other Elements that they have quietly amassed into somewhat of a Monopoly position, a rather sinister and hostile move, to say the least,” Trump added. 

The world’s two largest economies have been locked in trade negotiations for months, imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on each other.

China announced Thursday it is expanding export controls on five additional rare earth metals — holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium — adding to the seven restricted in April.

China also restricted exports of technology used to refine rare earth minerals.

US DIPLOMAT FIRED FOR ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMAN WITH TIES TO CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

China cited national security concerns for the restrictions. “Rare-earth-related items have dual-use properties for both civilian and military applications. Implementing export controls on them is an international practice,” a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said.

Rare earth metals are essential for both commercial goods — including electric cars, household appliances, lithium batteries and camera lenses — and critical to the U.S. defense industry.

Rare earths are also used to produce semiconductors vital for artificial intelligence processing.

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As of 2024, China mines about 60 percent of the world’s rare earth minerals and processes nearly 90 percent, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Trump administration has invested heavily in domestic rare earth mining and processing to reduce U.S. dependence on China.

First lady Melania Trump announced on Friday that eight Ukrainian children displaced during the country’s ongoing war with Russia had been reunited with their families.

“Each child has lived in turmoil because of the war in Ukraine. Three were separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline fighting. The other five were separated from family members across borders because of the conflict, including one young girl who has now been reunited from Ukraine to Russia,” Melania Trump said.

The first lady added that some minors who were displaced during the war have since reached adulthood and are residing in Russia, but their safe return home requires “coordinated assistance.”

The first lady stressed that this is part of an ongoing process and that plans are already underway to reunify more children with their families.

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Now that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage deal, the White House is shifting focus to its next diplomatic goal: expanding the landmark Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states.

“There’s a lot of positive momentum that will pick up,” a senior administration official told reporters Thursday evening after the deal was signed. “Hopefully this will lead to much better sentiment and the opportunity to expand the Abraham Accords — to really just change the tone in the region.”

During President Donald Trump’s first administration, the accords brought the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco into normal relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia had been next on the list.

“We passed on to the Biden administration that Saudi was ready to go if they engaged,” said the official. “A deal could have been done in six months. We outlined the parameters of their interests and wished them luck. But they didn’t focus on that for a couple of years. Then a lot happened in the region — October 7 and the war in Gaza created a black cloud and shifted sentiment. The mood today is certainly better than it was even a few days ago.”

TRUMP’S LANDMARK DEAL IS THE REAL KEY TO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

An official pointed to a range of countries that could be next in line for normalization. “I think there’s a lot of opportunity to get back to work on Saudi-Israel normalization, and on Indonesia-Israel,” the official said. “We were talking with Mauritania last time. You’ve got Algeria, Syria, Lebanon. There’s a whole host of countries — and now there are more formal relations with Qatar. We’re going to start that trilateral mechanism very soon.”

Israel began drawing down its troop presence in Gaza on Friday under phase one of the agreement but will continue to occupy roughly 53% of the territory until the next phase. Hamas has 72 hours to release the remaining hostages, living and dead.

Roughly 200 U.S. troops already stationed in the Middle East will be sent to Israel to oversee the ceasefire and ensure humanitarian aid flows into Gaza. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized “Up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground.”

TRUMP TEASES TRIP TO THE MIDDLE EAST AS GAZA PEACE DEAL TALKS CONTINUE

Saudi Arabia has long insisted that normalization with Israel must be tied to tangible progress toward Palestinian statehood — though that condition has never been clearly defined. The kingdom is also seeking a formal U.S. defense assurance as part of any broader regional deal.

The U.S.-brokered 20-point ceasefire proposal stops short of guaranteeing Palestinian statehood but suggests that, as Gaza reconstruction proceeds and the Palestinian Authority reasserts control in the enclave, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.”

An administration official acknowledged that the agreement remains fragile and that deep mistrust persists between Israel, Hamas and other Arab governments.

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“It was important for [Trump] to send another message to the Arab mediators — and through them to Hamas,” the official said. “He wanted them to know he was standing behind every principle and aspect of the Trump 20-point plan for peace, guaranteeing that everyone involved would act in good faith and keep their commitments.”

“There’s just a lot of mistrust between the Israelis and Hamas, and also among some of the other Arab governments,” the official added. “For all the obvious reasons.”

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Abigail Spanberger was excoriated as “pathetic” and a “coward” online after refusing to revoke her endorsement of fellow Democrat Jay Jones — who sent text messages wishing death on a political opponent and his children — during a debate on Thursday.

Conservative commentator Steve Guest wrote that Spanberger “was REPEATEDLY asked about her unhinged running mate, AG candidate Jay Jones, in the wake of his murderous threats being made public. Spanberger wouldn’t say that she denounces him. Truly pathetic.”

Prominent school-choice advocate Corey DeAngelis commented, “She needs to drop out. Now.”

“The Democrat candidate for Virginia Governor repeatedly REFUSED to pull her endorsement of the guy who fantasized about MURDERING his political opponent. He wished death upon CHILDREN,” DeAngelis added.

SPANBERGER REFUSES TO URGE JAY JONES TO EXIT RACE, DODGES QUESTIONS AFTER ‘TWO BULLETS’ TEXTS

The Virginia GOP also issued a statement on its X account after the debate, writing, “The principle here is simple: if Abigail Spanberger can’t tell someone who fantasizes about murdering children to drop out of the race, she does not deserve to be our next governor.”

Conservative personality Eric Daugherty called the exchange in which Spanberger declined to revoke her endorsement “brutal.”

“This is bad,” he wrote.

RNC Research simply posted “Abigail Spanberger stands with Jay Jones. She is a weak COWARD!”

Meghan McCain chimed in as well, posting, “Watching my next Governor Winsome Sears absolutely filet Abigail Spanberger in the debate. There is no competition, Spanberger won’t answer basic questions and coming off like a total radical extremist.”

Current Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, also weighed in, expressing disgust that Spanberger “continues to stand behind her running mate who wanted to see a man and his children murdered.”

WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES AD LINKING ABIGAIL SPANBERGER TO JAY JONES AFTER VIOLENT TEXTS RESURFACE

“Abigail, you had your chance to show courage and moral clarity and you failed,” wrote Youngkin.

Spanberger faced repeated questioning during Thursday’s debate over her continued support for attorney general candidate Jay Jones after text messages surfaced in which he fantasized about putting “two bullets” in the head of then-Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert.

In text messages with another lawmaker, Jones wrote, “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”

Jones wrote in a subsequent text, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”

Jones also wrote he hoped Gilbert’s children would die. He doubled down in a series of messages, saying that such grief might be “a good thing” if it advanced his politics.

Both the debate moderators and her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, repeatedly asked Spanberger whether she still endorses Jones, but Spanberger did not say outright that she no longer endorsed him.

LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER

Spanberger also would not say when she became aware of the inflammatory text messages, which also included violent rhetoric about Gilbert’s children.

“Jay Jones advocated the murder — Abigail — the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were 2 years and 5 years old. You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it?” Earle-Sears asked. “Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.”

Spanberger responded to the questioning by saying, “As of now, it’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision. I am running for governor. I am accountable for the words that I say, for the acts that I take, for the policies that I have put out.”

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Spanberger did repeatedly point out that she condemned the rhetoric the moment she learned of it and that she will denounce violent rhetoric at every opportunity she gets.

Meanwhile, Spanberger accused Earle-Sears of only condemning violent rhetoric when it is targeting her political party but not when it targets her opponent’s. She cited an example from Kirk’s memorial service last month, during which Trump reportedly said, “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.”

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

The Senate is set to leave town on Friday until early next week as neither side is ready to give in the ongoing government shutdown stalemate.

Lawmakers voted deep into the night on Thursday on the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which advanced on a largely bipartisan vote. But the $925 billion package, which authorizes funding for the Pentagon, was effectively the last hurrah for the week in the upper chamber.

While there was discussion of putting the House GOP’s continuing resolution (CR), along with congressional Democrats’ counter-proposal, on the floor for one last vote, the plan never came to fruition. Both would likely have failed for an eighth consecutive time.

SENATE DEMOCRATS BLOCK GOP PLAN AGAIN TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS MILITARY PAY DEADLINE LOOMS

Senate Republicans and Democrats will instead return on Tuesday next week, after observing Columbus Day, to continue the ongoing back and forth on the GOP’s CR following a week of trying and failing to pass the bill and reopen the government.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., plans to continue bringing the Republicans’ bill to the floor in an effort to fragment Senate Democrats. So far, only three Democratic caucus members have consistently split from their largely unified party.

Talks have continued in the background behind closed-doors, but nothing has quite yet materialized into full-blown negotiations on expiring Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), tax credits to find an off-ramp as the government shutdown barrels into a third week.

“The ACA issue is important to a lot of us, not just to Democrats,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said. “The tax subsidies were enhanced during COVID. They do need to be reformed, but they do need to be extended as well.”

SENATE ADVANCES 2026 DEFENSE BILL AFTER WEEKS OF DELAY AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., is one of a handful of Republicans consistently meeting with Democrats. He said he’s not meeting with lawmakers “so dug in that they can’t get off their position,” but still, no movement across the aisle has happened.

Mullin and other Republicans want to pass their short-term CR until Nov. 21, while Senate Democrats are adamant that, unless there is a deal on the ACA subsidies, they won’t provide GOP with the votes to reopen the government.

“Well, if it continues, the way it’s gone, the longer we go, the harder it is,” Mullin said. “It’s a big task. Anything to do with ACA or healthcare, you get a lot of moving parts. I think that gets very difficult the longer this thing [goes on]. You get into next week. I mean, we’ve got four and a half weeks left, right, and so that timeframe keeps getting shorter.”

Their return next week also all but guarantees that members of the military will not receive their paychecks on time, given that the date to have payroll locked in and processed falls on Monday.

“Certainly, if folks miss a paycheck, the intensity will go up,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., said.

The continued gridlock has most in the Senate GOP unwilling to consider turning to the “nuclear option,” a move they made last month when they unilaterally changed the Senate’s rules for confirmations on nominations to break through Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus’ blockade of President Donald Trump’s nominees, to change the filibuster.

SENATE GOP RESISTS ‘NUCLEAR OPTION’ AS DEM SHUTDOWN STANDOFF DEEPENS

“There’s always a lot of swirl out there, as you know, from, you know, social media, etc., but no, we’re not having that conversation,” Thune said.

But not every Republican wants to ignore nuking the 60-vote filibuster as, day in and day out, the GOP’s plan to reopen the government falls five votes short.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said that if the shutdown continues, it’s an option that should be considered.

“Look, 50%, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck,” he said. “We’re going to trip that wire next week. Now if there’s another paycheck — that’s probably 80% of Americans that can’t go without two paychecks in a row. I think at that point we have to look at it and say ‘the Democrats are still doing political stunts.’”

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Republicans also found a new point of attack against Democrats. Schumer told Punchbowl News in an interview that “Every day gets better for us,” in his assessment of Senate Democrats’ political momentum as the shutdown marches onward.

“Who is ‘us?’ Not better for the American people,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. “Who does he mean by ‘us?’ Not the military who is not getting paid. Not the Border Patrol who are not getting paid. Not the air traffic controllers who are not getting paid. Who is ‘us?’ He’s playing a game!”

But Senate Democrats are largely shrugging off the issue. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, contended that it was Republicans’ latest attempt to “change the topic from 114% increase in premiums,” a point Democrats have argued could happen if the Obamacare tax credits aren’t extended.

“They’re a little desperate to change the news cycle, and this is their latest attempt,” Schatz said. 

Senate Republicans are taking a hands-off approach to threats from White House budget chief Russ Vought, arguing that his pressure on Senate Democrats to reopen the government, for now, is warranted.

Away from the gridlock on Capitol Hill, Vought, who is the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has made moves to pressure Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to reopen the government.

Before the shutdown started earlier this month, the OMB released a memo to government agencies instructing mass firings beyond the typical furloughs of nonessential employees during government shutdowns. He has since withheld nearly $30 billion in infrastructure funding to blue states and cities.

SENATE DEMOCRATS BLOCK GOP PLAN AGAIN TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS MILITARY PAY DEADLINE LOOMS

And earlier this week, a memo circulated around the White House that suggested that furloughed employees would not receive back pay when the government reopened — a move that runs counter to a law signed by President Donald Trump in 2019.

“We heard earlier, right at the beginning of the shutdown, that we may see some terminations, some firings within the department,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told Fox News Digital. “We saw a lot of big numbers kind of thrown around, and they haven’t materialized, which I think is good, but certainly what it does, it’s very unsettling.”

The administration’s latest actions come as conversations on a path out of the shutdown have been ongoing. For now, Republicans don’t believe that Vought’s moves are undercutting those talks.

Sen. John Hoeven. R-N.D., told Fox News Digital that Vought was what Vought “thinks probably helps push Democrats to come to the table and open the government back up.”

“I mean, that’s for him to decide,” he said. “What I’m looking to do is to try to talk to enough Democrats, and I hope that between reaching out to them and pressure they get from back home, we can get the government open and back to work on these things.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that the administration was “going to do what they’re going to do, and they’ve got to manage this, and they’re going to manage it according to their priorities.”

SENATE GOP RESISTS ‘NUCLEAR OPTION’ AS DEM SHUTDOWN STANDOFF DEEPENS

“I think they’re trying to be sensitive to discussions up here that might be productive,” Thune said. “But, you know, as of right now, it’s like I said before, all this stuff is just kind of window dressing until we fundamentally get down to the issue about, are we going to open up the government or not?

“And I think when all those issues go away, these guys, the things that the White House is talking about doing or hinting that they might do, become unnecessary,” he continued.

Senate Democrats are demanding a deal extending expiring Obamacare subsidies, and won’t provide the votes needed to reopen the government unless they get more than a guarantee to tackle the issue.

SENATE STALLS ON SHUTDOWN VOTE AMID WARNING FURLOUGHED WORKERS MAY LOSE PAY

Thune and Senate Republicans are adamant that they will negotiate on extending the tax credits, with reforms baked in, only after the government reopens. And so far, as the stalemate has dragged on, neither Vought nor the administration have taken action on their threats of mass firings or back pay.  

“Right now it’s fine,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “If he starts taking Draconian sorts of actions, then I think it creates a more difficult scenario for us. It puts us further away from what he wants to get accomplished, too.”

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Still, Senate Democrats have not taken kindly to his overtures.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital that there was “no question” Vought was hurting ongoing talks between the parties.

“Russ Vought is basically acting like a bomb thrower, and bomb throwers are never helpful in negotiations,” he said. 

The U.S. Coast Guard is turning to Finland to bolster America’s icebreaking fleet — a move driven by growing concern that the United States is falling behind global rivals in the race for Arctic influence and security.

For years, military and intelligence officials have warned that the U.S. has only a handful of aging icebreakers — compared with Russia’s fleet of more than 40, including nuclear-powered models. As melting sea ice opens new shipping lanes and access to critical minerals, the Pentagon and Coast Guard say a stronger Arctic presence is no longer optional.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a $6.1 billion deal for Finland to sell up to four new icebreakers to the U.S.

Defense officials say the Arctic is now the front line of homeland defense — where U.S. early-warning systems, missile detection networks, and undersea cables intersect with expanding Russian and Chinese military activity.

RUSSIA, CHINA ARE TRYING TO SEIZE CONTROL OF THE ARTIC. WE CAN’T LET THEM SUCCEED

“We need these ships very badly because we have a lot of territory, more than anybody. And so, I’m very honored to have this deal. And thank you very much. It’s going to be great,” Trump said at the White House. 

The purchase from Finnish shipbuilders, who are world leaders in polar vessel design, is part of a broader plan to close the “icebreaker gap” that has left the U.S. dependent on outdated ships for Arctic patrols and Antarctic resupply. Finland, a new NATO member, has joined the U.S. and Canada in the ICE Pact — an agreement aimed at fast-tracking icebreaker construction, sharing technology, and strengthening allied operations in polar waters.

The Coast Guard’s newest polar icebreaker, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis, returned to port in Seattle earlier this week after 112 days at sea, where it monitored Chinese-flagged research vessels Jidi and Xue Long 2.

Russia and China held joint naval drills in the Bering Sea off Alaska in recent months.

FRANCE WARNS OF GLOBAL ‘BRUTALIZATION’ AMID TRUMP ARCTIC DISPUTE OVER GREENLAND

The Storis was the first polar ice cutter the Coast Guard had acquired in 25 years when it was purchased in 2024. The service currently only has two others in commission: the 48-year-old Polar Star heavy icebreaker and the medium icebreaker Healy. Coast Guard officials insist they need at least eight polar icebreakers to meet operational needs.

The Coast Guard also has 21 domestic icebreakers, designed to clear channels for commercial shipping in waterways like the Great Lakes, 16 ice-capable buoy tenders, capable of breaking up thin layers of ice.

One of Russia’s central goals in the Arctic is solidifying control of the Northern Sea Route, the ‘ice highway’ along its northern flank connecting Europe to Asia via Arctic waters.

Russia has been actively militarizing its Arctic, redeploying air, naval, missile, radar, and anti-submarine assets to forward bases. Because Russia’s naval nuclear deterrent (especially ballistic missile submarines) relies on Arctic sea lanes for stealthy deployment, Moscow views Western surveillance or military presence in the region as a direct threat.

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The Arctic is also rich in hydrocarbons, minerals, and rare elements — materials that the U.S. and all of its near-peer competitors are trying to secure dominance over. China currently controls most of the world’s supply of rare earth elements and minerals.

Though China is not an Arctic state, it labels itself a “near-Arctic” power and is pushing to be a recognized stakeholder in Arctic affairs. China has inserted the Arctic into its Belt and Road vision via the “Polar Silk Road” — a conceptual maritime route over the Arctic connecting China and Europe.

The Nobel Committee awarded this year’s peace prize to Maria Corina Machado amid calls for President Donald Trump to receive the award in the wake of his brokering a historic deal between Israel and Hamas. 

Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, was described as a “brave and committed champion of peace” by Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

“She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” Frydnes said.

Trump has received several high-profile nominations since returning to office. However, the committee’s deadline for nominations was Jan. 31, meaning he could be eligible for next year’s prize.

NEW YORK TIMES ANALYSIS SAYS TRUMP HAS LEGITIMATE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE CLAIM IF MIDEAST PEACE DEAL HOLDS

During a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump was asked about the Nobel Peace Prize, but did not comment on the award in his response. Instead, he focused on the possibility of addressing Israel’s Knesset.

Earlier this week, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the families of hostages and terror victims formed after Oct. 7, appealed to the committee on Trump’s behalf.

“In this past year, no leader or organization has contributed more to peace around the world than President Trump. While many have spoken eloquently about peace, he has achieved it. While others have offered empty promises, he has delivered tangible results that have saved countless lives,” the forum wrote in a letter to the committee dated Oct. 6.

“He has not merely spoken of peace — he has delivered it,” the forum added.

TRUMP HAILED AS PEACEMAKER WORTHY OF NOBEL PRIZE FOR ‘HISTORIC’ ISRAEL-HAMAS PEACE DEAL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump in July during a visit to Washington, D.C., that he had nominated the president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Netanyahu handed the letter he sent the committee to Trump when he told him the news.

“The president has already realized great opportunities. He forged the Abraham Accords. He’s forging peace, as we speak, in one country and one region after the other,” Netanyahu said. “So, I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well-deserved.”

Weeks prior to that meeting, the U.S. and Israel carried out major operations that destroyed Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, as both countries warned a nuclear Tehran would be a threat to the world.

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Trump was nominated for the award in the past but was not selected. Notably, U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., nominated Trump for the prize in 2020 when he brokered the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations.

Had he won, Trump would have become the fifth U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Previous laureates include former President Barack Obama, former President Jimmy Carter, former President Woodrow Wilson and former President Theodore Roosevelt.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., appears to be holding firm on his strategy for pressuring Senate Democrats to agree to end the government shutdown, he indicated in both public and private comments Thursday. 

But even as he and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., continue with their plans, some House GOP lawmakers are growing nervous about the potential fallout.

House Republicans held a private call Thursday where Johnson briefed them on the current state of play. And while GOP lawmakers were largely unified behind their leader, Fox News Digital was told, several did express concerns about optics coming from the House and Senate as the shutdown is poised to enter a tenth day.

Johnson had previously canceled House votes this week to keep national attention on Democrats’ resistance to the GOP’s plan to fund the government. 

SENATE GOP RESISTS ‘NUCLEAR OPTION’ AS DEM SHUTDOWN STANDOFF DEEPENS

The speaker told House Republicans he would give them 48 hours’ notice before the next House votes were called but did not say when that would be, Fox News Digital was told — after publicly stating multiple times that their return would depend on Senate Democrats.

He said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Wednesday: “As soon as [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.] decides to stop playing games, we’ll bring everybody back here and get right back to regular session.”

But at least three House Republicans are advocating for the chamber to return next week whether the shutdown is resolved or not, including two on the Thursday call.

Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., both spoke up in favor of returning next week, sources told Fox News Digital.

SENATE DEMOCRATS DEFY WHITE HOUSE WARNINGS, AGAIN BLOCK GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

Obernolte told Johnson the House had more work to do beyond spending bills, adding, “None of that is getting done,” Fox News Digital was told.

“I think we’re going to get to a point where it’s damaging to continue to keep the House out of session. I think we’ve gotten to that point,” Obernolte said, Fox News Digital was told.

Fedorchak said she believed House Republicans would be in a better strategic position if they were in D.C., sources said.

But Johnson reiterated his 48-hour pledge and said a recess next week was not a “final call” but pointed out that most House Republicans thought it was the right decision, sources said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., made his concerns public on Wednesday, writing on X, “What the House has done is pass a 7-week Continuing Resolution. The entire reason a CR is necessary is that Congress has not done its job in passing a timely budget. The Speaker shouldn’t even think about canceling session for a third straight week.”

On the Thursday call, Johnson also indicated he would not hold a standalone vote on keeping the military paid during the shutdown, sources said.

The speaker argued it was a push led by Democrats who were seeking political cover despite rejecting the GOP’s funding plan — which would keep the military paid and the entire government open through at least Nov. 21.

As it stands, service members on active duty are deemed “essential” and must keep working, but they could miss their next paychecks on Oct. 15 if the shutdown is ongoing.

“The entire government has to be reopened simultaneously,” Johnson said, sources told Fox News Digital.

But that’s also been met with some concern by House lawmakers.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., who is leading a bill to ensure troops are paid during a shutdown, wrote on X Wednesday, “The President has made it clear: we must pay our troops. I’m urging the Speaker and our House leadership to immediately pass my bill to ensure our service members, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck while supporting their families, receive the pay they’ve earned.”

Meanwhile, two other House Republicans — Reps. John Rutherford, R-Fla., and Tom Barrett, R-Mich. — spoke up during lawmakers’ call on Thursday with concerns about the Senate GOP not moving to bypass Democrats altogether to reopen the government.

Under current Senate rules, most legislation needs to meet a 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and allow for debate.

But there have been several exceptions made in modern times, triggered by the Senate majority leader, in which rules have been changed to lower the threshold to 51 votes for certain issues. Senate Republicans most recently used it earlier this year to overcome Democrats’ blockade on President Donald Trump’s nominees.

However, Federal funding legislation still needs 60 votes, something Rutherford and Barrett said the Senate should consider changing.

Rutherford specifically warned he was concerned it could open Republicans up to “bad messaging” if the Senate did not use the so-called “nuclear option” to ensure the military was paid on time when it was used so recently for presidential nominees.

Johnson, as leader of the House of Representatives, does not have a say over what the Senate does. But he addressed a similar query during a Q&A with Americans on C-SPAN Thursday morning.

“The filibuster is a tradition there that people on both sides cherish, and the reason is if you blow that up, and you go nuclear on something like a CR, their argument is you would open a Pandora’s box,” Johnson said.

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“What if the socialists take over the Senate, and Democrat socialists are in charge, and they want to grow government to take over the means of production, and they don’t have any safeguard there, and they could do it with a bare-minimum majority next time?”

The government shutdown is poised to roll into a tenth day on Friday after Senate Democrats rejected the GOP’s funding plan a seventh time.

Republicans are pushing a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding levels, called a continuing resolution (CR), to give lawmakers more time to reach a deal on FY2026 spending levels.

But Democrats, infuriated at being sidelined in the discussions, are demanding serious concessions on healthcare provisions in exchange for their support for a spending deal.

President Trump issues plenty of threats.

Sometimes they get results, sometimes they don’t.

And sometimes it’s just bluster. Especially if it’s an online posting, such as saying that Chicago’s mayor and Illinois’ governor should go to jail for resisting him on dispatching troops to the Windy City.

But his relentless personality – backed by the world’s most powerful military – can be overpowering.

TRUMP NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE OVER ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE DEAL

It’s hard to overstate what a remarkable achievement Trump is in the process of assembling by getting Israel and Hamas to end their brutal and bloody two-year-old war.

It’s fair to say no other president could have pulled this off. Joe Biden certainly couldn’t. In fact, not since Jimmy Carter staged the marathon Camp David talks with Anwar Sadar and Menachem Begin has a president brokered peace between the Israelis and one of their Arab enemies. 

Trump himself engineered the Abraham Accords, with help from Jared Kushner, joined by the U.A.E. and Bahrain, in his first term, and later by Sudan and Morocco. That gave him the experience to tackle this immensely tougher challenge and spur more Nobel Peace Prize speculation.

Now some quick caveats are in order. The president says he expects the remaining 20 hostages to be returned Monday or Tuesday, but the Hamas terrorists could come up with new objections that derail the train.

Reporters were asking about Phase 2, which would include returning the bodies of deceased hostages, but the president wisely deflected those questions.  

So no popping of champagne corks quite yet.

EXCLUSIVE: ISRAELI AMBASSADOR SAYS NO PEACE IN GAZA UNLESS HAMAS HANDS OVER ALL 48 HOSTAGES, DISARMS

Presumably, it was these reservations that prompted anchors and correspondents on the air to appear rather sober-faced as they covered the latest developments. But I think it was more than that.

Some of these journalists are not exactly supportive of Trump. And so it’s not easy for them to shower him with credit. They say the right words – tremendous accomplishment and so on – but the body language sends a different message.

Look, Israel has been in a state of war, or cold war, with the surrounding countries since its founding in 1948.

And in a broader sense, the Jews and the Arabs have had hostile relations for many centuries. It’s in the Bible, the plea to Pharaoh to “let my people go.”

Now, there remain crucial unanswered questions about who will rule Gaza, most of it reduced to rubble, in the future. Israel was subject to a brutal massacre on Oct. 7, but it has also found itself increasingly isolated as more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed. Many Israelis, and American Jews, believe Bibi Netanyahu let the war drag on too long to protect his political standing.

Trump had to pressure Bibi into accepting his peace deal, essentially by threatening to have the U.S. walk away.

Now Hamas is essentially being asked to surrender by turning in its weapons. Trump says he will join with other countries in a peace council to prevent the resumption of war. But those details remain murky, beyond the fact that the terrorists will no longer be in charge, as they have been since Israel voluntarily withdrew from the Gaza Strip nearly two decades ago.

GRAND JURY INDICTS NY AG LETITIA JAMES ON BANK FRAUD CHARGES IN VIRGINIA FEDERAL COURT

So just as the president was basking in some well-deserved praise for essentially remaking the Middle East, there was a new development.

A grand jury indicted Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, for mortgage fraud.

This, in a nutshell, underscores the duality of the Trump presidency.

It seems like a petty move, and in a video, James said “we will fight these baseless charges aggressively.”

As with the recent indictment of James Comey, the indictment was returned only because Trump replaced his own U.S. attorney in Virginia’s eastern district with White House aide and loyalist Lindsey Halligan, who has no prosecution experience.

Trump told his AG, Pam Bondi, in a memo that James, like Comey, was “guilty as hell.” The Wall Street Journal says that “Pam” memo was intended to be secret.

Career prosecutors had decided there wasn’t enough evidence to charge James, who brought a civil suit against candidate Trump on real estate inflation that produced a fine which grew to half a billion dollars – so outrageous that an appellate court tossed it out. James also won her job by promising to go after Trump, calling him an “illegitimate” president.

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James has owned a home in Brooklyn for decades, and two years ago she bought a house in Norfolk, Va. with her niece.

The career prosecutors found little evidence that James was dishonest in completing the paperwork.

The media spotlight immediately shifted from Trump the global peacemaker to Trump the crusader who is doggedly pursuing a campaign of retribution against his enemies.

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At the very moment he was drawing praise from around the world, Trump stepped on his own story.

A federal grand jury in Virginia has indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan said James faces up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count and forfeiture if she’s convicted.

“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

In a statement, James said the charges were part of President Donald Trump’s effort to impose “political retribution at any cost.”

NY AG’S OFFICE HIRES ATTORNEY THAT REPPED HUNTER BIDEN TO DEFEND LETITIA JAMES AGAINST FRAUD ACCUSATIONS

“His decision to fire a United States Attorney who refused to bring charges against me — and replace them with someone who is blindly loyal not to the law, but to the president — is antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country,” James said. “This is the time for leaders on both sides of the aisle to speak out against this blatant perversion of our system of justice. 

“I stand strongly behind my office’s litigation against the Trump Organization,” she added. “We conducted a two-year investigation based on the facts and evidence – not politics. Judges have upheld the trial court’s finding that Donald Trump, his company, and his two sons are liable for fraud.” 

Earlier this year, the Justice Department opened an investigation into James for alleged mortgage fraud after James successfully won a civil case last year against Trump and his Trump Organization over allegations of faulty business practices.

In a letter, Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte alleged that James could have engaged in mortgage fraud by making false or misleading statements on property records, like a loan application that said her property in Virginia is her primary residence, a building record stating her multifamily Brooklyn property incorrectly has five residences instead of four and a mortgage application that falsely stated James was her father’s spouse.

In September, a housing and finance banker familiar with the investigation into James told Fox News that she is under scrutiny for, in at least one instance, declaring an investment property she owns as her primary or secondary residence, which would give her better loan terms.

TRUMP TO FORCE OUT VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR AMID PRESSURE TO INDICT LETITIA JAMES

James, a second-term Democrat, has denied wrongdoing. She previously said she made an error while filling out a form related to the home purchase but fixed it. She noted that she never tried to deceive the lender. 

“I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space,” she said on Thursday. “And, so, today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights. And I will continue to do my job.” 

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized Trump, saying he was using the Justice Department as his “personal attack dog” to go after his political opponents. 

“This is what tyranny looks like. President Trump is using the Justice Department as his personal attack dog, targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting him for fraud — and winning,” he said. “One U.S. Attorney already refused this case. So, Trump hand-picked an unqualified hack that would go after another political enemy. This isn’t justice. It’s revenge. And it should horrify every American who believes no one is above the law.”

Halligan was appointed to oversee the case by Trump after her predecessor, Erik Siebert, was ousted. 

Siebert had reportedly expressed doubts about bringing cases against James and former FBI Director James Comey, both longtime critics of Trump. Trump has previously called for James to be charged over the past several months. 

“Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, and Leti[t]ia???” Trump wrote in a social media post last month, directly addressing Attorney General Pam Bondi and referring to James and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

“Those of us on the President’s enemies list, and it is a long and growing list, will not be intimidated, will not deterred,” Schiff told reporters Thursday. “We will do our jobs. We will stand up to this President”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul characterized Thursday’s indictment as the “weaponization of the Justice Department” to target James. 

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“New Yorkers know @NewYorkStateAG James for her integrity, her independence, and her relentless fight for justice,” Hochul wrote on X. “What we’re seeing today is nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department to punish those who hold the powerful accountable.”

James’ initial appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk, Virginia, before Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller.

Thursday’s indictment came two weeks after Comey was charged with lying to Congress. 

Fox New’s Bill Mears, Jake Gibson, David Spunt and Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information and taking on woke corporations, launched a new campaign Thursday targeting insurance giant Chubb Limited and its CEO Evan Greenberg, alleging “deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”

The campaign, which is facing pushback from a Chubb official and a pair of renowned China hawks accusing the nonprofit of misrepresenting Greenberg’s view, is part of a seven-figure initiative titled “China Chubb.” The campaign accuses the insurance company and its chief executive of “cozying up to the CCP” and “using their market power and resources to push a woke, political agenda on the American people.”

The effort falls under Consumers’ Research’s Consumers First Initiative, aimed at exposing companies the group claims put politics ahead of consumers. Chubb’s business reaches across 54 countries, including China, territories and all 50 states and employs over 40,000 people worldwide.

Consumers’ Research says the campaign will include a national 30-second television advertisement titled “China Chubb,” which will begin airing across the country following the launch. 

TOP INSURANCE COMPANY IN HOT SEAT AS BLISTERING NEW AD CAMPAIGN EXPOSES ‘RADICAL WOKE IDEOLOGY’

The campaign also features a new website, ChinaChubb.com; a mobile billboard that will circulate throughout Washington, D.C., including Capitol Hill and Chubb’s Washington office; and a targeted digital push with sponsored content on social media platforms and online news outlets.

The ad campaign received a sharp rebuke from a Chubb spokesperson, who called it “completely dishonest” in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“Evan has called out China’s authoritarian approach and predatory practices. He has repeatedly called for the U.S. to stand up and defend its interests,” the spokesperson said. 

Robert O’Brien, former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, also pushed back on the ad in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“I’ve worked with Evan Greenberg for several years now on American relations with China,” O’Brien said. “In my dealings with Evan, he has been a proponent of U.S. interests in the region. Through its operations in China, his company has contributed to shrinking the U.S. trade deficit.”

However, a Fox News Digital review found that Greenberg has personal and professional entanglements with the CCP, including meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and offering public statements praising the CCP’s global vision.

Earlier this year, Greenberg reportedly attended China’s prestigious China Development Forum alongside executives like Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman and Mastercard’s Michael Miebach. The annual forum, which includes delegates from all over the world, also includes access to dozens of top CCP officials, according to a list of delegates released earlier this year.

During this same week, Greenberg was pictured in a press release posted by the Chinese government showing him shaking hands with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, a top CCP position. The press release paraphrased Greenberg saying, “U.S.-China relationship is the most significant bilateral relationship in the world.”

In 2024, Greenberg was photographed not only shaking hands with Xi in Beijing as Chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. He was also offering glowing remarks about China’s “resilience and vitality.” 

THINK TANK FOUNDER FACES SCRUTINY OVER CHINA CORPORATE TIES DESPITE DECOUPLING ADVOCACY

“China’s exceptional economic growth and transformation over the past decades speak to its strong resilience and vitality,” Greenberg said.

In November 2023, he introduced Xi at a San Francisco event.

“Like many others in this room, I believe that a strong and prosperous China that supports and invests in the international system can be a force for good in the world,” Greenberg said at that event. 

“We are gathered today to gain insight from President Xi into his vision for the future of his country and of the relationship between the United States and China. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in warmly welcoming President Xi Jinping.”

That same month, Evan Greenberg was elected board char of the National Committee on
U.S.-China Relations after having been “an exemplary” board member and officer of the National Committee and “supporting the Committee’s mission.” The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations sold $40,000 tickets to Americans and American businesses to sit at Xi Jinping’s table during the welcome banquet in San Francisco featuring several other senior CCP officials and guests, which got slammed in a scathing letter from the House Select Committee on the CCP.

In 2022, Xi sent personal greetings to a gala honoring Greenberg. Meanwhile, Greenberg sits on the advisory board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, an institution tied directly to China’s national security and defense apparatus. That university operates under a wing of the Chinese government known for defense tech development, a connection that would likely raise red flags for any U.S. executive overseeing sensitive insurance data.

Greenberg is not the only prominent American business leader serving on that board, a group that includes Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein and Apple CEO Tim Cook. 

Greenberg has also called on the U.S. to “tone down rhetoric about Taiwan” and slammed efforts to contain the CCP as “self-isolating” and doomed to fail. In shareholder letters, he’s warned against treating U.S.-China competition as a “new cold war” and labeled some American trade protections as “wrongheaded” and “unwise.”

Greenberg has acknowledged the complicated nature of the Taiwan situation, however.

“Taiwan presents the most proximate risk of conflict for the U.S.-China relationship,” he said in 2022. “Beijing has made its ambition clear that it wants to pull Taiwan into its orbit and, increasingly, is matching resources to its ambitions. Washington is improving coordination with allies to collectively deter China from using force, while at the same time supporting Taiwan’s efforts to improve its self-defense.”

Also in 2022, Chubb secured Chinese government approval to acquire majority control of Huatai Insurance Group, a Chinese firm with over $10 billion in assets. That stake has since grown to 85.5%. Meanwhile, Greenberg’s father, Hank Greenberg, orchestrated business deals and meetings with CCP officials, including a Xi-endorsed event ahead of a key U.S.-China summit.

That same year, Greenberg’s father led a group of executives meeting with Chinese officials ahead of Xi’s summit with President Biden in Bali. A think tank affiliated with China’s foreign ministry
organized the Chinese delegation.

Additionally, a company owned by Greenberg’s father, C.V. Starr, owns over 90% of a Chinese insurer formerly known as Dazhong. 

Greenberg has not exclusively been complimentary of China and has voiced concerns and critiques about China, saying last year, “China has undermined its appeal in many parts of the region through its revanchist efforts to demand acquiescence to its territorial claims and mismanagement of its own economy.”

“Beijing’s dimming domestic performance is reducing its appeal, and its bullying behavior is driving many countries closer to the United States.”

A 2022 Chubb annual report states that the U.S. is seeking an Indo-Pacific region that “remains free from Chinese hegemony.” The insurance company’s 2023 annual report was also critical of China, saying, “China is viewed both as important and as a source of anxiety for many countries around the world. China is a revisionist and revanchist power that is pursuing a large-scale expansion in military capabilities.”

Fox News contributor and China expert Michael Pillsbury told Fox News Digital Greenberg has been playing a role communicating with China to benefit the Trump administration.

US DIPLOMAT FIRED FOR ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMAN WITH TIES TO CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

“Over the last few months, before China accepted President Trump’s request to meet with Xi Jinping, Evan Greenberg played a backstage role to get American complaints by bringing together American CEOs to meet Xi Jinping,” Pillsbury said. 

“Learning how badly American companies have been treated helps President Trump because he is determined to end outrageous mistreatment of American companies. White House friends of mine tell me Evan Greenberg developed a list of grievances of how badly treated our companies are in China. One CEO even used the term China ‘gangsterizes our companies.’”

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Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild told Fox News Digital Chubb’s leadership has ignored clear national security warnings about China.

“Despite growing warnings from U.S. intelligence about the risks posed by the Chinese Communist Party, Chubb has invested billions of dollars in Chinese companies, and Greenberg continues to treat Chinese President Xi Jinping as a partner and friend, even meeting personally with Xi Jinping and publicly introducing him as a force for good,” Hild said.

“As the saying goes, your friends show who you really are, and Greenberg’s actions have made it clear he is all in on the CCP. Our campaign exposes the uncomfortable truth: When American corporations cozy up to communist dictators and push woke policies at home, they betray not just their country, but their customers,” he added.

EXCLUSIVE — Dozens of Angel parents and families of fentanyl victims are calling for President Donald Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, pointing to his unprecedented efforts to combat drug cartels, human trafficking and illegal immigration.

In a letter sent Thursday to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, members of The American Border Story (TABS), representing Angel parents whose children were killed by illegal immigrants and families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl, urged recognition of Trump’s leadership in bringing “peace and security” to neighborhoods across the country.

“Fentanyl took my child’s life, and it’s taken thousands more,” Anne Fundner, whose son died from an overdose in 2022, told Fox News Digital. “President Trump didn’t look the other way. He went after the cartels and the traffickers poisoning our kids. He’s the only one who made this fight a priority, and because of that, lives have been saved. That’s why he deserves this recognition.”

The families credit Trump with identifying cartels and traffickers as a “war machine that destroys lives.” They say he made border security a priority and took action to halt the flow of drugs and violent criminals into the U.S. in a way no other leader has.

TRUMP SAVES AMERICAN LIVES WITH ‘OVERWHELMING FORCE’ AGAINST DRUG SMUGGLERS ENCROACHING ON US BEACHES: EXPERT

While many world leaders have sought peace abroad, the families say Trump’s efforts have been focused on peace “right here at home.”

Joe Abraham, whose daughter Katie Abraham was killed in a hit-and-run allegedly by an illegal immigrant earlier this year, said Trump is the only leader who treated the border crisis as a national emergency.

FAMILY MEMBER OF INFANTS BURNED ALIVE BY CARTEL THANKS TRUMP FOR CRACKDOWN: ‘HOPEFUL FOR THE FIRST TIME’

“My daughter was killed by someone who never should have been in this country,” Abraham told Fox News Digital. “He stood up to the cartels, secured the border and fought to protect families like mine. That’s not just leadership, that’s bringing peace to American communities.”

The group argues that the Nobel Peace Prize — created to honor those who reduce war and promote peace — applies to Trump’s efforts to dismantle cartel operations.

‘PRESIDENT OF PEACE’: TRUMP TAPPED FOR NOBEL PRIZE AMID TALKS TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

“The Nobel Peace Prize was created to honor those who work for fraternity among nations, reduce the engines of war, and promote peace,” the letter states. “Today, the greatest war many of us face is not in some faraway battlefield, it is in our backyards, waged by cartels that profit from human misery. President Trump understood this, and he has worked tirelessly to end it.”

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The letter was dated the same day Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., announced he was tapping Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize following his landmark agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. Pro-Israel activist Lizzy Savetsky went further Thursday, suggesting that the Nobel should be renamed in Trump’s honor to mark the world-changing achievement.

The deadline for this year’s nominations was Jan. 31. While some proposals for Trump came in before then, many arrived after the cutoff. If he does not win when the prize is announced Friday, he could be considered again next year.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Lawmakers reacted sharply Thursday to the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James on bank fraud charges, with Democrats calling it a politically motivated act of revenge by President Donald Trump.

A federal grand jury in Virginia charged James with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment centers on James’ purchase of a home in Norfolk. Prosecutors allege she falsely claimed it as a second residence to secure better loan terms before leasing it to tenants. James has denied wrongdoing, describing the charges as “political retribution.”

“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” James said in a statement.

James, a longtime Trump adversary, previously sued the president’s business empire for civil fraud and won a nearly $500 million judgment.

TRUMP TO FORCE OUT VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR AMID PRESSURE TO INDICT LETITIA JAMES

Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said James faces up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count and forfeiture if she’s convicted.

“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said James has weaponized her office to go after Trump and his allies. 

“Her hypocrisy is profound as she campaigned on the mantra that ‘no one is above the law,’ yet she now faces allegations of committing the very type of financial misrepresentation she baselessly pursued against President Trump,” Stefanik said. 

“I have spearheaded congressional efforts to expose James’ abuses over the past several years through ethics complaints, bar complaints, public demands for investigations and oversight exposing her corruption“. 

TRUMP RIPS TRIAL JUDGE WHOSE $500M PENALTY WAS ERASED ON APPEAL

Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., noted James’ past statement that “no one is above the law.” 

“Today, Leti[t]ia James was indicted for bank fraud regarding a mortgage loan,” she wrote on X. 

Democrats rallied to her defense, accusing Trump of abusing his power.

“The politically motivated indictment of Attorney General Letitia James is an abuse of power — a weaponization of government — at its most outrageous and egregious,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. “Rather than addressing the grocery and utility bills crushing American families, Donald Trump remains pathologically preoccupied with his personal enemies list.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., called the charges a “blatant abuse of power,” while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the case amounted to “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department.”

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani praised James as “a champion for justice,” saying Trump’s actions showed “fascist tactics — prosecuting his opponents, weaponizing the federal government and attacking the very fabric of our democracy.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump was using the Justice Department as his “personal attack dog.”

“This is what tyranny looks like,” Schumer said. “President Trump is targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting him for fraud — and winning. This isn’t justice. It’s revenge.”

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, called the indictment “political weaponization of our courts, plain and simple — and proof that when you stand up to corruption, they come for you.”

James’ initial court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk, Virginia.

NORFOLK, Va. – Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears came out swinging against what she called former Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s dodges on calls for fellow Democrat Jay Jones to drop out of the attorney general contest after texts envisioning the murder of a Republican leader came to light.

Throughout the debate, Spanberger mostly declined to make eye contact with Earle-Sears and ignored her when she was interrupted.

Earle-Sears repeatedly addressed Spanberger directly during both women’s answers but did not receive any direct responses in return.

SPANBERGER DEFENDS ABORTION AD CRITICIZING SEARS AFTER BERNIE WARNS AGAINST HIGHLIGHTING ISSUE

Early on, Earle-Sears interrupted Spanberger, asking her to give a direct answer. The Democrat told the moderators she was “aware of these messages” and that they were “absolutely abhorrent.”

“I denounced them when I learned of them and I will denounce them every chance I get,” Spanberger said, as Earle-Sears interjected once more to attempt to press for a straight answer.

“I didn’t hear an answer on [the Jones] question,” co-moderator Deanna Albrittin told Spanberger.

Since Earle-Sears had already called for Jones to drop out, the moderators asked her instead about President Donald Trump’s stated “hate” for political opponents after the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Earle-Sears later turned to Spanberger and admonished her for refusing to give a yes-or-no answer on Jones, asking whether it would take Jones “pulling the trigger” to actually condemn what he had said about then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.

WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES ‘TWO BULLETS’ AD SCATHING OPPONENT FOR FAILING TO DEMAND JAY JONES’ OUSTER

The Republican was later asked whether she needs Trump’s endorsement, as he has explicitly endorsed lieutenant governor candidate John Reid but offered more muted comments for Earle-Sears during the span of the race.

Earle-Sears also criticized Spanberger for purportedly waiting several days before condemning a left-wing protester’s racist sign at an Arlington anti-transgender-sports demonstration headlined by the Republican candidate.

The sign said that Earle-Sears should not be able to share water fountains (as a Black woman) if transgender students cannot share bathrooms.

In the latter regard, moderator Tom Schaad asked Spanberger whether transgender girls born male should be able to use female bathrooms and be on co-ed sports teams.

“Nothing is more important to me than their safety and their experience in schools,” Spanberger said, before offering a lengthier answer that also cited her experience as a former federal agent investigating crimes against children.

TOP GOP GROUP DROPS BIG MONEY INTO VIRGINIA SHOWDOWN AFTER DEM AG NOMINEE’S VIOLENT TEXTS GO VIRAL

“That work, in part, has earned me the endorsement of the Police Benevolent Association,” she said.

Schaad reiterated the question, saying there had been no direct answer, and later attempted to ask whether Spanberger would rescind an executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin laying out a bathroom policy along biological lines.

“My opponent will not answer the question because she voted for men nude in girls’ locker rooms,” Earle-Sears later said.

Later, both candidates were asked whether they would continue or undo any specific policies from Youngkin – whom the moderators reported enjoys high approval ratings as he closes out his last three months of his term.

Earle-Sears said she would not disclose private conversations with Youngkin but that she would not undo their progress.

‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS

Spanberger said she would continue Youngkin’s efforts to grow advanced nuclear power in the commonwealth.

After the event, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, Jr., D-Portsmouth, spoke to reporters as a surrogate for Spanberger.

Scott said there is a “double standard” in pressuring Spanberger to call for Jones to drop out, claiming Earle-Sears has not denounced violent rhetoric from Trump.

The speaker, who represents the area just south of the debate site, claimed Earle-Sears did not as vociferously condemn Trump for a remark he made in 2024 when discussing neoconservatism, and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s aisle-crossing endorsement of Kamala Harris.

“Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK? Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face,” Trump said as a rebuttal to people in the political establishment who are war “hawks” or support proverbial forever-wars.

WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES AD LINKING ABIGAIL SPANBERGER TO JAY JONES AFTER VIOLENT TEXTS RESURFACE

The Trump campaign noted at the time that the president did not call for Cheney to be executed and that the press covered the remark “disgracefully,” while fact-checker PolitiFact deemed the comment illustrative of a “combat zone” situation rather than a call for murder.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Earle-Sears campaign for comment on the debate, including the way the candidates comported themselves on stage.

“If you’re wondering who’s capable of leading Virginia, this was the debate to watch,” Earle-Sears spokesperson Peyton Vogel told Fox News Digital.

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“Abigail Spanberger couldn’t even look Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears in the eye and confirmed she will not stand up to Jay Jones’ threat-laced, murderous rhetoric.”

“If she can’t lead her own ticket, she can’t lead the Commonwealth,” Vogel said.

The Senate advanced its version of a colossal package to authorize funding for the Pentagon on Thursday in the midst of the ongoing government shutdown.

The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which had been gathering dust as lawmakers worked to break through holds on the bill for over a month, advanced in the upper chamber on a bipartisan vote. The legislation would authorize roughly $925 billion in defense spending.

However, successful advancement of the bill after a marathon Senate vote on amendments came as the government entered Day 9 of the government shutdown with no clear end in sight. Lawmakers in the upper chamber aren’t expected to return until Tuesday, all but guaranteeing that military service members won’t get their paychecks next week. 

SENATE DEMOCRATS BLOCK GOP PLAN AGAIN TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS MILITARY PAY DEADLINE LOOMS

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., formally announced the breakthrough on the Senate floor after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., teased a possible vote Thursday morning. Wicker noted that in a particularly partisan moment in the upper chamber, the NDAA was able to sail through committee earlier this year on a near unanimous vote.

“In this time, when we can’t seem to muster up a 60-vote majority to keep us in business as a federal government, we were able to pass the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 26-to-1,” Wicker said.

Lawmakers were finally able to move on the legislative package after Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., dropped his hold on the measure.

Gallego had called for a vote on his amendment that would have prevented Ashli Babbitt, who was killed during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, from receiving military funeral honors. The Air Force extended an offer for military funeral honors for Babbitt in August.

SENATE REPUBLICANS CONFIRM MORE THAN 100 TRUMP NOMINEES AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES

Senators charged through over a dozen partisan amendments and a massive batch of roughly 50 add-ons to the legislative package before moving the bill. The House passed its own version last month.

Among the failed amendments was one from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., which would have blocked money to retrofit a Boeing 747 that President Donald Trump accepted from the Qatari government earlier this year.  

Another, from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., would have prevented Trump and governors around the country from signing off on sending the National Guard from one state to another if a governor or mayor rejected the move. 

One successful amendment, from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., would repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force for Iraq, which, at the time, authorized President George W. Bush to use the U.S. military as he deemed “to be necessary and appropriate” in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001.

It would also repeal a similar resolution passed in 1991 during the Gulf War. The House’s version of the bill included repeals of both authorizations, too. 

DOZENS OF DEMOCRATS MUTINY MUST-PASS DEFENSE BILL OVER GOP PRIORITIES

However, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., had vowed to block the package Thursday afternoon in an effort to “secure a hearing to investigate this gross abuse of our military” in response to Trump sending the National Guard to Chicago and other cities across the country.

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But she backed off her threat after Wicker promised a hearing on the matter “in the coming weeks.”

“I look forward to asking tough questions of the Trump administration about their unconstitutional National Guard deployments to American cities against state and local officials’ objections,” she said in a statement. 

Democrat Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger faced repeated questioning during Thursday’s debate over her continued support for attorney general candidate Jay Jones, after text messages surfaced in which he fantasized about putting “two bullets” in the head of then-Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert.

Both the debate moderators and her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, repeatedly asked Spanberger whether she still endorses Jones, but Spanberger did not say outright that she no longer endorsed him.

Spanberger also would not say when she became aware of the inflammatory text messages, which also included violent rhetoric about Gilbert’s children. 

“Jay Jones advocated the murder – Abigail – the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were two years and five years old. You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it?” Earle-Sears asked. “Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.”

JOE SCARBOROUGH TELLS DEM CANDIDATE JAY JONES TO LEAVE RACE OVER VIOLENT COMMENTS AGAINST GOP LAWMAKER 

The text scandal has proven to be a major flashpoint in the race, as concerns about violent political rhetoric have reached new heights following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump. 

“We just want to clarify, what you’re saying is, as of now, you still endorse Jay Jones as attorney general?” the moderator asked Spanberger point-blank. 

“I’m saying, as of now, it’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision. I am running for governor, I am accountable for the words that I say, for the acts that I take, for the policies that I have put out,” Spanberger responded. “I am responsible for the policies I put out and the work I will endeavor to do tirelessly for the people.”

LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER 

Spanberger did repeatedly point out that she condemned the rhetoric the moment she learned of it, and that she will denounce violent rhetoric at every opportunity she gets. 

Meanwhile, Spanberger accused Earle-Sears of only condemning violent rhetoric when it is targeting her political party, but not when it targets her opponent’s. She cited an example from Kirk’s memorial service last month, during which Trump reportedly said, “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.”

“It is important that candidates always denounce violence no matter which side of the aisle … We should always be focused and forceful in our denouncement of it,” Spanberger said as she was peppered with questions on whether she would denounce Jones. “My opponent unfortunately only denounces violence when her side is the target.”

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In response to those accusations, Earle-Sears did not condemn the president’s words, but did say it was something she would not say herself personally. 

“As I’ve said before, I would not say that,” Earle-Sears said of the Trump comments.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.