NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., vowed to stand fearlessly with young conservatives in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination — a tragedy that sparked national outrage and led to three Clemson professors being fired after allegedly celebrating his death.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital ahead of her address Wednesday at a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) gathering at Clemson University in South Carolina, Mace said she and other conservative leaders will continue speaking in public to honor the late TPUSA founder’s legacy, noting, “we’re not going to be afraid.”

The South Carolina gubernatorial candidate’s public appearance comes less than a month after Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, leaving behind his wife, Erika, and two young children.

SHOCK AND RESOLVE: STUDENTS REFLECT ON CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH, FUTURE OF CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT

“I want all of our young people across South Carolina and the country to know that we are with them, that we are all Charlie Kirk and that they will be supported — that we aren’t going to allow anyone, or any political violence, to stop this movement or this moment,” Mace said. 

“We are doing this for Charlie Kirk. We’re doing this for Turning Point. We’re doing this for the millions of Charlie Kirks that are now out there today, who want to carry the torch forward, and we’re not going to be afraid,” she added. “We’re going to continue to do these things in public. We’re going to respect and honor free speech and our faith, and we’re going to do it as publicly and valiantly as we can.”

Following Kirk’s killing, Fox Digital reported young conservatives were harassed at on-campus memorials, as professors across the country faced firings over insensitive public posts condoning the activist’s murder.

At Clemson alone, three professors were terminated after allegedly celebrating Kirk’s death.

Mace said young members of the Clemson College Republicans and the Clemson TPUSA chapter worked together to ensure the public, elected officials and President Donald Trump were aware of the professors’ comments, and were instrumental in booting them from campus.

UNIVERSITIES CRACK DOWN ON EMPLOYEE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CELEBRATING, DEFENDING KIRK’S DEATH

“They made a difference where it mattered, because those who are promoting murder, inciting murder, shouldn’t be teaching our kids. Regardless of your politics or what your beliefs are, you shouldn’t be near students or indoctrinating them,” she said. “There are hundreds, if not thousands, of students on every campus across the country who are with you. When we speak up in numbers, we can’t be defeated.”

She added her message to parents concerned about leftist indoctrination on college campuses is one of hope.

“I have never been more proud and had more confidence in a generation than I do today, because these young men and women have stepped up in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic murder, and they have stepped up to fill in the gap, and it is an inspiration,” Mace said.

‘FEARLESS’ TOUR TAKES CHARLIE KIRK’S FREE SPEECH MISSION TO COLLEGES NATIONWIDE

The university also came under fire in April after Mace revealed Clemson had a health portal form that listed 15 gender identity options, excluding male and female.

Though the form was eventually taken down, Mace noted school officials “deflected any and all blame.”

“I expect better than that, and even when these professors came forward, we saw a slow response from Clemson,” she said. “Luckily, the Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting and did the right thing, so we are going to have to continue to have eyes on and put pressure on Clemson to do the right thing.”

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Mace said amid the chaos, it is important lawmakers and the courts step in to protect free speech, and continue to honor Kirk’s mission.

“The First Amendment is a right established by our founders, and when we need to step in, we should absolutely do that,” she said. “That’s what you saw happen in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. You saw lawmakers step up, come forward, and protect the free speech of students on campuses everywhere.”

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is accusing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of refusing to vote to end the government shutdown in order to kowtow to his left-wing base.

Johnson told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview that Democrats’ refusal to budge on their current position came up in an hour-long call he held with President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon.

“[Trump is] very bothered by that, that Chuck Schumer would do this, Democrats would do this, because we haven’t,” the top House Republican said.

He noted that Democrats had voted on a similar measure to what Republicans are offering on 13 different occasions under former President Joe Biden.

SOCIAL SECURITY, AIRPORTS, FOOD STAMPS: HOW ARE YOU AFFECTED DURING A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?

“And even when the Republicans were in the minority, we did the right thing to keep the government open. And we fully expected that Schumer would do that again, as he always has, but not this time,” Johnson said.

“This is a selfish political calculation he’s made, that he’s got to prove to the far left that he’s going to fight Trump or something. So we talked about our frustration with that.”

He said Trump appeared “happy” that Republicans remain unified in their federal funding stance but was concerned about the effects of a prolonged shutdown on everyday Americans.

REPUBLICANS ERUPT OVER SHUTDOWN CHAOS, ACCUSE DEMS OF HOLDING GOVERNMENT ‘HOSTAGE’

“But the reason we’re happy about that is because we know we’re doing the right thing for the American people,” Johnson said. “And Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are demonstrating that they are willing to inflict this pain upon the people for their own political purposes. And I think that is a tough thing for them to get over.”

He said of a meeting between congressional leaders and Trump that occurred on Monday, “I tried my best in the White House, and he just is in no mood to have a real discussion about these issues. So we are where we are.”

Senate Democrats have now rejected a GOP-led plan to fund federal agencies through Nov. 21 three times.

The measure is called a continuing resolution (CR) and is aimed at buying House and Senate negotiators more time to reach a deal on fiscal year (FY) 2026 federal funding priorities.

The CR would keep current federal funding levels roughly flat while adding an extra $88 million in security spending for lawmakers, the White House, and the judicial branch.

Democrats, furious at being largely sidelined in funding discussions, have signaled they would not accept any bill that does not also extend Obamacare tax subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those enhanced subsidies are due to expire at the end of this year.

But Johnson, who called the Obamacare subsidies an “end-of-year issue,” argued that the bill was a simple extension of federal funding, leaving Republicans with no realistic path for concessions.

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“If it was not clean and simple, if I had loaded it up with a bunch of Republican partisan priorities, then there would be something for us to negotiate. I could take those things off and offer it again. I sent it over with nothing attached at all,” he said.

“It quite literally is just buying us time to finish the appropriations process, which was being done in a bipartisan manner. So I don’t have anything to give, there’s nothing I can give. And Chuck Schumer has made such outrageous counter-demands and proposals that he’s the one that has to come to his senses.”

He was referring to Democrats’ counter-proposal for a CR, which would have repealed the Medicaid reforms made in Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Bill, while restoring funding for NPR and PBS that was cut by the Trump administration earlier this year.

Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for a response but did not hear back by press time.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

–Supreme Court keeps Fed’s Lisa Cook in role for now, agrees to review case

-Social Security, airports, military: How are you affected during a government shutdown?

-White House memo says Democrats’ plan could spend $200B on healthcare for illegal immigrants

Trump’s peace initiative carries the potential to end the Gaza war while threatening Netanyahu’s hold on power.

A 20-point peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump this week could finally conclude the nearly two-year war in the Gaza Strip and see the return of the 46 hostages still held by Hamas. But it could also mean an end to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s time in the Israeli government’s top job. 

Hamas still needs to agree to the plan that Netanyahu accepted on Monday, which would ultimately end Israel’s military operation, disarm Hamas and pave the way for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip under a Palestinian governing body overseen by an international coalition headed by Trump…Read more

White House

DEMS FORCE CUTS: White House prepares for ‘imminent’ federal layoffs after Democrats force government shutdown

‘IT’S NOT TRUE’: Vance brings receipts to target Dems on healthcare benefits for illegal aliens

Capitol Hill

SHUTDOWN SHOUTOUT:’Have Dems lost their boogeyman’? Winsome Sears blasts Spanberger’s silence on shutdown after months of DOGE slams

DOUBLE STANDARD: 13 times Democrats voted for a short-term continuing resolution under Biden

‘BEST EVER’: Maverick House Republican in Trump’s crosshairs touts record campaign cash haul

HOSTAGE POLITICS: Government shutdown continues as Senate Dems block GOP funding bill for 3rd time

Across America 

DEFENSE PLAN: How James Comey’s indictment could go south for the DOJ

SUMMER’S BIG HAUL: Back-to-back highs: August and September bring in $62.6B in tariff revenue

FULL STOP: Trump administration halts $18B in NYC transit funding over DEI concerns amid government shutdown

PROSECUTOR SLAMMED: Virginia AG flames opponent for supporting sex-change ID law he blames for latest pedophile cases

END OF AN ERA: Patel cuts ties Comey’s FBI made with ADL as organization faces backlash for TPUSA criticism

JUDICIAL SMACKDOWN: Federal judge disqualifies acting Nevada US attorney from handling cases

MONEY FOR MIGRANTS: Fed audit, emergency Medicaid undercut Dems on illegal immigrant health coverage

CONSPIRACY CLAIM: Ciattarelli campaign rips ‘lying’ Dem opponent amid new National Archives investigation

FLIP FLOP MAYOR: ‘The View’ co-host presses Mamdani on whether he’s apologized to officers over ‘defund the police’ claims

GUNFIRE HORROR: Inside Dallas ICE facility in aftermath of sniper attack that killed two detainees

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the National Guard is now in place in Portland, Oregon, reiterating the administration’s commitment to restoring law and order in the city amid protests against immigration enforcement.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that as he determined on Saturday, when he activated the Oregon National Guard, “conditions continue to deteriorate into lawless mayhem.”

“Our GREAT Federal Law Enforcement Officers have not been able to enforce the Laws in Oregon,” the president wrote. “ANTIFA and the Radical Left Anarchists have been viciously attacking our Federal Law Enforcement Officers, men and women who are simply doing their job, protecting Federal Property, and enforcing Federal Immigration Laws and the Rule of Law. 

“We will never allow MOBS to take over our streets, burn our Cities, or destroy America. The National Guard is now in place, and has been dedicated to restoring LAW AND ORDER, and ending the Chaos, Death, and Destruction! We are a Nation of LAW, and we will PREVAIL.”

PORTLAND SET TO SEE TRUMP CRIME CRACKDOWN RECKONING AFTER 2020’S HUMILIATING VIOLENCE SPREE

A memo Monday by the Oregon Military Department confirmed 200 service members will be mobilized under Title 10 federal authority for operations in the Portland area, following a request for support from the Department of War, according to a FOX 12 Oregon report.

The state National Guard called the mission straightforward: “protect federal facilities and the federal employees working in them.”

“I need everyone to understand the command relationship with this particular mission,” Brig. Gen. Alan R. Gronewold wrote in the memo. “I know some of you may have strong feelings about this mission. That’s okay. You are citizens first, but you’re also service members who took an oath to support and defend the Constitution and follow the orders of the President and the Governor. 

“That oath doesn’t come with an asterisk that says, ‘only when I agree with the mission.’ We don’t get to pick and choose.”

TRUMP VOWS ‘FULL FORCE’ AS HE PLANS TO SEND TROOPS TO PORTLAND AMID ANTI-ICE PROTESTS

Gronewold added he knows “some people in Oregon won’t understand or won’t support this mission.”

“Some might even be hostile about it. But we’ve been through tough situations before,” he wrote. “We are professionals who do our duties, regardless of how it’s received. … We don’t serve because it’s easy or popular. We serve because it’s our duty and because we took an oath.”

For those mobilizing, leaders said to take care of their families and “be smart” on social media. 

“Don’t post about unit movements, mobilization details, or operational information,” Gronewold wrote. “Please don’t get into political arguments online while wearing the uniform or identifying yourself as a member of the Oregon Guard. Understand you represent something bigger than yourself, and the public is watching.”

PORTLAND MAYOR WARNS CITY TO FIX HOMELESS PROBLEM BEFORE TRUMP ‘DEPLOYS BULLDOZERS’

The memo came days after Portland Mayor Keith Wilson fired back at the administration, claiming the president would “not find” lawlessness in the city, and alleging video footage showing violence in Portland was “recycled” from five years ago.

“If President Trump came to Portland today, what he would find is people riding their bikes, playing sports, enjoying the sunshine, buying groceries or produce from a farmers’ market,” Wilson said. “We’ve had hard conversations, and we’ve done important work in the years since that footage was taken, we reformed our public safety system.”

Since June, protests have erupted near an ICE facility in Portland, leading to the building being vandalized with anti-ICE graffiti and violent clashes between protesters and federal agents.

Video footage obtained by Fox News Digital showed protesters in August rolling out a guillotine, lighting fires and forcing law enforcement to disperse the crowd with munitions.

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Portland, a sanctuary city since 2017, has resisted federal immigration enforcement and ignored warnings from Attorney General Pam Bondi that the city’s sanctuary policies undermine U.S. interests.

The City of Portland did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Vice President JD Vance brushed off outrage over President Donald Trump sharing a video meme depicting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero, saying he was confused by claims it was “racist.” 

“Oh, I think it’s funny,” Vance said Wednesday when asked if posting sombrero memes was “helpful” while trying to reach a government funding agreement with Democrats. “The president’s joking and we’re having a good time. You can negotiate in good faith while also poking a little bit of fun at some of the absurdities of the Democrats’ positions and even, you know, poking some, some fun at the absurdity of the Democrats themselves.” 

“I’ll tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make this solemn promise to you, that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop,” he quipped. 

HAKEEM JEFFRIES TELLS ‘THE VIEW’ ICE IS GOING AFTER ‘LAW-ABIDING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES’

Vance joined the White House press briefing Wednesday to address the government shutdown that took effect earlier that morning after Democrat and Republican lawmakers failed to reach a funding bill agreement. The administration has pinned blame on Democrats for the shutdown, arguing members of the party are trying to push through a measure that would provide healthcare to illegal immigrants, which Democratic lawmakers have denied. 

JD VANCE MOCKS JOY REID WITH MEME AFTER FORMER MSNBC HOST’S ‘AFFIRMATIVE ACTION’ ATTACK

Vance’s response follows Trump posting a meme video Monday to Truth Social that depicted Jeffries wearing a mustache and a sombrero while mariachi music played in the background. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also was depicted in the video, with an AI-generated voice stating “nobody likes Democrats anymore” due to “our woke, trans” agenda. 

The video included profanities and mocked Democrats as trying to appeal to illegal immigrants as prospective new voters. 

Jeffries, as well as other Democrats and media outlets, characterized the video as “racist.” 

NEWSOM, VANCE EXCHANGE JABS OVER IMMIGRATION AFTER VP’S CALIFORNIA VACATION: ‘HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR FAMILY TIME’

“Mr. President, the next time you have something to say about me, don’t cop out through a racist and fake AI video,” Jeffries told reporters Tuesday, according to Politico. “When I’m back in the Oval Office, say it to my face.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ office for comment and has not yet received a reply. 

Vance also took issue with media outlets making a point to clarify to viewers that the video was “AI-generated,” pointing to the comical mustache and sombrero in the video that indicated it was a joke. 

“Hakeem Jeffries said it was a racist, and I know that he said that,” Vance said. “And I honestly don’t even know what that means. Like, is … he a Mexican-American that is offended by having a sombrero meme?” 

“And I saw one of the major TV stations put the meme up and then say, this is AI generated. And he had like the curly animated mustache, too. … Do you really not realize the American people recognize that he did not actually come to the White House wearing a sombrero and a black, curly animation mustache, like, give the country a little bit of credit,” he continued. 

When asked about another AI video Trump shared and then deleted on Truth Social in September — which depicted futuristic-looking “med beds” that can cure illnesses — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump enjoys sharing memes online. 

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“He likes to share memes. He likes to share videos, he likes to repost things that he sees other people post on social media as well. And I think it’s quite refreshing that we have a president who is so open and honest directly himself,” she said.

With a government shutdown in effect, both sides of the aisle are looking to place blame on the other. House Speaker Mike Johnson pointed out that while Democrats expressed outrage over the proposed legislation, it is similar to several continuing resolutions that passed under the Biden administration.

“The nonpartisan clean CR only appears ‘partisan’ because 212 House Democrats and 46 Senate Democrats chose to make it that way. This CR is the same short-term funding extension that virtually all Democrats voted to pass 13 times during the Biden Administration. Despite this voting history, nearly every Democrat has refused to support the current clean, nonpartisan funding extension to keep the government open and operational,” Johnson said in a statement.

During the Biden administration, there were 13 instances in which Congress enacted short-term funding measures, also known as continuing resolutions.

SPEAKER JOHNSON REVEALS THE HIDDEN GOP ADVANTAGE TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

1. September 2021

On Sept. 30, 2021, Congress passed H.R. 5305, also known as the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act. This legislation gave the government nine weeks of funding and averted a shutdown.

The act not only extended funding levels, but also added allocations for natural disaster relief and the influx of evacuees from Afghanistan following the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal.

Additionally, it extended programs and authorities such as the National Flood Insurance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, among others.

2. December 2021

Following the previous short-term funding measure, on Dec. 2, 2021, Congress enacted H.R. 6119, the Further Extending Government Funding Act, providing FY2022 appropriations through Feb. 18, 2022.

Like the act before it, this legislation also provided appropriations for several federal agencies for activities related to Afghanistan evacuees. This included what was then called the Department of Defense (now, the Department of War), the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of State.

The resolution also extended several authorities, including the authority for HHS to make appointments for the National Disaster Medical System. There was also an extension of the pay freeze for certain senior officials and political appointees in the executive branch.

3. February 2022

The Further Additional Extending Government Funding Act, H.R. 6617, went into effect on Feb. 18, 2022, as its predecessor expired. The legislation continued to fund most programs at FY2021 levels with some exceptions that provided what Congress referred to as “funding flexibility.”

The continuing resolution also included provisions on then-President Joe Biden’s authority “draw down defense articles and services to respond to unforeseen emergencies” and the Department of the Interior’s implementation of cybersecurity safeguards.

H.R. 6617 gave the government just under a month — until March 11, 2022 — to avoid a shutdown.

4. March 2022

Unlike previous continuing resolutions that gave the government weeks to avert a shutdown, the Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2022, also known as H.J.Res. 75, was set to expire days after it was enacted.

Just before this legislation was set to expire on March 15, 2022, Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, which served as the omnibus appropriations package for FY2022.

GOP LAWMAKER WANTS CONGRESS TO FEEL THE PAIN DURING SHUTDOWNS WITH BOLD PROPOSAL

5. September 2022

Congress enacted H.R. 6833, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided FY2023 appropriations to federal agencies through Dec. 16, 2022. It also provided supplemental appropriations that allowed the U.S. to help Ukraine and established a compensation program for victims of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire in New Mexico.

The legislation also extended several immigration-related programs and provided additional funding for the Administration for Children and Families to carry out the Unaccompanied Children Program, a federal program aimed at helping unaccompanied minors encountered at the border.

6. December 2022

The Further Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2023, H.R. 1437, provided several extensions, though most of them were set to expire on Dec. 23, 2022.

One of the extensions that the act provided was for the FCC to continue auctions for electromagnetic spectrum licenses. The legislation also provided for the payment to the family of the late Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., who died in office.

Additionally, the act required the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to update precipitation estimates.

7. December 2022

The Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2023, H.R. 4373, extended FY2023 appropriations to several federal agencies through Dec. 30, 2022. Additionally, it extended expiring programs and authorities.

H.R. 4373 was the final stopgap legislation of FY2023. On Dec. 29, 2022, an omnibus bill known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, was signed into law. The $1.7 trillion spending bill funded the government through Sept. 30, 2023.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES AS SENATE DEMS BLOCK GOP FUNDING BILL FOR 3RD TIME

8. September 2023

H.R. 5860, also known as the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act, provided extensions of FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies through Nov. 17, 2023 and provided emergency funding for disaster relief.

The legislation also gave extensions for Federal Aviation Administration programs, such as the Airport Improvement Program and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site Program. Additionally, the bill reauthorized the FDA to collect fees for generic animal drug applications through FY2028.

9. November 2023

The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, H.R. 6363, provided continuing FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies.

The legislation was laddered, meaning it contained various expiration dates for different provisions. Some of the funding was set to be provided through Jan. 19, 2024, while other parts expired on Feb. 2, 2024.

Additionally, it provided for a payment to the family of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who died in office.

10.  January 2024

The Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, P.L. 118-35, was signed on Jan 19. 2024, averting a government shutdown. It was also laddered, giving some programs an expiration date of March 1, 2024, and others March 8, 2024.

The legislation itself gave Congress more time to negotiate by making technical adjustments rather than sweeping policy changes.

11.  March 2024

H.R. 7463, also known as the Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2024, modified requirements for determining eligibility for federal student aid, provided continuing FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies as well as additional funding for Federal Pell Grants.

This acted as a continuation of the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, and moved the March 1, 2024, expiration date to March 8. Additionally, the March 8 expiration date was extended to March 22, 2024.

Biden then signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, on March 9, 2024, which provided the government with funding through Sept. 30, 2024. It included several appropriations bills, such as the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024; the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024; and
the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, among others.

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12.  September 2024

Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, also known as H.R. 9747, which provided continuing FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies through Dec. 20, 2024.

The legislation provided additional funding for the U.S. Secret Service and extended several expiring programs and authorities. Some of the miscellaneous extensions were given to the DHS Joint Task Forces, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission and others.

13.  December 2024

H.R. 10545, the American Relief Act, 2025, provided continuing FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies through March 14, 2025. It also provided supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and assistance related to hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms, flooding, tornadoes and other natural disasters.

The legislation also included public health funding extensions through March 31, 2025.

Vice President JD Vance smacked down Democrat lawmakers’ “preposterous” claim that Democrats are not trying to provide taxpayer-funded health care benefits to illegal immigrants in an interview with “FOX & Friends” on Wednesday.

Vance said Democrats want to reinstate Biden-era federal funding for emergency healthcare for illegal immigrants that was ended under the Trump administration.

“They say, ‘We’re not actually trying to give health care benefits to illegal aliens,’” Vance said of the Democrats. “And here’s why it’s not true.”

Vance called out two Biden-era programs “that explicitly gave the taxpayer health care money to illegal aliens that we turned off when President Trump took over in January.”

GOP ACCUSES DEMS OF RISKING SHUTDOWN TO RESTORE ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE’

The first Biden-era program provided illegal immigrants emergency health care at hospitals, the vice president said.

“We turned off that funding because, of course, we want American citizens to benefit from those hospital services, not to be taxed, and then to have those hospital services go to illegal aliens,” Vance said.

President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” tightened who could receive federal payment for emergency treatment and reduced the federal match for emergency-only coverage.

Vance said a second Biden-era program gave mass parole to millions of illegal aliens and simultaneously made the parolees eligible for taxpayer-funded health care.

The “big, beautiful bill” removed parolees from eligibility for taxpayer-subsidized credits that were once provided under the Affordable Care Act by redefining who is an “eligible alien.”

“In the ‘one big, beautiful bill,’ President Trump and congressional Republicans turned off that money to health care funding for illegal aliens,” Vance said.

WATCH THE FULL “FOX & FRIENDS” INTERVIEW WITH VANCE BELOW:

Now, Vance says that Democrats “want to turn it back on” as they engage in a face-off with Republicans to fund the federal government, which entered a partial shutdown Wednesday after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.

“The first thing that they put out to reopen the government, they actually turned that money for health care benefits for illegal aliens back on,” Vance said. 

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

The White House’s Rapid Response X account shared an image from the Democrat’s current proposal that repeals a subsection of the “big, beautiful bill” regarding emergency health care for illegal immigrants, along with two other images showing the “big, beautiful bill” table of contents and the actual text of the bill that effectively ended health care for illegal immigrants.

“So it’s not something that we made up,” Vance said. “It’s not a talking point. It is in the text of the bill that they initially gave to us to reopen the government. It’s preposterous for [Democrats] to run away from it now.” 

Vance said that the objective right now should focus on reopening the government.

“But look, let’s set that all to the side. Let’s open up the government,” he said. “Let’s negotiate on all these health care policy issues.”

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“Obviously, we’re not going to support health care benefits for illegal aliens, but we will work with them to lower health care costs for American citizens if they’re willing to do so,” Vance said.

Neither Republicans nor Democrats blinked less than 24 hours into a government shutdown as an attempt to pass a government funding extension failed again Wednesday.  

Despite Republican leaders signaling confidence that more Democrats would cross the aisle, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus blocked the GOP’s continuing resolution (CR) for the third time with a 53-45 vote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., plans to bring the same bill to the floor again and again in a bid to crank up pressure on Senate Democrats. The Senate is expected to leave town on Thursday to observe Yom Kippur but will return Friday to continue voting. In order to advance the bill, Thune needs at least 60 votes to smash through the Senate filibuster.

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AFTER CONGRESS DEADLOCKS ON SPENDING DEAL

There were glimmers of hope on Tuesday that more Democrats would break ranks and vote for the bill when Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, joined Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., to vote for the bill.

However, that trio remained the only members of the Democratic caucus that crossed the aisle on Wednesday.

“We are just one Senate roll call vote away from ending the shutdown,” Thune said. “We need a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to reopen the government. And once we do that, then we can talk about the issues that Democrats are raising. But we’re not going to engage in bipartisan discussions while Democrats are holding the federal government hostage to their partisan demands.”

The GOP’s ranks held, too, save for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, who again voted against the bill.

DEMS ‘SACRIFICED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,’ THUNE SAYS AS GOVERNMENT BARRELS TOWARD MIDNIGHT SHUTDOWN

Schumer and Senate Democrats still appear firmly entrenched in their position that they want an extension to expiring Obamacare tax credits and to be cut into negotiations on the short-term funding bill.

Schumer said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that Democrats weren’t ready to budge and blamed the shutdown on Republicans. 

“Democrats want to avert this crisis, but Republicans tried to bully us, and it’s clear they can’t,” he said. “They don’t have the votes.”

Congressional Republicans and the White House have accused Democrats of shutting the government down in a bid to give illegal immigrants healthcare, a point that Schumer rejected. 

“That is a damn lie,” he said. “Not $1 of Medicare, Medicaid or [Obamacare] is allowed to go to undocumented immigrants, not a dollar. So why do they keep saying this? This seems to be their theme, because they’re afraid to talk about the real issue. It’s a typical Republican response: Have a diversion, try to scare people emotionally.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, panned Schumer and Democrats’ blockade as “grossly irresponsible.”

“It reminds me of my 4-year-old granddaughter when she gets mad, when she kicks the sand and leaves the sandbox, and they can’t have their way,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”

Their own counter-proposal was also blocked, again, on Wednesday, which included a permanent extension to the credits, a repeal of the healthcare title in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” and a clawback of canceled funding for NPR and PBS.

WHITE HOUSE DECLARES IMMINENT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFTER SENATE FAILS TO PASS FUNDING BILL

But the crux of their wishlist is focused on the Obamacare tax credits. They do not expire until the end of this year, but Democrats warned that Americans who are enrolled in the healthcare program and rely on the subsidies would see their rates skyrocket by an average of 114% if Congress did not act.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, argued that Democrats’ position was not some “sort of cooked-up demand.”

“The reason that we are trying to take action now on healthcare is because people’s premiums are going up this coming week,” he said.

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Meanwhile, Trump warned ahead of the vote that his administration and the Office of Management and Budget, led by Director Russ Vought, could do things “that are irreversible,” like mass firings and cutting programs favored by Democrats.

Vought and the OMB sent out a memo last week that directed agencies to implement mass firings beyond the typical furloughs that happen during a shutdown. And the Congressional Budget Office projected that about 750,000 employees would be furloughed per day at a cost of roughly $400 million in daily back pay. 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to review President Donald Trump‘s effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and will allow her to remain in her spot on the board until oral arguments can be heard in January, the court said — delivering a long-awaited update on a high-profile case, and one expected to have significant political and economic implications for the nation’s central bank.

The update comes roughly two weeks after Trump officials appealed the case to the high court for emergency review. 

Oral arguments are expected to be closely watched, given the unprecedented nature of the case, and the seismic shift that any ruling could have on U.S. economic decisions. 

In appealing the case to the Supreme Court, lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the Fed’s “uniquely important role” in the U.S. economy only heightens the government’s and public’s interest in reviewing the case.

COOK’S POTENTIAL EXIT HANDS TRUMP GREATER SWAY OVER FED BOARD SHAPING US MONETARY POLICY

“Put simply, the president may reasonably determine that interest rates paid by the American people should not be set by a governor who appears to have lied about facts material to the interest rates she secured for herself — and refuses to explain the apparent misrepresentations,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer said Thursday in the appeal.

The review of Cook’s case is significant. Trump’s attempt to fire Cook marked the first time in the bank’s 111-year history that a president has ever attempted to remove a sitting governor from Fed — a stridently independent body whose members are shielded by law against political pressures.

The court’s decision to take up the case comes weeks after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb issued a preliminary injunction last month blocking Trump from firing Cook from the Fed while the case continued to play out in court.

She ruled that Trump had failed to satisfy the stringent requirements needed to remove a sitting Fed governor “for cause,” and that Cook could not be removed for conduct that occurred prior to her appointment to the Fed. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit voted 2-1 in September to to deny Trump’s request for intervention, prompting the administration to kick the case to the Supreme Court for emergency review.

The Supreme Court update comes as Trump has for months pressured the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates, in a bid to help spur the nation’s economic growth. 

LAWYERS FOR COOK, DOJ TRADE BLOWS AT HIGH-STAKES CLASH OVER FED FIRING

But his attempt to fire Cook for alleged mortgage fraud violations, which she has denied, has teed up a first-of-its-kind court clash that could have profound impacts on the Fed. 

Cook’s lawyers have argued that Trump’s attempt to fire her well before the end of her 14-year term is an attempt to install a nominee of his choosing and secure a majority on the Fed board. 

Cook sued Trump in late August for his attempt to fire her, arguing that his removal violated her due process rights under the Fifth Amendment, as well as her statutory right to notice and a hearing under the Federal Reserve Act, or FRA — a law designed to shield members from the political whims of the commander in chief or members of Congress. 

The Supreme Court has sided with Trump on similar cases in the past.

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The Supreme Court in May allowed Trump to proceed with the provisional firings of two independent board members — National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox and Merit Systems Protection Board member Cathy Harris — two Democrat appointees who were abruptly terminated by the Trump administration.

But even that decision sought to differentiate these boards from the Fed, which they stressed was a “uniquely structured, quasi-private entity that follows in the distinct historical tradition of the First and Second Banks of the United States.”

As former FBI Director James Comey stares down a two-count federal indictment alleging he made a false statement to Congress and obstructed justice, the Department of Justice faces an uphill climb in securing a conviction. 

Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan of the Eastern District of Virginia is under pressure to move the prosecution forward against Comey’s formidable defense team, which has multiple ways to challenge the charges.

Halligan, a Trump ally and former insurance lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, is up against the possibility that Comey’s lawyers will file requests to toss the case out. If Comey is unsuccessful and the case goes to trial, Halligan will then face a new hurdle: persuading a jury. Critics say President Donald Trump, Halligan and any others involved in the case could also see external repercussions for rushing to bring what they view as a flimsy, retributive indictment.

In terms of pre-trial efforts, several lawyers have speculated that Comey will argue to the court that his two charges should be dismissed on numerous grounds.

COMEY INDICTMENT SPARKS FIERCE POLITICAL REACTIONS NATIONWIDE

Former U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade of Michigan told Fox News Digital one possibility is that Comey could argue the prosecution was selective.

“To prevail on a selective prosecution claim, the defendant must show not only that the prosecution was motivated by an improper purpose, but also that other similarly situated individuals were treated differently,” McQuade said.

She said it would be “remarkably easy to demonstrate the first factor,” pointing to Trump’s extraordinary comments on social media openly saying he wanted Comey charged out of vengeance. Comey, one of Trump’s top political nemeses, led the FBI when it opened a controversial investigation into Trump over his 2016 campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia.

McQuade said, however, that the second factor would be difficult to prove — that others have not been prosecuted for false statements to Congress — since that “essentially requires a defendant to prove a negative.”

COMEY DENIES CHARGES, DECLARES ‘I AM NOT AFRAID’

Jim Trusty, a former DOJ prosecutor who once worked on Trump’s defense team, told Fox News the indictment is still in an early stage, the specific allegations remain unclear and that a “wait and see” approach was best. Trusty said, though, that critics who claim Trump is weaponizing the DOJ against his enemies are misguided.

“Lawfare was certainly used as a weapon to go after Trump, but it also protected people, and so you can also look at this as four years of love from the Biden administration kept Comey out of the crosshairs,” Trusty said.

Trusty said Comey’s indictment could be perceived as a “tit for tat,” or it could simply be “overdue.”

McQuade said that at this early stage, she viewed Comey’s acquittal as the “more likely” way the DOJ would fail, pointing to what she said was “convoluted” language in the indictment.

She said it seemed to rely on congressional testimony Comey gave in 2020, when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, referenced a question asked by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in 2017 about whether Comey authorized a leak to the media. Cruz also slightly misquoted Grassley, she said.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO INDICT FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING TO CONGRESS

“Because the prosecution must show that Comey knowingly and willfully made a false statement, that messy record may be a fatal flaw,” McQuade said.

Former U.S. Attorney John Fishwick of the Western District of Virginia told Fox News Digital that if the court permits Comey to access any records related to the DOJ’s “internal deliberations” about the case, those details could undermine the prosecution and bolster a defense that the case was tainted by political motivations.

“The biggest potential fallout for DOJ will be if the judge permits the Comey legal team to get under the hood of the internal deliberations of DOJ to prosecute or not prosecute Comey,” Fishwick told Fox News Digital. “The Comey team wants to argue this prosecution is just about politics and revenge, but they will need as much evidence as possible to buttress this claim as DOJ will counter the grand jury indicted Comey, not DOJ.”

Trump’s appointment of Halligan as U.S. attorney was a last-minute move, as the five-year statute of limitations on Comey’s testimony expired on Sept. 30. Trump ousted her predecessor, Erik Siebert, a 15-year veteran of the Virginia office, and brought in Halligan, a willing participant in Trump’s mission to take down his political rivals.

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While Trump has suggested other indictments are coming down the pike, critics have zeroed in on Comey’s case, calling it weak enough that Trump also risks impeachment over it and that Halligan and any other prosecutors who decide to join the case risk career penalties. No DOJ prosecutors have joined Halligan on the case at this stage.

Former DOJ official Harry Litman, host of “Talking Feds” and vocal Trump critic, said “some accountability” would come if Democrats take the House next year, advocating they impeach Trump for what he says is an abuse of power and obstruction of justice.

“If we can just get through the midterms and give the House of Representatives the power to subpoena all of these jokers on Capitol Hill, grill them and then impeach Trump again … all of the evidence of the crime that Donald Trump just committed will be laid out for public inspection,” Litman said.

He also said that if reports are correct that career prosecutors advised Halligan against charging Comey, she faces the “possibility of serious professional sanctions.”

FIRST ON FOX: Former North Carolina Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn announced he will be running for Florida’s 19th congressional seat on Wednesday during a phone call with Fox News Digital. 

Cawthorn pointed to the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a core reason behind him returning to the political scene, though the 30-year-old former congressman said he had been “juggling” the idea of running for congress since Florida’s 19th District Representative Byron Donalds announced he would be vacating the seat to run for governor. 

“After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I knew that there was really no option. I’ve decided to run for Congress again,” Cawthorn told Fox News Digital. “I want to make sure [the people of Florida] have amazing representation in Washington, D.C., because I know exactly what happens in the swamp.”

GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN AFTER CONGRESS DEADLOCKS ON SPENDING DEAL

“There’s so many people that take advantage of freshman [members],” Cawtorn continued. “And I think that I’m the right man for the job.” 

Cawthorn also told Fox his experience with hurricane relief in the district, which includes Naples, Cape Coral, Ft. Myers and Marco Island, as well as seeing the community come together also inspired his decision to run. 

Madison Cawthorn was the youngest congressman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives since 1964, and was defeated by Rep. Chuck Edwards in the Republican primary for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district after serving one term from 2021 to 2023. 

Cawthorn was embattled with various controversies at the end of his term, including pleading guilty to possessing a dangerous weapon at a Charlotte airport in April 2022, and in May 2022, a scandalous video of Cawthorn showed him “thrusting” at another individual. Cawthorn responded by saying the video was old, and he was “being crass with a friend” at the time.

DESANTIS WARNS FLORIDA IS ‘NOT PORTLAND’ AS STATE SECURES MAJOR FEDERAL IMMIGRATION FUNDING

The young Congressman also faced accusations from both Republicans and Democrats during his time in office, with some saying he violated the STOCK Act by failing to disclose ownership of crypto stock. 

Cawthorn himself claimed that members of congress invited him to orgies and regularly did cocaine around him. Former House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly scolded Cawthorn for such comments, and Cawthorn later admitted his claims were “exaggerated.” 

As for the scandals and legal trouble Cawthorn faced during his term, he told Fox News Digital he got “railroaded out of Washington, D.C., by the radical left and members of [his] own party” for telling “the truth” about the city. 

“You can start looking at things that happened months after I left, and I think it proves the things I was talking about,” Cawthorn told Fox. “There’s a lot of people in Washington, D.C., who enjoy just having talking points” that members have used for “decades and decades.”

WE MADE DC LIVE THE WAY THE REST OF THE WORLD LIVES: REP. BYRON DONALDS

Cawthorn was also recently arrested in Florida early last month for failing to appear in court for a traffic citation. The newly announced congressional candidate said it was simply a “mixup about court timings” and that he and his legal team “fully expect this case is going to go in a positive direction.” 

“It was a simple mistake, whether through scheduling or a mishap in changing schedules,” Cawthorn added.

Despite scandals and accusations, the young former congressman now candidate, told Fox “it’s about time we have a legislative branch that’s willing to fight.”

“If you want someone who is going to go to Washington, D.C., to be swayed by outside money, [who is] just going to fade off into the swamp until they die in office… I’m not your guy,” Cawthorn explained. “But if you want someone who is going to fight for the values that conservatives truly believe in, who is going to pursue morals and ethics… then I’m your guy.”

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Primary election day for the seat is set for August 18, 2021, and, as of today, Cawthorn will face 5 GOP candidates who have already filed to run for Florida’s 19th congressional district. 

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 signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at improving ways to identify and treat pediatric cancers using artificial intelligence. 

Specifically, the executive order instructs the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission to work with the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy to employ AI on how to use it to diagnose and treat childhood cancers and identify new cures. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spearheads the MAHA Commission. 

The president was joined in the Oval Office by Kennedy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya and others. 

FATHER LEADS INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO FIND A CURE FOR SON’S BRAIN TUMOR

The president signed the order surrounded by children, many who have survived cancer themselves. 

The president said that in signing the order the U.S. is adding another $50 million to the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative.

“I’m also directing the federal government to fully utilize artificial intelligence to supercharge pediatric cancer research,” Trump said. “It’s pretty amazing what’s happening.” 

The president added, “I want to just say that we’re going to defeat childhood cancer once and for all.”

Trump’s initiative in his first term establishing the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative has laid the groundwork for utilizing AI to administer clinical research and patient care to address pediatric cancers in the U.S., according to the White House.

The effort has collected a host of information over the years, including tracking molecular characteristics and genetic information of childhood cancers that has already been organized in a “vast” database. 

“Leveraging this data infrastructure, researchers will deploy artificial intelligence to improve clinical trials, sharpen diagnoses, fine tune treatments, unlock cures, and strengthen prevention strategies using artificial intelligence, researchers will be able to, for example, build scalable models to predict how a child’s body responds to therapies, letting doctors forecast cancer progression and minimize treatment side effects, delivering better treatments that save more lives,” Michael Castillo, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, told reporters earlier Tuesday. 

TRUMP’S AI PLAN IS A BULWARK AGAINST THE RISING THREAT FROM CHINA

The executive order also will bolster funding for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, which is housed within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

“It’s a $50 million investment in the immediate future that we’re announcing today. But there will be more investments to come as we start to implement this” executive order, a White House official told reporters. 

As a result, the executive order also will be a funding call for research proposals related to the application of AI in childhood cancers, the official said.

“This is just a tremendous kind of application area where we have existing data sets, a lot of existing work that’s been done over the past six years in this area,” a White House official said. “And it’s something that’s ripe for both scientific exploration and direct impact to the lives of these children.” 

DETAILS OF TRUMP’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AI PLAN REVEALED BY WHITE HOUSE AHEAD OF MAJOR SPEECH

Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s budget request calls for cutting funding from $7.2 billion to $4.5 billion for the National Cancer Institute within the National Institutes of Health for fiscal year 2026. 

However, the White House pushed back on characterizations that the administration was seeking to cut cancer research funding, and said the budget for the next fiscal year is “still being worked out.” 

Government funding is set to expire at midnight — or else a lapse in funding will trigger a government shutdown. 

Pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death by disease after infancy in children, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, survival rates are on the rise. 

The five-year survival rate for children between the ages of zero to 19 years old is currently more than 83%, up from the 1970s rates of 58% for children aged 14 and under and 68% for children between the ages of 15 and 19, according to the agency. 

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill is facing criticisms that she is the “Kamala Harris of New Jersey” as the Garden State enters its final leg of an election cycle that will either flip it red or elect a likely next star for the Democratic Party. 

Sherrill is in the midst of a tight race against her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, whose campaign has slammed Sherrill as similar to former Vice President Kamala Harris for occasional gaffes, claims she shies away from public events and for allegedly running a “choreographed” campaign. 

“There’s similarities (between Sherrill and Harris) in that they both are incapable of answering basic questions and seem to have a penchant for putting their foot in their mouth,” Chris Russell, a New Jersey GOP consultant who works with the Ciattarelli campaign, told the New York Post earlier in September. They “hide from the press, hide from the public (and are) very, very managed and choreographed.”

The Democratic Party is currently seeking out its next big-name stars after Harris failed to rally enough support at the 2024 ballot box to defeat President Donald Trump, leaving the party in a tailspin as it looks for fresh leadership going into the midterms. New Jersey and Virginia are the only states holding gubernatorial elections in 2025, providing Sherrill and Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the platform to potentially become new Democratic powerhouses if they prove victorious come election day. 

DEM GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE HIT WITH ACCUSATIONS OF NEPOTISM OVER CHILDREN’S ACCEPTANCE INTO NAVAL ACADEMY

Fox News Digital took a look at Sherrill’s professional and political background and found a handful of similarities with the former vice president as she looks to keep the Garden State blue. 

Sherrill first was elected to the U.S. House in 2018, flipping the 11th District seat away from the Republicans as part of that election year’s blue wave. Similar to Harris notching firsts as a woman in high-profile roles — most notably becoming the first female vice president in 2020 — Sherrill’s 2018 election cemented her as the first female to represent the 11th District.

Sherrill, who is a military veteran, also worked as a prosecutor in the days leading up to jumping into politics. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University before working at a New York City law firm and joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey as a federal prosecutor in 2015, according to her biography. 

Harris also served as a prosector ahead of running for elected office, launching her career in the Alameda County, California, District Attorney’s Office as a deputy district attorney in 1990. In the late 1990s, she moved over to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office as assistant district attorney, then to the San Francisco city attorney’s office, before running in 2004 to become San Francisco’s top cop.

TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS OF LEAKS AND DIRTY TRICKS AMID IMPROPER MILITARY RECORDS RELEASE

Unlike Harris, Sherrill is a U.S. Navy veteran and former Sea King helicopter pilot who spent more than nine years on active duty in the United States Navy. She left the Navy in 2003 at the rank of lieutenant and went into law school, according to her congressional biography. 

Sherrill has come under fire from her Republican challenger’s campaign for reportedly ducking public events and media interviews in favor of running an alleged “choreographed” campaign. A review of Sherrill’s campaign website’s “events” section Tuesday did not yield upcoming campaign events and speeches from Sherrill, but instead focused on volunteering events, such as door knocking and working phone banks. 

Sherrill did join MSNBC Monday evening, took part in a meet and greet with Jewish voters Sunday, celebrated the Hindu holiday of Navratri in Jersey City that same day, as well as addressed South Jersey voters and union members at various events earlier in September, according to a review of her campaign’s Facebook page. 

Harris was accused of avoiding the media in her first weeks as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024. She worked to rally support for 39 days without a media interview before joining a CNN sit-down interview Aug. 29, 2024, while accompanied by then-running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

A review of Ciattarelli’s campaign website shows he has nine upcoming events listed across the state, including rallies, meet and greets and “business stops” at local shops. 

Sherrill and Ciattarelli both took part in the election cycle’s first gubernatorial debate earlier in September at Rider University, where the two sparred over the state’s notoriously high taxes, abortion and immigration. The pair is set to return to the debate stage Oct. 8. 

Similar to Harris, Sherrill also has a strong campaign platform vowing to protect abortion access, including noting on her campaign website that she supports “enshrining the right to an abortion in New Jersey’s state constitution to permanently protect reproductive freedom.” 

Harris was the first known sitting vice president to visit an abortion provider back in 2024, and repeatedly championed abortion access while on the campaign trail. 

The New Jersey Democrat also has faced campaign attacks for “gaffes,” including in May when she tripped over her words when asked in an interview what top piece of legislation she would like to pass. 

REPUBLICAN AIMING TO FLIP BLUE STATE RIPS DEM RIVAL FOR BLAMING ‘EVERYTHING ON TRUMP’

“That’s a really good question, ’cause there’s so many that are coming to mind right now,” she responded, before adding that she would like to see a federal block grant program to fund “key programs” in New Jersey, including in the “healthcare area.” 

Ciattarelli’s campaign has since used the segment of the interview in ads to slam Sherrill as having “no plans” to lead the state. 

“She’s a gaffe machine, frankly,” Russell added in a comment to the New York Post earlier in September. 

Harris frequently came under scrutiny for “word salads” during public events, which included using repetitive or confusing phrases such as “unburdened by what has been” and “children of the community are children of the community.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill’s campaign Tuesday afternoon for comment but did not immediately receive a reply. 

“Mikie has gotten support from fellow veterans to seniors to families struggling to make ends meet to young people hoping to build their future in New Jersey,” Sherrill campaign spokesperson Sam Chan told the New York Post. 

“Jack’s campaign is desperate because Mikie is fighting for every New Jersey family and Jack is only out for himself and follows Trump’s lead without a shred of independence,” Chan added of Ciattarelli, who is in the midst of his third run for New Jersey governor. 

The gubernatorial race is heating up in its final month as Ciattarelli works to close a polling gap in the historically blue state. Current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is term limited and unable to run for re-election. Chris Christie served as New Jersey’s last GOP governor, serving from 2010 to 2018. 

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Sherrill is in the midst of facing a campaign scandal after a report in September revealed that the United States Naval Academy blocked Sherrill from taking part in her graduation amid the cheating scandal. The three New Jersey Republicans in the U.S. House are demanding Sherrill release her military records connected to the major cheating scandal at the Naval Academy in 1994.

Democrats have since called for an investigation into the release of Sherrill’s files after it was revealed the National Personnel Records Center released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information such as her social security number, to a Ciattarelli ally. 

Sherrill has slammed the release of the report and said she was banned from walking at her graduation because she declined to report classmates who were involved in the scandal. 

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans’ campaign arm is going after Democrats hours after the federal government entered a shutdown at midnight on Wednesday.

A new National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) ad being rolled out in 42 battleground districts is aimed at putting pressure on Democratic lawmakers to accept the GOP’s plan and end the shutdown.

“Democrats refused to fund the government. So now military troops, police and Border Patrol lose their paychecks. Because of Democrats, veterans, farmers, small businesses lose critical funding. Disaster relief — cut off,” a voiceover states.

“Democrats are grinding America to a halt in order to give illegal immigrants free healthcare. Tell Democrats: Stop the shutdown.”

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

The ad buy came at a four-figure price tag, according to an NRCC spokesperson.

It’s being rolled out in 25 districts represented by Democrats and 17 held by Republicans.

The federal government shut down overnight after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a spending agreement in time for the end of fiscal year (FY) 2025 on Sept. 30.

A short-term extension of FY 2025 funding, aimed at giving Congress more time to reach a longer-term deal, failed to advance in the Senate on Tuesday evening.

The measure, aimed at keeping the government open through Nov. 21, passed the House mainly along party lines earlier this month.

Democrats were angered at being sidelined in the spending negotiations, and by the GOP bill’s exclusion of enhanced COVID-19-era Obamacare subsidies. Those subsidies, passed in 2021 under President Joe Biden, are set to expire by the end of 2025 without congressional action.

Republicans have signaled that they will not budge from their measure, citing Democrats’ past support for similar bills aimed at averting shutdowns.

“Out of touch Democrats shut down the government to bankroll handouts for illegal immigrants and appease their radical base. Voters won’t forget who betrayed them, and the NRCC will make sure Democrats pay the price,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital.

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

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President Donald Trump and his administration have wide discretion over what changes occur during a shutdown.

However, it’s likely that thousands of government employees get furloughed, while others are made to work without paychecks until funding is reinstituted. A host of federal agencies and services could also be shuttered.

Some federal workers could lose their jobs permanently as well, with Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought issuing guidance earlier this month warning offices to consider plans for mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown.

Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of his re-election bid over the weekend — a move two Republicans told Fox News Digital was the right move, warning New York City faces serious consequences if the current frontrunner prevails.

Adams announced his decision to exit the race on Sunday in a nearly nine-minute video posted on social media, offering no clues about his plans after leaving office, explaining that he was unable to raise the funds for a “serious campaign.” 

The race to become New York City’s next mayor is now a three-person race with socialist Zohran Mamdani leading former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, and Fox News Digital spoke to several New Yorkers about where the race stands now. 

“With Mayor Adams suddenly stepping aside, New York City has been jolted awake. The question now isn’t about personalities—it’s about direction,” GOP New York State Rep. Jake Blumencranz told Fox News Digital. “Do we steady the ship with leadership that at least keeps the city functioning, or do we hand over America’s largest and greatest city to a socialist experiment that could unravel public safety, bankrupt our economy, and poison our schools? This is the showdown of competence versus chaos.”

FLASHBACK: MAMDANI LABELED KIRK A ‘FAR-RIGHT EXTREMIST’ WHO SHOULD BE CANCELED FROM SPEAKING IN NYC

Blumencranz complimented Adams for doing something “rare in politics” by putting the “city ahead of himself” in a move he says gives New Yorkers “one last chance to unite around a credible alternative to extremism.”

Fox News polling shows support for both Cuomo and Sliwa slightly increases with Adams out of the race, but Mamdani still holds a significant lead, leading Cuomo by 16 points among likely voters.

Republican Inna Vernikov, a New York City councilwoman, told Fox News Digital that Adams “made the right choice” dropping out of the race but pointed out that his name will still be on the ballot and called on him to “ensure no vote is wasted” in order to use “every vote” to defeat Mamdani. 

UNEARTHED MAMDANI CLIP REVEALS HOW HIS UPBRINGING MADE HIM OPEN TO BEING CALLED ‘RADICAL,’ SOCIALIST

“The reality is simple: if we split resources, we’re empowering a socialist, anti-American threat to this city,” Vernikov said. “Any ego-driven detour from that truth will only drive us deeper into the ground.”

Cuomo and Sliwa have indicated they will continue forward in the race and Mamdani responded to the Adams news on Sunday saying, “New Yorkers will turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas.”

“Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo’s actions but they will not dictate the results of this election,” Mamdani said. 

MAMDANI PROPOSES MASSIVE AMOUNT OF LEGAL DEFENSE FUNDING FOR IMMIGRANTS IN ‘TRUMP-PROOFING’ NYC PLAN

Going forward, Blumencranz told Fox News Digital that the race shouldn’t be framed in terms of “left versus right” but rather “competence versus chaos” and “reality versus fantasy.”

“If New Yorkers don’t see that now, we’ll wake up and wonder how the world’s greatest city became a failed experiment,” Blumencranz explained. 

“Eric Adams’ exit is New York’s last off-ramp. We either rally around serious leadership that can win—even imperfect leadership—or we let a hellbent socialist experiment rewrite America’s flagship city. The choice is ours, and the clock is ticking, and New York deserves better.”

Pressure had been mounting since Mamdani won the Democratic primary for Adams or Cuomo to drop out of the race to consolidate support against Mamdani. Even if all 8% of Adams’ supporters voted for Cuomo this November, the former governor would still be trailing by at least 10 points, according to the Fox News survey. 

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In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said that Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party.”

“He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!” Trump said. 

Mamdani dismissed the Truth Social post, telling reporters that Trump is “going through the stages of grief” regarding Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. 

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Who is Virginia’s next Glenn Youngkin: How the GOP wins statewide again

-Vance, Trump Jr’s plans to bolster Charlie Kirk’s ‘political legacy’ revealed: ‘Help grow it’

-DOJ sues LA sheriff’s office in first-ever gun-rights lawsuit over carry delays

Hegseth tells troops to resign if they oppose his plan to scrap ‘woke’ policies and restore warrior ethos

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told service members to “resign” if they don’t like his message of eliminating “woke” diversity measures and removing restrictions on lethal force on the battlefield.

In a speech before hundreds of commanders at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia, Hegseth declared the Defense Department “dead” in favor of the War Department and told troops that the military’s sole mission is “preparing for war and preparing to win.”

“If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” Hegseth told the audience. “We would thank you for your service. But I suspect the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full.”…READ MORE.

White House

DOLLAR DIPLOMACY: US companies secure record $170B in global contracts under Trump so far, Commerce says

ELITE SCHOOL AXED: Trump admin renews effort to exclude Harvard from billions in federal research grants

SCRIPTED PRESIDENCY: EXCLUSIVE: Unearthed Biden note cards reveal he had bios, photo reminders on Hillary Clinton, Schumer

WORST OF THE WORST: Illegal alien who sent ‘vulgar, racist’ bomb threat to female member of Congress arrested by ICE

‘WARRIOR SPIRIT’: Trump declares ‘reawakening’ of ‘warrior spirit,’ unwavering support for the military: ‘I have your backs’

‘WEAPONIZED’ POWER: Biden admin put some Americans who resisted mask mandates or were involved in Jan 6 on severe no-fly list: TSA

Capitol Hill

THE BIG WALKOUT: Shutdown fight casts a shadow over jobs as Trump prepares for largest federal resignation in US history

BLAME GAME: Nearly two-thirds say Democrats should not shut down the government: poll

BLOCKED BY THE RIGHT: House Democrats’ government funding proposal goes down in flames with shutdown deadline in hours

FUNDING FIASCO: House Democrats threaten shutdown fight to protect Obamacare perks

Across America 

JUSTICE DENIED: North Carolina father slams crime policies after daughter’s murder: ‘Stop protecting’ repeat offenders

VIRGINIA GRIM: VIDEO: Loudoun County leader says Charlie Kirk ‘promoted political violence’

ELECTION COUNTDOWN: Tennessee governor backs military veteran just days before crowded primary election

CLASH OVER CASH: Zohran Mamdani vows to fight back against Trump’s threat to withhold federal funding for NYC

‘WILL NOT TOLERATE’: FBI takes 4 illegal immigrants in Portland into custody after lasers aimed at CBP aircraft

SPECIAL TREATMENT?: Dem gubernatorial nominee hit with accusations of nepotism over children’s acceptance into Naval Academy

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

President Donald Trump indicated on Tuesday that his administration is close to finalizing a deal with Harvard University to restore $2.4 billion in federal grants.

“I guess we reached a deal with Harvard today. All you have to do is paper it, right, Linda?” Trump asked Education Secretary Linda McMahon in the Oval Office.

“Yes, sir. Paper it out,” she replied.

SETTLEMENT TALKS FALTER BETWEEN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND HARVARD: REPORT

“We’re in the process of getting very close, and Linda is finishing up the final details, and they’d be paying about $500 million,” Trump said. “And they’ll be operating trade schools, and they’ll be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things. Engines, lots of things.”

Trump and Harvard have battled over his decision to slash billions in federal funds. The terms of the deal were not made clear.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in funding for the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status due to the Ivy League school’s alleged failure to address antisemitism on campus.

US BLOCKS TRUMP ATTEMPT TO FREEZE MORE THAN $2 BILLION IN HARVARD FUNDS

Harvard successfully challenged the freeze in court, with a judge accusing the administration of weaponizing antisemitism as a pretext for an “ideologically motivated assault” on the university.

The Trump administration and Harvard nearly reached a settlement in August. Terms of the deal called for Harvard to spend $500 million on workforce programs in exchange for the restoration of billions in federal funding.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Harvard and the White House.

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Trump has threatened other universities over their alleged failures to rein in antisemitism during anti-Israel protests.

Fox News Digital’s Marc Tamasco contributed to this report. 

Senate Democrats again blocked Republicans’ short-term funding extension Tuesday afternoon, further increasing the odds of a partial government shutdown and thousands of federal workers going without paychecks.

Democratic lawmakers in the upper chamber, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., banded together to vote against the GOP’s continuing resolution (CR), a move that marked the second time Democrats impeded the legislation’s progress this month.

Congress has until midnight Wednesday to pass a CR or else the government will shut down. However, the possibility of that happening became increasingly unlikely throughout the day as Republicans and Democrats huddled behind closed doors in separate meetings hours before the vote. 

The bill, which was passed by the House GOP earlier this month, failed on a largely party-line vote, 55-45. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to vote against the bill, while Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, crossed the aisle to vote for the funding extension.

JD VANCE SAYS GOVERNMENT LIKELY ‘HEADED INTO A SHUTDOWN’ AFTER TRUMP MEETS WITH DEMS

Democrats also tried to advance their own counter-proposal, but that bill was similarly blocked by Senate Republicans.

There is still time to avert a partial shutdown, but the window is closing fast. If Schumer and Thune are unable to find a path forward, it would mark the third shutdown under President Donald Trump.

When asked if he believed a shutdown was inevitable, Trump said, “Nothing is inevitable.” 

“But I would say it’s probably likely, because they want to give healthcare to illegal immigrants, which will destroy healthcare for everybody else in our country,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “And I didn’t see them bend even a little bit when I said we can’t do that.” 

Shortly after the vote, however, the Office of Management and Budget released a memo that the appropriations for Fiscal Year 2025 would run out at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, making a shutdown official. 

“It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict,” the memo read. 

Republicans want to pass a “clean” short-term extension until Nov. 21 that would give appropriators time to finish spending bills, while Democrats want to extend expiring Obamacare premium subsidies, among multiple other demands.

But the chances of a deal materializing, particularly one that meets Democrats’ demands, are slim. Both Senate leaders traded barbs throughout the day, first on the Senate floor and then in back-to-back press conferences. 

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

Thune panned Democrats’ push for an extension to the expiring tax credits, which aren’t set to sunset until the end of this year, as well as their other demands to repeal the healthcare portion of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and clawback canceled funding for NPR and PBS. 

Republicans argue that reversing the cuts from Trump’s megabill and undoing the public broadcasting rescission would amount to $1.5 trillion in spending tacked onto their short-term funding extension. 

“These are things that they’re demanding as part of their so-called negotiation,” Thune said. “Ladies and gentlemen, there isn’t anything here to negotiate.”

Schumer, however, countered that the decision to shut the government down was “in their court” and charged that Democrats were working to solve the GOP’s “healthcare crisis.”

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

Still, despite scoring a meeting in the Oval Office with Trump and congressional Republican leaders, in addition to public guarantees from Thune and Republicans that Obamacare tax credits could be discussed after a shutdown was averted, Schumer demanded that Democrats be cut in on negotiations to craft a bipartisan bill. 

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Earlier in the day, the top Senate Democrat commandeered a floor chart from Thune that showed how many times Democrats supported CRs under former President Joe Biden. He said that each time, Republicans were involved in the process. 

“As leader, I sat down with the Republicans every one of those years and created a bipartisan bill. Their bill is partisan. They call it clean. We call it partisan. It has no Democratic input,” Schumer said. “Thune never talked to me.” 

As the federal government heads toward a potential shutdown starting Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security assured that immigration and border operations will continue but said frontline employees could be working without pay.

DHS noted in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration will continue their “critical functions,” including ICE being able to “arrest and deport violent criminal aliens” and CBP being able to “screen goods and people” entering the U.S.

The agency also noted that the officer hiring processes will still continue, including for recruitment.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

“While these critical operations continue, Democrats are forcing many of our nearly 200,000 frontline officers, emergency responders and employees to continue secur[ing] the Homeland without pay,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

“Far-left politicians demonize our employees every day, which has led to a 1,000% increase in assault[s] on our law enforcement. Now they are holding hostage their family’s finances and jeopardizing their welfare. This is unacceptable.”

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As of Tuesday afternoon, a government shutdown seems likely and would be the first since the end of 2018 and entering 2019 during President Donald Trump’s first term. There were also lengthy shutdowns during the Obama and Clinton administrations.

USER’S MANUAL TO A LIKELY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN TONIGHT

“The Trump administration wants a straightforward and clean CR to continue funding the government – the exact same proposal that Democrats supported just six months ago, 13 times under the Biden administration. But radical Democrats are threatening to shut the government down if they don’t get their nearly $1.5 trillion wish list of demands, including free health care for illegal aliens,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated. 

“The Democrat’s radical agenda was rejected by the American people less than a year ago at the ballot box. Now they’re trying to shut down the government and hold the American people hostage over it.” 

Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have said Republicans should bear the blame for the shutdown.

BORDER PATROL UNION WARNS: ‘LIFE AND DEATH’ MISSION AT RISK IN SHUTDOWN FIGHT

“Republicans would rather shut down the government than protect the Affordable Care Act. A shutdown puts ACA tax credits at risk—and in Texas, premiums could jump 289%, costing families $459 more each year,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, posted to X Tuesday.

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“They passed up multiple chances to extend them in the Big Beautiful Bill; they chose not to. Families shouldn’t have to pay the price for their political games.” 

The federal government is officially entering a partial shutdown on Wednesday after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.

An earlier attempt by Senate Republicans to pass a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 government funding levels, called a continuing resolution (CR), was sunk by Democrats who were furious about being sidelined in shutdown negotiations.

The bill, which would have given Congress until Nov. 21 to set FY 2026 funding priorities, passed the House largely along party lines on Sept. 19. The Senate is expected to vote on the same bill again on Wednesday, with more votes to come through the rest of the week and into the weekend until either a deal is struck or Democrats relent. 

House Republicans have been away from Washington in order to pressure the Senate to pass their bill. House Democrats, however, returned this week in a bid to paint a contrast between themselves and the GOP.

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

In addition to their anger over being sidelined, Democrats had also pushed for a CR to extend Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic but were set to expire at the end of 2025.

Republican leaders signaled they were willing to discuss those healthcare dollars later this year but accused Democrats of risking the entire federal government over their demands.

“There isn’t any substantive reason why there ought to be a government shutdown. This is something that has been done routinely, as I said, 13 different times when the Democrats had the majority. But we are not going to be held hostage for over $1 trillion in new spending on a continuing resolution,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said ahead of the vote.

President Donald Trump and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) now have wide discretion over what federal services will remain active. However, thousands of government workers are set to be furloughed or made to temporarily work without paychecks, and a litany of federal agencies could be closed.

OMB Director Russ Vought released a memo shortly after the GOP’s CR failed that said because it was “clear” that Senate Democrats would block any more attempts to pass the bill before the deadline, “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”

“It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict,” the memo read. “Regardless, employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities.”

Some federal workers could lose their jobs permanently as well, with OMB Director Russ Vought issuing guidance earlier this month warning offices to consider plans for mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown.

Trump told reporters earlier in the day that Republicans did not want a shutdown, but warned the GOP could inflict pain on Democrats should the government close.

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” Trump said in reference to OMB’s memo.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., responded to Trump during a press conference on Tuesday, “Well, there it is. Trump admitted himself that he is using Americans as political pawns. He is admitting that he is doing the firing of people. If God forbid it happens, he’s using Americans as pawns.”

“As I said, Democrats did not want a shutdown. We stand ready to work with Republicans to find a bipartisan compromise, and the ball is in their court,” Schumer said.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Phillip Swagel wrote a letter to Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., on Tuesday laying out the possible effects of a shutdown. 

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

“In general, a longer lapse will have larger effects than a shorter one will,” Swagel wrote. 

The CBO estimated, based largely on previous reports from prior shutdowns in 2019 and 2018, that “about 750,000 employees could be furloughed each day; the total daily cost of their compensation would be roughly $400 million.” 

The report also noted that given the OMB’s directive of mass firings beyond typical furloughs, the daily cost of a shutdown could decrease. Active-duty service members would also go without pay, while lawmakers are constitutionally required to still be paid. 

And while House and Senate Republicans are both expected to be back in Washington next week, the Capitol will see certain modifications during a shutdown.

JD VANCE SAYS GOVERNMENT LIKELY ‘HEADED INTO A SHUTDOWN’ AFTER TRUMP MEETS WITH DEMS

The Capitol Visitor Center, the Botanic Garden and the Library of Congress will all be closed to visitors, according to guidance sent to lawmakers and obtained by Fox News Digital.

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Congressional delegation trips to foreign countries are also canceled during a shutdown, among other measures.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., warned House Republicans to remain unified and on-message in the event of a shutdown during a lawmaker-only call on Monday.

He also urged House Republicans to avoid political events like fundraisers for the duration of the shutdown, and to remain largely outside D.C. until the House is due to return next week.