NationalWatch

New York City Mayor Eric Adams dropped out of the city’s mayoral race on Sunday, halting his re-election campaign.

Adams announced his decision in a nearly nine-minute video posted on social media, offering no clues about his plans after leaving office.

The move followed weeks of speculation he might clear the way for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a contest where Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has gained momentum.

NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI STILL HOLDS COMMANDING DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER RIVALS IN NYC MAYORAL RACE

Adams has also trailed both Mamdani and Cuomo significantly in campaign fundraising and spending. 

Mamdani and Cuomo’s campaign, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Adams’ exit comes as New York City eyes the potential election of 33-year-old democratic socialist upstart Mamdani.

Mamdani’s ascent has drawn national notice: President Donald Trump told reporters earlier this month he’d “like to see two people drop out” of the NYC mayoral race to improve the chances of beating Mamdani.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF THE NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL SHOWDOWN

The Trump administration has slammed Mamdani’s economic agenda, casting it as a threat to business and growth. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Mamdani has placed affordability at the center of his campaign to lead America’s largest city, pitching ideas such as free buses, city-owned grocery stores, and rent freezes for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments. 

Those proposals have energized progressive voters but rattled Wall Street, where executives warn they could drive investment out of New York and weaken the city’s tax base.

TREASURY’S BESSENT WARNS NYC: NO BAILOUT UNDER MAMDANI – ‘DROP DEAD’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that Mamdani’s proposals risk driving New York City into financial crisis, warning that if the city turns to Washington for a bailout, it won’t receive one.

“You can’t enact policies like this and expect to be bailed out,” Bessent said during an interview with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria.”

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“And are you going to give them that bailout?” Bartiromo pressed.

“It will be the same thing that Gerald Ford said. Drop dead,” Bessent said.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.

Iraq is entering “a new phase” of stability and growth, President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid said in an interview, declaring the country “100% safe” as U.S. troops prepare to draw down after more than two decades on the ground.

While praising Washington for its role in defeating ISIS, Rashid stressed that Iraq now intends to stand on its own — maintaining ties with both the United States and neighboring Iran but insisting Baghdad’s decision-making is independent.

“Americans have helped us in defeating terrorism… and I think Iraq is 100% safe and secure,” Rashid told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “It’s a new phase in Iraq, really concentrating on improving the infrastructure.”

Those who served in Iraq in the early 2000s — through the War on Terror and a civil war — may not recognize it as the same place, according to Rashid.

SENIOR ISLAMIC STATE LEADER KILLED IN IRAQ, TRUMP SAYS HIS ‘MISERABLE LIFE WAS TERMINATED’

“We have started development in every field of life, and there are good opportunities for number of American companies, American businessmen, to be our partner in improving the situation in Iraq.”

Under this “new phase,” Rashid said he wants Iraq to be defined less by conflict and more by commerce.

“Our relationship with the United States is a long relationship. We want to make a stronger relationship… on trade, on investment, on energy and water.”

The timing is significant. The U.S.-led coalition that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 and later fought ISIS was scheduled under an agreement last year to begin its final withdrawal this September. That exact timeline is unclear, and the Pentagon has disclosed little detail.

The issue is sure to dominate next month’s parliamentary elections, where a swathe of Iraqis want the U.S. to adhere to its agreement and leave.

“This is a hot button political issue,” said Behnam Taleblu, fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), “with a timetable that was technically — or at least allegedly — already supposed to have started by then, is going to be something that we should be keeping our eyes on.”

American commanders have warned that ISIS cells remain active in rural areas, while Iran-aligned militias have targeted U.S. and Iraqi government facilities with rockets and drones.

US CHAMPIONS LEBANON’S RESPONSE TO HEZBOLLAH DISARMAMENT, HINTS AT ABRAHAM ACCORDS OPPORTUNITY

Some argue the counter-ISIS mission is not over, and U.S. troops should remain. Still others say the U.S. footprint lacks a clear purpose at this point.

“The deterrent effect of U.S. forces there, I think, could be significant,” said Taleblu.

Pressed on these concerns, Rashid pushed back. He dismissed talk of Iraq being “overrun with Iranian proxies” as exaggerated and said Baghdad is determined to prevent outside powers from dictating its politics.

“We want to keep our independence, our decision-making in Iraq as the Iraqis, not to be influenced by outsiders,” he said.

On reports of militia attacks, Rashid claimed ignorance but insisted such actions would not be tolerated.

“I’m not really aware of any groups [carrying out attacks]. We will not allow it. And these are against the Iraqi security and Iraqi independence,” he said.

Still, the perception of Iranian influence remains a flashpoint in Washington.

ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN LEADERS SEEK TO EASE RUSSIAN AND IRANIAN CONCERNS AFTER US-BROKERED PEACE DEAL

“Iranian influence has already taken over Iraq,” Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital.

Tehran has close ties to Shiite parties that shape government coalitions in Baghdad, and it supports militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces that remain powerful players in the country’s security environment.

Iraq also relies on Iranian electricity and natural gas imports, while Iranian goods fill local markets, making Iraq one of Tehran’s most important trading partners despite international sanctions.

UN GIVES LONG ROUND OF APPLAUSE AFTER PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PRESIDENT ACCUSES ISRAEL OF ‘GENOCIDE’

That reach, however, is not uncontested. Iraqi nationalist movements — including many Shiites — have resisted Tehran’s sway, and mass protests in recent years have condemned Iran’s role, sometimes targeting its consulates. Baghdad today remains a space of competing influence.

“The Islamic Republic benefits from Iraq looking like Swiss cheese,” said Taleblu, referring to Iranian pockets of influence across the country and its institutions.

“Iran and Iraq are two neighbors,” Rashid said, emphasizing that they had friendly relations. “We will not allow politicians from either [U.S. or Iraq] to be imposed on Iraqi people.”

Still others say Iran could take note of the Iraqi success story. In less than 20 years, the nation rose from decades of conflict and dictatorial leadership under Saddam Hussein to relative stability and democratic elections.

Rashid confirmed that Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government have resolved their dispute over oil exports, paving the way for flows to resume after months of disruption. “It’s a big deal,” said Rashid, who himself is Kurdish by background.

The Iraqi presidency is reserved for a Kurd under an informal power-sharing agreement, while the prime minister is Shi’a Arab and the speaker of the parliament is Sunni Arab.

Rashid also pointed to November’s parliamentary elections as proof of democratic stability.

“We are going to have elections in two months’ time in November. That’s really an indication of how stable the country is… We want the process to be fully democratic,” he said.

But the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) — a state-sanctioned umbrella of mostly Shiite militias, some with close ties to Tehran — are seen by critics as a parallel power structure undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.

Rashid, however, argued that integrating all armed groups under the constitution strengthens, rather than weakens, the state.

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And on foreign policy, Rashid tried to position Iraq as a bridge.

He welcomed growing recognition of a Palestinian state, cautiously praised Donald Trump’s push for peace in Gaza, and reiterated that war — whether in the Middle East or in Ukraine — “doesn’t solve any problem. It makes the problem more complicated.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris revealed in her new political memoir, “107 Days,” that she was stunned by then-President Joe Biden’s debate response about his administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which left 13 service members dead. 

Biden’s debate performance against Donald Trump in 2024 was viewed as an abject failure, with the Democratic president tripping over his words, losing his train of thought and displaying a raspy voice attributed to a cold during the event. 

Harris argued that Biden whiffed an easy question on the military and omitted any acknowledgment of the 13 U.S. service members who died during the Afghanistan withdrawal. She also pointed to his claims that he was “the only president this century” and “this decade” who did not have any troops “dying anywhere in the world.” 

KAMALA HARRIS REJECTS IDEA THAT BUNGLED ‘VIEW’ INTERVIEW WAS TIPPING POINT IN CAMPAIGN

Harris in her book, however, identified those who were killed as “13 marines,” — except it was not all Marines who died during the withdrawal. Eleven Marines, one soldier and one Navy corpsman were killed in a suicide bombing at the Kabul Airport’s Abbey Gate. 

Harris explained in her book that Biden first faced a question on the economy during his debate in June 2024, which she said was rushed, with Biden showing “no light in his eyes, no expression in his voice.”

The next question was on the military, and included Biden omitting an acknowledgment of the horrific attack that plagued his administration as one of its greatest failures. 

“He’s got so much material on this—Trump calling our fallen soldiers ‘suckers and losers,'” Harris wrote of what ran through her head when Biden was asked about his role as commander-in-chief. 

KAMALA HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE ON BIDEN DROPOUT, ADMITS SHE HAS REGRETS ABOUT HER HANDLING OF SITUATION

“He managed to get off that line but had stepped on it earlier by saying no one had died in wars overseas on his watch, seeming to forget the thirteen marines who died in the bomb blast at the airport during the evacuation of Afghanistan. I’d been on Air Force Two when it happened, and we had to change our flight plan to get back to DC in the face of that tragedy. How could he overlook that day?” she wrote, expressing her surprise over the response, but misidentifying those who were all killed as members of the Marines Corps. 

“I know his deep feelings for those men and women. It’s personal to him,” she added. 

KAMALA HARRIS REVEALS WHAT BIDEN TOLD HER JUST BEFORE CRUCIAL DEBATE WITH TRUMP THAT LEFT HER ‘ANGRY’

The Biden administration repeatedly came under fire for its handling of the Afghan withdrawal. It was viewed as paving the road for adversaries such as Russia to invade Ukraine, as the U.S. looked weak on the international stage, critics such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said at the time. The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan upon the U.S.’ withdrawal. 

The families who lost loved ones during the botched withdrawal previously slammed Biden and Harris for their deaths, including launching a scathing defense attack against Harris when she was running for president. Parents and other loved ones claimed that the “administration killed my son” and that they “have not seen any support from you or your administration.”

KAMALA HARRIS COMPLAINS ABOUT ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ LACK OF SUPPORT FROM BIDEN’S COMMS TEAM, INNER CIRCLE

Biden added fuel to the fire of the botched withdrawal criticisms when he appeared on a tarmac during a dignified transfer ceremony of those killed in 2021 and was seen looking at his watch. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office for comment on the section of the book, including a response as to why Harris stated the 13 service members were all identified as “marines,” but did not immediately receive responses. Biden’s office declined to comment. 

Harris’ book, “107 Days,” hit store shelves Tuesday and reflects on the former vice president’s truncated presidential campaign cycle after Biden dropped out of the race amid mounting concern over his mental acuity. 

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Harris is set to go on tour promoting her book in cities such as New York, San Francisco and London. 

Zohran Mamdani’s promises to freeze rents and raise taxes on corporations could trigger a New York City business exodus, Michael Toth, a research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin’s Civitas Institute, told Fox News Digital. 

Businesses have railed against Mamdani’s progressive platform since his primary win shocked the political establishment, with leaders like Gristedes CEO John Catsimatidis sounding the alarm on Mamdani’s plans to open city-run grocery stores and raise taxes on the 1% if he wins in November. 

“We have a far-left socialist mayor who’s trying to take control of the epicenter of global finance,” Toth said in an exclusive interview. “It’s like oil and water.”

Toth, a legal commentator on economic and regulatory reform, explained why Mamdani becoming mayor would trigger a “stampede” of businesses out of New York City in his essay, “Escape From New York.“

SOCIALIST’S NYC MAYORAL WIN SPARKS FIERCE DEBATE OVER FEASIBILITY OF RADICAL POLICY AGENDA

The Texas-based researcher argued that Mamdani’s policies “are obviously not what has built New York City into the city that it’s become,” through leading finance, media and communication industries. 

NYC OFFICIAL WARNS BUSINESSES WILL FLEE ‘IN DROVES’ IF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CANDIDATE WINS MAYORAL RACE

“If I’m a New Yorker, and I’m looking for an affordable place to live, it’s not going to be in a city where Zohran Mamdani is running,” Toth said. 

Affordability has been central to Mamdani’s campaign. His platform also includes promises like fast, free buses and free childcare, contrasting his “grassroots energy” to his general election opponents, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. 

“Billionaires – and the politicians who do their bidding – have made New York City unaffordable for too many New Yorkers and now, this campaign is mobilizing tens of thousands of volunteers ready for a new kind of politics,” campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a recent statement announcing more than 230,000 campaign doors. 

But Toth said that Mamdani is lacking a key understanding of supply and demand. 

“He completely shortchanges how hard it is for businesses to stay afloat and to consistently bring products to their customers,” Toth said.

“More supply is better for consumers,” Toth said. “More government mandates is worse for consumers because it drives prices up.”

Toth said New York City’s mayoral election is consequential, not just for its residents, but for Americans, arguing there could be a “continued reorientation of the American capital markets to places like Dallas and Florida.”

If New Yorkers elect Mamdani, “these policies are going to set the city back decades,” Toth said. 

Mamdani has maintained that he doesn’t like capitalism, telling CNN’s Erin Burnett in June that he has “many critiques of capitalism.”

When asked about the criticism from business leaders, particularly grocery stores owners, Mamdani told Fox News Digital it will be possible for a “partnership” between the city and grocery store and bodega owners, despite his plan to open five city-run grocery stores if elected mayor this November.

“I am interested in working with each and every New Yorker, and I’ve actually spoken with a number of grocery store owners and made clear to them that I both recognize, and I appreciate the work that they have done. The fact is that they are a critical part of our communities,” Mamdani said.

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Despite Mamdani’s reassurances, real estate moguls have signaled support for Adams and Cuomo recently rallied support among local business leaders as pressure mounts to consolidate support against Mamdani. 

The latest Suffolk University CityView poll revealed that 45% of New Yorkers are very or somewhat likely to vote for Mamdani in November’s general election for mayor, with a 20-point lead over Cuomo. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back. 

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on Saturday dismissed President Donald Trump’s plan to send federal troops to Oregon’s largest city, claiming there is no lawlessness or violence there.

Trump announced Saturday morning he plans to send troops to Portland at the request of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The president said he directed War Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide “all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” adding he was authorizing full force, if necessary.

Hours later, Wilson said during a news conference the number of necessary troops is “zero” in Portland, “and any other American city.”

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

“This is an American city,” Wilson said. “We do not need any intervention. This is not a military target.”

The mayor alleged the president would “not find” lawlessness or violence in the city, claiming video footage showing violence in the city was from five years ago was “recycled and then recycled again.”

“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. We’ve refocused our community and on our economy, and we’ve redoubled our efforts to help our most vulnerable.”

Since June, protests have erupted near an ICE facility in Portland, where city officials cited land use violations, including improper detainee holding times and boarded-up windows. 

PORTLAND RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON ICE BUILDING WITH LAND USE VIOLATION NOTICE

The building has been vandalized with anti-ICE graffiti and clashes between protesters and federal agents have occasionally turned violent, leading to the use of rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs. 

Video obtained by Fox News Digital confirmed another violent protest in August, with footage showing protesters rolling out a guillotine, lighting fires and fighting with authorities — forcing law enforcement to disperse the crowd with munitions.

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

Instead of sending troops to protect the federal facility, Wilson suggested the president send “hundreds of engineers, or teachers, or outreach workers” to Portland instead of a “short, expensive and fruitless show of force.”

“I am so deeply disappointed with the federal government’s irresponsibility,” he said. “At the end of the day, this may be a show of force, but that’s all it is. It’s a big show, and after the big show, everyone goes home. That’s what I want to happen here today in Portland. We have a long and proud tradition of peaceful protest. We have a long and proud track record of being at the forefront of positive social change.”

“There are new risks today, risks that we do not yet fully understand,” he continued. “The administration has refused to elaborate on what they mean when they say they will deploy full force against our city and citizens.”

In his announcement on Saturday, Trump did not say he would deploy full force against the city of Portland and its citizens, as Wilson claimed. 

The president said he would send “all necessary troops” to protect the city and its ICE facilities, authorizing full force against domestic terrorism “if necessary.”

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Portland, a sanctuary city since 2017, has resisted federal immigration enforcement, making it a focal point during the administration’s immigration enforcement initiative.

In August, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Wilson, warning the city’s sanctuary policies undermine U.S. interests. She demanded Portland affirm compliance with federal law and end practices that obstruct immigration enforcement.

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

New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli called out his opponent, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., during a town hall Saturday, branding her as out of step with the Garden State on immigration, policing, taxes and ethics.

“She wants you to believe she’s a Jersey girl. She’s not. She wants you to believe she’s a centrist. She’s not,” Ciattarelli told voters.

The remarks preview Ciattarelli’s closing argument in a tight race for the state’s top post as he seeks to define Sherrill by tying her to national Democrats and controversies over immigration enforcement, policing and left-wing allies. Both campaigns have been asked for comment.

Ciattarelli charged that Sherrill “supported Joe Biden’s open border policies” and “voted no on the Laken Riley Act.” Sherrill missed the Riley Act vote earlier this year but later said she would have voted no, arguing the measure was overly broad.

AFFORDABILITY TAKES CENTER STAGE IN NEW JERSEY GUBERNATORIAL RACE AS NOMINEES SPAR OVER SALES TAX

He also accused her of backing policies on transgender athletes, saying “this mother of two daughters voted yes twice to allow biological boys to play in girls sports.” Sherrill voted against GOP bills in 2023 and 2025 that would have banned transgender students from competing based on gender identity.

On immigration enforcement and policing, Ciattarelli said Sherrill “supports sanctuary cities” and “voted anti-police … looking to get rid of qualified immunity.” Sherrill has spoken favorably of New Jersey’s 2018 “Immigrant Trust Directive” and supported the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which sought to curtail qualified immunity and policy police unions opposed.

He also attacked the congresswoman’s opposition to the GOP’s 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which raised the SALT deduction cap to $40,000, expanded child credits and eliminated federal taxes on overtime and tips. Sherrill and all House Democrats voted no on the package.

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

Ethics featured prominently in Ciattarelli’s critique. He reminded voters Sherrill paid a fine under the STOCK Act after disclosing stock trades late and noted her household traded shares in defense companies while she sat on the House Armed Services Committee, though she divested individual holdings in 2019. 

He also covered recent reports that Sherrill was disciplined in the 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal for failing to report classmates, which barred her from walking at graduation even though she was commissioned.

Beyond the policy contrasts, Ciattarelli sought to cast Sherrill as aligned with the left. 

Reporting shows she welcomed support from Zohran Mamdani, the socialist nominee for New York City mayor, saying she shared his voters’ goal of “throwing out the old playbook.” 

Republicans labeled the embrace “disqualifying” and warned New Jerseyans could not afford such politics.

He also pointed to her remarks after the House voted to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination. Sherrill said Kirk had “advocated for a Christian nationalist government and to roll back the rights of women and Black people,” while adding that the Constitution protects free speech “even for those I vehemently oppose.” Sherrill voted for the resolution.

Throughout his remarks, Ciattarelli framed Sherrill as left-wing despite her record of caucusing with moderates. Sherrill once belonged to the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and is now a member of the New Democrat Coalition. 

Ciattarelli, by contrast, leaned into his local roots, calling himself the “Jersey guy” and stressing that his family has lived and run businesses in the state for a century. 

“How about we elect the Jersey guy? Ciattarellis have been here for a hundred years … always will be,” he said.

Sherrill, a Navy helicopter pilot and Virginia native, was first elected in 2018 and has lived in Montclair with her family since 2010.

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Ciattarelli, a CPA and former assemblyman, was the GOP nominee for governor in 2021. Polls suggest their 2025 rematch is close.

Ciattarelli’s attacks showcase his strategy of portraying Sherrill as tied to national Democrats and ethically compromised while presenting himself as a homegrown alternative. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to both campaigns for comment on Ciattarelli’s remarks and Sherrill’s past statements.

President Donald Trump plans to meet with congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle on Monday, as a possible government shutdown looms, a White House official confirmed to Fox News. 

The meeting comes after the president canceled one last week with Democrats, claiming they had “unserious and ridiculous demands.” 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., were set to meet with Trump on Thursday to discuss a path forward to avert a partial government shutdown before the Sept. 30 deadline.

SPEAKER JOHNSON FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM LEADERS WITH STAUNCH WARNING AGAINST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Schumer and Jeffries will now meet with Trump, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. 

Schumer and Jeffries put out a joint statement on Saturday on the rescheduled meeting. 

“President Trump has once again agreed to a meeting in the Oval Office,” the statement said. “As we have repeatedly said, Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people. We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican healthcare crisis. Time is running out.”

The Senate is expected to return on Sept. 29 following the Jewish new year, and the House is expected to be out until the deadline to keep the government funded passes.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social last week, Trump blasted Schumer and Jeffries for pushing “radical Left policies that nobody voted for.” 

“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump added at the time. 

The now-canceled meeting with Trump came on the heels of a letter from Schumer and Jeffries sent over that weekend where the top congressional Democrats laid the possibility of a shutdown on his and Republicans’ feet.

They argued that the Trump-backed short-term extension was “dirty,” which would mean it had partisan policy riders or spending attached to it, and panned it for continuing “the Republican assault on healthcare,” ignoring expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies, and possibly leading to the closure of hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country.

TOP HOUSE DEM EXPOSES PARTY’S STRATEGY TO BLAME REPUBLICANS FOR LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“With the September 30th deadline fast approaching, Republicans will bear responsibility for another painful government shutdown because of the refusal of GOP congressional leadership to even talk with Democrats,” they wrote at the time.

But Trump argued that their bill would allow for the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts in his “Big, Beautiful Bill” to be repealed, and also blasted the Democratic continuing resolution (CR) for ending his bill’s $50 billion rural hospital fund. 

“We must keep the Government open, and legislate like true Patriots rather than hold American Citizens hostage, knowing that they want our now thriving Country closed,” he said. 

“I’ll be happy to meet with them if they agree to the Principles in this Letter,” Trump continued. “They must do their job! Otherwise, it will just be another long and brutal slog through their radicalized quicksand. To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court. I look forward to meeting with you when you become realistic about the things that our Country stands for. DO THE RIGHT THING!”

Without any action, a shutdown would start at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

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Johnson said last week that he had encouraged Trump to cancel the meeting last Thursday. 

“He and I talked about it at length yesterday and the day before. I said, look, when they get their job done, once they do the basic governing work of keeping the government open, as president, then you can have a meeting with him,” Johnson said on the “Mike & McCarty Show.” “Of course, it might be productive at that point, but right now, this is just a waste of his time.”

Fox News’ Alex Miller and Elizabeth Elkind and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: As the Sept. 30 government funding deadline looms, the Trump administration is warning that millions of Americans could lose flood insurance coverage if Democrats refuse to back a House-passed spending bill that also extends the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The White House supports the continuing resolution (CR) approved by House Republicans, which would avert a shutdown and reauthorize the NFIP. 

Administration officials said they worked to ensure NFIP was part of the current funding package, reflecting what they call the urgency of protecting millions of policyholders during hurricane season.

Democrats have said they will not support the measure, citing broader spending disputes. Trump administration officials argue the standoff puts homeowners, the housing market and disaster recovery funds at risk just as peak storm season arrives.

GOP SENATOR BLASTS SCHUMER, DEMS AS ‘FORCING’ SHUTDOWN WHILE DEMANDING PRICE TAG REPORT

“In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, a White House official said: ‘The NFIP is a vital program utilized by millions of Americans, and it’s not a hard call to extend it – which is exactly why the administration supports the House-passed CR that would do so. Unfortunately, Democrats are happy to shut down the government and hurt the many thousands of Americans who rely on this program in the process.’”

According to administration figures reviewed by Fox News Digital, a lapse in NFIP authorization could disrupt about 1,300 property sales every day. That’s roughly 40,000 closings in a single month, all in areas where flood insurance is required to secure a mortgage.

More than 400,000 policies are set to expire in October. Officials say about 152,000 of those have been prepaid, but more than 250,000 households could still lose coverage if the program stalls.

TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE

Administration officials also pointed to October 2024 as a warning sign. That month saw more than 427,000 new or renewed policies. Roughly 41,000 homeowners bought new policies while about 33,000 dropped coverage, leaving a net gain of nearly 9,000. Officials warn that similar growth this year could collapse if NFIP lapses.

Administration officials told Fox News Digital that FEMA currently has $2.6 billion available to pay valid claims, including $1.5 billion in the National Flood Insurance Fund and $1.1 billion in reserves. But they warned the agency would be unable to borrow additional money from the Treasury if a major disaster exceeded those reserves, a scenario they described as “dangerous and avoidable.”

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) echoed those concerns. 

“Past disruptions of the NFIP have caused immediate and widespread negative impacts on property sales, home values and consumer confidence,” NAHB said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.

“Home sales would cease in areas where flood insurance is mandatory in order to obtain a mortgage. What the housing market needs now is stability and certainty. NAHB calls upon the House to act quickly to continue to fund the operations of the federal government including the extension of the NFIP.”

The NFIP has a long history of stopgap extensions. Since 2017, Congress has reauthorized the program more than 30 times, often through short-term measures. Lawmakers have typically made coverage retroactive to prevent permanent gaps, but even brief lapses have stalled real estate closings and left homeowners in limbo. The program currently serves about 4.5 million policyholders nationwide.

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Unless lawmakers strike a deal, FEMA will be barred from selling or renewing flood insurance policies starting Oct. 1, a lapse that could leave millions of homeowners in limbo as Washington hurtles toward a shutdown. Administration officials argue the risk is especially acute this year as hurricane season continues.

FEMA, Schumer and Jeffries did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

EXCLUSIVE: The FBI responded on Saturday to a report that 274 plainclothes agents were at the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, clarifying the role of bureau personnel while still blasting former Director Christopher Wray.

While the agents were on hand, they were sent in after the riot had begun to try to control the unruly crowd, officials told Fox News Digital. That is not the proper role of FBI agents, and Wray was not forthcoming about what happened when he testified numerous times on Capitol Hill, Director Kash Patel said.

“Agents were sent into a crowd control mission after the riot was declared by Metro Police – something that goes against FBI standards,” Patel told Fox News Digital. “This was the failure of a corrupt leadership that lied to Congress and to the American people about what really happened.”

He added, “Thanks to agents coming forward, we are now uncovering the truth. We are fully committed to transparency, and justice and accountability continues with this FBI.” 

There’s no indication any FBI agents were involved in any events related to Trump’s speech on the morning of Jan. 6 at the Ellipse, an FBI official told Fox News Digital, adding that Wray should have disclosed that agents were there when he was asked by congressional leaders.

FBI’S KASH PATEL VOWS ‘DEFINITIVE ANSWER’ ON TOP JAN 6 QUESTION IS ‘COMING’

President Donald Trump, citing a report that the agents were in the crowd which did not make clear their mission, said earlier that Wray, “has some major explaining to do.”

“It was just revealed that the FBI had secretly placed, against all Rules, Regulations, Protocols, and Standards, 274 FBI Agents into the Crowd just prior to, and during, the January 6th Hoax,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday afternoon following a report from The Blaze, revealing the number of agents that were there. 

Trump added, “This is different from what Director Christopher Wray stated, over and over again! That’s right, as it now turns out, FBI Agents were at, and in, the January 6th Protest, probably acting as Agitators and Insurrectionists, but certainly not as ‘Law Enforcement Officials.’”

The president said he wanted to know each officer’s identity and what they were doing at the U.S. Capitol. 

“Many Great American Patriots were made to pay a very big price only for the love of their Country,” he said, referring to Trump supporters who faced charges for their involvement on Jan. 6.

Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of every person charged for involvement on Jan. 6 after he took office this year. 

DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL DOES NOT DENY FBI INFORMANTS WERE AMONG JAN. 6 CROWD

He concluded, “I owe this investigation of ‘Dirty Cops and Crooked Politicians’ to them! Christopher Wray, the then Director of the FBI, has some major explaining to do. That’s two in a row, Comey and Wray, who got caught LYING, with our Great Country at stake. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO AMERICA AGAIN!” 

Citing a senior congressional source, the Blaze report said that the number of agents wasn’t “necessarily a surprise” because the FBI often “embeds countersurveillance personnel at large events.”

Wray told a House Committee on Nov. 15, 2023, “If you are asking if the violence at the Capitol was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources or agents, the answer is no,” but he wouldn’t disclose if any agents or sources were embedded within the crowd. 

The 274 agents also includes those who were responding to the pipe bombs placed near the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters the night before Jan. 6, according to Politico. 

Trump nominated Wray as FBI director in 2017 after he fired former FBI director James Comey, who was just indicted by a grand jury this week for allegedly making false statements to Congress. 

FBI AGENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE TOLD TO RESIGN, RETIRE OR BE FIRED

A report released last December by Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz said: “We found no evidence in the materials we reviewed or the testimony we received showing or suggesting that the FBI had undercover employees in the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6,” although he acknowledged there were 26 paid informants, but only three of them were assigned by the FBI to be there.

The report also said that FBI personnel were sent to the Capitol at the request of overwhelmed Capitol Police to help with crowd control. 

Horowitz said that none of the informants were allowed to incite the crowd, break the law or enter the U.S. Capitol. 

In its reporting, Blaze noted that there may have been confusion regarding “plainclothes” and “undercover,” meaning both the inspector general and the FBI could be telling the truth. 

Many of the agents weren’t happy to have been sent to the Capitol to do crowd control, another official told Fox News Digital. It was a chaotic scene with no pre-planning that contradicted the agency’s original plan to not get involved in the event. The official said that agents are not trained to do crowd control. 

The first agents arrived at the Capitol around 2:30 p.m. — there’s no evidence there were any there before a riot was declared — and agents continued to arrive after that, the official added. 

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Wray had testified before Congress prior to the inspector general’s report being released in December, but Patel called out Wray for deflecting and giving a “D.C. answer” when pressed by lawmakers. 

“Why it took a ton of time and questioning in Congress for the director to get that point is what I’m trying to eliminate from the FBI,” Patel said. “If Congress asks you a question under oath, whether or not there were sources in [or] around Jan. 6th at the Capitol, you as the director of the FBI need to know that and not deflect and give a D.C. answer. You have to be prepared for that.”

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed a federal crackdown Saturday, saying that America has entered a “new era of political violence.” Her stern warning against extremist groups targeting federal officers comes a day after she announced Department of Justice (DOJ) agents will be deployed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities nationwide.

Bondi’s announcement, posted in a video on X, comes days after suspected gunman Joshua Jahn, 29, opened fire on a Dallas ICE facility from a nearby rooftop, in what the FBI has described as a “targeted attack” on federal law enforcement. 

Jahn took his own life Wednesday after allegedly killing one detainee and wounding two others.

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

Bondi wrote in the post that there will be “ZERO TOLERANCE” for political violence and domestic terrorism.

“Assassins have tried to murder President [Donald] Trump twice and tried to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh,” Bondi said. “In Minnesota, legislators, and even children attending Mass, were gunned down in cold blood in two separate incidents, and an assassin targeted and murdered our friend Charlie Kirk. A sniper shot three people at a Texas ICE facility, and now more than 200 violent rioters were at a Chicago ICE facility, chanting, ‘arrest ICE, shoot ICE.’ At least one had a gun.”

SPECIAL AGENT SLAMS ‘DANGEROUS’ TREND OF DEMOCRATS USING ICE AS CAMPAIGN PROPS

She noted if protesters “so much as touch one of our federal officers,” they will be sent to prison.

“We’ve seen this before. We saw it in Portland and with the LA riots. These are not peaceful protests. These are coordinated attacks by radical extremists, and they end now,” Bondi said. “Anyone who threatens or assaults our federal officers will be arrested and charged federally, not in some liberal state court. Same goes for anyone who’s funding and aiding these extremists. You will be dismantled brick by brick. We are taking our country back. Make America safe again.”

On Friday, Bondi released a statement on X saying the newly deployed Department of Justice (DOJ) agents will “safeguard federal agents, protect federal property, and immediately arrest all individuals engaged in any federal crime.”

BONDI PUTS SANCTUARY CITIES NATIONWIDE ON NOTICE AFTER DC POLICE FEDERAL TAKEOVER

Officials have not said how many agents will be sent, or which facilities they will secure.

Bondi also instructed the Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country to “disrupt and investigate” all entities and people engaged in acts of domestic terrorism, including the repeated acts of violence and obstruction against federal agents.

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“The Department of Justice will seek the most serious available charges against all participants in these criminal mobs, including conspiracy offenses, assault offenses, civil disorder offenses, and terrorism offenses,” Bondi wrote in the statement. “While these never-ending attacks are designed to break our will, they only strengthen our resolve to complete the work begun. To that end, I have directed the FBI, DEA, ATF, and USMS to accelerate our efforts alongside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to locate, apprehend, detain, prosecute, and remove all illegal aliens present in our country. The rule of law will prevail.”

DHS and ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

A Republican lawmaker is sounding the alarm after her son’s high school aired segments on its student-run television program regarding “Bisexual Plus Awareness Week.”

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, posted on X about the segment, saying that it was “so bad and inappropriate” that she refused to share it.

“As a mom and as a legislator, I am so appalled the school is promoting sexual content to minors. What administrators approved this content on the morning news program the entire student body watches every morning? Why were parents not made aware of this explicit content our children would be forced to watch? I will be calling for an investigation through the Dept. of Education and working with Governor Reynolds to ensure accountability — stay tuned,” she wrote.

TEXAS LAWMAKER SLAMS TEXAS A&M AFTER STUDENT ALLEGEDLY REMOVED FROM CLASS FOR CHALLENGING TRANSGENDER LESSON

The Sept. 25 segment began with a student saying that Spectrum, the name of the school’s student-led Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club, was nearing the end of “Bisexual Plus Awareness Week.”

“Spectrum is close to wrapping up our celebration of Bisexual Plus Awareness Week,” a student said in the segment. “Do you know what the plus stands for? It signifies inclusivity of all non-monosexual identities. What does that mean, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. A non-monosexual identity refers to sexual orientations that are not exclusively homosexual or heterosexual. The term encompasses a range of identities including bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer and omnisexual.”

“Non-monosexual identities emphasize that attraction can be complex and not limited to traditional binaries,” the student added, saying that there would be more on the subject the following day.

Linn-Mar Community School District told Fox News Digital that it was aware of the segment and that it was investigating the situation.

“At this time, the district is conducting a review to determine whether any existing policies or procedures were violated during the production or airing of the segment,” the district told Fox News Digital. “We remain committed to fostering respectful dialogue and supporting all students and staff in a safe and inclusive environment in a manner that aligns with district guidelines and policies.”

PARENTS: VIRGINIA BOYS SUSPENDED AFTER QUESTIONING TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM POLICY WERE IGNORED BY SCHOOL

Hinson, however, is not waiting for Linn-Mar Community School District to complete its review. Instead, she sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon urging federal action on the situation.

“I write to bring attention to the egregious encroachment on parental rights at Linn-Mar High School — where my 14-year-old son attends school,” Hinson wrote. She said that in addition to the Sept. 25 segment, there was a similar broadcast on Sept. 23 in which students were encouraged to “use terms like bisexual plus to be inclusive of all non-monosexual identities.”

“These segments were broadcast to students without parental knowledge or consent. As a parent and a legislator, I am appalled that a school would assume the role of teaching and promoting sexual identity to our children. Our schools should be educating students, not indoctrinating them,” Hinson added.

LINDA MCMAHON SENDS WARNING TO MAINE AFTER STATE’S EDUCATION CHIEF’S EMAILS UNDERMINING TRUMP SURFACE

The congresswoman noted that the school had previously “deliberately excluded parents from conversations” on related matters.

“I urge the Department of Education to launch a full investigation into this conduct at Linn-Mar High School and ensure that parents are making decisions about their children’s education and how to address matters of sexual identity,” Hinson added.

While the Department of Education has yet to comment on this specific situation, it has taken a harsh approach to conversations surrounding sexuality and identity under President Donald Trump.

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On Jan. 29, Trump issued an order titled, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.” Additionally, in March, he issued an order directing the secretary of education to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the states.” As of September 2025, the department is still up and running.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Education for comment on Hinson’s allegations.

One of the most high-profile Democrats in the Senate received his first major challenger today as Virginia state Sen. Bryce Reeves announced he is looking to unseat the entrenched vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

With Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears locked in a tight battle with former Rep. Abigail Spanberger this November, Reeves’ entry into the race next year is primed to be the next shot for Republicans to take back the once-conservative commonwealth.

Reeves, R-Culpeper, is also a former narcotics detective in Prince William County who runs an insurance agency.

Reeves has said one of his favorite sayings is “you can’t talk it up – you have to put it up” and has focused prior political campaigns for state office on a law-and-order message.

TRUMP VOICES SUPPORT FOR GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, ADMITS SHE HAS ‘TOUGH RACE’

On his campaign website, Reeves promised to work with President Donald Trump to defeat the “radical left” and preserve traditional values.

The state lawmaker last ran for federal office in a race that saw Spanberger defeat Republican nominee Yesli Vega.

The Washington Post surmised that Reeves’ announcement came in part because popular, term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, has not signaled any public interest yet in Warner’s seat.

VIRGINIA’S YOUNGKIN ENDORSES WINSOME EARLE-SEARS FOR GOVERNOR

“I’ll never back down when it comes to protecting Virginia. From the Army to walking the streets as a cop to the state Senate, I have always put our families first,” Reeves said in an announcement message.

Meanwhile, Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Chris Bolling told Richmond’s ABC affiliate that Reeves is best known for “running and losing elections.”

“Now he’s gearing up to lose another by tying himself to Trump’s deeply unpopular agenda of cutting taxes for the richest while attacking Virginians’ healthcare,” Bolling said, adding that Warner has delivered results and that voters won’t trade him out for a “Trump loyalist.”

Unlike some high-profile Democrats, Warner is not seen as a political bomb thrower and is often shown respect by members of both parties.

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Trump this week lambasted Warner and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., for “approving” former Eastern District of Virginia prosecutor Erik Siebert, who has since been replaced by Lindsay Halligan.

Halligan swiftly announced charges against former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday.

One other candidate, former Agriculture Department staffer and certified public accountant Kim Farrington, announced a bid against Warner in December.

Farrington told The News-Virginian in July she supports Trump’s DOGE agenda in particular, remarking that her 33 years in government service helped her discern “where [the] efficiencies are.”

New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli said Democrats are trying to distract voters from Democrat nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s involvement in the 1994 U.S. Naval Academy cheating scandal by pointing the finger at the Trump administration for a National Archives breach that unsealed her entire military record. 

While Democrats railed against the Trump administration following the National Archives data breach, Republicans have raised questions about a New Jersey Globe report revealing Sherrill was barred from walking at her U.S. Naval Academy class graduation for refusing to report classmates involved in a massive cheating scandal. 

“This is an illegal and dangerous weaponization of the federal government,” Sherrill said in a statement Thursday as she criticized Ciattarelli and the Trump administration for “breaking the law and exposing private records for political gain.”

But the Ciattarelli campaign told Fox News Digital that documents detailing Sherrill’s involvement in the cheating scandal were not included in the National Archives breach and that Sherrill implicated herself in the cheating scandal when she confirmed the New Jersey Globe’s report. 

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR HOPEFUL BLOCKED FROM NAVAL ACADEMY GRADUATION OVER CHEATING SCANDAL

The Ciattarelli campaign said Nicholas De Gregorio, a friend who is not directly involved in the campaign, “submitted a lawful FOIA request” about Sherrill’s military background of his own accord. 

A spokesperson for the National Archives and Records Administration said the technician who responded to De Gregorio’s request about Sherrill’s military record “should NOT have released the entire record,” which included private information like her Social Security number.

The Ciattarelli campaign is refusing to destroy those documents that were inadvertently sent to De Gregorio and later shared with the campaign. 

The National Archives apologized for the breach of privacy and has committed to holding their staff accountable for the blunder. 

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

While investigating Sherrill’s suspected involvement in the 1994 cheating scandal, Ciattarelli’s campaign also submitted its own FOIA request, which confirmed her name was not on the U.S. Naval Academy graduation program that year. 

“I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor,” Sherrill told The Globe when confronted with the commencement program, as she defended not releasing any disciplinary records from her time at the academy. 

“Contrary to your client’s baseless claims, no one leaked anything to the campaign to try to smear [Sherrill],” a lawyer representing the Ciattarelli campaign said in the letter. “Had they done so, we would not be waiting for her to release the records of her involvement in the cheating scandal at the United States Naval Academy that resulted in her being barred from walking at her graduation.”

The letter sent to Sherrill’s lawyers said that any claim that Ciattarelli for Governor (CFG) was “part of a conspiracy to smear [Sherrill] with ill-gotten documents is completely false. In fact, it is defamatory and if [Sherrill] and her campaign continue to push this false narrative and allege that CFG and/or [campaign strategist Chris] Russell acted illegally, we will pursue defamation claims.”

Sherrill’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the letter.

Democrats, however, were quick to blame the data breach on President Donald Trump. 

“The Trump administration’s breach of privacy is a slap in the face to our nation’s brave servicemembers. It’s shameful,” former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said Thursday. 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has condemned the Trump administration for what they claimed was a “decision” to release the documents, despite a National Archives official confirming it was a low-level St. Louis branch employee responsible for “failing to follow proper administrative procedures.”

“The Trump administration’s decision to release her unredacted military personnel files to her opponent’s campaign, including her Social Security number, is yet another example of Donald Trump and the Republicans illegally weaponizing the federal government for political purposes,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said, while calling the breach a “shameful scandal that shows how little Donald Trump and Jack Ciattarelli think of the American military.”

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said he would “support a criminal investigation into the unauthorized and illegal release of Mikie Sherrill’s records.” 

California Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, and House Democrats from New Jersey’s congressional delegation have also called for a formal investigation. 

“This illegal doxxing of Mikie Sherrill is yet another case of the blatant corruption all too common in this s— show of an administration,” DNC vice chair and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcom Kenyatta said on X. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., accused Trump of “illegally releasing veterans’ personal records from government files for partisan reasons.”

Navy combat veteran Rep. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., agreed the administration is “corrupt and incompetent.”

“The Trump administration has ILLEGALLY released the private military records,” Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., who is widely considered to harbor presidential aspirations and has emerged as one of Trump’s staunchest critics, charged. 

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Sherrill campaign communications director Sean Higgins on Thursday accused the Trump administration of “targeting political opponents with an absolute disregard for the law, this time in concert with the Ciattarelli campaign.”

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request to comment on the Democrat’s accusations. 

President Donald Trump announced Saturday morning that he plans to send troops to Portland, Oregon, amid ongoing anti-ICE protests in the blue city.

“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday morning.

“I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.

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

Protests have flared in the city since June, and city officials put a land use violation notice on an ICE facility to dispute how long detainees can be held there, as well as another violation for boarded-up windows.

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Anti-ICE graffiti has been scrawled on the outside of the building, and the demonstrations have become violent at times between protesters and federal agents, prompting authorities to use rubber bullets, tear gas and flash bangs to break up the crowds.

Protesters in August were also caught on camera displaying a guillotine and clashing with police before law enforcement fired munitions to get the crowd to disperse.

PORTLAND MAYOR DOUBLES DOWN ON SANCTUARY STATUS AFTER VIOLENT ANTI-ICE RIOT

Portland has been declared a sanctuary city since 2017, which means it largely does not comply with federal immigration enforcement activities. Blue cities have become flash points amid Trump’s immigration crackdown, including when troops were sent into Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests in June, and the clash with New Jersey Democrats and authorities outside Delaney Hall in Newark in May. 

“You are hereby notified that your jurisdiction has been identified as one that engages in sanctuary policies and practices that thwart federal immigration enforcement to the detriment of the interests of the United States. This ends now,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote to Portland Mayor Keith Wilson in August, asking for the city to affirm its “commitment to complying with federal law” and take steps to stop policies that “impede federal immigration enforcement.

Meanwhile, Portland City Attorney Robert Taylor wrote in response that the city is following the law.

ANTI-ICE PORTLAND RIOTERS WITH GUILLOTINE CLASH WITH POLICE IN WAR-LIKE SCENES

“Please take this letter as the City’s response that the City of Portland complies with applicable federal and state laws, and the City of Portland will continue to follow such laws,” Taylor wrote.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office and Wilson’s office.

President Donald Trump kicked off the week delivering remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, and closed it out by attending the 2025 Ryder Cup golf competition. 

During his address to the U.N. General Assembly debate Tuesday, Trump cautioned that Europe is in a crisis due to an influx of illegal immigration and warned that U.N. countries are “going to hell” in the “failed experiment of open borders.” 

WORLD LEADERS LAUGH, SQUIRM AS TRUMP BLASTS UN ON CLIMATE, UKRAINE, GAZA AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

“Europe is in serious trouble,” Trump said Tuesday. “They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before. Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe. Nobody is ever. And nobody’s doing anything to change it, to get them out. It’s not sustainable. And because they choose to be politically correct, they’re doing just absolutely nothing about it.” 

The Trump administration has taken a tough stance against illegal immigrants to advance Trump’s mass deportation agenda. 

“The U.N. is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them,” Trump said. “In the United States, we reject the idea that mass numbers of people from foreign lands can be permitted to travel halfway around the world, trample our borders, violate our sovereignty, cause unmitigated crime, and deplete our social safety net. We have reasserted that America belongs to the American people, and I encourage all countries to take their own stand in defense of their citizens as well.” 

TRUMP SAYS NATO COUNTRIES SHOULD SHOOT DOWN RUSSIAN JETS THAT VIOLATE AIRSPACE

After his remarks before the General Assembly and after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump said that he believes Ukraine, with the backing of the European Union, could secure back all of its territory as the war between Russia and Ukraine persists. 

“After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump said in a Tuesday Truth Social post. “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option.” 

TRUMP SLAMS UN FOR ‘CREATING NEW PROBLEMS,’ QUESTIONS ITS ROLE IN FIERY UNGA SPEECH

“Why not? Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win,” Trump said. “This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like ‘a paper tiger.’” 

Meanwhile, Trump headed to Farmingdale, New York, Friday along with his granddaughter Kai for the Ryder Cup golf competition at Bethpage Black Course. 

Trump has appeared at two other sporting events in New York in September: the U.S. Open men’s final and a New York Yankees game Sept. 11. 

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and Ryan Morik contributed to this report. 

Progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner launched into a rant when confronted by a young Republican activist in a local park in a video that has since gone viral.

“Donald Trump is a fascist,” Krasner said during the confrontation. When prompted to elaborate on what he meant by the remark, Krasner instead deflected and continued his tirade.

“You’re un-American, Frank. You’re un-American,” Krasner repeated in the video. “You’re anti-American.”

Frank Scales, the man behind the camera, responded, “I’m a resident of this city who cares about public safety. Why are you calling me un-American?”

SOROS-LINKED DA WARNS TRUMP AFTER DC CRIME CRACKDOWN: ‘BETTER NOT TRY IT IN PHILLY’

“Because you support people who support hate,” Krasner replied. “You don’t understand what it means to be a fascist, what people like Adolf Hitler do, how spreading hate, which is something that, frankly, the people you admire do, gets us closer to that.”

Krasner then got personal, saying that Scales was “a 22-year-old who knows nothing [about what] he’s talking about” and called Scales’ outlet, Surge Philly, a “fake, non-existent paper.”

It’s unclear whether Scales knew ahead of time that Krasner would be in the park or if the confrontation was the result of a chance meeting.

During the encounter, Krasner referenced an incident in which Scales disrupted a meeting in the city. 

On Sept. 16, Scales participated in what the outlet WCAU described as a “brief disruption” during a town hall that Krasner was holding at the Salt & Life Church. 

This was part of a series of talks the district attorney planned to discuss with the public the possibility of President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard to Philadelphia, as he had in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, WPVI-TV reported.

The Trump administration has yet to announce plans to deploy the National Guard to Philadelphia. However, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said earlier this month that the state is “prepared” to respond if Trump were to send troops. 

“I can tell you that we are prepared,” Shapiro said, according to WPVI. “We are prepared should they try to deploy the National Guard against my will in any community across Pennsylvania.”

SHAPIRO CHIDES TRUMP OVER RESPONSE TO CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION

“Fascists are going to be fascists. What can I say?” Krasner said at the town hall, according to WCAU. He then went on to trash the “Pennsylvania Legislature and its MAGA members,” according to the outlet.

“The fundamental premise of the United States is supposed to be that all people are created equal. It’s a deep belief in equality,” Krasner reportedly added. “These people don’t believe in equality at all. They don’t believe in equality of folks. They don’t believe in gender equality. They’re absolutely just as hateful towards women as they are on the issue of race. These are people who agree with Adolf Hitler.” 

At that moment, Scales stood up and yelled, “Lie!” He then added, “People like you are responsible for the death of Charlie Kirk. Stop calling them fascists,” according to WCAU.

BYRON DONALDS REBUKES ‘SQUAD’ MEMBER OVER ‘FASCIST’ SLUR: ‘DO I LOOK LIKE A MEMBER OF THE THIRD REICH?’

Scales spoke about the incident in a video on X, saying that he did not attend the meeting with the intention of disrupting the district attorney. It was only after he was told that questions at the town hall had to be written on cards “so they can be vetted and read by a moderator” that he determined the event was no more than a “publicity stunt.”

Two days later, on Sept. 18, Scales attempted to attend another one of Krasner’s town halls but was allegedly denied entry.

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Krasner, a vocal Trump critic, on Thursday urged officials to condemn the alleged politicization of the Justice Department, comparing it to Watergate. 

“Justice requires evenhandedness and impartiality in order to function effectively. Sadly, Trump’s actions this week are another example of his toxic assault on constitutional norms,” Krasner said in a statement. “I invite other elected officials to speak up, especially local and state prosecutors, against this egregious politicization of the Justice Department. The ongoing assault on our democracy by the Trump administration is not normal and must be called out at every opportunity.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Scales and Krasner for comment.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli has seized on Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s recent refusal to rule out raising New Jersey’s sales tax.

While Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli easily pledged against raising New Jersey’s 6.625% sales tax on the gubernatorial debate stage last weekend, Sherrill said, “I’m not going to commit to anything right now, because I’m not just going to tell you what you want to hear.”

Ciattarelli quickly capitalized on the comment, posting on X later that evening, “We just can’t afford Mikie.”

Both candidates have tried to position their campaigns as the solution to New Jersey’s affordability crisis since securing their party’s nominations this summer. According to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, monthly electricity bills were expected to rise 17% to 20% as of June 1. 

TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS

“Tonight, Mikie outlined her bold vision, beginning on Day One with a State of Emergency on Utility Costs to end the rate hikes and lower costs,” Sherrill campaign manager Alex Ball said in a statement Sunday. 

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR’S RACE: DEMOCRAT SHERRILL LEADS REPUBLICAN CIATTERELLI BY SIX POINTS IN 2026 BELLWETHER

Earlier in the debate, Sherrill said her campaign wants a 10% tax hike “off the table.” But despite Sherrill’s commitment to freezing utility rate hikes as governor, the Democrat couldn’t extend that same guarantee to the state’s sales tax when asked directly. 

“He’ll tell you whatever you want to hear,” Sherrill said of her opponent. “Well, I’m going to tell you the truth. I’m going to be fiscally responsible with your money. I’m going to drive down your cost at every level. And I’m going to make sure your kids have great opportunities here in the state of New Jersey.”

In a statement after the debate, Sherrill’s campaign seemed to walk back her answer on the debate stage. 

“While Jack has repeatedly said a 10% sales tax is on the table, I have been very clear on this: it’s off the table for me and I will not raise the sales tax as your governor,” Sherrill said in the statement Monday. 

Ciattarelli’s campaign strategist Chris Russell told Fox News Digital that Sherrill’s comment Sunday proves her plan is to “follow in the footsteps of Phil Murphy and Trenton Democrats and raise taxes again.”

Greater Garden State, a super PAC backed by the Democratic Governors Association, released an ad last week dubbing Ciattarelli, “High Tax Jack,” for his comments referencing Tennessee’s “10% sales tax on everything,” during a rally earlier this summer, according to The New Jersey Independent. 

But the Republican nominee rejected the claim on the debate stage. 

“If any of you think I’m going to raise your sales tax to 10%, I got a bridge I want to sell you for about 50 cents. She knows it’s a lie. They’re trying to exploit you. They’re trying to manipulate you. She knows she’s in trouble in this campaign. So, this campaign is going to lie to you over and over again,” Ciattarelli said. 

Ciattarelli’s campaign also created a website debunking the Democrats’ attack line against him. 

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The former New Jersey state representative, who is running his third consecutive bid for New Jersey governor, vowed to “cut the size and cost of the state government to afford a tax cut for everybody,” in order to decrease tax burdens for New Jerseyans. 

“We are not raising the sales tax here in New Jersey. What we need to do is lower the income tax and the property tax. Here in New Jersey, those are the most burdensome taxes we pay,” Ciattarelli said. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security‘s reach across multiple social media platforms surpassed that of MSNBC and CNN this past summer, with DHS media impressions reaching millions. 

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained metrics on primary channel outreach through Facebook, Instagram, and X at DHS, which revealed the agency’s social media impressions and engagement are far beyond the daily viewership of legacy media outlets MSNBC and CNN. 

In July, DHS social media accounts earned roughly 6,395,700 daily impressions across channels.

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MSNBC averaged approximately 502,000 daily viewers and 738,000 viewers in prime time, and CNN averaged an estimated 333,000 daily viewers and 440,000 viewers in prime time, according to reports and data from Nielson Media Research. 

In June, DHS social media accounts earned roughly 3,390,600 daily impressions across channels. 

MSNBC averaged approximately 593,000 daily viewers and 955,000 viewers in prime time, and CNN averaged an estimated 450,000 daily viewers and 642,000 viewers in prime time.

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The metrics compiled by DHS come from reports conducted internally, then verified using Sprout Social, a social media management tool. An “impression” is measured by the amount of time a post or content is displayed on a user’s screen and is not determined by whether an individual engages with the content.

The Department of Homeland Security has utilized a somewhat unconventional approach to the typical government-run accounts, including the use of memes, GIFs, and traditional American style recruiting graphics as part of their campaign to recruit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Sources at DHS told Fox News Digital one of their objectives with traditional imagery is to show what greatness and what an American homeland looks like. 

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Their unique approach has been mirrored by other agencies and the White House itself. 

President Donald Trump’s DHS saw a 34-time weekly increase in reach compared to the Biden administration. In July 2024, President Joe Biden’s DHS weekly impressions saw just 700,000, whereas Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem saw 46.1 million.

Legacy media outlets have also criticized the Department of Homeland Security for their style posting, with one Washington Post opinion piece titled “Preposterous ICE videos have a holy war to sell you.”

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Despite backlash from some legacy outlets, DHS intends on maintaining their social media posture, including the ICE recruiting campaign. 

Fox News Digital’s Arabella Bennett contributed to this report. 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

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ highly anticipated book detailing her experiences on the unprecedented 2024 campaign trail only included three mentions of Michelle Obama, the majority of which were quotes about the former first lady and prominent Democrat voice, a Fox News Digital review of the memoir found. 

The name “Michelle” or “Michelle Obama” appears in the book, “107 Days,” only three times across its 300 pages, including two mentions related to the Obamas’ delayed public endorsement of the vice president to serve as the 2024 Democratic nominee for president. 

“Saddle up! Joe did what I hoped he would do. But you have to earn it,” former President Barack Obama told Harris when the pair shared a conversation about a presidential endorsement following then-President Joe Biden dropping out of the race in July 2024. 

“Michelle and I are supportive but not going to put a finger on the scale right now. Let Joe have his moment. Think through timing,” Obama continued, according to Harris’ notes of their conversation, which she published in her book. 

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In another section of the book, Harris details that on July 26, 2024, the Obamas endorsed Harris through a video message after holding off an endorsement since July 21, 2024. 

“The big news of the day for my campaign wasn’t news to me. Barack and Michelle Obama had decided the time was right to endorse me. They’d wanted to make a film of them calling me, and it was now up on social media,” she wrote in a second example of mentioning Michelle Obama. 

The former first lady is again mentioned for a third and final time in a section of the book detailing that Harris’ husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, was “moved way up the roster” of speakers at the Democratic National Convection (DNC), delivering a prime-time speech the same evening as the former first couple. 

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The book detailed Harris’ account of the conversation Emhoff shared with DNC planners of the speech, which included the final mention of Michelle Obama: 

“‘You’re going Tuesday,’ he was told.” 

“‘Oh, okay, who am I on with?’ he asked.”

“‘Barack and Michelle. You three are the prime-time package.'” 

“No pressure.”

Fox News Digital searched “first lady” and “the Obamas” for any other mention related to Michelle Obama, but turned up empty-handed. 

The lack of mention regarding Michelle Obama in a personal manner came despite the former first lady hitting the 2024 campaign cycle, including stumping for the Harris–Walz ticket at rallies; the New York Times publishing an opinion piece capturing Michelle Obama’s speech during a Harris–Walz rally in Michigan; and addressing the DNC in Chicago to champion the Democratic ticket. 

“My girl, Kamala Harris, is more than ready for this moment,” Michelle Obama said of Harris during her DNC speech. “She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency. And she is one of the most dignified. A tribute to her mother, to my mother and to your mother, too. The embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country. Her story is your story. It’s my story. It’s the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life.” 

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Conversely, former first lady Hillary Clinton is mentioned 14 times in Harris’ book, including personal anecdotes. Former first lady Jill Biden was mentioned five times, all of which included anecdotes, an assessment of Jill Biden’s mood during a meeting or a photo of the first couple accompanied by a favorable caption reading, “Hillary supporters sour that she’d been run over by Barack.” 

Barack Obama is mentioned nine times, including reflecting on conversations the pair shared, anecdotes about his White House and staff, as well as a comment that “Hillary supporters sour that she’d been run over by Barack” during the 2016 election. 

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Current first lady Melania Trump is mentioned zero times, former first lady Laura Bush also was left out of the book, while former President George W. Bush was mentioned four times. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Michelle Obama’s office, as well as Harris’ office, for any comment on the brief mentions of the former first lady but did not immediately receive replies.