NationalWatch

Former FBI Director James Comey has declared himself “not afraid” of President Donald Trump’s Justice Department after being indicted Thursday for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. 

“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” Comey, who denies the allegations, said in an Instagram video. “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant, and she’s right.”

“But I’m not afraid,” Comey added.

COMEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENTS, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDING

Comey was indicted by a grand jury following a probe centered on whether he lied to Congress during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony about his handling of the original Trump–Russia investigation at the FBI, known inside the bureau as “Crossfire Hurricane.” The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he testified that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false.

“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system,” Comey continued. “I’m innocent. So let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”

Patrick J. Fitzgerald will represent Comey in the case and said his client denies the charges.

“Jim Comey denies the charges filed today in their entirety,” Fitzgerald said in a statement. “We look forward to vindicating him in the courtroom.”

WATCH: James Comey indicted, charged with false statement and obstruction of justice

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

Fitzgerald previously served as special counsel in the Valerie Plame CIA leak probe and as U.S. attorney in Chicago, where he prosecuted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted in a corruption scandal in 2011.

The indictment marks a stunning legal turn for the man who once led the bureau through the Hillary Clinton email controversy and Russia investigation.

Comey will reportedly turn himself in on Friday, and his arraignment is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 9 before District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff, a judge appointed by former President Joe Biden.

FBI Director Kash Patel defended the bureau’s work in the case by praising the career agents and analysts who led the investigation.

“They called the balls and strikes and will continue to do so,” Patel said in a statement. He dismissed claims of politicization as “wildly false accusations” and said critics were repeating the same “bankrupt” narratives tied to the Russia investigation.

“It’s hypocrisy on steroids. Their baseless objections tell us now, more than ever, that we are precisely over the target and will remain on mission until completion,” Patel said.

President Trump took to Truth Social Friday to celebrate the indictment and declared Comey a “dirty cop.”

“Whether you like Corrupt James Comey or not, and I can’t imagine too many people liking him, HE LIED!” Trump wrote. “It is not a complex lie, it’s a very simple, but IMPORTANT one. There is no way he can explain his way out of it.”

Trump said Comey got “unexpectedly caught” but is off to a good start with the case being assigned to a Biden-appointed judge. 

“He knew exactly what he was saying, and that it was a very serious and far-reaching lie for which a very big price must be paid!” Trump wrote. 

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.

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Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe. 

Under federal law, prosecutors have five years to bring a charge, with the five-year mark occurring Tuesday.

The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

UNITED NATIONS: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be the first speaker at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, arriving under what aides describe as “extraordinary circumstances” during one of Israel’s most difficult weeks on the world stage.

Netanyahu’s visit comes just days after Western countries announced recognition of a Palestinian state at a French-Saudi summit in New York, following similar moves by Britain, Canada and Australia. The diplomatic wave underscores the deepening international criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s flight to New York was forced to reroute around countries that refused to allow overflight, due in part to International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued against him.

UK, CANADA, AUSTRALIA RECOGNIZE PALESTINIAN STATE; NETANYAHU VOWS ‘IT WILL NOT HAPPEN’

Israeli officials told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu’s speech is expected to be combative, aiming to push back against the growing wave of diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN, and to counter investigations and resolutions accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza.

“The speech will be tough,” one official source told Fox News Digital. “Israel needs to halt the momentum against it and remind the world who started this war on October 7.”

True to his reputation for using props in U.N. speeches, Netanyahu’s communications team has already launched a high-profile campaign in New York. Massive billboards and trucks around the U.N. headquarters and Times Square read “Remember October 7,” and feature a QR code linking to a website, accessible only outside Israel, documenting the Hamas atrocities.

FRANCE SAYS UN RECOGNITION OF PALESTINIAN STATE IS A BLOW TO HAMAS NOT A GIFT

Officials said the goal is to remind world leaders and the public of the horrors committed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the plight of the 48 hostages still held in Gaza.

On the sidelines, Netanyahu is slated to meet with a series of allied leaders, though the spotlight will be on his much-anticipated session with President Donald Trump — the fourth between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House.

According to Israeli reports, Netanyahu has voiced concerns over parts of Trump’s newly unveiled 21-point Gaza peace plan, presented to Arab leaders earlier this week, and will press for changes.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump said he believed progress was being made on a broader agreement involving Israel, hostages, and Arab states.

THE UN’S BETRAYAL AND ISRAEL’S FIGHT FOR TRUTH

“I had a great meeting with the leaders of that area of that region … I think we’re close to getting some kind of a deal done. We want to get the hostages back. I have to get the hostages back,” Trump said.

Later, Trump added: “We will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope. I will not allow it. It’s not gonna happen… There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now. OK?”

European diplomats attending the U.N. General Assembly told Fox News Digital that Netanyahu’s presence is now seen as an obstacle rather than a solution.

“Bibi is not part of the solution today, he is part of the problem,” one senior European official told Fox News Digital on background. “The expectation from President Trump is to pressure him to end the war and move toward an agreement that will enable the region’s reconstruction. Trump is the only who can influence Netanyahu.”

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At home, Netanyahu faces pressure from his right-wing coalition to declare sovereignty over parts of the West Bank. But Trump is also under pressure from Arab states, who have warned against allowing annexation — a move they say could jeopardize the Abraham Accords.

Kamala Harris, when she was serving as vice president, rejected the Biden campaign’s pressure to celebrate the then-president as the winner of his disastrous debate against Donald Trump, saying she didn’t want to be fed “bulsh–t,” she reported in her new memoir. 

“‘JOE BIDEN WON”—all caps, highlighted. ‘He fought through his cold as he is fighting for the American people,'” a sheet of paper containing favorable talking points after then-President Joe Biden’s poor performance on the debate stage, according to Harris’ latest memoir, “107 Days.” 

Biden’s poor debate performance against Trump in June 2024 served as the death knell to the campaign that already was coping with mounting public concern that Biden’s mental acuity had cratered and he was unable to serve a second term. Despite the abject failure of a debate performance, Biden’s campaign wanted Harris to deliver favorable assessments of the debate to the American people, according to her book. 

“Are you kidding me?” she said ran through her mind as she read the sheet of paper declaring Biden the winner of the night. 

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

She threw the paper back on the table before fielding a call from Biden’s team outlining she was expected to say more of the same as the talking points when joining media interviews. 

“No. Don’t feed me bulls–t. Everyone saw what they saw,” Harris continued in the book of what she thought during the call. 

The then-vice president said the disastrous debate was littered with Biden missing opportunities to attack Trump, stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought. 

KAMALA HARRIS HAD PROFANE MESSAGE FOR GOVERNORS UNEASY ABOUT SUPPORTING BIDEN

“Trump, meanwhile, was using his words like a weapon, but shooting before he aimed, spouting lies, unburdened by the truth,” she wrote. “Biden, striving for accuracy, often stopped midsentence to correct himself, which left him sounding hesitant and garbled. I knew the important policy points he was struggling to convey, and I knew he knew them. He is a master of this material, but that was not coming across at all.” 

The Biden campaign suffered a devastating gut punch when Biden delivered a bizarre line on Medicare. 

“And then, at the end of a string of convoluted sentences in which he twice confused millions and billions, Joe lost his train of thought entirely, looked disoriented, and blurted out, ‘We finally beat Medicare,'” Harris wrote in her scathing critique of the debate. 

“Trump’s reply: ‘Well, he’s right. He did beat Medicare. He beat it to death,’” Harris continued. 

FLASHBACK: THE DEBATE NIGHT AGAINST TRUMP THAT THREW BIDEN’S REELECTION CAMPAIGN INTO A FREE FALL

The former vice president described that campaign staffers were tracking reactions to the debate online, with the vast majority describing Biden’s performance as “disaster,” “train wreck” and “embarrassment,” she wrote. 

Harris’ husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, faced his own outrage over Biden’s debate performance when left-wing Hollywood director Rob Reiner “screamed” at him during a watch party that democracy was about to be squandered over Biden’s performance. 

“Doug, at a watch party with Hollywood donors, was getting an earful. Rob Reiner had screamed at him: ‘We’re going to lose our f—ing democracy and it’s your fault!'” Harris wrote. 

As Harris prepared to join CNN in a post-debate interview that was all but guaranteed to focus on Biden’s disastrous performance, she reflected on a joke about a cheating husband, she wrote.

ONE YEAR LATER: HOW JOE BIDEN’S DISASTROUS DEBATE PERFORMANCE FORCED HIS MEDIA ALLIES TO TURN ON HIM

“I couldn’t help but think of the Richard Pryor joke where his wife catches him in bed with another woman. ‘You gonna believe me or your lyin’ eyes?’ he says,” Harris wrote.

Harris said she would not tell voters “that their eyes had lied,” and instead pivoted her talking points to “Trump’s numerous lies.”

“Listen, people can debate on style points, but ultimately this election and who is the president of the United States has to be about substance,” she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in the post-debate interview. “Donald Trump lied over and over and over again, as he is wont to do. He would not disavow what happened on January 6. He would not give a clear answer on whether he would stand by the election results this November. He went back and forth about where he stands on one of the most critical issues of freedom in America, which is the right of women to make decisions about their own body.” 

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Biden’s office declined comment when approached by Fox News Digital Tuesday morning. 

Harris’ “107 Days” hit bookshelves Tuesday and recounts the days of her truncated presidential campaign after Biden dropped out of the race July 21, 2024. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Georgetown University students who spoke to Fox News Digital said they were afraid and disappointed when they saw flyers posted on campus Wednesday by a far-left group that approvingly referenced the killer of Charlie Kirk.

“My first emotion was fear,” Jordan Van Slingerland, a senior international politics major, said on Thursday. “What happened to Charlie Kirk hit myself and, of course, many of my friends on this campus very hard, and seeing the text that was on the bullet of the assassin that had taken his life, certainly, was a bit scary.”

While one student told Fox News Digital that the flyers were only posted for about 30 minutes on Wednesday before they were taken down, several more flyers were posted on campus the following night, including a photo of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated three weeks ago, with the slogans: “Follow your leader” and “Rest in p-ss Charlie.” Video obtained by Fox News Digital showed a Georgetown University police officer removing the flyers Thursday. 

“It made me feel very upset,” Elizabeth Oliver, a Georgetown senior and president of the university’s “Right to Life” group, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Over the years, I’ve heard many hateful things against conservatives, and this was so blatant and in people’s faces that it made me very worried for my other friends who share my similar beliefs.”

LEFTIST GUN CLUB LINKED TO VIOLENCE RECRUITING ON GEORGETOWN CAMPUS, ECHOING KIRK ASSASSINATION: ‘HEY FASCIST! CATCH!’

The flyer was posted by the John Brown Gun Club, whom the Center for Counter Extremism has labeled a “far-left group.” They contained the phrase, “Hey fascist! Catch!” – an apparent nod to the slogan authorities say was etched in a shell casing found near the bolt-action rifle allegedly used to assassinate Kirk at Utah Valley University.

The group is named for militant slave abolitionist John Brown and the flyer also referred to their organization as “the only political group that celebrates when Nazis die” on the flyers. 

CONSERVATIVE PAC TURNS TABLES ON LEFT-WING NARRATIVE DEFENDING TEACHERS WHO SMEAR CHARLIE KIRK

Matthew Cosenza, a Georgetown freshman, said the flyer caught his eye when it went viral on X on Wednesday. 

“I really wasn’t that surprised to see material like that on campus,” Cosenza said. “I’ve seen other material that likens Trump to Hitler, the conservatives to fascists and the conservative movement on campus to Nazism.”

Senior Rowan O’Sullivan also was not surprised.

“Certainly, it’s out-of-control,” O’Sullivan said. “But I think it’s pretty obvious that whatever version of leftism, whatever you want to call this is, I think is, to some degree, window dressing for bloodlust at the end of it, and you saw that with the reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death.”

As the director of Campus Affairs for Georgetown’s College Republicans chapter and a board member for conservative groups on campus, Van Slingerland said he has been threatened with political violence since President Donald Trump was elected. 

“The climate has certainly been very hostile here for conservative students since then,” Van Slingerland said. 

After Shae McInnis, a sophomore at Georgetown University and treasurer of the school’s College Republicans club, spoke to Fox News Digital, O’Sullivan said he “has been identified by these left-wing groups on anonymous campus messaging platforms,” and students “have been spreading lies and fabrications about him.”

“I’ve heard from many people that they don’t want to get involved in groups like debate societies,” Oliver said. “This anonymous attacking from people, where you don’t know where it’s coming from, is very scary. So many people are deterred from even sharing their beliefs in classrooms.”

Georgetown released a statement on Thursday affirming the campus has “no tolerance for calls for violence or threats to the university.”

“The flyers have been removed, and the university is investigating this incident and working to ensure the safety of our community,” Georgetown University said. 

But students said the administration could do more to deter this type of violent rhetoric. 

“I would love to see the university distinguish itself from other elite universities in the United States, which have all completely succumbed to leftism and have rotted from the inside out,” O’Sullivan said. 

While defending the right to free speech, O’Sullivan argued that Georgetown is a private institution, and “if the school had any spine, they would absolutely condemn it and come down hard, and not just send us an email.”

Two students who spoke to Fox News Digital said they were concerned the Trump administration would cut their federal funding in response to the flyer. 

Cash Moore, a Georgetown sophomore and a member of the College Democrats club, said that when he first saw the poster in a group chat, he felt “disappointment” that some students view violence as acceptable.

“The first thing I thought was a little disappointment that some people, perhaps on this campus, hold that violence is something that is productive in society,” Moore said.

However, he said he is concerned that the Trump administration’s attention to the flyer could put a “target” on the university.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon posted a statement on Wednesday condemning the “appalling posters” and urging the university to “determine what it stands for as an institution.”

“ED officials have spoken to Georgetown administrators, who made the decision to remove the flyers. Campus police are investigating the incident and will deploy resources to protect students as necessary. Allowing violent rhetoric to fester on our nation’s campuses without consequences is dangerous. It must be condemned by institutional leaders,” McMahon said. 

“I think one of the things I am worried about is, is Trump going to target us next?” Moore asked. 

When reached for comment regarding the students’ fears of retaliation, White House spokesperson Liz Huston told Fox News Digital, “This despicable act at Georgetown underscores just how mainstream political violence has become on the left and why Charlie Kirk’s work on college campuses was so important.”

“Through debate, Charlie taught students how to think critically and engage across differences. Americans should continue to live by the same principles as Charlie – speaking the truth, fostering real dialogue, and loving your country,” the White House added. 

Referencing Trump’s speech at Kirk’s memorial on Sunday when he said, “I hate my opponents,” Moore told Fox News Digital that it’s “valid for the left to also feel afraid.”

Moore said he has only seen the left take steps to condemn the violence and that “a lot of the escalation is coming from the right, not just a few crazy people putting up posters on the left.”

“We do have a free speech right on this campus, and I think that’s something a lot of us value and, obviously, a call to violence isn’t something that should take place, but there also is that free speech aspect that’s important to acknowledge,” he said.

Max Wolff-Merovick, a sophomore and a member of the school’s largest debating society, said he believes the flyers were put up by “a small group of students” in an attempt to spark outrage rather than to promote a student club.

“It’s unequivocally bad to be emulating the rhetoric of a political assassin,” Wolff-Merovick said. “That’s not something that anyone should be doing. But it also struck me as something that was more intended to provoke outrage on purpose rather than a serious attempt at creating a student organization as it’s been characterized by a number of different people.”

Wolff-Merovick said that “this does not represent the student body” at the school.

“Certainly I feel for it, but I think, at the same time, we need to be grounded in reality and know that this does not represent the student body at Georgetown as a whole, much less the left in general,” he said.

Wolff-Merovick said both sides “could do a better job at universally calling to turn the temperature down.”

Jonathan Rothschild, a student at Georgetown University, said free speech should remain protected, but political violence “should not be glorified.”

“If it is not a direct call to violence, I think the Georgetown University administration, to protect free speech, should leave it up, even though I personally find it abhorrent,” Rothschild said, adding that most students on campus oppose political violence.

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“I think everyone with common sense should be against political violence,” he said.

Georgetown University did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: A legal watchdog founded by a top Trump confidant provided records to Fox News Digital that it says show California lacks standing in its latest lawsuit against the administration.

America First Legal (AFL) filed public records requests with the State of California demanding proof it is being harmed – in a legal sense — by President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring schoolchildren to compete in sports leagues matching their biological sex.

The watchdog – founded by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller – provided letters from an attorney representing the state as well as the California civil rights apparatus, denoting that no records could be found for their multiple inquiries.

California Attorney General Robert Bonta sued the Trump administration in June to block that particular order, numbered EO 14168, and claimed “severe harm” to athletes as a result of it.

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD VOTES TO BAN TRANS ATHLETES FROM GIRLS’ SPORTS AMID STATE’S LAWSUIT WITH TRUMP

But the California Civil Rights Department and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) returned requests to AFL saying no records could be found to document harassment, abuse, or competition outcome discrepancies against transgender athletes.

The California Department of Education was asked as well but did not respond to AFL’s requests.

In its reply, a law firm representing CIF said that based on CIF’s “good faith interpretation of your request, the CIF has determined that it does not have documents responsive to this request” – in direct responses to the harassment-related inquiries as well as an inquiry about “records of competitions won by transgender girls.”

“The CIF is aware of its obligation under Government Code section 7922.600 to assist you in making more focused and effective requests that reasonably describe an identifiable record or records,” the firm wrote to AFL’s Jacob Meckler, further asking him to contact them if he believed any responses were given based on misinterpretation of the original requests.

A formal reply from a records’ custodian for the state Civil Rights Department returned similar verbiage along the lines of lack of responsive documents.

AFL officials told Fox News Digital the response to the open records requests show the state lacks standing and therefore cannot or should not have been able to bring the case against the Trump administration.

“How can the State of California say with a straight face that its transgendered athletes will suffer harm when its own Civil Rights Department ‘does not maintain data’?” AFL vice president Dan Epstein said.

“California’s failure to provide a single responsive record to support the claims in its lawsuit raises serious questions about the state’s ability to prove that any Californians have suffered actual harm,” the watchdog group added in its own statement.

The news undercuts one of the most high-profile legal challenges against the Trump administration, the group said, adding that it further makes the case that California’s actions truly constitute lawfare. The strategy, AFL said, is “collapsing under its own lack of evidence.”

Meanwhile, later Thursday, Bonta responded publicly to a related suit from the Trump administration against California’s permissive policies toward transgender boys in girls sports.

“Based upon today’s reporting, we are aware of the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging California law,” Bonta said.

“Our office remains committed to defending and upholding California laws and the rights of all students, including transgender students, to be free from discrimination and harassment.”

The administration alleged, in a filing in Santa Ana federal court, that CIF engaged in illegal sex discrimination by allowing biological males to compete against females in violation of Title IX.

CALIFORNIA AG RESPONDS TO TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON TRANS ATHLETES AMID TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP CHAOS

“The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

“But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”

In that case, the feds are seeking declaratory damages as it has also funded the California Department of Education overall to the tune of $44 billion.

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“Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination,” added Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon.

The California Department of Education separately responded to a Fox News inquiry on that front, offering “no comment” citing pending litigation.

Republicans and Democrats are continuing to trade blows ahead of a potential government shutdown next week, with both sides indicating that neither is willing to budge from its position on federal funding.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., released a memo earlier this week highlighting past years’ comments by Senate Democrats warning of the pitfalls of a government shutdown.

“House Republicans acted responsibly last week to keep the government open with the clean short-term continuing resolution,” Johnson’s memo said.

“Senate Democrats, who used to warn that shutdowns would hurt seniors, veterans, and working families, are now threatening to force one unless Congress repeals the Working Families Tax Cut, restores taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens, and sends half a billion dollars to leftist news outlets, among other partisan spending demands.”

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The rest of the memo features a list of Democrats’ comments, beginning with then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warning on Sept. 16, 2024, “If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most.”

At the time, the Democrat-controlled Senate was negotiating with the House GOP majority under then-President Joe Biden to avert a government shutdown. That stand-off ended with Biden signing a short-term extension of the previous fiscal year’s government funding levels on Sept. 26, 2024 — days before the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline — through Dec. 20, 2024.

Johnson’s memo also referenced comments by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., from Jan. 4, 2018, during President Donald Trump’s first term: “The truth is that shutting down the government is a serious and dangerous action that we must do everything possible to prevent. Shutting down the government would impact tens of millions of our fellow Americans who would be unable to access government services.”

Senate Democrats, then in the minority, agreed to the GOP’s short-term funding bill in exchange for public assurances for a vote on immigration legislation.

Anna Bahr, a spokesperson for Sanders, told Fox News Digital that the Senator “absolutely still believes that a government shutdown is serious and dangerous, and urges the Trump administration and his Republican colleagues not to do it,” but that he’s been clear he’d support Senate Democrats’ counter-proposal over the GOP’s bill.

“President Trump’s party controls the House, Senate, and White House and has the responsibility of keeping the government open,” Bahr said. 

During an earlier stand-off in late 2023, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said, according to Johnson’s memo, “A government shutdown would have serious impacts. Servicemembers won’t get their paychecks. Airports could have major delays. Nutrition assistance for children could be cut off. We can’t let any of that happen. Congress needs to work together to prevent a shutdown.”

Kelley argued in a statement to Fox News Digital that Trump would “rather shut the government down than keep health care premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans.”

“The only person who wants a government shutdown is President Donald Trump,” he said. 

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said in November that year, “The priority has to be keeping the government open and I think this is a moment where reasonable people in the Senate, and that’s where most of the reasonable people are these days, have to make sure that we are not making the perfect the enemy of the good.”

And Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., who along with Schumer voted to advance the GOP’s CR earlier this year, said in Dec. 2024 that shutdowns would risk “national security and threatening livelihoods – which is why it is important that we voted on a bipartisan basis to avert a shutdown.”

A spokesperson for Hassan told Fox News Digital that she still believed that a government shutdown could cause real pain.

“Which is why she is urging President Trump and Congressional Republicans to come to the table and work with Democrats to keep the government open and pass a funding bill that protects access to health care for millions of Americans,” they said. 

58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK

The House passed a short-term extension keeping federal funding levels roughly the same, called a continuing resolution (CR), last week. The vote fell largely along party lines, with just one Democrat crossing the aisle in the measure’s favor.

The bill also included an extra $30 million for lawmaker security, which was welcomed by both sides, as well as $58 million requested by the White House for executive and judicial branch security.

An effort to consider the bill in the Senate hours later was scuttled when most Democrats, along with two Republicans, opposed a vote to begin debating the measure.

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Now both parties are blaming one another for a potential shutdown — which could hit at midnight on Oct. 1 if a deal is not passed in both chambers by then.

Republicans are accusing Democrats of recklessly pushing for a shutdown and making unworkable demands in exchange for keeping the government open. They’ve also pointed out that government funding levels have remained relatively steady since fiscal year (FY) 2024, when Democrats supported then-President Joe Biden’s spending priorities.

But Democrats, infuriated by being sidelined in discussions on the bill, have also been pushing for the inclusion of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025 without congressional action.

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Schumer and Murphy, but did not immediately hear back. 

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…

–Mangione, Catholic Church shooter, Kirk shooter, ICE shooter all allegedly had engraved ammo

-DNC holds onto decades-old Jeffrey Epstein donations after other Dems returned theirs

-TPUSA to give away 5,000 Charlie Kirk ‘freedom’ shirts at Penn State-Oregon game Kirk planned to attend

‘Friends and weapons’ win wars

Only “friends and weapons,” not international laws, can protect against war and authoritarian ambitions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Wednesday during an address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The Ukrainian leader, who has been pleading with the international community to do more to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin amid his more than three-and-a-half-year-long war, once again cautioned that Ukraine may have been the first European nation to bear Moscow’s affront to international order, but it will not be the last.

“Putin will keep driving the war forward wider and deeper. And we told you before, Ukraine is only the first. And now Russian drones are already flying across Europe,” Zelenskyy said. “Russian operations are already spreading across countries, and Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it…Read more

White House

CHA-CHING?: Trump tariffs haul over $200B in revenues as Supreme Court weighs challenge to legality

WEDDING BELLS: Congratulations pour in after White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino shares marriage proposal video

POWER ALLY: Kamala Harris plays up relationship with Hillary Clinton as wedge with Biden widens

World Stage 

LONG APPLAUSE: UN gives round of applause after Palestinian Authority president accuses Israel of ‘genocide’

ACCESS DENIED: Abbas to address UN after visa clash with US as questions swirl over Hamas

SYRIA’S UN MOMENT: Syrian president’s historic UN speech joined by thousands rallying outside for peace and Trump’s support

TRUTH COMES OUT: Gazan boy alive after ex-GHF ‘whistleblower’ falsely claimed IDF killed him

JETS FOR FUEL: Trump: Erdogan could be ‘influential’ in ending Putin’s war amid push to cease Russian oil sales

PEACE VIA STRENGTH: Lithuanian president credits Trump’s ‘strong’ UN address

‘A TERRIBLE MAYOR’: Trump accuses London of wanting ‘Sharia law’ in UN speech, mayor hits back

Capitol Hill

MAFIA TACTICS: Senate progressive accuses Trump of ‘mafia-style blackmail’ in shutdown fight

SEEKING OUSTER: Michigan Democrat Rep. Stevens cites ‘health care chaos’ in impeachment move against RFK Jr.

SOUND OF SILENCE: Ilhan Omar silent after call to ‘abolish ICE’ over story on 5-year-old that NBC was forced to correct

Across America 

GENERALS GATHER: Hegseth orders hundreds of military commanders to Virginia for unprecedented meeting

CLOCK RUNS OUT: In trying to secure Comey indictment, US prosecutors have short window — and a difficult case to make

GAVELED OUT: Chaos erupts during immigration hearing as Democrat lunges at chairman’s gavel: ‘I’m tired of you’

HONOR CODE BUST: New Jersey governor hopeful blocked from Naval Academy graduation over cheating scandal

BALLOT BRAWL: Republican aiming to flip blue state rips Dem rival for blaming ‘everything on Trump’

COMMISSION CHAOS: Ousted director says America250 leaders ‘hate Trump more than they love America’ after firing for Kirk post

HEROES IN ACTION: Border Patrol agents rescue cyclist who fell ‘more than 50 feet’ into remote canyon

PERIMETER SECURED: Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin encountered by police during return to crime scene: law enforcement sources

HIGH STAKES: Who is Kathryn Nester, Charlie Kirk assassination suspect Tyler Robinson’s attorney?

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A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to the beating of an ex-DOGE staffer earlier this year that sparked President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to restore order to the city.

The 15-year-old, from Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty in D.C. juvenile court to felony assault, simple assault, robbery and attempted robbery related to the beating of the former DOGE staffer, Edward Coristine, according to local outlet NBC Washington.

On Aug. 3, Coristine, better known by his nickname, “Big Balls,” was assaulted at approximately 3 a.m. by a group of teenagers in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood. The teens allegedly attempted to carjack him and a woman, whom police identified as his significant other, according to authorities.

Police said Coristine pushed the woman into the vehicle for safety and turned to confront the attackers. 

JEANINE PIRRO ANNOUNCES CHARGES AGAINST TEEN IN SHOOTING AGAINST DC FIREFIGHTER: ‘SAD COMMENTARY ON WHAT’S GOING ON’

A photo of a bloodied Coristine went viral, sparking outrage over the city’s handling of crime and drawing President Donald Trump’s attention. The president slammed D.C., saying crime in the city was “totally out of control.”

“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Days later, Trump directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout D.C. He also deployed members of the National Guard to patrol the city and assumed federal control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.

Trump touted the takeover’s success in stopping crime in the city, saying in late August, “We’ve had some incredible results, and results have come out, and it’s like a different place. It’s like a different city.” 

TRUMP MAKES SURPRISE DC RESTAURANT STOP TO SHOWCASE ‘VIRTUALLY NO CRIME’ IN CAPITAL, FACES DOWN PROTESTERS

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a pair of bills aimed at cracking down on crime in Washington, D.C., with dozens of Democrats voting against each one.

The first bill advanced through the House was the DC Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or the DC CRIMES Act. That legislation, led by Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., would reduce the maximum statutory age of a youth offender from 24 to 18, meaning people in their late teens are eligible to be tried as adults.

It would also bar judges in most cases from being able to hand down sentences lower than the stated mandatory minimum for juvenile offenders.

House lawmakers also advanced a bill led by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, that would make juvenile offenders as young as 14 eligible to be tried as adults if accused of certain violent crimes.

DEM GOVERNORS SUDDENLY CRACK DOWN ON CRIME AS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD THREATS LOOM

That age limit is currently at 16. The bill covers crimes including murder, first-degree sexual abuse, burglary in the first degree, robbery while armed or assault with intent to commit any such offense, according to a press release on Gill’s website.

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Since then, Trump has suggested he would take a similar approach to cracking down on crime in other major American cities. On Sept. 15, he signed a presidential memorandum titled “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis,” mobilizing the National Guard to the city and establishing a “Memphis Safe Task Force” like the D.C. task force.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

James Comey, the former FBI Director, was indicted on felony charges of obstruction and perjury Thursday, igniting fierce reactions across the nation and political spectrum.

The charges, announced by newly appointed U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan in the Eastern District of Virginia, relate to his 2020 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Halligan framed the indictment as a matter of accountability, declaring it “a breach of public trust at an extraordinary level” and emphasizing that “no one is above the law.” 

If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison.

IN TRYING TO SECURE COMEY INDICTMENT, US PROSECUTORS HAVE SHORT WINDOW — AND A DIFFICULT CASE TO MAKE

The announcement sparked reaction with the fastest coming through from the president and his allies.

President Donald Trump has long demanded Comey’s prosecution since firing him in 2017 and railing against the Russia investigation he oversaw.

Trump celebrated the news with a triumphant post on his Truth Social account.

“JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey, the former Corrupt Head of the FBI. Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” the president wrote.

FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

Attorney General Pam Bondi also issued a sharp statement on X declaring, “No one is above the law. The American people deserve justice after years of lies and political interference.”

FBI Director Kash Patel amplified that opinion and cast the indictment as part of a broader effort to restore trust in the bureau. 

“Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability,” he wrote. 

“For far too long, corrupt leadership weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and eroding public trust. Under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. No one is above the law.”

U.S. Senator John Cornyn responded noting the gravity of Comey’s offenses.

“While our legal system provides for the presumption of innocence, Comey’s accountability for FBI abuses during the first Trump term are long overdue,” he said. “These charges are serious offenses, especially if committed by the head of our nation’s top law enforcement agency, and there must be consequences for any crimes.”

LISA BOOTHE POINTS TO ‘CLEAR EXAMPLE’ OF COMEY, BRENNAN’S ‘COLLUSION AND CORRUPTION’

Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called it “a long-awaited correction to years of corruption and cover-ups,” while economic adviser Peter Navarro said it proved “justice delayed is not justice denied.”

Democrats condemned the charges as politically motivated. 

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) denounced what he called a “malicious prosecution,” reminding reporters that Trump previously fired a prosecutor who refused to bring “frivolous charges.”

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued an even sharper rebuke. 

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“This kind of interference is a dangerous abuse of power,” he warned. “By ousting a respected, independent prosecutor and replacing him with a partisan loyalist, Trump is undermining one of the most important U.S. Attorney’s offices in the country and eroding the rule of law itself.”

United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz on Thursday called mishaps during President Donald Trump’s U.N. speech “unacceptable” and vowed to withhold U.S. funding until sweeping reforms are made.

Waltz appeared on FOX Business’ “Kudlow” when host Larry Kudlow asked him about the incidents that appeared as if the U.N. was trying to sabotage the president.

Kudlow noted that the escalator malfunctioned as Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived, the teleprompter later failed, and finally the auditorium sound cut out.

Waltz added that the broadcast audio abruptly switched to Portuguese during Trump’s speech before returning to English.

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

“The whole thing is unacceptable. The whole thing stinks,” Waltz said. “There’s 150 world leaders there and this only happens to him, not once, not twice, but three times.”

He said the incidents are under investigation by the Secret Service and noted the Secretary General has pledged full cooperation.

“As the ambassador, I said, you’ve got to open your doors, and some people were kind of shoulder shrugging at this,” Waltz said. “This could have been incredibly serious. It’s insulting, and it’s right here on American soil.”

WALTZ TO ROOT OUT ANTISEMITISM, ELIMINATE ‘WOKE’ PROGRAMS, GET ‘BACK TO BASICS’ AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Waltz then turned to reform, criticizing the U.N.’s bloated bureaucracy and noting that seven agencies focus on climate issues alone. He argued the organization needs to be “cut up” and reformed before U.S. taxpayer money flows again.

He confirmed the U.S. has withheld its U.N. contribution this year.

TRUMP’S FINAL CABINET PICK, MIKE WALTZ, CONFIRMED BY SENATE IN NARROW VOTE

“We’ve withheld this year,” Waltz said. “We haven’t paid any and my first meeting with the Secretary General was, here are the reforms that we need to see before you start talking about taxpayer dollars.”

Waltz invoked Sen. Jesse Helms’ 1999 push to clean up the U.N. before releasing U.S. dollars, saying transparency and accountability remain essential.

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“We have every obligation to make sure it’s transparent,” he said.

EXCLUSIVE: President Trump reacted to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, telling Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview that he “placed a cloud over the entire nation” with the bureau’s “Crossfire Hurricane” probe.

Comey, on Thursday evening, was indicted by a grand jury on two counts, alleged false statements within jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of congressional proceeding.

COMEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENTS, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDING

“What they did was so terrible and so corrupt,” Trump told Fox News Digital, referring to those involved in the Trump-Russia probe. “We had a great administration, though.”

Former Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok formally opened the Trump-Russia investigation, known inside the bureau as “Crossfire Hurricane” on July 31, 2016.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017. Days later Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to take over the Crossfire Hurricane probe.

“He is a very corrupt person. He was absolutely a terrible man for what this country stood for,” Trump told Fox News Digital.

“Comey placed a cloud over the entire nation, and actually, the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax made it very difficult,” Trump said. “It could have caused wars.”

Fox News Digital exclusively reported in July that Comey was under criminal investigation by the FBI. 

Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe. 

When asked whether Brennan should be charged as well, the president told Fox News Digital: “We’ll have to see what happens.”

“It is up to the Justice Department, but I can tell you, it is a group of people that was very disappointing,” the president said. “This makes Watergate look like peanuts.” 

EXCLUSIVE: FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

He added: “They tried to destroy our country.”

Comey’s case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.

The indictment also alleges Comey made a false statement when he stated he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment, that statement was false. 

His arraignment is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 9, in Alexandria Courtroom 600 before District Juge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

“No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”

FBI Director Kash Patel took to X to say, “Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability.”

“For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust,” Patel wrote. “Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose.

“Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch.”

Meanwhile, after nearly two years, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which concluded in March 2019, yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.

Shortly after, John Durham was appointed as special counsel to investigate the origins of the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe.

Durham found that the FBI “failed to act” on a “clear warning sign” that the bureau was the “target” of a Clinton-led effort to “manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes” ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

“The aforementioned facts reflect a rather startling and inexplicable failure to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence into the FBI’s investigative decision-making in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation,” Durham’s report states.

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

“Indeed, had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment and, in turn, gathered and analyzed data in concert with the information from the Clinton Plan intelligence, it is likely that the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye,” the report continued.

Durham, in his report, said the FBI “failed to act on what should have been — when combined with other incontrovertible facts — a clear warning sign that the FBI might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes during the 2016 presidential election.”

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In an Instagram post on Thursday, Comey acknowledged that he and his family have known for years that there are costs to standing up to President Donald Trump.

“We couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” he said. “We will not live on our knees and you shouldn’t.”

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report. 

NEW YORK — Former Vice President Kamala Harris tried to quell a nine-month-pregnant mom’s concerns over having a baby boy under the Trump administration, resurrecting a campaign phrase celebrating the “children of the community.”

“Part of how I was raised to think about things was that the children of the community are our children of the community. And we all have some, I think, responsibility — you can call it a moral responsibility, you can think of it in different ways — but to be invested in their well-being and success,” Harris said Wednesday evening from The Town Hall theater venue in Midtown Manhattan. 

Harris was in New York City to launch her book tour to promote “107 Days,” which offers a detailed and personal retelling of her days on the 2024 presidential campaign trail after then-President Joe Biden dropped out amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity. 

Harris only took a couple questions from the audience, including one from a nine-month-pregnant mom who was concerned about raising a son with a “good heart and moral compass” under “this current political climate.”

Harris quelled the mom’s concerns by reassuring her she would teach her son how to be “strong,” which would catapult him to “role model” status as an adult. 

“To teach that our own children, that that is the way that we expect that they will live, which is to see the connection between themselves and others, to see the interdependence between themselves and others, and to have a sense of understanding that it’s a sign of strength to lift other people up,” she continued. 

BERNIE URGED HARRIS TO FOCUS ‘ON THE WORKING CLASS, NOT JUST ON ABORTION,’ BOOK REVEALS

Harris argued that President Donald Trump has a “perverse notion” that strength is measured by “who you beat down,” which she rejected. 

“I used to talk about it a lot in those 107 days, which is this perverse notion that is absolutely being pushed by this guy in the White House, which is to suggest that the measure of strength is based on who you beat down,” she said. “Instead, what I think everyone here understands, which is the true measure of strength, is based on who you lift up.” 

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

Harris added that she was excited about the future of the unborn baby under his mom’s leadership. 

“You’re going to teach him to be strong in every way that is important, and he will be a role model,” she continued. “And we are very, very excited for the future of that child.” 

Harris repeatedly has used the phrase “the children of the community are the children of the community” while speaking during public events, including as vice president and when she was running for the presidency in 2024. 

Conservative critics and others frequently mocked Harris’ “word salad” comments during the election cycle, including in September 2024 when she tied inflation to her “children of the community” phrase. 

“I grew up understanding the children of the community are the children of the community, and we should all have a vested interest in ensuring that children can go grow up with the resources that they need to achieve their God-given potential,” Harris said, explaining she wanted to lower the cost of groceries for struggling families and vowing to take on big corporations who gouged customers. 

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Harris kicked off her book tour in New York City before traveling to cities from coast to coast to promote her new book, which released Tuesday. 

Her roughly hourlong conversation Wednesday evening included taking a few shots at Trump, as well as celebrating how former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton served as her mentor and supporter throughout the 2024 election. 

Bree Danyele Montoya, a city councilmember representing Norman, Oklahoma‘s Ward 3, resigned effective immediately on Tuesday after a Facebook comment she wrote telling a Trump supporter to harm herself resurfaced and went viral when shared by Libs of TikTok.

The resignation followed months of inaction from the city council, critics say, until the exchange gained national traction online. The city of Norman has since emphasized that while elected officials speak for themselves, it “does not support actions or behaviors that may encourage harm.”

“In various capacities, I have served this community since 2008, and I am ready to pursue other interests. Effective immediately, I am resigning as councilmember for Ward 3. Thank you, Ward 3!” Montoya said at the meeting.

The recipient of Montoya’s comments, constituent Audra Abbott, told FOX affiliate KOKH she was shocked when she realized who had written them. 

“I saw that she was a city council member within moments of her posting it, and I was like, wow, I can’t believe that an elected official would talk like that online,” she said.

DEARBORN MAYOR REFUSES TO APOLOGIZE FOR TELLING CHRISTIAN MINISTER HE WAS ‘NOT WELCOME HERE’

Abbott added, “If it hadn’t went viral with Libs of TikTok picking it up, I don’t think that anything would have happened at all.”

Chaya Raichik, who runs Libs of TikTok, told Fox News Digital, “With a rising trend of violent left-wing extremists targeting conservatives, it is our duty to hold elected officials, such as Oklahoma City Councilor Bree Montoya, accountable for violent rhetoric, regardless of their status or position.” 

Raichik also said, “While the fake news media refuses to acknowledge the truth of the rising epidemic of far-left violence, Libs of TikTok will continue to expose elected leaders who promote violence, demonize ICE, or issue threatening statements against the American people.”

NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI DEFENDS PAST TWEETS, SAYS CUOMO ATTACKING ‘MYTHICAL VERSION’ OF HIM

In an email to Fox News Digital, Norman Chief Communications Officer Tiffany Martinez Vrska said, “The City of Norman as a municipal corporation does not support actions or behaviors that may encourage harm; carrying out municipal functions that provide or support public service remains the focus of the corporation.” 

She added that elected officials speak only for themselves when making personal remarks. Officials pointed to resources explaining Norman’s council–manager government structure and how the Ward 3 vacancy will be filled in the coming weeks.

The online clash dates back to June, when Montoya and Abbott argued on Facebook about the size of a “No Kings” protest. Montoya called Abbott “uneducated” and escalated by telling her to harm herself. 

Screenshots of the exchange spread in local Facebook groups during the summer before Libs of TikTok recently amplified them on social media. Abbott and others say Norman officials ignored the controversy until the post gained traction online. Montoya was first elected in 2023, re-elected in February 2025, sworn in again July 1, and resigned less than three months later.

At the Sept. 23 meeting, Mayor Stephen Tyler Holman addressed the incident.

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“As your mayor, I want to affirm our commitment to upholding the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The right to free speech is fundamental to our democracy, and it is our responsibility to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to express their opinions and be heard,” the mayor said.

“While we honor the right to free speech, we must also maintain an environment that is respectful, orderly and conducive to productive discussion,” Holman added. “My goal is to ensure that every voice in this room can be heard while maintaining the integrity and decorum of our meetings. I ask for your cooperation and mutual respect as we continue to work together for the betterment of Norman.”

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a grand jury on two counts, alleged false statements within jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News Digital exclusively reported in July that Comey was under criminal investigation by the FBI. The probe into Comey centered on whether he lied to Congress during his Sept. 30, 2020, testimony about his handling of the original Trump–Russia probe at the FBI, known inside the bureau as “Crossfire Hurricane.”

“No one is above the law,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi on X. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”

FBI Director Kash Patel took to X to say, “Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability.”

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

“For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust. Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose,” wrote Patel. He added, “Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account – no matter their perch.”

Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that former CIA Director John Brennan is under criminal investigation related to the Trump–Russia probe. 

Under federal law, prosecutors have five years to bring a charge, with the five-year mark occurring Tuesday.

The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to take over the FBI’s original “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation. After nearly two years, Mueller’s investigation, which concluded in March 2019, yielded no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.

Shortly after, John Durham was appointed as special counsel to investigate the origins of the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe.

Durham found that the FBI “failed to act” on a “clear warning sign” that the bureau was the “target” of a Clinton-led effort to “manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes” ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

“The aforementioned facts reflect a rather startling and inexplicable failure to adequately consider and incorporate the Clinton Plan intelligence into the FBI’s investigative decision-making in the Crossfire Hurricane investigation,” Durham’s report states.

EXCLUSIVE: FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

“Indeed, had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment and, in turn, gathered and analyzed data in concert with the information from the Clinton Plan intelligence, it is likely that the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye,” the report continued.

Durham, in his report, said the FBI “failed to act on what should have been—when combined with other incontrovertible facts— a clear warning sign that the FBI might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process for political purposes during the 2016 presidential election.”

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump, while signing executive orders in the Oval Office Thursday, went off-script to criticize Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, calling her “a very low IQ person” and questioning her role in Congress.

“Recently, Jasmine Crockett. Yes, yes, I remember what I said. Is she any relation to the late, great Davy Crockett? I don’t think so,” Trump said to assembled reporters. 

“Let me tell you before you even ask, she’s a very low IQ person. I mean, if we ever had to pass an aptitude test, that’s the one [who] should take one… This is a low IQ person who I can’t even believe is a congressperson,” he said.

JASMINE CROCKETT DISPARAGES MAGA VOTERS, TRUMP AS ‘MOST UNPATRIOTIC PEOPLE’

“Between her and Ilhan Omar [D-Minn.]… and, you know, I met the head of Somalia. Did you know that? And I suggested that maybe he’d like to take her back. And he said, ‘I don’t want her,’” Trump said.

The president’s comments came as he addressed reporters during a proclamation and executive order signing, where his remarks shifted from the day’s policy agenda to sharp critiques of Democrat lawmakers.

Trump grouped Crockett with Omar, reviving criticism he has often directed at members of the so-called progressive “Squad.”

His anecdote about suggesting to Somalia’s leader that Omar, who was born in Mogadishu, be “taken back” drew laughter from some in the room.

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT CROCKETT, RENEWS CALL FOR COGNITIVE TEST

Crockett, a freshman Democrat from Texas, has quickly gained visibility for her combative style during House hearings and for her clashes with Republicans. 

Omar, meanwhile, has long been a target of Trump’s criticism over her pro-Palestinian views and outspoken progressive agenda.

President Trump’s remarks are likely to energize his base, who see his plain-spoken approach as a refreshing break from Washington norms.

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The White House, Crockett and Omar did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

A senior House Republican is arguing that sanctioning Russia would be key to neutralizing one of the biggest challenges facing Ukraine as it fights for its sovereignty. 

The push by Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, comes as Congress wrestles with legislation that would expand sanctions and slap tariffs on countries buying Russian energy. Supporters say the measures are overdue to undermine Russia’s war economy, while skeptics warn they could strain U.S. alliances and global markets.

“With the right support, Ukraine could be successful, and Russia’s aggression could be defeated,” Turner, who recently returned from a bipartisan trip to Ukraine, told a small group of reporters Thursday. 

“In the presentations that I received, there is no question that the most significant challenge in this conflict is Russia’s ability to continue its industrial production.”

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY SIGNAL STRONGER TIES AFTER UN MEETING: ‘BETTER RELATIONS THAN BEFORE’

He added that military and other assistance that Russia is getting from China, Iran, and North Korea is also keeping Moscow afloat.

“We have to impact their ability for production. It is not just their ability currently for production, but is even the projections in the future,” Turner said. “Right now, their economic engine is fueling their war engine.”

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin believed Kyiv would fall in a matter of days – however, that estimate has long since been shattered, and the two countries have since engaged in the bloodiest land war in Europe since World War II.

Moscow’s troops have since taken over parts of Donbas in eastern Ukraine, and have held Ukraine’s Crimea territory since 2014.

President Donald Trump, who has met with leaders on both sides, gave Kyiv an enthusiastic vote of confidence earlier this week after speaking at the United Nations General Assembly.

“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,” he posted on Truth Social.

“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. 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.”

Asked at one point about Ukrainians’ assessment of Russia’s offensive this past summer, Turner said the front lines moved very little.

TRUMP SAYS US WILL SEND PATRIOT MISSILES TO UKRAINE, ADDS THAT PUTIN ‘TALKS NICE AND THEN HE BOMBS EVERYBODY’

“The Russian casualties, daily, are enormous. And that is sobering. The production of weapons by Russia is the only difference that’s allowing this aggression to continue,” he said. “The economics of Russia to continue to be able to sell oil and energy is floating their ability to continue this aggression against Ukraine.”

China was the largest global customer of Russia’s fossil fuels as of August 2025, followed by India and Turkey, according to the Centre For Research on Energy and Clean Air.

And while much of Europe has sharply cut its reliance on Russian energy, it does still rely on Moscow for some supplies, according to the New York Times.

The U.S. has already levied a wide array of sanctions on Russian entities, imports, and individuals since the war began. 

But legislation currently being led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., would go further, giving Trump wide discretion to levy more sanctions, as well as heavy tariffs on countries that import Russian energy, among other measures.

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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a recent interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” that he was supportive of sanctioning Russia, though he did not endorse the bill specifically.

“I think appropriate sanctions on Russia are far overdue. I mean, I think there’s a big appetite for that in Congress, so we’re willing to work with the White House and our Senate colleagues in the House to get that done,” he said.

When asked by Fox News Digital if he believed Congress could act without Trump’s green light, however, Turner said, “I don’t think the president has indicated that there’s a red light on moving forward with sanctions.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for the president’s thoughts but did not hear back by press time.

A federal special agent who works on deportations slammed a “dangerous” trend of Democratic politicians and candidates vilifying law enforcement and using anti-ICE protests as campaign backdrops to gain attention and notoriety. 

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the agent criticized Democrats for using ICE agents as campaign props, especially in light of a deadly gunman’s attack at an ICE facility in Dallas on Wednesday.

The agent said that third-party bystanders who “have been riled up to believe that I’m kidnapping somebody” present a significant danger to not only the operation but also the agents, the immigrants involved and the public.

This danger was on full display on Wednesday when a gunman carrying rounds with anti-ICE messages opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, killing one detainee and injuring two others. Sources familiar with the investigation identified the alleged attacker as Joshua Jahn, 29.

‘VILE LIE’: TRUMP OFFICIAL DRILLS SQUAD MEMBER FOR ANTI-ICE POST AS ATTACKS INCREASE

Jahn fired “indiscriminately” at the ICE building, as well as at a van in the sally port where the victims were shot, the Department of Homeland Security said. The three detainees were in an unmarked transport van when they were shot, before Jahn took his own life at around 7 a.m., according to the sources.

In light of the shooting, DHS and President Donald Trump called on Democrats to tone down their anti-ICE rhetoric.

Yet, in recent weeks and months, many leading Democrats have ramped up the rhetoric against ICE agents, accusing them of racially profiling people and terrorizing communities. Some Democrats have gone as far as attempting to interfere with ICE operations themselves.  

Last week, Kat Abughazaleh, an activist and Democratic congressional candidate, posted a video of herself participating in a protest outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, with the caption, “This is what it looks like when ICE violates our First Amendment rights.”

The video showed armed, masked federal officials forcibly removing Abughazaleh, who is also wearing a mask, from the front of an ICE vehicle that she appeared to be blocking. Other agents can be seen directing Abughazaleh and a group of protesters to get out of the way of the vehicle. One agent pushes Abughazaleh, who, despite resisting, flops onto the street.

Another angle of the incident shows Abughazaleh immediately getting back up and charging the agents, who again push her back. Other protesters can be heard taunting the agents and shouting expletives.

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE THROWN TO GROUND DURING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE PROTEST

In another X post, Abughazaleh wrote, “What ICE just did to me was a violent abuse of power — and it’s still nothing compared to what they’re doing to immigrant communities.”

In response, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Abughazaleh of being a “fame-hungry, cable TV candidate” who was “so desperate for her 15 minutes of fame that she will go so far as to put our law enforcement at risk and obstruct justice.”

A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News Digital that Abughazaleh’s “irresponsible behavior inciting violence and encouraging lawlessness puts a selfish publicity stunt over the safety of officers, facility employees and detainees.” 

Last week, New York City Democratic Comptroller Brad Lander staged a sit-in protest at ICE offices in the city. The group reportedly attempted to force their way into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices and holding cells, demanding access to the facility. 

ICE sources claim officers had to secure doors with locks and zip ties after protesters pushed to enter, with additional security now posted on the floor. According to ICE officials, several “egregious criminal aliens” are being held in the cells at the site. 

In June, Lander, then a Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested by federal officials for attempting to interfere with an ICE arrest inside a New York City courthouse.

Video footage taken of Lander’s arrest, which was on June 17, shows a chaotic scene in which Lander is hanging onto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they escorted a defendant out of immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza. He repeatedly asked officials if they had a judicial warrant.

“I will let go when you show me the judicial warrant!” Lander said in the video. “Where is it?! Where is the warrant?!”

TRUMP OFFICIALS SLAM BLUE STATE GOVERNOR FOR IGNORING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE ‘RIOTERS’ DISRUPTING OPERATION

The video shows federal officials eventually separating Lander from the immigrant whom the officials were targeting, and they proceed to handcuff Lander. He can be heard repeatedly insisting they do not have the authority to arrest him. One agent seemed to say that he was obstructing an arrest, to which he replied, “I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant.”

Lander’s arrest came just about a month after then Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, was arrested for trespassing on an ICE detainee facility called Delaney Hall.

Baraka, along with three Democratic members of Congress, rushed through the gates of the facility as the gates were opened to let in an ICE vehicle, according to DHS.

While these instances and the Dallas shooting garnered national headlines, the agent said that tense, dangerous situations involving protesters interfering with operations have become a regular occurrence for agents, especially in liberal sanctuary jurisdictions.

“When they come to you and they’re yelling and screaming at you, I don’t know who you are. I’ve never met you. You’re calling me, whatever you’re calling me. That gets very, very stressful,” said the agent.

‘PURE EVIL’: ICE TARGETING ILLEGAL CHARGED WITH STRANGLING INFANT

“When they’re yelling at me, at the same time, they’re attracting the attention of other people. But I’m trying to focus on getting this person handcuffed, processed, interviewing them, determining their alienage, while someone’s yelling at me or someone’s getting in my face,” the agent explained.

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“That gets dangerous, it really does,” the agent added.

The agent pointed out that ICE agents and other federal law enforcement officials are simply enforcing U.S. laws which have been passed by politicians elected by the very people harassing them. 

“At the end of the day, the law is as written,” the agent said. “What other laws do they not want to enforce? Elder fraud: Should we ignore that? Should we ignore child slavery? Which laws should we ignore?”

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Cameron Arcand, Sandy Ibrahim, Emma Bussey and Bill Melugin contributed to this article.

FORT LEE, N.J – He’s not on the ballot, but President Donald Trump and his sweeping and controversial second-term agenda weigh heavily on this year’s ballot box battle for governor of New Jersey.

And Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, who enjoys the president’s support, says Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill is trying to use Trump as a cudgel.

“Listen, if you get a flat tire on the way home from work today, she’s going to blame it on the president. There isn’t anything she doesn’t blame on the president,” Ciattarelli argued, as he sat this week for an interview with Fox News Digital.

New Jersey is just one of two states, along with Virginia, that hold statewide elections for governor this November. And the contests, which traditionally grab outsized national attention, are viewed as crucial early tests of the president’s popularity and agenda, and key barometers ahead of next year’s midterm showdowns for the House and Senate.

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“As Trump has inflicted all this damage on our country, Republican politicians like Jack Ciattarelli have cheered him on every step of the way,” Sherrill emphasized in a recent fundraising email to supporters.

On Sunday, at the first debate between the gubernatorial nominees, Sherrill pointed to Ciattarelli and charged that “he’ll do whatever Trump tells him to do.” 

And in her closing statement, she argued that “Jack’s going to go in lockstep with Washington as he drives — as Trump drives — up your energy costs.”

TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS

Interviewed a couple of days later, as he met with voters of Korean heritage at a restaurant in Fort Lee, New Jersey, Ciattarelli said Trump is “certainly something that all my opponent wants to talk about.”

And Ciattarelli, who came close to upsetting Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago, discounted talk that Trump is the dominant issue in the race.

“We’ve got a property tax crisis in the state. The president doesn’t have anything to do with that. We’ve got a public safety crisis in the state. Nonviolent crime is through the roof. He doesn’t have anything to do with that. We’ve got a public education crisis, an overdevelopment crisis. Look at your monthly electric bill. The President doesn’t have anything to do with those things,” Ciattarelli insisted.

FROM KIRK TO KIMMEL – FIERY FIRST DEBATE BETWEEN CIATTARELLI, SHERRILL

Ciattarelli, as he cruised to a second straight GOP gubernatorial primary victory in June thanks to the president’s endorsement, said that Sherrill would nationalize the race.

“If this campaign were a drinking game, and you took a shot every time Mikie Sherrill says Trump, you’re going to be drunk off your a– every day…between now and Nov. 4,” Ciattarelli said at the time.

While New Jersey has long been a blue state in presidential elections, Trump improved from a 16-point loss in the state in the 2020 election to a 6-point deficit last November. 

And Ciattarelli isn’t shying away from Trump’s support. He said last month at an event at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey that “we’re going to look to deploy the president, the White House, in every way that we can.”

While the president praised Ciattarelli on Thursday in a social media post, saying, “He will be a GREAT Governor,” Trump has yet to join his party’s nominee on the campaign trail.

Asked if a joint campaign trail appearance with Trump will take place before Election Day, Ciattarelli said he’s “really pleased that the White House has offered to help us in any way that we see fit.”

But he added, “I’ve got to earn this thing. I’ve been doing that for the past 15 months. I’m gonna go out there and do it for the last six weeks.”

While Sherrill has consistently aimed to tie Ciattarelli to Trump, she’s also been shining a campaign spotlight on affordability, as inflation concerns persist.

“I am laser-focused on driving down costs for families like yours. I’m going to declare a state of emergency on day one, freezing your rate hikes. I’m going to demand transparency and accountability from our government to save you time and money,” she said at the start of the first debate.

Ciattarelli countered that the Democrats are to blame, as he works overtime trying to link Sherrill to Murphy, who’s term-limited, and the Democrats who’ve long controlled the state legislature in Trenton.

“They’ve controlled the legislature for 25 years. They’ve had the governorship the past eight years,” Ciattarelli told Fox News as he pointed to the Democrats. “And look where we are today. The highest property tax in the nation. Your monthly electric bill is going through the roof. We got non-violent crime that’s spiking.”

“It’s been a failure, and she’s a continuation of those policies,” he argued.

The latest public opinion polls suggest a close contest between Sherrill, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who later served as a helicopter pilot, and a former federal prosecutor, before first winning election to Congress in 2018, and Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics.

Ciattarelli said he’ll continue what he describes as a relentless campaign trail schedule.

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“Each and every day we touch four counties, we go out and talk about how it is we’re gonna fix New Jersey, and you gotta press the flesh,” he said.

And he claimed that “my opponent hasn’t done that, and she’s ducking appearances left and right.”

President Donald Trump accused London this week of wanting to “go to Sharia law,” drawing a fiery response from the city’s mayor.

Trump made the remark during his speech Tuesday to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, during which he declared, “Europe is in serious trouble.” 

“They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before. Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe … 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,” Trump told world leaders. 

TRUMP SCOLDS EUROPEAN NATIONS OVER IMMIGRATION POLICIES DURING MAJOR UN ADDRESS 

“And I have to say, I look at London where you have a terrible mayor. A terrible, terrible mayor. And it’s been so changed, so changed. Now they want to go to Sharia law, but you’re in a different country,” Trump added, referencing the Islamic legal system that derives its principles from the Quran and the Hadith, a collection of teachings from Prophet Muhammad. 

“You can’t do that,” Trump said. “Both the immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe if something is not done immediately, they cannot — this cannot be sustained.” 

When asked about the comments, London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the BBC, “I think President Trump has shown he is racist, he is sexist, he is misogynistic, and he is Islamophobic.” 

“People are wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multicultural, progressive and successful city, that means I appear to be living rent-free inside Donald Trump’s head,” Khan continued. 

“I think one of the advantages of having a special relationship with the USA is obviously when it comes to trade, when it comes to ministry alliances, when it comes to other areas we work close together, but it should also mean you got the confidence to call them out when they are wrong. I think President Trump is wrong in many, many ways,” he also said. 

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

Europe has dealt with a major influx of people coming from Africa and the Middle East in recent years, with critics raising concerns about everything from resources to cultural assimilation.  

“The U.N. is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them,” Trump also said during his speech Tuesday. 

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Trump compared the situation to the United States’ own border crisis under the Biden administration, which led to millions of people entering the country illegally.   

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall, Cameron Arcand and Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

New York City — Former Vice President Kamala Harris played up her relationship with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she kicked off her book tour promoting “107 Days,” a memoir on the 2024 race that has deepened Harris’ divide with former President Joe Biden and his orbit. 

“We all hope to be mentored. We all hope to have support from those who come before. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. And certainly that’s true of politics. Hillary Clinton is one of those people that believes in lifting people up and supporting people,” Harris said from the stage of The Town Hall, a theater venue in midtown Manhattan, where she kicked off her book tour that will take her across the country in the coming weeks. 

“And she follows through,” Harris said. 

Harris released her new book Tuesday, which reflects on her experiences on the 2024 campaign trail as the Democratic presidential nominee after Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, 2024, amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity. 

OBAMA, PELOSI, OTHER TOP DEMS RESISTED INSTANT HARRIS ENDORSEMENT CITING NEED TO ‘EARN IT,’ ‘HIKING’ EXCUSE

The 300-page memoir takes a handful of shots at Biden and his leadership as president, including arguing it was reckless for the octogenarian president to run for re-election, describing that Biden staffers did little to defend her from negative press when she served as vice president, as well as critiques of Biden’s botched debate against Donald Trump that ultimately served as a death knell for Biden’s re-election efforts. 

The book, including excerpts that were released in the lead-up to it hitting store shelves, set off condemnation from former White House staffers who claimed Harris was attempting to scapegoat Biden instead of owning her own alleged failures. 

Harris told the crowds at the theater that the book was not focused on Biden, but instead on her personal experiences on the campaign trail, and her efforts to “fight” and “win.” 

And as she launched that fight, she said, Clinton, as well as former President Bill Clinton, had been rallying support for her campaign since the moment Biden dropped out. 

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

Harris set the scene for the day Biden dropped out, telling the audience that she was in the midst of cooking a pancake breakfast for her young great-nieces who were enjoying the last days of their summer before they headed back to school, when she got a number from a blocked call. 

“I got my old Howard sweatshirt on … so I was there in my sweats when my phone rang from a blocked number and there’s only one person who did that. So I answered the phone, ‘Hey Joe, Mr. President,’ and, and then he told me he wasn’t gonna run,” she said. 

“And so then all hell broke loose,” she continued. 

Harris said she began making calls, including to the Clintons’ home phone number. 

“So I have their home number, for Hillary and Bill, and it was the cutest thing. So I called and Hillary picked up and then Bill was in the other room, and she’s like, ‘It’s Kamala on the phone, Bill, pick up the other phone,'” she recounted. 

Harris said that the former first couple immediately offered to travel to campaign for her presidential ticket, including taking public transportation. 

HARRIS TAPS DEM EMAILS LISTS TO MARKET NEW BOOK, SPARKING PARTY NEUTRALITY CONCERNS

The former vice president included anecdotes of the exchange in her book as well, saying Hillary Clinton offered to hop on an Amtrak train to help her campaign, while Bill Clinton told her, “Send me anywhere.”

“Hillary: We’re thrilled the president endorsed you. We’ll do whatever we can—we’ll jump on a plane, we’ll get on Amtrak. I want to be part of your war council,” her book reads, according to notes she jotted down during the call. 

“Bill: Oh my God, I’m so relieved! Send me anywhere. Make this your own campaign,” the book added of the former president’s reaction. 

Harris focused her talk Wednesday evening on the future of the party, her support of “rising stars” among Democrat politicians, as well as providing readers a real-life discussion of the anecdotes on her failed 2024 election. The event yielded a packed house, as well as pro-Gaza protesters who banged drums and chanted outside the venue during the event, including accusing Harris of “setting Palestine on fire” amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Harris’ book tour launch included continuing claims that the 2024 election was “the closest” of this century, as well as a handful of attacks on Trump, including lambasting him as one who “lied” to the public on the campaign trail about bringing costs down for Americans. 

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“It was the closest election in the 21st Century. It was one of the top three closest elections in the last century. So for all those pundits who want to say that America is not ready for a woman to be president, I reject that,” she said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Hillary Clinton’s office Thursday morning for additional comment but did not immediately receive a reply.