NationalWatch

A former U.S. attorney turned first-term congressman is warning prosecutors could face several hurdles in the case against Charlie Kirk’s accused killer, cautioning the trial will be anything but straightforward.

Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., is a freshman House lawmaker who resigned from the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina in late 2023 to run for Congress.

Looking at the case of Tyler Robinson from an outside perspective, Knott said he believed law enforcement officials were “proceeding appropriately” but noted from his past experience that high-profile cases such as this were “never as cut and dry” as they appeared to some members of the public.

“In some ways, I pity the prosecution because there’s so many unique angles here,” Knott told Fox News Digital. “The hardest part about these types of cases is to begin the process with no conclusion. And that’s especially hard when you look at the Tyler Robinson case.”

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

He anticipated there would be “many in the media” and “some, even in law enforcement” who may come to a conclusion too soon that the case is already solved.

“And proceeding when this case is as public as it is, when it is as widely viewed and reviewed as it is, keeping all of that noise outside of your purview as an investigator, as a prosecutor, as a forensic analyst, as a custodian of the evidence… going forward as though the conclusion is not in hand, that’s the hardest part here,” he said.

Knott pointed out that it cannot even be assumed that Robinson committed the killing until it’s decided in a court of law – stressing there were many moving parts.

“We know that there was conversations with other individuals leading up to this criminal act, the killing. We know that there were lots of individuals who were surrounding the suspect,” he said. “We know that there are a lot of people who have an interest in solving this case that are not in law enforcement. I mean, go on X, go on social media. All of that can make it harder to get an objective sample of evidence, right?”

Robinson is facing multiple state charges in Utah, including aggravated murder. Officials there have said they plan to seek the death penalty. 

The 22-year-old is accused of killing Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder and conservative activist, while he spoke at a college campus event in Utah earlier this month. Kirk was shot in the neck and was soon declared dead.

In addition to the public pressure on prosecutors, Knott noted there would be “intense scrutiny” on people surrounding Robinson.

“Whenever that type of scrutiny is levied on somebody, whether it’s his former classmates, his colleague, his friends, his social circles, his family – what you want is just sort of a firsthand account with no inferences whatsoever,” Knott said.

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“You don’t want them to conclude anything. You want them to describe, you want them to recount. And when you have all of this publicity and the sensational posture of this case, it makes it very hard to objectively be a witness.”

And if Robinson does not plead guilty, Knott predicted a full-throated attempt at defense from his lawyers.

“If Mr. Robinson is in fact guilty of the charges that are brought against him, there is going to be an extreme defense if he does not plead. And whenever there’s an extremely vigorous defense, it’s never straightforward,” he said.

“A win for the defense may be defeating one of the aggravated murder charges, or it might be to defeat the death penalty – whatever it may be. There is never a straight path when a defense comes forward like Mr. Robinson would probably have. And that’s assuming he doesn’t cooperate…he just walls up and says, ‘You’ve got to prove this and we’re going to fight you every step of the way.’”

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Knott said he would anticipate a host of challenges from the defense team, as well as a bid to evoke some kind of sympathy for their client.

“What I anticipate is, every search warrant is going to be challenged. Every type of digital evidence is going to be challenged. The admissibility of the most damning evidence will be challenged. The seating of the jury will be challenged. Everything will be resisted,” he said. “And so I don’t anticipate that there will be a very easy path forward.”

FIRST ON FOX: A pair of House Republicans are pushing to have Charlie Kirk memorialized on U.S. currency in the wake of his assassination earlier this month.

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., plan to introduce a bill later this week directing the U.S. Treasury to mint 400,000 silver dollar coins with Kirk’s likeness, the pair first told Fox News Digital.

It’s the latest proposal in a litany of bills and resolutions introduced by Republican lawmakers to honor the conservative activist after he was shot and killed during a college campus speaking event in Utah earlier this month.

The coins, which would be considered legal tender, would have Kirk’s image on one side and feature the words “well done, good and faithful servant” on the other.

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

They would also be inscribed with Kirk’s full name, “Charles James Kirk,” the year 2026 as well as the U.S.’s full name and motto. 

The coins’ final design would be selected by the Treasury Secretary in consultation with the sitting president, in this case, President Donald Trump.

“Since 1892, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to celebrate and honor historic American patriots,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital.

He also hailed Kirk as an “American treasure.”

“He tirelessly sacrificed his time, energy, and money to save this nation for future generations. Ultimately, at the hands of a radical leftist, he sacrificed his life,” Hamadeh said. “His life must be commemorated, and this coin will allow us to pass a reminder of his remarkable life on to generations to come.”

Pfluger said that passage of their legislation would make Kirk, at age 31, the youngest-ever American to be placed on U.S. currency at the time of the coins’ minting, which the Texas Republican called “a fitting honor that cements his extraordinary legacy alongside presidents and founding fathers who shaped our republic.”

“Charlie Kirk was a conservative titan whose transformational impact on millions of Americans deserves permanent recognition alongside our nation’s greatest leaders and influential figures,” Pfluger said.

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

A law passed by Congress in 1866 bars the image of a living person from being used on U.S. currency.

Several historical figures have been awarded the honor, even beyond American presidents.

Benjamin Franklin notably is the face on the $100 bill, Alexander Hamilton is shown on the $10 note and different versions of the $1 coin feature Sacagawea, former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and Susan B. Anthony, respectively, among others.

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Some historical records have said Sacagawea was 25 at the time of her death, but conflicting accounts reported her passing decades later.

The proposal comes after the House passed a bipartisan resolution honoring Kirk and denouncing political violence late last week.

In addition to Pfluger and Hamadeh’s bill, GOP lawmakers have offered legislation to award Kirk congressional medals, honor him with a day of remembrance, among other initiatives.

Several House Republicans also wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to ask for a statue at the U.S. Capitol in Kirk’s likeness after his assassination.

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to know the exact cost of a partial government shutdown as GOP and Democratic leaders are at an impasse to keep the government open.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, called on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide a detailed report on the sprawling impact that a partial government shutdown could have, including payments throughout the federal government and the possible broader economic impact.

The House GOP passed its short-term funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR) last week, but the bill was later blocked by Senate Democrats. For now, Republicans and Democrats in the upper chamber are at odds on a plan to keep the government open.

And the deadline to fund the government by Sept. 30 is fast-approaching.

TOP HOUSE DEM FIRES BACK AT TRUMP’S ‘UNHINGED’ SHUTDOWN REMARKS AMID COLLAPSE OF GOV FUNDING TALKS

Ernst, who chairs the Senate DOGE Caucus named after tech-billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, laid the fault of a potential shutdown on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in her letter to CBO Director Phillip Swagel.

“The same politicians who whined and complained about the Department of Government Efficiency laying off unnecessary bureaucrats just a few months ago are now forcing a government-wide shutdown themselves to expose who is and isn’t an essential employee,” she wrote.

Ernst requested a sweeping economic operational impact analysis from the agency, including how a shutdown could affect back pay costs for furloughed non-essential employees, military pay, congressional pay and the broader economic impact that the government closing could have on the private sector.

TRUMP CANCELS MEETING WITH SCHUMER, JEFFRIES OVER ‘RIDICULOUS DEMANDS’ AS FUNDING DEADLINE LOOMS

Specifically, she wanted to know how businesses could be impacted by a temporary stoppage of government services, like loans, permits and certifications, and how companies and businesses could recoup losses after a shutdown ended.

She also wanted information on lost efficiencies in the government and the costs that could accrue from unfulfilled procurements or allowing contracts to lapse, and whether the burden of keeping national parks open would fall onto the states or if they’d be shuttered, too.

The CBO did provide an analysis of the cost of the last time the government shuttered in 2019, when Schumer and President Donald Trump were at odds on providing funding to construct a wall at the southern border. That 35-day shutdown was the longest in U.S. history, and no funding for a border wall was granted.

The report, published in January 2019, found that the shutdown saw roughly $18 billion in federal spending delayed, which led to a dip in that year’s first quarter gross domestic product of $8 billion. The report noted roughly $3 billion of that would not be recovered.

THUNE SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘COLD-BLOODED PARTISAN’ TACTICS AS FUNDING DEADLINE NEARS

It also found that federal workers who received delayed payments and private businesses were the hardest hit.

“Some of those private-sector entities will never recoup that lost income,” the report stated.

It remains unclear whether Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Schumer can strike a deal. After Trump canceled a planned meeting Tuesday with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., both Democrats blamed the president for the looming shutdown.

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However, Democrats’ asking price for a short-term funding extension is too high for Republicans.

They want permanent extensions to Affordable Care Act subsidies, a full repeal of the “big, beautiful bill”s health care title, which includes the $50 billion rural hospital fund, and a clawback of the canceled funding for NPR and PBS.

“Once again, Donald Trump has shown the American people he is not up to the job,” Schumer said. “It’s a very simple job: sit down and negotiate with the Democratic leaders and come to an agreement, but he just ain’t up to it. He runs away before the negotiations even begin.” 

While Israel’s war in Gaza and Russia’s war in Ukraine are dominating headlines at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), quiet but urgent concerns about North Korea and its nuclear program are being discussed behind closed doors. 

It’s an issue that is being “continuously brought up,” according to a senior State Department official. It was a particular concern in Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meetings with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts and in President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.

And while the lead-up to two Trump-Kim summits dominated the president’s first term, no such meeting is on the books for his second term, according to the official. Trump will travel to South Korea in October, but he currently has no plans to stop at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“Our policy remains a complete denuclearization of North Korea,” the official said. Kim has said he’s only open to talks if the U.S. drops the denuclearization demand. 

TRUMP TOUTS KIM JONG UN RELATIONSHIP AMID SOUTH KOREA SUMMIT

“If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearizing us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States,” Kim was quoted as saying by state news agency KCNA.

Trump has also signaled an intent to sit down with Russian and Chinese leaders to come to an agreement on scaling back nuclear weapons arsenals. It’s a top priority for the administration, according to the official, but the ball is in China’s court to start being honest about its nuclear arsenal. 

“The first thing that would need to happen is for the Chinese to acknowledge and be more transparent about its own programs, in order to understand what direction within the discussion, what objectives, could be obtained.”

The Defense Department has assessed that China has around 600 nuclear warheads as of mid-2024, but is rapidly increasing its supplies and may have over 1,000 by 2030. 

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO ‘ROCKET MAN’ AND NORTH KOREA’S THREATS OVER DENUCLEARIZATION

Open source estimates place North Korea’s arsenal at about 50 warheads, with fissile material for 70–90 warheads total. 

The official also confirmed that reviews of the AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-U.S.) submarine pact are under way across all partner governments, with updates expected this fall. Those talks, along with the October summits President Trump plans to attend in Asia, are expected to set the tone for the next phase of U.S. engagement in the region.

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With North Korea showing no sign of returning to talks and China stonewalling on transparency, U.S. officials say the administration is leaning on allies and doubling down on deterrence. 

A federal judge rejected former FBI agent Peter Strzok’s claims that his termination from the federal law enforcement agency ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

Strzok was fired during President Donald Trump’s first term.

He sent anti-Trump text messages while leading the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Trump’s campaign and Russia.

DOJ SETTLES WITH FORMER FBI OFFICIALS OVER RELEASE OF ANTI-TRUMP TEXTS

“At this point, only two issues remain to be resolved: did plaintiff’s termination violate the First Amendment, and did his termination violate the Fifth Amendment guarantee against the deprivation of property without due process of law?” an order signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson explained.

Berman was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama.

The court found that Strzok’s “interest in expressing his opinions about political candidates on his FBI phone at that time was outweighed by the FBI’s interest in avoiding the appearance of bias in its ongoing investigations of those very people, and in protecting against the disruption of its law enforcement operations under then-Director Wray’s leadership.”

TRUMP SAYS BRENNAN, COMEY ‘CROOKED AS HELL’ AMID FBI PROBE, MAY HAVE TO ‘PAY THE PRICE’

“As to Count Two, the due process claim is predicated on a misrepresentation of the facts and distortion of the chronology,” the document declares. 

“Once one gets past the rhetoric and considers the undisputed factual record, it becomes clear that there is no evidence to support a finding that plaintiff entered into a contract … that gave him a property interest in his tenure before the Deputy Director exercised his authority to terminate him, or that plaintiff lacked notice and an opportunity to be heard before his fate was decided,” the document notes.

PATEL FOUND THOUSANDS OF SENSITIVE TRUMP–RUSSIA PROBE DOCS INSIDE ‘BURN BAGS’ IN SECRET ROOM AT FBI

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“The full Memorandum Opinion has been docketed under seal,” the order notes, adding that in the court’s perspective, “nothing in the Memorandum Opinion needs to remain sealed, and therefore, the parties must inform the Court by September 30, 2025 of whether they have any objection to the Court’s unsealing the Memorandum Opinion in its entirety, and if so, specifying what portions they believe should remain under seal and why.”

When President Donald Trump took the stage at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the teleprompter didn’t work. But no matter — he was about to deliver a series of points he knew well, and one that shattered the typical U.N. script.

At times, world leaders shifted uncomfortably in their seats, particularly when he charged that the U.N. had failed to help the U.S. end wars and joked that all he ever got from the institution was being stuck on an escalator and a broken teleprompter. Yet in his trademark style, Trump also drew laughter from the room, managing to be both affable and scolding at the same time.

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked, after recounting how he — not the U.N. — had ended seven wars. 

From there, he launched into a wide-ranging address that touched on every one of the U.N.’s modern priorities — climate change, Ukraine, refugee resettlement and Palestinian statehood—and rejected each of them outright, unsettling many in attendance.

TRUMP DRAWS LAUGHS FROM WORLD LEADERS MOMENTS INTO UN SPEECH

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže told Fox News Digital world leaders took note of Trump’s blunt style and sweeping agenda. She emphasized that his remarks spanned “a whole set of international issues,” from Ukraine to Gaza. She highlighted his criticism of Russia, saying it was clear he wanted the war to end and was openly disappointed in President Vladimir Putin.

Former U.S. diplomat Hugh Dugan noted that while Trump hammered the U.N., he did not press the case for reform as forcefully as expected. 

“As for U.N. reform and criticizing and guiding it through financial crises and endemic dysfunctionality, surprisingly he left a vacuum instead of a narrative,” Dugan said. “He neither validated nor criticized the U.N. as expected, except pointing out the obvious views of its administrative and diplomatic passivity shared widely.”

Climate change

For the U.N., climate change is an existential threat requiring global action. Trump mocked the entire concept as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” deriding green energy as “all bankrupt” and declaring the carbon footprint “a hoax.” Dismissing decades of climate change work at the U.N., he said: “No more global warming, no more global cooling, whatever the hell happens, it’s climate change.”

Braže noted that European nations still see the U.N. as the central forum for tackling global problems, even if reforms are overdue. “We might differ in our opinion where we still think the U.N. is a valuable organization and the U.N. charter is a basis of [the] international system,” she said, adding: “Of course it needs change… stepping up efficiencies.”

Ukraine

Trump and the international body are largely aligned on wanting the war in Ukraine to come to an end, but Trump criticized its European members sharply for continued reliance on Russian oil.

Trump argued the war “would never have started if I were president” and accused NATO allies of hypocrisy and said some NATO allies were “funding the war against themselves” by buying Russian oil.

“They’re buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia. It’s embarrassing to them… they have to immediately, immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia.”

He threatened tariffs unless Europe cut off energy purchases from Moscow, but blamed India and China as the “primary funders of the war” through Russian fuel purchases. The president also once again promised a “very strong round of powerful tariffs” if Russia refuses peace.

TRUMP MUST MAKE UN FUNDING CONDITIONAL ON REAL REFORMS, EX-DIPLOMAT URGES

Braže said Latvia welcomed Trump’s commitment to ending the war, even as she underscored Europe’s reliance on the U.N. system. “He also explained, of course, his efforts to achieve peace in various regions which we welcome,” she said.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna echoed Trump’s point that Russia’s war effort is not unstoppable. “As for the president’s speech, it was good to hear that Trump is dedicated to peace in Ukraine, and he also hinted that Russia is defeatable. We believe that as well,” Tsahkna said. “Estonia has long said that Russia’s energy exports are its main source of revenue, and the engine behind its war in Ukraine. That’s why we must do more to cut off this funding.”

Migration

Where the U.N. sees migration as a shared humanitarian challenge, Trump painted it as an “invasion.” He accused the U.N. of bankrolling illegal immigration into the U.S., citing U.N. cash and food assistance for migrants, and warned that uncontrolled migration was “ruining” Europe.

“The U.N. is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them,” Trump said. “Your countries are being ruined. Europe is in serious trouble. They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before.”

He claimed migrants in London want to impose “Sharia law.”

“I look at London where you have a terrible mayor, 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. You can’t do that.”

Braže said the Baltic States share skepticism about uncontrolled migration, rooted in their history under Soviet rule. “In some European countries, political correctness overcame the need to limit immigration. For us in the Baltics, immigration has always been something that we are quite skeptical about,” she said. “That is due to the fact when the Soviet Union occupied us for 50 years we were not able to define our own rules… so today we are very clear that our borders are our borders, we control them.”

Palestinian statehood

While the U.N. pushes for recognition of Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution, Trump blasted such efforts as “a reward for Hamas.” He argued it would encourage terrorism and instead demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages — and made calls for peace. 

Dugan said the White House calculated carefully how to handle the Palestinian issue. “He denied added publicity for the Palestinian statehood matter, while robbing his critics of a snarky quotable they depend upon. His team would say that they opted not to throw more gas on that fire, I suppose.”

“We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to immediately negotiate peace,” Trump said.

But French President Emmanuel Macron said that if Trump really wants peace, he has to put pressure on Israel to end the war. 

“There is one person who can do something about it, and that is the U.S. president. And the reason he can do more than us, is because we do not supply weapons that allow the war in Gaza to be waged. We do not supply equipment that allows war to be waged in Gaza. The United States of America does,” Macron told France’s BFM TV after the speech. 

Macron went on: “I see an American president who is involved, who reiterated this morning from the podium: ‘I want peace. I have resolved seven conflicts’, who wants the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is only possible if you stop this conflict.”

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

Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Trump’s handling of Iran, where the president touted the U.S.’s offensive strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, in particular stood out. “The calmness and even casualness with which President Trump spoke about the elimination of the Islamic Republic’s military leaders at the UNGA today shows an understanding and willingness to embrace America’s superpower status against its adversaries not often seen,” Taleblu said.

The broader UN message

Beyond individual issues, Trump’s message was that the U.N. itself was failing. He ridiculed its reliance on “strongly worded letters” and its expensive renovation projects, portraying the body as corrupt and ineffective.

“I’ve attended UNGA a few times. Never have I heard a speech like this. Trump was right on one thing: the UN is paralyzed,” Tobias Ellwood, a former British member of Parliament, shared on X. But he warned major conflict is “likely to follow” if the UN dissolves like the League of Nations did.

But Dugan suggested Trump stopped short of offering a roadmap. “He went to tier-2 topics (immigration and green energy) because they are tier-1 with MAGA,” he said. “Given the teleprompter and the escalator, he seems resigned to the fact that the place is not teachable when it comes to organization turnaround — certainly not while [Secretary General Antonio] Guterres continues.”

Trump launched a review of the U.N. six months ago, and Dugan said he’d hoped to hear more about its findings in the speech. It’s “not evident” that the review was “deep, good or even completed.” 

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Looking ahead, Dugan warned that Trump’s silence on deeper U.N. reform left space for rivals. “Next: let’s see if China is editing its speech now to swoop down to fill the missing narrative vacuum,” he said.

Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Trump was also making a point about the U.N.’s lack of engagement. “The President also foot-stomped the fact that he has received relative silence from the U.N. system and its leaders in the face of numerous ceasefires and deconfliction agreements he helped broker in warzones around the world. For an organization aimed at stemming or resolving conflict, the silence is deafening.”

Vice President Kamala Harris’ inner circle crafted a “Red File” contingency plan in the event something “traumatic” happened to President Joe Biden, the former vice president revealed in her new memoir “107 Days.”

While the Biden campaign maintained that he was running for re-election until the moment he suspended his campaign, Harris’ brother-in-law, Tony West, created a succession plan long before the president’s consequential announcement, according to Harris. 

“A year earlier, he had started what he called the ‘Red File,'” Harris wrote in her book. “With a president in his eighties, he suggested, it would be malpractice on my part to be unprepared if, God forbid, something should happen.”

West had made a list of the first dozen calls to world leaders and political leaders, a plan for when to release her first statement and the rules of the transition. The “Red File” only grew as the pressure for Biden to drop out intensified, Harris said. 

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

In the event of “such a traumatic moment,” Harris said, West explained to her that it would be “prudent to have a plan for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours, so people don’t have to make a lot of decisions in the pressure of a crisis.”

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

Harris said she didn’t want to think about such a reality, despite being the vice president to a president in his eighties, so she “left it in his hands.”

Because Harris didn’t want to be involved in such discussions, she said West met with four members of her core team during one family weekend.

“Let’s assume he’s dropping out tomorrow,” West said, according to Harris. 

Brian Fallon, Harris’ communications chief, who she said participated in the meeting, said Biden dropping out was “not going to happen,” because the president was meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that week. 

News broke that Biden was dropping out on July 21, 2024, as Harris’ team discussed the upcoming Democratic National Convention. Her team didn’t realize then that Harris would be the candidate to formally accept the Democratic nomination at the convention. 

When Harris hung up the phone with Biden, West was the first person she spoke to.

“If this isn’t handled right, he will crap all over his legacy,” Harris recalls West telling her after momentarily staring at each other, shocked and in disbelief. 

After Biden told his former running mate that he was endorsing her, Harris said she thanked him and said, “I will do you proud.”

“You’re gonna do great, kid,” Harris said Biden told her. 

Twenty-two minutes later, Biden announced on X that he was dropping out, Harris said. 

“Twenty-seven minutes after that, he endorsed me as the Democratic candidate president of the United States.”

While Harris did not want to be involved in the “Red File” discussions, her inner circle’s shadow plan allowed the vice president to quickly launch her 107-day presidential campaign. 

West became one of Harris’ “chosen committee of advisors,” as the campaign launched into full-gear. The committee was involved in critical decisions, like choosing Harris’ running mate and debate prep. 

West is currently the senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Uber. During President Barack Obama’s administration, he was twice confirmed by the Senate to serve as a senior official, including as associate attorney general of the United States. 

He met Maya Harris during law school, and they married soon after graduation, according to Harris’ book. 

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Harris described him as a “political thinker, working on campaigns since he was a teenager.”

“Doug and I have taken to affectionately calling him our fifty-year-old teenage son, given how much we love taking care of him when he stays with us,” Harris wrote.

Biden’s team declined to comment on the book when reached by Fox News Digital. 

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Wisconsin Republican, has announced a Badger State gubernatorial bid.

“Madison politics may smell like the barn, but I know how to clean up the bull. I will roll up my sleeves and deliver results for every Wisconsinite,” he says in a campaign video.

“I will freeze property taxes, protect our farmland from Communist China, and I’ll preserve our Wisconsin values, just like my mom does with her pickles,” he says in the video.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MOUNTS WISCONSIN GUBERNATORIAL BID, ACCUSING TRUMP OF ‘CHAOS AND CRUELTY’

Tiffany began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2020 after winning a special election that month to fill the House seat vacated in 2019 by Republican Sean Duffy.

Duffy is currently serving as secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

President Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2024 and 2016 but lost it in 2020.

SWING STATE DEM GOV BOWS OUT OF 2026 RACE, INSISTS HE’D WIN IF HE RAN: ‘NO QUESTION’

The governor’s race will be an open contest since current Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, announced earlier this year that he will not run for a third term.

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, who is also vying for the governorship, said in a post on X, “Welcome to the race, @TomTiffanyWI! Looking forward to a Republican primary focused on ideas and winning back the governor’s office.”

FORMER NAVY SEAL AND ‘POLITICAL OUTSIDER’ ANNOUNCES GOP CAMPAIGN FOR WISCONSIN GOVERNOR

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Manufacturer and former Navy SEAL Bill Berrien, another gubernatorial hopeful, declared in a post, “After years of bureaucratic leadership in Madison, the last thing we need is another career politician at the helm. Instead, we need builders who will create prosperity for all through work, revitalize the manufacturing infrastructure that lies dormant in our state, and jumpstart our economy. As the only builder in this race, I’m the strongest general election candidate Democrats will face — and they know it!”

FIRST ON FOX – The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Wednesday launched a new digital ad campaign spotlighting what it calls President Donald Trump’s “ongoing attacks on free speech” following last week’s suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel from his late-night TV perch.

The spots, which will target a handful of House Republicans in swing districts who face challenging re-elections in next year’s midterms, will run on conservative and independent media, including the podcasts of media superstars Joe Rogan and Ben Shapiro, who are very popular among younger and male audiences.

The campaign, shared first with Fox News Digital, comes in the wake of ABC’s move last week to pull Kimmel’s late-night talk show off the air after his remarks about the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk sparked outrage and a veiled threat from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

SINCLAIR AND NEXTAR STATIONS PRE-EMPT JIMMY KIMMEL

The suspension of Kimmel sparked outrage among Democrats and progressives, and even some high-profile conservatives, who said the late-night host was being punished for exercising freedom of speech. Many Republicans countered that Kimmel’s comments suggesting Kirk’s suspected killer was a MAGA member were outrageous and false. 

ABC reinstated Kimmel on Monday and his program returned to air Tuesday night, although the roughly 60 affiliated stations owned by Nextar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group preempted the program.

DISNEY ANNOUNCES ‘JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!’ RETURNING TUESDAY AFTER SUSPENSION

“The American people don’t support attacks on free speech, which is why Trump is losing support among independent and conservative voters,” the DNC argued in a statement. “The Republican base is fracturing, with Republican figures including Megyn Kelly, Ted Cruz, and Ben Shapiro loudly breaking with the administration.”

The DNC ad includes a clip of Trump, during the first week of his second administration, announcing that “on day one I signed an executive order to stop all government censorship.”

The narrator in the spot later charged that “Trump wants to control what you see so he can control what you think.” 

The DNC says the campaign, which is backed by a modest five figures, will target the congressional districts of Republican Reps. Rob Wittman of Virginia, Jen Kiggans of Virginia, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey.

“It’s clear Donald Trump only cares about silencing his critics — and now, voters across the country and in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are going to hear about it,” the DNC claimed.

FCC CHAIR LEVELS THREAT AGAINST ABC, DISNEY AFTER KIMMEL SUGGESTED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN WAS ‘MAGA’

Trump and many of his top allies, long advocates of free speech, have criticized people who have been critical of Kirk since the conservative activist’s assassination earlier this month.

The president welcomed ABC’s decision to initially pull Kimmel off the air indefinitely. And Trump also suggested axing the broadcast licenses of networks who, in his opinion, treat him too negatively.

DNC Chair Ken Martin, in a statement to Fox News, said, “Donald Trump’s administration has amassed a chilling record of restricting speech, extorting private companies, and dropping the full weight of the government censorship hammer on Americans simply exercising their First Amendment rights. This is no exaggeration, and it’s splintering the coalition that got Trump elected.”

Martin claimed that Trump is “attempting to silence people. It’s un-American, and Democrats won’t stand for it.”

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Republicans and conservatives,during the administrations of Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden railed against what they considered were efforts to muzzle free speech, attacking Democrats for pushing “cancel culture.”

Trump and his allies are now defending their latest actions by saying that “consequence culture” is replacing “cancel culture.”

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized recent remarks by President Donald Trump as “unhinged” during a press conference on Tuesday, as the federal government lurches toward a potential shutdown at the end of this month.

Jeffries held a media availability in his Brooklyn, New York, district after Trump canceled a planned meeting with congressional Democratic leaders on the issue of government funding.

Trump accused Democrats of making “unserious and ridiculous demands” in their push for a compromise deal to avert a shutdown.

“The statement that Donald Trump issued today was unhinged, and it related to issues that have nothing to do with the spending bill that is before the Congress, and the need to try to avoid a government shutdown,” Jeffries said in response.

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

He said at an earlier point, “Leader Schumer and I are ready to meet with anyone, anytime, at any place, to discuss the issues that matter to the American people and avoid a painful, Republican-caused government shutdown.”

“Democrats do not support the partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the healthcare of the American people,” he added.

Schumer held his own press conference later in the afternoon, where he charged, “Today seems to be tantrum day for Donald Trump.” 

“Mr. President, do your job,” he said. “Stop ranting, stop these long diatribes that mean nothing to anyone. Get people in a room and let’s hammer out a deal.”

The House passed a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025’s government funding levels intended to keep federal agencies running through Nov. 21, in order to give Senate and House appropriators more time to reach a deal on FY 2026.

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

If not passed by the Senate by the end of Sept. 30, Congress risks plunging the government into a partial shutdown.

Democrats, infuriated by being sidelined in discussions on the bill, have 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.

During his press conference, Jeffries also appeared to reference Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill,” conservative legislation that imposed new restrictions and work requirements on Medicaid coverage for certain able-bodied Americans.

“Our top priority is to make sure that we cancel the cuts, lower the costs and save healthcare for the American people. That’s eight words – not difficult for Donald Trump to process. Cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare. Eight words,” Jeffries said.

“And we’ve been very clear that if Republicans want to go it alone, then go it alone and continue to do damage to the American people. But as House Democrats, partnered in lockstep with [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer] and Senate Democrats, we are not going to participate in the Republican effort to continue to gut the healthcare of the American people. That’s immoral, and we want no part of it.”

Jeffries and Schumer were set to meet with Trump on Thursday to discuss a path forward to avert a partial government shutdown.

But Trump nixed the meeting in a lengthy post on his social media platform Truth Social, where he blasted the duo for pushing “radical Left policies that nobody voted for.” 

“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump said. 

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“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!” the president continued.

The Senate already voted against moving forward with the House GOP stopgap bill on Friday.

With 60 votes needed to proceed on the measure, at least some Democratic support will be needed to avert a shutdown.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for a response to Jeffries’ comments.

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…

-Trump cancels meeting with Schumer, Jeffries over ‘unserious,’ ‘ridiculous demands’ as funding deadline looms

– Trump mocks NATO allies for ‘funding the war against themselves’ with Russian energy purchases

-Top House Dem fires back at Trump’s ‘unhinged’ shutdown remarks amid collapse of gov funding talks

Found guilty 

Jurors on Tuesday delivered a guilty verdict for Ryan Routh on all charges after he attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club last September. 

After the verdict was read, Routh reportedly appeared to try to stab himself in the neck with a pen before four U.S. Marshals restrained him.

His daughter, Sara Routh, reportedly stood up and said:

“Don’t do anything. I will get you out. What the f—, f—, he didn’t hurt anybody. This is not fair. This is all rigged – you guys are a–holes.” The jury was still in the room at the time…Read more

World Stage

WHO’S WATCHING WHO: Lawsuit claims baby monitors marketed as safe may be feeding data to Beijing

TRUMP VS. WORLD: Trump slams European recognition of Palestinian state as ‘reward’ for Hamas

FUNDING CHAOS: Trump slams UN for ‘creating new problems,’ questions its role in fiery UNGA speech

UNSECURE COUNCIL: Baltic leaders rip UN Security Council as useless while Russia holds permanent seat

FRANCE VS TRUMP: Watch: Macron calls Trump after presidential motorcade blocks him in NYC traffic

WARNING ON GLOBALISM: Trump scolds European nations over immigration policies during major UN address

ON NOTICE: Trump says NATO countries should shoot down Russian jets that violate airspace

Capitol Hill

MONEY VS POLITICS: House Oversight probes whether American retirees’ pension funds ‘are being used in a progressive playbook’

Across America 

TECH REPENTS: Google to reinstate banned YouTube accounts censored for political speech

GRACE VS JUSTICE: Cully Stimson analyzes whether Erika Kirk’s forgiveness has legal ramifications

WHO’S WATCHING WHO: Lawsuit claims baby monitors marketed as safe may be feeding data to Beijing

PRICED OUT: NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani calls World Cup tickets ‘absurd’ at ‘$6,000’ for final game at MetLife Stadium

MILLION DOLLAR DODGE: New Jersey Democratic candidate for governor faces net worth questions as viral clip resurfaces

‘DIVISIVE’ AGENDA: Hegseth axes Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services citing divisive agenda

‘POLICY FAILURES’: South Dakota Democratic lawmaker switches registration to Republican

‘WHAT IS HAPPENING?’: New book reveals what Kamala Harris ‘moaned’ to her husband during Walz’s disastrous VP debate

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

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called for the firing and investigation of those responsible for a stalled escalator that carried President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at Tuesday’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The escalator malfunction occurred before Trump addressed the General Assembly in New York, and he and the first lady were forced to walk up the stalled machine before making his remarks to other world leaders. 

“If someone at the UN intentionally stopped the escalator as the President and First Lady were stepping on, they need to be fired and investigated immediately,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X in response to a Times of London article published Sunday. 

TRUMP DRAWS LAUGHS FROM WORLD LEADERS MOMENTS INTO UN SPEECH

The Times reported that U.N. staffers joked that they may switch off the escalator.

When asked on “Jesse Watters Primetime” Tuesday evening whether the malfunction might be an act of sabotage, Leavitt was blunt.

“That’s definitely what it appears to be to me,” she said. “There’s was some concerning reporting over the weekend from the London Times… that U.N. globalist staffers were basically plotting to set up the President of the United States.”

Leavitt said the U.S. Secret Service was looking into the matter. 

“If we find that these were U.N. staffers who were purposefully trying to trip up, literally trip up the president and the first lady of the United States, well there better be accountability for those people,” she added. 

A United Nations spokesperson later told Fox News that someone from the U.S. delegation or security detail ran up the escalator and then back down again before the Trumps were off the escalator. The act of running down the up-moving escalator triggered an alarm, halting it. 

“After passing through the security gates, President Trump and the First Lady approached the escalator,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. “In an effort to document their arrival, a videographer from the US delegation stepped on to the escalator ahead of the President and First Lady. As the videographer, who was traveling backwards up the escalator reached the top, the First Lady, followed by President Trump, each mounted the steps at the bottom. At that moment (9:50am), the escalator came to a stop.

At that moment, the escalator stopped, Dujarric said. 

“Our technician, who was at the location, reset the escalator as soon as the delegation had climbed up to the second floor,” he added. “A subsequent investigation, including a readout of the machine’s central processing unit, indicated that the escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator. The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing.”

Dujarric said the videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function.

The U.N. added that there was nothing nefarious about what happened. 

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

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Secret Service. The White House referred Fox News Digital to Leavitt’s post on X.

The escalator malfunction wasn’t the only breakdown. Trump was forced to improvise his speech after a teleprompter froze.

“I feel very happy to be up here with you, nevertheless — and that way you speak more from the heart — I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” he said, drawing laughs.

The teleprompter resumed a few minutes into his address.

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“I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of these countries and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal,” Trump said. “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle.

“If the first lady wasn’t in great shape, she would’ve fallen. But she’s in great shape. We’re both in good shape. We both stood,” he added, drawing more laughter. “These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is targeting an illegal alien who is charged with strangling his infant sister with a power cord, leaving the baby in critical condition.

In a statement Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had lodged a detainer against Alvaro Mejia-Ayala, a 21-year-old Salvadoran national, after he was arrested for strangulation of an infant by police in Leesburg, Virginia.

According to the Leesburg Police Department, police responded to a report of an infant not breathing on the morning of Sept. 17. The department said it discovered the baby had been the victim of an assault and that Mejia-Ayala had fled on foot.

Local Fox affiliate Fox 5 reported that the infant was found unresponsive with a white charging cable around her neck.

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

With the assistance of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, the department tracked down Mejia-Ayala. He is now in custody and is being charged with strangulation.

According to DHS, the baby is in critical condition.

A spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital that Mejia-Ayala entered the U.S. as part of a family unit from El Salvador during the Obama administration in 2016. The spokesperson said that on Oct. 17, 2024, the Biden administration dismissed Mejia-Ayala’s immigration case, allowing him to illegally remain in the U.S. indefinitely.

DHS also said that Mejia-Ayala was previously arrested by police for reckless driving in 2024, but he was released “before ICE could even lodge a detainer.”

DHS REJECTS NBC REPORT CLAIMING ICE USED 5-YEAR-OLD AUTISTIC GIRL AS BAIT TO ARREST FATHER

The Virginia General District Court online database says that Mejia-Ayala pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving in February 2024. The database also lists several other charges against Mejia-Ayala, including driving without a license in 2023 and failure to display license plates in 2024 and 2025.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented on the case, saying that “ICE lodged an immigration detainer to ensure this heinous criminal is not released on U.S. streets.”

“What kind of sick monster strangles a defenseless, innocent baby girl with a charging cord? This barbarism has no place in the U.S.,” said McLaughlin. “President Trump and Secretary Noem have been clear: Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”

In a separate message posted to X, McLaughlin wrote, “Pray for this precious baby girl. May God cover her and protect her.”

MISSING NY GIRL FOUND IN ILLINOIS AMONG ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

In another X post, Homeland Security called Mejia-Ayala a “monster” and the case an example of “PURE EVIL.”

“This criminal illegal alien STRANGLED AN INFANT with a charging cable,” DHS wrote, adding, “President Trump and @Sec_Noem will not allow this barbarism in America.”

A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Obama spokespeople but did not receive a response by the time of publication. 

Democrat Adelita Grijalva has won a special election in battleground Arizona, securing the congressional seat left vacant by her father’s death and further eroding Republicans’ razor-thin House majority.

The Associated Press reports that Grijalva, a former Pima County supervisor, defeated business owner and contractor Daniel Butierez, the Republican nominee, in Tuesday’s election in southern Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.

Grijalva will serve the remaining 15 months of the term of Raul Grijalva, who died in March following complications from cancer treatment.

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

The younger Grijalva’s victory was anything but a surprise in the left-leaning district. Democrats enjoy a nearly two-to-one voter registration advantage over Republicans in the Hispanic-majority district, which stretches from Yuma to Tucson and includes almost the entire length of the state’s border with Mexico.

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS’ 2025 ELECTION COVERAGE

Republicans currently control the House 219-214, with two vacant seats remaining. 

Besides Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, there’s also a vacancy in Texas 18th Congressional District, a heavily Democrat-dominated district in Houston, following the March death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. The special election to fill the seat will be held on November 4, which is Election Day 2025.

Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a right-leaning seat where Republican Rep. Mark Green stepped down in July to take a job in the private sector, is also currently vacant. The special election to fill the seat will be held on December 2.

Grijalva, thanks in part to her family name and her support from national progressive rock stars, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, grabbed over 60% of the primary vote this summer in a five-candidate showdown.

Progressive activist and social media influencer Deja Foxx came in a distant second.

Grijalva, who with her victory became Arizona’s first Latina in Congress, targeted President Donald Trump as she campaigned,

“In Congress, I commit to fight Trump’s cruel agenda, like the Big Ugly Bill that took away coverage from nearly 383,000 Arizonans and 142,000 children,” Grijalva pledged in a social media post, as she took aim at Trump, congressional Republicans, and their sweeping domestic policy measure that they named the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Grijalva had also said that if she won, she would immediately sign a discharge petition by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The petition, which is currently just one vote shy of passing, calls on the GOP-controlled House to vote to urge the Justice Department to release the files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Butierez, as he campaigned, had been promoting himself as the change candidate in a district controlled by Democrats since the seat was created over two decades ago.

“This is your chance to actually get a Representative who will represent everyone. If you vote we win, if you don’t only the radicals will have representation,” he wrote on X.

Butierez, who as the 2024 GOP congressional nominee lost to the elder Grijalva while Trump narrowly carried the southwestern battleground state at the top of the ballot, easily won this summer’s Republican primary in the special election.

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While Trump carried Arizona last year after losing it in 2020, 2024 Democratic presidential nominee and then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by 23 points. 

Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin, in a statement after the race was called, said that “Rep.-elect Grijalva won a hard-fought race. Now, Arizonans will have a fighter in their corner who will stand up to Trump on behalf of families who want to see real leadership in Washington.”

The New Jersey State Fraternal Order of Police (NJ FOP) endorsed gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli Tuesday, marking a red shift on law enforcement issues in the Garden State.

Ciattarelli, a former State Assembly member endorsed by President Donald Trump, reacted to the endorsement on X, noting he was “honored” to have the faith, trust and confidence of the organization’s leadership.

“As Governor, I will do everything in my power to support law enforcement – and their families. Working in close partnership, we can and will make communities all across New Jersey safe,” he wrote in a post. 

“In a number of ways, the job of law enforcement has never been more difficult, which is why recruitment, retention and morale is down. We can change all that by restoring respect for authority, law and order and, most of all, the men and women in blue who are trained and dedicated professionals very much committed to serving and protecting.”

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

The NJ FOP does not always endorse a gubernatorial candidate. Its most recent endorsement before the Ciattarelli nod was handed to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2016.

Murphy, who led consistently in the polls, won the race in 2017.

“Law enforcement needs the support of our political leadership,” Ciattarelli wrote in the post. “As Governor, they will have it from me, the Attorney General, and my entire administration.”

GIANNO CALDWELL MULLS SENATE BID AS CHICAGOANS ARE ‘BEGGING FOR CHANGE’ ON CRIME WOES

The 63-year-old business owner first ran for governor in 2017, finishing runner-up in the Republican primary. In 2021, he secured the GOP nomination but fell short of ousting Murphy in a near upset.

Ciattarelli vowed that, on his first day of office, he will repeal the state’s Immigrant Trust Directive, which restricts local police from working closely with federal immigration authorities. 

While he promised to direct the attorney general to withdraw lawsuits brought against the Trump administration, he said his allegiance is with New Jerseyans.

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In response to recent surveys predicting he is falling behind Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., Ciattarelli told affiliate FOX 5 New York, “This is the same polling that had me down double digits with two weeks to go last time. We’ve got it as a dead heat, as does my opponent.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is slamming the Biden administration, especially former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, for leaving behind an “unprecedented backlog” of critical infrastructure safety improvements across the country. 

A spokesperson for Buttigieg, who is a rumored 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, dismissed the DOT’s criticisms as “nonsense.” 

This week, Duffy announced that his  department is obligating four grants, totaling $42 million, to improve safety on Florida’s Brightline high speed railway, which runs from Miami to Orlando. According to the department, the grants were announced and touted under Buttigieg’s leadership, but the Biden administration never actually delivered on obligating those funds. 

The DOT said the Trump administration inherited a backlog of over 3,200 grants that were announced but never obligated by Buttigieg-Biden. The department said that this has “delayed critical investments in communities across the country.” 

DUFFY EXPANDS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TRAINING PROGRAM TO FIGHT NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE

In Florida, the oldest grant now being obligated by the Trump administration was first announced three years ago in 2022. The department said that “after much fanfare, their administration failed to do any of the work to actually process and deliver these funds to Brightline or project sponsors in Florida.” 

DOT said these unfulfilled grants were to help install safety fencing, grade crossing upgrades and a trespassing alert system. The grants included $24.9 million for a trespassing and intrusion mitigation project, $15.4 million for a Broward County sealed corridor project, $1.6 million for a trespassing identification and classification system and a $150,000 grant for Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to support overtime costs for enforcement of pedestrian trespassing at hot spots. 

“Under Secretary Duffy’s direction, the Department of Transportation is working diligently to accelerate the distribution of these long-overdue funds and address core infrastructure projects,” said DOT.

In the statement, Duffy called the unfulfilled safety grants “the latest consequence of the unprecedented Biden-Buttigieg backlog.” 

One of the defining moments of Buttigieg’s tenure as transportation secretary involved a major train wreck that released toxic materials in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023. While Buttigieg was criticized for his handling of the crisis, he placed the blame on the Trump administration for reversing a rail regulation because of a law passed by Congress in 2015.  

“Their failure to execute on these rail grants – some of which stretch back years — put Brightline’s three million annual passengers and Florida communities in unnecessary danger,” said Duffy. “Under President Trump’s leadership, America is building again. We are delivering critical resources in record time to enhance safety on our railways, roads, and bridges.”

BUTTIGIEG ‘GOT NOTHING DONE,’ DUFFY DECLARES: ‘PETE APPEARS UNBURDENED BY NO LONGER BEING A CABINET SECRETARY’

In response, Chris Meagher, a spokesman for Buttigieg, dismissed the DOT’s criticisms as “more of the same nonsense we’ve heard from them in the past.” 

“We invested in more projects than any administration in the past, and more than 22,000 projects were completed during Pete’s time in office,” Meagher told Fox News Digital. 

He said that during Buttigieg’s tenure, the DOT announced more than $390 billion of funding for more than 78,000 projects, more than 22,000 of which were completed, including 445 rail projects, over 200,000 miles of roadway repairs and improvements, over 12,300 projects to build, repair and modernize bridges, and other projects. 

He noted that “some of those projects take time to get done right.” 

“As with any change in Administration, it then becomes the job of the incoming Administration to finish the job, which is nothing new,” said Meagher. “What is new is that the current officeholder complains about it instead of just getting the job done.” 

BIDEN’S STAFF WANTED A COGNITIVE TEST TAKEN AFTER 2024 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

A spokesperson for the Trump DOT, meanwhile, told Fox News Digital that while Buttigieg and Biden “talked a big game,” their backlog “speaks volumes.” 

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“They didn’t do the hard work to actually get critical infrastructure dollars out the door. Instead, they spent their time wasting billions on DEI programs and worrying about whether the term cockpit was offensive,” said the spokesperson.

“The contrast here couldn’t be more clear,” the spokesperson went on. “In less than a year, Secretary Duffy has moved quickly to get clear the backlog and invest in real infrastructure projects like these rail grants. Brightline riders and Florida communities will be safer because of it.” 

The daughter of 59-year-old Ryan Routh, who was convicted on Tuesday of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, stormed out of the courtroom after the verdict, cursing at the press and making threats.

The drama came after Routh was found guilty of all charges against him, and seemingly tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen several times before four U.S. Marshals restrained him.

His daughter, Sara Routh, stood up in the courtroom and started cursing in front of the jury.

BONDI PRAISES RYAN ROUTH VERDICT, SAYS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WAS AN ‘AFFRONT TO OUR VERY NATION ITSELF’

“Don’t do anything. I will get you out,” Sara Routh said. “What the f—. F—. He didn’t hurt anybody. This is not fair. This is all rigged — you guys are a–holes.”

She stormed out of the building, telling the media to “go away” and “get the f— out of my face.”

JURORS BEGIN DELIBERATIONS IN TRUMP GOLF COURSE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT TRIAL

Ryan Routh, who represented himself, was convicted of five criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun charges. 

The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

As Ryan Routh departed in a black SUV, Sara Routh chased after it, repeatedly shouting, “I love you.”

PROSECUTORS PRESENT FINAL WITNESS TYING RYAN ROUTH TO TRUMP’S GOLF CLUB AND GUN PURCHASE

Sara Routh and her brother, Adam Routh, walked to their car, as she continued to berate the press.

One reporter asked, “Is your dad OK?” to which she replied, “He’s better be or everybody’s f–king dead… You can all go to hell. It’s all yall’s fault. F–king lies. Spreading lies about my f—ing father.”

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Adam Routh, who appeared to remain calm during the meltdown, ushered his sister into the car.

As the media crowded the vehicle, he pointed and asked reporters to move out of the way, before driving off.

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Jamie Joseph and Heather Lacy contributed to this report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News anchor Bret Baier in an exclusive interview with “Special Report” that his relationship with President Donald Trump has grown closer, with more frequent communication and stronger alignment on how to handle the ongoing war with Russia.

Asked directly by Baier if his ties with Trump had improved, Zelenskyy said, “I think we have better relations than before. It’s good that we have often [had] phone calls and meetings, and the fact that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was lying to President Trump so many times also made a difference between us.”

Zelenskyy also said the intelligence shared between Kyiv and Washington is now more closely aligned, which he described as important for making decisions on the battlefield.

ZELENSKYY ACCUSES TRUMP OF GIVING PUTIN ‘WHAT HE WANTED’ AT ALASKA SUMMIT

During the program, Baier read part of a Truth Social message where Trump said Ukraine, with European and NATO backing, could win back all its territory. Zelenskyy admitted the outlook surprised him, but called it encouraging.

“President Trump was more positive in it, and he showed that he wants to support Ukraine to the very end,” Zelenskyy said. “I was very positive about signals from the side that Trump and America will be with us to the end of the war.”

Zelenskyy said Trump understands the need for stronger measures against Moscow. He called for pressure directly on Russia’s energy sector and banking system and said more sanctions are expected from the U.S.

BACK FROM ALASKA, TRUMP STARTS WEEK WITH CRUCIAL FOREIGN POLICY TALKS OVER UKRAINE WAR

He added that Trump’s position has shifted to territorial concessions. 

“I think he understands for today that we can’t just swap territories. It’s not fair,” Zelenskyy said.

The interview marked Zelenskyy’s clearest signal yet that he believes Trump’s administration is committed to Ukraine’s defense.

The Ukrainian leader said he wants the conflict to an end as quickly as possible, while cautioning that Putin remains unwilling to negotiate in good faith.

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“As I said, we are ready for peace, but we have to be in strong position,” Zelenskyy told Baier.

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

First lady Melania Trump used the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) stage Tuesday to deliver a warning and a call to action: children must be protected as technology races ahead.

Trump unveiled her new initiative “Fostering the Future Together” in her remarks, a global coalition of nations dedicated to advancing children’s well-being in the digital era through education, innovation and technology.

Opening in a moment of reflection, the first lady urged leaders to see childhood imagination not as trivial, but as a rehearsal for innovation later in life.

“As children we all played marbles, flew paper airplanes and ran with the string in our hand, watching our kites lift off,” she said. “Great minds have turned marbles into microchips, paper airplanes into drones and kites into satellites.”

LEAVITT CALLS FOR FIRING, INVESTIGATION IF UN ESCALATOR MALFUNCTION WITH TRUMPS ON BOARD WAS INTENTIONAL

Trump stressed her appreciation for technology, saying it has “saved lives, expanded access to knowledge and connected people” — but, she stressed, safety must come first. 

“Since technology is evolving at a pace that exceeds lawmaking, we must identify simple solutions to protect our children’s ingenuity,” Trump said.

The first lady said the coalition’s mission is “to ensure that every child can flourish in the digital era.” She called on spouses or equivalents of heads of government to lead programs in their own countries and confirmed the first meeting will be hosted at the White House in the first quarter of 2026.

According to a news release, the coalition will work with the private sector to expand children’s access to innovative education technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and blockchain while also exchanging best practices about AI’s advantages and risks.

GOOGLE CEO, MAJOR TECH LEADERS JOIN FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE AI MEETING

Issuing a call to action, Trump added: “The moment is now. Please join me to foster the future together. Work with me to empower children to achieve new heights across our planet.”

The announcement builds on the first lady’s long-standing focus on children’s health, safety and opportunity, now elevated to the global stage.

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Trump urged safety above all in her new coalition: “Nothing comes before safety. We must safeguard healthy environments for our children, protect their personal freedom, their confidence and motivation.”

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

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday’s guilty verdict for Ryan Routh, who was accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump while he played a round of golf at a Florida golf course, was part of the Justice Department’s commitment to combating political violence.

A jury convicted Routh on all charges after he attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club last September.

Following the verdict, Routh reportedly tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen before four U.S. Marshals restrained him.

TRUMP GOLF CLUB GUNMAN FOUND GUILTY AFTER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT; TRIED TO STAB SELF IN COURT

“Today’s guilty verdict against would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence,” Bondi said. “This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation itself. I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones, his entire trial team, and our law enforcement partners for protecting President Trump and securing this important verdict.”

Trump took to Truth Social to congratulate Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“Congratulations to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the entire DOJ team on the conviction, in Florida, of the person who attempted an assassination on my life. The trial was meticulously handled, and I would like to thank the Judge and Jury for their time, professionalism, and patience. This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him,” Trump wrote. “I would also like to thank the Secret Service, Department of Florida Law Enforcement, and the wonderful person who spotted him running from the site of the crime, and acted by following him, and getting all information on car type and license plate to the Sheriff’s Office, IMMEDIATELY, which led to his arrest and conviction. What incredible instinct and foresight this person had — A very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”

TRUMP DRAWS LAUGHS FROM WORKD LEADERS MOMENTS INTO UN SPEECH

Trump, who was in New York City attending Tuesday’s United Nations General Assembly when the verdict was announced, told reporters he was “very appreciative” of the justice that was given and the way it was handled by the Justice Department.

“Everybody involved, along with their team of people, handled it really well, and it was very important,” he said. “You can’t let things like that happen. It’s not just about me — it’s about protecting any president, or even any person.”

“You can’t allow that to happen. And so justice was served, and we’ll see what happens,” he added. “But I very much appreciate the judge and jury and everybody on that. It was so professionally handled, and it’s a great honor.”

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Routh, 59, was charged on five federal criminal counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses.

He faces life in prison.