NationalWatch

Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott set a New Hampshire crowd alive Tuesday with a one-liner about GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

The moment came as former President Donald Trump celebrated his victory in the Granite State’s Republican primary, and said Scott “must really hate” Haley, who served as governor of South Carolina and appointed Scott to the Senate in 2012 to fill a vacancy.

“We do go to South Carolina, where we have done really well, where I’ve done well. We have a great governor and lieutenant governor, great everything because almost every one of them have endorsed me — Two great senators, which is hard. I mean, did you ever think that she would actually appoint you, Tim?” Trump said as Scott stood behind him on the stage.

TRUMP ‘HONORED’ BY NEW HAMPSHIRE WIN, SAYS REPUBLICAN PARTY IS ‘VERY UNITED’

Trump noted Scott’s recent endorsement of him rather than Haley despite her appointing him to the Senate, and added, “You must really hate her.”

The crowd began laughing before Trump added, “No, it’s a shame. It’s a shame.”

Scott then approached the microphone as Trump said, “Uh-oh!”

TRUMP DOMINATES AGAIN AS FORMER PRESIDENT EASILY BEATS NIKKI HALEY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE GOP PRIMARY

“I just love you!” Scott said to more laughter from the crowd!

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“That’s why he’s a great politician!” Trump joked.

Trump holds a commanding lead in South Carolina polls ahead of the Feb. 24 primary. Despite that, Haley vowed Tuesday that her campaign would continue.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy blasted former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and called former President Trump’s win in New Hampshire a “victory over America last.”

“What we saw tonight is America first defeating America last,” Ramaswamy told the audience at Trump’s election headquarters on Tuesday night after his victory over Haley. “That’s what we saw tonight. If you want America last, you can go to Joe Biden. You’ve got another candidate still apparently in the Republican primary. Cut your social security to fork over more money to Ukraine so some kleptocrats can buy a bigger house, go to Nikki Haley.”

“You know who delivered a double-digit victory tonight? It is a double-digit victory as of right now, this man, Donald J. Trump, the leader of America first and that means something. USA and Donald Trump America first.”

Ramaswamy added that Haley continuing to stay in this race represents the “ugly underbelly of American politics, where the mega-donors are trying to do one thing when we the people say another.”

DONALD TRUMP WINS AGAIN, AS FORMER PRESIDENT QUICKLY BEATS NIKKI HALEY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE GOP PRIMARY

“And it’s up to us, to we the people to at long last say, hell no, we the people create a government that is accountable to us and we the people have said tonight we want again, as we did in Iowa, Donald J. Trump.”

“I’m very honored by the result,” Trump told Fox News Digital in a statement after he was declared the winner of the New Hampshire primary for a record third time.

BIDEN WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRAT PRIMARY AFTER WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN

Haley said in a speech to supporters in Concord, New Hampshire after the race was called that “I want to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory tonight. He earned it and I want to acknowledge that.”

“Now you’ve all heard the chatter among the political class. They’re falling all over themselves saying this race is over. Well, I have news for all of them: New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not last in the nation. This race is far from over.”

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The focus of the race now turns to South Carolina where they will hold their primary next month. Trump currently holds a 30 point lead over Haley in the Palmetto State, according to the Real Clear Politics average of polls. 

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report

Let’s look back to the qualities voters are looking for — “mental capability” is the number one quality New Hampshire Republicans are looking for in a presidential candidate; it’s even more important than their candidate winning in November.

Almost all Granite State GOP voters say their nominee’s mental capability is very important. 

That’s far more than say the same about other traits, like being a strong leader and having the best policies — it’s even more than feel that way about their candidate winning in November.

FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS: IMMIGRATION TOPS LIST OF MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR NH REPUBLICANS

When it comes to the charges against Former President Trump, just one-third of Republicans in New Hampshire say that they’re legitimate attempts to investigate important issues, while two-thirds say that they’re political attempts to undermine the former president.  

“Mental capability” is the number one quality New Hampshire Republicans are looking for in a presidential candidate. That is far ahead of other traits, such as being a strong leader of having the best policies – it’s even more important than their candidate winning in November.

Here’s one possible reason the ability to defeat Joe Biden feels less important to Republicans: a majority doesn’t accept Trump’s 2020 defeat. This includes almost all Trump supporters.

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What about President Biden’s age? In our survey of Democratic primary voters, over half believe his age isn’t a problem. But more than 4 in 10 Granite State Dems say he’s too old to serve another term. And get this, that includes even some who are supporting Biden today.

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said he is “very honored” by his New Hampshire primary win Tuesday night, telling Fox News Digital that the Republican Party is “very united” behind his candidacy.

Trump won the first-in-the-nation primary Tuesday night, defeating former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Trump also won the Iowa caucuses last week.

During an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital shortly after the race was called, Trump said he was “honored.” 

“I’m very honored by the result,” Trump told Fox News Digital. 

Trump said he was “looking forward to going against the worst president in the history of our country.”

New Hampshire — where independent voters who make up roughly 40% of the electorate can vote in either major party’s contest and have long played an influential role in the state’s storied presidential primary — was considered fertile ground for Haley. And Haley spent plenty of time and resources in the state, and secured the influential endorsement of popular Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire. 

But Trump dominated, for a second week in a row, in both critical early voting states. 

When asked if he felt Haley would suspend her campaign, he said: “I don’t know, she should.”

“She should because, otherwise, we have to keep wasting money instead of spending on Biden,” Trump said. “If she doesn’t drop out, we have to waste money instead of spending it on Biden, which is our focus.” 

Trump, who was joined at a rally Monday night in New Hampshire by his former opponents who then endorsed him — including Sen. Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Gov. Doug Burgum — said the party is united.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also suspended his campaign on Sunday and endorsed Trump.

“The party is very united except for her,” Trump told Fox News Digital of Haley.

“The party is very united and we’re looking forward to going against the worst president in the history of our country,” he said.

But Haley, during a speech after the race was called, touted that she got close to half of the vote in New Hampshire. She said she is “the last one standing next to Donald Trump,” and added that the race is “far from over.”

“New Hampshire is the first in the nation, not the last,” Haley said. She is now looking ahead to South Carolina’s primary on February 24.

President Joe Biden was interrupted multiple times during an abortion rights rally in Manassas, Virginia Tuesday. 

Biden shared the stage with Vice President Kamala Harris as well as their respective spouses, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. 

Throughout Biden’s talk, multiple protesters interrupted, shouting critiques of his administration’s handling of Israel’s ongoing ground offensive in Gaza. 

Immediately after beginning his remarks, a male protester, carrying a Palestinian flag shouted: “How many kids have you killed?” The protester was drowned out by the crowd chanting “four more years” as security escorted the protester out. 

GOV. BURGUM PRAISES ‘SOPHISTICATED’ NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS WHO ARE ‘GOING TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD’

Biden began his remarks again, but was soon interrupted by another protester, a woman who shouted: “Israel kills two mothers every hour.” 

The second protester was also escorted out as the pro-Biden crowd again shouted “four more years.” 

REP DONALDS MAKES FINAL PITCH FOR TRUMP TO UNDECIDED NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS: ‘PRETTY CLEAR AT THIS POINT’

Biden plowed ahead with his remarks and was continually interrupted. By the end, around a dozen protesters interrupted the president, shouting slogans like “stop funding genocide!” and “Genocide Joe has got to go!” 

“This is going to go on for a while; they got this planned,” the Democratic president said as the protestors were escorted out one by one.

The chaotic rally came on the same day as the Republican primary in New Hampshire, where Trump plans to tighten his grip on his party’s presidential nomination. 

FOR HALEY TO TAKE ‘NEW HAMPSHIRE GOLD,’ SHE MUST DO WELL IN THESE CITIES

It also came a day after the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion for nearly 50 years before it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in the summer of 2022. 

Biden and Democrats have made that consequential overturning a rallying cry for re-election. 

“He’s betting we won’t hold him responsible,” Biden said of Trump to the crowd of hundreds of cheering supporters. “He’s betting you’re going to stop caring.”

“But guess what?” he added. “I’m betting he’s wrong. I’m betting you won’t forget.”

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Trump has taken credit for helping to overturn Roe v. Wade, but he has balked at laws like Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the Republican nomination race over the weekend.

President Biden on Tuesday said former President Trump is “most responsible” for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, blaming his predecessor for “stripping away” abortion rights and vowing to veto any potential national abortion ban.

Biden made the comments at a “Reproductive Freedom” campaign rally in Manassas, Virginia, on Tuesday afternoon.

BIDEN CALLS ON CONGRESS TO RESTORE ROE V. WADE ABORTION PROTECTIONS AS FEDERAL LAW: ‘THIS IS NOT OVER’

“I believe Roe v. Wade got it right,” Biden said. “A New Supreme Court made an extreme decision overturning Roe v. Wade with their Dobbs decision.”

Biden said the high court “did what it had never done before.”

“It ripped away a fundamental constitutional right that was in place for nearly 50 years and that was so important to so many Americans for so long,” Biden said, stressing that the “health and lives of women in this nation would be at risk.”

Biden said women are “being turned away from our emergency rooms, forced to travel hundreds of miles to get basic health care, forced to go to court to plead to help to protect themselves, and the ability to often have children in the future.”

“The cruelty is astounding and it’s a direct affront to a woman’s dignity to be told by extreme politicians and judges to wait to get sicker and sicker before anything can happen, even to the point where, as you heard your life had been determined to be in danger, or the idea that a woman should have to carry a fetus after she’d been raped or the victim of incest,” Biden said. “It’s outrageous.”

“Or the idea a woman receives competent medical advice that the fetus she’s carrying won’t live and will impact on her ability to have children in the future and she still can’t get medical care,” he continued. “I think it’s unconscionable that anyone think that anyone think that this is where America is going in 2024.”

“Let there be no mistake: the person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump,” he said. “Trump says he’s proud that he overturned Roe v. Wade.”

SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS ROE V. WADE IN LANDMARK OPINION

The Supreme Court ruling in 2022 came in the court’s opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The ruling returns the issue of abortion back to the states after nearly 50 years. 

Biden pointed to the 21 states that have enacted abortion bans, and blamed Trump.

Biden has criticized Trump for creating a conservative majority on the high court. Trump, during his administration, appointed conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

“The reason women are being forced to travel out of state—women are being forced to travel across state lines for health care is Donald Trump,” he said. “When you are threatened with prosecution, it’s because of Donald Trump.”

“And the reason their fundamental right has been stripped away is Donald Trump, and because of Donald Trump, doctors are fleeing their home states, setting up practices in other states because they’re afraid they’ll be put in prison if they exercise their responsibilities in states like Texas,” Biden said. “Doctors Can get a life sentence for providing the care they were trying to provide. It’s Outrageous.”

Biden claimed that Trump and “MAGA Republicans,” which he said includes House Speaker Mike Johnson “are hell bent on going even further.”

“To date, MAGA republicans in Congress propose three additional national abortion bans to criminalize health care in every state,” Biden said. “Let me tell you what they are: First is a zero-week ban with absolutely no exceptions. The second one introduced is a six-week ban with a penalty for violating — it is jail. And the third is a 15-week ban and the penalty is a five-year jail sentence.”

Biden warned that “even if you live in a state where extremist Republicans are not in charge of the state government, your right to choose your right to privacy is still risk.”

“But as long as I have power of the presidency, know, this — if Congress are to pass a national abortion ban, I will veto it. I will veto it,” Biden said. Look, MAGA Republicans are trying to limit all women in America from getting a safe and effective medication.”

Biden added: “I don’t think this court and the MAGA Republicans have any clue about the power of women in America. I don’t think that they have any clue but they’re about to find out.”

Biden went on to say the 2024 election is “going to be the most important election we’ve had since 1864.”

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“I mean, the reasons are clear. Democracy is on the ballot. Freedom is on the ballot — like the freedom to choose, the freedom to vote, the freedom to love who you want, the freedom to go to work, go to school, go to your house and worship without fear of being gunned down by a weapon of war,” Biden said.

“So my question to you is simple. Are you ready? Are you ready to defend democracy? Are you ready to protect our freedoms? And are you ready to win this election? Let’s get this done,” Biden said. “Talk to your families and friends. Organize your community. Register to vote. Get people to the polls. And let’s remember who we are. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday the New Hampshire primary results are of “great interest,” but that he has no news to report regarding an endorsement for former President Donald Trump. 

“I’ve stayed essentially out of it,” McConnell told reporters after the GOP luncheon. “But if I change my mind, I’ll let you know.”

McConnell’s comments come after a growing number of Senate Republicans have thrown in their support behind Trump in the 2024 presidential race ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Several GOP lawmakers are also calling on former South Carolina Nikki Haley to drop out of the race so the party can unite behind Trump becoming the Republican nominee. 

DONALD TRUMP, NIKKI HALEY BATTLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARIES AS THE TWO TOP REPUBLICANS LEFT

“I don’t have any news to make today,” McConnell asserted. “We’re watching New Hampshire with great interest.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., another Trump ally, said Tuesday, “there’s not a lot of love lost” between Trump and McConnell without an endorsement. 

“We all know that,” Tuberville said. “You hear the former president come after him, and the leader has not been very kind with his words.”

On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign in a video posted to X, subsequently endorsing Trump. 

SEN. MARSHALL URGES GOP TO SAY ‘HELL NO’ TO SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST WITHOUT TIGHTER BORDER SECURITY

South Carolina Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham have also endorsed Trump, snubbing Haley, despite her being a former governor of the state from 2011-2017. Nearly a dozen other senators in the GOP have thrown their support behind Trump, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio. 

Last week, Trump secured a win in Iowa during the first contest of the 2024 presidential election cycle. 

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Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

A new Defense Department inspector general report reveals that a little-known in-house pharmacy at the White House erroneously dolled out prescription medications to staff and wasted $750,000 in taxpayer money.

One former pharmacy staff member told investigators that a doctor once asked if the staffer could “hook up” someone with a controlled substance “as a parting gift for leaving the White House.”

The report, according to an article in Stat News, revealed that the pharmacy office dispensed controlled medications like Ambien and Provigil without verifying the patient’s identity.

Stat reported that in an office in the White House there was a sign that read “Pharmacy,” but the people in charge of it insisted it wasn’t actually one.

DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN CALLED TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ABOUT SECRETIVE HOSPITALIZATION

The investigation, which was published this month, was conducted by the Department of Defense’s independent Office of the Inspector General as the White House pharmacy is run by the White House Military Office and its associated medical unit. 

The probe was prompted by internal complaints the DOD received in 2018 about a senior military medical officer, who is not named, engaging in “improper medical practices.” It covers only activity in the office through early 2020 under the Trump administration, but investigators interviewed staffers who also worked there under former President Obama, according to Stat.

BLUE STATE DEMOCRAT PUTS LLOYD AUSTIN ON BLAST, SAID HE WOULD FIRE DEFENSE SEC. ‘IN FIVE MINUTES’

According to the report, the “pharmacy” let people grab over-the-counter medicines from open bins.

It also found that a larger affiliate of the office inappropriately covered care for a whole host of personnel who weren’t eligible, costing more than $750,000 in wasted taxpayer funds in just three years. Stat notes that even that number is “fuzzy” because so many records were poorly kept and even handwritten.

BIDEN SAYS AUSTIN HAD LAPSE IN JUDGMENT FOLLOWING HOSPITALIZATION DEBACLE, SAYS HE STILL HAS CONFIDENCE IN HIM

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“If this had been a traditional pharmacy, they certainly would have been cited by their state board of pharmacy,” Douglas Hoey, CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association, told the outlet. “And there’s probably even an outside chance that they’d be shut down by their state board of pharmacy, if this was a pharmacy operating outside of the cocoon of the White House.”.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., endorsed a primary challenger against House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., Monday, further pushing herself away from the ultra-conservative group she was once part of. 

“John McGuire is a Navy SEAL who has stood with President Donald J. Trump since he came down the escalator,” Greene wrote on X. 

“Bob Good is an angry, disloyal, MAGA traitor who was caught on camera trashing President Trump and doing everything he could to defeat President Trump. Bob Good is NO GOOD and cannot be trusted.”

JOHNSON CAUGHT BETWEEN WARRING HOUSE GOP FACTIONS: ‘DRIFTING TOWARD MOB RULE’

Greene’s endorsement came just a day after Good endorsed Trump for president and as he faces criticism from MAGA circles for not falling in line behind the ex-president earlier. 

An attack ad released against Good by the Virginians For Conservative Leadership PAC shows what appears to be a secret recording of the congressman saying, “I can’t sit by and watch and then regret that we nominated Trump.”

Good endorsed Trump minutes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race.

HOUSE GOP ERUPTS IN DIVISION OVER CALL TO PUSH JOHNSON OUT OF SPEAKERSHIP: ‘WORKING FOR JOE BIDEN’

He said in a statement Sunday, “We need President Trump to secure our border, strengthen our military, reestablish our energy dominance and reinvigorate our economy. I am committed to doing everything I can to help ensure he is re-elected President.”

Greene was ousted from the Freedom Caucus in the middle of last year after disagreements over ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s election last January, which much of the caucus had opposed. 

HOUSE VOTES TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFTER SPEAKER JOHNSON BUCKS GOP REBELS

She’s been critical of the group and some of its members since then, such as when she told reporters in September, “I’m not a member of the burn-it-all-down caucus anymore.”

The Georgia Republican derided Freedom Caucus Policy Chair Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, as “Colonel Sanders” when they publicly traded barbs over her resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

Good was one of eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy in October. Greene had been one of the former leader’s allies.

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His primary challenger is Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, who only took office earlier this month. Prior to that, McGuire served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2019 until early 2024.

Fox News Digital reached out to Good’s campaign for comment on Greene’s endorsement but did not hear back.

LACONIA, New Hampshire — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum spoke to Fox News Digital in New Hampshire Monday about why voters in the Granite State are so important to the political process of choosing a president.

“The thing that’s great about New Hampshire voters is they’re so sophisticated,” Burgum said at a rally in support of former President Trump. “I mean, it’s not just that they’re, you know, watching cable news. I mean, they’re reading stories. 

“They’re on the ground. They understand the issues. They understand the differences, because everybody over the years has campaigned here in both parties. They’re close to the big media markets like Boston. They see what’s going on.”

Burgum said he and his wife Catherine have been traveling around New Hampshire to “coffee shops, retail locations and town halls,” and he has seen an impressive level of sophistication from residents “young and old.”

REP DONALDS MAKES FINAL PITCH FOR TRUMP TO UNDECIDED NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS: ‘PRETTY CLEAR AT THIS POINT’

“America needs to understand how seriously voters in the two places, Iowa and New Hampshire, take this process and when they send a signal. It’s not because they got influenced by, you know, being barraged by mailers or TV ads,” Burgum said. “These are people that have met every candidate, and I respect that. I respect Iowa and New Hampshire voters so much, and I’m telling you, they’re going to send a message to the world tomorrow.”

NIKKI HALEY RECEIVES ALL 6 VOTES FROM LONE NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN PARTICIPATING IN MIDNIGHT VOTING TRADITION

Burgum was in New Hampshire campaigning for former Trump, who he ran against earlier in the GOP primary before dropping out and endorsing Trump. Fox News Digital asked Burgum, who recently announced he will not run for a third term as governor, if he has aspirations of a position in the Trump administration, possibly as vice president.

“What pundits say about picking cabinets and picking people to serve in the Trump administration, that’s great fodder for news, but it’s not even relevant,” Burgum said. “Our job right now as Republicans is to make sure that President Trump wins the nomination.”

Burgum explained that “we’ve got to go win a big battle against Joe Biden and the Democrats in the fall.“

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“That’s where the focus for everybody should be and certainly for myself. I didn’t run for president to become a cabinet official,” Burgum said. “I didn’t run for president to become part of someone’s administration. I spent my life in the private sector, and I’ve got 100 opportunities back in the private sector.”

“And, so, you know, speculation is interesting, but it’s not really relevant right now. Those are all hypotheticals, and that question can be answered perhaps after President Trump gets re-elected next November, which is what we have to focus on.”

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday denied former President Trump’s request to toss the gag order on his speech related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case. 

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan first imposed the partial gag order on Oct. 17, blocking Trump from making statements targeting Special Counsel Jack Smith, his staff, witnesses and court personnel. 

KEY ASPECTS OF TRUMP GAG ORDER UPHELD BY FEDERAL APPEALS COURT

Trump appealed the gag order, and a three-judge appeals panel upheld the order but broadened what Trump could say about the case and Smith. 

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Last month, Trump appealed the order altogether to the full Appeals Court but was denied Tuesday. 

“Upon consideration of appellant’s petition for panel rehearing filed on December 18, 2023, and the request for administrative stay, it is ordered that the petition be denied,” the order states. “It is, further ordered, that the request for administrative stay be denied.” 

Trump and his attorneys can now appeal to the United States Supreme Court. 

Attorneys for the former president and 2024 GOP front-runner have said that the gag order is a violation of his First Amendment rights, especially as he campaigns for the White House. 

TRUMP APPEALS REINSTATED GAG ORDER IN DC FEDERAL ELECTION CASE

“No court in American history has imposed a gag order on a criminal defendant who is actively campaigning for public office — let alone the leading candidate for President of the United States,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in an original filing in November. 

“The Gag Order violates the First Amendment rights of President Trump and over 100 million Americans who listen to him,” they added.

Trump pleaded not guilty in August in federal court to all four federal charges stemming from Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is demanding the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) audit and publish every single Biden administration agency head’s schedule after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin flew under the radar for several days while he was hospitalized last month. 

“I was shocked – as surely you were too – to learn Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spent much of the past month recovering from surgery, which he failed to disclose even to the Deputy Secretary or Commander-in-Chief,” Ernst wrote in a letter sent to the OMB on Tuesday. 

After an elective surgical procedure, Austin returned to work in a virtual capacity on Jan. 5 while still hospitalized, even authorizing airstrikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. He was released last Monday. Despite being admitted to Walter Reed on Jan.1, the Pentagon didn’t inform the public, press or Congress until Jan. 5. 

Officials also acknowledged that the White House had not been informed about Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4. 

“If true, this begs the question, is Secretary Austin working from home so frequently that he can disappear into the hospital for an entire week to undergo invasive surgery, and folks simply just think he’s working from home again? When department secretaries do work from home, are they as nonresponsive as someone under general anesthesia?” Ernst probed.

DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN HAS NO PLANS TO RESIGN, PENTAGON SAYS

Ernst argued that during Austin’s hospitalization, Biden vacationed in St. Croix and General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan worked mainly from Missouri, defying the agency’s return-to-office plan with an 11% office space utilization rate.

“The Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government state that ‘without a strong tone at the top to support an internal control system… results… may not be… acted upon to remediate deficiencies.’ This principle of risk mitigation and fraud prevention applies perfectly to remote work and telework abuse and fraud,” Ernst wrote.

“I am left drawing the unavoidable conclusion that the ‘tone at the top’ across the Biden administration has undercut your efforts. With the new year comes new year’s resolutions. I would encourage yours to be to redouble your efforts to get folks back in the office. That should include agency leadership as well,” she continued.

Ernst expects the OMB to respond by Feb. 23 with what additional steps the agency has planned to get federal employees back in the office. 

“Given the American people no longer trust senior leaders in the Biden administration to be where they say they are, every agency and department head should publish their schedule online,” Ernst wrote. “And since even President Biden can’t trust leaders to be where they say they are, you must audit those calendars, on a quarterly basis at minimum, and let us know if leaders continue to pull the wool over our eyes.”

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN REMAINS HOSPITALIZED AFTER MYSTERY PROCEDURE; DOD REMAINS MUM ON RELEASE

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Ernst’s letter comes as part of her increased effort to crack down on federal employees who are abusing telework. Last year, Ernst urged the Inspector General to launch a federal investigation into whether some government agencies are overpaying remote workers who receive a Washington, D.C., salary but live in a lower cost of living state – a problem she says was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Remote work spread rapidly as a way to keep some industries afloat during nationwide stay-at-home orders, and government agencies were no exception. However, Ernst said the government is typically inept at keeping track of its workers, leading to “an avalanche” of problems that started years before the pandemic.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., returned fire at Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday after she accused Republicans of “playing politics” with the border crisis.

“Vice President Harris has had three years to secure the border and stop the open flow of illegal immigrants into our country,” Johnson told Fox News Digital.

“Yet, when asked about her solutions, she recommended that Congress grant mass amnesty and spend taxpayer dollars to process – not stop – more illegals. Her ‘solution’ is to spend billions of additional taxpayer dollars and incentivize the lawlessness and chaos.”

WATCH: MIGRANTS CLAIM ASYLUM ON COLD JANUARY NIGHT AS CBP UNION LEADER TALKS BORDER CRISIS

He was responding to a CNN interview Harris gave on Monday, when she urged negotiators working on a border security and immigration deal in Congress to focus on “solutions.” When discussing what those solutions could be, she suggested “meaningful” pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers, as well as “putting resources” toward helping “process people effectively.” 

“This answer from President Biden’s ‘border czar’ is exactly why the administration can’t be trusted to solve the catastrophe they, themselves, created,” Johnson said. “Their idea is to attract millions more aliens, cause more pain, and further surrender America’s national and economic security.” 

‘SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS’: MICHAEL MCCAUL SOUNDS ALARM ON BORDER PATROL MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

Early on in the Biden administration, Harris was given the task of finding long-term solutions to the worsening border crisis, specifically the root causes of mass migration from Central America. 

However, she has not been seen with Senate and White House negotiators on Capitol Hill in recent weeks, as they work to find a bipartisan compromise. 

Harris declined to directly discuss the current state of those talks. However, when asked about why border security reform has proved evasive for Washington for so many years, she admitted the immigration system is “broken” and pointed out one of the Biden administration’s first bills sent to Congress “included what we must do to create a pathway to citizenship and to put the resources that are needed into the border.”

“But sadly, people on the other side of the aisle have been playing politics with this issue,” she said. 

KEY REPUBLICAN COMES OUT IN FAVOR OF IMPEACHING MAYORKAS, SAYS HE SHOULD BE ‘TRIED FOR TREASON’

When pressed about those solutions, she said, “The solutions include putting resources at the border to do what we can to process people effectively, and putting in place laws that actually allow for a…meaningful pathway to citizenship.”

“I will tell you that the negotiations that are happening right now, I hope are going to be directed at solutions that are genuinely focused on fixing the problem,” Harris said.

Meanwhile, as those talks continue, Johnson and his House GOP conference have been steadfast in pushing for stricter border security measures than the Senate bipartisan talks are likely to produce.

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Johnson has so far advocated for policies similar to H.R.2, the border bill that House Republicans passed in May, which include severe restrictions on asylum, and would reimpose Trump administration-era policies like Remain In Mexico. However, the Democrats who control the White House and Senate have panned the bill as a “nonstarter.”

The number of people encountered at the border between the U.S. and Mexico last month is expected to have exceeded 300,000, an all-time historic high.

Fox News Digital reached out to the vice president’s office for comment.

LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE – South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott, who recently announced his engagement, opened up to Fox News Digital about when he knew his fiancée was the “the one” and spoke about whether he “warned” her that she could potentially be the second lady of the United States one day. 

“To be honest with you, it was probably two weeks in, we were in the kitchen area, and I said to myself, everyone says you’ll know, and I thought that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m 58 years old. So for 40 years I heard, ‘Oh you’ll just know,’ didn’t believe that at all,” Scott told Fox News Digital in New Hampshire at a rally for former President Trump on Monday night.

“Well, I knew,” Scott said with a smile. “And when you know, you know, call it a day. I was done at two weeks.”

Scott recently announced that he proposed to his girlfriend, Mindy Noce, in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, on Saturday evening.

TIM SCOTT ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP LATEST SIGN GOP IS CONSOLIDATING AROUND FORMER PRESIDENT

“Going to the beach and getting on one knee, and asking Mindy to marry me was so much more important than anything else, and I wanted to make sure that that sacred day would not be disturbed by anything political,” Scott said on Fox News’s “Sunday Night in America,” speaking about his discussions with former President Donald Trump for an endorsement.  

As a presidential candidate in the 2024 race, Scott introduced 47-year-old Noce during a debate in November. They reportedly met at church approximately a year ago and bonded over Bible study. 

RON DESANTIS ARGUES TIM SCOTT ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP ‘IS A BLOW TO NIKKI HALEY’

Scott, who was in New Hampshire supporting Trump shortly after endorsing him for president, has been rumored to be on the short list of Trump VP candidates and Fox News Digital asked him whether he “warned” Noce that she could be second lady one day.

“I didn’t even warn her that I was going to ask her to marry me,” Scott said. “I did warn her parents, however, two weeks before Christmas, that I was going to pop the question.”

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Scott nodded and smiled when asked if he was “polling 100%” with his fiance.

“I’m going to win this race,” Scott said. “The good news is I get to set the date for the primary, I get to set the date for the wedding, so it’s going to be really good. The good news is the primary is going really well, and I want to thank all my constituents who voted for me. I love you, Mindy.”

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report

Hunter Biden’s lawyer Kevin Morris told congressional investigators that it was the first impeachment of then-President Trump in February 2020 that made it an “emergency” for the president’s son to file his tax returns, according to a transcript of his testimony reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Morris testified behind closed doors at the House Oversight Committee last week as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

Congressional investigators had discovered an email from Morris in February 2020 citing “political risk” amid the election cycle, when then-former Vice President Joe Biden was a candidate in the Democratic primary.

KEVIN MORRIS GAVE ‘MASSIVE’ FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO HUNTER BIDEN, RAISING CAMPAIGN FINANCE CONCERNS: COMER

The email, which was shown to Morris during his interview, was dated Feb. 7, 2020, and said, “emergency is off for today. Still need to file Monday — we are under considerable risk personally and politically to get the [tax] returns in.”

When asked what the emergency was, Morris pointed to the Trump impeachment, in which Republicans had threatened to call Hunter Biden to testify.

“You know, I believe that, you know, remember that the Trump impeachment process was going on at this time,” Morris said. “And they were waiving around the possibility of calling Hunter…right until the very end. I believe that it wrapped up. I believe that was the…thing prompting us— you know, this is about preparing his tax returns.”

Morris explained that he had just started working with Hunter Biden, a client who was coming in “from addiction stuff.” Morris said “taxes are the most important thing,” adding that it is his “custom and practice to get the taxes straight.”

“It’s a part of— that’s part of recovery, making amends,” he said. “It’s critical.”

FLASHBACK: DEMOCRATS CLASH WITH REPUBLICANS OVER PROSPECT OF CALLING HUNTER BIDEN IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

When pressed on whether the “political” concerns were due to Biden’s candidacy for office, Morris pushed back, saying “there’s no cardinality between these two things.”

“Personally, he hadn’t filed his taxes. Okay? That’s his personal problem,” Morris said of Hunter Biden. “And then, politically…look, there was an impeachment proceeding going on. His name was and face was everywhere in the world.”

Morris, though, said the “political risk” had nothing to do with Joe Biden’s candidacy for the White House.

Morris testified that he loaned Hunter Biden at least $5 million and began paying his tax liability.

However, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer says that was a move to “insulate then-presidential candidate Joe Biden from political liability.”

Morris also admitted to the committee that the “loans” he provided to Hunter Biden do not have to be repaid until 2025, after the next presidential election, and could be forgiven, the committee said.

Trump was acquitted on Feb. 5, 2020 on both articles of impeachment against him — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — after being impeached by the House of Representatives in December 2019.

BIDENS ALLEGEDLY ‘COERCED’ BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM

Trump was impeached after a July 2019 phone call in which he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine — specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings and Joe Biden’s successful effort to have former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin ousted.

Hunter Biden was quietly under federal investigation, beginning in 2018, at the time of the call — a probe prompted by suspicious foreign transactions. 

Trump’s request was regarded by Democrats as a quid pro quo because millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen. Democrats also claimed Trump was meddling in the 2020 presidential election by asking a foreign leader to look into a Democratic political opponent.

Republicans had been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings, specifically with regard to Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings. House Republicans, who were in the minority at the time, made several requests to subpoena Hunter Biden for testimony and documents related to the impeachment of Trump and his business dealings that fell at the center of the proceedings. 

Biden has acknowledged that when he was vice president, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings, and at the time, Hunter had a highly-lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month. The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.

“I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion. I’m going to be leaving here in,’ I think it was about six hours. I looked at them and said, ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Biden recollected the conversation during an event for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018. 

“Well, son of a b—-, he got fired,” Biden said during the event. “And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.”

Biden allies maintain the then-vice president pushed for Shokin’s firing due to concerns the Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption, and say that his firing, at the time, was the policy position of the U.S. and international community.

Now, as part of the impeachment inquiry, Republicans are investigating any involvement Biden had in his son’s business dealings.

Republicans obtained an FBI FD-1023 form with a confidential human source detailing allegations made by Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky. Zlochevsky alleged that he was “coerced” into paying Joe Biden and Hunter Biden millions of dollars to get Shokin fired, amid the investigation into his firm. 

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018. 

Special Counsel Weiss charged Biden with nine federal tax charges, which break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid. 

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Weiss charged Hunter in December, alleging a “four-year scheme” when the president’s son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Weiss also indicted the first son on federal gun charges in Delaware last year. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to those charges as well. His attorneys are attempting to have that case dismissed altogether. 

FIRST ON FOX – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign on Monday will begin promoting a new workout challenge for potential voters, as questions about former President Trump and President Biden’s physical and mental fitness have emerged center stage in the 2024 election contest.

Championing his group of supporters at Gold’s Gym in Venice, California, where he sometimes works out, Kennedy is unveiling the AmericaMoves challenge on Monday, encouraging participants to get up and get active for at least 24 minutes of movement a day to kick-start healthier habits for 2024.

With the help of influencers like Devon Levesque, the first human to bear crawl a marathon, and famed physician and author Dr. Mark Hyman, AmericaMoves “has set out to ignite a wellness revolution,” Kennedy’s campaign said in a statement to Fox News Digital, adding that the challenge is inspired by RFK Jr.’s own physical regimen.

It comes at a time when Democrat commentators and GOP presidential rival Nikki Haley jumped at the opportunity to criticize the 77-year-old Trump’s mental fitness when he used Haley’s name instead of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s at a New Hampshire rally last week when repeating allegations Pelosi was in charge of security and turned down 10,000 National Guard troops ahead of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

Trump hit back at another rally that he feels, “my mind is stronger now than it was 25 years ago” – the exact age gap between him and Haley – and went on to call into question Biden’s mental, as well as physical fitness, noting how the 80-year-old president has shorter public appearances and has shown difficulty finding out how to get off stages. 

RFK JR. MEETS REQUIREMENTS TO APPEAR ON FIRST 2024 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT AS CAMPAIGN SEASON HEATS UP

Biden has long-faced criticism for repeated public gaffes, as well as concerns over public falls and trips he has made at speaking events and while boarding Air Force One. Biden’s campaign officials claim the 2024 race “is not going to be about age,” which Trump even echoed, arguing it depends on the person. “It’s not age. Different people, different strokes,” Trump said.  

RFK Jr., who turned 70 on Jan. 17, went viral over the summer in a shirtless video shared on X showing him banging out nearly 10 push-ups. 

“Getting in shape for my debates with President Biden!” he captioned the video, which garnered millions of views in June. 

Fitness influencers and conservative activists championed Kennedy for his physical abilities – and muscular, tan physique – after another video of his bench-pressing skills went viral. Some praised the videos as an inspiration for men especially, while others juxtaposed the display against Biden’s repeated gaffes and public falls and stumbles. 

The AmericaMoves challenge goes live at 9:30 a.m. ET Monday at http://americanmovesav24.org/ and will be promoted by fitness influences for the next two months, RFK Jr.’s campaign says. The campaign is providing a series of activities based on varying fitness levels to encourage Americans to get active, but says the 24 minutes of movement a day can be anything from walking to running to weightlifting to bear crawling to swimming. 

RFK Version

• Leg Press – 5 sets, 15 reps (Set #1 starting with 1 plate on each side; adding 1 plate each side for every consecutive set – ending the last set with 5 plates on each side)
• Pull-ups – 5 sets (First 4 sets are 10 reps; the 5th set will be to failure)
• Bicep Curls – 5 sets, as many reps as possible in 1 minute

Beginner Version

• Squats – 5 sets, 10 reps
• Inverted Row – 5 sets (First 4 sets are 10 reps; the 5th set will be to failure)
• Bicep Curls – 5 sets, as many reps as possible in 1 minute

Bodyweight Version

• Air Squat – 5 sets (Set #1 starting with 5 reps; add 5 reps on each consecutive set – ending last set with 25 reps)
• Superman Holds – 5 sets, 10 reps (holding the last rep of the final set as long as you can)
• Plank – 5 sets, to failure

RFK JR. ISSUES STARK WARNING AFTER COLORADO COURT BLOCKS TRUMP FROM BALLOT: ‘COUNTRY WILL BECOME UNGOVERNABLE’

The challenge is inspired by Kennedy’s own workouts and the fitness enthusiasts who are invigorated by him, according to his campaign. 

Appearing to take a page out of RFK Jr.’s playbook, Vivek Ramaswamy, who suspended his presidential campaign after Trump swept the Iowa caucuses, throwing support behind the longtime GOP frontrunner, notably also went viral for videos working out with his wife in the gym ahead of the first GOP presidential debate in August. Ramaswamy, at age 38, has stressed on the campaign trail that America needs a “new generational leader” and is being floated among a long list of Trump’s potential running mates. 

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A nephew of President Kennedy and son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, RFK Jr. announced in October that he was ending his Democratic presidential bid and instead launching an independent run. The best-selling author and environmentalist has become a vocal critic of tech and government censorship after initially launching a bid to challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination in Boston last April and has criticized Biden for denying him Secret Service protection afforded to other presidential candidates on the campaign trail. 

• Pennsylvania’s Republican Party endorsed Dave Sunday, York County’s district attorney, for state attorney general.
• Dave Sunday secured the endorsement over competitors Craig Williams and Katayoun Copeland, both former federal prosecutors from Delaware County.
• Copeland withdrew her candidacy after Sunday’s endorsement.

Pennsylvania’s Republican Party on Monday endorsed York County’s district attorney, Dave Sunday, for state attorney general out of a three-person field.

The party’s endorsement came the day before candidates could begin collecting the required number of voter signatures to get on Pennsylvania’s primary ballot. State committee members met via video link to vote on Monday evening.

Sunday won the endorsement over state Rep. Craig Williams and Katayoun Copeland, both former federal prosecutors who hail from Delaware County in southeastern Pennsylvania. Copeland has said she would not run against the party’s endorsed candidate and ended her candidacy, a campaign aide said Monday.

TRUMP TO HEADLINE ‘MOMENTOUS’ NRA EVENT AHEAD OF KEY PRIMARY SHOWDOWN

Pennsylvania’s office of attorney general played a critical role in court defending Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the presidential battleground against repeated attempts to overturn it in state and federal courts by Donald Trump’s campaign and Republican allies.

Democrats are facing a five-way primary for an office that will be open after next year.

The Democrats running are Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer, state Rep. Jared Solomon of Philadelphia, former state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, former federal prosecutor Joe Kahn and Keir Bradford-Grey, the former head of Philadelphia’s and Montgomery County’s public defense lawyers.

PRESIDENT TOUTS ‘BIDENOMICS’ IN PENNSYLVANIA THE SAME WEEK THOUSANDS OF JOBS SLASHED ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS

The attorney general’s office has a budget of about $140 million annually and plays a prominent role in arresting drug traffickers, fighting gun trafficking, defending state laws in court and protecting consumers from predatory practices.

No Republican has been elected attorney general since 2008. Candidates must file paperwork by Feb. 13 to appear on the April 23 primary ballot.

The current officeholder, Michelle Henry, is filling the last two years of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s second term as attorney general and doesn’t plan to run for the office. Shapiro nominated Henry, his top deputy, in January when he was sworn in as governor.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office says it is investigating a robocall with a fake voice of President Biden urging voters there not to participate in Tuesday’s presidential primary and instead “save” their votes for November. 

The message, which White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday is “indeed fake and not recorded by the president,” was allegedly sent out Sunday, though it is unclear how many people may have received the call. 

“Although the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this message appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications,” the Attorney General’s Office said. “These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters. 

“New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this message entirely,” it added. 

NANCY MACE ENDORSES TRUMP OVER HALEY 

The date that New Hampshire set for its primary Tuesday is out of compliance with the DNC’s 2024 presidential nominating calendar. Holding an unsanctioned primary means President Biden is not on the New Hampshire ballot, but Granite State Democrats have launched a write-in campaign in an attempt to prevent an electoral embarrassment for the president as he runs for a second term in the White House. 

“What a bunch of malarkey. You know the value of voting Democratic when our votes count. It’s important that you save your vote for the November election,” the voice says in a recording of the message obtained by NBC News. “We will need your help in electing Democrats up and down the ticket. Voting this Tuesday only enables Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.” 

DOWN AND OUT: WHAT WENT WRONG WITH RON DESANTIS’ RUN FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION? 

The Attorney General’s Office said “The message appears to have been ‘spoofed’ to falsely show that it had been sent by the treasurer of a political committee that has been supporting the New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary write-in efforts for President Biden.  

“The message’s content directed recipients who wished to be removed from a calling list to call the number belonging to this person,” it continued. 

Jean-Pierre also said Monday that “the president has been clear that there are risks associated with deepfakes; fake images and misinformation can be exacerbated by emerging technologies. 

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“And that’s why this president has directed the Department of Commerce through the AI Safety Institute at National Institute of Standards and Technology to help develop clear watermarking and content standards,” she added. 

Katie Dolan, a spokeswoman for the campaign of Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, who is challenging Biden in the Democratic primary, said Phillips’ team was not involved and only found out about the deepfake attempt when a reporter called seeking comment.

“Any effort to discourage voters is disgraceful and an unacceptable affront to democracy,” Dolan said in a statement. “The potential use of AI to manipulate voters is deeply disturbing.”

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Nikki Haley, telling supporters at a rally in Salem, New Hampshire, on the eve of the first primary in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said that “we’ve got a lot on the line here.”

Former President Trump, a couple of hours later and some 60 miles north of Haley in Laconia, New Hampshire, emphasized to the crowd at his rally that “tomorrow is the day that each and every one of you is going to cast the most important vote of your entire life.”

After a convincing 30-point victory in Iowa’s low-turnout GOP presidential caucuses a week ago, Trump is aiming for an encore performance in the Granite State as he tries to bring the Republican nomination race to an early ending.

For Haley, a former two-term South Carolina governor who served as U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, the New Hampshire primary may be her best and possibly last chance to slow down or derail the former president’s march towards renomination.

HALEY PLEDGES ‘I’M IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL’ IN RACE AGAINST TRUMP

Haley was down by double digits in most of the final public opinion surveys to the former president, who is the commanding frontrunner for the GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run.

Pointing to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ suspension of his campaign on Sunday – which left Trump and Haley as the last major Republican candidates in the GOP race – Trump highlighted that “now we’re down to two people. And I think one person will be gone probably tomorrow…now is the time for the Republican Party to come together.”

HALEY REVEALS HER PITCH TO DESANTIS SUPPORTERS

However, New Hampshire – where independent voters who make up roughly 40% of the electorate can vote in either major party’s contest and have long played an influential role in the state’s storied presidential primary – may be fertile ground for Haley.

The final surveys indicated Trump dominating among registered Republicans, with Haley grabbing majority support among independents. However, there are likely more Republicans than independents who will vote in Tuesday’s GOP primary.

Haley, publicly brushing off the polls, made a last minute pitch, telling her supporters to “go to the polls tomorrow and take five people with you.”

DOWN AND OUT: WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE DESANTIS CAMPAIGN

Haley also pledged in a couple of Fox News interviews that she’s moving on to her home state regardless of her finish in New Hampshire. South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary is the next major contest on the GOP nominating calendar following Tuesday’s showdown in New Hampshire.

“This is a marathon. It’s not a sprint. The political and media elite say everybody needs to coalesce around Donald Trump,” Haley told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Monday in Franklin, New Hampshire. “We don’t believe in coronations in this country. We believe in democracy. I’m in this for the long haul.

Longtime New Hampshire-based Republican strategist Dave Carney said the Granite State is Haley’s “only shot.”

“We have a highly educated, high-income electorate. We’re one of the few primaries that allow independents to vote. And if she can’t make it here, she can’t make it anywhere,” argued Carney, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns.

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Mike Biundo, another Republican consultant who’s based in New Hampshire, noted that “Nikki Haley is fully committed to this state. It is her best and only opportunity to challenge Donald Trump, given our state’s significant undeclared voting population.”

Carney said “all indications are that Trump is going to dominate the election.”

“But New Hampshire voters have a history of breaking late,” Carney added. “And polling in the New Hampshire primary, because of independents, is particularly difficult.”

Biundo, a veteran of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign who was consulting for Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy this cycle, predicted that “facing a potential embarrassing defeat in her home state of South Carolina, I anticipate that a double-digit loss in New Hampshire will force Haley to withdraw from the race by Friday.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Three California Democrat candidates for U.S. Senate took aim at the lone Republican on stage during the state’s first debate of the blanket primary season.

“Once a Dodger, always a Dodger,” Rep. Katie Porter quipped after accusing Steve Garvey, a legendary former baseball player in the state who split time between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres and the debate’s lone Republican representative, of dodging questions about whether he supports former President Trump during Monday’s primary debate.

Porter was joined by Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., in taking shots at the political newcomer, who has been evasive about who he plans to vote for in the 2024 presidential election.

ADAM SCHIFF ENDORSED FOR SENATE AS ‘TEAM PLAYER’ BY LA TIMES: ‘PRACTICED IN THE ART OF COMPROMISE’

The jabs came as Garvey looked to gain momentum in California’s blanket Senate primary, which in March will send the top two candidates to a runoff in November’s general election.

Garvey, who used several baseball references throughout the evening, accused his opponents of engaging in identity politics and likened their behavior to the infamous Houston Astros cheating scandal.

“You’re banging on that trash can, just like the Astros did,” Garvey said as all three of his opponents took shots in his direction.

ADAM SCHIFF FACT-CHECKED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER CLAIMING HOUSE SPEAKER COUNTS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL VOTES

Schiff currently leads most of the polling in the race, while Garvey, Porter and Lee have fought to position themselves in second place. Only two of the candidates can move on to November’s general election, regardless of party.

Porter and Lee also sought to highlight their progressive credentials in the dependably blue state, attacking Schiff as a Washington and corporate insider.

“Representative Schiff may have prosecuted big oil companies before he came to Congress, but when he got to Congress he cashed checks from companies like BP, from fossil fuel companies,” Porter said of Schiff during one exchange on climate change. “I have delivered results on climate in my few years in Congress.”

That attack earned a quick retort from Schiff, who argued Porter had no problem accepting his financial support during her own run for office.

“First of all, I gave that money to you, Katie Porter… and the only response I got was thank you,” Schiff shot back. “At the end of the day, it’s about what have you gotten done? I didn’t hear anything from Representative Porter about anything she’s actually accomplished. I’ve taken on oil companies and prosecuted them. I’ve gotten mass transit built. I’ve worked on bipartisan legislation to expand open space. At the end of the day, what California needs more than anything else is not more talking points. They need action, and they need action in particular on climate.”

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The four candidates are looking to fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last year after serving in the Senate for three decades.

Voting in California’s primary closes on March 5, with voting centers opening for early in-person voting on Feb. 24. California residents can also vote by mail, with ballot drop-off locations opening on Feb. 6.