NationalWatch

FIRST ON FOX: People who are not proficient in English could be shut out of taking the U.S. citizenship test under a new House Republican proposal.

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., plans to introduce a bill that would mandate the citizenship test be taken entirely in English, Fox News Digital has learned.

There are several different components to the U.S. citizenship exam. While most portions are English-only, the civics test — in which the applicant is asked 10 out of 100 possible questions on U.S. history and government — can currently be taken in other languages, provided that certain criteria are met.

Fine’s bill would eliminate those exceptions.

HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE

“The fact that U.S. citizenship applicants can currently use an interpreter to take the naturalization test undermines the idea of assimilation into American culture. If you want to live in an English-speaking country, you should be able to speak English, period,” Fine told Fox News Digital.

“My bill will require all applicants to take the naturalization test exclusively in English, because both metaphorically and literally, everyone who enters our country with the intent of staying should speak our language.”

Current law states that people aged 50 or older who have lived in the U.S. as a permanent resident for at least 20 years are allowed to take the civics portion in another language.

People aged 55 or older who have been a U.S. permanent resident for at least 15 years have the same exemption.

Both groups of people are required to bring an interpreter fluent in English and their native language to the exam.

LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION

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The bill would likely run into opposition from immigrant advocacy groups, however.

Fine’s proposal comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March naming English as the country’s official language — the first time in its history that the U.S. has done so.

EXCLUSIVE: President Trump on Saturday praised FBI Director Kash Patel for the remarkable speed in which the bureau identified and captured Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was nabbed in his hometown of Washington, Utah, just 33 hours after he allegedly shot Kirk from a rooftop on the campus of Utah Valley University. The captured came after a frantic manhunt that began with only grainy images of the suspect’s figure fleeing the scene..

WHO IS TYLER ROBINSON? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN

“I am very proud of the FBI,” Trump said, speaking exclusively with Fox News Digital. “Kash—and everyone else—they have done a great job.” 

Officials shared with Fox News Digital new details of the timeline of the investigation into the identification and arrest of Tyler Robinson and the unusual hands-on role Patel played in the process.

According to the FBI, Robinson was seen on the campus on Sept. 10, the day Kirk was shot, presumably conducting reconnaissance between 8:28 and 9:34 a.m. At 11:52 a.m., Robinson returned, climbed an exterior stairway to the roof of the Losee building, and took up a position at the highest level of the roof at 12:22 p.m., according to officials. He allegedly  shot Kirk just a minute later.

Robinson then lowered himself from the roof and dropped to the ground, authorities said. Two minutes after he allegedly shot Kirk, Robinson ran into a nearby wooded area, where the gun was later found.

Local FBI was on the scene immediately after the shooting, and Patel arrived at around 5:30 p.m. local time on Sept. 11.

TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION 

Patel was walked through the entire crime scene, and stood where Kirk was murdered. Patel walked each step the suspect took, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Patel also went to the rooftop where Robinson had allegedly perched and retraced his steps as he fled, including into the wooded area where the gun, a Mauser 30.06 rifle, was found.

Patel personally directed agents as they processed evidence and prepared to send it to Quantico, ATF labs, or local labs. Sources told Fox News Digital that Patel then directed the evidence to be loaded onto a plane with initial forensics and evidence collected and sent it back to the FBI labs for processing.

A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that, typically, when evidence is collected in an investigation, an agent ships it to the labs. But the source said Patel directed that the evidence and fingerprints be sent back to Quantico via plane—traveling back and forth from Utah collecting and delivering evidence.

“The DNA was being analyzed through the night because the director was there and he was directing all of this,” the source told Fox News Digital. “He directed everyone and said ‘You’re going to get the evidence out now.’”

The source added: “The evidence was getting back to the labs in rapid-speed. That’s why he was caught so quickly.” 

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Fox News Digital also learned that Patel, against all recommendations, demanded the video footage of the suspect be released to the public.

A law enforcement source familiar told Fox News Digital that Robinson’s father, who ultimately turned him in to authorities, told the FBI that he recognized his son in that released video.

A poll released this week showing socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani with a commanding lead in the race also showed him leading the pack when it comes to messaging on the issue of Israel and Palestine.

The New York Times/Siena College survey — which was conducted from Sept. 2 to 6 — found that the survey — which was conducted from Sept. 2 to 6 — asked likely New York City voters, regardless of which candidate they support, “which of the following mayoral candidates do you think has best addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the campaign.”

Mamdani led the field with 43% followed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo at 16%, current mayor Eric Adams at 11%, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa at 8%.

The poll also showed that 46% of likely voters sympathized with Palestinians compared to 29% with Israel.

FLASHBACK: ZOHRAN MAMDANI SAYS ‘ISRAEL IS NOT A PLACE’ AND ‘NOT A COUNTRY’

Mamdani’s positions and past comments on Israel have been a hot button issue in the race as he has faced criticism from many in the Jewish community for refusing to explicitly denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” supporting economic boycotts of Israel, surrounding himself with advisers that hold anti-Israel views, and a social media post last year that critics say was mocking Jewish people. 

Human rights attorney Brooke Goldstein told Fox News Digital the term “Israeli-Palestinian conflict” is a “misnomer in itself” and called the poll results “deeply troubling.”

“In reality, his record is clear: he is an anti-Israel radical, a pro-Hamas sympathizer in a suit, running for office to undermine the very fabric of what this country stands for,” Goldstein said.

“The fact that this has even become a campaign issue reflects just how poisoned our political system has become. Foreign agendas and blood-soaked ideologies have seeped into our politics, shaping them in hateful ways.”

Goldstein continued, “Our education system, from K-12 through college, is radicalizing students at an alarming rate. If we do not take this seriously, and if figures like Mr. Mamdani are elevated to office, the consequences for America’s future will be dire.”

A spokesperson for StopAntisemitism also told Fox News Digital the poll results are “deeply troubling” and “underscores the growing hostility towards Israel we are seeing in New York”, adding that a Mamdani victory would be “disastrous” for the city. 

MAMDANI’S FATHER SITS ON COUNCIL OF ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP TIED TO TERROR, LEGITIMIZES ROLE OF SUICIDE BOMBERS

“The fact that so many New Yorkers view Mamdani as the best voice on Israel and Palestine is a sign of how deeply antisemitism has taken root in the city,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

“His rise is not about thoughtful policy but about the normalization of antisemitism through extremist groups, such as the red-green alliance. New Yorkers deserve leadership that unites, not one that scapegoats Israel and emboldens violence towards Jews in America.”

In addition to his positions on Israel, Mamdani has been heavily criticized on the issue of crime due to his past calls to defund the police and hostile comments about the New York Police Department. 

While the majority of likely NYC voters said that crime and safety are their top concern, 30%, when asked regardless of who they support, which candidate would do the “best” job on crime, said Mamdani.

Cuomo followed with 29%, Sliwa with 23%, and Adams with 15%. The poll showed that a head-to-head race between Cuomo and Mamdani would significantly narrow Mamdani’s lead to just four points. 

Rafael Mangual, senior fellow and head of research for policing and public safety at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital Mamdani’s numbers in that category are due to having three opponents in the race. 

UNEARTHED MAMDANI COLLEGE NEWSPAPER WRITINGS PROMOTE ANTI-ISRAEL BOYCOTT, RAIL AGAINST ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE’

“I read that as 70% don’t trust him on crime,” Mangual said. “The problem is that those skeptical of Mamdani’s approach to public safety are split between three candidates.”

Overall, the survey found that on the question of who people would support if the contest “were held today,” a whopping 46% of likely New York City voters chose Mamdani, compared to just 24% who selected Cuomo.

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa scored only 15%, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams earned just 9%.

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“New York City is not for sale. The backroom scheming from Donald Trump and the billionaire class is backfiring, as New Yorkers see Zohran Mamdani is the only candidate who will fight to make the most expensive city in the country more affordable,” Mamdani campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement. 

“Our campaign is busy building a movement that puts working people first – mobilizing thousands to get involved in the democratic process and fight for a new kind of politics,” Pekec added.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump got another victory in the high-stakes political battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting.

The Missouri state Senate, meeting Friday in a special legislative session, passed by a 21-11 vote a new congressional map that is likely to hand Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Missouri, a one-time swing state that has dramatically shifted to the right over the past decade and a half, is the latest battleground in the congressional redistricting showdown after the passage of new maps in GOP-dominated Texas and a redistricting push by Democrats in heavily blue California. 

With passage of the redistricting bill in the Missouri House of Representatives earlier in the week, the measure now heads to Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk. 

TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN STATE INTO NEXT POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND

“Missouri’s conservative, commonsense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that,” Kehoe said as he recently announced the special session and unveiled the proposed map. 

Trump, in a social media statement following the Missouri Senate’s vote, called the new map “FANTASTIC” and said it “will help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”

The new map targets longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The new map would likely flip Cleaver’s seat and give Republicans a 7-1 advantage in the state’s House delegation.

Cleaver has vowed to take legal action if the new map is signed into law by the governor.

“I want to warn all of us that if you fight fire with fire long enough, all you’re going to have left is ashes,” Cleaver said Thursday as he testified in front of a Missouri Senate committee.

And pointing to recent public opinion polling, he called the redistricting plan “immensely unpopular.”

Rep. Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement that “in passing a gerrymandered map that breaks up Kansas City and pairing the map with undemocratic legislation that would eliminate the public’s ability to pass ballot initiatives, Missouri Republicans are sending a dreadful but clear message: they don’t work for the people of Missouri, they work for themselves.”

Missouri Democrats staged a sit-in last weekend, refusing to leave the chamber in protest of the Republican-backed map. And Democrats held another rally at the Missouri Capitol on Wednesday.

State House Minority Leader Ashley Aune accused Republicans of pushing to “rig our maps and eliminate our representation in Congress.”

And former Rep. Russ Carnahan, the chair of the Missouri Democratic Party, warned there are political consequences for Republicans pushing to redistrict.

“They’re choosing to bow down to Washington demands to do some things that I think are going to stir the ire of Missouri voters, and they’re about to see what p—ed-off Missouri voters look like,” Carnahan told Fox News Digital.

But with Republicans in firm control of both chambers in Missouri’s legislature, Democrats were without any good options to prevent passage of the new map.

Kehoe’s announcement of the special session came hours after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law a redistricting bill passed by the Republican supermajority in the state legislature that aims to create up to five right-leaning congressional districts at the expense of current Democrat-controlled seats in the reliably red state.

ABBOTT CLEARS FINAL REDISTRICTING HURDLE AS TEXAS SENATE PASSES NEW TRUMP-APPROVED MAP

The efforts in Missouri and Texas are part of a broad effort by the GOP to pad its razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.

Democrats are fighting back against the rare, but not unheard-of mid-decade redistricting.

State lawmakers in heavily blue California have approved a special ballot proposition this November to obtain voter approval to temporarily sidetrack the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature.

The effort in California, which aims to create five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts and counter the shift in Texas, is being spearheaded by two-term Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is seen as a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender.

With Democrats currently needing just a three-seat pickup in next year’s midterms to win back the House majority, Indiana, South Carolina and Florida are mulling their own GOP-friendly redistricting plans ahead of the 2026 elections. And right-leaning Ohio is under a court order to draw new maps ahead of the midterms.

Democrats, as they push back, are looking to New York, Illinois and Maryland in the hopes of creating more left-leaning congressional seats.

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In Illinois and Maryland, where governors J.B. Pritzker and Wes Moore are discussing redistricting, Democrats hope to pick up to three more left-leaning seats.

And Democrats could pick up a seat in Republican-dominated Utah, where a judge recently ordered the GOP-controlled legislature to draw new maps after ruling that lawmakers four years ago ignored an independent commission approved by voters to prevent partisan gerrymandering. 

President Donald Trump closed the week mourning the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and honoring those who were lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

Kirk, 31, was assassinated during his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. His death comes a year after two assassination attempts against Trump. 

“To my fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah,” Trump said in a video address to the nation on Wednesday, hours after announcing Kirk’s death. 

BASEBALL FANS PAY TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE KIRK AT YANKEES-TIGERS GAME

“Charlie inspired millions and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” Trump said. “Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice and the American people. He’s a martyr for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone who was so respected by youth.” 

Trump said in an interview with “Fox & Friends” on Friday that an arrest had been made in connection with Kirk’s assassination, and Utah officials confirmed the suspect as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

“I hope he’s going to be found guilty, I would imagine. And I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump said Friday. “What he did, Charlie Kirk was the finest person, he didn’t deserve this. He worked so hard and so well. Everybody liked him.”

‘DARK MOMENT FOR AMERICA’: TRUMP DECLARES CHARLIE KIRK’S VOICE ‘BIGGER AND GRANDER’ AFTER ASSASSINATION

Trump also commemorated the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks at the Pentagon and in New York City on Thursday. Trump, along with first lady Melania Trump, visited the Pentagon on Thursday morning to remember the 2,977 lives lost in the attacks. 

“This morning, we recall the light of America’s best and bravest and the love that they showed in their final moments,” Trump said. 

TRUMP ARRIVES AT YANKEE STADIUM, GIVES SPEECH TO TEAM AHEAD OF 9/11 ANNIVERSARY GAME

Late on Thursday, Trump headed to New York and visited the Yankees home clubhouse, before being seated in a suite by the third base side with Yankees team owner Hal Steinbrenner and president Randy Levine. “USA” chants broke out before and after the anthem at the game. 

Trump hasn’t attended a baseball game since the 2021 World Series. 

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump said “deeply troubled” Memphis, Tenn., is next on the list for a potential deployment of National Guard troops after a decrease in crime following the federal law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C.

Memphis has the highest violent crime rate in the United States of cities with over 250,000 people, with a rate of 2,501 per 100,000 people, WSMV reported, citing FBI data. Oakland, California; Detroit; and Baltimore are right behind it.

The president said on “Fox & Friends” Friday morning he would have “preferred” sending troops into Chicago, where Democratic leaders have opposed a surge, but a major immigration enforcement operation is underway.

CHICAGO CRIME, NATIONAL GUARD PUSH MOVE TO FOREFRONT OF TRUMP’S WEEK

“We’ll straighten out the National Guard and anybody else we need,” he later added.

The president then touted Memphis as “a great music city” and the “home of Elvis.”

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris condemned the move to send troops into the city in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday.

“The president’s announcement that troops will occupy Tennessee communities is disappointing, anti-democratic and violates American norms and possibly U.S. laws,” Harris stated.

“In the short term, the president’s incursion will likely cause confusion and fear in many of our communities, particularly the most vulnerable ones. In the long term, the mark of Tennessee communities being occupied by federal forces will hurt our state’s reputation for generations.”

GOP SENATORS SAY THEY’RE OPEN TO TRUMP DEPLOYING NATIONAL GUARD IN THEIR STATES’ BLUE CITIES

Harris added that it will “have a chilling effect” on Tennesseans wanting to “exercise critical freedoms, such as the freedom to protest and the liberty to travel.”  He added that they will do “everything” possible to “prevent this incursion into Tennessee.”

Memphis Mayor Paul Young said in a statement Thursday to the local outlet that he is aware of the possibility of troop deployment, saying he is “working to ensure any efforts to strengthen our community” and asked for more “financial resources” for law enforcement, saying progress is being made in tackling crime in the city, according to WREG.

“We agree with Governor Lee that effective support for Memphis comes through focused initiatives that deliver results like we have seen with the FBI, state troopers and other law enforcement partnerships,” Young stated.

Trump said during the Friday interview that “the mayor is happy.” In the capital city, Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser was strongly critical of the federal takeover at first but then praised the drop in crime.

The nationwide debate continues whether sending troops into cities is the right move as opposed to just federal law enforcement agencies, as the D.C. policy is considered a collaborative effort.

TRUMP’S WEEK SHAPED BY CRIME AGENDA, POTENTIAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., praised the move as a step forward to curbing urban crime.

“Today, President Trump answered my call to do whatever it takes to Make Memphis Safe Again, and I applaud his decision to send the National Guard to Memphis following his tremendous success in reducing violent crime in Washington, D.C.,” she stated.

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The federal surge in Bluff City could also be part of “Operation Viper,” which is an effort to have the FBI and the DEA boost their enforcement in West Tennessee.

The White House deferred to the president’s remarks when reached by Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor of Memphis.

The FBI’s success in apprehending Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin came one day after Director Kash Patel initially misreported that a suspect was in custody, a move that sparked consternation and criticism as the nation reeled over Kirk’s violent death.

Patel’s misstep during the fast-moving investigation was overshadowed Friday by the breakthrough news that a 22-year-old Utah man had been detained and will face charges for the deadly shooting. But the flaws during the whirlwind 33-hour manhunt did not go unnoticed.

Patel on Thursday announced — then quickly retracted — that authorities had detained the person responsible for killing Kirk.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham responded “unreal” to Patel’s revelation that the gunman was still at large. Conservative activist Chris Rufo said Friday he was “grateful” authorities arrested a suspect but that it was “time for Republicans to reassess” whether Patel was fit for the job.

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: TIMELINE OF UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING DETAILS ATTACK, MANHUNT FOR SUSPECT

“He performed terribly in the last few days,” Rufo wrote on social media Friday, adding that he has been talking with conservative leaders who are questioning the FBI’s leadership structure, which includes Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and, as of next week, Andrew Bailey, who is taking on the unprecedented role of FBI co-deputy director.

The backlash began after Patel said Thursday that “the subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody,” before saying less than two hours later that he had the wrong person.

“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement,” Patel said, adding the investigation was ongoing.

CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN IDENTIFIED AFTER FATAL SHOOTING OF INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE VOICE IN UTAH

At the same time that Patel said the killer had been caught, Utah law enforcement officials were giving a news conference saying the gunman was at large, leading social media users to convey confusion over the mixed messages.

The blip during the manhunt for the person responsible for Kirk’s killing also put a spotlight on Patel’s and Bongino’s apparent fixation on social media, a point that a lawsuit against Patel and the Department of Justice laid out in thorough detail days prior.

The lawsuit was brought by three top FBI officials who alleged their constitutional rights were violated when they were fired without explanation. One of the fired officials said Patel and Bongino lamented the “political capital” they had to spend to keep the official on the job, a reference to pressure Patel and Bongino were getting on social media about the official. Patel’s and Bongino’s actions were often dictated by social media comments, the lawsuit said.

Also fueling the fire was a delayed news conference on Thursday that offered little new detail as the investigation was underway. Patel appeared at the news conference but did not speak. Upon announcing the suspect’s arrest Friday morning, the FBI director gave remarks of gratitude to the agency, local law enforcement, the media and public for contributing to the arrest. Patel made clear that he had been directing the FBI behind the scenes during the past couple days.

“Warroom” podcast host Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser, said on his show that he didn’t “know why Kash Patel flew out there, thousands of miles” merely to thank people. Bannon suggested he wanted more details about the suspect and any possible accomplices.

At this stage, the Trump administration has shown no outward signs of wavering on Patel. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the FBI for comment.

DEMS, GOP LAWMAKERS JOIN FORCES TO CONDEMN POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK SHOT

The White House did not respond. One source familiar said Patel’s social media posting during the Kirk case could have been handled better but that his initial erroneous message and the surrounding criticism of it came during the “fog of war,” as the investigation was rapidly evolving and emotions were high. The source said the focus should be on the success of the FBI’s operation and the “good police work” involved.

A spokeswoman for Patel pointed to a statement she posted online highlighting that the FBI’s mission to identify Kirk’s assassin was a success and that Patel was intentional every step of the way.

“Over these last few days, what has mattered isn’t ignorant criticism or petty assumptions — it’s been the pursuit of justice. Justice that was promised, justice that has now been delivered,” spokeswoman Erica Knight said.

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One retired FBI agent who worked at the bureau for two decades said Patel’s premature post seemed “reckless” and “too quick to the draw,” but the retired agent also said he viewed it as a problem that went beyond Patel.

“It’s becoming a popularity contest,” the retired agent told Fox News Digital. “It’s not necessarily something that’s new either, because J. Edgar Hoover was big about leveraging the press to make the FBI look good. I mean, he was notorious for that. That tradition in the bureau has continued, but now it’s sort of like that on steroids.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Taylor Bentley, a Utah resident who said he was 15 to 20 yards from Charlie Kirk when he was assassinated, told Fox News Digital there was a moment he didn’t believe it was real. 

“He was talking about gun violence and the initial thought, for just a millisecond, was like, ‘Is this a bit that he’s doing, where he leans back? And then, immediately, it’s like, no.”

Bentley said he was close enough to Kirk to see the blood pouring down his neck. While briefly in disbelief, he then quickly jumped into action. 

“After just a second of shock, I pulled my friends down,” Bentley said. “And we’re on the ground for about 15 seconds, just kind of feeling helpless before people start running to the buildings surrounding the courtyard. And we took off and sheltered in there for about 20 minutes.”

ENGRAVINGS ON SHOOTER’S AMMO EXPOSES CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION MOTIVE

During those 20 minutes sheltering, Bentley said he was worried, but he didn’t feel unsafe. 

“We felt pretty sure that this was a targeted assassination. We knew immediately that Charlie wasn’t gonna make it. We were close enough to see what the shot was like and knew that he was probably not going be able to make it out,” Bentley said. 

In the two days since Kirk’s assassination, he told Fox News Digital, he’s loved the message from community leaders, including Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, who has consistently addressed the public at news conferences since Wednesday. 

Cox called Kirk’s assassination a “watershed in American history” after announcing the suspect’s arrest. 

RILEY GAINES SHARES EMOTIONAL CHARLIE KIRK TRIBUTE AFTER UTAH ASSASSINATION: ‘WE DON’T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS’

The governor said Kirk’s “political assassination” is an “attack on the American experiment.”

“History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country, but every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us. We get to make decisions. We have our agency. And I desperately call on every American — Republican, Democrat, liberal, progressive, conservative, MAGA, all of us to please, please, please follow what Charlie taught me,” Cox said Friday. 

Bentley said Cox has “done a phenomenal job in pushing a message of unity, of faith, of hope and of embracing the message that Charlie pushed out there of open dialogue, and of avoiding violence, and of approaching our disagreements with words instead of violence.”

Since the assassination on Wednesday, Utah has organized several vigils. In Orem City Park on Thursday evening, several students and local residents paid their respects during a candlelit vigil. 

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A memorial honoring Kirk at the Timpanogos Regional Hospital is flooded with “We love you, Charlie” posters, flowers and American flags. More signs and flowers were placed for Kirk on Utah Valley University’s campus. 

Flags are flying throughout the state at half-staff this week, and many gathered for a vigil at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday evening. 

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were in agreement that political discourse in the United States has reached a startling level following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and other recent acts of political violence.

Kirk’s assassination is the latest in a string of political violence that has left several high-profile figures dead or injured since July 2024, when President Donald Trump was shot while campaigning for his second term in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was targeted again by a would-be assassin just months later. In April, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was the victim of an arson attack. And in June, two Minnesota lawmakers and their families were attacked, leaving two dead. 

The political violence has had a chilling effect on the nation, with some lawmakers going so far as to cancel public appearances amid fears of physical violence.  

“We have a climate right now where people who are frankly unhinged … like the two guys who tried to shoot President Trump, one who did shoot him, the person – whoever it is – who killed Charlie, the person who went after the Minnesota lawmakers – these people are nuts,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “But they are egged on by a climate that says, ‘Hey, you know, it’s okay basically to go out and shoot your opponents because they’re really Hitler.'”

ANTI-TRUMP VOICES PRAISE CHARLIE KIRK’S LEGACY AFTER ASSASSINATION, SAY HE WAS DOING POLITICS ‘THE RIGHT WAY’

The sentiment was echoed by Democratic lawmakers on the Hill as well. 

“It’s really sad and just scary, you know, honestly, just how dire things have gotten in this country in terms of our political discourse,” said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. “I was actually just remarking the other day how, in a survey, over 50% of Americans surveyed said that they would call people in the other political party ‘the enemy.’ I just think that’s terrifying, that’s so dangerous of a place for our country to be.”

Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon added that in order for this Republic to work, people must be able to “passionately share [their] viewpoints and do so knowing that we resolve our differences through advocacy and voting, not through violence.”

CHARLIE KIRK WARNED ‘ASSASSINATION CULTURE IS SPREADING ON THE LEFT’ IN EERIE ONLINE POST MONTHS BEFORE MURDER

“I don’t know what it says about political discourse, but it certainly says something about violence, and it has no business in political discourse. You can have a robust disagreement with people, but when it turns to violence, something’s gone badly wrong,” responded Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., when asked about what Kirk’s death said about the current state of political discourse.

Kirk was known for engaging passionately, but also respectfully, with students of all political stripes on college campuses as part of Turning Point USA, the grassroots organization he co-founded in 2012. He would regularly visit college campuses all around the country and debate with students from different perspectives on various issues of the day. Oftentimes, Kirk would hold “Prove Me Wrong” events, where he would give students a chance to do just that – prove him wrong.

“I mean, that’s the shame of this. Charlie Kirk was polite, he had a message, and he spread that message, and he engaged people to speak and debate, and then he lost his life for that,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. “That’s the thing about this country, we have freedom of speech. Nobody should ever take out violence based on something somebody said.”

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“I would hope that all people would take a moment, reflect, and bring down this political rhetoric,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., told Fox News Digital. “These violent words precede violent actions.” 

Hawley, meanwhile, suggested a tactic to help solve the issue.

“I’ll just say again, part of the way we stop it, is we realize that there’s stuff in life that’s more important than politics,” he told reporters.

California lawmakers passed a measure that would ban most law enforcement officers from covering their faces while on the job in response to recent immigration raids in the Los Angeles area where some federal agents covered their faces and hid their identities.

The bill, approved on Thursday, now heads to Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Though if he signs it into law, it is unclear whether the state could enforce the ban on federal agents who have been carrying out raids and arrests at local businesses under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan.

The bill is the first of its kind to pass through a state legislature, although similar legislation has been introduced in several states, including Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Democrats on Capitol Hill have also proposed a mask ban for law enforcement officers.

Under the bill, local and federal officers, including immigration enforcement agents, would be banned from wearing neck gators, ski masks and other facial coverings while carrying out official business.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUSHES TO PROHIBIT LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM HIDING THEIR IDENTITIES WHILE ON THE JOB

Exceptions would be permitted for undercover agents, medical masks like N95 respirators or tactical gear.

Newsom has about a month to sign the legislation into law. While he has criticized federal agents’ use of masks during arrests, he has also raised questions over the summer about the state’s authority over federal agents.

Federal agents have conducted immigration raids in Southern California since June, sparking protests and the subsequent federal deployment of the National Guard and Marines.

Proponents of the bill said the proposal is needed following a Supreme Court ruling earlier this week allowing the federal government to resume sweeping immigration raids in Los Angeles, which also permits agents to target migrants based on things like race or ethnicity, speaking in Spanish or presence at specific locations.

Assemblymember Juan Carrillo, a Democrat, said the SCOTUS ruling is “effectively allowing federal agents to stop suspects based solely on their race, language, or job.”

MASSACHUSETTS BILL WOULD FORCE ICE AGENTS TO UNMASK

“How is anyone supposed to reasonably believe that they are law enforcement officers and not masked individuals trying to kidnap you?” he said ahead of the vote. “Imagine the absolute fear of being pulled over at gunpoint by a group of masked individuals.”

Bill supporters also cited an opinion from constitutional law expert Erwin Chemerinsky at the University of California, Berkeley. He wrote in an opinion piece published in the Sacramento Bee that a state cannot directly regulate the federal government, but that does not mean federal employees can ignore state rules “unless doing so would significantly interfere with the performance of their duties.”

“ICE agents have never before worn masks when apprehending people, and that never has posed a problem. Nor have other officers of local, state and federal law enforcement faced dangers from the public because they don’t wear masks in the streets,” he wrote.

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Republican lawmakers and law enforcement agencies argue that the legislation would only make the job more dangerous for officers.

“Bad guys wear masks because they don’t want to get caught. Good guys wear masks because they don’t want to get killed,” GOP state Sen. Kelly Seyarto said.

Trump administration officials have attempted to defend the practice of face coverings by stating that federal immigration agents have faced an increase in harassment in public and online.

But others, including several state attorneys general, argued that the use of face masks generates fear among the public and must be stopped.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: An assistant campus director at George Washington University took to social media shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk and said it is “fair” that Kirk was gunned down due to his support of gun ownership and the Second Amendment. 

“If nothing else, it is fair, in a nation where children get massacred by gun violence on the regular, the people who advocate for continued gun ownership at the expense of those children are not immune from the consequences of their advocacy,” Anthony Pohorilak, Assistant Director of Academic Initiatives at George Washington University’s Mount Vernon Campus, posted on his personal Facebook after Kirk was killed.

“No thoughts no prayers,” the GWU employee added. 

The Facebook post, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, received 37 likes and love reactions from Pohorilak’s friend group.

CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN IDENTIFIED AFTER FATAL SHOOTING OF INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE VOICE IN UTAH

The George Washington University website lists Pohorilak, who uses the pronouns “He/Him” in his bio, as working for the Campus Living & Residential Education department.

“The George Washington University unequivocally condemns all forms of violence,” a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“As a university with one of the most politically engaged campus communities in the country, we believe everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and no one should ever be subject to violence for expressing their views. This individual employee is not authorized to speak on behalf of GW, and his opinions do not reflect those of the university.”

PENTAGON ANNOUNCES ‘ZERO TOLERANCE’ FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL MOCKING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION

Following news of Kirk’s death, social media has been littered with examples of individuals celebrating or justifying the assassination, some of which have resulted in termination. 

The NFL’s Carolina Panthers fired a member of the team’s communications department this week after a social media post from the employee appeared to show him questioning why people were sad that Kirk had been shot and killed. The song “Protect Ya Neck” from the Wu-Tang Clan was also shared.

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After Kirk was shot Wednesday afternoon, MSNBC’s Matthew Dowd suggested it was caused by a chain reaction from his “hateful words” against various groups. Kirk, a leading conservative activist and top ally of President Donald Trump, later died at the age of 31.

Dowd was later fired from the network, and an apology was issued. 

Several examples have come from academia, including at the University of Mississippi, where a staff member was terminated after making insensitive remarks on social media, Mississippi Today reported.

At Middle Tennessee State University, a dean was fired after saying she has “zero sympathy” for Kirk, USA Today reported.

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report

On Day 5 of Ryan Routh’s federal trial, jurors heard from prosecutors who presented evidence they said connected Ryan Routh’s clothing and belongings to the alleged sniper’s nest at Trump International Golf Club during the alleged assassination attempt last year.

FBI Special Agent Jose Loureiro walked jurors through photos they argued tie Routh’s clothing to the scene. Images showed Routh in a long-sleeve pink shirt, pants and leggings. 

Prosecutors highlighted a red stain on the pants and compared it to red paint on a bag recovered at the sniper hide, suggesting a direct link between the defendant and the site. They also displayed a blue Harbor Freight flashlight recovered from the area.

Routh’s cross-examination was brief. 

RYAN ROUTH CHASTISED DURING OPENING STATEMENTS IN FEDERAL TRIAL FOR ‘MAKING A MOCKERY’ OF THE COURT

“Fortuitous that the blue flashlight with the name on it landed straight up on it?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t know,” Loureiro replied. Routh asked no further questions.

Also on Friday, Lt. William Gale, commander of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s bomb squad, testified he was monitoring radio traffic when he heard a panicked voice yell, “Shots fired, shots fired, shots fired!” 

He said he crawled through hedges near the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club and found “two backpacks hanging on the fence, a rifle leaning on the fence and a GoPro-type camera zip-tied to the fence.” 

On the ground nearby, he said, were Vienna sausages, the same brand prosecutors said they tied to a selfie Routh allegedly took hours before. Routh declined to cross-examine him.

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL OPENS WITH BIZARRE JURY QUESTIONS AND WITNESS DRAMA

Sgt. Kenneth Mays, a tactical officer with the sheriff’s office, also took the stand and described forcing his way into “pretty thick” brush and finding a rifle and bags clipped to the fence in a spot that “looked like someone had been in there.” On cross-examination, Routh quizzed him on how AK-47 rifles function, repeatedly interrupting with, “right, right, right.“

Before the lunch break, jurors also heard from FBI Special Agent Kathryn Rose, who spent about an hour on the stand. Prosecutor Maria Medetis Long walked her through a series of exhibits, including the rifle itself, which was still sealed in its evidence box and cut out with scissors, as well as the magazine, the single bullet left in the chamber, the black metal plates, two bags that had been spray-painted a different color and the GoPro-style camera. 

When Judge Aileen Cannon asked jurors if they wanted a closer look at any of the evidence, they declined. 

The day began with FBI forensic specialist Erin Casey, who guided jurors through drone footage, laser scans and animated “fly-through” reconstructions of the alleged sniper nest. She testified the hideout was “126 feet and 10 inches from the flag on the sixth green.” 

Routh has pleaded not guilty to federal charges, including attempted assassination of a former president, assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and multiple firearms offenses. U.S. prosecutors allege he plotted for months, traveled from Hawaii to Florida and positioned himself at Trump International Golf Club with a rifle chambered and ready to fire on Sept. 15, 2024.

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL CONTINUES AFTER AGENT TESTIFIES SUSPECT AIMED RIFLE AT HIM ON TRUMP’S GOLF COURSE

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Court was still underway Friday afternoon, with additional FBI witnesses expected. Cannon told jurors proceedings are scheduled to run until 5:30 p.m. daily. Court will resume Monday with prosecutors expected to continue calling FBI witnesses as they build their case.

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told House investigators she did not see a change in former President Joe Biden’s competency over several years, but she acknowledged he was “not the same speaker he was when she met him.”

Jean-Pierre was the latest in a string of former Biden White House officials to be interviewed by House Oversight Committee investigators over an alleged cover-up of the ex-president’s mental acuity.

She did not speak to reporters on her way into the interview just off Capitol Hill, nor did she speak after the nearly five-hour, closed-door transcribed interview.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE ARRIVES FOR HOUSE OVERSIGHT GRILLING IN BIDEN AUTOPEN PROBE

But a source familiar with the interview shared with Fox News Digital that Jean-Pierre told investigators that while working for Biden in various capacities from 2009 to 2025, “she did not see a change in President Biden’s competency.”

“She did acknowledge President Biden is not the same speaker he was when she met him,” the source noted. “She does not know why his speaking changed and never asked him.”

Jean-Pierre, one of the most high-profile figures from the Biden administration to appear before the committee, was among those who publicly defended Biden after his June 2024 debate against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

During the debate, Jean-Pierre said she was told by “senior staff that President Biden had a cold,” the source said.

Shortly after the debate, she told reporters at a press briefing in early July that Biden was “as sharp as ever.”

OVERSIGHT CHAIR DEMANDS JEAN-PIERRE, OTHER FORMER WH STAFF TESTIFY ON ALLEGED BIDEN MENTAL DECLINE COVER-UP

Jean-Pierre told investigators that talking points were entered into her binder for press briefings by “various advisors,” but talking points related specifically to Biden’s health and mental acuity “were handled exclusively at the senior level.”

She cited the “cheap fakes” talking point, which, at the time, Jean-Pierre charged were people online manipulating videos of Biden to mislead the public about his health and cognitive ability. She told investigators that point in particular “appeared as a talking point in her binder, but she does not know specifically who added it.”

She also said she never spoke with anyone in the White House “personally concerned about President Biden’s health.”

Jean-Pierre began her role as White House press secretary in 2022, shortly after former White House press secretary Jen Psaki left the position, and she stayed on until the end of Biden’s presidency in January.

But her relationship with Biden-world became estranged after her departure from the Democratic Party earlier this year, which was announced in a press release for her forthcoming book, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.”

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE ABANDONS DEMS AFTER YEARS FIERCELY DEFENDING BIDEN POLICIES

Jean-Pierre’s appearance before investigators came as House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said earlier this week that his panel’s ongoing probe into Biden’s use of an autopen was coming to its conclusion.

The focus in particular was whether top officials engaged in a cover-up of Biden’s mental and physical state in the White House and whether any executive actions or a litany of pardons were approved via autopen without Biden’s full awareness.

Comer said heading into the hearing that one of the questions at the top of his mind was whether “these pardons and executive orders [are] legal?”

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“I don’t think anyone’s going to argue that the process that was used for these autopens is the ideal process,” Comer said. “And what we’ve seen with the emails that have surfaced in the last week — even the Merrick Garland Department of Justice was very concerned about how this administration was using the autopen.

“When people in the Department of Justice email people who they believe were the ones making the decisions on the autopen and asked the question via email from the Department of Justice, ‘Does the president even know who they just pardoned?’ I mean, that’s very concerning.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Jean-Pierre’s lawyers and Biden’s office but did not immediately receive a response.

As New York City’s Democratic nominee for mayor, Zohran Mandani lays out progressive plans on the campaign trail, a new Fox News national survey reveals capitalism remains more popular than socialism. Still, voters support raising taxes on the wealthy.

Among other things, Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, has promised to make New York City more affordable by taxing its elite residents.

Voters nationwide favor the government increasing taxes on the wealthy if it means it will strengthen the country’s social programs (73% support raising taxes to achieve this goal) and spread the wealth to those less fortunate (64%). 

They are less inclined to increase taxes on the wealthy “so that nobody gets to be too rich” (47% support vs. 52% oppose).

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN UKRAINE, SUPPORT CURRENT APPROACH IN ISRAEL

To varying degrees, most Democrats (89%), Republicans (56%) and independents (78%) support increasing taxes on the wealthy to strengthen social programs.

Over half of Republicans oppose raising taxes on the rich to spread the wealth and to prevent any one individual from becoming too well-off, both goals most Democrats and independents support.

Mamdani’s favorable ratings nationally are underwater by 19 percentage points (18% favorable vs. 37% unfavorable), with the largest share of voters, 44%, having never heard of him. 

FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S RATING ARE STRONG ON BORDER SECURITY, WEAK ON THE ECONOMY

Those most likely to view Mamdani positively are very liberal (44%) and Democratic men (34%). Negative views are largely driven by Republicans (they are the most likely to be familiar with him), with over half saying they’re not keen on him (54% unfavorable). Many Democrats (47%) and over half of independents (55%) have never heard of him.

Despite the appetite for soaking the rich, two-thirds (65%) have an unfavorable view of socialism. That’s the highest recorded in a handful of Fox News surveys going back to 2019.

Socialism’s strongest supporters, like Mamdani’s, are very liberal (53% favorable, and the only subgroup where support is over 50%) and Democratic men (41%).

While capitalism remains popular (twice as many view it positively compared to socialism), the 53% rating it favorably is down from a high of 57% in 2019.

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The biggest proponents of capitalism are Republican men (80% favorable), voters ages 65 and over (74%), those who are very conservative (71%) and those with graduate degrees (70%).

Skepticism about capitalism is highest among independents, women and Hispanic voters. However, each group is more likely to favor capitalism than socialism by double-digits.

Majorities of voters under age 30 view both socialism (56% unfavorable) and capitalism (61%) unfavorably.

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted Sept. 6-9, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (119) and cellphones (638) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (247). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.

Erika Kirk, the widow of the late Charlie Kirk, gave an emotional tribute to her husband and declared that his mission will not end at Turning Point USA’s headquarters Friday. It was her first public statement since her husband’s assassination on Wednesday at Utah Valley University.

“To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,” Kirk said. “It won’t. I refuse to let that happen. … No one will ever forget my husband’s name. And I will make sure of it. It will become stronger. Bolder. Louder and greater than ever. My husband’s mission will not end. Not even for a moment.

“My husband’s voice will remain, and it will ring out louder and more clearly than ever. And his wisdom will endure.”

She delivered a steely message to the “evildoers responsible” for her husband’s death, proclaiming that they “have no idea what they have done.”

“They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith and of God’s merciful love. But they should all know this. If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea,” she said. “You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country.”

Speaking at a podium next to the desk where her husband conducted his popular podcast show, Kirk said that Turning Point USA, the grassroots organization her husband co-founded, will continue with its fall campus tour as planned and said there will be even more tours in the years to come. 

The group’s annual “America Fest” conference will also continue as planned, which will be held in December in Phoenix, and Charlie’s popular weekly podcast will also continue.

DAVE RUBIN SAYS CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH A TURNING POINT FOR THE NATION: ‘UNIMAGINABLE TRAGEDY’

Kirk, who spoke to President Donald Trump Thursday, also told the president she wants to keep alive her late husband’s grassroots organization. During her address, she remarked how much Charlie “loved” the president and how much the president “loved” him in return.

Kirk also praised her late husband for his work ethic and his presence as a father and husband. She recounted that, on a daily basis, he would ask her how he could be a better husband and father.

“Now and for all eternity, he will stand at His Savior’s side, wearing the glorious crown of a martyr,” Kirk remarked Friday evening. “Charlie loved, loved life. He loved his life. He loved America.”

TOP UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATOR CALLS CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION ‘FAIR’ DUE TO STANCE ON GUNS: ‘NO PRAYERS’

In addition to his wife, Charlie leaves behind two small children. Charlie co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, about six years before he and Erika met in 2018. Charlie reflected at a TPUSA event once on the moment he realized Erika was “the one.” 

“We had a very, very long dinner, which was very close to almost an interview, and — no, you’re going to laugh — but you should absolutely interview for your spouse. If they don’t check the boxes, move on and go to the next one. Dating for dating’s sake is bad for you, it’s bad for them, it’s bad for everybody,” Kirk said when asked about how he knew Erika was “the one.” 

“Five years ago today, we sat inside Bills Burgers in NYC deep in conversation and banter over theology, philosophy, and politics and at the end, you paused, looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to date you,'” Erika wrote in a social media post in 2023 reflecting on the pair’s first date. She also shared several photos of the two together.

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Erika frequently supported Charlie at his events and was present at Utah Valley University Wednesday when he was shot. 

Erika is the host of a weekly podcast called “Midweek Rise Up,” the founder of a faith-based apparel company called “PROCLAIM” and heads a Christian ministry called BIBLE365, according to her website. 

She was an NCAA women’s basketball player at Regis University in Colorado and later transferred to Arizona State University to earn duel majors in political science and international relations. She earned a master’s degree in American legal studies from Liberty University in Virginia, where she is pursuing a doctorate in Biblical studies. In 2012, she was crowned Miss Arizona USA.

As she concluded her remarks Friday, Erika promised her late husband that she will never let his legacy die. 

“I’ll make Turning Point USA the biggest thing that this nation has ever seen,” she said. “I love you, baby. Rest in the arms of our Lord.”

Former President Joe Biden’s new effort to raise money for a presidential library is struggling to attract Democrat donors, according to a report.

More than half a dozen people who were once major Biden donors or fundraisers spoke to NBC News, with most saying they have no animosity toward the former president, but either would not give to the library or would only give a limited amount.

The donors pointed to several factors, including not wanting to make themselves a target of the Trump administration and reserving their money for the Democratic Party’s future. Some of them said they had personal interactions with Biden’s inner circle that were so unpleasant they believed it would be difficult to ever raise significant funds for the former president.

“I’d like him to have some nice library,” one donor told NBC News. “I just don’t see that’s where I’m going to spend my money.”

KAMALA HARRIS FUNDRAISING EVENTS HAVE BEEN A FLOP TO HELP RAISE MONEY FOR DNC: REPORT

Another donor said “no way” when asked by the outlet about giving to the library.

Biden also faces residual frustration from the party over his decision to initially seek re-election despite health issues that ultimately led to him dropping out of the race last summer after his highly scrutinized mental acuity was put on display during a presidential debate against then-candidate Donald Trump. Former Vice President Kamala Harris then quickly secured the party’s nomination before losing to Trump in November.

“I want an $800,000 refund,” personal injury lawyer John Morgan told NBC News, referring to money he said he raised for Biden that went to Harris last year.

“I don’t believe a library will ever be built unless it’s a bookmobile from the old days,” Morgan joked.

Susie Buell, a major donor to the party, told the outlet nobody had asked for her donation but that she is “not inclined to give to libraries.”

The chairman of the library board, Rufus Gifford, who led fundraising for Biden’s re-election campaign and was finance director for former President Barack Obama, expressed optimism that donors will want to contribute.

“Those of us who have been around for a while and love the guy but also understand the full picture want to see what we can do to protect and promote his legacy,” Gifford told NBC News. “This isn’t about the past. It’s about the future.”

One person familiar with the Biden team’s plans said the project seeks to rake in between $200 million and $300 million.

In comparison, the Obama Presidential Library set to open in Chicago in the spring cost $850 million. President Donald Trump has also raised millions of dollars for a future library, and the luxury jet gifted to the U.S. government by the Qatari royal family will later be transferred to a Trump library foundation — both moves scrutinized by Democrats.

“It is my opinion no significant building will be built,” Morgan said, adding that Biden’s age and medical issues could mean the former president might not be much help in raising money for the library.

“Couple that with the perception that [the party’s] woes rest with his decision to seek a second term, and we have the Hindenburg heading straight towards us,” he continued.

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

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Donors often complained about a lack of access to Biden when he was in office, saying they were asked to write checks but then could not get a phone call returned.

People who frequently interact with major Democratic donors say other potential obstacles include the threat of becoming a target of Trump. 

“This is a very difficult time to raise large checks for Democrats because of how vindictive Donald Trump is,” Democratic National Committee fundraising chair Chris Korge told NBC News, citing conversations with donors.

Korge also said he had personally called on Biden and his team to focus on raising money for a library and to put aside plans for a second term.

Congressional Republicans’ approval rating outperformed their Democratic counterparts for the second time this year, according to the latest Fox News national survey. 

Thirty-three percent of registered voters approve of the job Democrats in Congress are doing (66% disapprove), up 3 points from a near record-low 30% in March. 

While their Republican colleagues garner a higher 38% approval rating (61% disapproval), that’s down 5 points from a record-high 43% six months ago.

The decline in congressional Republican approval comes from within: 76% of self-identified GOPers approve, but that’s down from 88% in March.  And while congressional Democrats earn the approval from just 58% of self-identified Democrats, that’s up from 49% six months ago.

FOX NEWS POLL: TRUMP’S RATINGS ARE STRONG ON BORDER SECURITY, WEAK ON THE ECONOMY

The survey, released Friday, was completed before the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Among all figures and groups tested, the congressional parties rank at the bottom. By contrast, 49% approve of both Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and ICE, while 46% approve of President Donald Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN UKRAINE, SUPPORT CURRENT APPROACH IN ISRAEL

The survey also asks about a range of policy ideas. The most popular are providing a valid form of photo identification to vote (84% favor vs. 16% oppose), banning members of Congress from trading stocks (75% favor vs. 24% oppose), banning cellphones in K-12 classrooms (65% vs. 34%) and allowing U.S. citizens to vote by mail (63% vs. 36%).

Voters are split on banning the purchase of candy and soft drinks with SNAP funds or food stamps (50% favor vs. 49% oppose) and narrowly oppose ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government (46% favor vs. 52% oppose). There’s also significant opposition to allowing transgender students to use their bathroom of choice (34% favor vs. 64% oppose) and flag burning (31% say it should be legal vs. 67% illegal).

There is partisan consensus on several issues, with majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents favoring banning members of Congress from trading stocks, prohibiting cellphones in classrooms, thinking flag burning should be illegal and requiring photo identification to vote.

“Contrary to the conventional wisdom, Republicans and Democrats agree on several consequential issues,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys alongside Democrat Chris Anderson. 

“The data also show the president does not pick his fights as haphazardly as some suggest. There is a broad consensus in support of voter ID and opposition to flag burning and transgender bathrooms, issues that invoke patriotism or protecting our kids.”

Trump’s highest approval ratings are on his handling of border security (57% approve), followed by crime and public safety (50%) and immigration (47%). Fewer approve on Ukraine (40%), the economy (39%), Russia (36%), tariffs (36%) and cost of living (32%).

Overall, 46% approve of the job Trump is doing as president while 54% disapprove, unchanged since June.

One more thing…

Although voters say flag burning should be illegal by a wide 36-point margin, the number saying it should be legal (31%) is up 10 points from 20 years ago. That comes mostly from increases among Democrats (+17 points), voters under age 30 (+11), and independents (+10), as well as a small bump among Republicans (+5).

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted Sept. 6-9, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (119) and cellphones (638) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (247). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.

A federal judge ruled on Friday ICE agents can continue making courthouse arrests in New York City, shutting down a challenge brought by the ACLU and immigrant rights groups.

District Judge P. Kevin Castel, a George W. Bush appointee, found there was not enough evidence to suggest that ICE’s courthouse arrest policy changes were “unexplained, arbitrary and capricious,” as 2021 guidance allowed arrests at or near immigration courts.

Noting the 2025 guidance is more “expansive and permissive,” Castel acknowledged ICE made the changes because local correctional facilities and prisons, which are considered “safe” locations due to security screenings, are not available due to state and local policies regarding immigration detainers.

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS MILWAUKEE JUDGE’S IMMUNITY CLAIM IN ICE OBSTRUCTION CASE

However, the judge did block a Department of Justice policy encouraging immigration judges to dismiss cases so ICE could immediately arrest migrants.

The Trump administration in June launched an initiative to arrest illegal immigrants after asylum hearings.

The tactic stirred controversy, with critics claiming migrants seeking legal citizenship would be less likely to show up to hearings, and those who are arrested after hearings may not have additional criminal histories.

NEW JERSEY’S BAN ON PRIVATELY OPERATED ICE DETENTION CENTERS STRUCK DOWN BY COURT

Videos of the arrests went viral on social media, with some going so far as accusing ICE of “kidnapping” migrants.

“In its fervor to expel as many immigrants as possible from the country, the Trump administration is targeting immigrants in the very place set up to adjudicate their status: immigration court,” Diana Konaté, deputy executive director of Policy and Advocacy at African Communities Together, wrote in a statement published by the ACLU. “Every day, our members are forced to choose between being kidnapped and/or put into expedited removal, or risking deeper legal consequences because they’re too scared to go to court.”

“This is exactly what the administration intended: for people to be so fearful of enforcement that they forfeit the very resources and systems in place to protect them. We’re bringing this lawsuit on behalf of our members and fighting for justice.”

LOS ANGELES JUDGE WEIGHS SEVERE LIMITS ON TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA

Some judges have fought back against the policy, allegedly aiding migrants’ escape after hearings.

Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan was indicted in May on federal charges after she allegedly told an illegal immigrant to leave through a private exit at the Milwaukee County Courthouse as ICE officials were serving a warrant for his arrest.

Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin and Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

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

-What is a bolt action rifle? What we know about the gun used to kill Charlie Kirk

-Charlie Kirk murder spurs first-in-the-nation state political violence hate crime legislation

-Charlie Kirk memorialized by dozens of House lawmakers condemning political violence

Engravings on shooter’s ammo exposes Charlie Kirk assassination motive

The rifle that federal investigators believe was used in the shooting that killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk contained ammunition inscribed with anti-fascist messaging, shedding light on the suspect’s motive.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed the messaging at a news conference Friday, saying investigators discovered inscriptions on casings found with a bolt-action rifle near the Utah Valley University campus, where Kirk was killed during an event.

One used casing and three unused casings contained the writings, Cox said.

News of the ammunition inscriptions was first shared on social media Thursday morning in a preliminary bulletin attributed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives…READ MORE.
 

Charlie Kirk Assassination

SECURITY GAP: Questions mount over security failures in Charlie Kirk shooting as manhunt intensifies

ROGUE AGENT: Secret Service employee who celebrated Charlie Kirk’s assassination put on immediate leave

‘LEGACY WILL ENDURE’: Top conservative speakers vow they ‘will not be silenced’ after Charlie Kirk’s assassination

‘SURE HE DOESN’T MIND’: Ex-prosecutor Carol Siemon sparks outrage after blaming Charlie Kirk for assassination

HIS LAST DAY: Charlie Kirk’s last 24 hours before his Utah assassination: messages of faith, justice

White House

MEDIA MADNESS: White House torches media after killer’s mother admits son should’ve been jailed before Zarutska murder

PRESIDENTIAL PUNCH: Trump reveals new nickname for Mamdani weeks before Election Day

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: Flashlight, rifle, backpacks: prosecutors outline Ryan Routh’s alleged sniper setup

World Stage

STEALTH SUPREMACY: America’s new stealth B-21 Raider takes next step with second bomber’s first flight

Capitol Hill

BLAME GAME: ‘This is on all of us’: Lawmakers take hard look at how political rhetoric played role in Kirk’s assassination

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The late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk previously advocated for the death penalty on several occasions, arguing it should apply broadly in murder cases rather than only in the most extreme circumstances.

Officials on Friday identified Tyler Robinson, 22, as the suspect in Kirk’s assassination on a Utah college campus. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said the state intends to pursue the death penalty if the case goes to trial, while President Donald Trump also voiced support, saying he hopes Robinson receives the death penalty if found guilty.

WHO IS TYLER ROBINSON? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN

Earlier this year, Kirk discussed his stance on capital punishment during an exchange with a student that was captured in a video posted to Turning Point USA’s YouTube channel. Kirk was asked about how he could support a “limited government” while also believing it should have the power to execute people.

“I believe in a small but strong government and, for the record, I believe that someone who took a life should have their life taken,” Kirk told the student.

“Under every circumstance?” the student asks Kirk.

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“Under most, yeah,” Kirk responds.

The student countered that the death penalty should be reserved for extreme instances, such as school shootings, mass murders and crimes against humanity, but not for what she described as “eye-for-an-eye nonsense.”

“Why is it that if you kill 10 people, such a morally different thing than killing one person?” Kirk asks the student, arguing that even people who claim to oppose the death penalty occasionally make exceptions.

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“We as conservatives try to strive for blind justice,” Kirk said. “Those on the left will argue for social justice. … We, as conservatives, believe in the ideal that you shall not favor the administrative justice just because of your skin color, background, wealth, so on and so forth.”

Similarly in 2024, during an episode of the Charlie Kirk Show, the conservative activist and his co-hosts debated capital punishment, including what age children should be before witnessing an execution, and whether such exposure would reduce crime, Newsweek reported at the time.

“Death penalties should be public, should be quick, it should be televised,” Kirk said.

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Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father, was fatally shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.