NationalWatch

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) America Act would make it harder for Democrats to win elections, prompting Republicans to argue she had finally said “the quiet part out loud” about Democrats’ opposition to stricter election laws.

Slotkin made the remarks in a video recently unearthed by Breitbart News that was recorded the day after the Senate narrowly rejected the SAVE America Act in June. The bill failed 50-48 after four Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.

The SAVE America Act has become one of the biggest legislative fights in Congress, and President Donald Trump has made its passage his top priority. Trump refused to sign a housing bill Friday to protest Congress’ failure to pass the SAVE America Act.

WATCH: HAWLEY FUMES AFTER 4 GOP SENATORS HELP SINK TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID LAW

During a June 6 address to Indiana’s state Democratic Party, Slotkin celebrated the Senate’s rejection of the SAVE America Act, in which she claimed the bill would allow the Trump administration to “rig our democracy.”

“It would be hard for any Democrat in any state to win any election,” Slotkin said of the SAVE America Act.

Slotkin did not explain how the legislation would hurt Democratic politicians.

The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot in federal elections and mandates that states take additional steps to remove noncitizens from voter rolls.

Trump argued for months that Democrats opposed the SAVE America Act because it would make it harder to “cheat” in elections, claiming the party benefits politically from weak voter verification measures and the votes of people who are not eligible to vote.

During his Feb. 24 State of the Union address, Trump urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, arguing Democrats oppose voter ID because “the only way they can get elected is to cheat.”

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“And the reason they don’t want to do it — why would anybody not want voter ID? One reason: Because they want to cheat. There’s only one reason. They make up all excuses,” Trump said. 

“They say, ‘It’s racist.’ They come up with things — you almost say, ‘What imagination they have.’ They want to cheat, they have cheated and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat, and we’re going to stop it.”

But the Center for Election Innovation & Research, a nonprofit election policy group that describes itself as nonpartisan, has found that voter registration of noncitizens is rare.

“When investigations do turn up rare instances of improper registration or voting, officials take swift action to ensure that American elections remain secure,” according to the Center for Election Innovation & Research.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S ELECTION ORDER AS SAVE AMERICA ACT FIGHT INTENSIFIES

Slotkin also alleged that the SAVE America Act would make it more difficult for married women to vote, saying a woman would have to show her birth certificate at the polls.

Critics of the bill argue the requirement could create additional hurdles for some married women who changed their last names after marriage because the name on their birth certificate may not match their current identification. In those cases, voters may need to provide additional documentation, such as a marriage certificate.

Republican congressional members slammed Slotkin.

“Democrats are saying the quiet part out loud,” Rep. Tony Wied wrote on X Tuesday. “They know they can’t win on their own merit.”

“This talking point from the Left is not only false, but it also paints women as incapable, which we all know is not the case,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also wrote on X Tuesday. “Showing up to the polls to vote with an ID that proves you’re an American citizen – whether you’re married or not – is common sense. We need to pass the SAVE America Act.”

“By that same logic, no married woman in America could fill out an I-9 form — which every American must do when starting a new job,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X on Tuesday. “This is absurd. And it highlights why we need to pass the SAVE America Act.”

Slotkin’s office referred Fox News Digital to a June video of Slotkin in which the Michigan Democrat said Trump told Congress that if Republicans lose the 2026 midterms, the election was “rigged.”

“In the State of the Union, while we were all sitting on the House floor, he said again that if his side doesn’t win in November 2026, the election was rigged,” Slotkin said in the video, referring to Trump.

A Fox News Digital review of Trump’s State of the Union address found Trump did not make that statement. Instead, Trump argued Democrats “want to cheat” and that “the only way they can get elected is to cheat.” He also said Republicans could face impeachment if they lose the midterms.

“They want to cheat, they have cheated and their policy is so bad that the only way they can get elected is to cheat,” he said. “And we’re going to stop it.”

In the video, Slotkin also accused Trump of trying to federalize elections, pointing to an unsigned draft executive order drafted after the 2020 election that proposed using the National Guard to seize voting machines. The order was never signed or carried out.

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The White House dismissed Slotkin’s claims about SAVE America hurting Democrats.

“If securing America’s elections — through commonsense methods like voter ID and proof of citizenship — will make it impossible for Democrats to win elections, perhaps they should reconsider the methods they’re using to ‘win,’” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

During four terms in Congress, South Dakota’s Dusty Johnson has emerged as a leading voice on American agricultural policy, U.S.-China relations and fiscal responsibility. 

Often known as the “problem solver,” he recently sat down with Fox News Digital at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas to discuss his congressional career, his South Dakota gubernatorial bid and his future plans as his time in the U.S. House draws to a close.

Long respected for his detailed analysis of China policy, Johnson believes the United States is routinely underestimating the geopolitical and economic threat posed by Beijing.

REP. DUSTY JOHNSON INTRODUCES GET AMERICANS BACK TO WORK ACT

“I think the biggest mistake is that we’re basically sleepwalking through this competition. I mean, every day the leaders of China get up, and they try to figure out how to beat America, how to destabilize our country, how to get an advantage. 

“And we’re, frankly, in this country spending more time fighting one another than we are trying to think about how to compete with the Chinese Communist Party.”

Johnson is the former leader of the Republican Main Street Caucus, a group of center-right Republicans focused on commonsense governance and pragmatism. He has approached his career aspiring to break the famed Washington gridlock.

However, recently Johnson lamented that “it’s a tough time to be normal,” observing that the loudest and angriest voices seem to be increasingly dominating the national conversation.

“Well … looking a little further than the New York primaries last week, where just an insane bunch of really out there democratic socialists beat some pretty liberal but still kind of mainstream American political thought Democrats, I just think you see that happening in both parties. 

“Primary turnout is rarely great. Those who do turn out are generally the most interested in purity rather than in progress. And, so, when you’re trying to swim upstream, when you are trying to deliver a message of nuance and thoughtfulness, that sometimes doesn’t go over as well as just saying, ‘Let’s go fight.'”

Even as the GOP has controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress on several occasions over the past generation, it has been perennially unable to tackle the problem of balancing budgets and reducing the national debt.

Johnson argues that only a bipartisan approach has hope of offering a solution.

“Well, everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die,” he said. “I’ve certainly rolled out a number of plans that would have some pretty substantial reforms to our entitlement programs. I’m not looking to take away grandma’s Social Security or Medicare. But we simply are not going to restore solvency to those programs with a status quo approach. 

“And, unfortunately, candidate Harris, candidate Biden, candidate Trump … they damn near swore on a stack of Bibles that they were not going to touch Social Security or Medicare. That approach guarantees failure. 

“The other thing we have to acknowledge is one party’s not going to get this done. And I know that’s hard for Republicans to hear because so many Republican office holders have sold the American people a bill of goods that this can be done with one party alone. It cannot. 

“The last time we made much-needed reform to Social Security in 1983, it took Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill and Republican President Ronald Reagan to get it done. If we do not start thinking about avoiding fiscal calamity as a bipartisan problem, we will fail.”

Johnson entered the 2026 South Dakota GOP gubernatorial primary as the frontrunner but ended up placing third in a tight race behind real estate executive Toby Doeden and incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden.

He acknowledges that a congressional pedigree, once seen as a boost in a bid for a higher office, now appears to be something of an albatross.

SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR SURVIVES CROWDED PRIMARY — FOR NOW

“Well, I think an absolute onslaught of negative ads the last three or four weeks against me, they really worked. Told people I was a career politician, that I was a RINO, that I was a liberal, and we saw in the polling that that was resonating. Those ads worked so well because they tapped into kind of the spirit of the times. 

“I have 13 of my colleagues in Congress who have lost their races for governor or senator. Normally, running as a House member, that gives you a bit of an advantage if you’re running for a different office. That’s no longer the case. People are fed up with Washington, D.C. And that clearly is a drag on my many colleagues like me who’ve lost their races.”

Despite the outcome of the crowded primary, Johnson looks to his future plans with optimism, not bitterness, and pledges that his work is not yet finished, citing previous success in the business and non-profit sectors.

“Well, I don’t know yet. Of course, I’ve got to spend most of my time focused on my day job, which is being South Dakota’s only voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. I’ll do that until January, but listen, I know you can lead a life of consequence. 

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“You can make a better society in business. I’ve done that before. In the nonprofit sector, in lesser elected office or government office. So, I don’t really know yet, but I do know that I’m surely not ready to retire. I’m 50, but I feel like a real young 50, and I’m still filled with plenty of piss and vinegar. Let’s go get it done.”

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump swept up text messages from nearly 50 members of Congress, bypassing a required review process in what one victim alleged is a direct Constitutional violation.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the situation is more proof Smith’s probe was a “runaway train” of abuses of power, as the elder statesman and Senate Investigations Subcommittee chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., jointly released their filings Tuesday evening.

Grassley and Johnson’s findings come amid a full-scale probe of Operation Arctic Frost – the codename for Smith’s endeavor to investigate Trump for alleged corruption and election malfeasance – an operation top Senate Republicans call “worse than Watergate.”

LEGAL WAR ON TRUMP’S AGENDA GAINS FIREPOWER AS FEDERAL LAWYERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS

Forty-four members of Congress had the contents of their text messages obtained and reviewed by the Smith’s team, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden  in a way that bypassed protocol. A “filter team” was tasked with reviewing millions of documents in the case and should have had first crack at determining whether such messages were relevant or potentially violated statute or ethics.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., one of the lawmakers whose texts were swept up in this way, said Tuesday such texts being reviewed amounted to clear violations of the Constitution’s Speech & Debate Clause – which protects lawmakers from being questioned in “any other place” than the Capitol for legislative acts.

Internal communications have been historically included in that clause in the courts, as technology has advanced.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICES HEAD TO CAPITOL HILL FOR FIRST CONGRESSIONAL APPEARANCE SINCE 2019

Stefanik said in a statement that the new records prove Smith’s team “unlawfully and unconstitutionally accessed my private text messages, along with 43 other Members of Congress, in clear violation of the Constitution.”

She said she long-suspected there had been “unconstitutional spy[ing] on members of Congress.”

The records were provided by the Trump Justice Department to Grassley and Johnson, which the chairmen said indicated Smith’s team had “circumvented its own filter review process.” The process is additionally meant to protect attorney-client privilege, they said in a statement.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE TORCHES TRUMP ADMIN IN LATEST COURTROOM SHOWDOWN, REFERS ATTORNEY FOR BAR REVIEW

The news also complicated some of Smith’s prior depositions under oath, including an excerpt in which he answered “no” to a question from a congressional counsel as to whether records he requested from congresspeople included text messages.

Johnson called the situation a “grotesque example” of Biden-era “weaponization” of the executive branch.

“Jack Smith’s criminal investigation of President Trump was a runaway train that had no brakes,” Grassley added Tuesday.

“Based on the information that’s been produced to me and Senator Johnson, Biden DOJ and FBI investigators apparently ignored their own routine investigative protocols to obtain and review work-related messages from me and dozens of my Republican and Democrat colleagues who were outside the scope of the government’s investigation.”

Grassley added that he hopes Democrats caught up in the otherwise bipartisan text tranche will finally discard their partisanship and recognize the severity of the alleged violations by Smith.

He also indicated he planned to recall Smith before Congress to “hold him accountable.”

Of the 44 members swept up in the text reviews, several were Democrats, including now-Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as well as Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee – Rep. Adam Smith of Washington.

Grassley, Johnson and Stefanik were also swept up in the situation, along with top figures like Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Rand Paul, R-Ky., former Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and the late Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

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Former House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was one of the victims, along with current House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as well as House Freedom Caucus member Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, now-EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin of New York, now-Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins of Georgia, and prominent Trump critic Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

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Several lawmakers sounded off on the news soon after Grassley announced his findings, including Hawley – who called for “everyone involved [to] be prosecuted.”

“Joe Biden’s DOJ not only tapped my phone; I just learned they illegally obtained my texts with members of President Trump’s administration,” the Missourian fumed.

Paul called the allegations a “blatant abuse of power and exactly what our Founders warned about,” while citing Smith’s past denial under oath.

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Smith for comment.

A bipartisan effort to make Daylight Saving Time permanent is one step closer to becoming law after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the measure on Tuesday.

Lawmakers voted 308-117 to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to voluntarily observe Daylight Saving Time year-round as a growing mass of lawmakers push to extend daylight into the evening hours.

“For decades, we have accepted this ritual of springing forward and falling back, even though it disrupts routines, throws off our sleep, and creates unnecessary frustration for families across the country,” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said Tuesday, detailing how the clock changes have disrupted her infant son’s sleep schedule.

“Let’s stop asking Americans to reset their clocks every March and November,” she continued. “Let’s provide some certainty and consistency, and a little more sunshine at the end of the day.”

TRUMP-BACKED DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BILL CLEARS KEY HOUSE HURDLE

The legislation divided lawmakers in both parties, with members largely from coastal areas, such as Louisiana, Florida and New Jersey, supporting permanent Daylight Saving Time and others from the Midwest and agriculture-heavy states opposing it.

Democrats were nearly evenly split, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., voting “no.” Just 22 Republicans voted in opposition, including Reps. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Rick Crawford, R-Ark., Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, and Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo. 

The measure now heads to the Senate, where its prospects remain uncertain amid skepticism from members of both parties. President Donald Trump, who has long called for ending the twice-a-year clock changes, is expected to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

The White House urged lawmakers to support the Sunshine Protection Act in an internal memo sent to Hill offices Tuesday, calling it a “popular, common-sense reform.” 

Nearly every state follows the practice of setting clocks forward one hour in March to preserve more evening daylight before “falling back” one hour in November.

But nearly 20 states have already approved legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent if Congress authorizes the practice. Hawaii and most of Arizona, however, do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Proponents argued the legislation, authored by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., was necessary to end disruptions caused by switching clocks, including to children’s routines and road safety, while arguing longer daylight would boost tourism and outdoor recreation.

“More evening sunshine means more time with family and more time to enjoy our local restaurants, shops, and everything Florida has to offer,” Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., wrote on social media. “It’s common sense. Let’s get it done.”

Some lawmakers, however, argue that year-round Daylight Saving Time would delay winter sunrises until after 9 a.m. in some parts of the country, raising safety concerns about darker morning commutes and economic challenges for farmers who would likely have to start work later.

SLEEP DOCTOR REVEALS THE BRUTAL HEALTH DOWNSIDE OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Detractors have also stated that permanent standard time — meaning more light in the mornings — better aligns with circadian rhythms.

“If we’re going to make a permanent change that affects every American, we should follow the science and prioritize Americans’ health, particularly that of the children,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., who favors permanent standard time, said during debate Monday.

Scanlon also pointed to the nation’s brief experiment with year-round Daylight Saving Time in 1974, which Congress reversed after widespread public backlash.

Tuesday’s vote comes as the semiannual clock change remains widely unpopular with Americans, according to recent polling.

An AP-NORC survey released in December found that just 12% of Americans favor the current daylight saving time system, with nearly half opposed. Another 40% of respondents had no opinion.

The survey also found that more Americans support having Daylight Saving Time year-round compared to standard time by a 14-point margin.

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The Senate previously passed year-round Daylight Saving Time legislation in 2022, but the measure failed to clear the House.

President Donald Trump resurfaced decades-old comments on Iran Tuesday, sharing a 1980 interview clip in which he argued America needed to project strength during the hostage crisis.

“When you get the respect of the other countries, then the other countries tend to do a little bit as you do … and then you create the right attitudes,” Trump said in the resurfaced clip during an interview with reporter Rona Barrett about the Iranian hostage crisis.

When asked during the interview whether the U.S. should send troops into Iran during the hostage crisis, the then-real estate mogul didn’t hesitate.

“I absolutely feel that, yes,” Trump responded. “I don’t think there’s any question.”

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The clip has been circulating on social media amid escalating tensions with Iran after the U.S. resumed strikes following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement . Trump reposted the video on Truth Social on Tuesday.

Trump was discussing the Iran Hostage Crisis, during which Iranian militants seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

“The Iranian situation is case in point that they hold our hostages is just absolutely and totally ridiculous that this country sits back and allows a country such as Iran to hold our hostages, to my way of thinking is a horror,” he added.

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After lengthy negotiations over a memorandum of understanding with Iran collapsed, the U.S. resumed military operations against Iranian targets. CENTCOM said U.S. forces would resume blocking maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports Tuesday afternoon.

“Long before he was elected, President Trump has been remarkably consistent in his belief that Iran – a nation that chants ‘Death to America’ – can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. “The United States and our allies are already safer for President Trump’s bold actions to obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer and decimate their military in Operation Epic Fury. The successful Trump policy is defined by American strength – and President Trump will always unapologetically advance America’s interests.”

Trump said Monday that Tehran’s military capabilities have been badly weakened and warned of continued “major attacks.”

“If we didn’t do it, they would have had a nuclear weapon. If they had a nuclear weapon, Israel would no longer be with us. The Middle East probably would no longer be with us,” Trump said.

TRUMP HAS IRAN ON THE ROPES — AND CRITICS STILL DON’T GET HIS EDGE

While answering questions from reporters Monday, Trump said his administration has taken a tougher stance with Iran than previous administrations.

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“This is what they’ve done for 47 years,” Trump said. “The difference is nobody negotiated like I do. And this should have been done by Bush and Obama and Biden and people before them.”

He also accused Iran of dragging out negotiations for decades.

House conservatives ended their weeks-long blockade of the House floor Tuesday, handing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a key victory after the rebellion brought legislative business to a standstill for nearly a month.

The House successfully passed a procedural vote 215-211, teeing up votes on an appropriations bill funding the State Department, legislation making daylight saving time permanent and a measure seeking to improve veterans’ benefits.

Johnson also agreed to pair the State Department funding bill with the SAVE America Act, prompting several conservative holdouts to flip their votes after demanding the House increase pressure on the Senate to pass the stalled measure.

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., was the lone Republican to oppose the rule, while all Democrats voted “no” during a party-line procedural vote.

The conservatives had blocked all major House legislation since late June in an effort to force GOP leaders to hold floor votes on the Trump-backed SAVE America Act and a sweeping border security bill.

Given House Republicans’ slim majority, Johnson could afford to spare just a handful of GOP defections.

The speaker has been under mounting pressure to get the House moving again and advance a backlog of legislation ahead of the November midterm elections.

GOP leaders are racing to draft the blueprint for a third “big, beautiful bill” in addition to clearing government funding bills before the Sept. 30 deadline and a potential supplemental package covering the price tag of the Iran war.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who was among the GOP rebels who effectively shut down the chamber to pressure the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, agreed to unlock the floor after Johnson proposed pairing the election measure with the State Department appropriations bill.

Johnson sought to attach the SAVE America Act to the House’s version of an annual defense policy bill before the July 4 recess, but Luna continued the blockade anyway.

“If John Thune strips it out in the Senate, that will be on him and the entire country should be watching what he does,” Luna wrote on social media Monday.

TRUMP TAKES UNUSUAL STEP, LETS BIPARTISAN HOUSING BILL BECOME LAW UNSIGNED AMID SAVE PRESSURE CAMPAIGN

Thune, who is supportive of the SAVE America Act, has repeatedly insisted that the votes do not exist in the upper chamber to pass the Trump-backed legislation amid unified opposition from Democrats.

That leaves House Republicans with little leverage to force Senate action on the SAVE America Act.

Some of the GOP holdouts had also threatened to oppose the rule unless House Republican leadership agreed to schedule a vote on a border security package.

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are advocating for a vote on the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, which would codify several Trump executive orders targeting illegal immigration, including and end to catch-and-release policies.

“We need to deliver on codifying border security, deal with the birthright citizenship issue,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said. “These are all issues people that I represent care about intently and that we’ve talked about doing, and we need to deliver.”

In a potential sign of trouble for GOP leadership, some holdouts criticized Johnson’s planned legislative goals for the week.

“Making Daylight Saving Time permanent won’t matter at all if we don’t have election integrity,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, wrote on social media Monday, referring to the SAVE America Act. “Priorities.”

Self voted “yes” during the procedural vote.

The GOP rebels’ hardball tactics frustrated many House Republicans, who argued the strategy risked backfiring and paralyzing the conference’s legislative agenda.

“There’s a small group of Republicans who are upset at the Senate, as I think all of us are,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., told Fox News Monday. “But I don’t know how … if you’re upset at the Senate, why do you take it out on the conservative Republican agenda in the House?”

But some conservatives argued the House should do whatever it takes to get the SAVE America Act to President Donald Trump’s desk.

Trump has repeatedly said the election integrity measure is his top legislative priority. He even refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill last week aiming to boost supply and lower costs in protest of the SAVE America Act.

“We shouldn’t vote on anything else unless it has the SAVE [America] Act, period,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said Monday.

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“Ideally, the Senate ought to take it up every day and make them vote on it and do a talking filibuster and keep them up all night,” he continued. “That’s the best course of action. I don’t think they’ll do that.”

President Donald Trump said Tuesday late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s heart condition was “almost undetectable.”

During a meeting in the Oval Office with newly elected Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Trump answered a question about the South Carolina Republican, who died on Saturday night. A reporter asked about the FBI reportedly being seen at Graham’s home, and FBI Director Kash Patel has stated the bureau is assisting local authorities in the death probe.

“I’ve watched all the medical reports, I’ve had the doctors from the White House come in and explain what happened. And this is something that is almost undetectable and if it happens, there’s not much you can do about it,” Trump said in response to the reporter.

“You can detect it by if you have a very bad back. That’s a sign,” Trump added, saying that Graham would sometimes tell him he “had a bad back.”

MEDICAL EXAMINER RELEASES PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH AS DEATH CERTIFICATE REMAINS PENDING

“I don’t see a lot of evil there,” Trump said of the circumstances surrounding the senator’s passing. “I don’t I know there’s all sorts of conspiracy theories going along, and I don’t think the FBI, I think the FBI is wasting their time if they’re doing that.”

Graham died in Washington, D.C., one day after returning from Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a new package of sanctions against Russia. A statement released by Graham’s office on Sunday cited preliminary findings from the District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, identifying the cause of death as an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, though the official cause of death remains pending additional testing.

Trump also said multiple times in the Oval Office on Tuesday that Graham’s father died of the same condition, though Politico reported in 2015 that his father actually died of a massive heart attack, which is different than an aortic dissection.

An aortic dissection is a life-threatening medical emergency in which a tear develops in the inner layer of the aorta — the body’s largest artery, according to Mayo Clinic.

Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who did not treat Graham, told Fox News Digital that it can “come on in minutes or days and may be hard to recognize.”

In an interview with ABC News on Monday, Mehmet Oz, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, echoed much of what Trump said about how Graham may have died.

Oz, also the administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, used a paper towel roll as a prop to demonstrate what an aortic tear is.

NOTABLE FIGURES WHO DIED FROM THE SAME HEART CONDITION LINKED TO LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH

“If the blood pressure is high or there is hardening of the arteries, which happens with age, you will actually tear this tube,” said Oz, as he tore into the cardboard tube inside the paper towel roll.

“And as it tears, the blood, instead of being in the middle of the tube goes into the side of the tube, and there’s no room to go there, so it starts to rip through these layers of the tube until ultimately there’s no blood going where it’s supposed to go,” Oz said.

He continued: “So, you shut off blood to the heart, to the brain, the kidneys, to many parts of the body, and ultimately it just rips out. And when it rips out, it actually compresses the heart and that’s called cardiac tamponade, and it’s probably the reason we lost Sen. Graham.”

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Oz also said that when this happens to a person, there’s not “a lot of time” to medically intervene and save them.

“The heart is pumping six liters a minute, so that’s a lot of blood going in the wrong direction, spurting out of that tube, can take your life in many ways,” Oz said.

Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, was chosen by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to serve out the rest of her brother’s term in the Senate, which ends on Jan. 3, 2027. Darline Graham is scheduled to be sworn in at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

A repeat offender was charged with trespassing at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s Chicago home over Independence Day weekend, prompting renewed criticism from Republicans and crime-policy critics over the Democrat’s public-safety record.

Dwayne Cortez Milton was arrested on the night of July 4 after he was seen allegedly jumping a fence and entering Pritzker’s backyard. Milton faces a trespassing charge but was released from custody pending trial, ABC 7 Chicago reported. 

Milton was ordered released in the trespassing case, but court documents show he pleaded guilty July 7 in a separate theft case and remains in custody. The suspect was allegedly under electronic monitoring at the time of the trespassing charge and had an extensive criminal history, CWB Chicago reported, citing court records.

Pritzker has been repeatedly criticized for his soft-on-crime policies, including the elimination of cash bail, opposition to mandatory minimum expansions, expanding parole opportunities and sentencing reform. Illinois became the first state to abolish cash bail statewide after Pritzker signed the SAFE-T Act in 2021, following years of Democratic-led criminal justice reform efforts in the state.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CHICAGO COP KILLED AFTER SUSPECT RELEASED UNDER SAFE-T ACT

Opponents to the SAFE-T Act have claimed it makes it harder to keep some repeat offenders detained before trial, while supporters say the law prevents wealth from determining whether defendants remain jailed before a trial.

Critics were quick to react on social media, arguing the incident underscored their concerns about Illinois’ criminal justice policies.

“A 10-time convicted felon slips his electronic monitor. The court isn’t told for days. He’s found in JB Pritzker’s own backyard. How many more warnings does Illinois need before we admit the SAFE-T Act is failing,” wrote GOP Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey on X.

“Sorry to hear that, Governor. No one deserves to have their home violated like that. I hope you will take reforming the SAFE-T Act more seriously now,” wrote Americans for Prosperity IL state director Brian Costin.

“The Governor is a victim of his own soft on crime policy. He has blood on his hands as many convicted felons continue to commit violent crimes daily,” said Illinois Review contributor Mark Weyermuller.

President Donald Trump and Pritzker have repeatedly clashed over its sharply differing approaches to crime as the administration has ramped up their stronger stance deploying National Guard members to back various large cities.

“Governor JB Pritzker should pick up the phone and call me,” Trump posted on Truth Social at the end of June after 39 people were injured and 4 were dead in the Windy City over a weekend.

Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office, the Chicago Police Department and the White House for comment.

WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES

Trump and Pritzker’s feud has reached some of its most heated points over the administration’s immigration enforcement policies deporting illegal aliens. 

BIDEN JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP’S SANCTUARY CITIES LAWSUIT, SAYS EVEN A WIN WOULDN’T SOLVE DOJ’S PROBLEM

Pritzker, who is floated as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, has repeatedly defended Illinois’ sanctuary policies and accused ICE agents of targeting “law-abiding” immigrants rather than dangerous criminals.

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“I would like them to take real gang members and violent criminals off our streets — like, I would love it,” he said in October. “But that’s not what they’re doing. They’re just going after Black and Brown people.”

President Donald Trump teased who he may like to see as a long-term replacement for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as a special election to lock in a candidate for the seat fast approaches.

Private and public jockeying is already underway to snag Trump’s coveted endorsement in the special election, which is slated for Aug. 11, with two lawmakers already expressing interest in launching a campaign.

And as members of the South Carolina GOP congressional delegation and beyond line up for the race, the president hinted that he may already have a favorite: Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C.

GRAHAM ALLY RIPS ‘THIRSTY’ REPUBLICANS JOCKEYING TO REPLACE LATE SENATOR

“I think Russell Fry, a young congressman, is outstanding, and that could happen. I could see that happening,” Trump told Newsmax on Monday night. “I think he’s a very, very talented person.”

Trump backed Fry in his first bid for Congress in 2022, where he toppled former Rep. Tom Rice, R-S.C., in the primary. Rice was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on Capitol Hill.

‘THE HALLS OF THE SENATE ALREADY FEEL EMPTY’: TEARFUL THUNE HONORS LINDSEY GRAHAM AS SISTER TAKES HIS SEAT

“He took the place of somebody that was — I mean, he’s doing much better than the person that preceded him,” Trump said. “He’s been very popular in the state, so I think a name like Russell Fry is somebody you can watch out for and there are probably some others.”

Trump’s comments on Fry come after Politico reported that the lawmaker has been communicating with the White House about a run and was viewed as a top contender for the president’s stamp of approval. Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from the White House or Fry on whether he’s being eyed for the special election.

LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER APPOINTED TO SENATE AS GOP RUSHES TO PROTECT FRAGILE MAJORITY

In the meantime, Trump threw his support behind Graham’s sister, Sen.-designate Darline Graham, to take over the lawmaker’s seat for the remainder of his term. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her on Monday, and she’ll be sworn in to the role Tuesday afternoon.

Trump said that he believed Graham would be there “only on an interim basis.”

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Meanwhile, Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., are eyeing the race, too. Norman has gone so far as to ask Trump for his endorsement.

Both Mace and Norman failed to clinch the GOP nomination for governor in South Carolina, which ultimately went to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who toppled Trump-backed South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pam Evette.

FIRST ON FOX: Arkansas has been ranked the nation’s top state for religious liberty after Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a series of laws expanding faith protections that helped lift the state to the top.

Earning a score of 89.2%, Arkansas became one of only two states to earn the First Liberty Institute’s annual Religious Liberty in the States index’s first-ever “excellent” rating. The index evaluates states using 50 legal protections across 20 religious liberty safeguards spanning education, healthcare, family law, economic activity and other areas of daily life.

“Religious liberty is America’s First Freedom, and Arkansas is leading the nation in protecting it,” Sanders said.

“Our rights come from God, not government, and every American should be free to live according to their faith and conscience. We’ll continue defending that freedom and ensuring the Natural State remains the best place in the country to live, work and worship.”

AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN

The Natural State climbed six spots from last year’s rankings after lawmakers approved several measures expanding legal protections for religious exercise and conscience rights.

Arkansas’ rise was driven largely by Act 677, legislation Sanders signed last year that bars state and local governments from penalizing people, businesses and religious organizations for acting according to their religious beliefs regarding marriage and biological sex.

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The state’s religious liberty push also included the Conscience Protection Act, signed by Sanders in 2023, which expanded Arkansas’ Religious Freedom Restoration Act by prohibiting state government discrimination against religious organizations based on their religious identity or status.

Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO and chief counsel at First Liberty, said other states should follow Arkansas’ lead and “strengthen religious liberty protections in their own states.”

“Religious liberty is best protected when leaders are willing to act before the rights of people of faith are threatened,” Shackelford said.

GOV SANDERS REVEALS ‘MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH’ ON EDUCATION AS RED STATE POSITIONS ITSELF AS ‘BLUEPRINT’ FOR NATION

Dr. Mark David Hall, director of the Religious Liberty in the States project, said Arkansas demonstrates how states can protect what America’s founders called “the sacred right of conscience,” allowing people to practice their faith not just at church, but in their everyday lives.

“States have always served as laboratories of liberty, and this year’s results show why that matters,” Hall said.

Sanders also publicly defended religious freedom in December. She rejected demands from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a group that advocates for the separation of church and state, to reverse her proclamation closing state offices for Christmas.

In a response letter previously obtained by Fox News Digital, Sanders pushed back on claims it was unconstitutional, saying “only by voicing our own faith and celebrating other faiths can we make our state’s diverse religious communities feel seen and heard.”

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“With this index, citizens and legislators can see where their state is doing well, where it still has room to improve, and which existing laws could help better protect the right of conscience,” Dr. Paul D. Mueller, associate director of the Religious Liberty in the States project, said.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris drew ridicule over a motivational speech to the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks over the weekend – with critics arguing the appearance was another “word salad.”

Harris told the Sparks they were making an “incredible impact” on the country, while critics ripped her circuitous delivery and the fact she went from the Democrats’ presidential nominee to “giving speeches to the WNBA.”

“I travel our country. Young girls, boys, people of every gender background, race, watch the ‘W’, and understand how inspiring it is,” Harris said.

SUNNY HOSTIN DOESN’T KNOW IF PRESIDENT IS THE ‘RIGHT POSITION’ FOR HARRIS, URGES HER TO RECONSIDER CA GOVERNOR

“So keep doing what you’re doing. You guys are impacting people who you may never meet,” she said, before claiming that that includes people who “may never know your names or mine but they are aware of what you are.”

“And it is giving them a sense of their value, their dignity, and what they have a right to expect from this world — so congratulations on this game, but congratulations as much as anything else for the path you guys are charting. It is extraordinary to watch.”

Outkick founder Clay Travis was nonplussed by Harris’ remarks, saying the former vice president made “zero sense.”

NATE BARGATZE FACING CANCELLATION FROM THE LEFT FOR ATTENDING UFC 250 WHITE HOUSE EVENT: ‘TEAM FASCISM’

“This league has still never had a team visit the White House with Trump in office,” he added.

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines said on Fox News Monday that when FBI Director Kash Patel fired up the U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team in February after its upset of Canada, he was ridiculed by Harris’ ideological flank for the appearance while serving as the FBI chief. Gaines said on Fox News that while she had not seen Harris’ clip yet, she was reminded of the invective launched at the administration official. 

“Was there any outrage like there was when Kash Patel was in the men’s locker room after the Olympic team won a gold medal at the Olympics? No, I don’t think so,” she said.

Other critics said Harris served up her latest helping of “delusional word salad nonsense,” hearkening back to prior speeches and public remarks that also appeared circuitous or vague.

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“I still thank God every single day that this woman lost the election,” user One Bad Dude wrote.

“She’s like a party clown at this point,” another wrote. 

Another quipped: “Total mystery how this person lost every swing state.”

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Fox News Digital’s Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order drastically shrinking the size of two national monument areas in Utah on Monday.

The order applies to the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments, shrinking their total coverage by roughly 90% from 3 million acres to 300,000. The areas were established as federal monuments by President Bill Clinton in 1996 and Barack Obama in 2016, respectively.

“They took the land from the people quite honestly,” Trump said during the Monday signing ceremony. “We’re giving it back.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also attended the signing and praised the move, saying the original size of the monuments was far too expansive.

DOUG BURGUM SAYS VANDALISM OF REFLECTING POOL STARTED AS EARLY AS JUNE 9 AFTER TRUMP ANNOUNCED RENEWAL

“We believe that under the Antiquities Act, it’s very clear that these monument designations are supposed to be the smallest area possible to protect the antiquities, and these multimillion-acre monuments that are bigger than the state of Delaware certainly do not fit that designation,” he said.

Local Native American groups have criticized the move, however, as both monument areas contain parts of their history, including cliffside villages and petroglyphs.

NEWSOM-BACKED COMMISSION TRANSFERS POPULAR COASTLINE TO INDIGENOUS TRIBES

“From a Navajo perspective, Bears Ears is not simply a piece of federal public land,” said Davina Smith-Idjesa, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and co-chair of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. “This is a living cultural site that holds our histories, our ceremonies, our traditional foods and medicines and our ancestors’ footprints.”

Protections for national monuments apply to the surrounding landscape as well, preventing drilling, mining and construction. The original designations for the two monuments contained large deposits of coal and uranium.

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Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have pushed for using more federal land to expand U.S. energy production, clearing the way for mining and oil drilling in Alaska as well.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Senate Republican added further detail to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., final moments thanks to an unlikely connection.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., revealed that it was a former member of his staff that called for medical assistance to aid Graham over the weekend, who died suddenly just after his return from an overseas trip.

“My former scheduler was Lindsey’s scheduler, and one of my staff members was with that scheduler the night Lindsey called,” Tuberville told reporters. “He called [and] basically said, ‘Listen, I’m having chest pains. You know, I need to do something.’ ‘Did you call 911?’ And he goes, ‘No, that’s the reason I called you.’”

GRAHAM REPORTEDLY REFUSED MEDICAL HELP BEFORE SCHEDULED TV APPEARANCE

“And so she called 911 … By the time she got there, 911 had knocked the door down, and they were working on him,” he continued.

A preliminary cause of death was revealed Sunday evening. His office said that the longtime lawmaker had died from “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”

Aortic dissection is when a tear occurs in the inner wall of the aorta, the body’s main artery, and is a life-threatening medical emergency.

“Lindsey basically worked himself to death, most of us have families, he didn’t have any family,” Tuberville said. “And if we had a couple of days off, he went to that airport, and he went somewhere to try to work out something for our country.”

LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER APPOINTED TO SENATE AS GOP RUSHES TO PROTECT FRAGILE MAJORITY

Axios reported that in one of Graham’s final conversations, he told an unnamed source that he was feeling unwell but wanted to wait until after his scheduled appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to seek medical attention.

“I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,” Graham said.

His death has rocked the Senate, where emotional tributes rolled in throughout the day on Monday, the upper chamber’s first day back in Washington, D.C., since recessing for the Fourth of July.

GRAHAM’S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE

Graham’s desk in the Senate, which is where the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., his close friend, once sat, was draped with a black veil and a glass bowl of sharp white roses atop it.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in an emotional tribute to the late lawmaker, said that the “halls of the Senate already feel empty without him.”

“I am comforted by the knowledge that, in the end, he has just changed his address. And that one day, Mr. President,” Thune said through tears. “We will laugh together again.”

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Graham will be succeeded, temporarily, by his sister, Darline Graham Nordone. She is slated to be sworn in to the position on Tuesday after being tapped by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to fill in for her late brother.

“I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way,” Nordone said during the ceremony in Columbia, South Carolina. “Now to Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I’m going to do this, I got it.”

Homeownership remains out of reach for many Americans, but Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner reveals some states are making more progress than others.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Turner said Florida and Texas are “ahead of the game” on housing affordability, citing efforts to expand housing opportunities and reduce barriers to new construction.

His comments come as home costs has emerged as a major midterm issue, with elevated mortgage rates, a persistent housing shortage and rising construction costs continuing to put homeownership out of reach for many families.

‘AMERICAN HOUSES ARE FOR AMERICAN PEOPLE’: TRUMP HOUSING CHIEF INSISTS IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN WILL LOWER COSTS

Against that backdrop, President Donald Trump’s HUD chief argued that increasing housing supply through state and local reforms will be critical to improving affordability, saying the Trump administration is working to reduce regulatory barriers and encourage more homebuilding nationwide.

“Florida is really ahead of the game, in particular when it comes to opportunities, and Texas is doing a great job,” Turner told Fox News Digital from the National Mall last week on one of the final days of the Great American State Fair.

He said states that prioritize housing development and work closely with local communities are better positioned to keep pace with demand.

THE SURPRISING HIDDEN COST QUIETLY ADDING NEARLY $132K TO NEW HOME PRICES REVEALED

Beyond those two states, Turner said other communities are also making strides.

“Other states are laser focused on this. I was just in Philadelphia and they are dialed in and working very well together,” he said of the Pennsylvania city, addind: “Omaha, Nebraska, they have great collaboration and working relationships.”

The comments align with what homebuilders describe as a key advantage in many fast-growing Southern states.

By easing regulatory hurdles and making it easier to build new homes, states such as Texas and Florida have been better positioned to keep pace with rapid population growth than markets with more restrictive zoning and permitting rules, industry leaders previously told Fox News Digital.

ONE SOUTHERN CITY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IS GROWING FASTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN AMERICA

“Those economies are wide open. They are inviting more businesses, they’re generally low-tax states and they’ve made housing a priority,” National Association of Home Builders President and CEO Jim Tobin previously told Fox News Digital.

“They’ve got the land and the will and courage to let builders build in those areas to meet the housing demand for those new jobs.”

The approach has taken on greater importance as Americans continue relocating to lower-tax states, fueling demand for homes in many Sun Belt markets.

Housing experts say states that pair population growth with policies that encourage new construction are generally better positioned to accommodate newcomers without worsening housing shortages or putting additional upward pressure on prices.

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Turner said the Trump administration is pursuing many of the same strategies he credited in states like Florida and Texas, including reducing regulatory barriers and encouraging new home construction to boost supply and improve affordability.

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“That’s what we’re doing now is easing the regulatory environment, bringing the cost down, raising the supply so builders can build and homeowners can buy,” Turner said.

President Donald Trump on Monday spent the early afternoon showcasing INDYCAR vehicles that will participate in a first-of-its-kind race in Washington, D.C. in August.

“Unprecedented events will take place next month right here in our nation’s capital. On August 22nd and 23rd,” Trump said, standing outside the White House on Executive Avenue where an INDYCAR pit stop was demonstrated for the president.

“It will be an awesome display of American patriotism and raw horsepower ingenuity,” Trump said. “You’re going to see cars at the level that they’ve never been at before, with cars racing more than 190 miles and even higher than that down Pennsylvania Avenue.”

AMERICA’S 250TH CELEBRATION IN NATION’S CAPITAL BOOSTED BY ICONIC AUTOMAKER’S 2-WEEK TRIBUTE TO INNOVATION

The 47th president stood flanked by three INDYCAR racers, including 2026 Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist, on his right. On his left stood Penske Corporation founder and chairman Roger Penske, the company’s president, Bud Denker, and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.

“It wasn’t exactly designed for that,” Trump joked of the upcoming race down the National Mall and streets of Washington, D.C.

“But what Sean Duffy has done with these incredible, brilliant people is really amazing. It’s going to be a sight for the ages,” the president continued. “It really will be something special, and they’re going to go all around the National Mall at speeds that are not quite, if we did that during the regular day, I think people would be put in jail, perhaps for the rest of their lives.”

Penske said that more than 250,000 members of the public have signed up to attend the events next month, which was established by an executive order Jan. 30 and is free of charge to attend. 

FLASHBACK: AS AMERICA TURNS 250, HERE’S HOW THE NATION CELEBRATED ITS BIGGEST BIRTHDAYS

“When you think about 250 years of this country, it’s an amazing time,” Penske said.

“It’s a great place to live. It’s a great place to work, and I think we’re fortunate to have the most important office in the world give us the green light and then the checkered flag to have this event in August.”

When the remarks concluded, an INDYCAR driver demonstrated a pit stop, accelerating down Executive Avenue, showcasing the race car’s roaring engines. It stopped for only six seconds at the pit stop, where the crew quickly changed all four tires before the car sped off, leaving a cloud of burning rubber behind.

The Grand Prix will take place Aug. 22-23 where INDYCAR racers, whose vehicles have the ability to top 200mph in speed, will zoom around the nation’s capital for the first time in history, according to the White House.

The course, described as “picturesque” by the race organizers, will be a 1.7-mile seven-turn circuit including a .4-mile front stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, according to the official website for the race.

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The track’s pit lane area will be adjacent to Pennsylvania Avenue, between turns one and two on the circuit, according to race organizers.

The INDYCAR field will race by a number of well known institutions in the nation’s capital, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives.

The event offers free general admission and is open to the public. There are also a limited number of free tickets that allow attendees to access areas inside the track.

The late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., reportedly wanted to hold off getting medical assistance until after his scheduled appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

In what could have been his final conversation, Graham, who suddenly died at 71 years old after a “brief and sudden illness,” told a person that he was feeling unwell, Axios reported. When the person pushed the lawmaker to get medical attention, he reportedly said that he’d do so after his TV hit.

After he held a call with President Donald Trump, Graham, in what could have been his final conversation before his sudden passing, told an unnamed source that he was feeling unwell, Axios reported. When the source pushed the lawmaker to get medical attention, he reportedly said he’d wait until after his “Meet the Press” appearance on Sunday.

“I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,” Graham said, according to the report.

LINDSEY GRAHAM WAS BOOKED FOR 64TH ‘MEET THE PRESS’ APPEARANCE BEFORE SUDDEN DEATH

Graham’s office released a preliminary cause of death on Sunday evening that found the longtime lawmaker had died from “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”

Aortic dissection is when a tear occurs in the inner wall of the aorta, the body’s main artery, and is a life-threatening medical emergency.

“The death certificate will be PENDING until all the toxicological and microscopic testing are finalized and at that point the death certificate will be updated to reflect the cause of death and appropriately classify the manner of death,” Graham’s office said.

MEDICAL EXAMINER RELEASES PRELIMINARY FINDINGS IN LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH AS DEATH CERTIFICATE REMAINS PENDING

President Donald Trump had believed he may have been the last person to speak with Graham before his death.

“I don’t know exactly, but I got a message about 1 in the morning from one of the people in his office that he had passed away. I said, ‘I just can’t believe it,’” Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “He was like a member of the family to me. It’s very tough, actually.”

One of Graham’s top priorities before his death was laying the groundwork to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel — one of his many forays into foreign affairs in the region.

GRAHAM’S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE

He had just come from Ukraine, and had renewed backing from the White House for one of his other top priorities — levying bone-crushing sanctions against Russia to cripple its war machine.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who traveled with Graham overseas, said in a statement on Saturday that his death should spur the passage of their Russia sanctions package.

“There can be no more fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy or the causes he fought for than to pass this legislation and realize his long-held dream of an independent and secure Ukraine,” Shaheen said.

With the Senate’s scheduled return on Monday, the lawmaker’s death leaves a power vacuum in the upper chamber and a scramble behind the scenes to replace him in South Carolina.

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Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., are both eyeing the seat and possible bids for the GOP nomination in the forthcoming special election. First, however, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has to appoint someone to fill the seat for the remainder of the year.

It also possibly jeopardizes elements of Trump’s agenda, including the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), nominations and his coveted SAVE America Act, which Graham strongly supported.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing renewed criticism over housing affordability as rents in Manhattan and Brooklyn hit record highs, with conservative commentators arguing that immigration-driven demand is adding pressure to an already tight rental market that the mayor campaigned to ease.

Manhattan’s and Brooklyn’s median rents reached $5,295 and $4,350, respectively, in June, according to an analysis conducted by the Corcoran Group, a real estate firm. The most recent available data shows roughly 38% of New Yorker residents were born outside the United States, and about 40% of rentals in the city are occupied by foreign-born individuals, though the data does not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration status.

“You declared yourself a sanctuary city. You ‘welcomed’ hundreds of thousands of illegals. Then you had to find places to put them,” conservative radio host Andrew Wilkow wrote on X, reacting to news of increased rents. “That put pressure on housing supply. Shortages create price increases. It’s pretty simple.”

BIDEN’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION SURGE CAUSED HIGHER RENT AND HOME PRICES, FED STUDY FINDS

A 2003 paper published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that immigration “pushes up rents and housing values in destination cities,” with an immigration inflow equal to 1% of a city’s population associated with about a 1% increase in average rents and housing values. More recently, a paper published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in March found that a 1% increase in illegal immigrants working in a given area corresponded to a 1.4% increase in rental prices because localities did not build enough new housing to match population growth.

Both papers reflect the authors’ findings and do not represent official positions of the Federal Reserve System or its regional banks.

“Young Americans compete for housing with millions of foreign arrivals,” Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, wrote on Monday in response to the rent data out of New York City.

‘AMERICAN HOUSES ARE FOR AMERICAN PEOPLE’: TRUMP HOUSING CHIEF INSISTS IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN WILL LOWER COSTS

Between 2020 and 2023, the most recent years available, the share of renter households associated with foreign-born New Yorkers rose from 37% to 40%, according to the New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey. The data does not distinguish a resident’s legal status, making it unclear whether illegal immigrants represent an increased share of renters.

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine, responding to news of rising rents on Sunday, recommended that the city rezone neighborhoods to allow more homebuilding, invest in affordable housing development, and cut construction regulations to increase housing supply and bring down costs.

Conservative lawyer Mike Davis responded to Levine’s recommendations by asking, “How about deporting illegals?”

AMERICA’S HOUSING MARKET COULD RUN OUT OF SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOMES

The White House claims that declining rental costs in the South and Southwest have been caused by its deportations, a claim disputed by critics who point toward broader market conditions. A March 2024 academic study found that deportations could actually increase overall housing prices by harming the construction industry, though the authors conceded that removing illegal immigrants could also cause housing demand to come down somewhat.

Mamdani campaigned on addressing New York City’s housing crisis by freezing increases for rent-stabilized tenants, building 200,000 new affordable homes and expanding tenant protections. Since taking office, he has successfully frozen rents on rent-stabilized leases, released a housing plan aimed at building and preserving 400,000 affordable homes and moved to expand rental vouchers.

“Zohran Mamdani ‘froze the rent’ and served himself some taxpayer-funded cake,” Red State writer Bonchie posted to X, referring to Mamdani’s celebrating the rent freeze with cake earlier this summer. “Then rents hit an all-time high, vacancy rates reached the highest since COVID, and he proposed a 20% raise for himself. Incredible stuff.”

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Critics argue that rent freezes will lead to increased prices for everyone else and disincentivize property owners from doing more than the bare minimum to maintain units that they aren’t being paid market rate to rent.

Mamdani’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

Even as NATO allies increase defense spending, arm Ukraine and impose sanctions aimed at weakening the Kremlin, European Union countries haven’t yet been able to shake dependence on Russian liquefied natural gas, providing Russia with a key source of revenue as it wages war in Ukraine.

A new analysis of commercial shipping data shows European countries spent billions in the first half of 2026 on purchases of Arctic liquefied natural gas. Environmental watchdog Urgewald, using trade intelligence platform Kpler shipping data, found that 136 cargoes of the 140 cargoes exported from Russia’s flagship Yamal liquefied natural gas project between January and June were delivered to European Union ports. 

China, once viewed as a major market for the Arctic project, received just four cargoes during the same period, the analysis found. 

The group estimated those shipments were worth roughly €5.96 billion, or about $6.8 billion, based on benchmark European natural gas prices.

DRONE OFFENSIVE HITS RUSSIAN OIL TANKERS AND REFINERIES AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’ AS MOSCOW BANS DIESEL EXPORTS

The figures expose one of the central contradictions confronting Europe four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: While European governments have pledged to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels and cut off a key source of the Kremlin’s revenue, significant payments for Russian liquefied natural gas continue flowing during the bloc’s transition away from Russian energy.

The analysis found French ports were the destination for 51 cargoes from the Yamal liquefied natural gas project, followed by Belgium with 37 and Spain with 34 during the first six months of the year, according to the analysis. The figures reflect deliveries to ports rather than the nationality of the companies purchasing the liquefied natural gas or its ultimate destination within the European market, a spokesperson with France’s embassy in Washington emphasized. 

The findings also come as NATO allies have committed to sharply increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the challenge of simultaneously strengthening Europe’s military deterrence while significant energy revenues continue flowing to Moscow.

The European Union has adopted legislation to phase out Russian gas imports in stages, with a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas under long-term contracts taking effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and a ban on Russian pipeline gas under long-term contracts following on Sept. 30, 2027. While pipeline gas imports from Russia have fallen sharply since 2022, Russian liquefied natural gas has remained a significant source of supply for several European countries.

TRUMP CALLS OUT NATO AHEAD OF SUMMIT, CALLING IT ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR US TO PERSIST ON ‘ONE SIDED PATH’

President Donald Trump has criticized Europe for its continued dependence on Russian fuel sources. 

“Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine, by far,” Trump said during his March 4, 2025, address to a joint session of Congress. 

European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the increase likely reflected “frontloaded deliveries and adjustments to contractual arrangements ahead of tighter restrictions,” noting that the ban on new Russian gas contracts only took effect in March and that most remaining imports are under long-term contracts that are not scheduled to end until 2027.

The commission also said market disruptions following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz prompted efforts to maximize alternative liquefied natural gas supplies and that restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas transshipment may have resulted in more cargoes remaining within the European Union market.

“As a result of President Trump’s energy dominance agenda, the United States is the world’s largest producer and exporter of oil and natural gas — with more than enough supply for both the United States and our allies,” the White House said in a statement. “The United States is Europe’s largest supplier of natural gas, and Europe will continue to import more and more U.S. LNG.” 

The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Fox News Digital in a statement that Belgium backed the EU’s agreement to phase out Russian gas imports and was “actively working toward that objective,” adding that the country was implementing all EU measures in the field.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Spanish embassy in Washington for comment.

Russia’s use of energy as a geopolitical tool came into sharp focus after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Moscow sharply reduced or halted natural gas supplies to several European countries, including Poland, Bulgaria, Finland and Germany. The European Commission accused the Kremlin of attempting to “weaponize” Europe’s energy supply after Russia cut deliveries through multiple routes, including the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

The disruptions accelerated the European Union’s effort to end decades of reliance on Russian fossil fuels and deprive Moscow of a key source of export revenue.

In 2022, members of the European Parliament called on the European Commission to investigate allegations that Russian-backed organizations sought to shape European Union energy debates, including by opposing domestic fossil fuel development and nuclear power. The allegations have been the subject of political debate, but no comprehensive public finding has established that Russian funding broadly shaped Europe’s green energy policies.

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The data illustrate the strategic challenges of unwinding decades of dependence on Russian energy while maintaining stable supplies for European consumers.

Continued liquefied natural gas purchases provide Russia with billions of dollars in export revenue at a time when the U.S. and its allies have sought to squeeze Moscow’s energy earnings in an effort to limit the Kremlin’s ability to sustain its war in Ukraine.

In June, EU foreign ministers approved another round of sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and “curb[ing] Russia’s energy revenues” by tightening restrictions on the country’s shadow fleet and the networks that help export its oil.

Spain, one of Europe’s largest importers of Russian liquefied natural gas, has emerged as a focal point in the debate over the bloc’s planned phaseout. The head of the Port of Bilbao urged Brussels to delay its 2027 ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports in an article published June 27 in the Financial Times, warning Europe could become overly dependent on U.S. gas. Spain’s energy minister rejected that argument, saying the recent rise in Russian liquefied natural gas imports was temporary and insisting Europe should move ahead with plans to eliminate Russian gas imports beginning in 2027. 

Spain has also emerged as a frequent target of Trump: last week during the NATO Summit in Ankara Wednesday and Thursday, he blasted Madrid over its refusal to meet the alliance’s new defense spending target, calling Spain “a wasted cause” and “a terrible partner” while threatening to cut off trade.

The clash followed earlier disputes over Spain’s refusal to support U.S. military operations against Iran.

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The findings come days after bipartisan senators and the Trump administration reached an agreement on legislation that would authorize sweeping secondary sanctions against countries continuing to purchase Russian energy. The proposal, championed by late Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, is intended to increase pressure on Moscow by targeting foreign buyers of Russian oil and natural gas.

“As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine,” leading senators said in a joint statement.

Fox News Digital has reached out to NATO and the Russian embassy for comment. 

Infighting has erupted within the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) about the selection of its pick for U.S. president, as the group’s influence continues to grow on the national stage and speculation swirls about a 2028 presidential run by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

The infighting reveals fractures in the roughly 120,000-member group, which has emerged as the preeminent socialist group in America. The division also sheds light on how some Democratic Socialists of America members believe the group can gain a permanent foothold in American politics and deliver on its socialist ideals on a national scale.

Some Democratic Socialists of America leaders have been pushing for an earlier presidential endorsement in place of the group’s normal practice of selecting endorsements at its biennial national convention, which is set for summer 2027. 

One faction known as the “Groundwork” caucus is pushing strongly for the group to conduct a national member poll and “endorse AOC on day one.” The caucus believes an early endorsement will help DSA hold a more influential early role in 2028 presidential politics and “build power for socialism.” 

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In one online petition, DSA members voiced that “if we don’t have a member poll, we as members will be left out of DSA’s most fundamental way of building a democratic strategy.”

However, in a Sunday 14–13 vote, DSA’s National Political Committee (NPC) rejected a proposal to allow the group’s 2028 presidential endorsement to be decided through a nationwide all-member poll, according to Canary Mission. By rejecting the proposal, the committee left the issue to DSA’s existing convention process, meaning any national endorsement decision would likely wait until the organization’s next convention in August 2027.

The decision was blasted by many DSA members online. 

Gustavo Gordillo, co-chair of the group’s New York City chapter, posted on X that “DSA’s national leadership (the NPC) just voted to overturn our convention & took away rank and file members’ right to vote in an all-member poll on presidential endorsement.”

Gordillo added that the committee is “taking away our members’ right to vote” while NYC-DSA, the group’s largest chapter, is “send(ing) them ~ $2M per year in dues.”

Likewise, J. Ryder, founding editor of a magazine on communism, wrote that the committee’s decision “to suppress polling the will of the members on presidential endorsement is severely disappointing.”

Ryder added that “this will inevitably put DSA on the back foot in the 2028 moment,” writing, “Waiting to endorse in August of next year at the convention may mean 6 months+ of vital AOC campaign time where the masses will be mobilizing without intervention by DSA.”

“The worst part is, the members want to mobilize, they see the opportunity that this moment represents for socialism and want so desperately to grasp it,” he added. “The fact the (sic) some sectarians on the NPC are suppressing even a non-binding poll shows that they know this, and are scared of the implications of member democracy and mass politics in DSA.” 

In response, committee member Amy Wilhelm fired back at Gordillo, posting on X that “NYC members deserve co-chairs that don’t lie.”

Wilhelm said that “there was never intention to prevent” DSA members from participating in chapter polls, and that “with the resolution where we left it today chapters are allowed to carry out the poll per their standard method.”

Likewise, another X user who goes by the name “tylerisposting” blasted Gordillo, telling him in an X post to “stop lying” and “stop trying to foment a split.”

Meanwhile, Eve Seitchik, a Massachusetts DSA member, characterized the events of the day as “a massive escalation of factional tensions,” adding, “I’m afraid DSA has been set down a dangerous path.”

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The authors posited that DSA’s recent electoral wins and Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., “Fight Oligarchy” tour “have shown that there is energy all across the country to support a bold, democratic socialist presidential campaign.”

They argued that “DSA should be ready to position ourselves as the political home for the millions of people that will be inspired by AOC’s message and position our organization as the vital core of AOC’s campaign.”

They wrote that Ocasio-Cortez is “on the precipice of running for — and potentially winning — the presidency of the United States” and that “this opportunity is years in the making.”

“If we drag our feet,” they wrote, “we will have forced ourselves into the backseat and miss the opportunity to strike when the iron is hot.”

The four-term congresswoman has not directly said whether she will launch a presidential run in 2028. Rumors are also circulating about her opting to instead run for the Senate to topple Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Though Ocasio-Cortez is considered one of the most prominent socialists in the country and a close ally of Sanders, she has run afoul of DSA leadership several times.

In summer 2025, the group issued a statement condemning Ocasio-Cortez’s vote against an amendment to block additional funding for Israel’s “Iron Dome,” which would have denied Israel an additional $500 million in U.S. funding for its preeminent missile defense system. In 2024, the DSA withdrew its endorsement for Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election, citing that she had not met its conditions, including opposing all funding to Israel and publicly supporting boycott and sanctions for the country.

DSA’s New York City chapter notably retained its endorsement for Ocasio-Cortez.

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Commenting on DSA’s deliberations, a spokesperson for Canary Mission told Fox News Digital that “an AOC presidency would give that movement more than influence: it would give its agenda access to the full power of the executive branch.”

The spokesperson added that “putting that power in the hands of a movement that repeatedly places ideological allegiance above America’s national interests, regards America and its allies as the problem, and shows sympathy toward their adversaries would not be political progress. It would be a profound national-security risk—and could be devastating for the country.”

“DSA presents its agenda as a project of reconstruction, but much of its politics begins with dismantling the institutions, alliances, and economic system that sustain those achievements,” the spokesperson said, adding, “For more than a decade, Canary Mission has documented numerous instances in which anti-Zionist activism has crossed into antisemitic harassment, support for extremism, and hostility toward the United States and its democratic allies.”

“As these ideas have moved from activist circles into mainstream politics, DSA has emerged as the primary vehicle through which radical ideology is translated into political success,” said the spokesperson.

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Canary Mission keeps its representatives unnamed for security reasons.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office and DSA for comment.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Monday announced the creation of a joint task force with the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute officials who leak “sensitive information” to the media.

Hegseth said the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) may request and receive all information, support and records across the department regarding news media leak investigations.

“To combat the dangers that leaks pose, effectively immediately, I have ​delegated tasking authority ​to the war department’s ‌office ⁠of general counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive ​all ​information, ⁠records and support across the ​department concerning ​media ⁠leak investigations,” he said in a video shared on X.

“Leaked information risks lives, these new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force,” Hegseth continued. “The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines, access to confidential and secret information is a sacred trust, and those who betray that trust will be met with the full force of the law.”

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The secretary also thanked Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for his support, adding that he was “proud that our departments are working together closer than we have ever before.”

Hegseth’s announcement comes just days after the DOJ issued subpoenas to four reporters at The New York Times, attempting to force them to testify before a federal grand jury after the newspaper reported on the security concerns involving the plane gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar that he flew on to Turkey for a recent NATO summit.

The subpoenas were widely criticized by The New York Times, journalists at various news outlets and press freedom groups, arguing that the Trump administration is attempting to intimidate reporters conducting legitimate news-gathering about the government.

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“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” an attorney for the newspaper, David McCraw, said in a statement.

“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” McCraw added. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”

Since taking over as head of the Pentagon last year, Hegseth has sought to crack down on leaks to the media.

Last year, the department opened investigations into those accused of leaking classified information to the press and threatened to conduct polygraphs to identify leakers.

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Hegseth has also attempted to impose restrictions on reporters covering the Pentagon. He had forced them to sign a pledge stating that they would not solicit any unauthorized material, even if the information was unclassified. Most Pentagon reporters turned in their press badges rather than accept the department’s restrictions on news-gathering.

That policy is facing lawsuits, and a judge last month granted a preliminary injunction, ruling that the department’s requirement that journalists be accompanied by an official chaperone at all times violated the First Amendment in response to a case brought by The New York Times.