NationalWatch

Two years after a gunman opened fire on Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the security failures that nearly cost him his life remain under scrutiny as later alleged plots and reported threats keep presidential protection in the spotlight.

Trump was rushed offstage by Secret Service agents after gunfire grazed his upper right ear during his July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attack came months before Trump’s re-election and preceded a series of later alleged attempts and reported threats against his life.

Two years ago Monday, Trump was mid-sentence, pointing to a chart on illegal immigration under the Biden administration, when gunshots pierced the air at his Butler rally. Authorities identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired from the roof of a nearby building.

TWO MEN SHOT AT TRUMP’S BUTLER RALLY SUE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER SECRET SERVICE ‘PREVENTABLE FAILURES’

Secret Service agents tackled Trump to the ground. Moments later, as they rose to escort him to his motorcade, Trump emerged from the huddle. Trump raised his fist high in the air, and said “fight” three times, prompting the audience to erupt and chant “U-S-A!” as he exited.

The gunman killed firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was shielding his family, and wounded two other men. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks during the attack.

A report from the Office of Inspector General, released earlier this month, found that the U.S. Secret Service “missed multiple opportunities” to prevent or disrupt the assassination attempt due to communication failures and other security lapses.

AFTER THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, DEBATE GROWS OVER WHETHER TRUMP ATTACK WARRANTS ANOTHER INVESTIGATION

“The Secret Service’s overall lack of policy and processes coupled with limited intelligence sharing and poor collaboration and communication with protectee staff and state and local law enforcement set the conditions that led to missing opportunities to prevent and detect the attempted assassination,” the report said.

It also found failure to warn Trump’s protective detail that Crooks had a rangefinder and a long gun and had climbed onto the roof of a nearby building.

Trump’s security has remained under scrutiny since he returned to office, amid later alleged assassination attempts and reported threats against his life. 

In September 2024, authorities said Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted him with a rifle near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in what federal prosecutors later charged as an attempted assassination of Trump.

ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT

In April of this year, there was an assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where a shooter attempted to break into the ballroom.

The renewed threats come amid escalating tensions with Iran, after the U.S. resumed strikes following the collapse of a ceasefire agreement. Reports this week said Israeli intelligence warned U.S. officials about a new Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.

Trump warned Iran Friday that the United States would “decimate and destroy” the country if Tehran carried out an assassination attempt against him.

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U.S. Secret Service has not directly commented on the reports.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

President Donald Trump is pushing for an unexpected replacement to fill the vacancy left by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in the Senate.

Trump wants South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to tap Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to be appointed to the lawmaker’s suddenly open seat for the remainder of his term.

“I recommended, to Governor Henry McMaster, Lindsey Graham’s wonderful sister, Darline, to serve as interim Senator from the Great State of South Carolina,” Trump said on Truth Social on Monday. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly!”

Graham and his younger sister, Darline, had a unique bond, given that, after their parents died, the lawmaker legally adopted and raised her.

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

Trump’s announcement comes as a scramble behind the scenes is taking place to fill Graham’s spot, and further, find a new GOP nominee to run in November to keep his seat in the hands of Republicans.

McMaster is expected to announce his pick for the seat at 4 p.m. on Monday. He has so far kept quiet about who he would prefer. Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from McMaster’s office on who he is eyeing in the interim.

Meanwhile, a key Republican, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also wants to see Graham’s sister get the nod for his seat.

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“Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the Senate term,” Scott said on X. “After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country.”

Scott, earlier in the day, floated both former Rep. Trey Gowdy and former Sen. Jim DeMint as possible replacements in the interim. He hoped that McMaster would “put a placeholder and let the voters decide” later during a forthcoming special election.

“I think in the next several hours or next day or so we’ll figure out who that person is,” Scott said. “I love Trey Gowdy and Jim DeMint has been in the conversation.”

“[Graham’s] sister would be a wonderful placeholder as well,” he continued. “So we’ve got lots of candidates who could hold the place so that the voters decide. And remember the election starts August the 11th in South Carolina, three weeks from now, we’ll have a primary process.”

FROM ‘DISGRACE’ TO ‘FAMILY’: TRUMP’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY WITH LINDSEY GRAHAM

Both Gowdy and DeMint have served in Congress — Gowdy in the House and DeMint in the Senate, preceding Scott. Graham Nordone, however, has never held public office.

Multiple sources close to Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) told Fox News Digital that he is pushing McMaster to choose one of the three to effectively be a placeholder and not seek a six-year term in the Senate.

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While the appointment race nears its conclusion, the race for the GOP nomination to run in South Carolina is still wide open.

Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., are already hinting at leaping into the special election, which is set for Aug. 11. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., said that he would stay in the House, but the rest of the Palmetto State’s GOP congressional delegation have not said what their plans are.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham served in Congress for more than three decades, but public disclosure estimates show he died with a modest net worth compared to many of his longtime Washington colleagues.

The senator died with a net worth of about $1.4 million, with congressional disclosures from May showing a lower-end estimate of just over $600,000 and an upper estimate of a little more than $2.2 million, according to financial disclosures he filed in May. Despite serving in Congress for 31 years, Graham ranked at 294th in wealth among the 535 voting members of Congress, according to data from the Quiver Quantitative.

Graham died at age 71, meaning that his net worth at the end was relatively normal. Individuals between the ages of 65 and 74 have an average net worth of $1.79 million and a median net worth of $409,900, according to Fidelity.

LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71

Though transparency experts have long argued that allowing members of Congress to trade individual stocks enables them to abuse non-public information for personal gain, Graham largely avoided this criticism as almost all his assets were mutual funds or government bonds.

As a senator, Graham earned an annual salary of $174,000.

While Graham’s wealth was humble by D.C. standards, he still came a long way from where he started.

FROM ‘DISGRACE’ TO ‘FAMILY’: TRUMP’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY WITH LINDSEY GRAHAM

The senator spent his early life living with his sister and parents in a small room attached to their family restaurant in Central, South Carolina, which he helped run. The Graham family later moved into a mobile home.

“It’s not a log cabin like Abe Lincoln, but he grew up in a mobile home, which is South Carolina’s equivalent of it, I guess,” Warren Mowry, Graham’s law school roommate, said in 2015.

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

The senator’s parents died in quick succession after he left home for college, leaving him to care for his 13-year-old sister at the age of 22. Graham, an Air Force veteran, was the first in his family to attend university.

Graham died Saturday night following a “brief and sudden illness” after a trip to Ukraine, according to his office. The DC medical examiner’s office has stated that his preliminary cause of death was a ruptured aorta caused by chronic heart disease.

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“I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,” Graham joked shortly before his death, according to a source close to the lawmaker.

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

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Jim Banks will introduce legislation Monday aimed at ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants and birth tourists by defining them as children of “invaders” under federal law after a Supreme Court ruling last month dealt a setback to President Donald Trump’s executive order on the issue.

Trump recently urged Senate Republicans to move faster on his legislative agenda, including ending birthright citizenship, telling them they were “not fighting hard enough,” Banks, R-Ind., recalled in a June 30 interview with Human Events.

Banks told Fox News Digital he plans to introduce the Citizenship Act as soon as the Senate opens for business Monday afternoon – crafting it with a nod to Trump-appointed Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s concurrence in last month’s Trump v. Barbara case.

Kavanaugh, concurring in the judgment and dissenting in part, said Trump’s order conflicted with federal birthright citizenship law but suggested Congress could amend that statute to create new exceptions.

TRUMP’S ‘HERO’ JUSTICE OFFERS ROADMAP AFTER SUPREME COURT REJECTS BIRTHRIGHT ORDER

The Citizenship Act would declare that children of statutory “invaders” are not entitled to birthright citizenship under the law and codify a 2025 executive order that cites the term.

In its summary, Banks’ bill declares “any person who enters the United States without authorization or for the purpose of engaging in birth tourism is considered an invader …” and amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to exclude children of such “invaders.”

Banks’ key use of “invaders” cites Trump’s executive order declaring illegal immigration across the southern border an “invasion,” while the bill notes the “Barbara” decision leaves that avenue open for Congress to crack down on.

Without touching the constitutional amendment process or attempting to overturn any court ruling, the Citizenship Act will codify Trump’s declaration of “invasion” and amend federal law to revoke birthright citizenship from children of illegal immigrants under exceptions listed in the same case the “Barbara” ruling’s majority used as its precedent.

SEN MORENO PUSHES CONGRESS TO CLARIFY BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP RULES USING HARRY REID’S OWN 1993 LEGISLATION

Kavanaugh found that Trump’s order didn’t violate the Fourteenth Amendment but did conflict with a federal statute on birthright citizenship passed in the spirit of the amendment conservatives said was intended mainly for freed slaves and their children.

Bush-appointed Justice John Roberts relied on the landmark 1898 U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark case to rule against Trump in “Barbara” and “guarantee citizenship to all children born in the United States and subject to its power” – but Banks’ bill would use that same case as precedent to secure an end to birthright citizenship for progeny of illegal immigrants and birth tourists.

Then-Justice Horace Gray – an appointee of Republican President Chester Arthur – ruled in Wong Kim Ark that those exceptions include diplomats’ kids, “enemies within” and those engaged in hostile occupation of U.S. territories who are not “bound to render obedience to the sovereign [U.S. government] whose domains are being invaded.”

‘WEAPONS OF MASS REPRODUCTION’: WATCHDOG UNVEILS ACTION PLAN TO CURB BIRTH TOURISM AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING

By Roberts reaffirming Wong Kim Ark’s precedent with its exceptions, Banks’ bill would essentially use it against itself.

“The Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision was an unprecedented assault on American sovereignty, and we must do whatever it takes to save our country,” Banks told Fox News Digital.

“I’m leading the Citizenship Act to reverse the effects of this consequential ruling and ensure the millions of illegal aliens that invaded our country can’t continue to exploit our immigration system.”

In U.S. v. CASA, a similar 2025 case that went against Trump, Obama-appointed Justice Sonia Sotomayor separately confirmed “children born of alien enemies in hostile occupation” do not qualify for birthright citizenship, while not taking the extra step to classify illegal immigrants as such “invaders” mentioned in the original ruling.

Banks also makes a textual Constitutional argument in his bill, writing that Article IV requires the feds to “protect each [state] against invasion” while Congress’ Article I power includes “establish[ing] a uniform rule of naturalization.”

He also cited President James Madison’s 1788 analysis that the Constitution vested Congress—not the states—with authority over naturalization through a uniform national rule.

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The Citizenship Act lays out that some Mexican nationals view migration northward as a means of re-conquering territory the U.S. won during 1840s military hostilities finalized in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 that established Texas and beyond as part of the U.S.

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It also points to Chinese birth tourism being encouraged directly by the CCP – which brings the birthright citizenship debate over what defines an invasion by a hostile government full circle.

Banks’ bill argues those examples demonstrate that birthright citizenship has become intertwined with broader questions of national sovereignty and foreign influence.

A 42-year-old illegal immigrant convicted of repeatedly raping a child was awarded a pardon by Gov. Tim Walz’s board of pardons after the state’s clemency commission recommended it be granted to him due to “immigration concerns.”

Fox News Digital reviewed documents from the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission, which voted 4-2 to grant a pardon to Laotian national Tue Lue Vang following his conviction for criminal sexual conduct. Vang admitted to repeatedly raping a girl over a multi-year period beginning when she was 10 years old. While the two board members who voted against granting a pardon noted the serious nature of Vang’s offenses, the four members recommending a pardon each listed concern about him being deported.

One commissioner, Zach Linstrom, who voted in favor of granting the pardon, wrote in his recommendation, “Very tough case but the kids not having a father is not in the best interest of society,” referring to Vang’s six children. Artika Roller, another commissioner who voted in favor of the pardon, wrote, “The applicant stated the need for clemency related to immigration issues.”

Following the commission’s recommendation, the Minnesota Board of Pardons, which consists of Walz, state Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, awarded Vang a full pardon on June 10, essentially giving him a clean slate as he was set to be deported.

DOJ ACCUSES MARYLAND OF ‘ACTIVE AND DELIBERATE EFFORT’ TO PREVENT DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: LAWSUIT

At the time of the pardon, Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis remarked that “Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting.”

“These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting,” she said.

Vang entered the U.S. through California in 1994 and was granted legal status by the Clinton administration. Between 2002 and 2004, when Vang was between 18 and 20 years old, he had sexual intercourse with the victim four to six times. The abuse took place in St. Paul, Minnesota, in Ramsey County. The first rape took place when the victim was in fourth grade.

Documents reviewed by Fox News Digital reveal that the victim “did not understand what Vang was doing, so she let him.” As time went on, the document notes that the victim began to tell her friends about the abuse, who testified that she was “angry and sad” about it. At one time, the document said that Vang offered the victim $10 to keep quiet about the abuse.

While Ramsey County District Court Judge Sara Grewing did not take a position on Vang’s pardon, Ramsey County Assistant Attorney Tami McConkey recommended against granting it.

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

In her formal opposition statement, McConkey noted that her office had offered a dispositional departure to Vang because the then-12-year-old victim experienced pressure from her family not to cooperate with law enforcement after his arrest.

Vang was sentenced to 12 years in prison following his conviction. However, the sentence was stayed in favor of 30 years of supervised probation, which included one year of local confinement. Ultimately, he served eight months at the county correctional workhouse. He was discharged from probation early in 2019.

McConkey noted that there were several additional aggravating factors in the case, including Vang abusing the victim over an extended period of time, in one instance even driving her to his home to abuse her, and not using sexual protection.

A criminal complaint shared with Fox News Digital states that upon his arrest, Vang told police, “I made a mistake, but this is a minor thing. It is a cultural thing in Thailand to marry and have sex with girls as young as 12.” The complaint also notes that “Vang stated [the victim] should be arrested also because she was as much at fault.”

McConkey noted that “while Mr. Vang expresses shame and regret about what his children experience when then [sic] learn of the offense, he does not share any thoughts or insight about what the victim must have gone through.”

Despite this, several commissioners noted that the victim supported a pardon for Vang in their reasons for their recommendation.

Commissioner Nadine Graves wrote, “The victim supports this pardon. His [Vang’s] wife stayed and has forgiven. He also [has] immigration concerns. He has remorse and was discharged from probation.”

Graves noted Vang’s early discharge from probation and wrote that “he retracted his prior statement about this being a result of culture. He admits this was wrong then and will always be wrong.”

Lindstrom likewise noted, “applicant’s wife supports” and “victim supports” a pardon.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SOCCER COACH WHO USED ALCOHOL AND DRUGS TO SEXUALLY ABUSE KIDS LEARNS FATE

Commissioner Perry Moriearty wrote, “Despite the extraordinary severity of the underlying offense, there is substantial evidence of rehabilitation, remorse and acceptance of responsibility.” He also noted in his reasons that Vang “is facing deportation” and “victim supports.”

In his application for a pardon, Vang wrote, “I carry deep shame and regret for the harm I caused.” He noted that he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in December and was facing a final order of removal. He expressed worry that, because he arrived in the U.S. as a child, if he were deported he “would be sent to a place entirely unfamiliar to me, with no family, no home, and no future.”

Vang wrote, “My fear is that, if deported, my children will grow up without a father, like I did” and “I will do all that I can to be here and to protect them from the outcomes of my deportation.”

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None of this stopped the Trump administration from taking action against Vang. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that he had stepped in to terminate Vang’s legal status in the U.S. and that he had been removed to his home country of Laos.

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Rubio told Fox News Digital, “Americans should never have to live in fear that foreign sex predators — shielded from deportation by their own elected officials — could endanger them or their children.”

“That’s why I terminated his legal status in the United States,” he continued. “Vang has now been removed from our country and will never pose a threat to any American ever again.”

Nominations, renewed fighting in Iran, government funding and President Donald Trump’s flagship election bill await the Senate as it returns this week.

The upper chamber is coming back after a more than two-week hiatus to sprint through the remainder of July and march into the first week of August. And priorities have piled up, be it over divisions between the aisles or within the Senate GOP.

Adding to the uphill climb is the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., meaning that Republicans will be down one key vote in their push to move Trump’s agenda. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will be put to the task of keeping his conference together, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats are likely to look for any fractures they can in the GOP’s unity to slow down Trump’s agenda.

TRUMP HOLDS WASHINGTON HOSTAGE OVER SAVE ACT AS MIDTERM CLOCK TICKS ON GOP CONTROL

But Trump has done his part to derail some aspects of his own agenda, much of it over his determination to force Republicans to pass his flagship election integrity legislation, the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

He already refused to sign a massive, bipartisan housing package in protest of the stalled legislation and now wants the GOP to attach the SAVE America Act to the perennial, must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which needs Democratic votes to pass. Adding the voter bill to the military funding authorization package would all but guarantee no Democrats would support it.

Republicans hope to begin the process on the NDAA in July and fear that trying to attach the SAVE America Act would just hand Schumer and Democrats leverage.

“We really empower the Democrats to have a reason to be able to stop stuff that otherwise they would probably have to vote for, whether it’s the NDAA, whether it’s an appropriations bill or whatever,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP REFUSES TO SIGN BIPARTISAN HOUSING BILL IN PROTEST OVER SAVE ACT

“They found that this can be an Achilles heel for Republicans because, as soon as we attach it to any kind of bill, they know the votes aren’t there because, at a 60-vote margin, they’ll never get us the votes because they know how important it is to us,” he continued.

One key priority left over from before Republicans left town is replacing acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte, whose appointment by Trump in June blew up Congress’ push to reauthorize one of the nation’s key anti-terrorism tools over calls from both sides of the aisle that he was unqualified for the position.

His replacement, Jay Clayton, will appear for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, weeks after Trump yanked his initial hearing and further threw into doubt lawmakers’ ability to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Another Trump pick, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, will also have his confirmation hearing this week. Blanche, like any nominee, made the rounds with lawmakers before the recess explaining his role in the president’s now-defunct anti-weaponization fund. Whether he survives the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing remains in the air, given some Republicans are skeptical of him. Among those is Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who, for now, appears willing to support Blanche.

SENATE PUSH TO REAUTHORIZE NATION’S SPY POWERS STUMBLES OVER CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP DECISION

“I’m going to go through the nomination process. I have got a positive predisposition toward Blanche,” Tillis told CNN.

Republicans are also eager to begin the government funding process and put to the test their fears that Democrats will again shut down the government for a political edge.

Rounds, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told Fox News Digital that he expected a handful of spending bills to make their way to the Senate floor during the July sprint.

Senate Democrats have told him they want to fund the government through appropriations, but fear that the Trump administration may withhold funding on some of their priorities. Whether they actually give Republicans the votes to pass the funding bills remains in the air.

“If they don’t do that, then we’ll know pretty well that the political side of the discussion is taking a priority for them,” Rounds said. “And then we just as well start negotiating for a continuing resolution to get through the election and let the chips fall.”

Another issue that could cause Democratic support for legislation to evaporate is the administration’s renewed strikes in Iran, which began last week over frustrations with ships being stymied by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle disliked Trump’s temporary agreement with Iran to continue negotiating a longer-lasting peace over the next two months, but welcomed the pause in fighting that came with it.

Trump nixed that last week.

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“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks,’” he said on Truth Social. “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!”

That will likely once again stoke Democrats’ continued push to rein in his war authorities in the region with even more votes on war powers resolutions in the coming weeks.

Lawmakers successfully passed a non-binding resolution to curb his authority in Iran, but fell short of pushing a full-blown war powers resolution to Trump’s desk.

“Congress voted against more war with Iran,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The U.S. should not be launching new strikes without congressional authorization and restarting a war that has raised gas prices, killed Americans, and hurt the economy. The U.S. and Iran must return to a ceasefire.”

The high-stakes fight between the left-wing and the center-left establishment for the future of the Democratic Party is moving to a much larger stage.

After victories by far-left and socialist candidates in dark blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado the past couple of weeks drew plenty of national attention, the spotlight now shifts to Midwestern battlegrounds.

Hours after Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) backed challenger and first-time candidate Melat Kiros toppled 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in last week’s primary in Denver’s deep blue 1st Congressional District, former Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri predicted on social media: “On August 4th, St. Louis will do the same.”

A trio of far-left congressional candidates’ victories heavily supported by socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have emboldened progressives as they try to turn their upsets into a far-left national pressure campaign against the Democratic Party.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CIVIL WAR HITS DEBATE STAGE IN CRUCIAL PRIMARY SHOWDOWN

“Only socialism can solve decades of capitalist mismanagement in the US. Our newly elected leaders will fight for the working class — not for crumbs,” the DSA proclaimed in a social media post celebrating the string of primary election victories.

DSA-backed Bush is running to win back her seat in the Missouri’s St. Louis-anchored 1st Congressional District. The far left is also training its firepower on Michigan, which holds its primary on the same day as Missouri on Aug. 4.

One week later, on Aug. 11, Wisconsin will hold its primary elections. That’s where DSA-backed state Rep. Francesca Hong is on the rise among a crowded field of candidates in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

“It’s a great day to be a democratic socialist,” Hong posted on X last month after the progressive victories in New York City, in which two Democratic congressional incumbents lost renomination. “Wisconsin is next!”

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

It’s undeniable that progressives are gaining momentum and attention, but the real test will come in November when they face-off with Republicans and find out if their message on Medicare for all, the Green New Deal, higher taxes on the rich and abolishing ICE will resonate when the stakes are higher.

Ahead of upcoming primaries, Fox News Digital takes a look at the 19 Democratic incumbents and 20 candidates who have won nomination so far this year who are backed by either the DSA or two other far-left groups, Justice Democrats (JD) and the Working Families Party (WFP).

Charles Booker – Kentucky Senate

WFP-backed Charles Booker is making his third bid for the Senate in red-leaning Kentucky.

A former state representative, Booker lost in the 2020 Senate primary but won the nomination two years later before losing by over 23 points to Republican Sen. Rand Paul.

This time around, Booker defeated Amy McGrath, the 2020 Senate nominee, in Kentucky’s May primary and is the underdog in the general election against GOP Rep. Andy Barr.

The winner will succeed former Republican Senate Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is in the throes of a health scare and retiring this year after four decades in the chamber.

Bob Brooks – Pennsylvania 7th Congressional District

Brooks, a retired firefighter and president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association, was handpicked by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to run for Congress.

The WFP-backed Brooks won the May Democratic primary in a swing district in northeast Pennsylvania, and is challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in a midterm race that’s among two or three dozen that will determine if Republicans hold their razor-thin House majority.

Connie Chan – California 11 Congressional District

Chan, born in Hong Kong and endorsed by the WFP, serves on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She is running to succeed retiring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Fellow Democrat Scott Wiener, a state senator, will face-off with Chan in the general election in November in the heavily blue district that sits entirely within San Francisco’s city limits.

Darializa Avila Chevalier – New York 13th Congressional District

Chevalier, a DSA member who was also backed by the Justice Democrats, stunned political circles from coast to coast in the June New York primary by ousting incumbent Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

The far-left Chevalier, a community organizer who has created controversy with past comments and anti-Israel rhetoric, is considered the overwhelming general election favorite in the Democrat-dominated district located in northern Manhattan and the Bronx.

Alissa Ellman – New York 24th Congressional District

Ellman, a U.S. Army veteran who later served as a military contractor in Afghanistan, won the June Democratic primary in the upstate New York congressional district.

The WFP-backed Ellman, who worked at the Veterans Administration before being let go amid the DOGE cuts, faces an uphill climb to victory in November in the solidly red district against Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney.

Chris Galant – New York 1st Congressional District

Galant, an air traffic controller backed by the WFP cruised to the Democratic nomination in New York’s June primary.

But he’ll be the underdog against GOP Rep. Nick LaLota in the right-leaning district on the eastern end and north shore of Long Island.

Aaron Gies – New York 23rd Congressional District

A college professor, Geis is another candidate supported by the WFP that won hs Democratic primary election in New York in a landslide.

But the candidate faces a steep uphill climb in the general election against incumbent Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy in the solidly red district based in western New York and in the state’s southern tier.

Angela Gonzales-Torres – California 34th Congressional District

Gonzales-Torres, a former neighborhood council president who also worked in the Los Angeles mayor’s office, advanced to the general election in last month’s California primary.

Backed by the JD and the WFP, Gonzales-Torres is facing off in the autumn against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez in the solidly blue congressional district anchored in Los Angeles.

Deb Haaland – New Mexico governor

Haaland, a former congresswoman who made history as the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary during her tenure running the Interior Department in then-President Joe Biden’s administration, is the Democratic nominee for New Mexico governor.

The WFP-backed Haaland is considered the favorite as she faces off in the general election against Republican Gregg Hull in the left-leaning southwestern state.

Pat Halpin – New York 2nd Congressional District

Halpin, a former Suffolk County executive, is the Democratic congressional nominee for a seat that covers the central portions of Long Island’s South Shore.

The WFP-endorsed Halpin is the underdog against incumbent GOP Rep. Andrew Garbarino in the general election.

Adam Hamawy – New Jersey 12th Congressional District

Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and former U.S. Army combat surgeon, grabbed national attention in 2024 as part of a volunteer team of American doctors in Gaza who were unable to leave after Israel closed border crossings during its war with Hamas.

The JD-backed Hamawy topped a crowded field of candidates to win the party’s congressional primary in the solidly blue district in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.

During the primary campaign, Hamawy’s past ties to a convicted terrorist who was convicted of seditious conspiracy linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing resurfaced.

Frederick Douglass Haynes III – Texas 30th Congressional District

Haynes, the senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, won the March Democratic primary in a landslide in the race to succeed Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate instead of seeking re-election.

The JD-backed Haynes is considered the overwhelming favorite against Republican nominee Everett Jackson in the Democrat-dominated district located in the southern portions of Dallas.

Melat Kiros – Colorado 1st Congressional District

The DSA-endorsed Kiros drew plenty of national attention in Colorado’s June primary when she toppled Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, who has served in Congress for 30 years representing the Denver seat.

The 29-year-old first time candidate and attorney who is also backed by the JD and WFP is now on a glide path to Washington in the Democrat-dominated district.

Past comments by Kiros that American foreign policy had made the 9/11 terror attacks “inevitable” were spotlighted during her primary clash with DeGette.

Brad Lander – New York 10th Congressional District

Supported by Mamdani and WFP, Lander ousted incumbent Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman in New York’s June primary. The former New York City comptroller ran against Mamdani in last year’s mayoral primary before becoming one of his top allies in the general election.

Lander is the clear favorite in the general election in the deep blue district which covers lower Manhattan and the northwestern neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

Brian Poindexter – Ohio 7th Congressional District

Poindexter, an iron worker and a councilman in a small city in suburban Cleveland, is backed by the WFP.

He’ll take on GOP Rep. Max Miller in the right-leaning district in the general election.

Chris Rabb – Pennsylvania 3rd Congressional District

The DSA, WFP and JD all support Rabb, who won the June Pennsylvania primary in the Philadelphia anchored district in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans.

Rabb, a leftist supported by the Squad, is the overwhelming favorite in the dark blue district.

Claire Valdez – New York 7th Congressional District

Valdez, a state lawmaker endorsed by the DSA, won New York’s June congressional primary to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in a district that includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens.

Valez, who topped Velázquez-backed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso for the Democratic nomination, is the clear favorite to win in November in the Democrat-dominated district.

Mai Vang – California 7th Congressional District

Vang, a Sacramento city councilor, slightly edged Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui in the state’s June nonpartisan primary.

The WFP and JD-endorsed Vang and Matsui will face off again in November’s general election for the solidly blue seat, which includes downtown Sacramento and suburban areas.

Randy Villegas – California 22nd Congressional District

Villegas, a school board trustee in the San Joaquin Valley city of Visalia, came in second to Republican Rep. David Valadao in California’s June primary.

The WFP-backed Villegas, a Democrat, topped fellow Democrat Jasmeet Bains to advance to the general election against Valadao in the crucial swing district race.

Aisha Wahab – California 14th Congressional District

Wahab, who is supported by the WFP, came in first in California’s primary, and will face off with fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez in the general election in the solidly blue district south and southwest of Oakland.

The winner in November will fill the seat left vacant when then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was running for governor ended his campaign and resigned from Congress in April amid scandal involving sexual misconduct allegations.

Rep. Alma Adams – North Carolina 12th Congressional District

Adams has represented a bright blue district anchored in Charlotte and surrounding Mecklenburg County for nearly a dozen years. Known for wearing distinctive hats in Congress, Adams is backed by the WFP.

She cruised to renomination in the early March primary and is considered the clear frontrunner against GOP challenger Jack Codiga, a finance professional.

Rep. Greg Cesar – Texas 37th Congressional District

Cesar, a former Austin city councilman, currently represents the state’s 35th district, but is running for re-election in the recently redrawn 37th district.

The chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus is backed by the WFP.

Pramila Jayapal – Washington 7th Congressional District

Jayapal, the first Indian American woman elected to Congress, for a decade has represented a Seattle based district.

The JD-backed Jayapal, who served as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for four years earlier this decade, is on a glide path to re-election in the bluest district in the Pacific Northwest.

Rep. Tim Kennedy – New York 26th Congressional District

Kennedy represents a western New York district that stretches from Buffalo to Niagara Falls.

The WFP-endorsed Kennedy is the favorite for re-election this autumn in the left-leaning district.

Rep. Ro Khanna – California 17th Congressional District

Khanna, one of the most visible progressive lawmakers in the House, was first elected to Congress a decade ago by ousting Democratic incumbent Rep. Mike Honda.

The JD and WFP-backed Khanna, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is on a glide path to re-election in the left-leaning district located in the South Bay and East Bay portions of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rep. Summer Lee – Pennsylvania 12th Congressional District

Lee, the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, is a former DSA member and part of the Squad.

The JD and WFP-backed Lee is expected to cruise to re-election this autumn in a left-leaning district that includes much of Pittsburg and its eastern suburbs.

Rep. John Mannion – New York 22nd Congressional District

A former high school biology teacher, Mannion served as a state lawmaker before winning election to Congress in 2024.

The WFP-backed Mannion is favored to win re-election in the solidly Democrat upstate New York district that includes Syracuse and Utica.

Rep. LaMonica McIver – New Jersey 10th Congressional District

McIver, a former Newark municipal council member, represents an urban and suburban district in northern New Jersey.

The WFP-backed lawmaker drew national attention last year when she was among a group of Democrats attempting to make a Congressional oversight visit to an ICE facility in Newark.

McIver was later indicted by a grand jury for “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers” during the visit. She has disputed the charges as political in nature.

Rep. Analilia Mejia – New Jersey 11th Congressional District

Mejia, the co-director of the nonprofit progressive advocacy group, won a special election in April in the race to succeed now Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who stepped down from Congress after winning election last November’s gubernatorial election.

The WFP-backed Mejia, who represents a northern New Jersey seat west of New York City, is favored in November to secure a full term in the left-leaning district.

Rep. Joe Morelle – New York 25th Congressional District

A former New York State Assembly majority leader, Morelle was elected to Congress in 2018.

The WFP-endorsed Morelle is on a glide path to re-election in the Democratic-dominated upstate New York district anchored in Rochester.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – New York 14th Congressional District

Eight years after bursting onto the national stage by ousting then-House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in a shocking primary upset, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political options look brighter than ever.

The four-term progressive firebrand from New York City is eyeing a potential 2028 bid for the White House or a possible challenge to longtime Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer.

Ocasio-Cortez, best known by her acronym AOC, is the most visible member of the Squad.

She is backed by the DSA, JD, and the WFP as she’s expected to cruise to re-election this autumn in a dark blue district that covers parts of the Bronx and Queens.

Rep. Ilhan Omar – Minnesota 5th Congressional District

Omar, the fist Somali American elected to Congress and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota, is also a member of the Squad. Omar is one of the first two Muslim women elected to U.S. Congress.

Backed by JD and a frequent target of President Donald Trump, Omar represents a Democrat-dominated district that includes the entire city of Minneapolis and some of its inner suburbs.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley – Massachusetts 7th Congressional District

Pressley, a former Boston city councilor, won election to Congress in 2018 by ousting longtime Democratic Rep. Capuano in the Democratic primary.

The first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, Pressley is another well-known member of the Squad.

The JD-backed Pressley is an overwhelming favorite for re-election in a Democrat-dominated district that includes much of Boston and some of the city’s suburbs.

Rep. Delia Ramirez – Illinois 3rd Congressional District

The daughter of undocumented immigrants, Ramirez served as a state lawmaker before winning election to Congress in 2022.

The JD-backed Ramirez is all but certain to win re-election this fall in her dark blue district that includes neighborhoods in northwestern Chicago and the city’s western suburbs.

Rep. Josh Riley – New York 19th Congressional District

Riley, a lawyer who worked as a Department of Labor policy analyst and a counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is seeking a second term in a competitive and large district located New York’s Catskills, Hudson Valley, greater Capital District, Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions.

The WFP-backed Riley will face off this autumn against Republican state Sen. Peter Oberacker.

Rep. Pat Ryan – New York 18th Congressional District

Ryan, a West Point graduate who served two tours of duty in the Iraq War and was awarded two Bronze Stars, co-founded a software company following his military career and later served as Ulster County executive.

The WFP-backed Ryan likely to win re-election this autumn in a left-leaning district that includes some of New York City’s northern suburbs and exurbs, as well as the Hudson Valley cities of Newburg, Kingston, and Poughkeepsie.

Rep. Lateefah Simon – California 12th Congressional District

Simon, who served on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board of directors and as a California University System trustee, was elected to Congress in 2024, succeeding longtime Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee.

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Simon is the first member of Congress known to be born legally blind in both eyes, and the first Muslim member from California.

The WFP-backed Simon is on a glide path for re-election in a dark blue district that includes Oakland and surrounding Alameda County.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib – Michigan 12th Congressional District

First elected to the House in 2018, Tliab, along with Ilhan Omar, is one of the first two Muslim women in Congress.

A former state lawmaker, Tlaib and fellow squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are the first female DSA members to serve in Congress. She is also backed by the JD and WFP.

Tlaib is expected to easily secure reelection. During her tenure, the Palestinian-born congresswoman has been a vocal critic of both the Trump and Biden administrations, is sharply critical of Israel, and calls for abolishing ICE.

Rep. Paul Tonko – New York 20th Congressional District

A longtime former state lawmaker, Tonko was first elected to Congress in 2008.

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Known as a staunch progressive, the WFP-backed Tonko is heavily favored to win re-election in a left-leaning seat that includes New York’s Capital District as well as Saratoga.

The District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Sunday released preliminary findings indicating Sen. Lindsey Graham suffered an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease before his death.

The medical examiner emphasized that the findings are not final and that Graham’s death certificate will remain pending while toxicological and microscopic testing is completed.

“The preliminary examination findings were: Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease,” the medical examiner’s office said in a statement.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER ‘BRIEF AND SUDDEN’ ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

The office emphasized that the findings are preliminary and that Graham’s death certificate remains pending. Officials said toxicological and microscopic testing must be completed before the death certificate is updated to reflect the cause and manner of death.

An aortic dissection is a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the body’s largest artery, that allows blood to flow between the layers of the vessel wall, according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that can lead to severe internal bleeding or organ damage.

Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease refers to the buildup of plaque inside the arteries, which can restrict blood flow and increase the risk of serious heart and vascular complications.

LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71

The release of the preliminary findings comes after Graham, 71, died Saturday night, shocking colleagues in Washington and across the nation.

Graham, a Republican who was first elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving four terms in the House of Representatives, became one of the chamber’s most influential voices on national security, foreign policy and the judiciary. He chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee during President Donald Trump’s first term and was one of the president’s closest allies on judicial nominations and defense policy.

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Following news of Graham’s death, tributes poured in from lawmakers across the political spectrum, with colleagues remembering his decades of public service and his influence on some of the Senate’s most consequential debates.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said it will update Graham’s death certificate after toxicological and microscopic testing is complete.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., nearly a month after being hospitalized, revealed what actually happened to cause his absence from the Senate.

In a lengthy statement released Sunday evening, McConnell attributed his childhood fight with polio to a fall he suffered last month which landed him in the hospital. He was “briefly unconscious,” he said in an open letter to Kentuckians, and while recovering was hit with a “mild case of pneumonia.”

“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,” McConnell said. “I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages.”

MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES

Yet, when he will return to the Senate remains a mystery, something that McConnell himself acknowledged.

“As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet,” McConnell said. “But rest assured that, in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you.”

His attending physician noted that McConnell has, “experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition.”

MCCONNELL WAS FOUND ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ IN HOME LAST MONTH AS CONDITION REMAINS UNKNOWN

“He was admitted to the hospital four weeks ago after falling at home and sustaining minor injuries,” McConnell’s doctor said.

“A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage,” his doctor continued. “Early in his hospitalization, he developed pneumonia, which responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment.”

The latest update on the longtime lawmaker’s health comes after the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who had just returned from a trip to Ukraine on Saturday night.

McConnell’s absence, coupled with the shocking death of Graham, leaves the Senate down two crucial votes amid a dead sprint to wrap up key parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda through July and into early August.

FROM ‘DISGRACE’ TO ‘FAMILY’: TRUMP’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY WITH LINDSEY GRAHAM

It also comes after over three weeks of speculation as to why the Senate GOP’s longest serving leader in history was sidelined.

His office for several weeks did not reveal the true nature of his condition, nor explain how he ended up in the hospital. That prompted a firestorm online that alleged that McConnell was in a vegetative state.

Adding to the morbid intrigue was leaked emergency dispatch audio from June 14, the day he was hospitalized, that revealed the longtime Senate Republican was “unconscious” and may have suffered a heart attack.

Further compounding the hazy nature of the situation was his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s, trip to China just days after his hospitalization. Chao’s office previously told Fox News Digital that, “The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors.”

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“During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador,” her office said. “The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S.”

McConnell’s statement did not directly address much of the speculation that surrounded his hospitalization. But, he did vow to return to the Senate once he was able.

“You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. And part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work,” McConnell said. “But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., never wanted President Donald Trump to be nominated, let alone win the presidency in 2016.

“If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…….and we will deserve it,” Graham said on X at the time.

Graham had run on the same ticket as Trump, and like many other Republicans on the debate stage, challenged Trump’s candidacy as preposterous — he once likened his candidacy to “being shot in the head.”

LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71

But Trump ultimately clinched the nomination, took the White House and eventually won over Graham.

Now, in the fast-moving hours after Graham’s sudden death at 71 years old, and as private jockeying to fill his empty seat takes place behind the scenes, Trump has lost a once-fierce political enemy turned friend.

Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he had just spoken with Graham the night before and believed “It could have been his last call.”

“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 said. “He was like a member of the family to me. It’s very tough, actually.”

It wasn’t always that way for Trump. He once told a crowd in South Carolina nine years ago that Graham was a “disgrace,” and “one of the dumbest human beings I’ve ever seen.”

TRUMP REVEALS DETAILS OF FINAL PHONE CALL WITH GRAHAM AFTER SENATOR’S DEATH, CALLS LOSS ‘BIG BLOW’ TO SAVE ACT

“I don’t think he could run for dogcatcher in this state and win again,” Trump said at the time. “I really don’t. Other than that, I think he’s wonderful.”

Still, their relationship evolved from potshots online and on the debate stage into steadfast friends who weren’t shy about hitting the golf course.

Graham transformed into one of Trump’s most vocal allies in the Senate and a key bridge from the upper chamber to the White House during Trump’s second term — even after Graham believed Trump should never step foot in the White House.

After winning his primary for the GOP nomination in June, Trump was almost top of mind for Graham.

“I want to thank the big guy, God,” Graham said during a speech last month. “Trump comes later. Mr. President, you’re not far behind God, but we’re going to start with him.”

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

But that reverence, be it political or sincere, took time. Years ago, Trump at one point grew so angry at Graham that he leaked the lawmaker’s phone number online, which prompted Graham to make a show of destroying several of his phones.

And after the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on Capitol Hill, Graham turned his back on Trump.

“Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president,” Graham said on the Senate floor as the vote to certify the election neared. “All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”

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In the run-up to and during Trump’s second term, Graham became a fierce ally of Trump’s.

He led the vanguard for the “one, big beautiful bill,” as Senate Budget Committee chair and has championed Trump’s flagship election integrity legislation, the SAVE America Act.

And in the hallways of the Senate during the last year and a half, you’d often hear Graham say he’d just spoken with Trump or was headed to the White House to hammer out a legislative dispute — be it with Democrats standing in the way or Republicans.

Now, after a rocky, explosive and tight-knit journey together, the road has run out.

“I said, ‘We’ll see you soon,’” Trump recalled of his last call with Graham. “Come over anytime you want. He came into the White House, because I liked him. Can’t do that with everybody.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., sudden death from an undisclosed illness has triggered a two-pronged approach to replace him, and President Donald Trump will likely be a focal point in the process.

Graham’s passing overnight comes at a time when Republicans in the upper chamber need every vote they can get. The Senate GOP now holds a 52-seat majority, and with the timetable for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., absence still unclear, that majority is now effectively 51 votes.

That will up the pressure, and drama, to find a replacement for the longtime South Carolina lawmaker.

LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71

Trump, during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, said, “I have somebody that I think would be great.”

“But I don’t want to say it now because it’s just, it’s too soon with Lindsey,” Trump said. “I don’t wanna even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good.”

It’s a process guided by the Constitution and state law. The first step will require South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, to appoint a replacement for Graham on a temporary basis.

McMaster, a close ally of Trump, can appoint a temporary replacement as soon as he wants. That pick will serve until the next special or general election.

MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES

Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from McMaster’s office on when he would make the announcement, or who he was considering for the seat.

Graham was already in-cycle running for a fifth term in the upper chamber, and he easily cruised to a primary victory early last month. That means that whoever McMaster taps would serve until the end of the year to finish off the remainder of Graham’s fourth term.

The second prong is finding his long-term successor.

The candidate filing period for that special election to win the GOP nomination opens July 21. The election is slated for Aug. 11, according to South Carolina law.

That race could see several familiar faces in South Carolina GOP politics jumping in, including McMaster himself, who is termed out as governor.

TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT POWER FACES ANOTHER GOP TEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA AFTER ALAN WILSON ADVANCES

Trump heaped praise on McMaster, noting that he endorsed his first bid for the White House in 2016.

“Henry’s been a great governor, you know now he’s termed out, but he’s going to do the right thing,” Trump said. “I think Henry will be fantastic.”

There are six members of South Carolina’s GOP congressional delegation who could toss their hats into the mix. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who recently lost a bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, is eyeing jumping into the special election.

A person familiar with Mace’s plans told Fox News Digital, “Congresswoman Mace is considering a bid to run.”

Then there’s Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., the longest-serving Republican member of the Palmetto State’s delegation. He quickly snuffed speculation about whether he’d leap into the fray.

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“I was grateful to speak with President Trump today reminiscing about our mutual friend, Senator Lindsey Graham,” Wilson said on X. “I assured him my goal is to remain in the House to keep his two-vote majority for the American people!!!”

Then there’s the remaining four: South Carolina Republican Reps. Ralph Norman, who also lost out on scoring the GOP nomination for governor, Russell Fry, William Timmons and Sheri Biggs, none of whom, so far, have signaled that they would jump into the battle for Graham’s seat.

Meanwhile, Pamela Evette, who Trump endorsed in the governor’s race but ultimately lost to GOP nominee and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, could also be in the mix.

Fox News Digital did not immediately receive responses to requests for comment from each possible contender.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday at 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness,” spent more than three decades as one of the Republican Party’s most influential voices.

The South Carolina Republican forged a congressional career spanning more than 30 years, emerging as one of Capitol Hill’s most recognizable Republicans and a trusted adviser to President Donald Trump on national security, judicial nominations and foreign policy.

Born on July 9, 1955, in Central, South Carolina, Graham grew up helping his parents run the family business before becoming the first in his household to attend college.

His life changed dramatically while he was a student at the University of South Carolina, when both of his parents died within 15 months of each other, leaving him to raise his younger sister.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER ‘BRIEF AND SUDDEN’ ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

After earning a law degree, Graham joined the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps, serving as a military lawyer before entering politics. He remained in the Air Force Reserve throughout much of his congressional career, retiring as a colonel after more than three decades of service.

His political career began in 1992, when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. Two years later, he won a seat in the U.S. House as part of the Republican wave that gave the GOP control of Congress.

He emerged as a national figure during President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, serving as one of the House managers who presented the case against Clinton during the 1999 Senate trial.

The high-profile role elevated his standing within the Republican Party and helped establish him as a rising conservative voice on Capitol Hill.

‘AMERICA AND THE WORLD HAVE LOST A DETERMINED LEADER’: TRIBUTES POUR IN AFTER SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH

In 2002, he was elected to the Senate, succeeding longtime Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond.

Over the next two decades, Graham became one of the Senate’s most influential Republicans on national security, serving on the Armed Services and Judiciary committees while emerging as a leading voice on military affairs, judicial confirmations and U.S. foreign policy.

One of Graham’s closest political relationships was with Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Along with Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman, the three became known as the bipartisan “Three Amigos,” frequently traveling to war zones and emerging as some of Congress’ strongest advocates for American military power and support for U.S. allies.

CHAD PERGRAM BREAKS DOWN WHAT’S NEXT FOR GOP AFTER GRAHAM’S DEATH

Graham championed higher defense spending and was among Congress’ most vocal supporters of Israel and, more recently, Ukraine.

He also played a central role in reshaping the federal courts. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham helped steer the confirmation of dozens of federal judges, including Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

His relationship with Trump underwent one of Washington’s most notable political transformations.

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After sharply criticizing Trump during the 2016 Republican primary, Graham became one of the president’s closest congressional allies, advising him on judicial nominations, national security and foreign policy while serving as a key defender of his agenda.

Graham remained a leading voice in the Republican conference until his death. At the time of his death, he was serving as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and campaigning for a fifth Senate term.

He never married and had no children.

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South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called Graham “irreplaceable” and the “fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America.” Per South Carolina law, McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November.

Funeral and memorial arrangements were not immediately announced. Trump said on Truth Social that “details and arrangements” would follow.

The world consumed more energy than ever before in 2025, with fossil fuels still supplying the vast majority of global energy despite record growth in renewable power, according to a new report.

The findings come as President Donald Trump pushes to expand U.S. oil and gas production, arguing domestic energy is key to lowering prices, strengthening national security and boosting economic growth.

The Energy Institute’s 2026 Statistical Review of World Energy found oil, natural gas and coal accounted for 86% of global energy use last year, underscoring that despite years of investment in wind and solar power, the world continues to rely overwhelmingly on fossil fuels to power homes, businesses, transportation and industry.

Overall, the world consumed more energy than at any point on record.

GAS SURGE TIED TO IRAN CONFLICT HITS SWING STATES, TESTING TRUMP’S LOW-PRICE PITCH

The findings align with the Trump administration’s argument that expanding domestic oil and gas production is critical to lowering energy costs, strengthening U.S. energy security and fueling economic growth ahead of next year’s midterm elections, where both parties are expected to make the economy and inflation central campaign issues — but for very different reasons.

America’s dominant position in global energy markets was on full display in the report — and Trump is taking a victory lap. 

“Even left-wing studies are finding that President Trump’s energy dominance agenda has been undeniably successful in unleashing reliable, affordable, and secure energy,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. 

“Thanks to the President, U.S. oil, natural gas, and coal production has increased – which benefits American families and businesses by lowering prices, creating jobs, and strengthening our energy security,” she added. “America has abundant resources—President Trump is unleashing them.” 

WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN

U.S. oil production reached a record 21.1 million barrels a day in 2025, nearly matching the combined output of Saudi Arabia and Russia. The U.S. also remained the world’s largest natural gas producer and the world’s leading exporter of petroleum products.

The report also comes as the conflict with Iran has renewed concerns about energy security and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Although its data predate the conflict, the report underscores how geopolitical tensions can threaten global energy supplies.

Few places are more important to global energy markets than the Strait of Hormuz. 

About 20 million barrels of oil and one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas pass through the waterway each day, along with shipments of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

Economist Steve Moore said the latest conflict illustrates why the U.S. should continue expanding domestic energy production.

“Every time we’ve had flare-ups in the Middle East, this has caused a lot of disruption to the energy markets,” he told Fox News Digital.

Moore said the conflict has once again exposed the world’s dependence on oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, putting upward pressure on energy prices.

BBQ LOVERS BEWARE: MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT MIGHT DISRUPT YOUR SUMMER PLANS THIS YEAR

Heritage Foundation chief economist EJ Antoni said the conflict underscores the need for the U.S. to move beyond energy independence and embrace what Trump has called “energy dominance.”

“The Iran war has shown us it’s not simply enough for America to be pumping at current levels. America needs to be not just energy independent, but energy dominant,” Antoni told Fox News Digital.

He said the U.S. should continue expanding domestic energy production and refining capacity to strengthen its energy security.

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The White House has argued that increasing domestic oil and natural gas production will help shield Americans from geopolitical shocks while lowering energy costs, a key pillar of Trump’s broader economic agenda.

Read the full report here:

Tributes poured in Sunday from President Donald Trump, congressional leaders and foreign allies after Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died at 71 following what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness,” bringing to an end the career of one of the Senate’s most influential Republican voices.

The South Carolina Republican had served in the Senate since 2003 and became one of the GOP’s leading voices on national security and foreign policy. Once a sharp critic of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, Graham later emerged as one of the president’s closest allies while maintaining a prominent role on issues ranging from judicial confirmations to Ukraine, Israel and Iran.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Graham “was always working,” and called the Palmetto State senator “a true American Patriot.” 

“Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” Trump wrote. “So sad!”

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71 AFTER ‘BRIEF AND SUDDEN’ ILLNESS, OFFICE SAYS

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster called Graham “irreplaceable” and the “fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America.” Per South Carolina law, McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said his “heart is heavy” following Graham’s death, calling him a trusted adviser whose influence “on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations.”

Thune praised Graham as a tireless advocate for the United States and its allies, saying he believed in “the might of America to achieve good in the world” and spent his career advancing that cause.

United States UN Amb. Mike Waltz remembered Graham not only as a senator, but as a fellow military officer. Waltz said he first met Graham when he was serving as a colonel in the Air National Guard, recalling that Graham spent his annual training deployments in Afghanistan helping train Afghan Army Judge Advocate General officers.

Waltz also praised Graham’s commitment to the U.S. military and foreign policy, saying no member of Congress traveled more extensively “from Libya to Lebanon” to meet with American troops and bring “ground truth back to legislating.”

“Rest easy, Patriot,” he wrote on X.

Graham’s death also prompted tributes from across the aisle. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., remembered his Republican colleague as “kind, gracious, and thoughtful,” and an expert on foreign policy.

“Sudden and awful news about Senator Lindsey Graham,” Fetterman wrote. “The United States Senate lost a foreign policy giant.”

The outpouring of tributes quickly spread beyond Washington, with world leaders remembering Graham as one of America’s most influential voices on national security and foreign affairs.

CHAD PERGRAM BREAKS DOWN WHAT’S NEXT FOR GOP AFTER GRAHAM’S DEATH

In one of his final overseas trips, Graham met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week. The visit marked his 10th trip to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, where the two, according to readouts of the meeting, discussed tougher sanctions on Russia and the country’s air defense needs.

After Graham’s death, Zelenskyy posted on X, calling him “a true defender of freedom” who stood with Ukraine “when it was most needed.” He said Graham’s bipartisan work to increase pressure on Moscow helped bring “peace closer,” adding, “America and the world have lost a determined leader.”

Other European leaders echoed those sentiments.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described Graham as “a powerful advocate for America who believed strongly in the NATO Alliance and was actively working to bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.” Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised his “tireless commitment” to NATO and the trans-Atlantic bond, as well as his “staunch support” for Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Graham was “a true friend and partner of Germany in the transatlantic alliance. We stood side by side for more than four decades.”

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The tributes extended to the Middle East as well, where Graham was remembered as one of Israel’s strongest allies in Washington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him “a great friend of Israel” and “a cherished friend of mine,” saying Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States “is inseparable” and devoted his life to strengthening the alliance between the two countries.

“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,” Netanyahu said.

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Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told The Associated Press that Graham’s death leaves Congress without one of its most steadfast pro-Israel voices at a particularly precarious moment.

“You have a few Democrats and Republicans willing to stand up in Israel’s defense, but those type of people are few, it’s not a body of people,” he said. “So when you lose someone like Lindsey Graham, it’s a diplomatic and strategic loss for the state of Israel.”

Washington D.C.’s entrenched politicos sprang into action this week before key confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate to try and sink President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general.

Roughly 1,200 Department of Justice (DOJ) alumni signed off on a letter on Tuesday sent to high-ranking Senate Judiciary Committee leaders demanding they reject elevating Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as he prepares for confirmation hearings next week on July 15 and 16.

Blanche, who previously served as former AG Pam Bondi’s No. 2, has been tapped by the 47th president to do the job permanently, sending the former bureaucrats into a frenzy.

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOMINATE ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE TO PERMANENTLY LEAD JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

The signatories of the letter trying to stop the process bill themselves as former DOJ employees from Republican and Democratic administrations, which is true. But even a cursory look at some of the names reveals the letter’s true hyper-partisan nature.

Here are a few:

• Lori Lightfoot, the former mayor of Chicago and a far-left Democrat with a long history of anti-Trump rhetoric.
• JP Cooney, an ex-prosecutor and Democratic congressional candidate who served as Jack Smith’s top deputy during Smith’s special counsel investigation into President Trump over later-dismissed criminal charges. He’s running his campaign on the grounds that he “spent [his] career standing up to powerful people and holding them accountable, including Donald Trump.”
• Aaron Zelinsky, who served as Assistant Special Counsel to former FBI director Robert Mueller during Russiagate, which evidence now suggests was a “manufactured” Obama-era intelligence fabrication to smear Trump.
• Robert Turkavage, who ran for Congress as a Democrat in New Jersey.
• Sara Zdeb, who worked as Chief Oversight Counsel for Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Durbin is currently the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking member.
• Candice Cook, the former DOJ chief diversity & inclusion officer.
• Sam Bagenstos, a political appointee in both the Biden and Obama administrations with a history of bashing Trump and who also brags about his progressive bona fides on his University of Michigan Law biography page.

UNEARTHED DOJ EMAILS EXPOSE TURMOIL OVER BIDEN-ERA MEMO URGING CRACKDOWN ON PARENTS

“This list is a who’s who of partisan activists, including liberal politicians such as former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who saw crime drastically rise under her tenure, Trump impeachment witness Pamela Karlan, and multiple former disgruntled Biden administration officials, some of whom were directly involved in the weaponization of the Department,” a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital of the letter.

A former White House official quipped that, “It looks like they passed a petition around the MS NOW green room.”

The Trump DOJ says Blanche has the support of law enforcement.

“Law enforcement throughout the nation supports the nomination of Acting Attorney General Blanche, including the Major Cities Chiefs Association, representing police leadership in dozens of major U.S. cities; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, representing tens of thousands of law enforcement leaders worldwide; and the Major County Sheriffs of America, representing hundreds of the nation’s largest sheriffs’ offices,” the spokesperson said.

The letter itself states that as former DOJ employees, the signatories take seriously their “oath to support and defend the Constitution, not the occupant of the White House.”

It complains that Blanche has fired hundreds of DOJ employees, some of whom, they say, were fired for “having worked on cases the President didn’t like.”

“The consequences of Blanche’s attacks on DOJ’s apolitical workforce radiate beyond the halls of Main Justice, affecting the entire country,” the letter says. “They’ve meant that much of the department’s vital work isn’t being done, or isn’t being done as well – leaving communities less safe, Americans’ rights less protected, and our national security more vulnerable.”

But the note is eerily reminiscent of another widely-covered stunt that turned out to be a political operation to protect then-presidential candidate Joe Biden during his 2020 election bid.

In that instance, 51 former intelligence officials, including known Trump adversaries Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan, penned a letter to the public claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop scandal appeared to be a foreign intelligence operation.

The contents of Hunter Biden’s personal computer, published in October 2020 by the New York Post, contained shocking videos and photos of drug use, lewd sex acts, and sensitive business communications. It was eventually was dubbed the “laptop from hell” due to the public relations nightmare it caused for the Biden campaign.

The former intelligence officials immediately jumped to Biden’s defense, claiming the letter had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”

“Such an operation would be consistent with some of the key methods Russia has used in its now multi-year operation to interfere in our democracy — the hacking (via cyber-operations) and the dumping of accurate information or the distribution of inaccurate or misinformation,” the letter said.

Mainstream news outlets ran with the letter, downplaying the scandal.

By early 2022, many of those same news outlets were forced to report that the emails and files from the laptop were, in fact, authentic after federal investigators looked into the matter.

Clapper was one of the few signatories who answered for the bogus Russian intelligence claim, but he stood by the letter, claiming the ex-intel crowd never said for sure that the laptop was a Russian operation.

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“Yes, I stand by the statement made AT THE TIME, and would call attention to its 5th paragraph,” he told The New York Post. “I think sounding such a cautionary note AT THE TIME was appropriate.”

So it appears the latest actions is just a repeat of the same playbook Democrats have been using to push their agenda against Trump.

WASHINGTON — Nearly two decades after hearing “You’re fired!” on NBC’s “The Apprentice,” Erin Scavino says President Donald Trump chose her to lead one of the federal government’s least-known offices as it helps tell America’s story to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Scavino, director of the State Department‘s Art in Embassies program, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview inside the Art Museum of the Americas that she never imagined she’d go from reality TV to overseeing one of the Trump administration’s signature America 250 cultural initiatives.

She said she views her appointment as part of Trump’s broader effort to elevate American culture alongside American history ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250

“I was a day one hire by President Trump because just like we’ve seen with the Kennedy Center, he wanted to make the performing arts great again, and he also put me at Art in Embassies to make visual arts great,” Scavino said.

Although little known to most Americans, the Art in Embassies office has existed since 1964, placing American artwork in nearly 190 diplomatic properties around the world as a form of cultural diplomacy.

Scavino said the nation’s 250th anniversary offered an opportunity to introduce the program to a broader audience.

Opening July 30 at the Art Museum of the Americas, “Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy” will bring together more than 30 contemporary American artists whose work explores patriotism, diplomacy, military service, immigration and national identity in what organizers describe as a celebration of the ideals that have shaped the U.S. since its founding.

The exhibition, presented through a partnership between the State Department’s Office of Art in Embassies and the American Arts Conservancy, will be free to the public through Oct. 18.

PRO-TRUMP ARTIST UNLEASHES POWERFUL MESSAGE ABOUT AMERICAN FLAG, TOUTS MASSIVE OLD GLORY PAINTING

The exhibition spans dozens of contemporary works exploring patriotism through photography, painting, sculpture and fashion, with each gallery approaching the American story from a different perspective.

Among the featured works is “Gallantly Streaming” by acclaimed artist Barbara Ernst Prey, a sweeping interpretation of the American flag that anchors the exhibition’s exploration of national identity.

Internationally recognized pop artist Romero Britto also reimagines the Statue of Liberty in his signature bold palette for the exhibit, layering vibrant colors against the Stars and Stripes to celebrate what Scavino described as the enduring promise of the American dream.

The exhibit will feature a powerful series of photographs by Korina Marie Moore, whose images capture moments of military service through a deeply personal lens. Rather than focusing solely on combat, Moore’s photographs spotlight the men and women who serve — from sailors gathered around a U.S. Navy vessel to service members standing watch as the Statue of Liberty rises across New York Harbor and the solemnity of Arlington National Cemetery.

THE STORY BEHIND BETSY ROSS AND THE FIRST AMERICAN FLAG AS AMERICA CELEBRATES 250TH BIRTHDAY

Visitors will also encounter an America 250 haute couture gown created specifically for the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration, inspired by Betsy’s Ross’ flag.

For Scavino, the exhibit represents the latest chapter in a career that unexpectedly led from “The Apprentice” to the Trump administration. Looking back on that journey, she said there has been one constant.

“The common thread throughout all of this is President Trump,” Scavino said. “That’s why I always thank him so much for these great opportunities.”

Scavino says the opportunity has opened her eyes to the people behind the offices.

“Every time you learn about someone’s job, you’re actually understanding a whole new universe,” she said. “That’s what’s really special about the State Department.”

“People often think [the State Department is] really serious, and yes, of course, there’s so much diplomacy and so many very serious things that are going on,” Scavino said. “But there are so many interesting components, like Art in Embassies.”

“This isn’t something that was created for me,” she added. “Art in Embassies has been around since 1964 under President Kennedy… Every time you learn about someone’s job, you’re actually understanding a whole new universe.”

Scavino said one of her goals was to create an exhibition that feels welcoming to visitors who might never consider themselves “art people.”

“Art has become sort of a gatekeeping situation or something that’s only for the rich or the elite,” she said. “I wanted to say, ‘Hey, no. We want kids. We want grandparents. We want moms. We want families. We want dads. We want people all over the world to come to this museum because there is something for everyone.'”

Each artwork includes QR codes allowing visitors to hear directly from artists about their work and creative process, an effort Scavino said makes the exhibit more approachable.

“You don’t have to have your nose in the air saying, ‘Oh, that Monet’ or ‘That Degas,'” she said. “You’re going to see a flag. You’re going to see a sculpture. You’re going to hear Americans tell their stories.”

Scavino pointed to Romero Britto’s colorful Statue of Liberty piece, “Liberty for All,” as one example of the American dream reflected throughout the exhibit.

“When I think about his hearts or his Statue of Liberty, it just makes me think about the American dream,” she said. “He is so patriotic and he loves this country.”

“There are so many stories that are often overlooked,” Scavino said. “We show pictures of loss. We show people that have lost their lives for this nation. We show people who are celebrating serving our country… I think that we have to honor those who have served.”

One of the exhibition’s most unexpected pieces isn’t a painting or sculpture — it’s a couture gown inspired by Betsy Ross’ American flag.

Scavino said the idea came while she was searching for a wedding dress ahead of her February wedding to fellow Trump administration official Dan Scavino at Mar-a-Lago, when she discovered designer Kate Wasserbach Moore, whose appreciation for American history sparked an unusual collaboration.

“I cold-called her out of the blue and said, ‘Can you create a dress that looks like something one of the wives of our Founding Fathers would have worn and make it patriotic?'” Scavino recalled.

The finished design, featuring flowing red-and-white accents inspired by Betsy Ross’ flag, was created for the exhibition rather than the aisle, adding fashion to a collection that otherwise spans photography, painting and sculpture.

“To me, patriotic, red, white and blue, and also fashion—how much better does it get for a girl?” Scavino said.

Although Art in Embassies typically works overseas, Scavino said creating a major public exhibition in Washington had been one of her goals since taking over the office.

“I started with a dream because Art in Embassies is generally overseas,” she said. “I wanted to do something, to start a footprint here in the United States.”

That idea quickly gained momentum.

“The Art Museum of the Americas said yes,” Scavino recalled. “And the second surprise was that I unfortunately don’t have enough space for everyone. So many people generously wanted to participate.”

For Scavino, the exhibition is ultimately less about individual works than the conversations they may inspire.

“What I love about art is it’s totally different from politics,” she said. “You can get in the door by talking about art… and maybe instead of tear down, we can come together.”

She said that’s especially important because, for many people overseas, an American embassy may be their first — and sometimes only — connection to the United States.

“Sometimes in these small nations that are so foreign to us, the only touchpoint they have to America is our embassy and our ambassador,” Scavino said. “So it is so much more important than I ever thought it would be.”

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Scavino hopes visitors leave with a deeper appreciation not only for the artwork, but for the stories it tells about the nation it represents.

“You only get to celebrate 250 years once,” she said. “So let art be a way of celebration.”

Steve Forbes has been a bold advocate for the American capitalist system, free markets and sound money for decades. As the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes, and a presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000, he has been one of the nation’s leading voices on economics.

Recently, Forbes sat down with Fox News Digital at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas to discuss the state of the American economy, New York City’s socialist turn, and the policies of the Trump administration.

STEVE FORBES: CHUCK SCHUMER HAS A BEEF WITH BEEF, BUT DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO GRILL IT

“First of all, New York City has had a reputation in the past of electing radical candidates, including the allegedly only communist member of Congress back in the late 1940s. So there is that streak there. But more importantly, I think it shows that people, a lot of people, are dissatisfied.

The 78-year-old scion of a publishing empire said the left is better organized than it’s freedom-loving counterparts.

“We’ve got to get the message out,” he said. “And one thing that the left has learned is that you try to occupy the high moral ground. Even if you wreck people’s lives, kill millions of people under socialism, communism, your intentions were good.

“So they try to play the moral card. And so it’s not enough to say, ‘Well, free enterprise gives you more prosperity.’ You also have to put on the plane that free enterprise is moral. It’s based on liberty, based on allowing human beings to be creative, or as Lincoln put it, improve your lot in life.”

Following Trump’s Mount Rushmore speech and its depiction of the internal threat of communism, Forbes agrees, citing another U.S. president.

“Whatever you call it, communism, socialism, extreme leftism, anti-Semitism, it’s all the same disease,” Forbes said. “Abraham Lincoln put it very well in the 1800s. He said, ‘It won’t be foreign forces that destroy the United States. It’ll be things we do internally.'”

Forbes suggested that many incorrectly blame problems on free markets, when they should instead be blaming government policies:

“What happens is when governments start making mistakes and doing things that people don’t like and that hurt people’s prospects for getting ahead, upsetting society, they blame it on capitalism. They blame it on free markets,” he said. “So they help wreck free markets and then say, ‘The victim is the cause of it.'”

Prosperity and innovation can only flourish with freedom, Forbes said. While capitalism isn’t perfect, it has led to inventions that improve our lives, according to Forbes.

STEVE FORBES: MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST RENT CONTROL PUTS NEW YORK ON THE ROAD TO HOUSING RUIN

“Take your handheld,” he said. “If you’d said 30 years ago [that your] grandma could operate a supercomputer, you’d have gotten a rather strange look. Now we take it for granted. The first one was just 40 years ago, cost $3,995, weighed like a brick, the size of a shoebox. And today we have handhelds that are really supercomputers that can do anything anywhere. And in real terms, they get cheaper and cheaper. So that’s the miracle of human creativity. And then the amazing thing is we take it for granted.”

Forbes has long been an advocate for sound money, and a prominent critic of the Federal Reserve:

“Start with the Federal Reserve, the idea that prosperity causes inflation. Experience shows time and time again, it’s absolute nonsense. So if the economy starts to do well, you hear mutterings from the central bank asking, ‘Is the economy overheating?’ as if the economy is a machine,” Forbes said.

“So ask yourself, if your income is improving, do you start to feel overheating? Do you start to sweat at night? You know, ‘Take it away because I’m overheating?’ No, it’s preposterous,” he said.

The central bank’s role is to preserve the integrity of the dollar, not to manage economic activity by trying to manipulate interest rates, according to Forbes.

“And yet most free marketeers, for example, realize rent control distorts markets and ends up costing more and giving people less,” Forbes noted. “Well, what is controlling interest rates? It’s a form of rent control. They used to call interest rent. You’d rent the money.”

His prescription for the Trump administration is simple:

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“On the domestic front, go for a new round of tax cuts. Reduce tax rates for individuals and for businesses,” Forbes said. “Taxes are a price. So, propose it. Congress may not pass it, but you’ve got an issue you can take to the voters. 

Selling such a plan to the public could be done with some savvy marketing, Forbes added.

“Bring out examples of people who have benefited enormously from not taxing overtime, not taxing tips, and saying, remember those old late night TV commercials [where hawkers would say] ‘But wait, there’s more?’ They can say, ‘But wait, there’s more. We’re going to have big tax cuts. Everyone’s going to benefit.’

“And continue with the deregulation,” he concluded. “You go on that path, and good things will happen.”

Democrat Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear escalated his pressure campaign against Sen. Mitch McConnell on Saturday, demanding the longtime Republican senator from the Bluegrass State reveal his undisclosed medical condition as questions mount over the 84-year-old’s ability to serve.

In a post on X, Beshear connected his recent push for the lawmaker’s transparency to past national debates, writing: “I publicly and privately urged the last administration to address the public’s concerns with the former president’s health. I’m calling on Sen. McConnell to do the same and provide voters an update on his own health.”

Beshear ended the post by urging McConnell to “end the crazy speculation” and “just tell us what’s going on.”

MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES

The governor’s public comments follow a formal letter he sent to McConnell on Wednesday requesting a full health update on behalf of constituents who are “increasingly concerned” about the senator’s wellbeing and “ability to hold office in the United States Senate.”

Beshear argued public officeholders have a commitment to represent constituents with “clear communication about one’s ability to serve.”

MCCONNELL WAS FOUND ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ IN HOME LAST MONTH AS CONDITION REMAINS UNKNOWN

McConnell has been absent from the Senate for three weeks and was first hospitalized in early June for an undisclosed condition.

His office has declined to release specific details or a timeline for his return, though leaked emergency dispatch audio from a June 14 call revealed he was seemingly found unconscious at his home and may have suffered a heart attack.

McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, traveled to China shortly after the hospitalization, with her office claiming his condition “did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S.“

Both Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso said they have since spoken with McConnell at length about Senate business, recent Supreme Court decisions and the ongoing Graham Platner campaign scandal.

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However, when asked about McConnell’s condition aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said “I have no idea how he’s doing.”

The White House and McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

A sweeping veterans package supporters describe as the largest expansion of veterans’ health care and benefits in more than a decade is expected to return to the House floor when lawmakers come back from the July recess, but backers warn the legislation could once again become collateral damage in the Republican standoff over the SAVE America Act.

The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act rolls roughly 60 veterans bills into a package that would dramatically expand veterans’ health care and benefits. At its core, the legislation would cement veterans’ access to community care outside the VA while increasing benefits for combat-wounded veterans, caregivers and Gold Star families, expanding mental health services and enacting dozens of additional reforms.

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., told Fox News Digital he intends to bring the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act back for a vote as soon as the House reconvenes next week.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES DERAIL GOP AGENDA IN SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWDOWN

The legislation was held up last month after a group of House Republicans joined Democrats to defeat a procedural vote, stopping the House from taking up the bill.

“I’m feeling good as long as my members stay with us on the rule,” Bost said. “Right now, there’s some politics being played, not about this bill, but just in general.”

The bill became entangled in a broader House Republican fight over the SAVE America Act, legislation championed by President Donald Trump that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

On June 30, the House voted on H. Res. 1398, the procedural rule governing floor consideration of several bills, including the National Defense Authorization Act and the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act. The rule failed after 14 Republicans joined Democrats in opposition, preventing the House from taking up the veterans package and bringing floor business to a standstill. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., claimed to have voted against the rules vote in protest against House leadership’s handling of the SAVE America Act. As a result, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson sent the members home early.

Bost accused the holdouts of effectively putting veterans legislation on hold.

‘IT’S A MESS’: GOP TURNS ON HOUSE CONSERVATIVES AS VOTER ID BLOCKADE STALLS TRUMP’S AGENDA

“They’re holding all bills hostage,” Bost said. “They’re not voting for any rule. Any bill that has to pass a rule before it comes to the floor—which this bill does because of its size—can’t move.”

Although Bost said he supports the SAVE America Act and has voted for it three times, he argued the Senate’s failure to act should not stop the House from advancing unrelated legislation.

“I agree with that bill,” Bost said. “But the Senate still has to do their work. We don’t stop our work because the Senate isn’t doing it.”

With 23 legislative days left in the Congressional session, Concerned Veterans for America Strategic Director John Byrnes, a supporter of the bill, said time is of the essence.

“There are lots and lots of things that have to get done,” Byrnes told Fox News Digital. “There’s also the National Defense Authorization Act, which is a must pass every year, so these things eat up time. There’s requirements to have debate on these, which eat up session time.”

Byrnes argued that every procedural delay pushes other legislation further down the calendar.

“This bill will save lives in 2027,” Byrnes said. “If we lose veterans because they could have had faster, better access to health care, we’re never going to get those veterans back.”

TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT SHOWS SIGNS OF LIFE IN THE SENATE DESPITE REPUBLICAN REVOLT

But Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who also voted no on the procedural vote, told Fox News Digital that he has concerns about how the bill is financed.

“I appreciate what the chairman’s trying to do in some respects, but there’s a few issues,” Roy said.

Among them, Roy pointed to provisions offsetting new spending through changes affecting other veterans.

“You’re taxing certain veterans to provide some sort of benefits and changes to other veterans,” Roy said. “There are concerns about some of the pay-fors.”

Veterans of Foreign Wars has also taken issue with Section 108 of the bill, warning that it would codify changes to future disability ratings for tinnitus and sleep apnea to help finance other veterans priorities.

But Bost said this is inaccurate.

“No veteran is going to have their benefits reduced,” Bost said. “If you’re receiving a benefit right now, that’s not going to be reduced at all.”

Roy, who previously served two years on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said he supported a lot of what the bill was seeking to accomplish; but said other pieces of legislation are priorities, too.

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“There is a block of us for whom border security, the SAVE Act and demonstrating our leadership on major issues is critical,” Roy said. “Some of these other bills may or may not get hung up based on a desire of many in the conference to see movement on other things.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Luna’s office and the White House for comment.

Avi Loeb, the Harvard astronomer who was chosen last month by the White House to lead a UFO advisory council, believes he was brought on because federal officials are “baffled” by the many unidentified objects the U.S. military has captured over the past several decades.

Loeb, known for arguing that alien spacecraft may have already reached Earth, said his newly-formed team of more than a dozen scientists is combing through four batches of public UFO sighting disclosures released by the Trump administration in recent months.

His mission began in early June when an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) visited his home and asked him to form a group of experts to make sense of UFOs — now referred to by the U.S. government as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). This is an umbrella term that accounts for objects seen zipping underwater and in space.

“The U.S. government had me at hello,” Loeb told Fox News Digital in an interview on Saturday. “The fact that they are reaching out to scientists like myself indicates, in my mind, that they are baffled by what they are seeing, and they think that maybe it’s not human-made.”

NASA CHIEF CONFIRMS AGENCY HAS UNEXPLAINED UFO IMAGERY: ‘WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS’

Loeb’s council will report its findings to the UAP Governing Board, a recently-established body under the direction of ODNI.

According to the council’s website, Loeb and his colleagues will only be reviewing already-declassified materials on UAPs.

However, Loeb told Fox News Digital that he has asked the Pentagon and other agencies for 50 videos, images and other documents related to known UAP incidents. Those materials haven’t been given to him yet, with the custodian agencies citing national security concerns.

“It’s not so much the targets that are the issue. It’s that the sensors that were used were for national security purposes. The U.S. government doesn’t want to reveal to adversarial nations the kind of sensors being used. So that’s the main obstacle right now,” Loeb said.

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Loeb’s goal is to figure out whether UAPs that have been captured by the U.S. military originate from other nations or if they don’t come from humans at all.

“In the second case, if it’s not human-made, then that’s the biggest discovery ever made by science, and the U.S. government has the privilege of ushering in this new realization that we have a neighbor visiting us,” Loeb said.

Loeb sought to temper expectations, saying that many of the phenomena they are studying could turn out to be mundane. Often, he said, the strange-looking objects people see in the sky are merely space junk or broken satellites.

“Unless they maneuver in ways that cannot be explained by gravity, you should assume that they are space junk,” Loeb said.

DECLASSIFIED APOLLO MISSION UFO FILES CHALLENGE LONG-RUNNING MOON LANDING CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Nonetheless, he praised the White House for its push for transparency on this issue. In February, President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon and other agencies to declassify files related to aliens and UAPs because of “tremendous interest.”

One of the most important aims of Loeb’s council is to recommend better sensors so that the government can capture UAPs with more confidence in the future.

“If we are dealing with drones of some unusual qualities that the Chinese are using, it’s good for the U.S. to have better sensors that can help it identify those. Right now, they are reported as orbs. They may not be drones, but I’m saying that at the very least, we will help national security,” Loeb said.

Loeb’s remarks come after the Department of War on Friday released the fourth and latest batch of UAP materials to the public. Loeb commented on one of the most sensational releases from the first batch, which were photos from the Apollo 12 mission on the Moon in 1969.

One of the photos have five “unidentified phenomena,” but Loeb said federal authorities have now officially concluded that those blue flashes are most likely cosmic rays.

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Until 2020, Loeb headed up Harvard University’s astronomy department, where he studied black holes, the formation of the universe’s first stars and extraterrestrial life.

In 2017, when scientists discovered a remnant of a Pluto-like world in the Solar System, Loeb disputed those findings, arguing that the object was possibly a light sail from an alien civilization.

After this claim earned him widespread respect in the UFO community, Loeb founded the Galileo Project at Harvard to search for artifacts from extraterrestrial civilizations.