NationalWatch

President Donald Trump on Friday announced full executive pardons for six people he claims were “persecuted” by the Biden administration for simply “fixing their car.”

In a Truth Social post Friday afternoon, the president took aim at federal prosecutions he characterized as part of the “Weaponization and Stupidity” of the prior administration, saying, “I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!”

The pardons align with Trump’s broader push to defend the “right to repair.”

Earlier in the week, he signed a presidential memo designed to make it easier for Americans to repair their own vehicles by protecting self-repair rights and opening up options for aftermarket parts.

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“It came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car,” Trump said during an Oval Office news conference. “We rule by common sense.”

The executive clemency is seemingly linked to a federal environmental case involving Elite Diesel Service Inc. and its owner, Troy Lake Sr.

Lake received a full and unconditional pardon Nov. 7, 2025, wiping away his conviction in the case United States v. Elite Diesel Service, Inc. et al.

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According to federal plea agreements, Elite Diesel had instructed employees to disable computerized on-board diagnostic systems on at least 344 heavy-duty commercial trucks between January 2017 and December 2020.

The diagnostic systems are federally mandated under the Clean Air Act to monitor emissions control systems.

Lake was sentenced on Dec. 5, 2024, to more than a year in prison and a $2,500 fine. The company was put on probation for five years, ordered to pay a fine of $37,500 and required to make a $12,500 payment to a Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment program designed to repair emissions systems for low-income drivers.

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Government prosecutors also argued that Elite Diesel’s co-conspirators, other diesel truck garages and fleets, hired Lake’s company to manipulate the computers so that emission system malfunctions would go undetected, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

The EPA’s sprawling investigation ultimately swept up eight alleged co-conspirator garages and fleets across seven states, including Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

The businesses were ordered to pay heavy fines and fund local community service projects, such as buying clean school buses or electric groundskeeping equipment to offset environmental impacts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

At the time, Biden administration officials defended the criminal prosecutions as essential for public health.

EPA Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Lance Ehrig accused the defendants of leading a “large-scale conspiracy” that “diminished air quality.”

A study cited by the prosecution claimed the tampered trucks collectively released more than 1,300 tons of excess nitrogen oxides and other pollutants into the air.

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The Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney website has not yet been updated to list the people granted clemency by the president on Friday.

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

Former U.S. Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill, who is credited with killing Usama bin Laden, reflected on America’s 250th anniversary, praising opportunities for those willing to work hard while urging Americans to preserve the nation’s values amid what he described as a growing hatred of its history.

“As we come up on our 250th anniversary of being the greatest country ever, it’s just the opportunity here from my personal experience that reminds me, and I almost get to a point where I’m jealous of younger men that were my age when I joined because they literally have the world at their fingertips,” O’Neill told Fox News Digital.

“You can do anything, seriously, in this country.”

O’Neill, who served with SEAL Team 6 during Operation Neptune Spear, the 2011 raid that killed the al Qaeda mastermind and chief, encouraged more young people to step outside their comfort zones and contribute to America’s success.

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“I’m able to attribute a lot of my successes in life simply because I left the house,” he said. “I went to join the military, and I did. In this country, I just proved you can do anything by not doing one thing. I just didn’t stop. I never quit.”

Looking back on his service, O’Neill said it was a “great honor” to leave home, rise through the ranks on merit, and earn a place on a team chosen solely on ability, calling his experience an example of “the greatness of the country.”

“That team was proof of equal opportunity,” he said. “You have an equal opportunity to try out, but you’re gonna be tested every day, and if you don’t pass, we’re just gonna get rid of you. But the team was built because of this country, and the country has the ability to do that over and over again.”

As millions prepare to celebrate the anniversary, O’Neill acknowledged that not everyone views the milestone positively, blaming a growing “victimhood” mindset for turning people away from the nation’s history.

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“Part of the issue is we stop teaching our kids the past, and we’re actually raising a lot of victims,” he said. “I don’t know why the victimhood is here. Maybe it’s because the country is so great, we have to look back on the past and invent problems, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

A driving force behind this growing disdain is “institutional cowardice,” according to O’Neill, who warned that “if we keep importing the enemy and won’t call it what it is,” the country risks deeper political division and, ultimately, “civil war.”

“We’re at a place right now of institutional cowardice where we’re importing people based on untruths because people in political positions know that they’ll vote for them if they keep doing what they’re doing,” he said.

“Once that base starts growing, they’re going to get rid of what was referred to by communists as the ‘useful idiots.’ It’s growing right now. I mean, it’s almost ironic that we can look over the ocean at Great Britain on an anniversary from a country where we gained independence, and it’s not like looking at another nation. We’re looking at a glimpse into our future.”

O’Neill said the nation loses its strength despite its ability to “win anything with force,” arguing America would need to “import the enemy in order to lose.”

“We’re seeing right now that we can win anything with force, but we need to import the enemy in order to lose,” he said. “What I mean by that is if we get infiltrated, pound for pound, we’re never gonna lose a fight. Instead of telling the truth, we just try to appease. That’s what we’re seeing right now. We win the wars that we’re in until we involve too many laws that we make up ourselves.”

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But O’Neill said America can continue to succeed if it preserves its founding values, saying the country is “fragile” as “it’s still an experiment.”

Pointing to the British, Persian, and Ottoman empires as examples of powerful nations that eventually declined, O’Neill said America’s 250-year run does not guarantee its future and people “need to reflect on our great nation and how it’s very important that we keep it that way.”

“We gotta realize that the American project, the experiment that it is, it’s still worth continuing, and it’s good to see that we made it 250 years, but also keep in mind, that’s usually the lifetime of most empires,” he said.

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O’Neill said people should not take the country’s freedoms and opportunities for granted, saying he has seen “true poverty and real dictators” and that “it’s a blessing” to be here.

“We need to realize that we have been padded by two oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic, and you don’t want to do the whole ‘don’t know what you got until it’s gone,’ because this country is great,” he said.

Shortly after urging city residents to scale back their air conditioning use to reduce strain on the power grid, socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned older residents to be mindful of prolonged summer heat.

“If you have an older loved one, friend or neighbor, check in with them today. Make sure they’re staying hydrated, spending time in the air-conditioned spaces whenever possible and know where to find the nearest cooling center,” Mamdani wrote in a post to X.

It didn’t take long for the reactions online to point out the clashing sets of instructions.

“You just told old people to keep their air at 78. Are you on drugs?” Gina Milan, a conservative media personality, wrote in a post to social media.

“Mamdani: Older adults are at greater risk for heat-related illness, especially during prolonged periods of extreme heat. Also Mamdani: set your AC to 78 degrees,” another observer wrote.

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“How does he expect these older adults to stay cool if he wants them to keep their thermostat at 78?” another user wrote.

Social media users continue to monitor Mamdani’s online directives and his policies as the self-proclaimed socialist navigates the realities of implementing many of his campaign promises.

In the lead-up to his mayoral victory in November, Mamdani claimed that quality of life could not be separated from reactions to climate change.

“Climate and quality of life are not two separate concerns. They are, in fact, one and the same,” Mamdani said in an interview with the Nation last year, proposing new school infrastructure that would serve as shelters during extreme heat waves.

However, Mamdani noted earlier this week that the city’s existing infrastructure was struggling with capacity, asking residents to cap their AC units at 78 degrees.

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“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” Mamdani posted on X.

The request is a part of a series of other measures the city is deploying to counter the heat, including Cooling Outreach On-Location (COOL) vans, extending pool hours and an additional eight cooling centers through sites such as libraries.

“Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can. Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment. A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand — and get through the heat — together.”

Conservatives expressed skepticism of the plan.

“Show us your thermostat, commie,” reality TV star and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt posted on X.

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Notably, one observer on X pointed out that Republican New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had issued similar instructions in 1999, citing an archived press release.

According to the New York Mayoral Office, the city is predicting a heat wave that could reach up to 112, calling it “historic,” in a press release on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump targeted the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), venting frustration about the alliance in Thursday social media posts.

“The United States spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit from so doing: U.S. 999 Billion Dollars, United Kingdom, 90.5 Billion Dollars, France, 66.5 Billion Dollars, Italy, 48.8 Billion Dollars, Poland, 44.3 Billion Dollars. Others, including Germany, are MUCH LOWER. (2014-2025) Ridiculous!” the president asserted in a Thursday morning Truth Social post.

A NATO release, which explains that the “cut-off date for information used in this report was 3 June 2025” and that “figures for 2024 and 2025 are estimates,” listed the estimated 2025 U.S. defense expenditure as $980 billion, the United Kingdom’s as $90.508 billion, France as $66.531 billion, Italy as $48.8 billion, and Poland as $44.314 billion.

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America’s commander in chief also called out NATO in a post on Thursday night.

“Ridiculous for the U.S.A. to continue along this one sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal. They were not there for us!!!” Trump exclaimed in the post.

The president’s vocal complaints about NATO came ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Ankara, Turkey, next week. Trump is scheduled to attend.

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Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House last month.

Trump has been critical of NATO amid the U.S. war with Iran.

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“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!” Trump asserted in a mid-April Truth Social post.

A patriotic woman from Massachusetts took matters into her own hands after leaders in her state decided to boycott the Great American State Fair out of anger at President Donald Trump — and she showed no mercy to those who made that decision.

“I came here to represent Massachusetts because I didn’t want the public to walk into an empty room. I wanted somebody to be there,” said Donna Festinger, who paid her own way from the Bay State to the nation’s capital to celebrate 250 years of American independence.

Festinger is manning her state’s booth at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, part of the Trump-aligned Freedom 250 event that began on June 25 and ends on July 10.

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She had a clear message for Massachusetts leadership, along with the leadership of other states who also declined to participate in the celebration.

“I’m very disappointed that Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts decided — their governments decided not to support this effort to celebrate our American heritage,” she said. “It’s actually shameful.”

“It makes me feel like they really don’t love America or Massachusetts — my governor,” she said of Democrat Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who has had some very public spats with Trump.

Festinger, a former teacher who paid her own way to the event in Washington, D.C., and arrived at the beginning of the celebration, says she plans to stay through the entire 16-day event.

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She told Fox News Digital that she thinks the state boycotts are actually a point of unity for the American public, “because most people are upset about it and do not understand why a governor would do that.”

“And so that’s actually uniting people, Democrats, Republicans, independents, and agreeing that every state should be proud of our country,” Festinger speculated.

She added: “I think the Trump administration is working hard to bring the country together.”

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Meanwhile, Healey, known for her rabid anti-Trump streak, mocked the fair in an interview with Boston Public Radio.

Asked whether she would welcome Trump if he visited the state, she reportedly said the president is “too busy with his Great American State Fair down there that everybody’s bailing on.”

She also claimed, without evidence, that Trump is using the fair to “get money into his own pocket,” and falsely claimed that states were being charged to participate in the fair.

Festinger also recently garnered some backup at the Massachusetts booth.

Judith Kalaora, a Boston resident, stood at the state’s stand dressed to the nines in a Revolutionary War uniform to honor Deborah Sampson, a Massachusetts woman who disguised herself as a man to fight the British.

“I’m hopeful that my being here will unite folks to realize that Boston and Massachusetts have a great spirit, and that that spirit can unite the United States through our nation’s heritage and through our military history,” said Kalaora.

“I believe that the United States, in 250 years, has accomplished many more achievements than other nations have accomplished in 400 and 500 years,”

Eleven states, all run by Democrats, decided to skip the fair.

Some had explicitly anti-Trump reasons for declining to participate, like Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker, citing what he said is Trump’s “politicization of America 250 activities.”

Oregon’s leadership expressed a similar sentiment, though did not mention Trump by name.

“The State of Oregon will not be participating in the Great American State Fair due to both the cost of participating in the Fair and growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented,” Democrat Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said in a statement.

Kalaora, however, remains optimistic.

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“Times change, and emotions change, and that’s okay, as long as we still remember that we’ve done great things,” she said.

“I’m happy to be here.”

President Donald Trump will open America’s 250th Independence Day weekend with a return to Mount Rushmore, reviving one of the most symbolic scenes of his first administration as the White House stages a week of patriotic events across some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.

Trump last attended a Mount Rushmore fireworks display in 2020, when the landmark hosted its first official fireworks show since 2009. 

Trump issued a presidential action in January to honor the history of America, ordering “a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4, 2026.” On both a federal and state level, the nation has thrown a line up of events this summer including the “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall.

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Trump kicked off the fair on June 24 by hosting a rally the night before the beginning of the fair.

He will return Saturday for the “Salute to America” event, where he is expected to take the stage. 

Washington, D.C., has been placed under an “Extreme Heat Alert” until Sunday morning with temperatures predicted to feel like 105°F or hotter, according to DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management.

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Trump’s remarks are expected to begin around 9:00 p.m. ET, prior to a massive fireworks display on the National Mall that has been touted by the administration as the largest in history.

The National Mall has garnered special attention this year after a string of vandalism against the Reflecting Pool and monuments.

The pattern emerged after Trump ordered a restoration and repainting of the reflecting pool, which was then met with “razor-blade cuts” to its lining, according to the White House. 

Earlier this week, Trump attended the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Library in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday.

Roosevelt was known for his passion for the outdoors – dramatically expanding federal protection of natural resources and public lands. He established national parks, created national monuments and strengthened the U.S. Forest Service.

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Trump signed the “Great American Outdoors Act Reauthorization,” which centers on previous legislation signed by the 45th and 47th president but renews funding in honor of America’s 250th birthday.

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., a swing-district Democrat who touts herself as a bipartisan dealmaker, told a liberal audience she wants to “work across the aisle” before saying moments later that watching Pete Hegseth testify made her want to “beat the s— out of him.”

Lee made the remarks during an appearance last month before the Sun City Liberal Club in Las Vegas while discussing rare earth minerals and her work supporting MP Materials, a Las Vegas-based company involved in U.S. critical minerals production. The comments come as she seeks re-election in Nevada’s closely divided 3rd Congressional District.

“I want to be bipartisan. I want to work across the aisle,” Lee told the crowd, according to video of the remarks. But moments later, while discussing Hegseth appearing before her committee, she said, “Now listen, it’s so easy. It’s so easy. Like you just wanna beat the s— out of him.”

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“But you got to bite it,” Lee said of wanting to “beat the s—” out of Hegseth.

The Hegseth remark is not the first profanity-laced comment to draw scrutiny for Lee. In April, Fox News Digital reported that Lee deleted an expletive-filled late-night social media post targeting Trump after online backlash, then defended her remarks by saying her “nerve was touched” by what she described as attacks on the Constitution.

“Secretary Hegseth has made life less safe and more expensive for Americans. The war of choice that he and President Trump started has placed more burden on working families by increasing the cost of gas and groceries. And despite promising to immediately review Congresswoman Lee’s request to get Nevada Test and Training Range veterans the health care they need, Secretary Hegseth has dragged his feet for nearly two months,” a spokesperson for Lee told Fox News Digital. “Clearly, there are many areas in which Congresswoman Lee does not see eye to eye with the Secretary.”

Lee’s comments about wanting to beat up Hegseth came while she was teeing up a story to the Sun City Liberal Club about pressing the Secretary of War during a hearing on the Pentagon’s decision to invest in an Australian company while supposedly leaving a U.S.-based one out to dry. Lee said she appealed to Hegseth by telling him she believed in “made in America” and questioned why the Pentagon had invested more heavily in a different Australian company as opposed to MP Materials, an American one. 

“Now listen, it’s so easy. It’s so easy. Like you just wanna beat the s— out of him. I mean yea, but you just got to bite it. So this is what I did – he came in front of my committee twice,” Lee said as she told the story about the rare earth investments.

“You got to lay on their ego, right?” she continued. “Well, three weeks later, they announced a $2 billion investment in MP Materials, okay? I didn’t want to be sweet with Hegseth, okay, I didn’t. But, you know, you got to do what you got to do to get s— done, right?”

“Congresswoman Lee set aside [her differences with Hegseth] on behalf of her constituents to secure an investment in a Nevada-based employer that will create hundreds of jobs in southern Nevada,” Lee’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “She will continue putting politics aside and working with anyone — regardless of party — to lower costs, create jobs, and make life better for her constituents.” 

But Republicans took aim at the remarks as evidence that Lee’s bipartisan brand is at odds with how she talks about Trump administration officials behind closed doors.

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“It’s unfortunate for our Republic, near our 250th birthday of this great experiment we call America, that town hall comments like this reveal the truth, and Republican voters should be warned that Democrats, if they take over the majority, will simply spend their time going after President Trump and his administration,” said Mark Bednar, former head of communications for former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

Republicans also took issue with Lee’s claim that her exchange with Hegseth helped spur a major Defense Department investment in MP Materials, accusing the Nevada Democrat of overstating her role while using the story to burnish her bipartisan credentials.

“Either Susie Lee believes her words contain the persuasive power of the word of God, or she’s making stuff up and being completely unhinged to boot,” said Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poché. “Nevadans deserve a leader who will work to deliver for them, not posers whose only objective in office is to improve their stock portfolios like Susie Lee.”

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MP Materials eventually signed a major agreement with the Defense Department, including a $400 million Pentagon investment that made the federal government the company’s largest shareholder and other commitments aimed at strengthening the U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain.

As Americans gather in the nation’s capital to celebrate the Fourth of July and kick off the nation’s 250th anniversary festivities, Fox News Digital asked attendees at the Great American Fair on the National Mall whether the economy will influence how they vote in November.

While most respondents gave the U.S. economy a passing grade — most commonly a “B” — many said their ballots won’t hinge on inflation, jobs or economic growth alone. Instead, they pointed to values, leadership and party affiliation as the factors that will ultimately decide their vote.

The responses offer a snapshot of how some voters are weighing one of the nation’s top political issues ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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Although respondents expressed cautious optimism about the economy’s direction, several said improving conditions would not be enough to change their political preferences, underscoring the role that broader ideological and cultural issues continue to play in shaping voter decisions.

“I would probably give the economy, compared to what it was, I would give it a B for sure,” Jay Miller of Lafayette, Louisiana, told Fox News Digital. “I think we are on the verge of an economic boom like we’ve never seen in our nation. And I’m glad that I’m living at this point and this time to witness it firsthand.”

Miller said he believes lawmakers should work more closely with President Donald Trump to advance the administration’s agenda, arguing that doing so would help unlock further economic growth.

Donna Festinger from Greenfield, Massachusetts, also gave the economy above average marks, grading it a “B-plus.”

“I think it’s on the rise and we’re getting more and more jobs, which I think really helps everyone in America,” the retired schoolteacher told Fox News Digital. “I think this administration is working hard to help everybody earn more money and to be able to save more money, which will circle back into a better economy.”

But not everyone in Washington, D.C. this week was as upbeat.

FOX NEWS POLL: MOST RATE THE ECONOMY NEGATIVELY, INCLUDING HALF OF REPUBLICANS

Bonnie from Hollister, California gave the economy a “C,” citing ongoing concerns about prices, but said she’s hopeful conditions will continue improving.

“I don’t think it’s great right now,” she said, citing high gas prices in her home state of California. “I would say maybe a C, but I’m hopeful that it’s going to turn around and be getting up to a B soon.”

Dan Cuda, 72, landed somewhere in the middle, saying the economy still has “a lot of upside potential” despite inflation.

“Groceries are pricey. I’m an Air Force veteran, and I’m still shopping at the military commissaries, and it’s noticeably up,” Cuda, a Maryland resident, told Fox News Digital.

Military commissaries are grocery stores on military installations that offer discounted prices to eligible service members, veterans and their families.

Despite higher food costs, Cuda still said, “I’d call it a… B economy.”

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When the conversation shifted from the economy to politics, several Americans said economic conditions weren’t the deciding factor in how they plan to vote.

“It doesn’t really factor into my vote,” Cuda said, adding “I’m voting R no matter what.”

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Miller echoed that sentiment, saying character and values outweigh economic performance when it comes to casting his vote at the ballot box.

“Give me good people,” he said. “Give me conservatives. Give me somebody with a little faith, a little family, a little value. And that’s got my vote.”

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Bonnie also said the economy matters, but won’t change her support for her preferred candidate.

“It does matter, but it’s not gonna keep me from voting for who I wanna vote for,” the Californian said.

James Carville, the architect of President Bill Clinton’s 1992 victory over President George H.W. Bush and industrialist H. Ross Perot, said this week that President Donald Trump has forced him to break with the catchphrase that many believe helped win that election and made him a political household name.

Carville originally coined “It’s the economy, stupid,” as an internal reminder to campaign staff at Clinton’s Little Rock headquarters to stay on-message amid Bush’s rising approval ratings connected to his handling of the Gulf War.

But this week, Carville suggested allegations of corruption involving President Donald Trump have supplanted the idea that the economy should remain top of mind during election season.

During a discussion on his “Politicon” podcast network, former Mount Holyoke dean Joseph Ellis mentioned “It’s the economy, stupid” before the Ragin Cajun cut him off.

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“So, professor, I thought about that recently – about ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ – it’s a great catchphrase. It’s maybe one of the most oft-repeated things in politics,” Carville said.

“I now have come to detest the fact I said that.”

Without mentioning Trump by name, Carville — who has repeatedly accused the incumbent of corruption in recent months — compared him with the more genteel Bush.

“I’ll listen to people who say, ‘people don’t care about corruption, they care about the economy — As long as their incomes are up, they don’t care what he does’ – and I’m afraid that’s right.”

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“But I said it in 1992, and say what you want about George H.W. Bush, he was not… a corrupt man at all; decent man too. We have now the breathtaking, staggering — I understand if people say, ‘Yeah, you know, you’re right, that’s all people care about is the economy, and I won’t do it, I don’t say anything, I’m nice’,” he said, appearing to envision voters preferring to focus on the economy over other personality issues.

“I want to punch him in the f—ing face. OK? Yes. I’m serious… Because the phrase actually haunts me today.”

Asked about the invective, White House spokesman Davis Ingle called the Ragin’ Cajun a “stone-cold loser.”

“[Carville] suffers from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, and it has rotted his peanut-sized brain,” Ingle said.

During an earlier discussion with his co-host, former Wall Street Journal Washington bureau chief Al Hunt, Carville said that “we are drowning; we’re suffocating in corruption” before accusing Trump of increasing his net worth by $2 billion since becoming president.

“I’m just really fearful for the United States,” he added.

In February, Carville directed one of his segments at Trump as though the president were watching, telling the president that his inner circle “hates” him and that he is a “fat, sorry, sack of s—.”

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Since then, he has continued criticizing the president and recently said he is proud to have proverbial “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

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Carville has been a mainstay in Democratic politics ever since helping engineer Clinton’s 1992 victory, alongside other notable campaign aides, including ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, whom Trump also spars with on occasion.

Clinton’s 1992 campaign produced several enduring touchstones, from Carville’s “It’s the economy, stupid,” to Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 hit “Don’t Stop,” which became the de facto theme song for his successful bid.

Carville’s comments about his old slogan also come as he recently rebuked socialist nominees taking over his party.

Fox News Digital reached out to Carville via his Politicon podcast for further comment.

The far left is taking its political playbook nationwide, moving from high-profile primary wins in New York City and Colorado to a string of upcoming Democratic contests in Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida.

After far-left and socialist-aligned candidates scored ballot-box victories over establishment-backed contenders in congressional primaries in New York City and Colorado the past two weeks, the left is taking aim at the Midwest.

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

Kiros’ victory, coupled with wins a week earlier by three far-left congressional candidates heavily supported by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is emboldening progressives as they try to turn isolated blue-city upsets into a national pressure campaign against the Democratic Party. 

VICTORIES BY MAMDANI-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES SPOTLIGHTS GROWING RIFT IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

“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 on Wednesday.

In Missouri, the DSA-backed Bush is running to win back her seat in the state’s St. Louis-anchored 1st Congressional District.

Bush, a nurse, pastor and Black Lives Matter activist, first ran against Democratic Rep. Lacy Clay in 2018 before ousting him in the 2020 Democratic primary. But two years ago, she lost renomination to St. Louis County prosecuting attorney Wesley Bell, who was backed by millions in outside money, including pro-Israel groups opposed to Bush’s position on the war in Gaza.

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Fast forward to today, and Bush and Clay are locked in an expensive and combative rematch.

The far left is also training its firepower on the crucial Great Lakes battleground of Michigan, which holds its primary on the same day as Missouri.

Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director who unsuccessfully ran for governor eight years ago as an insurgent, is one of three major candidates trying to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, D-Fla.

Backed last year by far left champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, El-Sayed on Thursday was endorsed by progressive rockstar Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

THESE MIDTERM RACES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER REPUBLICANS HOLD THEIR SENATE MAJORITY

“AOC has changed the trajectory of American politics and inspired a generation to believe that government really can work for working people,” El-Sayed wrote on social media. “Together, we’re proving that even in the face of unprecedented outside spending, a movement powered by the people can win.”

One week later, on Aug. 11, Wisconsin holds primaries.

Wisconsin 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,” the DSA-aligned Hong posted on X last week after the progressive victories in New York City, in which two Democratic congressional incumbents lost renomination. “Wisconsin is next!”

A week later, the spotlight will shine on Florida, where DSA-backed Oliver Larkin is challenging two-term Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., in the state’s 25 Congressional District, which includes portions of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

“Tonight, @MelatKirosCO, tomorrow @OliverALarkin. The movement moves from New York to Colorado to FLORIDA!,” the DSA wrote on X hours after Kiros’ victory.

Kiros, who lost her job as a lawyer in New York after writing an essay critical of Israel, was also backed by Justice Democrats, the nearly decade-old political group known for heavily supporting “Squad” members Ocasio-Cortez, and Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib as they toppled entrenched incumbents in their initial elections to Congress. 

Hasan Piker, the controversial far-left streamer who attended Kiros’ primary night event in Denver, told Fox News, “I think progressive politics, left populism, a politics that centers the needs of the working class, can work in every district, in every state. That’s why I kept saying over and over again, it’s coming to a city near you.” 

Progressives also scored an impressive victory in the neighboring 8th Congressional District, a crucial swing seat which stretches along the I-25 corridor north of Denver.

State Rep. Manny Rutinel tallied a convincing double-digit victory over former state Rep. Shannon Bird, a more moderate candidate. Rutinel will now take on Republican Rep. Gabe Evans, who flipped the seat in the 2024 cycle.

The race is considered one of two or three dozen that will determine if the GOP holds onto its razor-thin House majority in the midterms.

Longtime Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital that “it is undeniable that progressives have built a coalition and have a message that can serve to buoy a candidate when they are an acceptable alternative to the status quo.”

While plenty of mainstream Democrats have racked up primary victories in recent weeks, it is the far left’s wins that are grabbing the media spotlight.

And that is giving Republicans who are facing a rough political climate as they work to hold their slim House and Senate majorities, more ammunition as they portray all Democrats as radicals.

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President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned of a “communist” threat.

Vice President JD Vance argued Tuesday on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” that Democrats have “a view that the United States is an evil country that must be dismantled from the ground and then built back up. That’s communism at its core, and you see more and more momentum in that direction from the Democrat Party.”

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill had split reactions to the Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down President Donald Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship, further allowing children born in the United States to be recognized as U.S. citizens.

“It’s a terrible decision,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

“Regulate folks before they come in — in terms of not coming here just to have a baby and leave,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said.

“In terms of the immigration process coming in, there should be regulation. Not that once you’re born here that we’re going to denaturalize you,” he continued.

REPUBLICAN ACCUSES SCOTUS OF BETRAYING US, PUSHES BILL RESTRICTING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, PREGNANT VISITORS

The case, which left many Republicans and Democrats divided, challenged Trump’s executive order to detach birthright citizenship from the 14th Amendment. Most Democrats who Fox News Digital spoke to argued that if the ruling had gone the other way, it would have been considered unconstitutional.

“I think they got it right,” Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas said. “The Supreme Court said that the Constitution says what it says. That if anybody even has a question about what the 14th Amendment says, I think it’s a little embarrassing. So I’m glad they got it right.”

TRUMP SUFFERS MAJOR SUPREME COURT DEFEAT AS JUSTICES UPHOLD BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

“I believe in the Constitution,” Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said when asked about the ruling.

“The Constitution is the Constitution. If you don’t like the Constitution, you can try to change it,” Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said. “But honestly, I think we’ve got much bigger problems as a country than Americans trying to live their lives as birthright citizens.”

The 6-3 decision highlights a significant loss for Trump’s immigration agenda as he has criticized birthright citizenship as a “magnet for illegal immigration.”

ICE SURGES ENFORCEMENT, MAKES 10,000 ARRESTS IN FIVE DAYS AMID SUPREME COURT BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP DECISION

“I think the president has an obsession with immigrants in this country,” Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., said. “He’s hell bent on making it as uncomfortable as possible. We’ve seen that time and again with ICE, we’ve seen this with an attack on the 14th Amendment .”

Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Samuel Alito were the three to dissent — arguing the 14th Amendment does not guarantee birthright citizenship to all children born to parents who are unlawfully and temporarily in the country. Alito cited that the ruling fails to recognize the rise of “birth tourism,” the concept that foreigners come to America just to give birth, potentially opening the door to national security threats.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., declined to comment on the ruling to Fox News Digital.

“Americans should be happy, because the Constitution means more than one guy’s opinion,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said.

An appeals court on Thursday ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot detain immigrants for more than 90 days without giving them an opportunity to seek release on bond while their deportation proceedings are pending.

In a 2-1 ruling, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided against the administration, potentially affecting thousands of immigrants who have been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in states within the court ‘s jurisdiction, including Texas and Louisiana.

Judge Leslie Southwick, writing for the majority, said the U.S. Supreme Court found in 2001 that the due process clause protects everyone, including two Mexican citizens and one Honduran whose cases were at issue in this case.

“It is part of the historic majesty of this long-ago founding charter that it makes no exceptions in providing basic rights to those within our boundaries, including a right to be heard when personal liberty is taken,” Southwick wrote.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS TRUMP MASS DETENTION POLICY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

In a dissenting opinion, Judge Cory Wilson said the majority “marginalizes the Constitution’s express grant of plenary authority over immigration matters to Congress.”

A different panel of the same court had previously been the first in the country to side with the administration’s novel interpretation of a federal immigration statute allowing mandatory detention of non-citizens living in the U.S.

However, that ruling in February did not address whether the due process protections of the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment require giving the immigrants an opportunity to seek release on bond by appearing before an immigration judge.

Rebecca Cassler, a lawyer for the migrants at the American Immigration Council, said in a statement to Reuters that the group is “delighted that the panel recognized the core constitutional principle that the due process clause does not allow the government to lock them away indefinitely.”

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to the outlet that it disagrees with the ruling, adding that it is “confident in its legal position regarding mandatory detention.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the department for comment.

Last week, the administration had asked the Supreme Court to review a similar ruling by a different appeals court.

Federal immigration law states that “applicants for admission” ​to the country are ​subject to mandatory detention ⁠while their cases proceed in immigration courts, making them ineligible for bond hearings.

BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY

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Despite a long-standing interpretation of immigration law, the Department of Homeland Security claimed last year that non-citizens who are already in the U.S. qualify as “applicants ​for admission” subject to mandatory detention, rather than only people arriving at the border.

The Board of Immigration Appeals, which is part of the Justice Department, announced in September ​that it had adopted the Department of Homeland Security’s interpretation.

Immigration judges employed by the ​department began ordering mandatory detention across the country.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Fresh off a U.S. Supreme Court victory for states restricting transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., is calling on Congress to take the next step by making those protections the law nationwide.

Justice, who signed West Virginia‘s “Save Women’s Sports Act” as governor, said the ruling vindicates the state’s approach after years of legal challenges and proves West Virginia “had it right all along.”

“To be perfectly honest, it makes me super proud of West Virginia,” Justice said in an interview Tuesday. “I’m prejudiced, you know, toward West Virginia, that’s for sure. But it makes me proud that the people of West Virginia had it right.”

SUPREME COURT MAKES RULING ON TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS

The Supreme Court’s twin rulings in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox uphold laws in West Virginia and Idaho restricting participation in girls’ and women’s sports based on biological sex, reinforcing similar laws already on the books in 27 other states.

West Virginia became one of the first states to enact legislation restricting transgender participation in girls’ and women’s athletics when Justice signed House Bill 3293 in April 2021.

The law requires athletic teams designated for females at public schools and colleges to be based on biological sex. The measure was immediately challenged in court, leading to years of litigation before reaching the Supreme Court.

Justice said he and his administration were willing to take political and legal risks to advance the legislation.

“I’m a coach and I’ve been a coach forever and I coach women and girls and have done that forever,” Justice said. “I see how hard they compete, how hard they try, how valuable Title IX is. I see their dreams being extinguished. And from my standpoint, from my heart, I’ve been all in from day one.”

Although the Supreme Court upheld the laws in West Virginia and Idaho, it did not create a nationwide standard, leaving states to determine their own policies and setting the stage for Justice’s push for federal legislation.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THREATENS KANSAS SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING OVER TRANSGENDER STUDENT POLICY

“There’s still more that needs to come,” Justice told Fox News Digital. “This needs to be national.”

Justice’s call for a nationwide law comes as the Trump administration has battled Democratic-led states such as California and Maine over policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. President Donald Trump has clashed with Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the state’s transgender athlete policy and has sued California over similar rules, arguing both states are violating Title IX protections for women and girls.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he does not believe it’s fair for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is defending the state’s policy in court against the Trump administration’s lawsuit.

“The Supreme Court’s decision does not affect California’s laws. The state remains committed to ensuring every Californian, including the LGBTQ community, is met with dignity and respect,” a spokesperson for Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital.

The Trump administration’s lawsuits with both states are still ongoing.

Since taking office in January, Justice has pushed to make West Virginia’s policy the national standard by cosponsoring Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, or S.9. But the bill failed to advance in March 2025 after falling short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate.

Justice indicated Tuesday he will continue supporting legislation to protect women’s sports for all girls and women across the country.

“As soon as I was sworn in as Senator I got to work on protecting women’s sports,” Justice said in a statement. “Our girls deserve somebody willing to stand up and fight for them. That’s why I proudly cosponsored Senator Tuberville’s S.9 and pushed the NCAA for answers about protecting women’s locker rooms. At the end of the day, this isn’t complicated. It’s just common sense. Let’s protect our female athletes, keep women’s sports for women, and do what’s right.”

In the meantime, Justice extended the invitation for families to move to his state, where “commonsense” is practiced.

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“Come to West Virginia and Idaho,” Justice said. “For God’s sakes, what in the world do you want to be in California for? Because the reason is just right out the window in California, It makes no sense at all. Logic doesn’t matter. But in West Virginia, you’ll find a lot of good stuff.”

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Justice said the debate ultimately comes down to protecting opportunities for female athletes.

“For five years, we’ve been on this journey and there’s been a lot of beautiful, athletic girls and women that have been trying as hard as they can and people have, in many situations, turned their backs on them,” Justice told Fox News Digital. “We waited five years too long, and for those that fell through the cracks in those five years, we should all apologize, but we should celebrate today.”

EXCLUSIVE: The Trump Organization is demanding the New York Times retract a story it calls ‘libelous’ and claims was deliberately crafted to suggest financial impropriety by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, according to a legal letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

The letter stems from a Times story published this week titled “Trump Cut a Billion-Dollar Mining Deal. His Sons Stand to Profit,” which ties the elder Trump brothers and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s sons to a tungsten deal secured by President Donald Trump with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in September 2025.

“Your June 28 article is deeply misleading and appears deliberately crafted to create the false impression that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were involved in, or sought to influence, the decision to award the Kazakhstan tungsten mine project to an affiliate of Cove Capital,” Trump Organization attorney Alan Garten writes in a letter to The Times.

THOMAS, GORSUCH TARGET LANDMARK RULING TRUMP SAYS PROTECTS THE ‘FAKE NEWS’

The letter is addressed to The Times’ editor-in-chief Joseph Kahn, along with the authors of the story, Eric Lipton and Paul Sonne.

“As your own reporting and interviews with those involved all clearly demonstrate, that implication is demonstrably false,” the letter continues.

A spokesperson for The New York Times defended its reporting and addressed the letter by telling Fox News Digital: “The Trump Organization does not deny the main point of our story: That Eric and Donald Jr. have profited from the U.S.-Kazakh tungsten mining agreement.”

“The letter mainly disputes whether the article gave enough prominence to the fact that the brothers were indirect and passive investors — a point that is clearly set out in the story,” NYT’s Executive Director of Media Relations Charlie Stadtlander added in the statement.

Tungsten is a mineral used by the United States to develop military equipment, including missiles and fighter jets. Currently, China, Russia and North Korea have a stranglehold on the resource, and the Trump administration has made it a strategic priority to secure a pipeline to obtain the mineral.

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Kazakhstan is rich in tungsten, and from the outset of his second term in office, Trump sought to make a deal with the Central Asian country to tap into its tungsten supply — even as his own tariff policies have caused price surges and bottlenecks for the import of this metal.

The makings of a deal culminated in a September 2025 meeting at the St. Regis Hotel in New York, where Lutnick hosted Tokayev. Trump joined by phone, and the parties came to a verbal agreement for the United States to procure tungsten, according to The Times. 

The Times’ report stems from the Trump brothers’ relationship to an investment firm called Dominari Securities. The brothers invest in some deals made by Dominari and they have a minority share in its parent company, Dominari Holdings Inc.

ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU INITIATING DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST NEW YORK TIMES OVER CONTROVERSIAL ‘DOG RAPE’ STORY

A source familiar with the matter explained the details of how the Trump brothers became passive investors in the tungsten mining operation.

An investment fund by Dominari Securities invested in a publicly traded construction company called Skyline Builders in August 2025.

After the verbal September 2025 agreement, Skyline approached Cove Capital, the company that invested in the tungsten mining project, and solicited a merger that would allow Cove Capital affiliate Cove Kaz to go public, the source detailed. The project has been backed by letters of interest from U.S. government financing agencies totaling up to $1.6 billion.

At no point, the source reiterated, did the brothers have any influence over the decision to award the mining contract to Kaz Resources.

This is echoed in the letter to the Times, where it states: “Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had absolutely no involvement in the award of the Kazakhstan project.”

Furthermore, Cove Capital was not introduced to Skyline Builders until about one month after the September 2025 verbal agreement, according to the legal letter and third-party communications obtained by Fox News Digital.

Those communications also reveal that Cove Capital leadership never spoke to either of the Trump brothers about the financing support before it was executed.

USHA VANCE MOCKS NEW YORK TIMES FOR DRAWING ‘POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE’ FROM HER PREGNANCY FASHION

“Don and Eric exercise no control over either company, played no role in and no knowledge of Cove Capital’s pursuit of the Kazakhstan project, participated in no negotiations relating to the project, and never even discussed the Kazakhstan project with anyone at Skyline, Cove Capital or any of their respective affiliates,” the Trump Organization letter to The Times says.

“Their connection to Cove Capital is therefore remote, indirect and highly attenuated.”

The letter accuses The Times of intentionally misleading readers before it revealed the tenuous relationship between the brothers and the tungsten mining project.

NY TIMES TORCHED FOR FATHER’S DAY ‘TRANS DAD’ ARTICLE CRITICS SAY SHOWS PAPER IS ‘CORRUPTING OUR CHILDREN’

“Indeed, in a message to my clients sent prior to publication of the story, your team expressly acknowledged that Don and Eric were not ‘actively a part of this deal,'” the letter says.

“Based upon the foregoing, we demand that The New York Times promptly retract or prominently correct the false and misleading impression created by the article and ensure that any future reporting accurately reflects the undisputed facts, including that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump had no operational role in any of the entities involved, no involvement whatsoever in the Kazakhstan project or its negotiations, and, as a matter of indisputable chronology, could not have influenced the award of the project.”

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The letter ends by expressly reserving all rights and remedies to solve the problem, including potential legal action.

The Trump Organization sounded off on The New York Times in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling the insinuation that the Trump brothers had involvement in the tungsten deal to Cove Capital “categorically false, misleading and libelous.”

The statement addresses the timeline of events and reiterates that the Trump brothers had no control over Cove Capital, its affiliates or Skyline Builders.

“Of course, all of these facts are readily ascertainable and could have easily been verified had anyone from the New York Times or any other publication that republished this supposed story performed even the slightest amount of due diligence before proceeding with such reckless and unfounded assertions,” the statement said.

The White House also weighed in.

“The only special interest guiding the Trump administration’s decision-making is the best interest of the American people,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Securing and reshoring America’s critical supply chains has been a top priority for President Trump, and Secretary Lutnick along with the rest of the Administration continue to take historic action to safeguard America’s national and economic security.”

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The Commerce Department did not return a request for comment on the deal or allegations that Lutnick’s two sons improperly benefited from the agreement.

Progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is taking sides in a high-profile Democratic Senate primary that’s seen as the next major showdown between the far left and the party establishment.

Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in battleground Michigan, in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

El-Sayed, who if elected would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, has long been backed by another progressive champion, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. He is facing off with two more moderate candidates, including centrist Rep. Haley Stevens, who is tacitly supported by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS LOOK TO TAKE NEW YORK PLAYBOOK NATIONWIDE AFTER PRIMARY VICTORIES

Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments, in a race that Democrats view as crucial as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans in this year’s midterm elections.

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But Ocasio-Cortez, the four-term firebrand from New York City best known by her initialism AOC, disagreed.

“Despite our ideological differences and whatever disagreements there are in the party, every single one of us sees this moment as existential,” she said in a New York Times interview, where she announced the endorsement. “And I think many people are willing to put aside differences in order to give us the best chance at winning. And I think that Abdul gives us that right now.”

The endorsement by Ocasio-Cortez, her first this cycle in a contested Democratic Senate primary, could further energize far-left progressive activists who are already heavily supporting El-Sayed. And it will likely be problematic for establishment leaders, who worry El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago.

EL SAYED DOUBLES DOWN ON CONTROVERSIAL RHETORIC

Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement in Michigan comes in the wake of stunning Democratic primary victories the past week and a half by far left and socialist-aligned candidates in showdowns in New York City and Colorado.

The results have emboldened the far left as it takes on the center-left establishment in a high-stakes battle for the future of the party.

In Michigan, which holds its primary on Aug. 4, El-Sayed, an epidemiologist, former public health official and academic who recently served as director of the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services of Wayne County, has made support for “Medicare-for-all” a major component of his campaign.

El-Sayed also calls for abolishing ICE, and he’s a vocal critic of Israel in its war with Hamas. He has characterized Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians.

El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has also vowed not to accept PAC donations.

THESE MIDTERM RACES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER REPUBLICANS HOLD THEIR SENATE MAJORITY

Stevens, meanwhile, has been backed by millions in super PAC spending, including big bucks from Israel-aligned groups.

State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who has a growing national profile, is the third major candidate in the Democratic Senate primary. She is running as a progressive in an ideological space between El-Sayed and Stevens.

Polling indicates that El-Sayed is the frontrunner in the race.

This isn’t the first time Ocasio-Cortez has backed El-Sayed. She also endorsed him for his insurgent but unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial bid in Michigan.

Sayed, pointing to Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement, told the New York Times, “I’m honored for what her support says about what this campaign is building and what we’re fighting for.”

And taking aim at Schumer, he argued that the longtime Democratic Senate leader “doesn’t want to see me on the inside of the U.S. Senate.”

The eventual Democratic nominee will face off in the general election with former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glidepath to the Republican nomination.

Rogers, who is running for the Senate for a second straight cycle, narrowly lost in 2024 to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

The leading nonpartisan political handicappers rate the Senate race in Michigan as a toss-up.

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The Michigan GOP called the Ocasio-Cortez endorsement “the least surprising political news of the week.”

Michigan GOP senior communications adviser Greg Manz argued that “the U.S. Senate in Michigan race is a choice between the crazy agenda of AOC and Abdul El-Sayed or the commonsense values of Michigan working families.”

No one will struggle to keep warm amid an historic heat wave gripping the eastern U.S.

But how about keeping “your comrade warm?”

No. You’re not back in the USSR.

But you might be in the Democratic party.

SOCIALISTS SWEEP NYC AS AMERICANS BALK AT MOVEMENT’S BRUTAL CATCH: ‘TALK TO IMMIGRANTS’

“You deserve to make sure that your international comrades are actually working with you and getting the benefits that you that you all deserve,” said Democratic New York House nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier at a union rally in New York City.

“Half of the people here are strangers to you all. But now you have comrades,” said Colorado Democratic Congressional nominee Melat Kiros who defeated Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) Tuesday.

“I’ve got to give a shout out to my comrades,” said Missouri Democratic Congressional candidate Hartzell Gray on a podcast interview.

To Democratic Socialists, you don’t know how lucky you are.

“You have the solidarity of the entire labor movement. And you have my solidarity, too,” said Democratic New York House nominee Claire Valdez.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) didn’t endorse either Avila Chevalier nor Valdez. However, he did congratulate them. Jeffries naturally needs Avila Chavalier, Valdez and Democratic New York House nominee Brad Lander to win. They probably will this fall. But when asked about progressives who prevailed in the New York primary – who he didn’t endorse – Jeffries delivered a nuanced answer.

“I will support every single Democratic incumbent in the New York Congressional delegation and beyond,” said Jeffries.

CNN resuscitated a set of old tweets from Avila Chevalier. Some praised communism. Others called for more Marxist literature in libraries. Yours truly pressed Jeffries about whether he should call out Avila Chevalier for some of her old social media postings.

“Should she apologize or clarify some of these very inflammatory tweets that she sent?” I queried.

“That’s a question you’re going to have to ask her,” answered Jeffries.

“But as Leader, is that a problem?” I followed up.

“I’ve spoken to this issue. I’ve expressed my position as it relates to many of the things that she has said in the past over Twitter. my statement speaks for itself,” answered Jeffries.

Then the 29-year-old Melat Kiros whipped 29-year House veteran Diana DeGette in Colorado. Kiros’s victory demonstrated that the Democratic Socialist message didn’t just resonate in the urban canyons of lower Manhattan. But in the Rocky Mountains, too.

“What we are fighting for is Medicare for all. Universal child care. Abolishing ICE. And ending the genocide in Gaza,” said Kiros.

These are core subjects for the left.

“They’re winning on platforms like Medicare for all. Universal health care. Universal childcare. Raising the minimum wage,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). “These ideas, whether you call it socialism or not, they are very popular across the country.”

Progressive influencer Hasan Piker believes victories by these candidates in New York and Colorado are just the beginning.

“Progressive politics, left populism. It can work in every district in every state. That’s why I kept saying over and over again, it’s coming to a city near you,” said Piker.

But not everyone is on board.

“Will Democrats continue to defend crazypants?” asked Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) on Fox.

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) is another. He’s a moderate, pro-Israel Democrat in a battleground district in which President Trump carried in 2024.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES CONFRONTED ON ‘YOU’RE NEXT’ CHANTS FOLLOWING NY DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST VICTORIES

“My folks want really normal folks. Democrats, Republicans, just people who are going to get things done. And so they see this because this is what gets attention,” said Landsman. “I hope the party doesn’t go in that direction. Having a diversity of opinions is one thing. But some of what some of them think is beyond the pale. It’s just outrageous.”

Landsman wished Democratic leaders would speak out against controversial candidates and nominees.

“The fact that they won’t even call it out, I think is an underlying current within the Democrat Party that they’re scared of their own base,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC).

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) is retiring after 32 years in Congress. She’s not aligned with her likely successor, Claire Valdez.

“So what do you make of some of the controversy about your prospective successor? And is that driving a wedge through the party?” yours truly asked Velazquez.

“Look, we are celebrating the outcome of this Supreme Court decision that reaffirm the fundamental principle of the Constitution that anyone born in this country is an American citizen,” answered Velazquez, trying to change the subject.

“But do you have but did you not see things eye to eye with your prospective successor here?” I followed up.

Velazquez sighed.

“Look, she won and I wish her well. And I offered myself to sit down with her and discuss the transition. But this is how democracy works,” said Velazquez.

Still, other Democrats believe the party can operate under a “big tent” and court voters.

“There’s room for conversations about where we go. But we’re not the party of one person or coalition and there’s going to be those discussions about where we move forward,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL).

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) asserted that wins by Democratic Socialists in New York City carried outsized weight. She also said that it was natural for the press corps to capitalize on possible divisions in the party.

“I think that you all try to stir it up. Stir up this language. Try to pit people against each other,” said Dingell.

I asked Dingell about “controversial things” which Avila Chevalier peddled over the years.

“I don’t have to agree with everything that she said. The Republicans are putting kerosene on the fire,” said Dingell.

“Didn’t she pour kerosene on it to start with?” I asked.

“Look, I wouldn’t have said some of the things that she said. But I don’t vote in New York. They do,” answered Dingell.

SOCIALISM GOES WEST AS DSA-BACKED CHALLENGER OUSTS LONGTIME DEMOCRAT

Republicans are adamantly opposed to socialism. But in a weird way, the Democratic lurch left might actually help the GOP beat the historic odds and hold the House.

“They’re a complete socialist party now,” said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC). “They’ve got to either own it or disassociate themselves from it.”

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When the Beatles released Back In the USSR, American conservatives and right-wing reactionaries said this proved that the group harbored communist sentiments.

Now the American right says the Democratic party has turned to the left. Republicans say listen to the rhetoric of Democratic Socialists espousing their views. And to hear the GOP tell it, those candidates may as well be back in the USSR.

An Obama-appointed federal judge has issued a final ruling allowing an anti-Trump “86 47” flag to be flown, delivering a win to a progressive activist group as the National Mall remains a hot zone for vandalism and threats against President Donald Trump.

Progressive group Accountability Now USA flew the flag near the National Mall, and alleged that the National Park Service (NPS) violated their First Amendment rights by threatening to revoke their permit. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington, D.C., ruled on Monday that the flag is protected political speech.

The administration has previously interpreted the number “86” as a political threat, pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service, while 47 appears to refer to Trump as the 47th U.S. president.

“This opinion is from an Obama-appointed judge. Flying a flag that is a threat to the Office of the President of the United States should not be permitted under any administration,” a Department of Interior spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “In what world have we lost all decency to demand that any threat against the President be taken very seriously?”

OBAMA JUDGE CLEARS LEFT-WING GROUP TO FLY OMINOUS FLAG AIMED AT TRUMP ON HIS OWN TURF

“[Its] ‘8647’ flag… is not a true threat to the President or incitement of violence,” Moss said in his ruling.

The group also displayed two flags accusing President Trump of sexually assaulting a minor. Moss ruled that those displays are “not legally obscene” and therefore remain protected by the First Amendment.

Moss was appointed to the federal bench by former President Barack Obama after previously serving in former President Bill Clinton ’s Justice Department. He has also contributed to and volunteered for Democratic candidates and causes.

OBAMA JUDGE CLEARS LEFT-WING GROUP TO FLY OMINOUS FLAG AIMED AT TRUMP ON HIS OWN TURF

The judge noted in a previous order on the case that “a true threat to the life or safety of the President would undoubtedly outweigh the interest of the public or the speaker in continuing to urge that unlawful conduct.”

The dispute over the nature of the messaging comes amid heightened administration scrutiny of “86 47” messages after the giant numbers appeared to be etched into the grass between the Washington Monument and the World War II memorial last month.

OFFICIALS ASK FOR HELP IDENTIFYING PERSON IN REFLECTING POOL DAMAGE INVESTIGATION

Grass samples were also collected for testing and examination in the area by investigators.

America’s 250th birthday brings major events to the nation’s capital as D.C. braces for massive crowds, tight security, road closures and heightened law enforcement presence.

Trump will attend the “Salute to America” event on July 4th. His remarks are expected to begin around 9 p.m. ET, prior to a massive fireworks display on the National Mall that has been touted by the administration as the largest in history.

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In April, there was an assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where a shooter attempted to break into the ballroom. The fallout from the latest attempt comes as the anniversary of the Butler, Pa., rally approaches on July 13. 

A bullet came close to ending Trump’s life that day in 2024 after it grazed his ear. And just two months later, another attempt on his life occurred when a man with a rifle was arrested in Southern Florida after he stuck a rifle through the bushes where Trump was golfing that day. 

Meanwhile, the National Mall has garnered special attention this year following a string of vandalism against the Reflecting Pool and monuments. The pattern emerged after Trump ordered a restoration and repainting of the reflecting pool, which was then met with “razor-blade cuts” to its lining, according to the White House.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is demanding answers from Cincinnati’s mayor over a newly enacted city ordinance reorganizing procurement under a Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement, arguing taxpayers should not be funding what he calls an expanding DEI bureaucracy that is potentially illegal.

“Taxpayers should never foot the bill for woke DEI policies or initiatives,” Moreno wrote in a letter to Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval on Thursday that was obtained by Fox News Digital. “Cincinnati’s taxpayers deserve a government that rewards competence and merit, not politically driven quotas or preferences based on race or ethnicity.”

At the heart of the issue is a city ordinance approved by the Cincinnati City Council in June that creates a Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement, which Moreno argues expands the city’s DEI bureaucracy and could inject DEI considerations into the contracting process. According to city documents cited by Moreno, the restructuring would make the city’s contracting process more efficient while preserving its focus on DEI.

In the letter, which was also sent to the Justice Department, Moreno said the ordinance comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI programs across the federal government and argued it “completely ignores” the Justice Department guidance warning against engaging in “unlawful discrimination.”

DOJ DANGLES MASSIVE SIGNING BONUSES FOR LAWYERS READY TO FIGHT ‘LAWLESS’ CITIES FAR BEYOND DC

Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has made eliminating DEI initiatives a priority, signing executive orders to eliminate DEI programs and end DEI-related hiring and training practices, as well as directing agencies to review recipients of federal funding.

“The days of choosing public contract winners based on excellence are back,” Moreno wrote, adding that “the City of Cincinnati must be a better steward of public funds.”

SEATTLE COUNCIL MEMBER TOUTS ‘BLACK BUDGET,’ CALLS FOR BLACK RESIDENTS TO FORM ‘MOST POWERFUL POLITICAL PARTY’

Pointing to the city’s explanation of the ordinance, Moreno said that the city intends to continue incorporating DEI in its contracting process.

“Amazingly, your office even admits it in its explanation: ‘The goal of this restructuring is not to reduce the city’s focus on inclusion. Instead, it is intended to strengthen it,’” Moreno wrote. “Ohioans deserve to know that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are awarded to individuals and businesses based on merit, not race or ethnicity,” Moreno wrote.

INTERNAL EMAILS EXPOSE HOW JULY 4TH BASH IS BEING DERAILED BY DEM-RUN COUNTY: ‘OFFENSIVE’

Moreno asked Pureval to respond within five business days with the exact amount of federal funding the city received during fiscal years 2024, 2025, and 2026, the projected cost of the ordinance and an outline of the process the new department will use when reviewing applications and awarding city contracts.

Moreno also requested information on how Cincinnati is planning to comply with the Justice Department‘s guidance and its recent law enforcement staffing data, adding that the city should prioritize addressing its $30 million budget deficit and public safety challenges instead of expanding DEI initiatives.

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“Additionally, the adoption of this Ordinance represents a gross misallocation of resources at a time when the city faces a surge in violent crime, including multiple recent homicides, a mass shooting, and a persistent law enforcement recruitment crisis that undermines public safety,” Moreno wrote. “Instead of fueling divisive social experiments, these public funds should be redirected to protecting Cincinnatians and restoring order to Ohio’s streets.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Pureval’s office for comment.

The U.S. Secret Service “missed multiple opportunities” to prevent or disrupt the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump as he spoke to supporters during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General said in a report released Thursday.

The 64-page document detailed several lapses in security that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to get a line of sight of Trump as he stood on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the July 13, 2024, event.

“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 states.

Among the OIG’s findings was a failure to warn Trump’s protective detail that Crooks had a range finder and a long gun and had climbed onto the roof of a nearby building due to a lack of communication between the Secret Service and local law enforcement.

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

Instead, they operated out of separate locations 257 yards apart with intermittent and highly limited radio connectivity between them.

As a result, the Secret Service missed 102 radio transmissions regarding an increasingly intense search for a suspicious individual, including alerts that the suspect was on the roof with a long gun.

Because the Secret Service communications room only received a handful of phone calls and texts, agents failed to recognize the urgency of the threat and never warned Trump’s protective detail to delay the speech or remove him from the stage, the OIG said.

“Communications was a problem because of inoperability. There were too many command posts,” Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent, told Fox News Digital. “The biggest failure that is probably not addressed in the OIG report is that they never should have accepted the risk of doing it at this site. It never should have been done. That roof had an egregious line of site.”

SECRET SERVICE, TSA AND NYPD TRANSFORM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INTO FORTRESS FOR TRUMP’S NBA FINALS VISIT

Crooks was able to fire eight shots. Trump was grazed in the ear, and Corey Comperatore, 50, who was attending the rally, was killed. Two other spectators were critically injured but survived.

Moments after Trump was shot, Secret Service agents rushed the stage and moved him to safety.

In addition to a lack of communication, the Secret Service failed to detect Crooks’ drone flight that he used to view the campaign event stage less than three hours before the rally due to an under-trained operator and an equipment malfunction, the report states.

Crooks flew the drone undetected for almost nine minutes and flew 471 yards from the event stage at an altitude of 102 feet. During the rally, the Secret Service had a counter-drone system on site, but it malfunctioned.

The counter-drone system was not operational when Crooks flew his drone hours before he tried to kill Trump.

The agency also failed to share intelligence about a long-distance threat to Trump with the Pittsburgh field office and agents on site, the report said.

Agents also failed to secure the area outside the security perimeter and did not use available resources to block Crooks’ line of sight from the roof of the American Glass Research International building to Trump despite the line of sight being identified as a concern, the OIG said.

Despite identifying the AGR complex as a line-of-sight vulnerability during advanced walkthroughs, the Secret Service failed to ensure the view to the stage was obstructed.

“There should have been a better advance, more officers, more agents, but there’s simply a limit to that,” Eckloff said.

Officials originally proposed using trucks already onsite to block the view from the AGR complex, but Trump’s campaign staff rejected the idea because it would interfere with press photographs.

WHITE HOUSE UFC TERROR PLOT ‘RINGLEADER’ IS A MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, DHS CONFIRMS

An agent proposed a secondary location for the trucks but never verified that the campaign staff actually moved the equipment. As a result, Crooks had an unobstructed view of Trump’s podium from a distance of just 155 yards, the report said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Secret Service and the White House.

The report offered several recommendations to improve the Secret Service’s processes for securing events, such as mandatory threat communication, enhanced counter-drone training and a process to formally document the identification and blocking of line-of-sight vulnerabilities.

David Axelrod, a Democratic political consultant and strategist, received backlash online for noting that emergency services in Chicago had declined to assist a seemingly homeless man outside the Art Institute of Chicago.

“An elderly man, probably homeless, was sprawled unconscious on the museum’s front stone steps in the midst of a heat emergency. I called 911, and the operator said, ‘Well, is he ASKING for help?’ When I said no, she said, ‘Well, I’m not going to send anyone.’ So the man remained, passed out in the blazing noon sun. I guess that’s how the City of Chicago deals with such situations,” Axelrod wrote.

“I hope we’re not all complicit in assisting an unintended suicide,” he added.

FAMOUS LANDMARKS SLASH VISITING HOURS AS DEADLY HEAT WAVE THREATENS TOURISTS

His comments sparked mockery online when observers highlighted similar encounters in a number of other Dem-run cities in the U.S.

“David Axelrod comes face to face with Democratic policies in action… turns out he doesn’t like them very much,” Abigail Jackson, a White House Deputy Press Secretary, observed on X.

Sen. Ted Cruz’s, R-Texas, deputy chief counsel Erielle Azerrad said, “Anyone who lived in the Mission district of SF has like 20 stories like this.”

“It’s awful to hear. It’s also why most of us who have witnessed it are so vehemently opposed to socialist nonsense ruining our once awesome cities. Welcome to the party, dude,” she continued.

“Democrat policy which you dedicated your career to impose,” New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X.

“Does David Axelrod own a mirror?” conservative strategist Steve Guest asked.

Earlier this year, the city, led by Mayor Brandon Johnson launched a five-year homelessness initiative with the goal of making homelessness “rare, brief and nonrecurring.” The plan centers on seven core strategies, including emergency services, housing, health, education, employment, community cohesion and systems alignment.

MORNING GLORY: DEMOCRATS CLIFF DIVE OVER THE FAR-LEFT EDGE OF AMERICAN POLITICS

The plan does not come with a stated budget expectation but partners with several other city programs, such as a $1.2 billion housing initiative.

At least one other Democratic voice bashed Axelrod’s description and the city’s response.

“This is awful and unacceptable. In a case like this or a freezing/blizzard spell, the city must mobilize to render necessary aid, even if its refused,” Susana Mendoza, a candidate for Chicago mayor, said in her own post.

“Despite all the talk from this mayor and his administration about helping people like this in urgent need, they have abandoned them,” she added.

Notably, Axelrod described how the man had spoken with security at the Art Institute but declined to move or accept assistance.

“I asked a museum security guard about it and she said she had woken him 3 times and suggested he move into the shade and he refused each time,” Axelrod wrote.

SPENCER PRATT SEIZES ON HOMELESSNESS REMARKS BY KAREN BASS, BLASTS DEMOCRAT FOR FAILURES

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When asked about the situation, the Art Institute of Chicago confirmed to Fox News Digital that a man had been outside the building and added that he had departed.

“We are aware that a museum security officer checked on an individual on the front steps and that person left on their own accord shortly after,” the institute said in a statement.