NationalWatch

The U. S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume border wall construction in West Texas, granting an emergency request from the federal government to lift a lower court’s hold on the project.

The justices’ ruling stays a preliminary injunction issued last month by a federal district judge in El Paso, who had temporarily halted border wall construction in the region designated by U. S. Customs and Border Protection as the Big Bend Sector while litigation proceeds.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated she would have denied the stay request but did not file a written dissent.

LIBERAL JUSTICE HAMMERS SUPREME COURT FOR FAST-TRACKING EMERGENCY DOCKET CASES

The lawsuit against the project was brought by a coalition of environmental groups and local residents, who claim the Department of Homeland Security violated constitutional provisions by proceeding without congressional authorization and bypassing environmental regulations.

Spanning more than 500 miles, the Big Bend Sector covers roughly a quarter of the U. S.–Mexico border, though it accounted for just 1. 3% of all border apprehensions in 2025, Reuters reported.

MULLIN TELLS CONGRESS PRIMARY BORDER WALL WILL BE DONE BY JUNE 2027, SECONDARY WALL BY SUMMER 2028

Administration officials have argued the wall is vital to stopping cartel operations active south of the border and curbing the smuggling of large quantities of illicit drugs into the U.S.

Most of the proposed construction in the Big Bend Sector will take place on privately owned land, according to administration officials.

Big Bend National Park is slated for a 17-mile barrier, though officials noted it will not feature the 30-foot steel pedestrian fencing planned in other areas along the southern border.

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President Donald Trump has long touted border wall expansion as a signature initiative of his strategy to seal the southern border and crack down on illegal immigration.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., narrowly won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic challenger Jonathan Nez in a tight rematch, The Associated Press projected Monday.

Crane, a former Navy SEAL combat veteran, previously defeated Nez, a former president of the Navajo Nation, in the 2024 general election.

Crane and Nez were separated by 3,834 votes at the time of the AP race call. The Fox News Power Rankings had rated the seat Likely R in the lead-up to Election Day.

Nez has not yet conceded the race. His most recent social media post, from Nov. 5, said that counting every ballot “takes time” in the large district.

BLUE WAVE NEARLY SWALLOWED SOME OF AMERICA’S REDDEST STATES AS ELECTION DATA EXPOSES GOP’S CLOSE CALLS

In a post on X, Crane thanked rural Arizonans and his staff while praising Nez for stepping into the arena again.

“I’m going to keep fighting against the status quo in Congress,” Crane wrote. “Both parties have been driving this country into the ground for decades, and the American people are sick of it.”

TRUMP TORCHES DEMOCRATS AT ARIZONA RALLY, WARNS THEY WILL ‘DESTROY OUR COUNTRY’ AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

Crane was backed by President Donald Trump, who endorsed the GOP lawmaker as an “America First Patriot.”

At the same time, Trump targeted Nez, labeling him a “Radical Left Democrat” who opposes eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security.

DEMOCRATS ARE CHANGING THEIR TRANSGENDER MESSAGE. REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’RE JUST FLIP-FLOPPING

“He wants massive Tax Increases, Open Borders, Men playing in Women’s Sports, and Transgender Mutilation of your Children. Jonathan Nez is Reckless, Radical, and Dangerous!” Trump wrote.

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Crane noted that he will stand in the way of anyone “trying to move this country in the wrong direction.”

Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage of Maine is in Washington this week after declaring victory in his congressional race, even as the state’s ranked-choice count continues.

LePage narrowly edged out Democratic rival Matt Dunlap, and last week declared victory in the race for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. Dunlap conceded on Thursday, Nov. 5.

The mostly rural seat is the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River by area and was won by President Donald Trump in all three of his presidential elections.

The apparent victory by LePage would be the only flip from blue to red by House Republicans in a non-redistricted seat in the midterm elections. And it would be rare good news for the GOP after getting trampled by a blue wave that saw Democrats storm back to grab a large House majority as well as recapture the Senate.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST RESULTS FROM THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Even though Dunlap conceded to LePage last week, a ranked-choice count kicked off Monday morning. That’s because while LePage topped Dunlap by more than 5,000 votes, he fell short of grabbing a majority, which would have prevented ranked-choice voting. According to the Maine Secretary of State, LePage received 49.894% of the total votes cast in the 2nd District race.

LePage was in the nation’s capital as ranked choice voting got underway.

“Paul is already at work in Washington D.C. while the perfunctory process plays out back home. Just like our opponent, who conceded, we are confident in the outcome,” longtime LePage campaign strategist Brent Littlefield told Fox News Digital.

MAGA VOTERS WEIGH IN ON WHO THEY’D LIKE IN 2028

The former governor is expected to take part Tuesday in a scheduled vote by returning GOP congressional lawmakers and newly elected House Republicans to choose the next minority leader in the race between current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. Outgoing House Speaker Mike Johnson decided against a bid to lead the House Republicans following the GOP’s crushing ballot-box setback.

Asked how he succeeded when so many Republicans went down to defeat last week, LePage pointed to “my brand.”

“I’ve been governor twice. I’ve won this district now for the fourth time… My brand. People know me and people trust me and know what I’ll say, I’ll do,” LePage said in a Fox News Digital interview last Wednesday in Bangor, Maine, after declaring victory.

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Looking ahead, LePage said, “Hopefully there’s still some commonsense in the Democratic Party down there and I hope that I can work with them.”

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But pointing to far-left Democrats aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), LePage argued, “I think we have to rid ourselves of DSA Democrats.”

And he said Republicans and non-DSA Democrats “have to work together because DSA is a poison for this country.”

South Carolina’s Democratic senator-elect has a history of trashing Republicans and advocating passionately for transgender rights on social media, with many of those posts reemerging after her victory earlier this month.

“The T in LGBTQ+ stands for TRANSGENDER,” Annie Andrews, who is set to represent a state President Donald Trump won by roughly 18%, posted in 2023. “If you don’t support trans people, keep your cute pride post in your draft tweets, be better, and try again next year.”

“Periodic reminder that I support trans kids because I am not an a**hole,” she posted around the same time.

The posts stand in stark contrast to the more moderate image Andrews presented during her successful campaign against Republican Sen. Darline Graham, when she courted Republicans and independents in the deep-red state and distanced herself from some of her earlier positions on transgender issues.

MASSIVE UPSET: ANDREWS DOWNS TRUMP-BACKED GRAHAM IN RUBY-RED SOUTH CAROLINA

Beyond transgender issues, where she later distanced herself from certain positions in a campaign ad, Andrews also made her disdain clear for the Republican Party before running for Senate — statements that clashed with the emphasis she placed on bipartisanship while on the campaign trail.

In August 2024, Andrews stated that the Republican Party “needs to be lit on fire & thrown in the dumpster & plunged into the deepest depths of the ocean never to be seen again,” after some individuals on social media mocked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s son.

SC DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CLAIMS SHE WILL STAND UP TO HER PARTY AS GRAHAM TIES HER TO ‘SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS’

“Herpes is forever,” she said in another post. “JD Vance doesn’t have to be.”

“Wow they let you out of the kitchen. Congrats,” Andrews wrote in a post reacting to GOP Sen. Katie Britt talking about a White House visit, making a jab at Britt with a reference to women being confined to traditional homemaking roles.

While Andrews had strong words for Republicans before launching her Senate bid, she worked to appease them in the lead-up to Election Day.

At an October town hall billed as “Republicans and Independents for Annie,” for instance, she said the campaign was for people more concerned about bills, rural hospitals and government integrity than party labels. She repeatedly stated that she intended to work across the aisle if elected and that her campaign was “not just for Democrats.”

DEMOCRATS ARE CHANGING THEIR TRANSGENDER MESSAGE. REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’RE JUST FLIP-FLOPPING

Andrews made scores of other posts expressing support for abortion access, drag queen story hours and increased restrictions on firearm ownership, among other issues. She reposted one post calling semi-automatic rifles “weapons of war,” for instance.

“Republicans spent all their money trying to defeat Abdul and hired zero opposition researchers on Annie,” independent journalist Zaid Jilani wrote on X, responding to one of Andrews’ pro-transgender resurfaced posts.

WHERE TOP DEMOCRAT SENATE CANDIDATES AND THEIR GOP OPPONENTS STAND ON TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS

While some have criticized Republicans for not capitalizing on Andrews’ posts while on the campaign trail, the GOP did dredge old statements in an attempt to dissuade voters from backing her.

“Annie Andrews launched her political career fighting for her trans agenda … dozens of comments and tweets advocating for dudes in girls’ sports, procedures on minors, and more,” National Republican Senatorial Committee advisor Nathan Brand posted in October, responding to an ad released by Andrews disavowing biological men in women’s sports. “Now she is walking it ALL back.”

Republicans leaned heavily into transgender issues, particularly banning sex change procedures for children and biological men from competing in women’s sports, during the 2026 electoral cycle. While the focus on such issues did not prevent the GOP from losing what are usually safe seats, a number of ballot measures rolling back transgender rights passed in liberal states.

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The Andrews campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

Police arrested two people outside the White House in separate incidents on Monday near Lafayette Square Park.

Video from the park circulating on social media shows a vehicle that appeared to run into a barrier, with the engine emitting smoke. Authorities say the driver was “combative” with law enforcement and was arrested.

“Just before 10:00 a.m., Secret Service Police and National Guard responded to the north side of Lafayette Park at 16th Street and H Street, NW, where a vehicle crashed onto the sidewalk. The driver was combative with law enforcement, but was quickly placed under arrest,” a Secret Service spokesperson said in a statement.

“MPD’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal team has been called to sweep the vehicle as a precaution. Subsequently, roads around Lafayette Park have been closed,” the statement continued.

CAR RAMS INTO WHITE HOUSE BARRICADE, SUSPECT ARRESTED: OFFICIALS

“Around the same time, a second individual jumped a barricade near the northwest corner of Lafayette Park. That individual was also quickly placed under arrest,” it added.

The Secret Service briefly moved reporters and the press inside the White House briefing room after the incident, but they have since been released.

Authorities say both incidents are currently under investigation.

The arrests come just days after authorities arrested an illegal immigrant from Venezuela outside the White House on Thursday.

The Department of Homeland Security says officers found the man inside a stolen vehicle carrying multiple guns and threatening to kill President Donald Trump.

U.S. Secret Service officers approached the suspect Thursday evening after spotting him “acting suspicious in his car while it was parked on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.,” DHS told Fox News.

The suspect told officers he had heard voices in his head telling him to travel to the nation’s capital and kill Trump, DHS said.

Officers subsequently learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen, and the suspect admitted to having weapons inside, according to DHS.

A search of the vehicle reportedly turned up three guns, including an AR-15-style rifle and two handguns, along with dozens of rounds of ammunition.

SECRET SERVICE DETAINS, QUESTIONS INDIVIDUAL WHO DROVE VEHICLE INTO BARRICADE NEAR WHITE HOUSE

The suspect was identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos, who illegally entered the country through Texas in March 2024 and was subsequently arrested by U.S. Border Patrol, according to officials. 

He was later released into the country under the Biden administration, authorities said. 

After his arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer for Chrinos with the U.S. Marshals Service, which currently has custody of Chrinos.

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The U.S. Secret Service said the incident reflects a growing threat posed by armed individuals “drawn to the White House complex.”

FIRST ON FOX: Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, who says his office uncovered more than $75 million in stolen or misspent taxpayer funds over eight years, told Fox News Digital that he is launching a bid for governor to take on corruption and political insiders in the Magnolia State.

White, a veteran of Operation Epic Fury in Iran and supporter of President Donald Trump, pledged to restore accountability and transparency to the state government, vowing to use findings from his office’s audits to eliminate wasteful contracts, sweetheart deals and unnecessary spending.

“There might be two parties in Jackson, but there’s only one good ol’ boys’ club,” White, a captain in the state’s National Guard, told Fox News Digital. “They tried to ban my office from even looking for government waste. As governor, I’m shutting the whole rotten system down.”

MISSISSIPPI DISTRICT ATTORNEY JODY OWENS RESIGNS AFTER PLEADING GUILTY IN FEDERAL BRIBERY CASE: REPORT

“The reason I’m running is because we absolutely have to cut down on the fraud and corruption plaguing Mississippi,” White continued. “People are hurting right now. What we unfortunately have here in Mississippi is a lack of political courage.”

White, who served overseas with the Mississippi National Guard in 2026, drew comparisons between the courage he witnessed among service members and what he described as a lack of political courage among Mississippi’s elected officials.

“What I saw overseas was courage. The people of Mississippi would be much better off if our politicians had one-tenth of the courage the members I served with overseas had,” White said.

Earlier this year, White’s office reported to The Daily Signal that it uncovered more than $10.5 million in Medicaid benefits provided to illegal immigrants in Mississippi.

According to his office, the auditor has uncovered and tracked massive public fraud, centering on over $77 million in misspent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare funds as part of a broader enforcement record that includes $75 million recovered and $115 million in financial demands issued across multiple investigations.

RAMASWAMY: MEDICAID FRAUD RAISES HEALTHCARE COSTS FOR HARDWORKING OHIOANS

White pledged to continue cracking down on government waste and improper spending, and he outlined an economic agenda centered on reducing taxes and easing the financial burden on Mississippi families.

‘FIRE EVERY COMMISSIONER’: MINNESOTA GOP NOMINEE VOWS SWEEPING PURGE OVER FRAUD

“Mississippi families are getting squeezed at the grocery store, for their car tags, and every time the property tax bill shows up,” White said. “Meanwhile, the insiders are getting richer and richer. We’re going to take the money they’ve wasted and give it back to the people who earned it. We will cut your grocery tax, cut the car tax, and freeze your property taxes. Our families need relief, and when I’m governor, they’re going to get it.”

White enters a gubernatorial field that includes Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson, former state House Speaker Philip Gunn and former Democratic Senate primary candidate Priscilla W. Till.

The candidates are seeking to succeed Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who took office in 2020 and is barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term in 2027.

MEDICAID PROVIDER ALLEGEDLY BILLED $165K FOR DEAD PATIENT’S RIDES AMONG FRAUD EXPOSED IN EXPLOSIVE REPORT

White also pledged to prioritize the state’s military families and veterans, citing his own experience serving overseas.

“I know what veterans go through about how hard it is to leave your family, how difficult it is to fight for the benefits that you have been promised by the government. So as governor of Mississippi, I want to fight for the men and women every single day,” White told Fox News Digital.

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White argued that his military experience would also give him a unique perspective as commander in chief of the Mississippi National Guard, a responsibility held by the state’s governor.

The Mississippi gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 2027.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump’s decision to launch the war on Iran, saying it was “necessary” to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Rubio admitted that the war was not “necessarily popular,” acknowledging the war’s impact on the Republicans‘ midterm election losses last week. Rubio made the statement in response to questions about Vice President JD Vance’s statement last week that also pinned the losses on the war.

Rubio said Trump was responding to a “very real threat” when he launched the war earlier this year.

VANCE’S SCATHING IRAN WAR POSTMORTEM PUTS POTENTIAL 2028 GOP SHOWDOWN IN FOCUS: ‘EVERYONE KNOWS WHY’

“He addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country — confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country — doing it isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary,” Rubio said.

Trump himself has made no apologies for the war, stating repeatedly since Election Day that he had no choice but to intervene in Iran’s nuclear program.

TRUMP SAYS HE DOESN’T DISAGREE WITH VANCE THAT IRAN WAR FUELED GOP LOSSES

“I can tell you if I had it to do again, this historically — for history — will go down as one of the best things we ever did,” Trump told reporters on Sunday. “Because if they ever had a nuclear weapon, they would blow up the world.”

Trump nevertheless told “60 Minutes” in an interview this weekend that he is not currently looking to escalate the conflict.

IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS KICKED OUT OF US AS TALKS STALL, TRUMP LAYS OUT ‘POSSIBLE’ TIMELINE FOR MORE STRIKES

The U.S. and Iran are engaged in talks, but Rubio says they are making little progress.

“I wouldn’t say we’re at the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio said. “Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.”

TRUMP ADMIN THREATENS IRAN WITH ‘CONSEQUENCES’ AS ALLIES CONVENE AMID THREATS OF POST-ELECTION ESCALATION

Iran lifted its self-imposed ballistic missile-range limit and threatened to unleash new, homegrown weapons on Sunday within hours of the U.S. military launching a new task force aimed at choking off Tehran’s weapons shipments and illicit trade on Nov. 7.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi confirmed that Iran was now abandoning its previous 2,000-kilometer, or roughly 1,240-mile, ballistic missile-range restriction.

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“That restriction has been lifted for us,” Mohebbi clarified in the wake of the task force announcement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A longtime Democratic House member representing a southern border district said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not going anywhere as “Abolish ICE” became a rallying cry for more than a dozen progressive Democrats elected or reelected in the midterms.

While the elections brought a new class of Democratic Socialists of America members to Congress, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, told Fox News Digital that they make up just “one part of the spectrum” and that there are many “blue dogs” like himself who value strong border and immigration policies.

“I don’t believe in defunding ICE and I think the majority of the Democrats do not believe defunding ICE, but there are serious rail guards we need put on ICE,” Cuellar said.

Cuellar also warned Democrats against returning to the Biden administration’s border policies.

DEM REP SETH MOULTON SAYS PARTY HAS NO IMMIGRATION PLAN, IS ONLY ‘OPPOSITION TO TRUMP’

“We just can’t open up the border and just say anybody that wants to claim asylum can come to the borders. That policy under Biden administration — I hope that every Democrat running for national office doesn’t do that anymore,” Cuellar said.

Cuellar, who is currently the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, is poised to become chairman, giving him significant influence over how funding for ICE is allocated.

The congressman’s district includes Laredo, where Border Patrol has a major presence. Cuellar has repeatedly broken with his party on immigration enforcement, including voting with Republicans in January to approve a DHS funding bill that included billions for ICE, though he later opposed a $70 billion Republican-backed enforcement package over concerns about oversight.

Cuellar has criticized ICE for pursuing immigrants without criminal records, even though federal law allows the agency to arrest people for civil immigration violations. He has also called for greater oversight of the agency.

“Anybody that thinks that what ICE is doing, going after nuns, going after pastors, going after dreamers, they think that’s normal? I don’t think [so],” Cuellar said, attributing the blue wave in Texas to Trump’s immigration enforcement tactics.

The Abolish ICE movement became a flashpoint for the Trump administration amid sweeping immigration enforcement operations in major cities including Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans. The operations have resulted in more than 1.3 million arrests and 1.2 million illegal immigrants being deported or leaving the country, according to the White House.

Democrats and immigrant rights activists have criticized ICE’s tactics, which include targeting courthouses, churches and job sites, as well as conditions in detention centers. The agency has also faced fierce backlash over the fatal shootings of two American citizens by ICE agents in Minnesota just weeks apart in January 2026.

In the months that followed, Democratic governors in New York, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland and Minnesota signed laws restricting local and state cooperation with federal immigration officials.

DEMOCRAT COMPARES ICE TO ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISTS’ AS 111 HOUSE DEMS DEMAND TEXAS DETENTION CENTER CLOSE

Meanwhile, ICE’s partnerships with Texas authorities have expanded through 287(g) agreements that allow local officers to assist with immigration enforcement, jail screening and administrative warrants. Texas law now requires most county sheriffs to seek these agreements.

Cuellar said local law enforcement should have a limited role:

“I think the local sheriff should report somebody that’s there illegally. I think that’s it. But anything beyond that, I think we need to have a discussion,” Cuellar told Fox News Digital.

Like Cuellar, Texas Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has been highly critical of ICE’s tactics. At a rally in January, she criticized Gov. Greg Abbott for directing state agencies to make Texas land and facilities available for federal immigration detention.

During her time in the state House, Hinojosa voted against a 2017 bill requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with federal agencies.

But Hinojosa has never called for Texas to follow New York and other blue states’ lead in ending all cooperation with ICE.

“She is from the border from Brownsville,” Cuellar said. “I haven’t heard her say that she supports the defunding ICE. I don’t think she has said that. Does she probably believe in transparency and rail guards for ICE? Again, I don’t want to speak for her, but I think she does.”

Hinojosa has also sharply criticized Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, calling the operation a political “grandstand.”

Operation Lone Star launched in March 2021 amid a sharp rise in border encounters that began in 2020 and accelerated after President Joe Biden took office. The operation deployed Texas DPS officers, National Guard troops and local law enforcement to combat illegal crossings, human smuggling and drug trafficking before expanding to include state arrests and prosecutions for illegal entry, construction of border barriers and migrant transportation.

In a recent CBS interview, former Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said the Biden administration sent mixed messages to migrants and accused some officials of “embracing the chaos and crisis” at the southern border.

DEMOCRAT GINA HINOJOSA STUNS ABBOTT, MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST LATINA TEXAS GOVERNOR

Cuellar agreed with Ortiz’s assessment that the Biden administration didn’t do its job securing the border.

“The Biden administration had it wrong,” Cuellar said.

Cuellar also criticized Abbott’s deployment of Operation Lone Star, pointing to a January 2024 standoff in Eagle Pass, where Texas authorities seized control of Shelby Park and restricted Border Patrol’s access.

“You still got to work with border patrol, regardless if it’s a Democrat or Republican at the White House itself,” Cuellar said. “So I can understand why there was that criticism, but still the Governor should have done a better job working with us at the federal level. And I hope that this new governor — and I think she will — work with us.”

Cuellar said there needs to be balance and nuance in how immigration policy is carried out and that he wants to work with Trump and Republicans over the next two years.

“There are Democrats who are willing to work with the administration, with President Trump, but it takes two to have a deal,” Cuellar said.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement to Fox News Digital that deportations will continue.

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“Our mission is simple and non-negotiable: secure the border, protect American lives, and control everything and everyone coming into this country. We are focused on getting the job done and enthusiastically partner with any official dedicated to achieving that goal,” CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Hinojosa for comment.

Lawmakers are back on Capitol Hill this week for the first time since the midterm elections, and Republicans have a slew of responsibilities in front of them before Democrats take over the reins of power in January.

“The lame duck is like that closet in your house where everybody’s throwing a bunch of s— into it,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital. “And the closet is full of s— now, and now we got to figure out how to get it all out of there.”

Current federal funding levels run out on Dec. 11, and without another deal in place, Congress risks plunging the government into another shutdown. Some Democrats signaled to POLITICO that they could use President Donald Trump’s war in Iran as leverage in spending talks — which could very well lead to a fiscal cliff that could paralyze federal agencies.

But one House Republican, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told Fox News Digital they expect another short-term extension of current funding levels, called a continuing resolution (CR), through February or March of next year. The current CR was passed to cover the end of the last fiscal year ending Sept. 30 through next month.

TRUMP SIGNS GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL, AVOIDING A SHUTDOWN AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

“No one wants a shutdown, I would think,” that House Republican said. “Not even Dems.”

HOUSE GOP VOTES TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BATTLE TO AFTER NOVEMBER MIDTERMS

Other legislative priorities Congress will have to reckon with in the next few weeks include the farm bill, which is passed every five years and sets food and agriculture policy for the country. Republicans are also aiming to pass a bill to revitalize the country’s transportation infrastructure and a bipartisan tax package before the end of the year.

Then there is also the looming debt ceiling deadline coming in January, which Trump will likely call on Republicans to deal with before Congress changes hands.

GOP lawmakers shared varying levels of optimism when asked about how productive they would be.

“It can be. It should be,” Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., said. “But my faith in some of my Senate colleagues is not real high, because I feel like they have a personal vendetta towards the president, and it’s more about that than it is about passing legislation. We should do our business in Congress.”

Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas, said, “I think it’s gonna be difficult to get a whole lot done. But we have done a lot of work leading up to the lame-duck session to prepare for passing a number of important bills, many of which are bipartisan.”

But first, both House and Senate Republicans will need to face their losses in person — and consider how to rebuild.

WHAT THE 2026 MIDTERM RESULTS MEAN FOR CAPITOL HILL

“It’s going to feel like a funeral,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. “It’s depressing even for those of us who won, because we lost so many good, quality members.”

The first order of business this week will be choosing their new leaders for the next Congress.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is running for the minority leader role unopposed for now.

And House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is vying for the minority leader role against House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

MIKE JOHNSON’S NO 2 LAUNCHES GOP TAKEOVER BID AS HOUSE FALLS TO DEMOCRATS

But Moran and Stutzman both said Republicans would unify quickly after that drama is resolved.

“It should be immediate,” Stutzman said. “If we’re not paying attention to the American people, and we’re focusing on leadership positions and personality fights, we’re gonna continue to lose.”

HOUSE GOP LAUNCHES DEFENSE PLAN TO SHIELD TRUMP FROM LOOMING DEMOCRAT INVESTIGATIONS

Moran said, “We understand now more than ever how important it is for us to come back together, coalesce and to regroup for the next election, and to prepare for the defense of democracy.”

On Democrats’ side, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is expected to glide into the speaker role after leading his party to a commanding victory.

Democrats’ leadership elections will take place the week after Republicans’ do.

And on the productivity front, Stutzman also called on the Senate to pass the election security-focused SAVE America Act, which Republicans are attempting to accomplish via the budget reconciliation process to sidestep the need for Democrat support. The House passed a blueprint for the bill in July.

Senate Budget Committee Chair Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has been working on the structure of that package for some time, but wasn’t so sure that if Republicans lost, it would be something the GOP had the political will to finish.

“It might turn to some people’s attitudes in terms of support for it,” Johnson said.

Then there’s permitting reform, which was on thin ice heading into Election Night until the White House and Senate Democrats struck a deal for a variety of wind projects to move forward. Whether Democrats support that now, and give Trump and the GOP a win on their way out, remains to be seen.

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“First thing we need to do is make a motion to add a 13th month to the calendar, because we’ve got so much stacked up to do that’s really important for the country,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital.

EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration‘s new AI-supported air traffic management tool has already helped reroute nearly 180 flights carrying approximately 24,000 passengers to avoid congestion, cutting flight times by more than 10 minutes on average, according to new Department of Transportation (DOT) data shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories system, known as SMART, has been operational for nearly six weeks, helping air traffic controllers identify more fuel-efficient routes and anticipate potential disruptions.

According to DOT, the technology has also saved nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight on average, offering an early glimpse of how the Trump administration hopes to reduce flight delays and cancellations.

TRUMP UNVEILS AMERICA.GOV AS AI-POWERED HUB FOR PASSPORTS, MEDICARE ENROLLMENT AND MORE

“Under President Trump, we are making historic progress to revitalize air traffic control and improve the passenger experience for millions of Americans,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

Duffy also said the technology would deliver broader benefits as the program expands.

“SMART will slash frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers, and lower travel prices.”

One example came in October when a flight carrying 147 passengers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Orlando International Airport avoided expected congestion after SMART recommended an alternative route.

SEVERE TURBULENCE DIVERTS NEW YORK CITY FLIGHT TO MIAMI, 8 INJURED

The flight had been scheduled to depart during a period when congestion was expected along its original path. SMART identified a route farther west, which air traffic controllers accepted, shortening the journey by 11 nautical miles and saving six minutes of flight time, according to DOT.

The technology combines 200 data streams, including weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing metrics, into a centralized platform.

Its AI-supported engine helps aviation specialists anticipate where congestion could develop and recommend more efficient routes before congestion builds.

The technology is also designed to improve how the FAA manages severe weather, a source of disruptions for U.S. air travelers.

PILOTLESS CARGO AIRCRAFT COULD CHANGE HOW PACKAGES MOVE

According to a DOT fact sheet, the agency’s existing approach involves blocking off large rectangular sections of airspace affected by storms, even though weather systems are often irregularly shaped and safe corridors may remain available.

SMART is intended to provide a clearer picture of changing weather conditions, allowing aviation specialists to identify routes around storms and determine when restricted airspace can safely reopen.

Despite its AI-supported capabilities, SMART does not independently direct aircraft or replace human air traffic controllers.

A team of aviation specialists analyzes and validates SMART’s data before sending scheduling recommendations to the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center. Those recommendations are then forwarded to local air traffic control facilities, where officials decide whether to accept them.

The initiative comes as the nation’s busiest airports handle millions of flights annually.

According to DOT, approximately 6.5 million flights operate each year at the nation’s 30 busiest airports. About 300,000 receive reroutes before departure, while 3.6 million experience airborne reroutes, vectoring or holding.

The FAA initially limited SMART’s rollout to the National Capital Region in September before beginning validation efforts with air route traffic control centers in Miami, Jacksonville and Atlanta in October.

The agency plans to continue testing the system as it works toward expanding SMART to all 22 air traffic control centers nationwide.

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While the early results involve a relatively small share of domestic U.S. flights, DOT says the technology is intended to help airlines operate more predictable schedules and ease pressure on air traffic controllers.

For travelers, the Trump administration’s goal is fewer delays for passengers, shorter flights and less time lost to flight congestion.

Sen. Bernie Sanders said Democrats should hold President Donald Trump accountable after taking control of the House and Senate in January, but warned the party not to spend too much time on probing the president and his allies.

During an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” the senator said it is still important to investigate Trump administration officials for alleged corruption and illegal activity, but stressed that the priority should be tackling affordability and supporting working-class families.

Asked by host Kristen Welker if he believes that spending two years investigating Trump and his officials could jeopardize the mandate to lower prices and make life more affordable, Sanders replied, “Yes, I do.”

“Do we want to hold the Trump administration accountable for their corruption, for their illegal, unconstitutional actions? Absolutely,” Sanders said.

DEMS PIVOT FROM ‘AFFORDABILITY’ PITCH TO DHS PROBE THREATS AFTER MIDTERM WINS

However, Sanders said that Democrats “cannot spend all of our time investigating Trump.”

“At the end of the day, when you’ve got the highest rate of childhood poverty in America, of any major country, when 20% of our seniors are trying to survive on $15,000 a year, when people are scared to death that Elon Musk and the other billionaires are pushing AI down our throats with cataclysmic impacts on the economy, our privacy rights, on our health, and — and imposing an existential threat to humanity, we cannot spend all of our time investigating Trump,” he said.

“We’ve got to stand up for working-class families, make a real difference in their lives,” Sanders continued.

Democrats campaigned on affordability ahead of the midterms, blaming the Trump administration for the soaring costs of gas, groceries, housing and healthcare. Candidates linked the rise in costs, in part, to the U.S. military’s war on Iran and Trump’s tariffs on countries around the world.

The Iran war, which Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other allies partially attributed to Republicans’ midterm losses, led to surging fuel prices. Gas prices are nearly $1 per gallon higher than they were a year ago, according to AAA, which reported that the national average was $4.02 per gallon as of Sunday.

But after securing the majority in both chambers of Congress following last week’s elections, several Democrats promised to use the power of the subpoena and investigate current and former Trump officials once they are sworn in.

‘LAWYER UP’: DEMS IMMEDIATELY PUT TRUMP ON NOTICE AMID REPUBLICANS’ MIDTERM BLOODBATH

Incoming House Oversight Committee leader Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., on Sunday warned that Democrats could investigate Trump’s pardons as well as allies of the president, including tech executive Elon Musk and newly appointed White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Garcia also said last week that Oversight Democrats are “ready to take on the crooks, the con men, and the Trump crime family.”

“Lawyer up,” he added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is expected to be the next House Speaker, also said last week that Democrats are “going to bring accountability to those who have visited unprecedented corruption on this country.”

“Because if you have people in high office who are so focused on enriching themselves, their family members, their friends or their donors, then they’re not focused on making life better for the American people. But House Democrats will put the American people first,” he continued.

Sanders said on Sunday that the election was not just about voters wanting to stop the Trump administration’s policies.

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“What I think this election was about, is the American people not only expressing disgust with Trump and his policies, but are demanding real change, no more tinkering around the edges,” said Sanders. “And what the American people are saying: ‘Look, we are working long hours. We’re worried about our kids. We can’t afford healthcare. We can’t afford housing. Meanwhile, the wealthiest people in America have never, ever had it so good.’ And right now is the moment where the Democrats have got to stand up to big money, create an economy and a government that works for all of us,” Sanders said.

The Vermont senator also accused Trump of being “mentally unbalanced” and “erratic,” but acknowledged that the president is “a good politician” and “not stupid” who Democrats may be able to work with on economic and healthcare issues.

“Trump is many things. I personally believe he is mentally unbalanced, erratic, but he’s not stupid, and he is a good politician. And I think, when Trump looks out in the world and he sees millions of people working for starvation wages, he might not be unsympathetic to raising the minimum wage to a living wage. He would love, I think, to take credit for doing what every other major country does, guaranteeing healthcare to all people. Do I think we can work with Trump? Maybe. I’m, by no means, guaranteeing it. But it is certainly worth the effort,” he said.

President Donald Trump said Sunday he was joking when he announced on social media that he had offered UFC boss Dana White the White House press secretary job and lined up a roster of fighters to serve as his assistants.

“I will tell you, I was only kidding,” Trump said when asked what prompted the pitch and whether he was serious.

Trump pointed to the fighters he had named as White’s would-be assistants, saying the lineup should have given the joke away. “And you see a lot of rough faces there,” he said. 

He also joked that some of the fighters came from “parts unknown.”

DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICS

Trump said he thought White liked the idea and called him “a very capable guy.” As for how the UFC boss might handle the job, Trump said, “You wouldn’t mess around with him so much.”

“But Dana is actually coming tomorrow,” Trump said. He explained that the visit was for other reasons, saying he believed White already planned to be in Washington and would stop by to see him.

TRUMP’S NEW PRESS SECRETARY OUT OF THE JOB JUST DAYS AFTER ROCKY DEBUT

Trump said some people took to the idea after he floated it. “And then people said, you know, that’s actually a pretty good idea,” he said.

The clarification came a day after Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had offered White the job. His post named UFC stars including Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes as prospective assistants.

UFC STARS VISIT OVAL OFFICE, THANK PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR TRANSFORMING THE SPORT WITH HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE FIGHT

“Dana, please take the job!” Trump wrote.

White shared Trump’s post on his Instagram Story, along with a photo of himself behind the White House podium. He captioned the photo, “On to the next chapter.”

LEAVITT OPENS UP ON HELPING TRUMP FIND NEW PRESS SECRETARY AFTER ZACHARIA DEBACLE: ‘WAS NOT FOR HER’

The exchange came weeks after Katie Zacharia’s departure as press secretary. Zacharia had been tapped to succeed Karoline Leavitt, who left in August. Asked Oct. 23 about finding a replacement, Trump told reporters, “We’re in no rush.”

Trump and White have known each other for decades, dating back to the UFC’s early years, when Trump hosted fights at his Atlantic City property. White introduced Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention and joined him on the White House South Lawn in June for UFC Freedom 250.

KAROLINE LEAVITT REVEALS SHE’S ADVISED TRUMP ON WHITE HOUSE REPLACEMENT IN FINAL INTERVIEW AS PRESS SECRETARY

White previously told Sports Business Journal in November 2024 that he had “no personal political aspirations” when asked about a possible role in Trump’s incoming administration.

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Outkick’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Three far-left nonprofits with combined annual revenues of $56.1 million escalated their protests against SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk this week by targeting his Austin-area home with a seemingly innocuous post-election “party” featuring two chartered buses, music, speeches, theatrical Cybertruck piñatas and dancing to Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

The event’s organizers – VOCAL-TX, the fiscally-sponsored project of a New York 501(c)(3) nonprofit; the Center for Popular Democracy Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Brooklyn; and People’s Action, a 501(c)(4) political nonprofit based in Chicago – framed the Saturday event as a tame “People Over Billionaires Election After Party.”

The demonstration reflected growing coordination among leftist networks worldwide, from Paris to Portland, Ore., supplying organizers, transportation, coalition partners, event platforms, messaging and other logistical support for actions presented as “grassroots.” As Democratic politicians threaten investigations into Trump’s corporate backers, including Musk, the street protests help create the appearance of bottom-up support.

The leaders of the organizations behind the “After Party,” held in West Lake Hills, Tex., where Musk owns a sprawling home, didn’t provide comment in response to queries from Fox News Digital, but they have insisted in the past that their local protests are the result of “organic” organizing in communities.

A now-ubiquitous, mass-produced anti-Musk “I AM STEALING FROM YOU” poster, featuring the tech billionaire with creepy eyes, has appeared at demonstrations nationwide and was also on display at the Austin protest outside his home.

WHO’S FUNDING AMERICA’S PROTEST UNREST? FOX NATION’S NEW ‘RIOT INC.’ FOLLOWS THE MONEY TO FIND OUT

This weekend’s organizers helped lead the “Tesla Takedown” protests that sometimes turned ugly last year. According to a Fox News Digital investigation, 258 organizations with combined annual revenues of an estimated $2.6 billion were behind those protests.

At Saturday’s event, participants arrived at the property in two blue Fly-Rides party buses and additional vehicles. Organizers blasted music including Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” over loudspeakers.

“We’ll bring the music, you bring the dance moves! This is family friendly, peaceful and FUN event!” the organizers wrote, promoting the event.

The Austin American-Statesman covered the event and cast it playfully, with the headline “Dozens party outside Elon Musk’s West Lake Hills home after campaign donations fell flat.” It wrote about how organizers led a “Love Train” conga line and distributed party hats and refreshments, including cider.

The organizations behind the campaign are veterans of the professional protest industry. While this event was peaceful, the rhetoric of demonization and polarization at protests causes researchers at organizations like the Network Contagion Research Institute to conclude that that they can create a “permission structure” for political violence.

‘ASTROTURF’: CRITICS SPECULATE TESLA PROTESTS ARE NOT A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT, BUT A CAREFULLY ORGANIZED CAMPAIGN

The three nonprofits behind this weekend’s protests are part of a powerful national tax-exempt nonprofit industry that has increasingly taken to the streets over the past decade in coordinated, orchestrated campaigns in local communities, creating the image of homegrown organic demonstrations.

The three groups reported $56.1 million in combined 2024 revenue, according to their most recent tax filings.

Organizers promoted the event as a peaceful celebration of voters rejecting the influence of wealthy donors. About 60 people attended, according to estimates.

The demonstration followed in the spirit of the very coordinated “Tesla Takedown” protests launched at Texas dealerships in early 2025, when activists organized demonstrations against Tesla and Musk over his political activities and role in the new Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, called DOGE. Those protests led to vandalism against Tesla vehicles and dealerships. A wider network of openly pro-communist groups, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization, carried posters with messages like “DOWN WITH BILLIONAIRES. WE NEED SOCIALISM.”

Congressional lawmakers and Justice Department prosecutors are investigating an American-born, Shanghai-based tycoon, Neville Roy Singham, for funding and backing pro-communist groups. Some of those groups, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, ANSWER Coalition, CodePink and People’s Forum, have supported the regular protests that have hit America’s streets, including the anti-Musk demonstrations.

.

DEMOCRATS SET SIGHTS ON ELON MUSK PROBE AFTER MIDTERM WINS, BUT PRITZKER DRAWS A SURPRISING LINE

Much like the networks behind “No Kings,” “Hands Off,” “ICE Out” and other protests over the past year, the financial filings of the organizations behind this weekend’s demonstration show the scale of the infrastructure behind these groups.

The Center for Popular Democracy reported $40.9 million in 2024 revenue. People’s Action Institute reported $2.1 million, and Voices of Community Activists and Leaders Inc., or VOCAL-NY, which fiscally sponsors VOCAL-TX, reported $13.1 million. The organizations are separate entities, and the figures don’t represent a shared operating budget.

VOCAL-TX’s donation page identifies VOCAL-NY as its 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor and sister organization. VOCAL-NY describes the organization as a statewide grassroots membership group focused on “building the power of low-income people” impacted by “HIV/AIDS, drug policy, mass incarceration, the war on drugs and homelessness.” It says its work is “accomplished through community organizing, campaigns & harm reduction services.”

The Center for Popular Democracy Inc. lists VOCAL-TX among its affiliates and describes itself as a network of “grassroots” organizations operating across dozens of states, building a “representative, multiracial society and government where all thrive, no exceptions,” according to its nonprofit mission statement.

SOCIALIST, COMMUNIST GROUPS COORDINATE, PROMOTE ‘SPONTANEOUS’ ANTI-ICE PROTESTS IN AUSTIN

The Center for Popular Democracy reported $38.2 million in contributions and $14.6 million in other salaries and compensation in 2024. Its two co-executive directors received an average total compensation of $234,026, including bonuses in 2024, according to their latest tax filings, about four times more than the $63,360 median annual earnings of full-time, year-round U.S. workers that year.

VOCAL-NY reported nearly $3.5 million in other salaries and wages and listed its Texas co-director among its highest-paid employees, earning $113,842 in salary and $21,854 in bonuses in 2024.

People’s Action describes itself as a national network of grassroots groups “organized to promote economic, racial and social equity through national, regional and local advocacy campaigns.”

Saturday’s gathering transformed a political victory “party” into a theatrical public spectacle, using buses, coordinated messaging, music and symbolic props to deliver a broader message: that billionaire wealth shouldn’t determine the direction of American politics. Protesters didn’t specifically address the millionaires and billionaires that funnel money to Democratic politicians such as George Soros, Reid Hoffman and Pierre Omidyar, to name just a few.

Participants carried signs reading “Texas is not for sale” and “Alright Texas! Now let’s tax Musk.” Attendees also smashed star-shaped and piñatas shaped like a Tesla Cybertruck.

CHAOS INC.: COMMUNISTS, ANTIFA, AGITATORS IN THE RED-GREEN ALLIANCE

Eli Cortez, a VOCAL-TX bus captain, told attendees that the event was intended to celebrate voters rejecting the political influence of billionaires, according to coverage by the Austin American-Statesman. Cortez didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The demonstration focused on Musk’s spending during the 2026 election cycle. A New York Times analysis placed Musk’s total disclosed political spending at approximately $474 million, while other analyses based more narrowly on Federal Election Commission filings put the figure at roughly $445 million. About $212 million supported Texas Republican Ken Paxton’s unsuccessful Senate campaign through allied political committees.

May Day Strong, another far-left coalition tagged in the social media promotion of the event, describes itself as a “constellation” of more than 600 labor and community organizations, many of them socialist and communist. Its stated demands include taxing the rich, opposing ICE, expanding “democracy” and organizing workers to “protest, refuse to comply, and take the economic actions” needed to oppose the Trump administration.

Austin protesters carried a trademark poster with a creepy image of Musk and the message, “I Am Stealing From You,” now a mainstay at protests, not as a spontaneous grassroots creation but a strategic asset. The Progressive Change Institute, the 501(c)(3) sister organization of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, has taken credit for commissioning the art early last year by Washington, D.C., political street artist Absurdly Well.

The graphic became part of the propaganda of the broader “Hands Off” protest network, which distributed thousands of copies of the poster. CNN, the Associated Press, the New York Times, Axios, TIME, Reuters, The Hill and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow have splashed photos of the poster in its coverage Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s online member engagement director has said the merchandise was intended to serve an organizing purpose beyond fundraising, with the goal of making Elon Musk “a real liability for the administration.”

The group now gives donors “5- or 10-pack of anti-Elon Musk rally posters” in exchange for donations: $135 for a five-pack, $250 for a $10-pack and $30 for a single poster.

At least two of the iconic posters landed in the “party” protest outside Musk’s home, held overhead by demonstrators.

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White House Deputy Chief of Staff Richard Walters, a longtime ally of outgoing White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, is leaving the Trump administration following President Donald Trump’s decision to replace Wiles with Stephen Miller.

Miller confirmed Walters’ departure in a statement to Fox News, describing him as an “invaluable member” of the White House who will continue to assist the administration from the outside.

TRUMP NAMES STEPHEN MILLER NEW WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF, REPLACING SUSIE WILES

“Richard has been an invaluable member of the White House and has helped deliver some of the Administration’s biggest victories. While he will be leaving us, Richard will continue to help from the outside as we continue to work with all of our strength to deliver for President Trump and his courageous fight to Save America,” Miller said.

The departure marks another major staffing shakeup as Trump moves to reshape his team following the midterm election results. Miller is expected to install his own leadership team when he takes over Monday.

Miller’s wife, Katie, on Sunday also announced that she would stop recording new episodes of her show, The Katie Miller Podcast, where she interviews political figures, athletes and other public personalities.

She said the decision was based on what was best for her children and family as her husband’s new role brings a shift in priorities.

“With @StephenM taking on this new role for President Trump, I’ve decided to stop recording new podcast episodes,” Katie said in a post on X. 

“Nothing is more important than raising our four kids. While I’ve loved the podcast, the time commitment is too great and now is the time to step away. I’ll be cheering President Trump and his team on from outside the administration,” she added.

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Katie Miller said the podcast will release two more episodes that were recorded before her decision.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

When an insurgent’s bullet shattered his arm in combat, Republican Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins did not wait around for an evacuation team; the Green Beret performed emergency surgery on himself to save the limb.

After the midterms that Gov. Ron DeSantis called a “near extinction-level” event for Republicans, Collins sees a national GOP lying bloodied on the field. He advises his battered and beaten party to show the same refusal to die, and get up like a warrior.

“Where we go from here is up to us as a Republican Party,” Collins, dubbed the “Chuck Norris of Florida politics” by DeSantis, told Fox News Digital in an interview just days after the midterm “bloodbath.”

“This can be a definitive death blow if we allow it to be, but I believe in what we stand for.” he continued. “I believe in our Constitution. I believe in our founding fathers’ vision. I believe that God blessed this nation. I think we have to knuckle down, learn, apply this, and we have come out with a relentless dedication and fury to focus on what matters: To lead our state, to lead our country, and be what we need to be for the American people. That is what we should choose to do.”

“Hard times happen. Warriors, leaders get up and fight. That’s what we have to do now.”

DESANTIS CALLS GOP MIDTERM LOSSES ‘EXTINCTION-LEVEL EVENT’ — AND EXPLAINS WHY FLORIDA SURVIVED

The metaphor is not subtle. It is a road map, set forth by DeSantis’ two four-year terms – the last year of which was supplemented by Collins as his No. 2.

HUGH HEWITT: THE GOP IS WOUNDED, NOT DEAD — BUT RECOVERY HAS TO START NOW

Collins said his home state’s recent history of going from a purple state to a GOP stronghold is an example the rest of the country can follow.

“Florida’s been the road map,” he said. “I think we’ve been what I call the conservative proving grounds. I think that it’s time for many here in Florida to use our voice and to be out there and help our party get back on their feet. Be resilient. Yeah, man, you got popped. You got hurt. Get back up, dust it off, and let’s go lead. Let’s learn.”

While congressional Republicans scramble to assign blame for a devastating cycle of national losses – including the loss of Texas to Democrats – Florida has positioned itself as the country’s preeminent conservative fortress, now the largest red state on the 2028 map.

“Losing sucks, winning is awesome: Let’s get back to more winning,” he said. “We’ve just got to figure out how we’re going to do that, and that’s achievable. I think Florida is a blueprint. I think we have a responsibility to lead.”

DAVID MARCUS: HOW ASHLEY MOODY SURVIVED THE BLUE TSUNAMI AND EMERGED AS A GOP STAR

Under DeSantis, Florida shed its long-held “purple” swing-state identity to become the nation’s largest, most disciplined red bastion. Collins looked back on how he pulled in the no party affiliated voters (NPAs), the valued middle that can flip races and states, in his state Senate race before being tapped to serve under DeSantis.

“Republicans showed up, but the NPAs showed up and they overwhelmingly did not align with Republicans,” Collins said, admitting that even Florida’s heavy Republican registered voter edge led to slim margins in the tough midterm environment. “What does that tell us? Well, the biggest gap we had was that we didn’t spend enough time communicating to our NPAs.”

Collins pointed back to how he won a Tampa race in a district “that is not a conservative juggernaut in terms of Florida,” running against the Tampa mayor’s mother-in-law.

“This was my very first race,” he recalled. “We didn’t talk to a single Republican out there. We only knocked NPA’s and light D’s, and we won by 10. What does that tell you? In a community like Tampa, I didn’t hide from my views. I told people I’m conservative, I’m a Republican.”

JASON CHAFFETZ: FIVE TIMELESS POLITICAL LESSONS THAT GOT LOST IN 2026

“What I realized is if you’re honest with people, you agree on more than you don’t, but you have got to be willing to step in there and have that conversation,” he said. “And we did that over and over and again. And we built a base of people who trust us, because I don’t play games.”

“As a party, we need to go back to being the party that welcomes folks in – a little bit more of a big tent – but we have to stand on our conservative values,” he added.

Collins is termed out of office along with DeSantis in January, but he will evaluate his future in the state or the national party apparatus. For now, he is committing to nothing and merely saying, “Stay tuned.”

TREY GOWDY: THE MIDTERMS WERE A PAINFUL LESSON THAT REPUBLICANS CAN’T SKIP LEARNING

Regardless of candidate or party, Collins goes back to his military background and having risked his life and literally sacrificed limb for unity.

“I wore a flag on my shoulder every single day that I served in uniform,” he said. “I wore the flag on my suit, really every single day that I was out there, serving in our state or serving our nation in any way that I could. We’re the American people; we are blessed.”

Once the party picks its 2028 candidate, Republicans need to be all-in against the opposition, Collins said.

“We have to row the boat,” he said. “Sept. 11 was a big day in our life. Sept. 12 was incredible because we saw the power and the might of what America can be. When we rowed the boat, our enemy was fearful. They were on their heels because they saw an absolute juggernaut standing righteously to defend our people and our way of life. What our enemy fears, what other nations fear is Americans coming together.”

TRUMP-BACKED BYRON DONALDS TO MAKE HISTORY AS FLORIDA’S FIRST BLACK GOVERNOR

“We have to come together and realize that our nation is blessed,” he continued. “It will fall if we don’t come together. But it won’t happen if we don’t start uniting and remind ourselves that this is America, we’re allies, internal in our country, and we’re going to make sure that it’s the greatest country moving forward. America’s worth fighting for.”

“We need to focus on getting through this, the aftermath of this cycle, wrap it up, transition, and make sure that we understand exactly what happened,” he concluded. “You know, when we started the war on terror, and I was a young soldier, we spent two years trying to fight the last war. It wasn’t very great, to be honest with you.

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“Let’s not fight the last war. Let’s understand the operational environment. Let’s under our gaps. Our weaknesses and how we can clearly address those. And then we’re going to have to move with a righteous fury.”

Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy admits his own state’s voting system is “very confusing,” and warned that the close race between Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan will not be determined for days, if not weeks.

“It’s very close, the numbers,” Dunleavy told WABC Radio’s “The Cats Roundtable” on Sunday, noting key dates for ballot dumps will be Friday, Nov. 13, and Wednesday, Nov. 18, when “another big batch of votes will come in.”

“It’s a slow system up here in Alaska,” he admitted, acknowledging that “we’ve got quite an issue up here.”

“A big batch of votes will come and that’ll really determine, you know, who’s going to have the lead.”

ALASKA, MISSISSIPPI SENATE RACES SEPARATED BY RAZOR-THIN VOTE MARGINS

Peltola, currently with 48.17% support, leads by just 637 votes in Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system that has not dropped any new vote tallies for days. Election Day was Tuesday, Nov. 3, and if no candidate gets 50% support as the No. 1 choice by Nov. 25, the results go to rounds of ranked-choice candidates on the second and third choices.

“It is very confusing,” Dunleavy said. “That was also on the ballot, to actually repeal that voting scheme that was put in place here just a couple years ago, and so it’s confusing, 100%.”

ALASKA VOTER ‘DISGUSTED’ BY REPORTED ‘DECOY DAN’ PLOT SWITCHES FROM PELTOLA TO SULLIVAN

“No” votes against repealing ranked-choice voting lead very narrowly at 51.85%. That decision also remains too close to call a week after the polls closed.

“We’re still in the process of bringing in votes and counting votes,” Dunleavy said. “And we are in the midst of investigations as to determine if there was any wrongdoing, especially anything that might resemble perjury or, you know, a misrepresentation of individual’s intent on how they wanted their candidacy to be placed on the ballot.”

TRUMP ADMIN PUTS ALLEGED ‘DECOY DAN’ CONSPIRATORS ON NOTICE IN ALASKA ELECTION SPOILER PROBE

Dunleavy denounced what he called the “Decoy Dan” scheme that had Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot in an alleged plot to siphon votes from the Republican incumbent.

The governor claimed the other Sullivan even allegedly tried to get on the general election ballot as Daniel S. Sullivan, using the middle initial of the incumbent instead of his own.

EX-ALASKA LAWMAKER DETAILS MYSTERY RECRUITER AS FBI, CONGRESS WIDEN ‘DECOY DAN’ SCRUTINY

“That kind of opened our eyes and we began an investigation back there, the Division of Elections did, to determine if this was a legitimate candidacy, and the Division of Elections at that time found that was not and did not put him on the ballot,” Dunleavy said. “Then there was a court case and the Supreme Court in the end ruled against the Division of Elections in Alaska, and they must go on the ballot.”

After a New York Times report tied potential knowledge of the “Decoy Dan” scheme on behalf of Peltola’s campaign, Dunleavy reopened the investigation of wrongdoing.

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“When The New York Times article came out, you know, we already knew a lot of what was happening there, but there was more revelations of that article,” he said. “As a result of that, we began another investigation up here in Alaska, and the Department of Justice did the same, so you have this investigation going on right in the middle of an election.”

JERUSALEM — With Iran’s missing-in-action Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei taunting Americans about the “collapse” of the U.S. after the midterm elections, the White House and Middle East experts argue President Donald Trump is positioned to defeat the remnants of the rogue regime.

The remaining two years of Trump’s Iran policy have profound implications for his legacy and could lay the foundation for a new Middle East devoid of the region’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran, should Trump pursue new military actions to dislodge Khamenei’s regime, according to experts.

Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since a joint U.S.-Israel airstrike killed his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, boasted on X following the Republican defeat in the midterms: “The process of the US’s collapse has accelerated.”

IRAN TAKES A VICTORY LAP OVER STUNNING US ELECTION RESULTS, CLAIMS ‘COLLAPSE HAS ACCELERATED’

The radical Islamist clerical ruler’s braggadocio was met with tough statements from the White House and leading Middle East experts on Iran’s theocratic state.

A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing. Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways; the easy way or the hard way. President Trump holds all the cards and will do whatever is best for the United States.”

TRUMP REVIVES IRAN REGIME CHANGE SPECULATION WITH CRYPTIC CALL FOR PEOPLE TO ‘RISE UP’

The spokesperson added, “Only President Trump knows what he will do and when.”

The Islamic Republic ramped up its bellicose anti-American and anti-Western rhetoric and activities over the last week. Tehran presented a “Trump in a Cage” exhibit with a mock execution of Trump to coincide with the regime’s anniversary of its illegal seizure of the U.S. Embassy and kidnapping of its personnel on Nov. 4, 1979.

TRUMP CALLS IRAN CONFLICT A ‘SOFT WAR,’ INSISTS US HOLDS THE CARDS AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS

The ayatollahs did not restrict their jingoism to the U.S. An AI-generated video published by state-controlled Iranian media outlets shows the spokesperson of the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces threatening Western Europe. 

“We are not like you,” the spokesperson said. “Iran does not harm innocents. You are not our enemy. But anyone, anywhere in Europe, who assists America in harming our women and children is our enemy, and we will punish them.”

The video features military targets in France, Germany and Britain.

Navid Mohebbi, who worked as a Persian media analyst for the State Department’s Public Affairs Bureau, told Fox News Digital that Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, went so far as to claim that Iran had inflicted a political defeat on Trump in Washington, in addition to its supposed victories on the battlefield and in the Strait of Hormuz. 

“Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf similarly portrayed the election results as an American rejection of the war,” Mohebbi said.

TRUMP CAN’T LET IRAN TURN A MILITARY DEFEAT TURN INTO A DIPLOMATIC VICTORY

He argued it was part of a broader psychological and political campaign. 

“Tehran, along with commentators sympathetic to the regime in the United States, is trying to promote the wildly exaggerated narrative that confronting the Islamic Republic carries an unbearable electoral cost for American politicians,” Mohebbi said. “Evidence does not support the claim that the Iran war alone caused the Republican defeat. According to national exit polling, only 4% of voters identified foreign policy as the country’s single most important issue.”

The phrase “finish the job” has become synonymous with toppling the 47-year ironclad totalitarian rule of the Islamic Republic.

IRAN’S REGIME WON’T NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. TRUMP MUST BREAK ITS GRIP

“I believe President Trump should finish the job, because the fundamental threats posed by the Islamic Republic remain unresolved,” Mohebbi said, adding the nuclear file is far from closed. 

“Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile remains unaccounted for under international verification, and the regime has retained the ability to rebuild elements of its ballistic missile program,” he said. “More importantly, its underlying strategic behavior and hostility toward the United States and its regional allies have not fundamentally changed.”

Former Pentagon official Simone Ledeen told the London-based Iran International news organization the Islamic Republic “needs to end” and the regime will never change its behavior. She called for support for Iran’s people on the ground and opposes putting American troops on the ground.

TRUMP IS DISMANTLING IRAN’S WAR MACHINE, BUT AMERICA STILL NEEDS AN ENDGAME

Veteran Iran observers and experts have noted Trump was the first U.S. leader not to kick the Iran nuclear weapons problem down the road. His decision to confront Iran’s illegal atomic weapons system was one of the most decisive foreign policy achievements of his administration, according to popular American commentators like Ben Shapiro.

Shapiro termed Trump’s Operation Epic Fury campaign against Iran “the single bravest foreign policy move of my lifetime.”

“What you’re watching him [Trump] do in Iran is not only unprecedented in terms of its political courage. I think that it is and has the potential to be a true game changer for America’s role in the world, not only for the next 10 or 20 years, but for the coming century,” Shapiro told Lara Trump on Fox News’ “My View” in March.

AFTER 47 YEARS OF CONFRONTING IRAN, DOES AMERICA HAVE A STRATEGY FOR ENDING THIS WAR?

Mohebbi said there is also a critical factor that Washington must understand: the Islamic Republic is attempting to wait out the Trump administration. Even if Trump were to negotiate the strongest possible agreement today, he believes Tehran would view it as a temporary arrangement rather than a permanent change in its strategic direction. 

“The regime calculates that a future Democratic administration would not resort to military action against it,” he said. “Once Tehran believes the threat of military force is off the table, it will become even more defiant in its behavior and more brazen at the negotiating table.”

Another school of thought is to subcontract military actions to Israel against Iran’s regime.

IRAN REGIME CHANGE TALK RESURFACES AS TRUMP SAYS TEHRAN ‘WANTS TO MEET’ AMID US STRIKES

Mardo Soghom, an Iran expert who has written extensively about the Islamic Republic, told Fox News Digital that Tehran’s strategy has always been to wait out U.S. pressure.

“They were hoping to ride out the Trump administration’s pressures for two more years. Now they believe they have it,” Soghom said. “I think he should give full support to Israel to do the job and not interfere. The U.S. should continue to maintain its blockade of Iran and facilitate shipping from the Persian Gulf, but except hitting well-protected and highly dangerous targets, such as nuclear sites if needed, the U.S. should stay out of continuous attacks because its internal political situation is messed up.”

Soghom, who tracks Iranian regime media, added the Iranian state radio is celebrating the Democratic victory.

“Incidentally, 47 years ago today, the new Islamic regime in Tehran gave the green light to its supporters to attack and seize the U.S. embassy,” he said. “This election result will embolden them, and they’ll not be inclined to compromise with the Trump admin — or even a future Democrat. Like in most other things, Trump did not finish the job when he could.”

Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital that Iran sees the midterm election results as exacting a political cost from the Trump administration for launching Operation Epic Fury.

“It hopes these electoral losses will deter this and future administrations from launching military operations against Tehran over its aggression and terrorism,” Brodsky said, adding that at the same time, Iranian decision-makers are likely eyeing Trump warily.

“President Trump has proven unpredictable and, with over two years left in office, that is a lot of time for the U.S. to continue to damage the Iranian regime,” Brodsky said.

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He noted that while Congress can complicate and raise objections, historically, without a veto-proof majority, it retains limited options for checking executive branch operations in this space.

“The 2006 midterm elections are instructive here, where, despite the prevailing anti-war sentiment at the time, President Bush still authorized a surge in the Iraq War,” Brodsky said.

A GOP lawmaker in Texas is seeking to limit some of the incoming governor’s powers after Democrats flipped the state blue in Tuesday’s election.

Republican Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison on Wednesday publicly urged outgoing Gov. Greg Abbott to convene a special session to “rein in” the governor’s executive emergency powers before Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa takes office.

“Republicans lost last night, but Democrats were not sworn in,” Harrison wrote in a lengthy statement posted on X. “We still have total power in Texas, and we must act like it by using the remaining ten weeks to restore separation of powers and limit the emergency powers that Governor-Elect Hinojosa is set to inherit, that would allow her to destroy liberty in Texas by executive fiat.”

Harrison also emphasized in the post that he believes Texas governors should not have “unchecked” emergency powers, regardless of their party affiliation.

TED CRUZ SAYS ‘BLUE TSUNAMI’ TOOK OVER TEXAS AFTER DEMOCRATS SWEPT STATEWIDE RACES

“Texas should have reined in executive emergency powers when I first demanded it in 2022,” Harrison told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “If these are not revoked, Gina Hinojosa will assume not just the powers our state constitution bestows upon a Governor, but will, in effect, inherit nearly all the powers of a dictator. Most people are shocked to learn Texas governors can write, edit, or change any statute on a whim if they just declare an ‘emergency,’ and this is unconstitutional.”

Under Section 433.002 of the Texas Government Code, the governor may issue emergency directives and “amend, modify, or rescind” those directives during a declared state of emergency, subject to the requirements outlined in the law.

“These powers have been abused in the past, and Governor-Elect Hinojosa has pledged to use them on day one,” the Texas Republican added. “Republicans are still in control for ten weeks, we need to start acting like it.”

Harrison also said in the X post that the Texas Legislature should “immediately pass” legislation such as HB911, which he filed in December 2022 to restrict the governor’s “never ending emergency powers.”

His comments come after Hinojosa defeated Abbott in Texas’ 2026 gubernatorial race on Tuesday, becoming the state’s first-ever Latina governor.

While on the campaign trail, Hinojosa pledged that she would declare “a high-cost emergency” in Texas and introduce executive orders to halt the state’s gas and diesel taxes and to freeze residential electricity rates, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday.

Abbott’s office and Hinojosa’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

In a Thursday X post, Harrison claimed that his demand to curb the Texas governor’s emergency powers “has REALLY triggered low-IQ leftists across America,” adding that he did not “recall them cussing and calling me every name in the book when I filed the same legislation 4 years ago… right after ABBOTT was re-elected!!”

The governor of Texas possesses the ability to sign or veto bills passed by the state’s Legislature, serve as commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces and convene special legislative sessions “for specific purposes,” according to Abbott’s office.

Under the Texas Disaster Act of 1975, the governor can declare a state of disaster and exercise certain emergency powers, including suspending specific regulatory requirements, but disaster declarations must be renewed after 30 days and can be terminated by the Legislature at any time.

AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI

Hinojosa vowed in a Wednesday X post that her administration will “lead with a politics of courage, not convenience.”

The Democratic Party notched another key victory in the Lone Star State on Tuesday after James Talarico toppled Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race.

Ahead of Hinojosa taking office next year, some Republican Texas state senators have pledged to “hold the line” against Democrat-led policy goals in the state, The Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Abbott in a Truth Social post, claiming the governor lost his re-election bid because he is a “RINO,” an acronym that stands for “Republican in name only.”

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“If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost,” Trump wrote in the social media post. “He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty!”

After conceding the race, Abbott told supporters on Tuesday that he had informed Hinojosa that he “would assist her and her team in a period of transition,” The Hill reported.

“For weeks, I had been publicly warning on this podcast that we were in very real danger of losing everything in Texas,” Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday in an X post. “Far too few believed that was possible. I am very, very sorry that it came to pass. Texas has not had a Democrat governor since 1994.”

“We haven’t had a Democrat senator since 1993,” Cruz added. “Now we’ll have both.”

Hinojosa is set to officially take office in January 2027.

Democrats’ midterm gains have opened a new front in the fight over how America chooses its president — one that could reshape the 2028 race for the White House.

Democrats now control the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, already enacted by 18 states and Washington, D.C., has 222 electoral votes pledged to it — 48 short of the 270 needed to take effect. If the four states join, their combined 50 electoral votes would push the compact to 272 and activate it. Arizona could push the total to 283 if Democrats ultimately gain control of both chambers there.

National Popular Vote (NPV), the nonprofit organization that authored the compact and is campaigning to enact it state by state, says it has identified multiple legislative sponsors in each of the five states whose combined electoral votes could push the compact over the 270-vote threshold. It expects bills to be pre-filed before, or introduced early, in the 2027 legislative sessions.

“I am confident we have multiple paths to secure the 48 electoral votes required to deliver what 63-percent of Americans want,” Patrick Rosenstiel, a senior consultant for NPV, told Fox News Digital.

VANCE, CRUZ AND DESANTIS DIAGNOSE GOP’S MIDTERM DISASTER AS BATTLE OVER PARTY’S FUTURE BEGINS

Under the current electoral system, every state except Maine and Nebraska awards its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the statewide vote. If the compact takes effect, participating states would instead award their electors to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide, leaving the Electoral College formally in place but making the national tally decisive.

Supporters argue the compact would give every vote equal weight by counting ballots toward a single national total. The Electoral College, by contrast, was structured to give both populous and smaller states a meaningful role in choosing the president.

“They can’t use a compact to, in essence, change the Electoral College,” Hans von Spakovsky, an election law expert with the conservative group Advancing American Freedom, told Fox News Digital when asked about the potential activation of the compact before the 2028 election.

“This is unprecedented,” von Spakovsky, a former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission (FEC), continued. “In the past, the only kind of compacts that have been agreed on between states have been things like water sharing — when rivers run between states, they enter into compacts to agree on that. But a compact that changes a fundamental structural given in the Constitution, I think the Supreme Court would say you can’t do that.”

HILLARY CLINTON STILL FUMING OVER ELECTORAL COLLEGE, CALLS IT AN ‘ABOMINATION’ IN NEW NETFLIX SERIES

Rosenstiel rejected the argument that the compact would improperly alter the Constitution, saying NPV believes Article II, Section 1 gives states the authority to determine how their presidential electors are appointed.

“Any clean read of Article II, Section 1 makes it clear that states have the exclusive power to award electors,” Rosenstiel said. “The only credible legal question is whether this compact requires congressional consent.”

Von Spakovsky argued that because the NPV compact is an agreement between states, Congress would have to approve it under the Constitution’s Compact Clause in Article I. He noted Congress could approve the compact with simple majorities in the House and Senate and that the Constitution does not explicitly require the president’s signature — meaning a presidential veto might not stop it.

However, von Spakovsky added that states choosing not to participate in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would have a strong basis for litigation.

“Given that the NPV is entirely a creation of Democrats and only supported by Democrats, the new Congress will no doubt easily pass this compact,” he told Fox News Digital. “However, I believe the non-participating states would have a good basis for litigation, which would end up in the Supreme Court, arguing that the compact is unconstitutional because it changes a fundamental structural part of the Constitution without going through the constitutional amendment process. The argument would be that states cannot make agreements among themselves that damage the federal system provided by the Constitution.”

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National Popular Vote’s campaign has identified sponsors in all five potential additions following the midterms that could help push the compact over its 270-vote threshold and plans to begin pushing bills before or early in the 2027 legislative sessions, according to Rosenstiel.

Rosenstiel said the compact would apply to the 2028 election only if states representing at least 270 electoral votes join before July 20 of that year. That gives state lawmakers, Congress — if approval is required — and the courts less than two years to resolve the political and constitutional questions.

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Until then, the Electoral College remains unchanged.

“I’m increasingly confident we can achieve that goal and we will have a national popular vote for president in 2028. I would certainly prepare for it,” he said.

With Democrats taking control of Congress in the midterm elections, MAGA voters are already sizing up potential successors to President Donald Trump in 2028 — with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly emerging as favorites among those interviewed by Fox News Digital.

“I like [Rubio],” one American told Fox News Digital “I like that he’s no-nonsense, similar to Trump.”

“Well, I like JD Vance obviously,” another said. “I like Marco Rubio. There’s some other ones too that are maybe not so much mainstream that are coming up that I like too.”

TRUMP TOLD DONORS ‘WE NEED TO ELECT JD,’ SOURCE CONFIRMS, AS HE WEIGHS VANCE OR RUBIO IN 2028

“JD is great too, but Rubio has a little more experience,” one said. “He’s articulate, he’s well spoken. He’s got good ideas. I just really like him.”

Fox News Digital spoke with Americans attending a Trump rally in Bangor, Maine, as one of Trump’s final stops before Tuesday’s midterms that ended in a stunning blue wave. Fueled by anger over high costs and the war with Iran, Americans voted to oust Trump and his agenda, boosting Democrats to large majorities in the House and Senate.

With Democrats looking to rebuke Trump and his allies, Republicans that Fox News Digital spoke with are looking for a presidential candidate to fill in Trump’s “footsteps.”

“I’m really open to see who can fill Trump’s footsteps, not just the next person in line,” one told Fox News Digital.

FOX NEWS/NORC STUDY: VOTERS LOOK TO 2028 FOCUSED ON THE ECONOMY

“I wish Trump could run again,” another said.

Another brought up the prospect of another presidential run by Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who has tried to distance himself from the results of Tuesday’s midterms. In a news conference Wednesday, he praised Florida for keeping the state under GOP control — suggesting his governance was a reason Florida Republicans held on.

“I would like to see either JD And Marco, or JD And Governor DeSantis,” one said at the Trump rally. “That’s what I would feel comfortable with. “

Beyond Vance, Rubio and DeSantis, other prominent Republicans whose names have surfaced in early 2028 discussions include Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

CRUZ-VANCE RIVALRY HEATS UP AS TEXAS SENATOR SUGGESTS VP IS ‘FEELING INSECURE’

No major Republican contender has formally announced a 2028 presidential campaign, though the conclusion of the midterms has brought the party’s next presidential nomination into sharper focus.

Despite some that Fox News Digital spoke with expressing a preference for Rubio over Vance, other Trump supporters stopped short of choosing between the two, praising both as potential successors to the president.

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“I like JD Vance, and I like Marco Rubio,” one said. “I think those are two very outstanding candidates that will continue to make America great again.”