NationalWatch

President Donald Trump issued a stern warning Tuesday for Iran to make a deal soon or face severe consequences for its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

“I have a big decision to make: Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country  than it ever was before – maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?” Trump told the United Nations General Assembly in his morning address.

“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again. Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”

This is a breaking news update. Check back for more.

FIRST ON FOX: The Pentagon is raising the bar on who gets promoted to general by rolling out a new battlefield-style assessment requiring senior officers to demonstrate how they would solve complex military problems. It’s the most significant change in decades for how future generals for every branch are selected.

Internal documents obtained by Fox News Digital show every military service has developed its own version of the new Joint Warfighting Evaluation (JWE), a standardized assessment intended to measure operational planning, decision-making and leadership under simulated combat conditions. The Pentagon says the assessment will supplement existing performance evaluations and become an additional metric considered by promotion boards beginning with the fiscal year 2027 cycle.

The effort grew out of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s push to overhaul military evaluations and promotions, with a focus on identifying officers who can perform in combat rather than simply build strong career records.

PENTAGON FIRES BACK AFTER MARK KELLY ACCUSES PETE HEGSETH OF TARGETING WOMEN AND BLACK MILITARY OFFICERS

“People figure out they don’t have to be the best at their job, they have to be the best at making sure their boss thinks they’re the best,” Stu Scheller, the senior Pentagon adviser leading the effort, told Fox News Digital. “And those are actually two very different things.”

Under the current system, officers accumulate evaluations from their superiors throughout their careers that become a central part of the record considered by promotion boards.

‘WOKE’ MILITARY ACADEMIES TARGETED IN NEW BLUEPRINT FOR SWEEPING WARFIGHTING OVERHAUL

“Right now in our current system, we have people that are very good at navigating their careers,” Scheller said. “We have very good, I want to be clear, very good military personnel and leaders across the military, but there isn’t a stand-alone function that can truly assess the best military commanders on the battlefield.”

Scheller said these performance reports will remain the “bedrock” of promotion decisions, while the JWE will give boards a separate measure of how well an officer can solve the kinds of military problems they could face in command.

What that assessment looks like will vary by service.

The Pentagon has developed six versions — one for each of the five military services and another through the Joint Staff — ranging from online simulations to hours-long, in-person wargames, the documents reviewed by Fox News Digital detail.

In some versions, officers will be presented with a military problem and forced to make decisions as an AI-powered adversary reacts to their moves. Another will bring officers into a war college for an in-person wargame, where evaluators will watch how they respond as an enemy counters their decisions in real time.

“You make a move, enemy makes a move, how I react based on a time environment,” Scheller said.

The service plans obtained by Fox News Digital show just how different the evaluations will be. The Army plans to put roughly 900 eligible colonels through a remote written assessment followed by a digital wargame, while roughly 1,330 Air Force colonels will take a two-hour online analysis test followed by a one-hour interactive simulation. The Space Force will use the same basic format for roughly 125 officers.

The Navy’s version is considerably more intensive. Roughly 308 captains in the unrestricted line and information warfare communities will travel to the Naval War College for a three-hour written assessment followed by a two- to three-hour wargame. The Marine Corps plans an eight-hour remote evaluation for up to 175 colonels using an AI-enabled platform that combines written assessments with situational judgment tests.

Scheller cautioned that none of the exercises can perfectly recreate the pressures of actual combat and said the Pentagon expects to change the assessments as it learns what works.

“Ultimately, no matter how good we get at this, there’s no one task that’s gonna perfectly replicate war,” he said. “We’re not trying to come up with the perfect solution right out the gate.”

COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE US ARMY IN EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN THEATER IS UNEXPECTEDLY STEPPING DOWN

Scheller stressed that the Pentagon is not replacing the existing promotion system. Performance reports and the rest of an officer’s career record will continue to account for the bulk of the evaluation, while the JWE will provide promotion boards with an additional data point.

How heavily that new data point will be weighted has not yet been decided.

“The secretary still has judgment based on how it will be weighted in the board, so we haven’t determined,” Scheller said. “We’re kind of waiting to see how well this thing is rolled out.”

The first real test will come next year. Eligible O-6s will undergo the evaluations between roughly February and June 2027, Scheller said, ahead of the services’ O-7 promotion boards between July and September.

The Pentagon plans to study the results from that first cycle before determining how much influence the JWE should have on future promotion boards and how the assessments should evolve for the following year, according to the internal documents.

The new evaluation is the latest step in a broader overhaul of how the Pentagon selects, evaluates and retains its senior military leaders under Hegseth.

Hegseth told hundreds of generals and admirals last year that the military’s promotion system was being “thoroughly reexamined,” pledging to promote top performers faster, push out poor performers more quickly and turn evaluations, military education and field exercises into meaningful tests rather than “box checks.”

He has also moved to shrink the upper ranks themselves, ordering a 20% reduction in active-duty four-star positions and a broader 10% cut in general and flag officer positions as part of a restructuring of military commands.

And Hegseth has taken a more direct role in deciding who receives a star.

Earlier this year, he removed several Navy captains from a list of officers selected by a promotion board for one-star admiral after previously intervening in an Army brigadier general promotion list. The Pentagon has said promotions under Hegseth will be based on merit.

Meanwhile, the unusual interventions have drawn criticism and concern from some lawmakers, military officers and outside analysts worried about political influence over the traditionally service-driven process.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The changes have come alongside significant turnover at the top of the military.

Trump and Hegseth have removed or replaced a number of senior leaders since the beginning of the administration, including former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti. Hegseth also forced out Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George this year before the scheduled end of his term.

Former President George W. Bush is helping fundraise for Republicans, but not the one who defeated his nephew George P. Bush in the 2022 Republican primary for Texas attorney general.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas held a fundraiser Monday night for Maintain the Majority with the former president as a “special guest,” The New York Times reported. The event did not not include GOP Senate candidate and current Texas AG Ken Paxton, who defeated Cornyn in this year’s primary.

Maintain the Majority is a PAC that lists Cornyn along with Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Jon Husted, R-Ohio, Susan Collins, R-Maine; Michigan Sen.-nominee Mike Rogers, New Hampshire Sen.-nominee John E. Sununu; Iowa Sen.-nominee Ashley Hinson as joint fund participants, Minnesota Republican Sen.-nominee Michele Tafoya was a late addition to the Monday night event, according to the Times.

Notably absent on that list are Paxton, Republican North Carolina Sen.-nominee Mike Collins and Republican North Carolina Sen.-nominee Michael Whatley, a trio of Senate candidates closely tied to Trump’s political orbit.

TRUMP FLEXES HIS POLITICAL MUSCLE OVER GOP AS DEMOCRATS SEE MIDTERM OPENING IN KEY RED STATE

Bush and Cornyn have long had a complicated relationship with President Donald Trump and his favored candidates like Paxton.

Karl Rove, a former senior presidential advisor to Bush, recently declared he would vote for a Texas Democrat, too.

THUNE-ALIGNED GROUPS UNLEASH HISTORIC WAR CHEST TO DEFEND SENATE MAJORITY: ‘WINNING MESSAGE’

“Early voting in Texas starts Monday, October 19, 2026 (28 days from today, September 21),” a Cornyn X post on Monday morning read, notably leaving out a mention of Paxton. “It runs through Friday, October 30. The 2026 midterms (Election Day) are Tuesday, November 3, 2026 — 43 days from today.”

While the PAC funds might not be including Paxton, Trump’s own midterm campaign war chest at MAGA Inc. – now under the watchful eye of former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt – has more than $415 million cash on hand, according to the latest FEC filing reported Sunday.

Michigan, Iowa, Texas, Ohio, Maine, and Alaska are all rated toss-ups in the latest Fox News Power Rankings in the race to hold the Republican’s slim 53-47 Senate majority.

Democrats are looking at flipping seats against Collins, Husted, Sullivan, Hinson in Iowa, Whatley in North Carolina and Paxton in Texas. Republicans are eyeing potential pickups in Michigan, New Hampshire and Georgia.

REPUBLICAN CAVALRY ARRIVES FOR KEN PAXTON AS BIG-BUCKS TEXAS OFFENSIVE OPENS CASH FLOODGATES

While midterms are historically unfavorable to the political party seated in the White House, Republicans holding the Senate could help tamp down Democrat momentum in Trump’s final two years in office if the slim 218-214 Republican House majority is lost.

While Cornyn’s establishment Republican coffers might not be made available to the man who ousted him in the primary, Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters has been confident that Texas’ Senate seat will remain in the GOP’s hands.

“You got to remember Ken Paxton won this state a couple of times in the general – he won a primary against a strong incumbent that’s been there for a long time by a couple hundred thousand votes,” Gruters told Fox News Digital last month.

“People want this race to be the biggest race in the country, but it really won’t be because at the end of the day, Paxton has proven time and time again that he’s a winner; he’s a winner in this state. Texas is ruby red,” Gruters said. “Texas is a hardcore Republican state. They’re going to send up a MAGA warrior because we have a lot of work to do, including passing the Save America Act.”

JOHN THUNE GOES ‘ALL IN’ FOR KEN PAXTON AFTER BITTER PRIMARY RIPPED GOP APART

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

While Texas is seeing California liberals flock to the state, Gruters predicted Paxton’s statewide campaign strength is going to hold against Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico.

“Texas is a massive state, a lot resources from California are pouring in because these California liberals like Talafreako, but I don’t think it’s going to help him at the end of the day,” Gruters added. “Paxton is going to win this race.”

President Donald Trump has changed his pitch to wary Republicans who are hesitant to undo a decades-old safeguard in the Senate: if they do nothing, he may be the last Republican president.

Trump has long demanded that Republicans nuke the filibuster, which has blocked key parts of his agenda, to pass the SAVE America Act. He has warned that Democrats would eliminate the firewall themselves if they regain power, allowing them to push through their most partisan priorities.

Now, he’s warning that if Republicans don’t pull the trigger, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico will become states and elect only Democrats to Congress, likely foiling the chances of a future Republican winning the White House.

DEM INSURGENT TURNS ON THE CHARM WITH PARTY ESTABLISHMENT AS SCHUMER LEAVES BITTER FEUD HANGING

“If Senate Republicans don’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, the Dumocrats will, and I will be, despite how well our Party is doing, the last Republican President,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“The Dumocrats will vote in Puerto Rico (4% Republican Vote), and Washington, D.C. (3% Republican Vote), pick up 4 Senators, 8 Congressmen/women, tremendous numbers of Popular and Electoral College Votes and, importantly, control the Voting Mechanisms and Systems, both Legal and otherwise, throughout the United States,” he continued.

“It will be impossible for Republicans to ever win an Election again. In other words, it will be THE END OF AMERICA! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

REPUBLICAN SOUNDS ALARM ON RISING DEM STAR: ‘THIS GUY’S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM’

Voters in Washington, D.C., which carries three electoral votes, can vote in both presidential primaries and in the general election thanks to the 23rd Amendment. Those contests tend to heavily skew in favor of Democratic candidates.

Voters in Puerto Rico can also participate in presidential primaries, but not federal elections. And given that neither is a state, they don’t have true representation in Congress — Puerto Rico and Washington have non-voting delegates in the House, and the district has a shadow senator in the upper chamber.

Democrats have shown a desire to make both states, pushing legislation in 2023 to do so.

Meanwhile, the Senate filibuster is the 60-vote threshold that applies to most bills in the upper chamber, and given the nature of the thin majorities that either party has commanded in recent years, that means legislation typically has to be bipartisan to advance.

TRUMP DEMANDS THUNE KEEP SENATE IN SESSION UNTIL SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSES

Because of that, some of Trump’s agenda has been stonewalled. Most notably, the SAVE America Act has withered on the vine as Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, have continued to block the bill on the floor.

The last time the filibuster was put to the test was when Democrats controlled the Senate in 2022. Schumer, who was majority leader at the time, tried to change the rules for a “talking filibuster” to pass voting rights legislation.

But it’s a pitch that is going nowhere fast with Republicans, who have dug in their heels against terminating the filibuster throughout Trump’s second term.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has time and again pushed back on the demand, arguing that the GOP doesn’t have the votes to kill the filibuster.

Thune earlier this month told the Ruthless Podcast that at least half of the Senate GOP support keeping the filibuster in place.

“At some point, Democrats may try and steal the car, but we’re not going to hand them the keys,” Thune said.

“We would enable all the crazy stuff they would do, whether it’s adding Puerto Rico and D.C. as states, whether it’s federalizing elections, or packing the Supreme Court,” he continued.

As some prominent Jewish Democrats in Michigan throw their support behind Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, the state’s GOP chair told Fox News Digital he is confident that opposition to Abdul El-Sayed will spark a significant Jewish defection from the Democratic Party on Election Day.

“The big issue is Democratic donors who are Jewish, and what we’re hearing most of the angst is about from them, is El-Sayed,” Michigan GOP Chairman Jim Runestad told Fox News Digital. “His off-the-charts comments and his associations are actually striking fear into the Jewish community here in the state of Michigan.”

Indeed, roughly 500 individuals identifying as Jewish Democrats or independents living in Michigan have signed an open letter calling Rogers a “friend to the Jewish community” and warning that an El-Sayed victory could allow “far-left and anti-Jewish elements” to become dominant within the Democratic Party.

JEWISH DEMOCRATS ABANDON EL-SAYED FOR GOP RIVAL IN ALL-IMPORTANT BATTLEGROUND STATE

Amid his allegedly faltering Jewish support, El-Sayed released a video on social media where he showed himself spending Rosh Hashanah, essentially the Jewish New Year, with two Jewish women. The two women’s pro-Palestinian activism, along with criticism of their apparent unfamiliarity with the Hebrew prayers featured in the video, drew scrutiny from critics — including one Democratic state lawmaker.

“Man I really hate tokenism,” Democrat state Rep. Noah Arbit, who represents the heavily Jewish town of West Bloomfield, wrote.

EL-SAYED TRIES TO MAKE PEACE WITH JEWISH DEMOCRATS BUT DRAWS LINE AT DUMPING HASAN PIKER

“This isn’t designed to appeal to the Jewish community. It’s for any non-Jews concerned about his bigotry who won’t immediately be suspicious,” Jonathan Greenberg, a rabbi who leads the effort to combat antisemitism at a conservative advocacy group, wrote.

El-Sayed’s video nonetheless drew significant engagement on social media, generating thousands of interactions across X and TikTok.

Even if El-Sayed alienates Jewish voters, it is unclear if that will have lasting, or even down-ballot, effects for Democrats in Michigan. The open letter endorsing Rogers, for instance, makes clear that signatories do not necessarily support President Donald Trump and states that their support is specific to “this year and in this Senate race.”

As it relates to the short term, the Rogers campaign claims that their Jewish outreach efforts have been successful.

JEWISH DEM DEFECTIONS THREATEN EL-SAYED IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE DECIDED BY RAZOR-THIN MARGINS

A source within the Rogers campaign told Fox News Digital that their social media inboxes are “constantly” being filled with positive messages from Jewish voters and that they’ve been “inundated” with outreach more generally. The source also claimed that the fundraisers they held with donors have gone well, though did not provide specific numbers.

Runestad, however, is confident that Republicans can make lasting gains with the Jewish community if they play their cards right.

“We think there’s also an opening for Republicans long term to start getting the Jewish community to look at the Republicans from a different perspective,” he told Fox News Digital. “We have been very connected to so much of what the Jewish community believes in terms of being entrepreneurial, supporting lower taxes and reducing regulation.”

While Jewish voters swinging significantly toward Rogers could benefit the Republican, he will also have to contend with El-Sayed’s strong support in Michigan’s Arab American community, particularly in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, where he built a commanding advantage in the Democratic primary.

EX-HILLARY CLINTON STAFFER WARNS DEMOCRATS THAT COURTING FAR-LEFT COULD COST THEM JEWISH VOTERS

“We have been outreaching to the Jewish community here in Oakland County, which is a very substantial community, and I think we’re going to see a real sea change this cycle,” Runestad said.

“The real concern for the Jewish community is someone like Hasan Piker. Anybody who has looked at his comments — they’re off the charts,” he added. “This is like the right-hand man of El-Sayed, and some of his despicable antisemitic comments are certainly going to be brought to bear in this election. The Jewish community is becoming more and more aware of just how dangerous someone like Hasan Piker is and his connection to El-Sayed.”

El-Sayed has dismissed his proximity to Piker as insignificant to Michigan voters and called the streamer’s assertion that America “deserved” 9/11 “dumb.” He has also pushed back against claims that his campaign is floundering among Jewish voters.

“Abdul is grateful for the good conversations he’s had with Jewish leaders across Michigan, and he’ll continue to be actively engaged with communities to build the coalition that will defeat Rogers, restore Democratic control of the U.S. Senate, and put a much-needed check on Trump’s reckless agenda,” campaign spokesman Cole Wozniak told Fox News Digital.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In response to the pro-Rogers open letter, liberal Jewish leaders in Michigan have collected signatures from over 800 people identifying as Jewish Michiganders affirming their support for El-Sayed, though noting that some of them disagree with him on foreign policy and other issues. El-Sayed has made assuaging the concerns of Michigan Jews a priority for his campaign, courting endorsements from high-profile Jewish lawmakers and meeting frequently with members of the community. 

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump will take the world stage Tuesday facing a convergence of wars and geopolitical challenges that could define his second-term foreign policy, from the conflict with Iran and Russia’s war in Ukraine to intensifying strategic competition with China.

Trump is set to address the United Nations General Assembly as his administration pushes to end some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts while simultaneously confronting adversaries that have deepened their economic and security ties in recent years.

And he’s expected to use the address to argue that this White House has confronted global problems that previous administrations allowed to fester, according to officials previewing the president’s remarks.

Trump will address Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the administration’s Gaza peace plan and developments in the Western Hemisphere, among other issues, the White House said ahead of the speech.

But Iran is also expected to dominate diplomacy on the sidelines of the gathering.

TRUMP WARNS IRAN WILL BE HIT ‘REALLY HARD’ IF NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE AGAIN

A senior U.S. official said Iran would be a “key topic of conversation and diplomacy” throughout the week as the administration continues its campaign to economically isolate Tehran. Trump is scheduled to meet with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council following his address Tuesday, with the war and security in the Strait of Hormuz expected to be a prominent topic of those discussions.

Trump is also expected to renew his push to overhaul the United Nations itself, after using the same stage last year to sharply question the institution’s effectiveness.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TOUTS MORE THAN $1B IN UN BUDGET CUTS AS REFORM PUSH GAINS MOMENTUM

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked during his 2025 address, arguing that the body had played little role in resolving conflicts around the world. He said the U.N. had “tremendous potential,” while suggesting it remains unrealized.

A senior U.S. official said ahead of Tuesday’s speech that the administration has helped cut more than $1 billion from the U.N. budget, while roughly 3,000 headquarters positions are being trimmed and more than a quarter of U.N. peacekeepers are being sent home.

“We call it having the U.N. on a diet, getting it back focused, leaner, and back to basics, focused on peace and security,” the official said, describing the administration’s approach as doing “less things better.”

The push builds on a broader effort by Trump to scale back U.S. involvement in international organizations his administration argues do not serve American interests, while still using the U.N. as a venue for diplomacy.

In his address last year, Trump offered “the hand of American leadership and friendship” to countries willing to work with the United States, even as he sharply criticized the institution’s record.

the General Assembly could also provide an opening for diplomacy with Tehran, whose president and foreign minister are expected to be in New York for the annual gathering.

The president will leave New York Tuesday night and almost immediately turn to another major foreign policy challenge: China.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington Wednesday ahead of meetings with Trump at the White House Thursday, putting Trump’s U.N. appearance and the U.S.-China relationship in unusually close succession.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday said NYC welcomed all members of the media for a joint meeting with President Donald Trump, who recently banned certain media outlets from the White House.

The remarks came during a press conference at Gracie Mansion, where a reporter asked Mamdani whether he had challenged Trump on his decision to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.

“I told the president that we’re going to have all of the members of the press here on the lawn. And that is something that I believe in, as everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique that we engage in,” Mamdani said.

Trump then took the stage, defending his decision and addressing the subsequent suspension of presidential pool coverage by the remaining television networks, which included FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News.

TRUMP, MAMDANI SET TO MEET AGAIN ON MAYOR’S HOME TURF AFTER MONTHS OF POLITICAL WHIPLASH

“It’s interesting because they said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me. So I wasn’t very worried about that. Look at all that press,” Trump said.

He then explained why he chose to engage with the outlets at Gracie Mansion despite what he described as their failure to fairly cover his accomplishments, including winning the election, settling wars and improving economic numbers.

“I’m only doing it because I think the press also has an obligation,” he said.

“We have the best economic numbers for the country in the history of our country. We have $21 trillion pouring in, the biggest number ever… Nobody’s ever done what we’ve done,” he added.

WHITE HOUSE WON’T BACK DOWN AS ATTORNEY PREDICTS HOW TRUMP’S LATEST PRESS TUSSLE WILL PLAY OUT IN COURT

Trump then argued that allowing certain media outlets into the White House would be harmful to national security, accusing them of reporting what he called “fake news.”

“I never get anything positive. It’s always negative, even having to do with the war. We’ve done so well,” he said, referring to Iran.

“You would think that an outlet would write at least reasonably well, but never. If you look at CNN, it’s fake news,” he added.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“They’re very bad for the country, very bad for national security. So I have that obligation. So we’ll see how it works out,” he said.

President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will sit down Monday at Gracie Mansion, testing a budding working relationship even as the two remain deeply divided over immigration and other major policy fights.

Trump and Mamdani have continued to trade criticism while also finding areas where they can work together, most notably during a cordial February Oval Office meeting focused on New York housing. But their policy fights have continued, with Mamdani challenging Trump’s immigration policies and Trump repeatedly criticizing the mayor’s agenda.

“Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance!” the president wrote in April, a day after Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a proposal backed by Mamdani to impose a new tax on New York City second homes valued at more than $5 million.

MAMDANI SAYS EVEN IF HE CAN GET ALONG WITH TRUMP, HE STILL DEMANDS THAT ‘ICE SHOULD BE ABOLISHED’

Trump first met with the socialist mayor last November and said Mamdani could “surprise some conservative people” and declared, “The better he does, the happier I am.”

Their last meeting, on Feb. 26 at the Oval Office, was notably cordial, with Mamdani seeking Trump’s support for an ambitious New York housing proposal despite their political differences.

“The new communist mayor of New York City, I think he’s a nice guy, actually,” Trump said in his State of the Union address in February. “I speak to him a lot. Bad policy, but nice guy.”

Mamdani sought Trump’s support in February for a massive housing project, calling their meeting “productive” as he pitched more than $21 billion in federal grants to build 12,000 affordable homes, along with parks, schools, health clinics and union jobs.

Trump is traveling to New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly and is meeting with Mamdani ahead of the summit before returning to Washington on Wednesday, when Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to arrive for a state visit.

WORLD LEADERS DESCEND ON NEW YORK FOR UNGA — BUT WHO REALLY HAS AMERICA’S EAR?

Trump and Mamdani have consistently clashed over immigration enforcement, with tensions intensifying after federal officials announced that ICE had arrested more than 2,100 people across New York during a monthlong operation dubbed “Operation Rotten Apple” as of earlier this month.

Mamdani’s administration also joined a coalition lawsuit challenging a new Trump administration public-charge rule that rescinded Biden-era regulations governing how immigration officials assess an applicant’s potential use of public benefits.

“If you are a citizen, or an individual seeking humanitarian relief like asylum, these changes will not affect you,” Mamdani said at a news conference last week.

“The new public charge rule not only sweeps aside more than a century of established law, it is intentionally vague as a means of creating uncertainty and fear to isolate immigrant New Yorkers,” he added.

MAMDANI BLASTS FEDS FOR WAGING ‘CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE AND TERROR’ AGAINST NYC’S IMMIGRANTS

Mamdani is expected to speak to reporters after the meeting.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

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

President Donald Trump’s persistent interest in Greenland has put a spotlight on what lies beneath the vast Arctic island, including potentially valuable deposits of critical minerals and oil.

That focus intensified this week after Trump reached a security agreement with Denmark and Greenland that he is signing on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday — a deal the administration says is intended to strengthen U.S. influence in the Arctic and bolster long-term investment in the island.

The focus on obtaining control and influence in Greenland, which also has a highly strategic location in the world, comes as wars in Ukraine and Iran expose vulnerabilities in global energy supplies and the U.S. looks to reduce its dependence on foreign sources of critical minerals.

“One of the reasons that we are exploring for oil in Greenland is because of what’s going on in the Strait of Hormuz right now,” Robert Price, CEO of Greenland Energy Company and president of USFM Corporation, told Fox News Digital.

Price’s two companies are pursuing separate oil and mineral projects in Greenland, including plans to drill an exploratory oil well in 2027 and ongoing mineral exploration in the island’s west.

WHY TRUMP ZEROED IN ON GREENLAND, THE WORLD’S LARGEST ISLAND, MOSTLY COVERED IN ICE — IN 3 CHARTS

Those projects are taking on new significance as conflicts abroad strain global energy supplies and highlight vulnerabilities in critical supply chains. The Iran conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies, while the war in Ukraine has put energy infrastructure at the center of the conflict.

Trump announced an agreement with Denmark and Greenland on Friday that would expand the U.S. military presence on the island while keeping Greenland under Danish sovereignty. Full details have not yet been made public, but Fox News Digital obtained exclusive insights into some of the specifics of the agreement.

“We don’t want to be dependent on China for our rare earth minerals, and we don’t want to be dependent on Russia for them either,” Price said.

“Critical minerals, they touch every part of our lives, which includes our cellphones, our computers, batteries, power storage, power generation,” he said.

Price’s USFM has been drilling around Disko Island in western Greenland for nickel, copper, palladium and cobalt, commodities used in electronics, batteries, energy and manufacturing.

“This mining district could be one of the largest mining districts in the world,” he said, comparing its potential with Russia’s mineral-rich Norilsk region.

The scale Price described has not been proven, with exploratory drilling still underway.

TRUMP’S AMBITIOUS ENERGY BET COULD BE A WINNING HAND AS THE WORLD BURNS MORE OIL, GAS THAN EVER

Greenland’s potential riches aren’t limited to minerals.

Price’s Greenland Energy Company is pursuing permits for an exploratory oil well planned for 2027. Its licenses are on Greenland’s eastern side, where Price said the geology resembles the petroleum-producing North Sea.

“Our licenses are similar to the same petroleum system as the North Sea,” Price said, noting that his company has sampled oil on and below the surface.

But Greenland’s value extends beyond what may lie beneath the surface.

Sitting between North America and Europe and extending into the Arctic, the island has played a role in U.S. defense for decades. The U.S. maintains Pituffik Space Base there, its northernmost Defense Department installation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Price said Trump’s emerging deal with Denmark and Greenland could provide greater security and give companies more confidence to invest in projects that take years to develop.

“What it does is it shores up long-term investment in Greenland, and that’s what our projects are,” Price said. “They’re long-term investments from oil, gas, and minerals.”

“We’re really excited about this agreement,” he added.

Up-and-coming GOP star Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, is calling out the left for viewing Americans as “collateral damage” as Democratic leaders focused attention over the weekend on the nonfatal shooting of an illegal immigrant in Austin. Gill pointed to the arrest of a different illegal immigrant in Maryland for allegedly kidnapping and raping a teenage girl, saying that “the left will read this and feel absolutely nothing.”

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News last week that local police had arrested Abdoulaye Dia, a rideshare driver and illegal immigrant from Guinea, on charges of kidnapping and raping an underage girl during a ride. Dia was allowed into the country under the Biden administration in 2023 and also faces a sexual assault charge involving a minor from earlier this year in New York City. According to DHS, police say that while conducting the ride, Dia took the girl to a parking lot in Silver Spring, Maryland, and raped her in his vehicle. DHS also said authorities believe there are more victims.

Meanwhile, media coverage and criticism from Democrats focused on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin shooting another rideshare driver, Venezuelan illegal immigrant Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. A source familiar confirmed to Fox News that ICE officers were conducting targeted immigration enforcement, using license plate checks, when they identified a vehicle registered to Garces Perez, who had a final order of removal. DHS says Perez is in stable condition and in federal custody pending removal. Democrats, including Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, condemned the incident. Casar called the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement a “war” and called for ICE to leave the city.

Meanwhile, Gill slammed the response to the Maryland case, predicting, “The left will read this and feel absolutely nothing” because “they simply don’t care how many Americans are r@ped and killed by illegal aliens.”

ICE SHOOTING ROCKS AUSTIN AS DEMOCRAT DEMANDS BODYCAM VIDEO, INDEPENDENT PROBE

Gill charged that “to Democrats,” victims of illegal immigrant crime are “nothing more than collateral damage in their long term project of using amnesty to build a permanent electoral majority.”

CNN questioned Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, about the case. He answered, “I want the people of my state to understand that I have no tolerance for violent offenders, period and full stop,” but added, “I also know this, is that the idea that we — are we supporting a Trump/Vance ICE operation that continues to violate the basic laws of our state, that also is not going to be tolerated.”

Moore said that “there is nothing that we will not do to make sure that our communities are safe,” adding, “It’s the reason we made historic investments in local law enforcement. It’s the reason that we have been very clear that, if someone commits a violent crime in our state, I want him in handcuffs in 24 hours, and they will have accountability coming their way.” He touted Maryland as currently experiencing “amongst the fastest drops in violent crime anywhere in the United States of America.”

“So, I will work with all partners, particularly when it comes to dealing with violent offenders, removing them from our communities, and making sure that they are accountable. And that includes — and that includes our federal partners when it comes to immigration services,” he said, before continuing, “But here’s the other thing that I do know that, when I look at ICE, ICE was an agency that was funded at $10 billion. Now ICE’s budget is over $85 billion. ICE is larger than the FBI. ICE is larger than the ATF. ICE’s budget is larger than the state of Maryland. And they are also using that to put unaccountable and unqualified people in our communities that are doing things like arresting five-year-olds.”

SHERRILL ANTI-ICE POLICY HAMMERED AFTER FLEEING MIGRANT DRIVER INJURES DEM MAYOR’S WIFE

“So, I will work to make sure that our communities are safe and address violent criminals everywhere they are,” he said.

Meanwhile, Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino commented on the case by criticizing Democrats’ response. She posted on X, “Just to be clear, this animal was let across the border by Joe Biden, came to New York where he sexually assaulted a minor, was released thanks to our sanctuary and decarceration policies, and made his way to Maryland where he raped ANOTHER minor while working as an [sic] cab driver.”

Paladino charged that “Democrats will call you insane and bigoted for caring about this.”

“There is absolutely no amount of rape, murder, or violence that will get Democrats to change anything. This is the status quo to them, and they just don’t care,” she wrote, adding, “Open borders and total decarceration. That’s the core of the DSA-led Democrat party. And they will stand on top of a pile of bodies, look you straight in the eye, smirk, and tell you we’re ‘safer’ because of it.”

JIM JORDAN SUBPOENAS BLUE STATE DAS ACCUSED OF ‘PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS

Fox News Digital reached out to Moore and Casar for additional comment.

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

According to DHS, Dia was allowed into the country after entering through Lukeville, Arizona, on Dec. 21, 2023. Fox News was on the ground in Lukeville on that day and took footage of long lines of immigrants being allowed into the U.S.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Dia was arrested on June 10 in New York City on charges of sexual abuse by forcible compulsion, forcible touching of the sexual or intimate parts of another person, injuring a child younger than 17 and sexual abuse without consent. Dia was arrested again in Maryland on Wednesday in connection with the alleged rape in a Silver Spring parking lot.

Fox News’ Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.

A smuggling vessel filled with Chinese nationals and other illegal immigrants was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard in what sources called a rare and “extremely dangerous” attempt to enter the U.S. through Florida.

CBP confirmed the interdiction exclusively with Fox News, sharing video and photos of U.S. authorities intercepting the vessel, which was carrying 22 illegal immigrants, including 13 Chinese nationals. The boat, a 27-foot cuddy cabin vessel, was stopped, and the migrants aboard were arrested without incident Tuesday. The interdiction took place near Angelfish Creek, Florida, near Key Largo.

According to the agency, a CBP Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft first detected the vessel. The interdiction, carried out by CBP alongside Coast Guard personnel, resulted in the apprehension of one suspected smuggler, a Cuban national, 13 Chinese nationals, eight Ecuadorian nationals and one Dominican national.

Sources emphasized to Fox News that it is extremely rare for Chinese nationals to attempt to enter the U.S. through maritime Caribbean routes that are typically used by Haitians, Dominicans and Cubans. During the Biden administration, Chinese nationals typically entered the U.S. through land routes in California and Texas, which are now subject to tighter enforcement under the Trump administration.

CBP, COAST GUARD INTERCEPT MIGRANT VESSEL HEADING FOR PUERTO RICO; 40 APPREHENDED INCLUDING UZBEK NATIONAL

Andres Blanco, executive director of Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region, told Fox News that “attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea is extremely dangerous and will not go undetected.”

Blanco said that “this interdiction demonstrates the strength of our maritime partnerships and our commitment to stopping human smuggling organizations before they can put more lives at risk.”

He added that “those who attempt these dangerous voyages face arrest, prosecution, removal, and the very real possibility of losing their lives at sea.”

The illegal immigrants were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent for processing. Meanwhile, authorities seized the vessel.

ICE-LED FLORIDA OPERATION NETS 500 — INCLUDING ILLEGAL ALIENS ACCUSED OF MURDER, CHILD ABUSE, CARTEL TIES

After the operation, Coast Guard Lt. Corryn Ulrich, the commanding officer of the Pablo Valent, told Fox News that “the U.S. border remains secure due to highly capable teams and coordinated interagency enforcement” and that “we remain ready to save lives and enforce federal law at sea.”

The CBP Air and Marine Operations unit is designed to anticipate and confront aviation and maritime threats to America’s national integrity, according to the agency.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet Thursday in Washington, D.C.

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang claimed that, despite the leaders trumpeting a positive relationship, Xi is mulling a war against the United States and organizing troops “for battle.”

“Xi Jinping keeps on talking about going to war against us… and also he’s preparing China’s society, civilian and military, for battle. And we think we’re at peace,” Chang said Sunday on “Fox News Live.” “So, this is a very dangerous period for us.”

Chang’s remarks follow reports that China aided Iran in attacks that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan earlier this summer.

ICE SHOOTING ROCKS AUSTIN AS DEMOCRAT DEMANDS BODYCAM VIDEO, INDEPENDENT PROBE

The incident comes amid renewed debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in Austin on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security said the man shot by the officer, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, “illegally entered the country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal during a law enforcement operation.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

His lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, has contested DHS’ statement, saying Perez entered the U.S. lawfully. According to DHS, he survived and is in stable condition and is in federal custody pending removal. The incident has resulted in large protests in Austin and Democratic politicians condemning ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement.

Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Facing a national debt that has exploded past $40 trillion, Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison isn’t holding back on his own colleagues—accusing Washington lawmakers on both sides of the aisle of being “drunk on spending” while working-class families pay the price.

Burlison recently sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital to discuss fiscal prudence, healthcare, inflation, and how Republicans can lift their fortunes ahead of midterm elections just six weeks away.

CONGRESSMAN ERIC BURLISON: IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ‘THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE PRISON’ 

“Most of my colleagues like to spend money…they like to spend other people’s money. They’re drunk on spending other people’s money, even Republicans, unfortunately, and there’s few people up here like myself who were willing to make significant spending reductions. 

“And so we had to fight tooth and nail to get any spending reductions in the Big, Beautiful Bill. And we were demonized by the left, obviously, but we had to fight members even on our own side of the aisle to make those spending reductions.

“But, look, at some point the party is going to be over and we are all gonna wake up in a drunken stupor with a hangover and it’s going to be painful and we’re going to have to figure out how to get our way out of that. 

“All of these sins of overspending are haunting us. And now we’re seeing…inflation that we can’t control. We’re seeing the interest rates go through the roof. At some point, you can’t keep borrowing money…Sadly, my colleagues that weren’t willing to cut spending are going to be forced to cut spending.”

Despite seeking to portray themselves as the party of affordability, the GOP seems to have a major messaging problem as it heads into the tumultuous midterm elections.

Burlison points to healthcare as the main problem:

“I mean, again, it’s really sad. This office has been broadcasting to the leadership every chance that we can that the American people are feeling the crunch, they’re feeling the affordability crunch. We put together a solution that we call the Great American healthcare plan. We also have another bill that addresses the housing affordability issue. 

“This office has been doing everything we can to try to fix the affordability issue and have been putting these ideas and solutions in the faces of leadership for at least two years. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t get people to do the difficult things. And sadly that’s because Washington DC doesn’t like to do difficult things and fixing healthcare is the number one thing that we should be looking to do. 

WE’RE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS. THE US MUST CHOOSE: EITHER $20 TRILLION IN DEBT OR MEDICAID REFORM

“Healthcare cost is eating away everyone’s discretionary dollars…In the year 2000, the average American family was paying $6,000 a year for insurance premiums for a family of four. Today, that’s $27,000 a year. If that had followed normal inflation, that would only be $11,000 per year. 

“So if you ask the average family of four, would you like to be paying health insurance premiums at $11,000 a year, they would say, heck, yeah, that sounds like a great deal. That is not what they’re paying today. They’re paying $27,000. So if you think about that, just that alone, that is crowding out everything else that the average American family has to pay. You have to come up with another $16,000 that you didn’t have to come up with before, in order to pay for a healthcare system that has exceeded inflation by three-fold. 

“So three times normal inflation for the healthcare premiums, health insurance premiums. It’s not sustainable and it’s crowded out everything else and it is the reason why young people cannot afford to buy a home. It’s the reason why people have a hard time going out to eat. It’s a reason why people aren’t going on vacation as much. People are having to make very difficult choices and it’s not the same choices that people had to make 20 years ago.”

As Elon Musk and DOGE-fervor swept across the nation’s capital at the beginning of 2025, Burlison’s initial enthusiasm soon turned to disappointment as he saw colleagues avoid much-needed spending cuts:

“DOGE was the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen in politics. And I was super excited about it. But I also was skeptical. I watched Elon come give speeches to my colleagues. And what was ironic is that some of the most swampy members of Congress were rushing to the microphones to embrace Elon to talk to him to tell him where he should go to look for spending reductions. 

“And yet those very people were the ones that were voting against every spending reduction that you would ever bring to the floor. We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of opportunities to cut spending… We submitted hundreds of amendments to the appropriations committees to cut spending and yet each and every time, anytime there’s ever a vote to cut spending, they fail. 

“So, look. All we have to do as Republicans is look in the mirror and say where’s the problem? It’s me, it’s us…I’m one of these almost going extinct members of the Republican Party that still believes in fiscal prudence, still believes and in cutting spendings this small government free market conservative. But unfortunately, that’s not how all of my colleagues feel.”

Burlison argues that the GOP has a fundamental messaging problem and has urged his colleagues to zero in on their economic pitch to the American public, with a particular focus on the healthcare crisis:

“So, in my opinion, it’s not enough to run against a platform. If you have to provide a vision to the American people, and if you ask the American voter today, what will the Republican Party do if they’re reelected…I don’t think that they would know. And so to me, the vision that I would provide is to say, ‘we’re going to fix healthcare. We’re going to make healthcare affordable. We’re gonna to make it a free market. The prices are going to be transparent, and you’re going to know exactly what you’re buying’.”

Finally, Burlison has a quick prescription for bringing down pain at the pump tied to the engagement in Iran:

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Well, conservatives, we love cutting taxes and I think that we should be cutting the fuel taxes during this period of time. I would love to eliminate the taxes altogether, but at least it would make sense that during this conflict that we should cut taxes on both gas and diesel until this war is resolved.

“I think that that would have a pretty good impact on people’s pocketbooks. I mean you’re talking for diesel that would be 40 cents a gallon. That’s, that’s pretty significant.”

To hear estimates about the growing power of AI, one might ask AI chatbots how long it will take Congress to regulate the technology.

But you might not need to do that.

You could just inquire with your trusty Capitol Hill correspondent. Let’s call this chatbot “ChadGPT.”

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS MEETS AI AS FEARS OF HUMAN EXTINCTION JOLT CAPITOL HILL

And it truly doesn’t require that much congressional clairvoyance to divine when lawmakers could address AI – despite the forecast of a looming crisis.

You just need a little understanding of the congressional parliamentary posture over the next few months.

It’s doubtful that Congress will do anything about AI until after the midterms. Or, maybe even early next year. Results of the midterms will likely consume the lame duck session – regardless of which party wins or loses. Plus, lawmakers must fund the government by mid-December. If either the House or Senate flips, it might be March or April next year until Congress returns to AI. It simply takes Congress a long time to accomplish anything. Especially when there’s a change in who runs the place.

The Senate is scheduled to meet for the next two weeks. But House Members fled the Capitol last week – a day earlier than planned and two weeks earlier than the original schedule – even as the “godfather of AI” visited Capitol Hill.

Geoffrey Hinton is professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He’s a 2004 Nobel laureate for his work on “artificial neural networks.” He proffered a stark warning for lawmakers.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., summoned Hinton to Capitol Hill for a bipartisan, bicameral briefing on AI. Sanders has called for a ban on “superintelligence.” Many lawmakers are furious over what’s unfolded with AI over the past few weeks. They want action now.

I had a battery of questions for Hinton when he emerged from the briefing late last week in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. We’ve heard that Congress is lagging and when it comes to taking action.

ANTHROPIC CEO CALLS ON AI INDUSTRY TO SLOW DOWN TECH RACE, DRAWING SUPPORT FROM ELON MUSK, SAM ALTMAN

“How much time do lawmakers actually have to get ahead of this before this is a big problem,” I asked.

“Very little,” replied Hinton.

“What is ‘a little,’” I countered. “A few weeks? A month?”

“Maybe a year,” opined Hinton. “But not much more than a year.”

Sigh.

Hinton characterized the incident where AI agents went rogue and hacked another company as a “little Chernobyl.”

For the uninitiated, that was the epic meltdown of the nuclear reactor in the former Soviet Union in 1986. It’s one of the most extraordinary human-made disasters in history.

But some Republican leaders – and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in particular – are downplaying potential doom. Especially after President Trump declared on Truth Social that AI concerns were a “HOAX.”

“Do you remember when AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.] said, was it climate change? What was her stupid thing? She said, ‘we’re all going to be dead in ten years,’” said Johnson. “This is what the President is saying. You’re not all going to be dead in ten years. That’s a hoax.”

Johnson isn’t opposed to legislative action on AI. But he’s certainly taking his cues from President Trump. And even though many Democrats and some Republicans demanded that the House remain in session to wrestle with AI, Johnson predicted that the exercise would be moot.

REP. TED LIEU: AI IS ALREADY TOO POWERFUL. WE NEED A KILL SWITCH BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES

“If I called an emergency session today and I brought everybody in the House and said, ‘let’s regulate,” I tell you, nobody in the room knows yet what that should look like,” said Johnson. “We’re going to have steady hands at the wheel on this.”

But other Republicans harbor more fear of rapid AI development.

“What would happen if we created an independent species that became superior to a human species?” asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.

Shortly after the briefing with Hinton and others, Kennedy went to the Senate floor and implored his colleagues to pass a bill on the spot requiring AI firms to install a kill switch if their agents rebelled again.

However, Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked that on the floor. He feared that such a mandate could stifle innovation.

“We’re going to just put this blanket regulation on the whole economy with no discussion in one fell swoop, on one day, by unanimous consent?” questioned Paul.

Paul’s objection stymied the Senate.

The Kentucky Republican is sanguine about what’s ahead for AI. But he worries about congressional intervention.

“People have feared technology since the beginning of time,” said Paul. ” I wouldn’t put Congress in charge of a McDonald’s.”

Jeffrey Ladish of Palisade Research assesses the risks of new technology. After the briefing, Ladish offered his own foreboding prediction about AI running amok.

“How is this allowed to happen? And how do we ensure this never happens again?” asked Ladish. “Because right now, I guarantee you this will happen again. We are not on track for fixing this.”

Ladish argued that even researchers “don’t know how to control it.”

That’s why some lawmakers insist that Congress must move fast to combat AI – perhaps even treating it as a new threat.

“The people who are the greatest innovators and creators in the world in the AI space are warning us of serious danger. So shame on us if we don’t listen to them,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., is studying for a master’s degree in AI at George Masson University. He says people are skeptical about AI. But he suggests that the public may grow even more skeptical if one party tries to legislate on AI without bipartisan buy-in.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW ‘AI FORCE,’ VOWS TO PROTECT INDUSTRY AS AI CZAR ANNOUNCEMENT NEARS

“We need to do it together. Also, if we do it together, Democrats and Republicans are much less likely to try to reverse it when political winds shift,” said Beyer.

Some lawmakers are already targeting a scapegoat. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chairs the House Progressive Caucus. He pins the issue on big tech.

“This is on a few billionaires who are the Silicon Valley guys who have developed technology they can’t even control,” said Casar. “What if it’s a hospital next? What if it is nuclear facilities next? That should not be allowed.”

That introduces a wedge into the debate. Some Republicans are increasingly saying that Congress should lay off the industry and let it innovate. But Casar is producing a foil which has bedeviled both political parties: big tech.

Don’t forget that we are just six weeks before an election. Democrats are already jockeying for political positions on AI.

“The AI safety issue is very real,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “That’s why it’s so irresponsible that Mike Johnson and House Republicans have gotten out of town before sundown.”

Could another AI catastrophe compel lawmakers to move sooner? Especially since an expert like Ladish suggests it’s just a matter of time? What if the political battle lines are drawn already between Republicans and Democrats? As far as anyone could tell, John Kennedy was the only Republican who attended the briefing last week. And what if there simply isn’t the political will to move during the lame duck? Or, if Democrats flip the House and Senate, do they try to advance something next year – but it’s viewed as partisan and “big government” by Republicans, standing behind President Trump?

You don’t need ChatGPT to grasp how challenging this may be for Congress. You don’t even need “ChadGPT.” These are just the legislative realities.

As Mary Shelley wrote in Frankenstein, the acquisition of knowledge can be dangerous. Especially if who acquired that knowledge is suddenly more powerful than those who built it.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Frankenstein is a tale of unhinged hubris, ethics and ambition. Congress has tried to legislate guardrails for those mortal flaws for more than two centuries now. Those laws are for humans. And whatever Congress comes up with might not matter to AI.

An attorney at a nonprofit that defends the First Amendment doesn’t think President Donald Trump will come out on top in a legal battle with three media outlets he banned from the White House.

But after announcing on Friday his ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico — and the resulting lawsuit against him — the White House told Fox News Digital that Trump isn’t backing down.

“I think the Trump administration will not fare well in court because its action here is blatantly unconstitutional,” predicted Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

Trump took to TRUTH Social on Friday to announce that employees with the three major media outlets will be banned from White House grounds over “reporting FAKE NEWS. He said they “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States.”

DISNEY SUES FCC OVER ‘RETALIATORY CAMPAIGN AGAINST ABC,’ SEEKS TO BLOCK EARLY RENEWAL PROCEEDINGS

Terr says that what media outlets report is not at issue.

“There’s settled precedent that when the White House opens its doors to the press, which it has done, the First Amendment walks in too,” Terr said. “So that means the administration can’t ban reporters from the White House grounds just because it doesn’t like their point of view or thinks their coverage is too negative or critical, and the president in his statements has been crystal clear that this was the exact reason that he banned CNN, MSN, and … Politico from the entire White House grounds.”

Reporters and cameramen with the outlets removed their gear and set up on Pennsylvania Ave. over the weekend and this week continued to film live hits from across the street rather than from their usual spots on White House grounds.

In response to Terr’s assessment, the White House remained defiant about the ban.

CNN FIRES BACK AT TRUMP WHITE HOUSE OVER ATTACKS ON REPORTER, CALLS THEM ‘BENEATH THE OFFICE’

Monday morning, the three news outlets filed a lawsuit against Trump seeking an injunction that would halt the president’s ban temporarily, and asking the court to immediately order the restoration of the media members’ White House credentials.

CNN was scheduled for White House television pool coverage on Monday. Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News and NBC News, the other press pool networks, announced in a joint statement that they would not take CNN’s place.

“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the pool members said in a joint statement.

Additionally, White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) President Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News, released a statement expressing the organization’s support of the outlets.

“Today’s action revoking access for journalists from CNN, POLITICO, and MSNOW violates the First Amendment,” she wrote. “The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future.”

“The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably,” she continued. “The WHCA calls on the administration to immediately restore our colleagues’ access.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUBPOENAS NY TIMES JOURNALISTS IN GRAND JURY LEAK PROBE TIED TO AIR FORCE ONE REPORT

Terr said that while nobody has a First Amendment right to report from the White House, he said court precedent established that once a media outlet gains access to the White House, that access cannot be revoked for ideological reasons.

“The principle here is that once the government provides access, it then can’t condition that access on whether you’re expressing a viewpoint that the government agrees with,” he said. “It’s a broader First Amendment principle that the government cannot retaliate against Americans for protected speech, and that includes revoking news outlets’ access to a space open to the press just because the president doesn’t like the actual or perceived slant of their report.”

Terr noted that while there can be bias in media, the alternative of government-controlled media could result in a much worse outcome.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“The First Amendment is designed to prevent exactly that type of government control over the flow of information in a free society,” he said. “The First Amendment guarantees that reporters are free to cover the news in a way that they think is best, and it’s up to the American public to hear what they have to say and decide whether or not to trust them and their coverage of the government and other issues in our society.”

Tens of millions of dollars in Soros-linked money are pouring into key Democratic campaigns and political groups as Election Day approaches, campaign finance records show.

As of the end of June, Democracy PAC and Democracy PAC II — a pair of political committees created and funded by the Soros network — have disbursed over $40 million in donations to their Democratic allies, a review of campaign finance records show. Among the largest beneficiaries of the Soros-linked funding have been the Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC and the J Street Action Fund, the political arm of J Street, a vocal critic of Israeli government policies.

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who has made getting money out of politics a pillar of his Senate campaign, is also indirectly benefiting from Soros-linked money flowing into the Michigan Senate race through outside Democratic groups.

MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL CALLS AIPAC DONATIONS ‘LEGALIZED BRIBERY,’ REMAINS SILENT ON OTHER DONATIONS

Senate Majority PAC, which has received $9 million from the Soros-funded Democracy PAC this cycle, has pledged $30 million in spending to help elect El-Sayed in Michigan.

“The fundamental corruption of our politics has been the system that allows corporations and would-be oligarchs and billionaires to buy politicians,” El-Sayed said during a 2025 interview with a local news outlet.

“I want to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, pass Medicare for all,” he told a reporter during a follow-up interview.

El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday. The Senate hopeful is also scheduled to attend a Sept. 28 California fundraiser hosted by Jeffrey Soros – who is the nephew of billionaire George Soros.

“Abdul El-Sayed is only for ‘money out of politics’ when it isn’t being spent on him. He’s wining and dining Soros billionaires and begging Chuck Schumer for money while Mike Rogers is taking on Big Pharma and calling for a suspension of the gas tax to lower costs for working families,” Alyssa Brouillet, a spokeswoman for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, told Fox News Digital. “Mike Rogers is fighting for Michigan. Abdul El-Sayed is cozying up to billionaires and lying to Michiganders.”

The full scale of the Soros family’s 2026 political spending will become clearer as additional campaign-finance reports are filed.

FBI RAIDS SOROS-BACKED VOTER GROUP’S HEADQUARTERS IN REPORTED FRAUD PROBE

Another major beneficiary of the Soros family’s largesse has been the federal and non-federal arms of its Justice & Public Safety PAC, the primary vehicle behind its efforts to elect progressive prosecutors across the United States. The criminal justice-focused committees have so far pulled in close to $2 million.

The Soros family, chiefly through George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and political committees, has funded efforts to reduce the number of criminals in prison, end cash bail, elect progressive prosecutors, expand rights for illegal immigrants and address alleged racism among law enforcement — efforts that have made Soros a frequent target of criticism from conservative politicians and activists.

Other causes to receive support from the Soros family during the 2026 cycle have included the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, Fair Fight, which is a voter mobilization organization founded by Stacey Abrams and focused on helping Democrats in Georgia, and the Working Families Party PAC, which works to help elect progressives primarily in New York.

Democratic Govs. Josh Shapiro, of Pennsylvania, and Abigail Spanberger, of Virginia, also received financial support from the Soros family’s political committees during their 2025 campaigns.

ABDUL EL-SAYED DUBBED ‘VETERAN’ BY SOROS-LINKED PROPAGANDA NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTED IN MICHIGAN

The true extent of the Soros family’s 2026 political operation won’t be fully known until roughly a year after elections wrap up, as much of its spending is routed through 501(c)(4) nonprofits, a type of organization that can spend money on politics but is only required to release disclosures annually, often a year or more after the spending itself occurs.

George Soros gradually transferred control of his political and philanthropic empire to his son, Alex, between 2022 and 2023.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A spokesperson for the Soros family did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

Rapper Macklemore is getting a new ally as he continues to face backlash for his pro-Palestinian activism during his opening set for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour earlier this month.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., invoked the ongoing controversy in a fundraising memo sent to supporters late last week, in which she also criticized billionaire Robert Kraft for reportedly getting Sheeran to drop Macklemore from his concert tour.

“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez here. Billionaire stadium owner, Robert Kraft, did not like Macklemore, a Grammy-winning rapper, saying ‘Free Palestine’ on stage — so he made calls and the artist got pulled off of Ed Sheeran’s tour,” the fundraising text obtained by Fox News Digital said.

“This is not just about a single musical act. This is about how a small handful of powerful people, like stadium owners, can threaten someone’s livelihood in order to prevent an entire massive issue from being spoken about — in this case, the genocide in Gaza.”

COLIN KAEPERNICK ACCUSES NFL OF ‘COLLUDING’ AGAINST MACKLEMORE AMID ‘FREE PALESTINE’ CONTROVERSY

She went on to say Macklemore’s plight represents a wider battle between social classes.

FORMULA ONE DRIVER LEWIS HAMILTON TELLS MACKLEMORE HE IS ‘STANDING’ IN SOLIDARITY WITH HIM ON PALESTINE

“Oligarchs and billionaires could just as easily prevent people from speaking out about AI, workers’ rights, or any issue they don’t like. That is what makes this a dangerous precedent. This moment is a test of how far the very powerful can go in censoring speech,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“And that’s why it’s important that we speak out about it. That we make clear that this is an abuse of power. And that we keep the focus on Robert Kraft and the way he’s using his influence to try to control what can and cannot be talked about in America.”

MACKLEMORE DONATES $1M TO PALESTINIAN AID ORGANIZATIONS AFTER ED SHEERAN TOUR FALLOUT

The memo ended with the progressive congresswoman pledging to protect free speech and fight billionaires “who want to silence any form of dissent or peaceful protest,” followed by the call, “Will you chip in $5 or any amount you can afford to power this movement for a better future?”

Macklemore, who was made famous for his song “Thrift Shop” in 2012, said “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 4 show in New Jersey while opening for Sheeran’s tour. He then performed a song inspired by the Columbia University anti-Israel protests, according to Forbes, then declared, “The people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them. I say: Free Palestine. I say: Free Lebanon. Free Cuba to the Congo to Sudan to Iran.”

ED SHEERAN SAYS HE TRIED TO ‘BUILD A BRIDGE’ OVER MACKLEMORE TOUR SPOT BEFORE VENUES SAID NO

Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots and their home turf Gillette Stadium, then threatened to cancel Sheeran’s show there, Macklemore later wrote publicly. Kraft also warned that other stadium owners would follow suit.

And despite being told to stop, Macklemore said “Free Palestine” during the following night’s show but clarified to Jews in the audience that his comments were aimed at Israel, not the religion as a whole.

ED SHEERAN FACES GROWING BACKLASH AS RADIO STATION BANS SONGS, PROTEST GROUPS RESPOND TO MACKLEMORE’S REMOVAL

It did not stop the backlash by pro-Israel groups and fellow musical artists, however, culminating in Macklemore being dropped from Sheeran’s tour.

Kraft later told NBC News that his boycott was about a broader pattern of public discourse that he saw as harmful to the Jewish people. He told the outlet, “I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same — peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”

The pro-Israel billionaire also pledged $2 million toward helping Palestinians amid the fallout.

Kraft also has close ties to Trump, despite a falling out over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He donated money to Trump’s first inauguration and was seen next to Trump in the Kennedy Center’s presidential box earlier this year for a screening of the first lady’s film, “Melania.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Kraft’s wife, Dana Blumberg, is also a member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees.

Fox News Digital reached out to the New England Patriots’ public affairs team seeking comment from Kraft.

President Donald Trump’s promise of a hefty payout for all Americans if Republicans win big in the midterm elections is taking heat from Democratic lawmakers who blast the vow as a “hysterical” lie and unlawful bribe.

“I think it’s hysterical,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., said about the promise. “Literally, I think, it’s insane. It’s effectively a proposed bribe of the American people that we can’t afford.”

“This is just fantasy land, right?” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital. “$5,000 checks, plus, you know, puppies and rainbows and ponies.”

VOTERS HAVE A BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP ABOUT HIS IDEA TO DOLE OUT $5,000 CHECKS

He continued, “The president will make any promises he can.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waved off Fox News Digital when asked about the checks, declining to comment.

Trump pledged to issue the $5,000 dividend during his speech at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month — as long as the GOP wins to keep control of both the Senate and the House in November.

“$5,000 to gain a majority?” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., said. “He already has the Senate and the House and the White House, and it’s been an unmitigated disaster.”

“It’s just a campaign promise that he’s trying to make to the American public, because he knows he’s underwater, and he’s not doing well and people are angry,” Aguilar said.

Most Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital about the payments waved off the president’s $5,000 pledge as a “lie” and argued it’s something Americans have heard from him before.

“If you have an opportunity to provide relief to the American people, you should take it,” Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas said. “But lying to Americans around election season, what the president has done numerous times, I think it’s sad and shameful.”

‘STILL WAITING ON THE DOGE CHECK’: BATTLEGROUND STATE VOTERS CAST DOUBT ON TRUMP’S NEW $5K PROMISE

He continued, “I can guarantee you those checks ain’t happening.”

“I think it’s one more lie, and people aren’t going to fall for this,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said.

It’s not just Democratic lawmakers who disagree with Trump’s idea. Many Republicans have also been vocal about their outright opposition, with others questioning whether it could actually be achieved or approved by Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said last week congressional approval would be necessary.

“You’ve already seen House Republicans and Capitol Hill Republicans say that this isn’t going to happen,” Aguilar said. “It’s just a campaign promise that he’s trying to make to the American public, because he knows he’s underwater, and he’s not doing well and people are angry.”

“He’s done this before,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said. “He’s never followed through on it. If he does follow through, how are we gonna do it?”

The payments to 240 million Americans would cost the federal government roughly $1.2 trillion. Trump brushed off affordability criticism of the pledge, saying the U.S. could “easily” afford the payouts.

TRUMP DEFENDS $5,000 DIVIDEND PROPOSAL, PRAISES ‘BEAUTIFUL’ TARIFFS ON ‘INGRAHAM ANGLE’

Vice President JD Vance suggested one source for the money could come from tariff revenue. He also proposed excluding wealthy Americans from receiving the payout to make the pledge’s price tag more feasible.

Democrats also scrutinized Trump’s prioritization, urging the president to shift his focus to deliverables for the American people — particularly emphasizing healthcare.

“I’d rather give people their healthcare and their food assistance back,” Subramanyam said. “That’d be way more than $5,000 for most people.”

“If he really cared about the American people, he would have made sure they had healthcare,” Alsobrooks said.

Warnock even blamed Trump’s policies for being the reason Americans would need the $5,000 check.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“The only reason why Americans would need $5,000 is because of Trump’s awful policies,” Warnock said. “He should fix his policies. He shouldn’t wait until after the election.”

Sen. Cory Booker’s response to a question about Abdul El-Sayed’s election campaign in Michigan has some online observers questioning whether the Democratic Party’s elected officials are behind the socialist-adjacent candidate.

The Democrat from New Jersey joined Kristen Welker on ABC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, when he was asked a wide variety of policy questions along with a question about President Donald Trump’s announcement that he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds. But the question about El-Sayed stole the show.

“Senator, you see there in our polls that socialism is viewed even more negatively than the ‘MAGA movement,'” Welker began. “President Trump is trying to paint progressives, and frankly all Democrats, as socialists, and we’re seeing one of the big battles play out for progressivism in Michigan right now with Abdul El-Sayed… do you think Democrats are drawing a firm enough line between themselves and socialism?”

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ENDORSED BY AOC AND BERNIE SANDERS INSISTS HE’S NOT A SOCIALIST

“Again, this is really what the Republicans want to do — focus on a few fringe people,” Booker replied.

He then diverted away from discussing the party establishment’s fracture with far-left candidates and pivoted to attacking Trump’s economic and foreign policies.

“I serve in the United States Senate and I could go through my colleagues, left and right,” Booker said. “What we want right now is to end these reckless tariffs and drive down prices, to end this war to drive down prices, to give a tax plan for this country that puts more money in working peoples’ pockets and ends the giveaways to the wealthiest of Americans.”

Political observers on X quickly seized on the response, claiming that Booker is too late in the push to try and distinguish the Democratic Party from its far-left fringe and the rise in socialist candidates in this year’s midterm elections.

“Oops,” radio show host Jason Rantz said simply of Booker’s comments to Welker.

“A day late and a dollar short,” said Trump Media & Technology Group communications adviser Katie Zacharia. “Senator Booker is trying to disassociate as the ‘Big Tent’ burns.”

She added that the senator should have condemned socialism outright, claiming the “Dem party [is] in disarray.”

SEE IT: DEM SENATORS RALLY BEHIND EL-SAYED BUT DUCK QUESTIONS ON PROGRESSIVE AGENDA

“I really wonder what the internals they showed those senators in DC said,” said author Carl Paulus, speculating that polling within the Democratic Party could suggest that the far left is dragging them down and causing sitting lawmakers to change their tune with just weeks until November’s election.

Booker was one of several senators who met with El-Sayed during a trip to Washington, D.C., last week.

After the meeting, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., El-Sayed’s campaign described the gathering as “warm.”

“We’re united in the fact that we have to win Michigan. Whatever our difference is, our agreement on the importance of winning Michigan to take back the Senate majority [is] overwhelming,” El-Sayed told MS NOW of the meeting.

“We had a warm meeting, good conversation, and I know that we left that conversation committed to doing what we need to do to take on different perspectives. And I also know that the things that bring us together are so much bigger than any of the disagreements that we have.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to Booker’s office and the El-Sayed campaign but did not hear back at time of publication.

Conservatives are pushing back after Rep. Ilhan Omar. D-Minn., introduced legislation that would redirect over $100 billion in funds previously allocated to immigration enforcement and “invest it into communities across the country that have been impacted by the Department of Homeland Security’s heinous operations.”

Omar explained in a press release Thursday that her Make ICE Pay Act is a response to “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota and that it would send nearly $140 billion of ICE and Border Patrol funding from Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act toward “local recovery efforts” from immigration enforcement that has taken place across the country.

Omar says the funding will be used by local jurisdictions to provide economic relief and distribute money through the states to nonprofits, small businesses and other impacted entities to support schools, healthcare and psychological services, increased local-government expenses, investigations and memorialization efforts. The program would be administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, overseen by its inspector general and expire three years after its creation.

“ICE has been tearing through our nation, devastating our neighborhoods, our cities, and our businesses,” Omar posted on X about the legislation. “Our communities deserve accountability. My Make ICE Pay Act will redirect ICE’s $140 billion budget to the communities they’ve hurt the most.”

MINNESOTA’S ANTI-ICE AID FUND BECOMES LATEST CASUALTY OF STATE’S EMBARRASSING FRAUD PROBLEM

While the bill’s future is bleak as long as Republicans control Congress and the White House, it was quickly blasted by conservatives as emblematic of an ideology that places more of an emphasis on protecting illegal immigrants than it does enforcing immigration law.

“This bill is un-American,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., posted on X. “This bill defunds law enforcement and gives their funding to the communities harboring criminal illegal aliens. Democrats fight for everyone except the American people.”

OMAR’S GOP CHALLENGER COMES OUT FIRING WITH VOW TO CLEAN UP ‘MESS’ IN DEEP BLUE DISTRICT: ‘PEOPLE ARE FED UP’

“The definition of America last,” conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok posted on X. “Denaturalize and deport.”

“Defund ICE. Weaken the border. Then expect safer communities? That math isn’t mathing,” Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Her entire existence is on crippling the United States,” Republican John Nagel, running against Omar in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District this November, posted on X. “She is anti-police and pro communism.”

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

White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed to Fox News last week that the Department of Homeland Security is looking into allegations involving Omar, but would not disclose details about what he described as an “ongoing criminal investigation.”

Pressed on whether the federal government has evidence that Omar committed immigration or naturalization fraud, Homan declined to comment.

When subsequently asked directly whether he was confirming an investigation involving Omar, Homan replied, “I’m confirming that ICE is, yeah — look, I said months ago that there’s something that’s been reported and needs to be looked at.”

Omar has long been dogged by allegations that she married a man that critics allege is her brother as part of an immigration scheme. Omar has repeatedly denied the allegation, and the claim has not been proven in public records. In December, she dismissed the claims as “bigoted lies,” writing on social media that Trump was obsessed with her.

Fox News Digital’s Max Bacall contributed to this report

With the U.S. national debt soaring above $40 trillion and the federal government engaging in massive deficit spending, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. — a fiscal hawk who says the situation is “out of control” and “both parties have failed us” — does not support President Donald Trump’s proposal to dole out $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans win both chambers of Congress during the midterms.

The president floated the idea during a speech earlier this month at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, calling it “the Trump dividend.”

Asked about the president’s proposal during an interview on Thursday, Paul told Fox News Digital that he is not in favor of giving away “dividends when there’s a deficit.”

“We’re running $2 trillion dollars short,” he said, noting that he “can’t imagine giving out money when you’re running a deficit.”

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

RAND PAUL CLASHES WITH FELLOW REPUBLICAN OVER AI ‘KILL SWITCH’ AS SENATE GRAPPLES WITH ‘TERMINATOR’ FEARS

America’s soaring national debt has surpassed the staggering sum of $40 trillion and shows no signs of stopping.

“And so, the debt is very important. So it’s not just important that it might bankrupt us or overwhelm us in some kinda crisis in the future,” Paul said, acknowledging that as “a possibility. But every day you’re being hurt by it because it’s stealing the value” of people’s earnings, he indicated.

“So it is literally out of control,” Paul said. “And really both parties have failed us because both parties are afraid to tell the American public that some things they like from government would have to be reduced when we cut costs.”

Paul has a plan that he says would balance the budget through a series of spending cuts over five years.

GOP LAWMAKERS PUMP BRAKES ON TRUMP’S $5K CHECK PROMISE: ‘WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THE MONEY?’

“Now when I first introduced it, it was a 1% cut, or a one-penny plan, and you cut spending 1% a year for five years, and with economic growth increasing revenue, the lines cross at about five years,” balancing the budget, he explained. “Well, when COVID came along, both parties frankly started passin’ out money like drunken sailors and… the deficit ballooned. Now to balance the budget in five years it’s called the six-penny plan cuz it takes about a 6% cut. But it still shows you that we wouldn’t have to eliminate everything.”

While the cuts under his proposal would not apply to Social Security, they would apply to Medicare, he indicated, though he suggested it could be possible “to cut Medicare 6% without cutting any health benefits,” saying that he thinks there is a lot of “waste and fraud in” the program. He also suggested that additional means testing could be used to achieve the Medicare spending cuts.

Paul — who ran for president in 2016 but dropped out after placing fifth in the Iowa GOP presidential caucuses — is considering throwing his hat into the ring again.

“I’d say we’re 50-50,” he said. “I do think that there should be a candidate on the Republican side, at least, who believes that international trade is good for our country and good for the economy, that believes in free markets, that isn’t a big believer in big government coming in and managing contracts and owning parts of countries, that isn’t a believer in giving out money we don’t have.”

RAND PAUL SAYS HE’S ’50-50′ ON RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028, ‘THINKING ABOUT IT’

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Paul said he does not “want there to be a choice of four populists running for president,” noting that he wants there to be “at least one free-market candidate. I could be that, or maybe somebody else could be,” he said, indicating that he will decide after the midterm elections.