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The race for the next Republican Senate leader has the potential to further expose deepening divisions within the party as the conference looks to select a new head in November after the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky., steps down from his post. 

While the Republicans boast 49 seats in the Senate, they don’t all champion the same brand of conservatism. This has become more evident in the Trump era as the party’s positions and base shift. 

According to Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, former top spokesman to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference, more attention will likely be called to “the old guard versus the new populism that is growing quickly within the Senate GOP” during the leader fight. 

The battle is further poised “to draw Trump into the mix more often on high-profile national issues,” he said. 

CROWDED FIELD OF POTENTIAL MCCONNELL SUCCESSORS EMERGES IN SENATE

The Trump campaign did not comment when reached by Fox News Digital regarding the former president’s preference for leader. 

In his remarks on the Senate floor, McConnell cited “Father Time,” noting he wasn’t “the young man sitting in the back” anymore. He explained it was time for “the next generation of leadership.”

He further expressed his “full confidence” in the Republican conference to choose a successor.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced his bid for leader the day after McConnell’s announcement on the Senate floor, telling colleagues in a statement he was asking them “to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell.” 

POLICE LIEUTENANT ATTACKED BY MIGRANTS IN TIMES SQUARE INVITED TO BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION

Former Cornyn staffer and Republican strategist Brian Walsh said the race “will be a moment for all sides to make their voices heard.” However, he believes the competition will demonstrate exactly why the next leader “should have the experience and record to bring the different factions together and move forward with a unified agenda.” 

While Cornyn is the only senator to have formally entered the race, several others are understood to be eyeing the position and are actively consulting with their colleagues. 

A spokesperson for Senate Republican Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Senator Thune is reaching out to each of his colleagues directly to discuss the future of the Senate Republican Conference and what they would like to see in their next leader.”

Thune plans to continue talking to fellow senators in the days and weeks to come, “but he intends on keeping those conversations private,” the spokesperson said. 

BIDEN SIGNS STOPGAP FUNDING BILL, PUSHING SHUTDOWN DEADLINE ONE WEEK

Other senators believed to be considering their own bids are Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and senators Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Steve Daines, R-Mont. 

Barrasso recently told reporters he was focused on the general election, but said, “I’m going to talk to members of the conference, hear what they have to say [and] listen to them in terms of what direction that they want to take with us.”

As for Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he also said his focus was on the election. 

“It’s far too early to know where this lands, but whatever we see play out publicly is nothing compared to the intense inside game already underway,” Republican strategist and Capitol Hill veteran Zack Roday said. 

“The Senate is still the Senate, even if an increasing number of its members may operate like counterparts in the House.”

While some strategists suggested experience would win the leadership position, a few senators have indicated different qualities they want to see in McConnell’s successor. 

BOB MENENDEZ’S CORRUPTION CASE CO-DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO 7 COUNTS, COOPERATING WITH INVESTIGATORS

“Our next Senate GOP leader must be someone who understands that the real reason our party is changing so fast is because voters keep electing new leaders who want to end mass migration, bring jobs & factories back, get control of our debt & put America first ahead of anything and everyone else,” Sen. Marco Rubio R-Fla., wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 

Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said the leader needs to reflect a “new point of view” that says the U.S. can’t continue borrowing money at the current rate and giving the amount of aid it currently does to other countries. He added he wants to see a conference that doesn’t “vote for democratic legislation” and introduces “conservative ideas that are entrepreneurial.”

Scott poses the most potential to rile up the faction of Senate Republicans most unhappy with McConnell’s leadership. In 2022, he notably challenged McConnell’s long-running reign but ultimately failed to knock off the Kentucky Republican. At the time, Braun told reporters McConnell maintained 37 votes, with Scott peeling away 10 senators. One Republican also voted “present.” 

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a vocal member of the hardline faction, would welcome Scott’s leadership if the Florida Republican managed to get the conference on board, a staffer in the senator’s office conveyed to Fox News Digital.

HALEY SLAMS TRUMP FOR SENATE LOSSES, CALLS OUT GOP LAWMAKERS FOR COURTING HIM

“In recent years, congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have been given fits by the extreme wings of their parties, and a lot of that has to do with how closely divided the parties are in their control of the two chambers,” Grant Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University, explained.

“Every vote counts. If the race ends up calling the question of where in the party the energy and the center of power are, it could produce a clear winner but also lay bare the divisions within the party — which, for example, are indicated by the fact that former President Trump is getting just 60% of the primary vote.”

However, he said it’s also possible a moderate candidate could appeal in different ways to each faction, carrying that candidate to a win. But this person is certain to face “more headaches down the road” for it, the professor added. 

Nikki Haley on Friday received endorsements from two of the GOP’s most moderate senators in Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. 

Collins, who previously voted to convict then-President Trump in his impeachment trial in which he was acquitted, revealed Friday that she voted for Haley in Maine’s primary this week, calling her “extremely well-qualified.”

“She has the energy, intellect, and temperament that we need to lead our country in these very tumultuous times,” she said, according to the Bangor Daily News. 

On Friday, Murkowski also threw her support behind the former South Carolina governor, saying she was “proud” to endorse her. 

HALEY SLAMS TRUMP FOR SENATE LOSSES, CALLS OUT GOP LAWMAKERS FOR COURTING HIM

Collins and Murkowski are the only senators to endorse Haley as the rest of the party has coalesced behind Trump, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, from Haley’s home state. 

“We need a president who sees Americans as one American family, and that’s why I came to the very warm state of New Hampshire to endorse the next president of the United States, President Donald Trump,” Scott said in January. 

Haley has yet to win a primary or caucus, having most recently lost South Carolina 39% to Trump’s 59%.

DC PRIMARY REPRESENTS HALEY’S BEST CHANCE YET TO BEAT TRUMP

Still, the 52-year-old has refused to drop out of the race, insisting Republicans need another option besides Trump.

She also claimed last week that Trump would not be able to beat President Biden in the general election.  

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“Donald Trump will not win the general election. You can have him win any primary you want, he will not win a general election,” she told CNN last Friday. “We will have a female President of the United States: It will either be me or it will be Kamala Harris. But if Donald Trump is the nominee, you can mark my words, he will not win a general election.”

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., has ruled that some criminal defendants who were charged in connection with the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, had their sentences improperly increased.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday that defendant Larry Brock’s sentence improperly included charges of “interference with the administration of justice.” According to Circuit Judge Millett, who wrote the court’s opinion, interference with Congress’ certification of the electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election does not apply to a sentence enhancement.

“Brock challenges both the district court’s interpretation of Section 1512(c)(2)’s elements and the sufficiency of the evidence to support that conviction. He also challenges the district court’s application of the three-level sentencing enhancement for interfering with the ‘administration of justice.’”

The appeals court affirmed Brock’s conviction but disagreed on the sentencing, saying: “As for Brock’s sentence, we hold that the ‘administration of justice’ enhancement does not apply to interference with the legislative process of certifying electoral votes.”

AIR FORCE VET SEEN IN CAPITOL WITH ZIP TIES INTENDED ‘TO TAKE HOSTAGES,’ PROSECUTOR SAYS

Other aspects of Larry Brock’s conviction were upheld but the appeals court said it would “vacate Brock’s sentence” and remanded the district court to resentence the single “interference” charge.

Other January 6 defendants received longer sentences because of the same charge, which could throw their respective sentences into question.

“Larry Brock participated in the violent January 6th riot at the United States Capitol that forced the evacuation of members of Congress and their staff and prevented Congress’s certification of the 2020 presidential election until the next day. After a bench trial, the court convicted Brock of six crimes, including corruptly obstructing Congress’s certification of the electoral count under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2),” Judge Millet wrote. “At sentencing, the district court applied a three level sentencing enhancement to Brock’s Section 1512(c)(2) conviction on the ground that Brock’s conduct resulted in ‘substantial interference with the administration of justice.’”

TRUMP SAYS FILES DELETED BY JAN 6 COMMITTEE ‘EXONERATED ME COMPLETELY’

Brock was initially arrested and charged on January 6, 2021, on just two charges: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

The “interference” charge was added at a later date.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, D.C., Brock was charged after he attended then-President Trump’s “Stop the Steal Rally” on the morning of January 6th.

He then marched with others to the U.S. Capitol, entering the building at approximately 2:24 p.m.

HOUSE JAN. 6 COMMITTEE DELETED MORE THAN 100 ENCRYPTED FILES DAYS BEFORE GOP TOOK MAJORITY: SOURCES

“When he arrived, Brock ascended the Upper West Terrace and entered the building through the door to the Senate Wing. After exiting, he attempted to open a set of secured doors marked ‘U.S. Senate’ with an unidentified set of keys,” the attorney’s office said in 2021.

It continued: “Brock ultimately reached the Senate floor, where he spent approximately eight minutes walking around and looking at paperwork on desks. During this time, Brock told others not to sit in the Vice President’s chair or to be disrespectful, explaining that the rioters could not afford to ‘lose the IO war.’”

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Brock left the Capitol at 3:02 p.m.

“On his way out, he deescalated an altercation between another rioter and Capitol Police officers and guided the rioter out of the Capitol. In total, Brock spent approximately 38 minutes inside the building,” the attorney’s office said.

A Georgia state judge heard closing arguments Friday on allegations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade benefited her financially and should disqualify her from the case against former President Donald Trump. 

Willis and her office are leading the sweeping racketeering cases against the former president and 18 co-defendants. Several co-defendants, including Michael Roman, earlier this year accused Willis of hiring Wade while they were romantically involved and that she benefited from his government salary through lavish vacations they took together. 

Willis and Wade have both denied the allegations and have claimed their romantic involvement started after Wade was hired in 2021. Willis claimed in court testimony that she would always reimburse Wade for her portion of their shared travels in cash. There are no receipts for those reimbursements, and one witness claimed their relationship started as early as 2019. 

John Merchant, attorney for Roman, argued Friday that Georgia law is clear in that the judge should use the legal standard of an “appearance” of conflict being enough to disqualify Willis, and said that Wade was “part of the scheme she created intentionally in order to give benefits to her boyfriend.”

Attorney Adam Abbate conversely argued that the legal standard for disqualification is an actual conflict. Fani Willis was present in the courtroom for a time during the state’s presentation.

FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT TIMING OF AFFAIR WITH TRUMP PROSECUTOR

Abbate argued against the accusation that Willis hired Wade for financial benefit, because she had asked the court for an expedited trial, meaning that the earlier the trial is scheduled for, the less time she has to reap financial benefits. 

He also argued that if Willis had a “scheme” to hire a prosecutor so that she could benefit financially, then it would have to be assumed she was also dating other candidates she considered for the job.

“[Y]ou’d have to believe that she was also dating Roy Barnes, the former governor, and Gabe Banks, in addition to Mr. Wade, if she has this grand plan scheme in order to profit off of the prosecution of this, because that’s what they’re saying,” Abbate said. 

“Or they’re saying that she telepathically or prophetically was able to know that Mr. Barnes and Mr. Banks would turn down the position so she could then hire Mr. Wade. It’s ridiculous,” he added.

Steve Sadow, attorney for Trump, argued that Wills’ remarks in a church earlier this month insinuating the affair allegations were race-based were a “calculated determination” to “prejudice the defendants and their counsel.”

Each side had 90 minutes to present their case to the judge.

At the conclusion of the hearing, McAfee said he would consider all the arguments and issue a decision in the matter in the next two weeks. 

Harry Macdouagled, attorney for co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, stated that the Willis controversy put “an irreparable stain on the case.”

“Think of the message that would be sent if they were not disqualified. If this is tolerated, we’ll get more of it. This office is a global laughingstock because of their conduct. They should be disqualified, and the case should be dismissed,” he said.

Before closing arguments began Friday, Judge Scott McAfee considered whether newly revealed text message data — allegedly showing that Wade visited Willis’ private home at least 35 times before he was hired — should be admissible as evidence. 

Wade testified last month that he did not visit Willis’ condo more than 10 times before being hired in November 2021. Willis and Wade maintain that their relationship began in early 2022.

Cellphone data seems to show that Wade twice traveled to Willis’ apartment late at night without leaving until the next morning. 

Wade and Willis have both testified that they did not sleep together at Willis’ condo in Haperville.

KEY WITNESS IN FANI WILLIS CASE TESTIFIES HE MAY HAVE LIED IN TEXTS ABOUT FRIENDS’ AFFAIR

The defense is trying to prove the existence and extent of any financial benefit to Willis from Wade from their relationship, which is the crux of their argument that Willis should be disqualified. 

Earlier this week, former law firm partner and divorce attorney Terrence Bradley testified under oath regarding what he knew about Willis and Wade’s personal relationship. Bradley took the stand after McAfee determined Bradley could not claim attorney-client privilege.

Bradley, when pressed under oath, said he could not recall several details and timelines about conversations he had with former client Wade about Wade’s romantic relationship with Willis.

Bradley said he could not recall key details or specific information more than two dozen times in the roughly two-hour testimony in Fulton County Superior Court on Tuesday. He also said he had only ever discussed Wade’s relationship with Willis once with Wade.

Earlier this month, Willis’ father, John C. Floyd III, took the stand and confirmed what Willis testified to, that her father taught her to keep large amounts of cash on hand at all times. She said it was from these funds that she reimbursed Wade for luxury trips, which is why she had no record of the payments.

Floyd also said he did not meet Wade until 2023 and that he was unaware his daughter had a romantic relationship with Wade until about seven weeks ago, when allegations of Willis’ impropriety were first made in court filings.

TEXT MESSAGES SHOW TIMELINE OF EVENTS TO DISQUALIFY FANI WILLIS, TRUMP CAMP ASSERTS

Michael Roman, a GOP political operative and co-defendant in the Trump case, first alleged that Willis had a conflict of interest in the case because she benefited financially from hiring her lover. Four co-defendants have made similar accusations.

The defense, led by John Merchant, is also trying to prove Willis and Wade were romantically involved prior to Wade’s employment in the DA’s office.

Robin Yeartie, a former “good friend” of Willis and past employee at the DA’s office, testified she had “no doubt” Willis and Wade’s relationship started in 2019, after the two met at a conference. 

Willis dismissed Yeartie’s testimony and said she no longer considers Yeartie a friend.

The highlight of the two-day proceeding was Willis’ own — and unexpected — testimony, which was described by one expert as “belligerent.”

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She verbally sparred with lawyers for hours, at one point prompting the judge to threaten to strike her testimony. She also raised eyebrows by appearing to wear her dress backward. She did not return to the witness stand the following day. 

McAfee said at the start of the proceedings this month that it’s “clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one.”

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo and Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley blamed former President Trump Friday for recent Republican losses in critical electoral races, including those for seats in the Senate, while expressing hope the GOP’s new leader in the upper chamber is focused on setting a tone rather than courting Trump. 

“You’re seeing the wave of what Congress thinks they need to do to win,” Haley told reporters during a briefing at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood.

Haley was likely referencing Trump’s dominance over the House and Senate relative to endorsements and influence. 

But Haley suggested lawmakers who cater to the former president are misguided because Republicans have lost pivotal matchups since his presidency. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS KEEP HOPE FOR MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT ALIVE

“All of these losses happened after Donald Trump became president in 2016,” she said, noting gubernatorial, federal and statewide losses in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. 

Haley claimed the only reason Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., was elected in 2021 was because “he distanced himself” from Trump. 

Youngkin’s political team declined to comment to Fox News Digital. 

“It’s not an accurate statement,” according to Zack Roday, a former Youngkin adviser and partner at Ascent Media.

DC PRIMARY REPRESENTS HALEY’S BEST CHANCE YET TO BEAT TRUMP

“Glenn Youngkin won because he built a movement and coalition of Republicans, independents and even Democrats who wanted a new direction for Virginia.” 

Despite the losses, Haley claimed members of the House and Senate are now “falling all over themselves to show that they’re more Trump than everybody else.” 

Haley weighed in on what the next Senate Republican leader should bring to the table after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s surprise announcement Wednesday that he’s stepping down. She didn’t suggest any specific senators for the role but explained she wants a leader focused on the people and “not rewarding people for peacocking on TV.”

“I want to see somebody inspirational. I want to see somebody that says, ‘You know what, we can do things differently,'” Haley said. “My hope is that we will. But we’ll have to see.”

Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital the campaign’s focus is now on Biden and the general election.

“Republican voters have delivered resounding wins for President Trump in every single primary contest, and this race is over,” she said. 

SHIRTLESS GOP US SENATE CANDIDATE TAKES COLD PLUNGE IN WISCONSIN LAKE, CHALLENGES DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT

So far, only Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has announced a bid for the leadership position in the Republican conference. But several other senators are rumored to be considering their own bids for the coveted role. Senators John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; John Thune, R-S.D.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Steve Daines, R-Mont.; and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., have all also been suggested as potential successors to McConnell. 

President Biden appeared to mix up Ukraine and Gaza while talking about the war-torn regions in a bilateral Oval Office meeting with Italy’s prime minister Friday. 

“Today, I also, we’re going to discuss the Middle East and yesterday’s tragic and alarming event in north Gaza, trying to get humanitarian in there and the loss of life is heartbreaking,” the president said, referring to the dozens killed there Thursday, when humanitarian aid trucks came under fire. He had previously mentioned passing legislation in support of Ukraine.

He continued on Gaza, “People are so desperate that innocent people got caught in a terrible war to feed their families. And you saw the response when they tried to get aid. And we need to do more. And the United States will do more in the coming days. We’re going to join with our friends in Jordan and others in providing airdrops of, additional food and supplies into Ukraine and, seek to continue to open up other avenues in the Ukraine, including the possibility of a marine corridor, deliver large amounts of humanitarian assistance in addition to expanding deliveries by land.”

ABC NEWS MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT WON’T SAY IF BIDEN PHYSICALLY UP TO THE JOB: ‘I’M NOT HIS PHYSICIAN’

He added that the U.S. would “insist that Israel facilitate more trucks and more routes to get more and more people the help they need. No excuses. The truth is, aid flowing to Gaza is nowhere nearly enough.” 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke briefly, and they didn’t take any questions from reporters in the room. 

The mix-up is Biden’s latest gaffe. Last month he appeared to confuse NATO with Ukraine while talking to reporters in Delaware, and he also mixed up the presidents of Mexico and Egypt earlier last month. 

BIDEN CONFUSES PRESIDENTS OF MEXICO AND EGYPT AFTER DEFENDING ‘FINE’ MEMORY: ‘HARD TO WATCH’

The 81-year-old’s mental fitness has been under scrutiny since Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on the president’s mishandling of classified documents last month said he had a “poor memory.” 

“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Hur wrote in the report, explaining that the president would not face any charges. 

Former President Trump, the Republican frontrunner, has also had his share of gaffes, most recently in January appearing to confuse opponent Nikki Haley for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

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

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s Happening? 

– Fani Willis’ disqualification hearing happening Friday afternoon…

– DC voters make their presidential primary pick…

– Harris’ shrinking role in migrant crisis

Where was the VP?

President Biden visited the southern border in Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday, and was joined by a number of top officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but Vice President Kamala Harris was not among them.

Biden spoke in Brownsville after meeting with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders. He urged Republicans to back a bipartisan Senate bill that he believes will help solve the raging crisis at the southern border.

“It’s real simple, it’s time to act, it is long past time to act,” the president said. “It’s time for us to move on this, we can’t wait any longer.”

But the vice president, who was tasked in 2021 with leading the diplomatic outreach to tackle the “root causes” of migration, was not there. 

A year ago, Harris announced an additional $950 million in response to the Call to Action, bringing in a total of more than $4.2 billion since May 2021. But since then, her public role only appears to have continually shrunk, even amid a historic year for illegal immigration, with more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in FY 23. FY 24 has been similarly overwhelming, with over 300,000 encounters in December.

Capitol Hill

‘TROUBLING ALLEGATIONS’: McCaul demands UNRWA chief testify in public House hearing over ‘troubling allegations’ of Hamas ties …Read more

READ IT: House Oversight releases James Biden’s deposition transcript as impeachment inquiry moves into ‘next phase’ …Read more

‘USUAL C–P’: GOP hardliners furious at Johnson for passing another short-term spending bill with Dems …Read more

BORDER BOOST: GOP lawmakers move to green-light states to stop illegal immigrants with temporary border walls …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

‘DESPERATE’: Dems, Biden mock RNC for fundraising drive that includes stark admission on DNC’s money advantage …Read more

MAKING NICE: Trump to attend Club for Growth retreat after rocky relationship …Read more

‘COHERENTLY LEAD’: Miami Mayor, former White House hopeful endorses Donald Trump for president …Read more

COLD PLUNGE: Shirtless GOP US Senate candidate takes cold plunge in Wisconsin lake, challenges Democratic opponent …Read more

JUMPING IN: Former GOP Congressman Justin Amash announces bid for Michigan US Senate seat …Read more

FIRST WIN?: DC primary represents Haley’s best chance yet to beat Trump …Read more

DONALD’S DOOM: Haley places blame on Trump for Senate losses, hopes new leader sets tone …Read more

Across America

‘IMPROPER’ AFFAIR: Georgia judge set to hear final arguments in affair allegations against Fani Willis …Read more

FELONY DESTRUCTION: Climate activists hit with felony charges for defacing US Constitution’s display …Read more

CHANGING WINDS: Appeals court rules some Jan 6 Capitol riot defendants were improperly sentenced over ‘interference’ …Read more

PRE FUNDED SAVINGS: California could send cash to residents with disabilities to be more ‘inclusive’ amid billion dollar deficit …Read more

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Former President Trump will attend Club for Growth’s annual economic retreat Friday evening as the group works to unite the Republican Party and put its full support behind the 2024 GOP frontrunner to “win back the White House and more” in November. 

The retreat is set to take place at The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. The annual event is expected to see attendance from 125 major donors. 

TRUMP WINS THE MICHIGAN GOP PRIMARY, BRINGING HIM ONE STEP CLOSER TO SECURING REPUBLICAN NOMINATION

“The entire conservative movement and Republican Party are coalescing around President Trump in order to beat Joe Biden and take back the White House,” a source close to Trump told Fox News Digital. 

Trump and the Club for Growth were at odds last year. A source familiar told Fox News Digital that the rift was due to “the issue of electability after the 2022 elections.” 

But the source told Fox News Digital that current polling shows “that isn’t a concern, and Trump is on track to beat Biden.” 

Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital Friday that the group and Trump “have accomplished a lot of work together.”

TRUMP ‘REALLY NOT THINKING ABOUT’ HALEY AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA VICTORY, SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON BEATING BIDEN

“From tax reform to deregulation, President Trump unleashed prosperity for all Americans,” he said, adding that the United States “stands at a crossroad.” 

“Inflation and interest rates are pricing middle-class families out of homeownership, and too many parents are having trouble putting food on the table,” he said. “Crime is destroying cities and seeping into the suburbs, and our public schools are spending more than ever and failing our kids.” 

McIntosh told Fox News Digital that “Joe Biden and the radical Progressives only make things worse — this is what woke looks like.” 

McIntosh said that 2024 is “the most important election of our time.” 

TRUMP SAYS SOUTH CAROLINA IS A ‘BIGGER WIN THAN WE ANTICIPATED,’ LOOKS FORWARD TO SAYING ‘JOE, YOU’RE FIRED’

“It’s time for Republicans to unite and put our differences aside,” he explained. “We need to work together to make sure Biden is a one-term president. We need to grow our majority in the House and reclaim the majority in the Senate. We need to restore the American Dream, and the only we can do that is by working together.” 

He added: “President Trump always says, ‘When Trump and the Club for Growth are together, we always win.’ And together we are going to win back the White House and more this November.” 

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Trump has dominated the early primaries, winning in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, South Carolina and Michigan. Trump will likely secure the GOP nomination by next week after the Super Tuesday primary contests. 

His sole opponent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, has vowed to stay in the race. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

FIRST ON FOX: Democrats are rubbing salt in the wound when it comes to their massive fundraising advantage over Republicans as the GOP attempts to use its money troubles to fire up would-be donors.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has started running digital ads admitting that it “can’t afford” to go toe-to-toe with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) as both parties move deeper into a crucial election year.

“Here’s the honest truth: things aren’t looking too good for Republicans. The Democrats are outraising us. They will be able to buy ads in markets we can’t afford, and they will OUTSPEND US. We are gearing up for the election of our lifetime,” the ad running on X says.

BALLOT HARVESTING, POLL WATCHERS AND MORE: LARA TRUMP REVEALS HER PLAN TO TURBOCHARGE RNC

The ad has drawn the attention of the DNC, which told Fox News Digital on Friday it was evidence of how “desperate” the RNC is.

“In response to RNC’s dire financial situation, the RNC released the following statement on behalf of the DNC: ‘Here’s the honest truth: things aren’t looking too good for Republicans. The Democrats are outraising us. They will be able to buy ads in markets we can’t afford, and they will OUTSPEND US.’ We agree,” a DNC spokesperson quipped, using the RNC’s own words.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the RNC for comment.

MIAMI MAYOR, FORMER WHITE HOUSE HOPEFUL FRANCIS SUAREZ ENDORSES DONALD TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT

Last month, Fox News Digital was the first to report on Democrats’ vast fundraising advantage over their Republican counterparts, who began the election year facing a shortage of cash and party disarray in crucial swing states.

According to year-end reports filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Democratic National Committee (DNC) began the year with nearly three times the cash on hand reported by the Republican National Committee (RNC), and brought in nearly three times as much fundraising in the final month of 2023.

The RNC reported its worst fundraising year since 2013, raising just $87.2 million in 2023, and starting 2024 with just over $8 million in cash on hand. If adjusted for inflation, the RNC’s fundraising was last this low in 1993 — before the 2002 McCain Feingold Act restricted political committee fundraising from corporations and capped donations from individuals.

NIKKI HALEY BETS IT ALL ON SUPER TUESDAY AFTER DISMAL PRIMARY NIGHT DOWN SOUTH

The DNC reported $120 million raised in 2023, and a record $21 million in cash on hand, marking a massive $13 million gap between the two committees. It also reported raising $14.7 million in December to the RNC’s $5.3 million.

Although the RNC brought in more direct contributions than the DNC throughout the year, the latter enjoys a joint fundraising agreement with incumbent President Biden’s re-election campaign, as well as its other joint fundraising committees. The DNC overall outraised the RNC — which does not have a joint fundraising agreement with a sitting president — for much of the period. National committees of either party often see a decline in fundraising during election cycles against an incumbent president of the opposite party.

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RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel is expected to formally resign her position after the March 5 Super Tuesday primaries, weeks after former President Trump asked her to step down.

Trump endorsed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to be co-chair alongside North Carolina GOP chair Michael Whatley as chairman.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

I asked a learned lawmaker a few years ago about what they thought would happen to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Former President Trump was in office and starting to take digs at the Kentucky Republican. McConnell was then the Majority Leader. Trump began lobbing verbal brickbats at McConnell, imploring him to shred the legislative filibuster in the Senate.

The lawmaker knew McConnell well. But doubted that Trump could lay a hand on McConnell.

“Mitch craves power,” said the lawmaker. “He’ll never leave. They’ll have to take him out of here in a pine box.”

Addison Mitchell McConnell isn’t leaving the Senate. Yet. The prophesy from the political soothsayer may yet come true. McConnell plans to remain in the Senate through at least January, 2027 — the end of his term.

CROWDED FIELD OF POTENTIAL MCCONNELL SUCCESSORS EMERGES IN SENATE

Anyone who aspires to a senior Congressional leadership position certainly craves power to some degree.

But political power is mutable. Protean. It fluctuates. And those who have power today are certainly not guaranteed to wield it tomorrow.

Especially on Capitol Hill.

It’s not known where McConnell stands on the congressional scale measuring the quest for power in Washington. McConnell procured power as the longest-serving Senate leader of either party, besting stalwarts like late Senate Majority Leaders Mike Mansfield, D-Mont., Joseph Robinson, D-Ark., Robert Byrd, D-W.V., and Alben Barkley, D-Ky.

But like the others, McConnell had only power — not superpowers.

And everyone lacks power over maintaining power.

MITCH MCCONNELL STEPPING DOWN AS REPUBLICAN LEADER

“I turned 82 last week. The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer,” said McConnell. “Father Time remains undefeated.”

It wasn’t so much that time caught up to McConnell. It’s just that so much time passed. That made it more challenging to preserve that power. Factors began multiplying. All working against McConnell.

Time and age began toiling against McConnell. There was his health. A bad fall last year kept McConnell out of the Senate for six weeks. McConnell then suffered several episodes where he froze in public – seemingly unable to speak.

Whispers began around the Senate corridors that McConnell’s time as Republican Leader was nearly up — even though McConnell secretly decided he would step aside from his post at the end of this Congress.

Former President Trump resumed his verbal assaults on McConnell, pushing for a new GOP Leader — especially if the former President returns to the White House.

But the rhetorical cartridge shells from the former president weren’t what drove McConnell out. They were a symptom. The Republican Party shifted over time. As the grains of sand slipped through the hourglass, so did the granules of McConnell’s power. Slowly. Methodically. But, surely.

McConnell said he arrived on Capitol Hill at the beginning of President Ronald Reagan’s second term. Unfamiliar with the new senator from the Bluegrass State, McConnell said the Gipper called him Mitch “O’Donnell.” Now McConnell departs with former President Trump calling him an “Old Crow.”

McConnell embraced the avian moniker. Like McConnell, Henry Clay is one of Kentucky’s other great statesmen, formerly a House speaker and senator. And as McConnell likes to tell it, Old Crow was Clay’s favorite bourbon. So McConnell said he was honored that Trump would liken him to Clay.

But a new “MAGA” breed of senator arrived on Capitol Hill in recent years. Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Rand Paul, R-Ky., Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., Rick Scott, R-Fla., JD Vance, R-Ohio and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. They’re not aligned with McConnell. In fact, a senior Senate Republican leadership source told Fox that some GOP senators are tired of what’s called the “MAGA show” at the weekly party conference lunches each Tuesday.

SEN. JOHN CORNYN DECLARES CANDIDACY FOR MINORITY LEADER AFTER MCCONNELL STEPS DOWN

And therein lies the problem for McConnell as his power eroded.

Like all things on Capitol Hill, it’s about the math.

There was no better metric in recent years to measure McConnell’s dwindling power than the exercise over the international aid package, which then became the international aid package with a border security plan. And then reverted back to an international aid bill.

McConnell wanted to advance the foreign money program — especially for Ukraine. But McConnell calculated that a robust border security package would sweeten the plan and satisfy members of his conference. That turned out to be a misjudgment. Support for a border plan diluted. And the bill went back to just international security.

McConnell hoped to get a majority of Republican senators to support the final product. That would be 25 out of 49 Republican senators. McConnell scored 22.

That’s not because McConnell stumbled. It’s because the Republican Party moved from where it would have been a few years ago. The political tectonic plates shifted. And the vote on the international aid bill served as a barometer reading of McConnell’s power.

McConnell grasped the political transference. His power may be dissipating. McConnel’s greatest power was his understanding of power. That never left him.

“Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time,” said McConnell on the Senate floor. “I have many faults, misunderstanding  politics is not one of them.”

Who will succeed McConnell?

It is almost too early to divine where another power center will emerge to dictate who might succeed McConnell as the Senate’s top Republican. That political universe doesn’t even exist yet. Yes, for now, look at the three Johns: Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., former Whip John Cornyn, R-Tex., and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo. Even someone like Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., could be in play. A source tells Fox that Cotton is interested in a race.

But we don’t understand much else.

We must first know who wins the presidential election. And if 2024 is anything like 2020, that might take a while. A delay in figuring out the winner could postpone the internal secret leadership election which Senate Republicans will take in mid to late November. But the winner of the presidential election will define who the GOP wants – especially if former President Trump prevails and has something to say about it.

Another factor: which party has control of the Senate — and by how many seats. Keep in mind we didn’t know which party would control the Senate after the 2020 election until January of 2021.

This is why other figures may emerge. Especially dark horses.

As I have written before, leadership elections in Congress are not “partisan politics” They are “particle politics.” Factors which determine who is propelled into leadership are decided at the subatomic political level. Thus, it is hard to see who might prevail. Consider how former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, won in an upset to become House Majority Leader in 2006. Or how former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., got his job — despite saying he wasn’t interested. And who could have predicted what was in store for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., say back in September?

A dark horse could emerge.

Imagine Republicans prevail with a substantial majority in November. In that case, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., may be a possibility. Daines leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the GOP’s campaign arm. Daines has made many of the right moves so far in pending political contests. If Republicans win the Senate by a good margin, some members (especially the new ones), might give Daines a look.

It will be someone’s time this fall. We just don’t know who.

It has been McConnell’s time for more than 17 years on Capitol Hill.

And now it’s not.

Father Time is undefeated.

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And power is elusive. Always deteriorating.

Political leaders are powerful. But powerless over their power.

A top House Republican lawmaker is changing his mind about retirement after urging from former President Donald Trump.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., said on Thursday that he is reversing course on his decision to not run for a fourth term.

“While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider,” Green said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all.”

TRUMP WINS THE MICHIGAN GOP PRIMARY, BRINGING HIM ONE STEP CLOSER TO SECURING REPUBLICAN NOMINATION

His announcement came shortly after Trump urged Green to reconsider in a post on his Truth Social account. The former president said he would endorse Green if he ran.

“Mark Green has had lots of options because of his political talents, and the great job he has done as a Congressman, but given the fantastic work he’s doing as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I hope he runs for Re-Election to the U.S. House of Representatives. If he does, he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump wrote.

In addition to running for his own re-election, Trump is throwing his influence into House and Senate races across the country with various endorsements and behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

TRUMP HOLDS LARGE DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER HALEY AHEAD OF CRUCIAL SHOWDOWN

He met recently with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm.

Their sit-down at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier this month primarily involved discussions about the 2024 election cycle and how to keep and expand Johnson’s razor-thin two-seat House majority.

As chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Green has played a leading role in the House’s impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

He told Fox News Digital last week that his role has been “challenging, rewarding and meaningful.”

USER’S MANUAL TO WHAT’S NEXT NOW THAT THE HOUSE IMPEACHED MAYORKAS

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“I am unbelievably proud of and grateful for the other Republican Committee members as well as the staff of the Homeland Security Committee,” Green said at the time.

“I will never forget the hard work and long hours they put in to respond to an unprecedented and self-inflicted border crisis by holding Secretary Mayorkas accountable and passing H.R. 2.”

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans have introduced legislation that would allow states to secure the border by constructing temporary border barriers along the southern and northern borders to stop the entry of illegal immigrants.

Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., is introducing the CONTAINER Act in the House – a bill that aims to give states the authority to build temporary barriers on federal land in an effort to stop illegal immigrants and drugs like fentanyl from entering into their states via the U.S.-Mexico border.

The bill is in response to legal battles that hit both Arizona and Texas over their efforts to secure the border with new barriers after border wall construction largely stopped when President Donald Trump left office.

BIDEN, DURING VISIT TO OVERWHELMED BORDER, URGES REPUBLICANS TO BACK SENATE BILL: ‘TIME TO ACT’

In 2022, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, set up hundreds of double-stacked shipping containers across the border in an effort to stop illegal immigrants as numbers rose in his state. In 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott installed wrecking-ball-sized buoys and razor wire along the Rio Grande as part of his Operation Lone Star.

Arizona’s barrier has since been removed. In December, a judge ordered Texas to remove its buoys in the Rio Grande, and a court battle between Texas and the Biden administration is ongoing after Texas sued the federal government for cutting the wire.

“Not only has the Biden Administration failed to enforce our laws and secure our border, but they have also barred border states from executing more robust border security measures,” Rouzer said in a statement. “No community is immune to the drugs, sex trafficking and crime these policies are incentivizing while enriching the cartels. This bill will give border states the explicit ability to erect physical barriers to protect not only their citizens, but all of America, from President Biden’s catastrophic open-border policies.” 

Co-sponsors on the bill include House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R–Texas, and Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas.

7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES

“States like my home in Texas have the right to secure their borders when the White House refuses to do so,” Pfluger said.

Companion legislation was previously introduced in the Senate by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who said last month that “it’s clear Congress must act to give border states the explicit authority to protect their communities and the sovereignty of the United States.”

WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES

Republicans have repeatedly called for border barrier construction as one of the ways to help secure the southern border. The House Republican border legislation, which passed the chamber last year, would restart border wall construction. However, it has not yet been taken up in the upper chamber.

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The Biden administration has largely ended border wall construction, calling it ineffective. Some construction has continued where money has already been appropriated by Congress in previous fiscal years. It has also called for Republicans to back a bipartisan Senate border bill that does include some funding for border wall construction. But conservatives have warned that the legislation would normalize already-high levels of illegal immigration.

Miami Mayor and former Republican presidential candidate Francis Suarez announced Friday his endorsement of former President Donald Trump for re-election this year.

In an early morning post on X, Suarez, who leads one of the biggest cities in the U.S. with one of the most concentrated populations of Hispanic Americans, vowed to help boost Trump and the Republican Party with Latino, young and urban voters.

“After seeing both our current President and President Trump at the border, and having been there myself last week, it is evident to me that the only candidate that will keep our country safe, our border secured, reduce inflation and can coherently lead our country forward is President Donald J. Trump,” Suarez wrote.

WATCH: BORDER PATROL UNION CHIEF EXPLODES ON BIDEN IN FIERY PRESS CONFERENCE, SAYS AGENTS ‘P—-D’ AT POLICIES

“For those reasons, I am endorsing President Trump today. I look forward to helping him campaign on his strong record and contrast it with the current administration’s. I especially look forward to helping President Trump and the Republican Party win a larger share of Hispanic, young voters and voters across our cities and urban centers,” he added.

Suarez’s endorsement comes on the heels of polling showing the Democrat Party losing support from Hispanic voters, including in a Gallup poll released last month that found Republicans only trailing with the community by 12 points, the lowest since 2011.

That same poll also found younger voters supporting Democrats at their lowest level in almost two decades.

JD VANCE MAKES CHOICE IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE AS GOP CONTROL HANGS IN THE BALANCE

According to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released in January, Biden’s support among Hispanic voters had fallen to 34% from 59%.

Suarez’s endorsement also comes a day after Trump and President Biden held dueling events at the southern border, although the latter was rebuked for choosing to visit Brownsville, Texas, an area much less affected by the spiraling migrant crisis than Eagle Pass, Texas, where the former visited.

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Suarez launched his presidential campaign in June of last year, but was the first candidate to leave the race in August when he failed to gain traction among voters and donors, and did not qualify for the first presidential debate.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

• Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who left the GOP in 2019 over Trump impeachment, announced a Republican bid for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat.
• Amash, representing Grand Rapids from 2011 to 2021, joins Mike Rogers, Peter Meijer and businessman Sandy Pensler in the Republican field.
• Amash appears to have come back to the party but said in his announcement that he is “independent-minded.”

Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who left the GOP in 2019 after calling for the impeachment of then-President Donald Trump, announced a Republican bid for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat Thursday.

Amash represented Grand Rapids from 2011 to 2021, and he becomes the third former U.S. representative to join the Republican field vying for Michigan’s open Senate seat. Former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer have also announced Republican campaigns, as has businessman Sandy Pensler.

“I’m convinced that no candidate would be better positioned to win both the Republican primary and the general election,” Amash said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “That’s why, today, I’m making it official: I’m joining the race for United States Senate in Michigan.”

FORMER GOP CONGRESSMAN JUSTIN AMASH EXPLORES JOINING CROWDED MICHIGAN SENATE FIELD

The decision to jump into the Republican primary comes after Amash left the party to become an independent. He had been the lone House Republican to support a Trump impeachment inquiry in 2019.

He opted not to seek reelection to Congress after his fifth term and to instead pursue a Libertarian nomination for president. At the time, Amash said that millions of Americans do not feel well represented by either major political party.

Amash seems to have come back to the party, but he promised in his announcement to be “an independent-minded senator prepared to challenge anyone and everyone on the people’s behalf,” if elected.

Amash, whose father is Palestinian and his mother Syrian, was the first Palestinian American lawmaker to serve in the U.S. Congress. Earlier this year, Amash said on social media that several relatives were killed when an Israeli airstrike struck a church in Gaza City.

Michigan’s U.S. Senate race is expected to be the lone competitive open seat in the country this year. Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced last January that she would not seek reelection after having served in the upper chamber since 2001.

On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is considered the favorite to win the nomination and has dominated other candidates in fundraising — bringing in $11.7 million between her campaign launch in February 2023 and the end of that year.

Rogers, who served seven terms in the U.S. House, has led all Republicans in fundraising. The Republican race is expected to be highly competitive, with Meijer and Pensler each having the ability to at least partially self-fund their campaigns. Former Detroit police Chief James Craig dropped his Republican bid earlier this month.

FORMER REP. JUSTIN AMASH SAYS FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN GAZA CHURCH AFTER ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE

Amash and Meijer — who are both from Grand Rapids — will each face the difficult task of overcoming past support for impeachments of Trump. Meijer was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 after the deadly mob siege of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump wields significant influence over Republicans in Michigan, and his endorsement for the U.S. Senate seat has the potential to dramatically impact the outcome of the race.

The GOP has not won a Michigan U.S. Senate race since 1994.

Defending the Michigan seat could prove crucial for Democrats in their effort to maintain the Senate, where the party holds a 51-49 majority and also faces tough headwinds as they defend seats in Republican-leaning states from West Virginia to Montana and Ohio.

Republican voters in Washington D.C. will be the next to decide on whom the party wants at the top of this year’s presidential ticket, with the nation’s capital presenting former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley her best chace at a primary victory yet.

Washington D.C.’s primary will take place over three days this weekend, with polls opening on Friday and not closing until Sunday evening. The City’s 19 delegates will be up for grabs in the contest, with all 19 being awarded to the candidate who secures over 50% of the vote or being awarded proportionally if no candidate crosses the 50% threshold. Candidates with less than 15% of the vote will be ineligible to receive delegates.

The nation’s capital, which is one of the most heavily Democratic cities in the entire country, represents a challenge for former President Donald Trump in his bid to remain undefeated in the GOP primary. 

TRUMP WINS THE MICHIGAN GOP PRIMARY, BRINGING HIM ONE STEP CLOSER TO SECURING REPUBLICAN NOMINATION

The former president won the district in 2020 in an uncontested race, according to the Associated Press, but came in a distant third behind Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the 2016 primary.

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the Trump campaign downplayed the importance of the upcoming primary contests.

“Republican voters have delivered resounding wins for President Trump in every single primary contest and this race is over,” a spokesperson for the campaign said. “Our focus is now on Joe Biden and the general election.”

Trump has so far steamrolled his way to obvious frontrunner status in the primary season, coming out on top in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the Virgin Islands, South Carolina and Michigan. Haley, meanwhile, remains the only contender in the GOP field to challenge the former president, vowing to stay in the race despite the recent loss in her home state of South Carolina.

MICHIGAN PRIMARY PUTS MAJOR BATTLEGROUND STATE IN PLAY FOR 2024

The nation’s capital holds one of the more unique primaries on the calendar, with voting opening Friday morning and not closing until Sunday at 7 p.m. Early voting and absentee voting are not allowed, while results are not released live and instead announced by the district’s party officials roughly an hour after the polls close, according to the Associated Press.

The primary comes just days before Super Tuesday, when 15 states will hold GOP contests and put 865 delegates up for grabs. 

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Trump currently holds a commanding lead in the GOP primary, while President Biden holds an equally strong grip on the Democratic side, making it all but assured the two candidates square off for a rematch of the 2020 campaign.

A top House Republican lawmaker is preparing a legislative maneuver that could bring Ukraine aid to the House floor for a vote if Republicans can’t come to agreement among themselves on the funding.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, said that he was deploying the strategy as a “fail-safe” in the event a Republican consensus is elusive.

“This is a fail-safe in the case that the conference can’t come to a consensus for language on the floor,” Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital Thursday evening.

Traditionally, House leadership controls which bills get put up for a vote. The maneuver, a discharge petition, would force a vote with the support of a simple House majority.

NATO CHIEF, EUROPEAN ALLIES DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM MACRON SUGGESTION OF TROOP DEPLOYMENT INTO UKRAINE

The strategy would allow Johnson to avoid potentially having to roll his caucus by moving the bill to the floor with Republicans in disagreement with each other. Instead, the discharge petition would force Johnson’s hand and allow a vote in which Democrats might join Republicans to approve the assistance.

“We recognize the tough political situation our speaker is in. We’re just trying to figure out an additional option, an escape patch,” Fitzpatrick said. “We are 100% working with him and his team to try to get this bill to the floor.”

Fitzpatrick told reporters earlier Thursday that lives were at stake.

“It’s existential, it’s time-sensitive. Whether it’s our [bill] or somebody else’s, we’ve just got to get the money out the door,” Fitzpatrick said. 

Before a discharge petition can be activated, however, the measure must sit in the House Rules Committee – where legislation traditionally is voted on before it gets to the floor – untouched for seven days.

“All this is doing is adding a pressure point on something that’s very time-sensitive to at least have a backstop in place. So, if nobody can come to a conclusion as to what to put on the floor, if somebody’s afraid to put something on the floor, then we’re ready to go,” Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital earlier in the day.

He led a bipartisan bill earlier this month aimed at providing roughly $66 billion in military-only aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which would also institute strict border measures like the Trump administration’s “Remain In Mexico” policy.

SENDING EUROPEAN TROOPS TO UKRAINE REMAINS AN OPTION, SAYS FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

The bill was introduced after a larger $118 billion border policy and foreign aid package failed in the Senate amid Republican protests that it did not go far enough to solve the migrant crisis.

Since then, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have urged Johnson to hold a vote on some form of Ukraine aid, citing Kyiv’s recent losses in the war against Russia amid a shortage of ammunition and personnel. They have argued that helping Ukraine defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin now would prevent a wider European conflict – one that could possibly involve the U.S. in a direct conflict with Moscow.

Johnson has not provided much clarity on his strategy for dealing with Ukraine. He is under immense pressure from his right flank to withhold any bills related to Ukraine aid, with a significant portion of the GOP calling for the U.S. to not get involved.

It would be a major step for one of Johnson’s fellow Republicans to sideline him on a high-level item like Ukraine, but it could also afford him an opportunity to escape GOP hardliners’ wrath.

Fitzpatrick said he has not discussed the discharge petition with Johnson.

Fox News Digital asked Fitzpatrick whether the measure is also aimed at giving Johnson some wiggle room with GOP Ukraine aid critics. The Pennsylvania Republican smiled and nodded, saying, “Your words, not mine.”

KYIV RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT AS UKRAINE WAR ENTERS THIRD YEAR: ‘I TRY TO BE OPTIMISTIC’

With the current makeup of the House, Fitzpatrick would need 217 lawmakers to sign onto his discharge petition in order for it to make it to the floor. 

Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., whose district has a significant Ukrainian population, expressed hope that House negotiators are “getting closer to an agreement” and would not have to take “extraordinary” measures.

“We continue to stand with them to provide lethal support, but also the appropriate oversight, and hopefully we can get to an agreement that does that and secures our border. I think the speaker understands that there is significant interest in getting such a deal done,” Molinaro said.

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House Freedom Caucus Policy Chair Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, was pessimistic about the move.

“I think the speaker is inclined to want to put Ukraine on the floor anyway,” Roy said. “So, discharge petition or not, what’s going to happen is, we’re going to bust the [spending] caps, we’re going to spend more money, we’re not going to secure the border. Ukraine is going to get funded. And the American people are going to be wondering what the hell the difference is between the two parties.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment. Calls were not returned at press time. 

Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, teased a potential 2026 primary challenge to Texas Sen. John Cornyn after the lawmaker announced his bid to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell come November. 

Paxton took to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night — prior to Cornyn revealing his intention to run for leader — addressing speculation about it. Paxton said the senator would have difficulty remaining in his role “since he is anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026.”

Despite Paxton’s claim, Cornyn endorsed former President Trump for president last month, calling on Republicans to rally around him. 

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES ON TEXAS LAW ALLOWING STATE POLICE TO ARREST ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSERS

The attorney general’s accusation of Cornyn being “anti-gun” is likely a reference to his involvement in crafting and bolstering the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun reform bill taken up following the Uvalde elementary school shooting in the Lone Star state. Cornyn pioneered the bill alongside senators Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

HOUSE PUNTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINE AFTER JOHNSON FORCED TO SEEK DEM SUPPORT AGAIN

Paxton didn’t note in his post who would be competing against Cornyn in a primary, but he also hasn’t dismissed speculation he would challenge Cornyn. Representatives for Paxton did not respond to Fox News’ inquiries about a potential Senate run. 

“Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator,” Paxton wrote on X.  

“Hard to run from prison, Ken,” Cornyn posted to X shortly afterward, referencing Paxton’s legal trouble. In April, the attorney general heads to trial on charges related to securities fraud in a case that has been delayed since an initial indictment more than eight years ago. Paxton was acquitted late last year of 16 articles of impeachment that alleged various acts of bribery and corruption following a highly publicized Texas Senate trial. 

After McConnell’s surprise announcement Wednesday that he would step down as Republican Senate leader, Cornyn told reporters, “Not today,” noting the day “is about Mitch McConnell.” But, he added, “I’ve made no secret about my intentions.”

On Thursday morning, the Texas Republican announced his bid for leader of the Republican conference. 

“I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” Cornyn said in a statement. 

JORDAN SUBPOENAS MAYORKAS FOR DOCUMENTS ON MIGRANT SURGE, RAZOR WIRE CUTTING

“I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news to anyone,” he said. “The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it.”

Cornyn was the first to announce his campaign for the role, though several others are expected to join the race. 

Paxton responded to the news on X, posing a poll to his followers.

“John Cornyn has waved the white flag on election integrity, border security, protecting the 2nd amendment, and everything else constitutional conservatives care about. Do you think he’s conservative enough to lead Republicans in the Senate?” Paxton asked. 

The poll had received more than 13,000 votes by the afternoon, with the overwhelming majority saying “No.”

A Paxton campaign spokesman told Fox News Digital Thursday that “Texas deserves another conservative senator. All options are on the table.”

Cornyn’s office declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Former President Trump said he spoke with the “devastated” parents of Laken Riley — the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered, allegedly by an illegal migrant — saying he is “not going to forget her,” and blasting President Biden for “never” saying her name.

The former president began his remarks from the border Thursday afternoon by saying he spoke to the parents of Riley, who he described as “an incredible young lady.”

“The parents are devastated and they’re incredible people,” he said. “This is a Joe Biden invasion. A Biden invasion. I call him crooked Joe… the most incompetent president we’ve ever had.” 

Trump’s visit to the border coincided with President Biden’s own trip to a different section of the border between Texas and Mexico. Biden did not mention Riley in his public remarks.

Trump detailed the brutal murder of 22-year-old nursing student Riley last week. 

“A beautiful 22-year-old nursing student from Georgia was barbarically attacked. She was on a morning run… she was a beautiful young woman,” he said. “I spoke to her parents yesterday, they are incredible people. They are devastated beyond belief. She was so beautiful in so many ways.” 

Trump said she was “brutally assaulted, horrifically beaten, kidnaped, and savagely murdered.” 

“The monster, the charge, charged in the death is an illegal alien migrant who was led into our country and released into our communities by Crooked Joe Biden,” Trump said, adding that he “took the name from Hillary because she’s no longer relevant I guess.” 

Trump, the 2024 GOP frontrunner, visited Eagle Pass, Texas, Thursday and toured Shelby Park with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state officials. He also received a briefing and met with Texas officials, as well as Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council. 

The former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner also met with Texas National Guard leadership. 

Trump made remarks Thursday following the briefing and tour, slamming Biden for being “incompetent,” and for destroying the “most secure border in history” under his administration. 

“I call him Crooked Joe because he’s crooked and he’s a terrible president, the worst president our country has ever had, probably the most incompetent president we’ve ever had,” he continued. “But it’s allowing thousands and thousands of people to come in from China, Iran, Yemen, the Congo, Syria and a lot of other nations.” 

Trump said many of those crossing are “entire columns of fighting-aged men.” 

Trump added that the border crisis “is like a war… it’s a military operation.” 

Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student from Augusta University, was found dead on the University of Georgia campus Thursday after her roommate reported to authorities that she had not returned home from her morning run. 

ICE CONFIRMS GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT ENTERED US ILLEGALLY, WAS PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED IN NYC

The University of Georgia Police Department arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra and charged him with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another, UGA Police Chief Jeffrey L. Clark said during a news briefing Friday evening. 

The suspect is not a U.S. citizen. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday confirmed that the Venezuelan national entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and had previously been arrested in New York City.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, ICE confirmed he had been encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in August 2022, after entering near El Paso and was “paroled and released for further processing.”

ICE also confirmed that Ibarra had been arrested by the New York Police Department a year later, on Sept. 14, 2023, and “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation.”

When ICE learns that what it believes to be a removable illegal immigrant has been arrested on criminal charges, the agency will normally lodge a detainer — a request asking local law enforcement to keep the suspect in custody until they can be transferred to ICE and put into deportation proceedings.

LAKEN RILEY MURDER SUSPECT JOSE IBARRA LIVED WITHIN 5-MINUTE WALK OF UGA CRIME SCENE

In this case, however, ICE’s statement says Ibarra was released before a detainer could be issued. NYC is also a “sanctuary city,” which generally restricts law enforcement from complying with ICE detainers.

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

FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers cautioned Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the crime risk involved with Venezuelan illegal immigrants crossing the southern border nearly a year and a half ago but never received a response, Fox News Digital has learned.

In September 2022, Republican Reps. Troy Nehls of Texas, Byron Donalds of Florida, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin wrote to Mayorkas regarding a Homeland Security intelligence report informing U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents to keep an eye out for violent criminals from Venezuela in the migrant caravans marching towards the border.

The group says Mayorkas did not respond to the letter, and now they are again attempting to get answers from the Homeland Security chief as reports emerge showing some of those very migrants have committed severe crimes in the United States. 

“As you know, in September 2022, the Venezuelan regime, under the control of Nicolás Maduro Moros, was reportedly releasing violent prisoners early, including inmates convicted of ‘murder, rape, and extortion,’ and pushing them to join caravans heading to the United States,” the lawmakers wrote in a Thursday letter to Mayorkas. “Since then, we have seen the tragic consequences of allowing Venezuelan nationals into the interior of the United States.”

DUELING BIDEN, TRUMP VISITS TO BESIEGED BORDER COME AMID FRESH SLEW OF VIOLENT CRIMES BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

“Our country is also facing the effects of Venezuelan gangs, posing as asylum seekers, who are turning our cities into war zones,” they wrote. “Specifically, the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, known for torturing victims, has established its presence in New York City. This Venezuelan robbery gang recruits its new members from migrant shelters and off migrant busses, where they have committed more than 60 robberies in New York City, including the aggravated robbery of a woman in her 60s, who was dragged down the sidewalk and slammed into a pole, sustaining injuries.”

The lawmakers pointed to how half a million Venezuelans have entered the country illegally. They further noted reports have indicated “Venezuela is refusing to cooperate with deportation requests after President Biden reimposed some of the economic sanctions it had previously lifted on Venezuela.” 

“If Venezuela does not want these Venezuelans back, it is common sense that we do not want them here,” they wrote. “In addition to answering the questions in our September 2022 letter that were never addressed, we urge you to prevent Venezuelans from entering our interior and immediately deport those you have released, pending immigration proceedings.”

“We cannot continue to apologize to families for the tragic consequences of your disastrous border policies without action,” they continued. “Therefore, we encourage you to initiate a moratorium on all Venezuelan migration until they agree to cooperate with deportation requests.”

WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES

The letter comes on the heels of reports showing violent crimes committed by Venezuelan migrants. 

An illegal immigrant originally from Venezuela has been charged in connection with the violent murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus on Thursday. Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, the suspect, was released into the U.S. via parole, three ICE and DHS sources told Fox News.

In Virginia, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant was arrested in connection with a sexual assault on a minor. 

In Chicago, four immigrants from Venezuela were recently arrested for allegedly robbing and beating a man on a CTA train in the city.

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And in New York, police are attempting to crack down on the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang mentioned in the letter that law enforcement says is responsible for dozens of robberies. 

DHS did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.