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FIRST ON FOX: Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday subpoenaed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for case files of illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes including murder and terrorism.

In a cover letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, Chairman Jim Jordan says that the committee has been seeking the alien files (A-files) of 14 illegal immigrants “charged with serious crimes, such as theft, brutal assault, murder, and terrorism-related charges.”

“The Committee has followed up on its requests – the vast majority of which have remained outstanding for months on end – regularly and on numerous occasions,” Jordan says.

TOP HOUSE GOP COMMITTEE RENEWS DEMAND FOR DOCS FROM DHS ON TEXAS BORDER WIRE CUTTING 

However, he says that there have only been partial summaries of two A-files produced, with only limited productions. Since then, the committee wrote to DHS in November seeking the outstanding 14 documents, but says it has not received anything.

“Your response without compulsory process has, to date, been woefully inadequate,” Jordan says.

Jordan says the Supreme Court has recognized that Congress has broad power to conduct oversight and the committee has jurisdiction to conduct oversight of matters relating to federal immigration law.

“These potential legislative reforms could include, among other proposals, legislation to enhance the vetting of aliens to ensure criminal aliens are not released into American communities and proposals to end mass catch-and-release. The information the Committee has requested is necessary to inform such potential reforms and to understand DHS’s current application of the immigration laws,” he says.

“Accordingly, and in light of your disregard of our earlier voluntary requests, please find attached a subpoena for the requested documents and information,” he says. Mayorkas is required by the subpoena to produce the documents to the committee on Jan. 8.

MIGRANT CRISIS SMASHING NEW RECORDS AMID FRESH SURGE AT SOUTHERN BORDER

The subpoena marks the latest escalation of efforts by House Republicans to investigate the ongoing crisis at the southern border, where new records have been set for migrant traffic. Republicans have hammered the administration, and specifically Mayorkas, over the crisis — which they say has been caused by the policies of the administration.

Specifically, they point to an increase in “catch-and-release,” reduced interior enforcement, the ending of border wall construction, and other rollbacks of Trump-era policies. House Republicans have introduced and passed their own legislation that would restart border wall construction and limit asylum and the use of parole.

The Biden administration, meanwhile, has said it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis and is working within a “broken” system that needs additional funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress.

TEXAS AG PAXTON SUES BIDEN ADMIN OVER CUTTING OF RAZOR WIRE AT SOUTHERN BORDER: ‘THIS IS ILLEGAL’ 

The White House has requested over $14 billion in supplemental border funding, but it is currently being negotiated in Congress as Republicans are seeking limits to the use of humanitarian parole by the administration and stricter standards for initial asylum screenings. Democrats have balked at that idea, with some saying it would need to be accompanied by amnesty for some illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

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President Biden this week said that he is open to “significant compromises,” while Mayorkas has said  that some GOP proposals were worthy of consideration while others were not.

The subpoena comes just hours after Judiciary Committee Republicans also pushed for more information on a migrant surge in Texas in Sept. 20, and the cutting of razor wire set up by the state of Texas by federal officials.

 

An Indiana county judge ruled Thursday a contested state law that stipulates voting requirements for candidates’ party affiliation is unconstitutional, dealing a win to a U.S. Senate hopeful who is seeking to run as a Republican in the primary.

The Marion County judge granted the injunction sought by John Rust, former chair of the egg supplier Rose Acre Farms who is running to replace Sen. Mike Braun. Rust filed a lawsuit in September against Secretary of State Diego Morales, the Indiana Election Commission and Jackson County Republican Party Chair Amanda Lowery to challenge the law and ensure the possibility of his place on the ballot.

The law in question says a candidate’s past two primary elections must be cast with the party the candidate is affiliated with or a county party chair must approve the candidacy. In court documents, Rust argued that this statute “should be struck down as being unconstitutionally vague and overly broad.”

ANOTHER REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER RETIRES FROM INDIANA LEGISLATURE

“It is a spectacular victory for the voters of Indiana,” Rust said when reached by phone Thursday evening.

It was not immediately clear if the secretary of state will appeal the decision. The Associated Press sent an email to its office and left messages with its attorneys Thursday.

Rust voted as a Republican in the 2016 primary but as a Democrat in 2012. He did not vote in the 2020 Republican primary due to the pandemic and the lack of competitive Republican races in Jackson County, the lawsuit said. Rust said his Democratic votes were for people he personally knew.

Lowery, the county’s Republican Party chair, said in a July meeting with Rust that she would not certify him, according to the lawsuit. Rust has said Lowery later cited his primary voting record.

FORMER REPUBLICAN INDIANA AG CURTIS HILL ENTERS 2024 PRIMARY RACE TO REPLACE OUTGOING GOP GOV HOLCOMB

When reached by phone, Lowery said she believes party chairs from both parties will be disappointed by the ruling, and questioned how candidacy can be determined without the primary record. She expects the ruling to be appealed.

In a November hearing, Rust said the law keeps legitimate candidates who have recently moved to Indiana or have switched political identifications from running for office.

In his ruling, Marion County Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Dietrick said the law “unduly burdens Hoosiers’ long recognized right to freely associate with the political party of one’s choosing and to cast one’s vote effectively.” He also ordered the defendants to pay Rust’s attorney fees.

Rust still faces an uphill challenge for the GOP nomination. U.S. Rep. Jim Banks has received the endorsement of the Indiana Republican Party and former President Donald Trump. Rust must also fulfill a signature quota for the nomination.

Casting himself as a conservative gay man with an “outsider’s voice” to Washington D.C., Rust is the former chair of his family business Rose Acre Farms in southern Indiana. Rose Acre Farms identifies itself as the second-largest egg producer in the U.S.

SELF-DESCRIBED ‘GAY CONSERVATIVE’ EGG FARMER CHALLENGES JIM BANKS IN INDIANA GOP SENATE PRIMARY

The company was one of four major egg producers in the country accused of fixing the price of eggs in the 2000s. A jury in an Illinois federal court recently ruled the producers conspired to limit the domestic supply of eggs to increase prices between 2004-2008 and ordered the companies to pay $17.7 million in damages.

The ruling inflamed the Senate race. Rep. Banks has accused Rust of being a “conman pretending to be a Republican.” Rose Acre Farms has denied any wrongdoing and Rust has said the verdict will be appealed.

Sen. Mike Braun is vacating the seat in his bid for governor.

FIRST ON FOX: A top House Republican is moving to force a Trump administration-era policy back into the federal government, calling it a “simple way” to rein in President Biden’s progressive regulatory actions. 

The bill introduced by Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., would codify a government policy active under former President Donald Trump, which forced federal agencies to identify two regulations to be cut for every new one enacted.

The legislation, expected Friday, is named “The 2 for 1 Act.”  

RNC CHAIR MCDANIEL DEFENDS THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING GOP 2024 FIELD

“The Biden administration rules by regulation and finds new ways each day to make life harder for American farmers and small businesses,” Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“Restoring the Trump administration’s common-sense principle of repealing two regulations for every new regulation created is a simple way to rein in the regulatory state, cut red tape and make it easier for Americans to earn a living.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS ‘EXTREMELY AGRESSIVE’ PUSH IN IOWA 

In addition to requiring proposals for new regulatory cuts, the bill would direct the White House Office of Management and Budget to project how much a new rule would cost the private sector.

The cost of implementing a new rule must be offset by the two proposed cuts.

The original policy was enacted with an executive order signed by Trump in January 2017, just days after he took office.

It was rescinded by President Biden his first day in the White House.

DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL OF IOWA’S 99 COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP?

Biden further empowered regulators in May with an executive order that, among other things, raised the threshold for review of rules based on economic impact. 

Previously, a new rule was slated for review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs if its projected annual economic impact was at least $100 million. Biden’s executive order raised that threshold to at least $200 million.

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More than 750 new regulations have been finalized since Biden took office, according to the American Action Forum. 

According to the group’s projection, those regulations cost a total of roughly $437 billion.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The four Republican presidential primary debates of 2023 are in the books.

Whether there will be another showdown before the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses remains to be seen.

The big winner from the four prime-time clashes appears to be the candidate who skipped out on all four debates and came out relatively unscathed.

That candidate is former President Donald Trump, who, in his third straight White House run, is the commanding frontrunner in the GOP nomination race with the Iowa caucuses, which kick off the 2024 GOP presidential nominating calendar, and the New Hampshire primary fast approaching.

TRUMP ONCE AGAIN OFF THE HOOK DESPITE THIS CANDIDATE’S BEST EFFORTS 

“They did not change the fact that former President Trump will likely be the nominee and will likely win Iowa and New Hampshire by large margins,” said Jimmy Centers, a longtime Iowa-based Republican strategist and communicator who served on multiple presidential campaigns.

Dave Kochel, another veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns with decades of experience in Iowa, emphasized the debates have been “the semifinals.” 

He said Trump’s had “a bye week” and that he’s already “going into the finals.”

RNC CHAIR MCDANIEL DEFENDS THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING GOP 2024 FIELD

Trump made history earlier this year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments — including those in federal court in Washington, D.C., and in Fulton County Court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss — have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

Wednesday’s debate — with just four candidates on the stage — was the smallest to date but delivered some of the biggest fireworks.

Much of the verbal crossfire at the showdown at the University of Alabama was directed at Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor who has enjoyed plenty of momentum this autumn.

Despite the best efforts of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who repeatedly chastised his rivals for failing to verbally confront Trump, the former president once again emerged with relatively few bruises.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS ‘EXTREMELY AGRESSIVE’ PUSH IN IOWA 

“We’re 17 minutes into this debate. … We’ve had these three acting as if the race is between the four of us,” Christie said as he pointed to Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Christie said it was “ridiculous” his debate rivals wouldn’t discuss Trump. 

“I’m in this race because the truth needs to be spoken,” Christie said. “He is unfit to be president.”

Christie’s jabs at Trump drew boos a couple times during the debate, including in his closing comments when he predicted Trump would be convicted and would be unable to vote for himself. 

“If we deny reality as a party, we’re gonna have four more years of Joe Biden,” Christie warned.

But Christie’s scolding of his rivals mostly fell on deaf ears. They mostly avoided direct criticism of Trump even when the moderators asked a series of questions regarding the former president.

“None of them on that stage tonight talked about his conduct. They acted as if this trial that’s coming up in March isn’t even going to happen. That’s why I said tonight, ‘Can we stop pretending that four of us are the only people in this race?'” Christie told reporters in the spin room after the debate.

DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL OF IOWA’S 99 COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP?

At one point during the debate, Christie and DeSantis engaged in a heated exchange as Christie pushed DeSantis to answer whether he thought the 77-year-old former president was fit for office.

While DeSantis reiterated that “we should not nominate someone who is almost 80 years old,” he wouldn’t go any further. It was the latest example of the reluctance of the major candidates other than Christie to lay into Trump as they try to succeed the former president.

Asked about his confrontation with the former New Jersey governor, DeSantis said Thursday on “Fox and Friends” that when it comes to taking on Trump, Christie “was trying to go in a much different direction.”

Karoline Leavitt, a former Trump White House press official and former GOP congressional candidate who’s a top spokesperson for the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC, argued the debates have been “pointless” and “the biggest waste of time and money and energy that we’ve ever seen.”

“Our message consistently — and it continues to get more worthy every day — is that it’s so beyond time for them to do what’s best, realize that they don’t have a practical pathway to the nomination … and they should be unifying around the president,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “That’s been our message for a long time, and I think it’s just become more and more apparent with every single one of these debates.”

While the debates haven’t changed the dynamic at the top of the race, they’ve made an impact.

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Haley has risen in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three debates. She has leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire and her home state, which holds the first southern contest. And she’s aiming to make a fight of it in Iowa, where she is pulling even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls.

Her rising status was evident Wednesday night, as she came under repeated and withering attacks from DeSantis and Ramaswamy. 

Even Christie, who defended Haley from Ramaswamy’s degrading attacks, highlighted his policy differences with his fellow former Republican governor.

Centers, who served as a top communicator for current Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and former Gov. Terry Branstad, said the debates “have changed things in the sense that here in Iowa and New Hampshire Nikki Haley has positioned herself to come in second place and become the clear alternative to former President Trump.

“Absent these debates, we would not be having the conversation we’re having today about Nikki Haley. We’d be talking about Gov. DeSantis still being the alternative to former President Trump.”

Looking ahead, the immediate question is whether the Republican National Committee will continue to host nominating debates, with the next two expected to be held next month in Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the caucuses and primary. The RNC could potentially bow out and decide to allow state parties to team up with media organizations to run any future debates.

Sources with knowledge of the national party committee’s thinking told Fox News the RNC was not expected to make any decision on upcoming debates until after Wednesday’s showdown.

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

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

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What’s happening:

-Senator Tuberville stands down on blocking military promotions

-White House interns mocked for making demands of President Biden

-Who are the winners and losers of the fourth GOP debate

A Knock Down, Drag Out Fight

The fourth Republican presidential debate saw no shortage of fireworks, including plenty of name-calling and personal jabs among the participating candidates. Here are some of the top five moments…

1. Ramaswamy calls Haley ‘fascist’

2. Haley and DeSantis continue their months-long spat on China 

3. Ramaswamy holds up a sheet of paper accusing Haley of corruption – Christie calls him an “obnoxious blowhard”

4. Haley grilled by debate opponents, social media over record on trans issues

5. Christie lays into DeSantis on question about former President Donald Trump’s age

Capitol Hill

ALARM TRIGGERED: House censures ‘Squad’ Democrat for pulling fire alarm …Read more

CHRISTMAS JOE: GOP lawmaker skewers the Bidens in festive public Xmas display …Read more

SILENT SCHUMER: Chuck Schumer won’t say if he’ll take up bill freezing $6 billion to Iran …Read more

ADOPTION RULES: GOP lawmaker unveils bill to stop Biden admin from discriminating against adoptive parents’ LGBTQ views …Read more

THAT’S FISHY: House panel to probe WH talks with eco groups seeking to tear down power source …Read more

BLOW TO BIDEN: GOP lawmakers block Biden security aid to Ukraine, press for more border funding …Read more

‘CHANGE THE GAME PLAN’: Tuberville shifts course after releasing holds on military promotions …Read more

White House

‘COMPLETE MALARKEY’: Hunter’s ex-business associate blasts Biden’s new claim about son’s business dealings …Read more

‘YOU’RE INTERNS’: White House interns mocked for demand letter to Biden, Harris …Read more

‘PHONING IT IN’: Federal govt workers continue remote work despite Biden pledge …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

FLOODGATES OPEN: Another Republican jumps into crowded race to fill Ken Buck’s seat …Read more

TURNING HEADS: Ramaswamy turned heads with these controversial statements in debate …Read more

‘WASN’T EVEN CLOSE’: Who were the winners and losers in the fourth Republican presidential debate? …Read more

TAKING NOTES: Ramaswamy sparks social media firestorm over sign attacking Haley during debate …Read more

‘WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE’: Trump visits Manhattan court to blast NYAG case, praises appellate ruling in his favor …Read more

Across America

RECORD LOW: NYC Mayor Adams’ approval rating drops below 30% amid migrant crisis …Read more

MURDER CONVICT NABBED: ICE arrests Romanian fugitive with murder conviction …Read more

‘ALWAYS CONSEQUENCES’: Soros donated over $1M to group that previously bailed out Texas rampage murderer …Read more

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby evaded a reporter’s question on Thursday when asked about President Biden’s decision to unlist Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist group.

During the daily White House press briefing, Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich asked Kirby whether Biden holds any “regret” for delisting the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, and whether the administration is reconsidering the move. 

“I’ve already said that we are going to review that decision. We are,” Kirby replied, although he gave no time frame for the review. 

“I don’t have a date certain for you or any outcome to brief, Jacqui, but we said we’re already gonna take a look and review that decision,” he added.

US WARSHIP SHOOTS DOWN 3 HOUTHI DRONES TARGETING COMMERCIAL VESSELS IN RED SEA: CENTCOM

Several of the president’s Republican critics in Congress have urged the Biden administration to consider reclassifying the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The Trump administration applied the designation to the group as one of its final acts, but Biden reversed that decision as one of its first acts upon taking office.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the time argued that the administration removed the designation over concerns that it might have “a devastating impact on Yemenis’ access to basic commodities like food and fuel.”

However, since the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, the Houthis are one of several Iran-backed proxy groups who have harassed Israeli and U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East.

Earlier in November, a group of Republican lawmakers led by Sen. Steve Dains, R-Mont., introduced legislation that would force the administration to redesignate the Houthis as a terrorist organization. 

PENTAGON CONFIRMS 74TH ATTACK ON US TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST SINCE OCT. 17

The Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act would allow the U.S. to enact several measures and sanctions against the group, including disruption of financial support networks.

The designation makes it unlawful for a person in the U.S. or subject to U.S. jurisdiction to knowingly provide material support or resources to an FTO, and members of an FTO are inadmissible and – under certain conditions — subject to removal from the U.S. 

The legislation came in response to the attacks on U.S. forces. 

In the most recent incident, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters on Sunday. The Houthis took credit for the attack, claiming it launched multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at two Israeli vessels. Israel denied any link to the ships.

CASUALTIES, KIDNAPPED AND MORE NUMBERS SINCE HAMAS’ ATTACK ON ISRAEL

A U.S. Navy destroyer, the Carney, shot down three drones as it answered distress calls from the vessels, which the U.S. military said were connected to 14 separate nations.

“These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. “We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran.”

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U.S. forces in the Middle East have been attacked at least 75 times since the middle of last month. The Pentagon does not count attacks on U.S. warships at sea in this number.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken, Danielle Wallace, Andrea Vacchiano, Lucas Tomlinson and Liz Friden contributed to this report.

Former Democratic Nashville Mayor Megan Barry on Wednesday announced a U.S. House bid to unseat Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., seeking a political comeback more than five years after she faced now-dismissed criminal charges linked to her having an extramarital affair with her city-employed bodyguard. 

In her announcement video, she cited several reasons for trying to return to elected office: a spate of mass shootings at schools, including earlier this year at a Nashville Christian elementary school, which was carried out by a transgender activist and former student; Tennessee’s abortion ban; the closure of rural hospitals; and the opioid epidemic.

“Today, I’m announcing my campaign for Congress because working families have been ignored for far too long,” Barry said in a video posted on her campaign website. “We need an economy and a government that works for everyone. If I can save even one other parent from burying a child, it will be worth every effort.”

Barry, elected in 2015 as the first female mayor of Nashville, resigned from that office in 2018 after pleading guilty to felony theft for cheating the city out of thousands of dollars to carry on a nearly two-year affair with her then-police bodyguard, Sgt. Rob Forrest. She agreed to reimburse the city for $11,000 in unlawful expenses. After completing three years of unsupervised probation, the charge was expunged from her record in 2021, according to The Tennessean. 

NASHVILLE POLICE SAY 7 ON ADMIN ASSIGNMENT AFTER PURPORTED LEAK OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SHOOTER’S MANIFESTO

In the video, Barry said she had “made mistakes,” but she took responsibility and worked through them with her husband.

“I don’t think anybody should be defined by their worst moments,” Barry said. “It’s what you do next that counts.”

She is running in one of three congressional districts that carved up Nashville during Republican-led redistricting last year. 

Due to line-drawing efforts by Republican state lawmakers that favor their own party, the GOP last year won another seat that previously centered on Nashville and was long held by Democrats. Barry is running as a Democrat, campaign spokesperson Brian Córdova confirmed to the Associated Press. 

“I look at the total dysfunction in Congress and its failure to make any kind of difference in the lives of our families,” Barry said. “It’s outrageous. We don’t have to tolerate it.”

Barry’s announcement also focuses on the death of her only child, Max, who died in July 2017 after an overdose of a combination of drugs, including opioids. Since leaving office, Barry has widely shared her son’s story in an effort to combat shame and stigma surrounding substance abuse disorders.

NASHVILLE KILLER AUDREY HALE SLEPT WITH JOURNALS ON SCHOOL SHOOTINGS UNDER BED, COURT DOCS REVEAL

Barry will try to make inroads in a district that extends out of Nashville and into 13 Republican-favoring counties. Last year, Green won his third term in Congress over a Democratic opponent by nearly 22 percentage points. Voters in that district favored former President Trump over President Biden by 15 percentage points in 2020.

Tennessee’s congressional map is facing a federal lawsuit, but that case isn’t scheduled to go to trial until April 2025.

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After Barry’s announcement, Green’s team said that he is “honored to serve and looks forward to continuing to fight for our values and principles,” mentioning securing the border, health care and “constitutional rights.” “From three tours in combat, to the emergency room, to public service, Congressman Green has always put his fellow American before himself,” Green’s chief of staff, Stephen Siao, said in a written statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have asked for a pause while they challenge the ruling that he is not immune from prosecution in an effort to delay the federal trial relating to charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election. 

Trump’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal Thursday, indicating that they will challenge U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s decision rejecting Trump’s bid to derail the case headed to trial in Washington, D.C., in March. 

The one-page filing was accompanied by a request from the Trump team to put the case on pause so the appeals court can take up the matter.

“The filing of President Trump’s notice of appeal has deprived this Court of jurisdiction over this case in its entirety pending resolution of the appeal,” Trump’s lawyers wrote. “Therefore, a stay of all further proceedings is mandatory and automatic.”

TRUMP VISITS MANHATTAN COURT TO BLAST NYAG CASE, PRAISES APPELLATE RULING IN HIS FAVOR

The case charges Trump with conspiring to overturn the will of voters in a desperate move to cling to power after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden. It is the first of four criminal cases Trump is facing that are scheduled to go to trial, though it is possible the appeal of the immunity issue could delay the case.

Trump’s legal team is working to get the trial postponed until after the 2024 election is decided, or until after the Republican Party holds its nominating convention in July.

BILL BURR BASHES JIMMY KIMMEL, ‘YOU IDIOT LIBERALS’ FOR MAKING TRUMP A MARTYR: ‘HE’S COMING BACK’

Trump’s lawyers have stated that he cannot face criminal charges because the actions spelled out in the indictment fell within his duties as president.

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Trump and his family have denied any wrongdoing and have claimed that the former president has repeatedly said his assets were actually undervalued.

A Democrat representing a swing House district announced Thursday she would not be running for re-election in 2024 because the race is “rigged” against her.

In a statement announcing her decision, Rep. Kathy Manning, who represents North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District, accused the Republican-led state legislature of passing “flagrantly gerrymandered Congressional districts” to reduce the number of Democrats representing those districts.

“I would love nothing more than to continue representing our community in Congress. Unfortunately, the egregiously gerrymandered maps do not make this race competitive, and I cannot in good conscience ask people to invest their time, resources and efforts in a campaign that is rigged against us,” Manning said.

NAME-CALLING, PERSONAL JABS ROUND OUT TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM THE FIERY REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN ALABAMA

She added that she would reconsider her decision not to run if pending lawsuits force the state legislature to redraw the districts.

Manning called the district boundaries “shameful,” and claimed Republicans knew they couldn’t “win under fair districts.” She specifically cited how the Democratic stronghold of Greensboro, North Carolina was split between three different districts that include more rural areas in the new map.

“As a Greensboro resident of forty years, I am disgusted by the callous disregard of Republican leaders for the citizens of my district. Politicians should not choose their voters; voters should choose their representatives,” she said.

WHO WERE THE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE? PUNDITS NAME THEIR PICKS

“It is a true privilege to represent my community in Congress. I am deeply grateful for all the constituents who have placed their trust in me, shared their concerns and triumphs, and welcomed me into their homes, businesses, and places of worship,” she added.

A lawsuit seeking to strike down the new map, which was approved in October, was filed in federal court on Monday, arguing it weakens minority voting power and violates the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit specifically challenges four districts where the plaintiffs argue the state legislature minimized the voting strength of minorities, thereby strengthening “the state’s white majority,” and are asking for a new map to be drawn.

HERE ARE THE TOP MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ‘HANNITY’ TOWN HALL

Should the map remain in place, Republicans will be in a good position to win 10 of the 14 congressional districts in North Carolina. The districts are currently split between the two parties at seven apiece.

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The additional three-seat flip would also boost Republicans’ narrow majority in the House of Representatives, which stands at 221-213. There is one vacancy following the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., last week.

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A new book reveals that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., squared off with Planned Parenthood in a dispute that eventually left her “floored” as she faced resistance on eliminating the Hyde Amendment, a top liberal priority.

“The Squad: AOC and the Hope of a Political Revolution” by The Intercept’s Ryan Grim, which was released on Tuesday, provides an insider account of the progressive movement, specifically the “Squad.” One chapter describes a series of events beginning in spring 2019 where presidential candidate Joe Biden was facing “intense backlash” from his party for defending the Hyde Amendment, barring federal money for paying for abortions, and Ocasio-Cortez noted that the amendment was still in the Democrat appropriations bill.

“Let’s take it out,” Ocasio-Cortez is said to have told her colleagues, since the Hyde Amendment was widely opposed by most Democrats and it “seemed like an easy one,” according to Grim’s book, with some Democrats thinking it was left in the bill by mistake.

AOC CLAIMS WOMEN WILL FACE DOCTOR EXAMS IF BIOLOGICAL MEN BARRED FROM FEMALE SPORTS

Ocasio-Cortez soon learned that it wasn’t a mistake, and she was reportedly told by fellow Democrats, including Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, that Senate Republicans and President Trump would never go along with a bill that stripped the Hyde Amendment so she should drop the idea.

That’s when Ocasio-Cortez is said to have approached Planned Parenthood and, much to her chagrin, her former aide Dan Riffle was met with resistance. 

“AOC’s staff reached out to natural allies on the issue, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL, Pro-Choice America the biggest pro-choice players on the Hill,” Grim wrote. “Publicly, they were strident opponents of the Hyde Amendment and had lambasted Biden for his support of it. Riffle first spoke with Jacqueline Ayers, the top lobbyist for Planned Parenthood, and was surprised to learn that the organization did not want Democrats to try and remove the Hyde Amendment. Planned Parenthood’s reasoning was similar to DeLauro’s: we don’t have the votes in the Senate so we’ll lose.”

AOC’S LIFE ‘TRANSFORMED’ FOR THE BETTER AFTER PELOSI’S SPEAKER STEPDOWN, UPCOMING BOOK REVEALS

Riffle, according to the book, was told that Planned Parenthood would have to “score” the vote and push Democrats to oppose it if the Hyde Amendment were in it, since that was a stated goal of theirs, and that would force them to give Democrats a bad score, which could hurt their re-election chances.

“But Riffle argued, ‘Isn’t it your mission to repeal Hyde and protect abortion rights?’” the book details. “‘Yes,’ she told him. ‘But we can’t do that if Democrats lose the majority so protecting them is the first order of business.’”

REPUBLICANS CAN WIN ON ABORTION IF PRO-LIFERS TELL THEIR STORIES

After being told by NARAL that they agreed with Planned Parenthood, Riffle relented but said he did not agree with the strategy and was “discouraged” by it.

Shortly afterward, Biden reversed his position on the Hyde Amendment in an Atlanta speech. 

“Ocasio-Cortez was floored,” Grim wrote. “How was Joe Biden to the left of Planned Parenthood and NARAL on abortion rights? It made no sense.”

“They’re one-daying us,” former top AOC aide Ariel Eckblad said, according to Grim.

Grim wrote that AOC continued to “push” the abortion rights group, and they reached out to her directly to set up a meeting with women of color who support abortion, hoping that they could “sway” her. 

“At the last minute, AOC didn’t show up, sending an aide instead,” Grim wrote. “She was still intent on repeal.”

Grim wrote that AOC eventually worked with fellow squad member Ayanna Pressley to introduce an amendment that ultimately failed to make waves.

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“Ocasio-Cortez spoke to Pressley, who was the chair of a caucus dedicated to promoting abortion rights, and agreed to cede the issue to her,” Grim wrote. “Pressley ended up writing an amendment that, for procedural reasons, was expected not to get through the rules committee. That would allow opponents of Hyde to make a run at it without forcing a vote or even a debate on the floor.”

“As expected, the Pressley amendment was rejected before it could get to the floor. A Planned Parenthood official followed up by complaining to Ocasio-Cortez’s office that Riffle had been too gruff on the phone.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office and Planned Parenthood but did not immediately receive a response. 

Republicans and Democrats remain at loggerheads over solutions to the ongoing migrant crisis, leading to gridlock over a supplemental spending bill – even as President Biden says he is open to “significant compromises” on the matter.

Senate Republicans, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., blocked a Democratic emergency spending measure on Wednesday that would have provided funding for Israel, Ukraine and the border but did not include border security measures sought by Republicans in the House and Senate. Republicans cited the lack of inclusion of additional border policy changes, specifically limits on asylum and humanitarian parole, as the reason for their no votes.

The White House made its $110 billion supplemental funding request in October and included $14 billion for border security – including money for shelter and services, more hiring of officials, transportation, and resources for an expansion of expedited removal. The Democratic proposal on Wednesday included many of those measures.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT DAILY RECORD AT SOUTHERN BORDER AS WASHINGTON STRUGGLES TO AGREE ON SOLUTIONS

Republicans, however, have called for sweeping changes to the border, including heightened “credible fear” standards for asylum seekers and limits on the administration’s use of parole to release migrants by the tens of thousands each month into the interior. Some conservatives have called for the inclusion of the entirety of the House GOP’s signature border legislation, which would also reinstate Remain-in-Mexico and restart the border wall, and have warned they will torpedo a spending bill if it does not include it.

A Senate working group put forward proposals largely drawn from that bill, but they were soon shot down both by the White House and Senate Democratic leadership as a “non-starter.”

Some Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have said they would only accept policy changes if accompanied by amnesty for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. – something that would almost certainly be rejected by Republicans, and would be anathema to the Republican base. 

Other Democrats are reportedly open to raising the “credible fear” standard but have ruled out changes to parole, which is being used to bring in tens of thousands of migrants each month via the CBP One app at the border, as well as by the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan (CHNV) program. It has also been used to bring in Afghans and Ukrainians in the last year via separate parole programs. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters on Thursday that the asylum standards, specifically the “credible fear” initial screening, was key.

“You’ve got to change the asylum system,” he said, arguing that migrants were being drawn to the border by the knowledge that, in many cases, they’ll be released into the U.S. with a court date years in the future.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was clear that anything without border policy changes would not get Republican support.

REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS, DEMAND DEMS FACE BORDER CRISIS AS BIDEN UKRAINE PLAN HANGS IN BALANCE

“Fixing a badly broken asylum and parole system isn’t ‘hijacking’ the supplemental. It’s strengthening it,” he said on Wednesday evening. “Securing our southern border isn’t extraneous to our national security. It’s essential. I know some of our Democratic colleagues understand this.”

Meanwhile, the administration has repeatedly said it is open to negotiations and compromises but has also said there are limits to what it is willing to accept on anything that would limit asylum and parole.

President Biden on Wednesday said he was willing to make “significant compromises” on the border, including policy changes.

 “I am willing to make significant compromises on the border. We need to fix the broken border system,” he said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was more cautious, suggesting officials would not agree to anything that would damage the United States’ “international obligations.”

“We’ve presented proposals that address the situation, that provide real practical solutions and also do not do violence to our fundamental values,” he said on CNN. “We are a country of refugees. We do have asylum laws. We do have refugee laws. We abide by our international obligations that are long-standing,” he said. “And so that is my response to that.” 

“Some of the [Republican] proposals are reasonable and worthy of discussion. Others are, frankly, not,” he said.

The administration has repeatedly said it is pursuing a policy of expanding “lawful pathways” while increasing “consequences” for illegal entry, but needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress. Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration, and say more border security, limits on releases into the interior, and a return to Trump-era policies are needed.

Meanwhile, some Democrats accused Republicans of not being flexible enough.

“They have to figure out whether they want to negotiate or whether they want to make take-it-or-leave-it demands,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said.

However, as Washington tries to find any sort of agreement, the border remains in chaos. Tuesday set a daily record for migrant encounters, exceeding 12,000 encounters. 

As of Wednesday morning, the agency has over 22,000 migrants in custody, with several major Border Patrol sectors running heavily over capacity, sources told Fox News.

Fiscal Year 23 hit a new record of 2.4 million migrant encounters, with September hitting the highest monthly total ever recorded, at over 260,000 encounters. October saw slightly fewer, with over 240,000 encounters, but that was still a record for October.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Griff Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ambassador Nikki Haley faced sharp criticism at the final GOP primary debate off 2023 on Wednesday night as her surging campaign was slammed for what her opponents say is a record that is not conservative enough and weak on social issues like ESG, transgender policies, and free speech.

“Nikki Haley she caves any time the left comes after any time the media comes after her,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in the debate during an argument over transgender bathroom bills and how each of them approached the issue as governor.  

“You killed it, I signed it, I stood up for little girls,” DeSantis said, accusing Haley of not doing enough to push bathroom bills as the two went back and forth on previous statements and positions.

Haley was also slammed by her opponents for not being conservative enough on ESG issues, meeting with supporters of ESG and taking money from Democrat donors. 

NIKKI HALEY LAUNCHES FIRST CAMPAIGN AD, CALLS FOR ‘MORAL CLARITY,’ MOVING ON FROM ‘CHAOS AND DRAMA’

Vivek Ramaswamy, who accused Haley of playing “identity politics”, criticized Haley for meeting with BlackRock’s Larry Fink, a proponent of ESG.

“One of Nikki Haley’s largest supporters, Larry Fink, the king of the woke industrial complex, the ESG movement, the CEO of BlackRock, the most powerful company in the world, now supporting Nikki Haley,” Ramaswamy said, adding that her campaign launch video “sounded like a woke Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light ad talking about how she would kick in heels at the first debate.”

“I took $2 billion away from BlackRock,” DeSantis said. “We took action. This ESG, they call it environment, Social governance. And again, Nikki is meeting with all these people. They want to use economic power to impose a left wing agenda on this country.”

HALEY CELEBRATES MOMENTUM AS GOP RIVALS RAMP UP ATTACKS: ‘THESE GUYS KNOW WE’RE SURGING’

Haley has previously criticized “stakeholder capitalism” writing in a 2020 Wall Street Journal op-ed that it “retains the word capitalism but abandons its meaning.”

DeSantis and Ramaswamy both promoted the idea that Haley taking money from liberal donors, including a liberal mega donor who gave her super PAC $250,000 this week,  would make her beholden to those donors in the future.

“Nikki will cave to those big donors when it counts,” DeSantis said.

Haley was also criticized over her record on free speech related to her previous comments saying her administration crackdown on anonymous accounts online.  

“It’s something that’s important, and especially given how conservatives have been attacked and they’ve lost jobs and they’ve been canceled,” DeSantis said, pointing out that the authors of the Federalist Papers used pseudonyms. “You know, the regime would use that to weaponize that against our own people.”

Ramaswamy piled on and said her position was “more dangerous than the Democrats.”

“You’re lying,” Haley shot back. 

Haley also faced similar criticisms on social media during the debate related to her perceived coziness with liberal donors. 

“What’s not fine is Nikki Haley caving on every issue that matters most to Republicans,” political strategist David Polyansky posted on X. “She has sold out parents, conservative principles and our party in order to side with her Democrat donors.”

RAMASWAMY SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM OVER ‘NIKKI = CORRUPT’ SIGN AT GOP DEBATE

Haley, whose campaign was the top search on Google on debate night, dismissed many of the criticisms from her opponents at one point remarking that they were “jealous” and they “wish they were supporting them.”

Haley addressed the criticism that she would be beholden to liberal donors and ESG supporters in one of her debate responses. 

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“As much as Ron says that it’s not true,” Haley said. “But when it comes to these corporate people that want to suddenly support us, we’ll take it. But I don’t ask them what they support. They ask me what my policies are and I tell them what it is. Sometimes they agree with me sometimes they don’t.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Haley spokesperson Ken Farnaso said the attacks on her in the debate were a sign of desperation. 

“This is the sign of a desperate, losing candidate, and Ron DeSantis is both losing and desperate, “Farnaso said. 

“Everyone knows Nikki was the conservative, outsider governor in South Carolina. She took on the establishment and Barack Obama—and won. She cracked down on illegal immigration, implemented E-Verify, opposed Wall Street bailouts, protected life, cut taxes, expanded Second Amendment rights, and signed the first anti-BDS bill in the country. The more Ron DeSantis loses, the more he lies.”

A Democratic senator in Pennsylvania and his likely GOP challenger both blasted UPenn’s president for her response to antisemitism on campus.

Republican candidate Dave McCormick, a former hedge fund executive, West Point graduate, Gulf War combat veteran and Treasury Department official in former President George W. Bush’s administration, called on the University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees to immediately remove President Liz Magill following her testimony before the House Education and Workforce Committee. At the hearing, House GOP Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., pressed Magill, and the presidents of Harvard and MIT, on whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated the Ivy League school’s code of conduct on bullying or harassment, but their unclear responses drew swift backlash. 

“For weeks, I’ve watched President Magill fail to respond appropriately as antisemitic incidents mounted on her campus. Yesterday, Magill was repeatedly asked if calling for the genocide of Jews violates Penn’s rules or code of conduct, and she repeatedly failed to answer affirmatively,” McCormick said in a statement shared on X Wednesday. 

UPENN PRESIDENT TORCHED OVER ANTISEMITIC SPEAKERS, TEACHERS ALLOWED ON CAMPUS BUT NOT TRUMP ICE DIRECTOR

“This is completely unacceptable from the leader of one of America’s top universities. I today call on Penn’s board of trustees to immediately removed President Magill and replace her with a leader who understands that calling for genocide against Jews is wrong, and it must be combated,” he said. “Based on President Magill’s performance in the Congress yesterday, she lacks the depth, understanding and awareness of how antisemitism is real and how it must be fought. She has failed the students of Penn, its alumni and our state. This is a scary time for the Jewish community, and every person in a position of power must unequivocally support them and put a stop to antisemitism at every opportunity.” 

HARVARD, MIT AND UPENN PRESIDENTS PRESSED ON ‘RACE-BASED IDEOLOGY OF THE RADICAL LEFT’ AT ANTISEMITISM HEARING

McCormick is running to unseat Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who also condemned Magill’s remarks. 

“President Magill’s comments yesterday were offensive, but equally offensive was what she didn’t say. The right to free speech is fundamental, but calling for the genocide of Jews is antisemitic and harassment, full stop,” Casey wrote on X. The senator stopped short of calling for Magill to resign or be removed. 

When asked if Casey also supports Magill’s ouster, a spokesperson for the Democratic senator told Fox News Digital, “Like Governor Shapiro, Senator Casey wants UPenn’s board to meet and determine whether President Magill’s comments align with the university’s values.” 

Magill, meanwhile, attempted to walk back her rhetoric in a video statement shared Wednesday. 

“There was a moment during yesterday’s congressional hearing on antisemitism when I was asked if a call for the genocide of Jewish people on our campus would violate our policies. In that moment, I was focused on our university’s long-standing policies aligned with the U.S. Constitution, which says that speech alone is not punishable,” Magill said on camera. “I was not focused on, but I should have been, on the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate. It’s evil. Plain and simple.” 

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“A call for genocide of Jewish people is threatening, deeply so. It is intentionally meant to terrify people who have been subjected to pogroms and hatred for centuries and were the victims of mass genocide in the Holocaust. In my view, it would be harassment or intimidation,” she added.

FIRST ON FOX: After months of holding military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion policy, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., relented this week amid growing calls from lawmakers – including some in his party – to drop them. He blamed Democrat senators for not coming to the table to negotiate.

“I couldn’t get anybody to negotiate,” Tuberville told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “Democrats cared nothing about negotiating, and they wanted to stick by the unlawful executive order.”

Tuberville released all holds except about a dozen four-star generals, which he said he’ll likely vote for when they’re brought to the floor. 

The Alabama Republican’s change of tune comes as a Democrat-led effort to change Senate rules to allow hundreds of promotions to proceed without voting individually was gaining momentum from lawmakers, including some in his own party. 

“I hated to drop the holds, but I didn’t want them to change the rules in the Senate,” he said. “You can only fight for so long and when you’ve basically run out of options, it’s time to change your game plan. So, now my game plan will be to work on it for the budget next year, and also try to get President Trump elected because he will change it back.”

TUBERVILLE ENDS BLOCKADE OF MOST MILITARY PROMOTIONS AFTER MONTHS-LONG ABORTION FIGHT

Additionally, Tuberville said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., “changed the rules” in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – an annual bill that authorizes funding for the U.S. military and other defense initiatives – by not allowing a vote to remove the abortion policy from the budget earlier this year.

“He changed the rules midstream and said, ‘No, I’m gonna make all decisions, I’m not gonna leave that policy in there that was in the House budget,'” he said. “So you just can’t beat somebody that’s got the ability to change the rules.”

Tuberville began blocking President Biden’s military nominations in February over what he said was the Pentagon’s “illegal” policy of providing travel expense reimbursements to service members who seek an abortion. The Biden administration adopted the policy last year in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and held the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.

TUBERVILLE NOT BUDGING ON MILITARY HOLDS OVER ABORTION POLICY AS DEMS EYE RULES CHANGE

Almost 400 military nominations have since been in limbo due to Tuberville’s blanket hold on confirmations and promotions for senior military officers. Tuberville’s opponents have said it has left key national security positions unfilled and military families with an uncertain path forward.

Other routes to overcome the Pentagon’s policy have sprung up in the last few months. One of those avenues, introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., proposed taking the policy to court. It would need the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to bolster momentum for a lawsuit.

“We’ve been working on that for six or seven months,” Tuberville said. “I think eventually, that will happen.”

However, he added, the court system “takes a long time” and the effort would have to start in the House. 

GOP SENATORS RAIL AGAINST TUBERVILLE’S MILITARY HOLDS NEARLY ALL NIGHT 

Nonetheless, Tuberville said he will “continue to fight” to eliminate the abortion policy. 

“It wasn’t the outcome that I wanted, but again, I got a lot of people’s attention, of the illegal use of taxpayer money for abortion,” Tuberville said. 

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report. 

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramawamy made numerous controversial statements during the fourth GOP presidential debate, going as far as to call one of his fellow contenders a “fascist.”

Ramaswamy took many shots at his competition on stage — most notably former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley — and took plenty of incoming fire himself.

NIKKI HALEY WALKS BACK ‘VERIFY EVERYBODY’ SOCIAL MEDIA PROPOSAL, WANTS FREE SPEECH FOR ‘ANONYMOUS AMERICANS’

CALLING NIKKI HALEY A ‘FASCIST’

Ramaswamy attacked Haley as a “fascist” early on during the debate, citing the former United Nations (UN) ambassador’s calls to have social media users “verified by their name.”

The GOP presidential candidate said the U.S. is “marching towards fascism under Biden” and that “[Special Counsel] Jack Smith has subpoenaed every last retweet that someone has issued from Donald Trump in the year 2020.”

“The only person more fascist than the Biden regime now is Nikki Haley, who thinks the government should identify every one of those individuals with an ID,” Ramaswamy said, prompting boos from the crowd.

“That is not freedom, that is fascism, she should come nowhere near the levers of power, let alone the White House,” he continued.

Haley walked back her comments after facing backlash, saying she wanted social media companies to be transparent with Americans and show their algorithms.

“What I know, what anyone in intelligence [knows]… Russia, Iran and China, North Korea too, know that the cheapest form of warfare is to spread misinformation. Look at what happened with Israel. You want to know where all this pro-Hamas information is coming from? It is coming from foreign actors that are sowing chaos and division,” she said in November.

ATTACKING NIKKI HALEY’S INTELLIGENCE

Ramaswamy also attacked Haley’s intelligence on stage, saying she couldn’t name a Ukrainian province she would theoretically send soldiers to if elected president amid the war with Russia.

The Ohio businessman said that Haley and Biden were two of the last “neocons” supporting “pointless war” in Ukraine.

“One thing that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in common is that neither of them could even state for you three provinces in eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to actually fight for,” Ramaswamy said.

Ramaswamy’s words sparked a response from former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who criticized Ramaswamy for attacking Haley’s intelligence.

Christie blasted Ramaswamy as “the most obnoxious blowhard in America” for his comments and defended Haley as a “smart” and “accomplished woman.”

TELLING CHRISTIE TO HAVE A ‘MEAL’ AND GET OFF THE STAGE

The crowd erupted with laughter when Ramaswamy told Christie to leave the presidential debate stage and get a “meal.”

The attack came after Christie torched Ramaswamy over his comments targeting Haley over her intelligence, 

Ramaswamy fired back at Christie, telling the former Garden State governor to leave the stage, “enjoy a nice meal and get the hell out of this race.”

“Chris, your version of foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York,” Ramaswamy said.

“So do everybody a favor: just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal, and get the hell out of this race,” he continued.

SAUDI ARABIA ON SEPTEMBER 11, JANUARY 6, AND MORE

Ramaswamy also turned heads on stage when he said he was the “only candidate” on stage who would raise questions regarding the January 6 Capitol Riots, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in 9/11, and more.

While blasting the Republicans on stage for “Monday morning quarterbacking” former President Trump’s 

The Ohio businessman said that he thinks the January 6 riots are looking more like an “inside job” and that the U.S. government “lied” to the American people about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the September 11 Attacks.

Additionally, Ramaswamy said the “Great Replacement Theory is not some grand, right-wing conspiracy theory” but rather “a basic statement of the Democratic Party’s platform” and that the 2020 was “stolen by Big Tech.”

Ramaswamy is continuing forward in his quest for the Oval Office in a thinning GOP field.

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The Ohio businessman will have to fight through the other remaining Republican candidates for his chance to take on Biden for the presidency.

However, even if he surpasses his colleagues on stage, Ramaswamy still trails far behind Trump in the primary.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The fourth Republican presidential debate saw no shortage of fireworks, including plenty of name-calling and personal jabs between the participating candidates.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley repeatedly clashed in heated exchanges throughout the debate, which was held on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

Here are the top five fiery moments from the debate:

WHO WERE THE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE? PUNDITS NAME THEIR PICKS

1. DeSantis and Ramaswamy pile on Haley over ties to billionaire donors

The debate opened with Haley drawing the ire of DeSantis and Ramaswamy when she defended her ties to banking billionaires and other wealthy individuals.

“Look, we will take support from anybody we can take support from,” Haley said, arguing that support from corporate billionaires didn’t translate to her automatically agreeing with them on policy.

Ramaswamy ripped Haley for accepting money from corporate CEOs he said were supporters of environment, social, governance (ESG) investing, a strategy where environmental factors, such as how a corporation contributes to pollution or climate change, are included in investment decisions.

He went on to accuse Haley of being “corrupt,” citing her status as a millionaire after only being out of government for a few years, to which she defended herself by accusing DeSantis and Ramaswamy of being “jealous” that she had the support of those billionaires.

DeSantis jumped in, warning that Haley’s donors were aiming “to use economic power to impose a left-wing agenda” on the country before Ramaswamy joked that Haley used a book he previously wrote criticizing ESG as “a how-to manual” rather than a warning about such policies.

TRUMP ONCE AGAIN GETS OFF THE HOOK AT THE LATEST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, DESPITE ONE CANDIDATE’S BEST EFFORTS

2. Christie calls Ramaswamy an “obnoxious blowhard” as he defends Haley

Christie stepped in to defend Haley from Ramaswamy after he attacked her support for aiding Ukraine in its “pointless” war with Russia.

“One thing that Joe Biden and Nikki Haley have in common is that neither of them could state for you three provinces in Eastern Ukraine that they want to send our troops to … She has no idea what the hell the names of those provinces are, but she wants to send our sons and daughters and our troops and our military equipment to go fight,” Ramaswamy said.

Christie interjected, accusing Ramaswamy of wanting to concede “stolen” land to Russia, beginning a nearly inaudible shouting match between the two, which culminated in Christie calling Ramaswamy an “obnoxious blowhard.”

“We’re now 25 minutes into this debate, and he has now insulted Nikki Haley’s basic intelligence, not her positions, her basic intelligence,” Christie said. “I’ve known her for 12 years, longer than he’s even started to vote in a Republican primary, and while we disagree on some issues … what we don’t disagree on is this is a smart, accomplished woman. You should stop insulting her.”

“Your version of foreign policy experience was closing a bridge from New Jersey to New York. So, do everybody a favor, just walk yourself off that stage, enjoy a nice meal, and get the hell out of this race,” Ramswamy hit back.

3. Ramaswamy holds up a sheet of paper accusing Haley of corruption

While railing against Haley for what he described as utilization of identity politics, Ramaswamy held up his debate notebook to reveal he had written, in large letters, “NIKKI = CORRUPT.”

Prior to holding up the paper, Ramaswamy blasted Haley’s use of her gender in her campaign, citing various instances she had referenced being a woman.

“She said that I have a woman problem. Nikki, I don’t have a woman problem. You have a corruption problem, and I think that’s what people need to know. Nikki is corrupt,” Ramaswamy said as he held up the sign.

“This is a woman who will send your kids to die, so she can buy a bigger house. This is the problem. Using identity politics more effectively than Kamala Harris is a form of intellectual fraud,” he said.

RNC CHAIR MCDANIEL DEFENDS THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING GOP 2024 FIELD

4. Haley and DeSantis continue their months-long spat on China

DeSantis slammed Haley as the “number one” governor for bringing the Chinese Communist Party into her state during her time leading South Carolina, citing a video of her welcoming a Chinese company as she stood next to a Chinese flag.

He went on to argue her “liberal donors” wouldn’t allow her to be tough on China.

“First of all, he’s mad because those Wall Street donors used to support him, and now they support me,” Haley retorted, before arguing DeSantis had his own history of bringing Chinese companies into Florida.

DeSantis rejected the claim, stating one of the companies she named was an American company, and that he banned the Chinese from buying land in his state.

“I have a record of standing up and doing what’s right,” DeSantis said, to which Haley responded, “You have a record of lying.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS ‘EXTREMELY AGRESSIVE’ PUSH IN IOWA 

5. Christie lays into DeSantis on question about former President Donald Trump’s age

Christie laid into DeSantis after the latter avoided directly answering a question about whether Trump, 77, was still “mentally fit” to serve as president, and instead stressed the need for a new generation of leaders.

“Why doesn’t he just answer the question? The question was very direct. Is he fit to be president or isn’t he? The rest of the speech is interesting, but completely non-responsive. And if we were in a courtroom, they’d strike the answer … They would strike the answer because you’re not answering it,” Christie said.

DeSantis jumped in, interrupting Christie as the two began inaudibly talking over each other.

“Is he fit or isn’t he?” Christie repeatedly yelled until the moderators eventually stopped the back-and-forth.

DeSantis repeated another version of his previous answer before Christie said,” He won’t answer. He’s afraid to answer.”

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“No I’m not!” DeSantis yelled.

The two again began speaking inaudibly over each other before the moderators were forced to halt the conversation another time. Christie then accused his opponents of being “afraid to offend” Trump.

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

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparked a social media firestorm during the last primary debate on Wednesday when he held up a sign that said “Nikki=Corrupt” in reference to his opponent, Nikki Haley.

“I don’t have a woman problem,” Ramaswamy told Haley as part of an attack criticizing her work in the military contracting sector after her time as ambassador. “You have a corruption problem and I think that that’s what people need to know. Nikki is corrupt.” 

As Ramaswamy was saying that, he pulled out a sign that had been sitting on the podium that read, “Nikki=Corrupt.”

RAMASWAMY’S NEW HAMPSHIRE-BASED POLITICAL DIRECTOR JOINS TRUMP CAMPAIGN

“This is a woman who will send your kids to die so she can buy a bigger house,” Ramaswamy added.

When asked by a moderator if she wanted to respond to Ramaswamy’s claim, Haley said, “No. It’s not worth my time to respond to him.”

Social media quickly erupted with reactions with some seemingly in disbelief Ramaswamy attacked Haley in that way.

“OMG,” Hot Air associate editor Karen Townsend posted on X. “Vivek holds up a paper that reads “Nikki is corrupt.”

“Vivek just ended Nikki Haley,” Citizen Free Press posted on X.

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk called the exchange “one of the most noteworthy moments of the night.”

Others pointed out that Ramaswamy’s sign was likely to become a meme in the future.

“Something tells me that when I wake up tomorrow, Vivek’s notepad will have been used in about 3,742 different memes,” radio host Larry O’Connor posted on X. “Please post your favorites here…”

“Vivek is the only one who shows up to these debates ready to create a viral moment or meme,” chef Andrew Gruel posted on X. “A 4th primary debate isn’t going to change the numbers so why not go wild?”

Not everyone on social media was amused by the viral moment including many who pointed out that some boos could be heard in the audience.

RAMASWAMY CLASHES WITH CNN ANCHOR PRESSING HIM ON TRUMP’S ‘VERMIN’ COMMENTS: ‘GIVE ME A BREAK!’

“Vivek holds up pad saying Nikki Corrupt,” Fox News host Howard Kurtz posted on X. “Gets booed. Worst debate performance in a long time. Haley wisely declined to rebut him: Not worth my time.”

“I cannot believe that Vivek Ramaswamy held up a little homemade sign accusing Nikki Haley of being corrupt,” journalist Maria Shriver posted on X. “So childish. Wow.”

Ramaswamy responded to the boos in real time accusing those booing of being donor “puppet masters” for Haley. 

Ramaswamy’s team stood by his move in a social media post shortly after he held up the sign with a list of jobs and income from Haley’s past along with the message: “The math doesn’t add up. Nikki Haley = Corrupt.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Haley campaign but did not immediately receive a response.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The smallest debate stage to date in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race had some of the biggest fireworks.

Much of the verbal crossfire at Wednesday’s showdown at the University of Alabama was directed at former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has enjoyed plenty of momentum this autumn.

But despite the best efforts of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who repeatedly chastised his rivals for failing to verbally confront former President Donald Trump — the commanding Republican 2024 front-runner came away from the fourth debate relatively unscathed as he once again skipped taking the stage.

“We’re 17 minutes into this debate… we’ve had these three acting as if the race is between the four of us,” Christie said as he pointed to Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

RNC CHAIR MCDANIEL DEFENDS THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING GOP 2024 FIELD

Trump made history earlier this year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments — including in federal court in Washington, D.C., and in Fulton County court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss — have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

Christie charged that it was “ridiculous” that his debate rivals wouldn’t discuss Trump. “I’m in this race because the truth needs to be spoken… He is unfit to be president.”

But Christie’s jabs at Trump drew boos a couple of times during the debate, including in his closing comments when he predicted that Trump would be convicted and would be unable to vote for himself. 

TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS ‘EXTREMELY AGRESSIVE’ PUSH IN IOWA 

“If we deny reality as a party we’re gonna have four more years of Joe Biden,” Christie warned.

But Christie’s scolding of his rivals mostly fell on deaf ears, as they mostly avoided direct criticism of Trump even when the moderators asked a series of questions regarding the former president.

While Trump stayed out of the crossfire, Haley wasn’t nearly as lucky.

DeSantis repeatedly fired shots at Haley, including accusing her of not supporting a ban on gender-affirming procedures for transgender youth, which she denied. 

And he claimed that Haley “caves anytime the left comes after her.”

Haley fired back, arguing that “Ron continues to lie because he’s losing.”

DESANTIS STOPS IN ALL OF IOWA’S 99 COUNTIES, BUT WILL IT HELP HIM CLOSE THE GAP WITH TRUMP?

Ramaswamy renewed his attacks on Haley for her support from top dollar Wall Street donors and her service on the board of the Boeing Company.

“It adds up to the fact that you are corrupt,” he charged as he held up a note pad. The words “Nikki = corrupt” were written on the pad.

Given the chance by the moderators to respond, Haley emphasized “it is not worth my time responding to him.”

Christie vehemently defended Haley from Ramaswamy’s broadsides — calling the first time candidate an “obnoxious blowhard.”

And in the spin room after the showdown, he charged that Ramaswamy “does have a woman problem.”

But he also took aim during the debate at his fellow former Republican governor, telling reporters later that “my criticism of Nikki is very clear. You can’t be everything to everybody.”

GAME ON IN IOWA WITH THE CAUCUSES CLOSING IN 

The debate, the last to be held this year, came with less than six weeks to go until the Jan 15. Iowa caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

Haley, who has risen in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three GOP presidential primary debates, has leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and votes second in the Republican nominating schedule, and her home state, which holds the first southern contest.

She aims to make a fight of it in Iowa, where she is pulling even with DeSantis in some of the latest polls.

“Nikki was drawing the most fire because she’s had the juice, the momentum,” noted longtime Republican strategist David Kochel.

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Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns and statewide campaigns in Iowa, said that “Trump is not central to these debates because what the candidates on the stage are trying to do is get an opportunity to take him on one-on-one.”

And Kochel emphasized that the debate “clarified what the race is about. It’s about who’s going to face Trump, and it’s DeSantis or Haley…. Someone’s going to win that argument and when they do it’s going to be Trump versus that person.”

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

Political pundits and other media figures took to social media Wednesday night to declare which Republican presidential candidate they thought won the fourth GOP presidential debate.

Opinions were naturally split between Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley after they repeatedly clashed in heated exchanges throughout the debate, which was held on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

“Vivek won the debate and it wasn’t even close,” journalist Cassandra MacDonald wrote, while talk radio host Dom Giordano said the debate was “clearly won” by DeSantis.

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Radio host Dana Loesch agreed with Giordano, declaring, “DeSantis has won two debates two weeks in a row now. His biggest asset is his record.” The previous debate she referenced was the one between DeSantis and Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity last week.

Columnist David Marcus declared Christie the winner, while Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Houck praised DeSantis by pointing to a specific exchange he had with Haley about the threat from China.

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“[DeSantis] wasn’t rattled and clearly won this exchange. To argue he’s not tough on China when he’s been saying for years the Chinese Communist Party is America’s biggest threat is ludicrous. Also, anytime you brag about having Wall Street donors is MAJOR cringe,” Houck wrote.

Others declared one candidate the winner who chose not to attend the debate: Former President Donald Trump.

X Strategies CEO Alex Bruesewitz wrote that Trump won, Ramaswamy came in second, and DeSantis and Haley tied for third, while former Republican presidential candidate Larry Elder posted a flattering drawing of Trump with the question, “The winner?”

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“Trump won this debate,” Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Fla, simply wrote, as Fox News contributor Leo Terrell agreed, “President Trump won the debate!”

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The Iowa Republican Caucuses will be held on Jan. 15, 2024, and will be followed by the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23.

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