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Speaker Mike Johnson’s bid to end run Democrats’ opposition to an election integrity bill backed by President Donald Trump survived a key House-wide vote on Tuesday.

It’s a major victory for Republicans in a fight that Democrats have argued is about suppressing Americans’ right to vote, while the GOP argues it is about enhancing Americans’ confidence in the electoral process.

The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has faced significant headwinds in Congress despite having Trump’s full-throated support. While it passed the House, the legislation has struggled in the Senate, where at least several Democratic votes are needed to break a filibuster and advance to final passage.

JOHNSON’S STRATEGY TO BYPASS DEMOCRATS’ SAVE ACT BLOCKADE SURVIVES KEY VOTE, HANDING GOP BIG WIN

But the new plan by Johnson, R-La., which would allow key parts of the bill to skirt Democrats entirely, survived a key test vote on the House floor Tuesday.

The House voted largely along party lines to allow for debate on a $95 billion budget bill that includes some $10 billion for states to implement voter ID laws and a proof-of-citizenship requirement in the voter registration process — both key points in the SAVE America Act.

It’s part of a wider measure being passed via the budget reconciliation process.

GOP’S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT

The reconciliation process allows the party in power to pass sweeping fiscal policy reforms without input from their opposition by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to line up with the House’s simple majority requirement.

But there are strict guidelines for what can be in a reconciliation bill. Such legislation must deal with yearly federal spending and revenues, meaning issues that do not directly affect fiscal policy are generally excluded.

The remainder of the budget bill includes $73 billion for the U.S. war against Iran and $12 billion in aid for American farmers.

GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL

The second chamber-wide step in the reconciliation process after Tuesday’s successful vote is to pass a framework that directs the relevant committees to then craft details dealing with their allocated budgets. Those details are then put back into a single sweeping bill that must pass the House and Senate before getting to Trump’s desk for his signature.

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That framework is set to get a vote on Wednesday afternoon.

Whether it passes, however, is unclear. In addition to Democratic opposition, some GOP fiscal hawks are wary of the legislation’s lack of spending cuts to offset the increase in the federal budget.

The American Federation of Teachers conference in Washington turned into an anti-Trump spectacle as union boss Rhonda “Randi” Weingarten repeatedly leaped on stage during her keynote speech and later quipped that President Donald Trump has her reaching for vodka.

Weingarten, a longtime foe of the president and top Republicans, opened her keynote speech by mocking the White House’s Independence Day cage match and later suggested that the president is an authoritarian whose daily stream of political actions drives her to drink.

In welcoming teachers and activists from around the country, Weingarten quipped: “While you missed the UFC cage fight on the White House lawn, it’s not too late to check out the tire marks in the Reflecting Pool.”

TRUMP’S BOLD PREDICTION FOR HISTORIC UFC WHITE HOUSE FIGHT REVEALED IN NEW FOX NATION DOCUMENTARY

During a panel discussion that included former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, Weingarten asked the panelists what keeps them up at night with many things “confronting the country.”

“Because part of what authoritarians do — and also part of what Donald Trump does, whether you consider him an authoritarian or not — is the throwing out of so much stuff that people just throw up their hands and say: ‘Oh no, what are we going to do? All I want to do is stay home and’ — for those of us who drink — ‘have a glass of wine’ — or for me, some vodka.”

The Clarkstown, New York, native went on to recount a conference speech by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who referenced a snake convulsing as it neared its death.

FAR-LEFT GROUPS PIVOT FROM MAY DAY PROTESTS TO MOBILIZE VOTERS FOR 2026 MIDTERMS, PUSHING DEMS LEFTWARD

“It looks really scary, but that is a convulsion nearing death. And it’s been something I thought about this morning waking up, because if you think about how Trump looked yesterday,” Weingarten said, going on to note the volume of union members living in swing states ahead of the midterms.

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

During the keynote, Weingarten name-checked several conservative entities focused on school choice, from reporter Christopher Rufo to the Heritage Foundation.

FAR-LEFT ACTIVIST CONFERENCE AT TEACHERS UNION HQ RAISES CLASSROOM CONCERNS

Weingarten grew increasingly animated as she pivoted from Trump and purported “oligarchs” like Elon Musk to her confidence that the AFT would come out in force and bring about a leftward policy shift at the polls.

“Yes,” she boomed. “The other side has power.”

“But this is what they don’t have: the power of the people,” she said as she began to jump.

“That is not a mere slogan. It is the potential to work together, to bargain together, to protest together, to vote together, to act together, to bring about change — real, lasting, life-improving change.

That is the power and potential of our movement and of the A – F – T,” she shouted, elongating her organization’s acronym.

Weingarten later said she wanted to see an America built where “the trans nurse, the Palestinian teacher, the Jewish student and every person, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender or place of origin, feel welcome, safe and valued.”

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She said the AFT can use its power for “good” against “corruption” and said that when they fight they bring a better life for all.

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“And one more thing: We get s— done,” she said, before footnoting: “My apologies to the children.”

Fox News Digital reached out to AFT for additional comment.

Fox News Digital’s Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., remained silent when repeatedly pressed about her husband’s newly filed misdemeanor hit-and-run charge, declining to answer whether she believed the charge was fair.

“Can you tell us if you think the misdemeanor charge against Paul was fair?” Fox News Digital asked Pelosi as she walked to her car, refusing to respond.

Paul Pelosi faces a maximum sentence of up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both. In addition to the misdemeanor filed Friday, Pelosi was also charged with an infraction for making an unsafe turn in the incident on July 3.

PAUL PELOSI, 86, FACES A HIT-AND-RUN CHARGE AFTER STRIKING A PARKED CAR IN NAPA COUNTY: SHERIFF’S OFFICE

The charge filed by the Napa County District Attorney’s Office come after the 86-year-old broke California law by allegedly not making any attempt to contact or identify the owner of a parked Tesla that he damaged.

As Pelosi drove away in his Maserati convertible, his car broke down after driving about a half mile. Deputies found Pelosi, and he claimed that he had known he hit something, but was unsure of what and had planned to return to the crash scene.

The incident prompted authorities to request Pelosi undergo a behind-the-wheel driving evaluation to ensure he is able to safely operate a vehicle.

PELOSI STAFFER PUMPS THE BRAKES WHEN PRESSED ON HUSBAND’S HIT-AND-RUN: ‘THAT’S ENOUGH’

This is not the first time Pelosi has gained national attention for an unlawful driving incident. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and crashing into an oncoming Jeep, injuring the driver and was charged with a misdemeanor.

It was also reported by The New York Times that Pelosi was behind the wheel in the 1957 incident that killed his 19-year-old brother, though he was cleared by a jury for any wrongdoing in the case.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS FRACTURE BADLY OVER MASSIE AMENDMENT TO CUT $3.3B IN U.S. AID TO ISRAEL

Fox News Digital also asked the Democratic former speaker about her recent vote — alongside over 100 House Democrats — for an amendment introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to cut $3.3 billion in aid to Israel.

The amendment failed 314-104, with Massie being the only Republican to vote in its favor, but it showed the pressure on the Democratic Party to take a stance against Israel and its handling of the war in Gaza.

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It also represents the changing view of Democrats’ stance on Israel, particularly under the Trump administration and as Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been under fire for his actions toward Gaza.

Primary elections have also reflected American voters’ outrage with Israel, as the nation has seen progressive candidates who have spoken out against Israel and in favor of Palestinians sweep victories over incumbents and mainstream Democrats as the elected nominees for the November midterms.

The Trump administration is freezing more than $1 billion in federal Medicaid funding to California and Minnesota over suspected fraud, with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warning Tuesday that states won’t receive another taxpayer dollar until they prove the payments were legitimate.

“If Governor Gavin Newsom or Governor Tim Walz wants this funding released, all they have to do is provide basic documentation showing that these services are legitimate and not fraudulent. And that’s common sense,” Kennedy said during a news conference on Tuesday.

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This is a developing news story; check back for updates.

New York State is drawing mockery after the chief judge of its highest court appointed “Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon to a commission that screens and recommends candidates for the state’s top judicial posts.

Nixon, who played attorney Miranda Hobbes on the 2000s hit series, will be one of four members of the 12-seat Commission on Judicial Nomination that are required to not be licensed members of the New York State Bar to practice law in the Empire State.

She was appointed Thursday by Chief Judge Rowan Wilson.

“Only in Kathy Hochul’s New York could playing a lawyer on HBO qualify you to pick the judges on our state’s highest court,” Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital on Monday.

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST ACTRESS CYNTHIA NIXON HANDED POWERFUL ROLE IN HELPING CHOOSE NEW YORK TOP JUDGES

“Selecting far-left activist actress Cynthia Nixon to help select New York’s top judges will not bring ‘Justice In The City,’” remarked the National Review’s John Fund in a tweet.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley added on X that the move is the latest in a pattern wherein the “New York legal system continues to make a parody of itself.”

SOCIALISM’S RISE INSIDE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOW THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM

Other online critics mocked the fact Nixon’s character was a lawyer but that she is not one in real life.

One posted an image of “ER” actor Noah Wyle – who played a doctor — riffing that he could be the next Surgeon General. “I played the part of an astronaut in a school play when I was maybe 10 years old. Should I prepare my resume for NASA?” another wrote.

Saritha Komatireddy, the Republican challenging state Attorney General Letitia James, said that appointing a “celebrity activist with zero legal background to help shape the future of our judiciary sends the wrong message entirely.”

SOCIALIST SURGE: MAMDANI FLEXES GROWING POLITICAL MUSCLE AS HE TAKES ON DEM ESTABLISHMENT

“This is part of a broader trend in New York: politics increasingly taking precedence over public safety and common sense,” Komatireddy told the New York Post.

Nixon is aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2018 in a primary against Andrew Cuomo.

She campaigned for former Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2013 and current Mayor Zohran Mamdani in 2025.

At least one Democrat also sounded off against Nixon’s appointment, appearing to blame farther-left members of his party for dispensing with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s original nominee to Rowan’s seat.

“The price New Yorkers will pay for the bigots and haters who took out the immensely qualified Justice LaSalle is that Cynthia Nixon now gets to vet the judiciary. Excelsior!” tweeted Assemb. Kalman Yeger, D-Borough Park, riffing on the state’s “Ever Upward” slogan at the end.

Hochul settled on Wilson after New York State Senate Democrats torpedoed her nomination of fellow Democrat Hector LaSalle to lead the court’s highest bench for appearing too conservative and amid opposition from activist and labor groups.

Republicans will also get their shot at appointing a member to the commission alongside Nixon.

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State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-Niagara Falls, has been allotted one appointment following a recent retirement vacancy, according to the Albany Times-Union.

Fox News Digital reached out to Nixon via the Commission and the Senate Republicans’ office for comment.

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The top Republican on the New York Senate Judiciary Committee told Fox News Digital that Nixon’s pick should “alarm every New Yorker” that political activism appears to be “a requirement for consideration to serve on the bench.”

“The appointment of a far-left, non-lawyer, Hollywood actress to the Commission on Judicial Nomination further reinforces the fact that the courts of New York have become entirely partisan,” said Sen. Anthony Palumbo of Suffolk.

“We should all be outraged by the abuse of this branch of government that is supposed to be immune from politics.”

With Nixon now serving on the commission, she will help evaluate and recommend future Court of Appeals nominees to the governor, a role that could allow progressive critics’ objections to LaSalle to continue influencing the state’s highest court long after that confirmation fight ended.

One red county is emerging as America’s biggest winner in the race for people and prosperity, attracting more wealth from migrating taxpayers than any other county in the nation.

The latest IRS migration data show President Donald Trump’s hometown of Palm Beach County, Florida, attracted more than $3 billion in taxable income from households moving in from other states, the largest gain of any county in the nation.

Already one of the nation’s wealthiest areas, Palm Beach is also home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which has been dubbed the Southern White House. The sunny Florida enclave has become an increasingly high-profile destination for political donors, business leaders and affluent residents, alongside Florida’s broader influx of high-income households.

THE RED STATES RACING AHEAD IN AMERICA’S POWERFUL WEALTH BOOM — AND THE STATES FALLING BEHIND

The latest IRS figures suggest that trend continues to favor lower-tax, fast-growing Sun Belt states over many of the nation’s largest coastal counties.

The findings offer one of the clearest snapshots yet of where Americans, and their money, are moving. That’s important because the migration of higher-income households can have an outsized economic impact. They contribute more than just new neighbors, bringing paychecks, investments, businesses and spending power that can strengthen local economies while leaving behind smaller tax bases in the places they leave.

The migration wasn’t limited to Palm Beach. 

Neighboring Collier County recorded the nation’s second-largest net gain in adjusted gross income at roughly $2.25 billion, with nearly all of that growth also driven by newcomers from outside Florida. Adjusted gross income, or AGI, measures the taxable income reported on federal tax returns, making it one of the clearest indicators of how much earning power is moving from one place to another.

Because higher-income households pay a disproportionate share of federal income taxes, changes in adjusted gross income can have an outsized effect on local tax bases, consumer spending and economic growth.

BILLIONS IN TAXPAYER INCOME ARE LEAVING TWO ICONIC STATES — AS A NEW ECONOMIC MAP EMERGES

Meanwhile, some of the nation’s largest metropolitan counties continued to lose both taxpayers and wealth through interstate migration.

Los Angeles County, home to Hollywood and one of the nation’s largest economic engines, recorded the nation’s largest net loss of tax filers, shedding 17,496 returns. Those departing taxpayers took nearly $1.9 billion in adjusted gross income with them as they relocated to other states.

Other major counties in California and New York also recorded significant taxpayer losses. Queens County, New York, lost 17,109 tax filers, followed by the Bronx (-16,319), Orange County, California (-11,618) and Suffolk County, New York (-10,434), highlighting the continued outflow from some of the nation’s largest coastal population centers.

One county, however, stood out for a different reason.

Manhattan recorded the nation’s largest net gain in interstate tax filers while simultaneously losing about $922 million in adjusted gross income, suggesting many of the households arriving earned less than the higher-income taxpayers who departed.

AMERICA’S TOP DESTINATION FOR NEW TAXPAYERS IS QUIETLY GETTING POORER, IRS DATA REVEALS

The contrast underscores that population growth and wealth growth are not always the same thing.

While Manhattan added more new tax filers than any other county, Palm Beach and Collier captured billions more in taxable income, illustrating how the migration of affluent households can reshape local economies even when fewer people move.

Trump officially moved his main residence from his longtime home of Manhattan to his estate in Palm Beach in 2019, while he was serving his first term in office. At the time of the move, he slammed New York City’s liberal policies and claimed he was “treated very badly” by political leaders in the state despite paying millions in taxes.

In the years after his move, many of Trump’s wealthy inner circle also relocated to Palm Beach and some surrounding Florida counties. The Sunshine State has no state income tax and levies neither estate nor inheritance taxes, while New York’s top state income tax rate exceeds 10%.

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Taken together, the IRS figures suggest America’s economic center of gravity continues to shift south.

As billions of dollars in taxable income flow toward Florida, Texas and other Sun Belt states, many of the nation’s traditional coastal economic powerhouses are losing not just residents — but some of their highest-earning taxpayers.

EXCLUSIVE: A conservative super PAC focused on policy involving artificial intelligence is making its first campaign investments, throwing its support behind two Republican candidates in House races it views as critical to the GOP’s hopes of keeping control of the chamber.

Fox News Digital has learned from a person familiar that Defending Our Values PAC is backing Rhett Marques in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District and Scott Singer in Florida’s 25th Congressional District.

Republicans hold only a slim majority in the House, meaning a small number of competitive races could determine which party controls Congress after the 2026 midterm elections. According to the person familiar with the super PAC’s plans, Defending Our Values views both contests as key opportunities to help Republicans preserve their House majority.

FOX NEWS POLL: MOVE OVER BIG BROTHER, VOTERS SEE BIG TECH AS GREATER THREAT TO US

The group’s political push comes as artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as one of Capitol Hill’s biggest policy debates, with lawmakers weighing how to regulate fast-moving technology while preserving American innovation and maintaining the country’s technological edge over China. Defending Our Values argues conservatives, rather than Silicon Valley executives, should play a leading role in shaping those policies.

While Defending Our Values announced a $15 million election effort last week, the group had not previously disclosed which candidates would receive its support.

Marques and Singer are the first candidates to become beneficiaries of that effort, according to the person with knowledge of the investments. The organization selected the pair because it believes they would be among Congress’ strongest advocates for taking on Big Tech, strengthening online protections for children and families, and advancing policies aimed at helping the United States outpace China in artificial intelligence innovation.

CHINA IS BUILDING AN AI WAR MACHINE. WASHINGTON MUST WAKE UP BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Both candidates are navigating crowded Republican primaries before what are expected to be competitive general election contests.

Marques is facing multiple candidates in the Republican primary in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.

Alabama is scheduled to hold a special Republican primary on Aug. 11 following redistricting.

Singer, similarly, is competing in his own crowded Republican primary in Florida’s 25th Congressional District. He has been endorsed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, among other Republicans, ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election.

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According to the person familiar with the super PAC’s plans, the group’s spending is intended not only to help Marques and Singer emerge from crowded Republican primaries but also to boost their name recognition heading into November’s general election.

If he secures the nomination, Marques would face incumbent Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala.

Singer, if he wins, would likely face Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., one of Trump’s most outspoken Democrat critics in Congress.

President Donald Trump’s immense clout over the GOP and the power of his endorsements in Republican nomination races face their latest test Tuesday, as Arizona holds primary elections.

Trump’s endorsements in a handful of key races, including in a top swing congressional district, could impact the midterm battles for the House majority and control of governors’ offices.

Trump is backing Rep. Andy Biggs, a former House Freedom Caucus chairman, for the GOP gubernatorial nomination and the chance to challenge Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November.

Biggs, who is also backed by the political wing of the conservative powerhouse Turning Point USA, is considered the frontrunner in a race that also includes longtime Republican Rep. David Schweikert. Also on the ballot are concrete pumping contractor Scott Neely, who’s making his second straight run for governor, and business owner Ken Miceli.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

The winner will face off in the general election with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, a former Arizona Secretary of State who narrowly defeated then-GOP nominee Kari Lake four years ago. Hobbs was unopposed for re-nomination.

Down-ballot, the statewide race for the Republican attorney general nomination has become combustible as state Senate President Warren Petersen and military attorney Rodney Glassman have traded fire. The winner will challenge Democratic incumbent Kris Mayes in the general election.

In the race to succeed Schweikert in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which is anchored in the northeastern Phoenix suburbs, Trump is backing former Arizona Cardinals professional football player and former CBS Sports NFL analyst Jay Feely.

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Former state lawmaker Joseph Chaplik and businessman John Trobough are also running for the GOP nomination in the key swing district.

Former TV anchor Marlene Galán-Woods and former state Rep. Amish Shah are facing off in a rematch for the Democratic congressional nomination. Shah, an emergency room physician, won the 2024 faceoff.

Galán-Woods, a former Republican, has the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which has big bucks to support her, as well as top Democrats Sen. Mark Kelly and former Gov. Janet Napolitano.

Rick McCartney, president and CEO of InMedia Company, and Jonathan Treble, founder of WithMe, are also on the ballot.

The midterm race in Arizona’s 1st District is one of two or three dozen across the country that will determine whether the GOP holds onto its razor-thin House majority.

In the race to replace Biggs in Arizona’s 5th District, which is located in the southeastern Phoenix suburbs, including parts of Mesa, Trump is backing former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who is facing off with construction contractor Daniel Keenan for the GOP nomination.

Keenan has made the sexual misconduct and abuse-of-power allegations against Lamb a key part of his campaign. The Pinal County attorney last month cleared Lamb of criminal wrongdoing as it closed its investigation. And Trump, despite the controversy, reaffirmed his endorsement of Lamb earlier this month.

The winner of the Republican primary will be considered the clear favorite to succeed Biggs in the solidly red district.

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries this spring and summer, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Kentucky and Texas, as well as the Louisiana primary.

But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped in early June when his last-minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

Trump-backed candidates won two of the three top races in key GOP primary runoff elections in Georgia and Alabama last month, with the one setback coming against a billionaire businessman who shelled out over $100 million of his own money to boost his campaign.

A week later, Trump-backed first-time candidate Anthony Constantino, a businessman and former boxer, defeated Robert Smullen, a retired Marine Corps colonel and New York assemblyman who had the backing of the state party, in the upstate New York race to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik.

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Meanwhile, in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial runoff, Trump couldn’t lose.

That’s because, besides backing Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette a few weeks earlier, he also gave a last-minute endorsement to state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who ended up winning the late June showdown in a landslide.

The president also enjoyed victory in Louisiana, where Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, was ousted as he sought re-nomination. Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow ended up winning the nomination in last month’s runoff election.

President Donald Trump is throwing his weight behind House GOP leaders’ latest gambit to pass the SAVE America Act as some fiscal hawks are skeptical of the bill’s increase to federal spending while the national debt balloons to $39.5 trillion.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is spearheading an effort to pass elements of the election integrity bill through the budget reconciliation process, which would sidestep the need for Democratic support in the Senate in order to get the bill to Trump’s desk.

The legislation would also add some $73 billion in national security spending as the war between the U.S. and Iran continues after multiple stalled attempts at peace talks.

GOP’S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT

“The fact that there is no payfor and no language defunding Planned Parenthood is enough for me to vote no,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital on Monday. “I am open to a dialogue with the administration on how we can ensure that the SAVE language is solid and what we might be able to do with stopping abortions by mail.”

Trump took to Truth Social to personally thank Johnson and House Budget Committee members for their work cobbling together the new reconciliation bill, which would include $95 billion in new government spending through 2036.

“I am asking all House Republicans to VOTE YES this week on the Budget Resolution, which is an important first step towards getting a Budget Bill. House Republicans must UNIFY, and fight for THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!” Trump posted.

GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL

He argued the legislation would “get AS MUCH of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible in a Budget Bill, along with aid to our incredible Farmers, and funding for our Military.”

The bill, which was rolled out last week, is known as a budget “framework” setting rules for how much money the relevant congressional committees must spend. The details of exactly where the money will go will be determined in the coming weeks by lawmakers on those committees, before those details are patched back together into a massive piece of legislation.

But the framework does not currently have any spending cuts written into it, which immediately raised alarms for conservatives who are wary of additional government spending without cuts to offset it, also called payfors.

JOHNSON RACES TO BREAK HOUSE GOP BLOCKADE IN HIGH-STAKES MEETING WITH TRUMP

Reps. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital they were both concerned about the lack of payfors before Trump’s post but left the door open on whether they would ultimately support the bill.

Burchett predicted the legislation would be sent to the Senate, where SAVE America Act elements would be stripped from the bill before it is returned to the House.

“Then I’ll probably vote no,” he added afterward. He did not immediately answer a follow-up question about whether he supports the original iteration of the bill.

A source familiar with thinking by the conservative House Freedom Caucus left the door open to the group backing the budget framework, but with the caveat that the full SAVE America Act is included in the final legislation.

“The SAVE America Act is our top priority — the president wants it done. Mandatory voter ID and proof of citizenship through reconciliation would be a game-changer for this country. But any watered-down version that makes SAVE policies optional? There will be issues,” the source told Fox News Digital.

A senior House GOP aide said, “We can’t spend years warning about our fiscal crisis and then abandon payfors the moment they’re politically inconvenient. Americans are tired of the all-hat, no-cattle approach to fiscal responsibility.”

But some House Freedom Caucus members are supportive of the chosen path, like Budget Committee member Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., who told Fox News Digital, “As a fiscal hawk I understand the apprehension of not having a clear payfor in sight, but as an American, I know it is even more irresponsible to have business as usual elections without the security the SAVE America Act will create.”

The SAVE America Act — which would create a federal voter ID standard and mandate proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, among other elements — passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, where at least some Democrats would be needed to advance the bill to final passage.

Democrats have argued the bill is tantamount to voter suppression.

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House GOP leaders are now pushing to pass elements of the SAVE America Act in the wider reconciliation bill to sidestep that opposition. Budget reconciliation only requires a simple majority to pass in the Senate, lining it up with the House’s own threshold.

But that comes with strict rules on what is permissible to include in a budget reconciliation bill, which has traditionally been left up to the discretion of the Senate parliamentarian — a nonpartisan congressional staffer tasked with making those decisions based on the chamber’s existing rules.

For many would-be homeowners, the financial hurdle to buying a starter home has grown dramatically over the past seven years. The income needed to afford a typical starter home has jumped more than 80% since 2019, according to a new Realtor.com report.

Americans now need an annual household income of about $78,000 to afford a typical starter home, up from roughly $43,000 in 2019—an increase that has far outpaced wage growth and left many first-time buyers struggling to break into the housing market.

“First-time buyers aren’t sitting on the sidelines because they don’t want to own a home—it’s because, for many of them, it’s just not possible right now,” Hannah Jones, senior economist at Realtor.com, told Fox News Digital.

THINK YOUR STATE IS EXPENSIVE? NEW DATA REVEALS WHERE AMERICANS FACE THE HIGHEST COST-OF-LIVING

The analysis paints a mixed picture for first-time buyers. While the supply of starter homes has slowly improved since bottoming out during the pandemic housing crunch, elevated mortgage rates, higher home prices and a lingering shortage of affordable listings continue to keep many aspiring homeowners on the sidelines. 

The recovery has also been uneven, creating sharply different conditions depending on where Americans are looking to buy.

A wave of new construction has helped fuel the strongest recovery in starter-home inventory across the South and West, according to Jones, while buyers in much of the Northeast continue to face rising prices and limited supply. Builders in those regions have increasingly focused on smaller homes and lots, she said, helping expand the supply of entry-level housing and better match what first-time buyers are looking for.

The South has experienced the strongest turnaround of any region, adding nearly 170,000 affordable listings since the market bottomed out in 2022. Starter-home prices there have also declined 3.5% from their pandemic peak.

“Buyers in parts of the South and West are seeing more homes in their price range, while much of the Midwest remains relatively affordable compared with the rest of the country,” Jones said.

TRUMP’S HOUSING CHIEF PAINTS A GRIM PICTURE FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP IN ONE MAJOR AMERICAN CITY

The West has seen the biggest improvement in affordability since the pandemic housing boom. Starter-home prices have fallen 7.3% from their 2022 peak, led by markets such as Denver, Phoenix and Colorado Springs, according to the report.

The Northeast has moved in the opposite direction. 

Realtor.com found the typical starter home now costs about $444,000 in the Northeast, with prices climbing 12.6% since 2022 alone.

Meanwhile, the Midwest remains the country’s most affordable region in absolute dollar terms, although affordability there has also begun to erode as prices continue climbing. More than half of homes listed in the Midwest still fall below the $350,000 threshold, giving buyers more options than elsewhere in the country.

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Even as inventory has improved, many first-time buyers remain priced out. Realtor.com found purchases of homes priced below $350,000 fell about 10% in April compared with a year earlier, suggesting higher borrowing costs—not just limited supply—remain one of the biggest obstacles facing would-be homeowners.

Jones said many prospective buyers are waiting for mortgage rates to ease or for more inventory to come onto the market before taking the plunge into homeownership.

The Justice Department is reviewing whether Harvard University accepted foreign donations that improperly favored students from China and other countries over American students.

The department said Monday that Harvard’s foreign-funding disclosures raised concerns that some donors imposed nationality-based restrictions on financial aid. Officials are examining whether those arrangements violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars federally funded institutions from discriminating based on national origin.

“Every American student should have an equal opportunity to compete for college scholarships, grants, and other kinds of financial aid and benefits,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement.

“Schools cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens — doing so is illegal, and we will stop it wherever we find it,” she continued.

KEY TRUMP AGENCY PUTS TOP UNIVERSITIES IN CROSSHAIRS OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED DORM PROGRAMS

The DOJ said some China-based donors directed Harvard to use their money for aid programs benefiting students from particular countries. The department alleged that complying with those restrictions could disadvantage students of other nationalities, including Americans.

Officials stressed that the review remains ongoing and that the department has not reached any conclusions. The DOJ also did not identify the specific scholarships or donors under examination.

Harvard denied that its financial aid policies violate federal civil rights law.

“Harvard follows the law for required reporting of donations and, consistent with our legal obligations under Title VI, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid,” the university said in a statement.

DOJ SUES UCLA OVER ALLEGED ‘JUDENREIN’ CONDITIONS DURING ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT

Federal law requires colleges and universities to report foreign gifts and contracts worth at least $250,000. The DOJ said a Civil Rights Division audit of those disclosures found that Harvard had reported nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding — more than any other American university — including over $630 million from China, its largest foreign source.

The university provides need-based institutional aid to international students, while federal grants and other government assistance are generally limited to eligible US students. Harvard also uses private scholarship and employment funds to support students from outside the country.

Some private gifts have been designated for students from specific nations. In 2014, SOHO China co-founders Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin donated $15 million to support Chinese students at Harvard. The DOJ has not said whether that gift is part of its review.

The inquiry adds another front to the Trump administration’s broader conflict with Harvard. Federal officials have also scrutinized the university over alleged antisemitism, admissions practices and its treatment of foreign students.

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A federal judge previously blocked the administration from cutting billions of dollars in research funding from Harvard as related litigation continues.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Department of Homeland Security and The New York Times are going toe-to-toe after the agency accused the outlet of “false” reporting alleging that federal agents across the country were told that the FBI would not be investigating confrontations with ICE officers.

“This is FALSE,” DHS posted on social media. The agency said that “the relationship between DHS and [the Justice Department] in investigating assault on federal officer cases has NOT changed, and [the FBI] will continue to investigate in accordance with agency policy.”

“This administration has been clear, anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS added.

In response, Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for The New York Times, said the outlet stands by its reporting, telling Fox News Digital, “We’re confident in the accuracy of our reporting, which revealed that Federal agents around the country were told in recent days that the F.B.I. would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents.”

TRUMP BLASTS NEW YORK TIMES, CNN FOR ‘SEDITIOUS’ COVERAGE OF IRAN WAR

Rhoades Ha pointed out that the story “included a joint statement from the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security denying that such a change would be enacted.”

The outlet reported that federal agents around the country were told in recent days that the FBI would no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents, cases that The New York Times wrote, “Sometimes yield evidence that could be used to prosecute Department of Homeland Security agents implicated in violent encounters.”

The Times wrote that if such a policy were enacted it would “sharply limit law enforcement scrutiny of immigration agents” and be “effectively leaving the agency to investigate itself.”

FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL, NEW YORK TIMES CLASH OVER PAPER’S CLAIM ITS REPORTER WAS ‘INVESTIGATED’

The outlet added that this comes as the Trump administration “draws mounting criticism over killings at the hands of federal officers.”

ICE officers were involved in two fatal shootings this month in Maine and Texas. This has led to renewed protests against immigration enforcement operations. DHS, meanwhile, has called attention to significantly increased attacks on federal law enforcement officers in the line of duty.

In response to The New York Times, DHS and DOJ doubled down that the report is categorically false and that the relationship between the two agencies has not changed.

HARRIS CALLS FOR ICE PROBE AFTER MAINE SHOOTING AMID RENEWED ‘BORDER CZAR’ CRITICISM

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In a joint DHS-DOJ statement shared with Fox News Digital, the agencies reaffirmed they are “partners in addressing crime and upholding the rule of law, while securing the safety and security of American communities.”

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dave Flippo knows a thing or two about winning a fight. During his military career he deployed around the world, including serving as a maintenance and logistics officer in Iraq during the lead up to the 2003 invasion. Currently, he’s locked in a tough battle in a Republican-leaning open swing district comprising an enormous chunk of northern Nevada.

Nevada may be the best bellwether state west of the Mississippi. It’s a hotly contested state with a booming economy and an exploding population marked by a familiar theme in politics: a stark divide between its rural and urban populations.

JOE LOMBARDO CRUISES PAST SIX GOP CHALLENGERS TO SECURE NEVADA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION

Trump won Nevada by a modest margin in 2024, and Governor Joe Lombardo defeated a Democrat incumbent in 2022. Yet three of its four congressional districts are blue, as are both of its Senate seats. The Democrats hold both chambers of the state legislature by large margins.

Flippo won the Republican nomination despite having a well-known establishment-backed primary opponent in the Nevada legislature:

“Well, up in the north, it’s an R+7 district, and Trump won that district by 14. It’s a conservative district. And running against the establishment versus a conservative candidate who had been endorsed by Turning Point, Club for Growth, President Trump endorsed me. Obviously, the conservative people in the northern Nevada area wanted a conservative in this seat.”

Having never held elected office, Flippo presents his newcomer status as an advantage, rather than a liability:

“I beat the establishment. I think people are tired of the establishment politicians, the politicians that…are there just to be a moderate, be that middle ground. I think we need fighters in Congress. 

“I think we need people in Congress that are ready to stand up, stand up for the American people, and here in Nevada, stand up for Nevadans.”

Flippo spent much of his military career in the Middle East. He argues that Trump’s Iran policy is ending a war, not starting one:

“What President Trump is doing with the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, this has been a 47-year conflict. Some in the media have been saying that Trump is starting a forever war, but in my opinion, he’s ending it. 

“Most all of my career was in the Middle East, fighting because of Iran and what they’re doing with Israel and with Hezbollah and Hamas and the Houthis. What Iran has done is over, and things are going to change, and President Trump sees that.

“I fully support what President Trump is doing. We need to open up the strait, it needs to be a clear waterway. We need the flow of oil to start again.”

The voters of northern Nevada want a constitutional conservative, Flippo argues, and he is prepared to deliver results on budgetary issues, as the exploding national debt approaches $40 trillion.

“We have to get to a balanced budget. We have to get this deficit under control. What are we, $39 trillion in debt now and it keeps climbing? Something has to be done. We have to stop spending money that we don’t have. 

“We need to stop expanding government. And that’s what’s been happening over the years. We just keep expanding and expanding. You know, I’m a constitutional conservative: government has four purposes and if you go beyond those four purposes, it belongs to the states. 

“And the government has taken on so much now that we just keep getting more and more in debt. And it’s time that we have representatives in Congress that are ready to stop that.”

Illegal immigration is a signature issue for Flippo, who paints the problem in economic terms, and is concerned about its impact on a variety of pressing public policy issues.

“lllegal immigration is a problem in the United States. And if you look at what’s happened in the last six years under Biden and the open borders policies and the 20 to 30 million people that were allowed to come in, what has that done? It’s caused housing costs to go up. 

NEVADA LT GOV: ELON MUSK COULD MAKE SPACE TOURISM STATE’S NEXT BIG INDUSTRY

“That’s a supply and demand issue. 20 million people. That’s 20 cities the size of Las Vegas, right? What does that mean? That means all those schools, the police departments, the fire departments, all those social service programs. All that has to be paid for by tax dollars, by taxpayers. 20 cities the size of Las Vegas, 40 cities the size of Reno. That’s a lot. That’s a lot to ask for the taxpayers to come in all at once.”

While the district leans Republican, the Democrats believe they have fielded a formidable candidate in former Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson. Flippo is not taking anything for granted, but believes the contrast between his conservative outlook and her left-wing voting record will play to his advantage.

“She’s a big government [supporter], big spender. She’s voted to raise taxes 12 times here in Nevada. She voted for the largest tax increase in Nevada’s history. She voted for Planned Parenthood funding. She voted for drivers licenses for illegals. I mean, she has a voting record that she says she’s very proud of. And I don’t believe that’s something to be proud of.”

Finally, Flippo believes that Trump’s support is a net asset in his district, and believes that support, along with the backing of Gov. Lombardo, will carry a lot of weight.

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“My district in northern Nevada, District 2, is an R+7 that Trump won by 14. So Trump obviously carries some weight in northern Nevada. It’s a conservative part of this state, which is different than the southern part. 

“Getting on a team with the governor being united, getting the vote out is going to be critical. And having Trump on my side up in the north is going to be a huge factor in winning this.”

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is asking the Federal Communications Commission to review ABC, NBC and CBS’ broadcast decisions after the networks either declined to air live or cut away from President Donald Trump’s July 16 primetime address.

In a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital and sent Monday, Carter asked FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to review whether the networks violated their obligation to “serve the public interest” and whether their actions should be considered in future broadcast license proceedings.

“The public airwaves should inform the American people, not be used by corporate executives to decide which matters of national importance they are permitted to hear,” Carter wrote.

Carter raised “serious concerns” in the letter, saying networks can disagree with President Trump’s remarks while still airing what he says.

ABC, NBC, CNN AVOID AIRING TRUMP’S PRIMETIME ELECTION SECURITY ADDRESS LIVE

“Broadcasters may criticize, analyze, or fact-check the President’s statements,” he wrote. “However, refusing to air a major presidential address because executives disagree with its content raises serious concerns that they intended to keep Americans in the dark about potential foreign interference in our elections.”

Carter also argued that Americans should have been allowed to make up their own minds.

“Regardless of political affiliation, the American people deserved to hear this information directly from their President and judge it for themselves,” Carter wrote. “Instead, ABC and NBC declined to broadcast the speech on their primary television networks, while CBS cut away before the President completed his remarks.”

Carter added that airing the speech on streaming services was not an “adequate substitute for free, over-the-air television—particularly for Americans without reliable broadband access.”

TONY DOKOUPIL CLASHES WITH MARK WARNER AFTER THE SENATOR RIPPED CBS FOR AIRING TRUMP SPEECH ‘AS NEWS’

The letter follows President Trump‘s Thursday night primetime address, during which he called for ABC and NBC’s broadcast licenses to be revoked, accusing the networks of being part of a “plot” to “continue this fraud” and “protect the radical left.”

“In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech,” President Trump said. “They knew what it was about because they don’t like the topic, because they know how corrupt our system is and they don’t want to reveal it.”

President Trump used the more than 20-minute address to announce the “immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence” documents he said revealed “shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure.”

“America is back and doing really well, but we still have a major challenge that must be urgently addressed, because no country can be great without fair and honest elections,” President Trump said. “You have to trust your country, because if there can be no trust, there can be no greatness. And that’s very simple. No trust, no greatness.”

‘SHADOW GOVERNMENT’: TRUMP CLAIMS INTEL COMMUNITY BRAGGED ABOUT HIDING CHINESE MEDDLING

According to the White House, the documents released during the address included files related to alleged voting system vulnerabilities, China’s alleged acquisition of U.S. voter data, a Michigan voter registration investigation and noncitizens on state voter rolls. Fox News Digital could not independently verify the contents of the documents or President Trump’s claims.

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“Just as disturbingly, this vital information has been covered up and hidden from you, the American people, our beautiful, great American people, for many years,” President Trump said. “But that all changes right now.”

ABC News and NBC News streamed President Trump’s speech on their digital platforms before later airing special reports summarizing his remarks on their broadcast networks.

CBS News initially aired analysis before joining President Trump’s speech several minutes after it began, then cut away after he criticized ABC and NBC.

Carter said the issues raised during Trump’s address warranted live broadcast coverage, adding the “allegations concern both election integrity and national security.

Fox News Digital reached out to the FCC, ABC News, NBC News and CBS News for comment.

President Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, shortly after he took office, calling the conversation “very good.”

Trump added that he and Burnham plan to meet in the “not too distant future” to discuss issues of mutual interest.

During the call, the leaders touched on the longstanding U.S.-U.K. relationship and the challenges facing Burnham as he begins his time in office, with Trump pledging American support.

“We discussed many subjects, including the outstanding relationship we have had with the UK,” Trump said.

ANDY BURNHAM TAKES OVER AS UK PRIME MINISTER, CALLS FOR ‘NEW POLITICAL MODEL’

“The Prime Minister has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it and, of course, the U.S.A. will be there to help!”

The pair also discussed North Sea oil, trade, the U.S.-U.K. military alliance and efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said.

Burnham’s office released a statement following the call, saying the prime minister looked forward to welcoming Trump to Manchester during a future visit.

According to Downing Street, Trump updated Burnham on the situation in the Middle East, while Burnham reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to reopening the Strait of Hormuz safely.

“The Prime Minister outlined the UK’s commitment to securing the movement of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to support global supply chains and drive down costs for businesses and families across the country,” the British office said. 

Burnham further emphasized that defense and security would remain the U.K.’s top priority alongside its allies.

KEIR STARMER REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING STEPPING DOWN AS PM AND COULD ANNOUNCE TIMETABLE FOR DEPARTURE

On the domestic front, Burnham emphasized that he will pursue reindustrialization efforts to drive economic growth across the country.

Trump ultimately described the conversation as a major success.

“The call was interesting, and went very well. I wished Prime Minister Burnham, GOOD LUCK AND GODSPEED!” Trump said.

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Burnham became Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, vowing to reshape a country that has cycled through a series of leaders in recent years. He succeeds Keir Starmer, who served as prime minister for just over two years after taking office in the summer of 2024.

The two leaders have previously traded criticism. Before Burnham took office, Trump labeled him “extremely liberal,” while Burnham has been openly critical of the American president.

The Democratic Party’s ideological war is moving from deep-blue congressional districts to statewide contests in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, where progressive victories could reshape the party and endanger must-hold seats in November.

After far-left and socialist candidates defeated more moderate contenders in deep-blue districts last month, upcoming Senate primaries in Michigan and Minnesota and Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary will test whether the movement can translate those wins into statewide power.

Progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont and two-time Democratic presidential primary runner-up, touted on the campaign trail this past weekend, “Within the last year, we have won mayor’s races in New York City. We’ve won mayor’s races in Seattle. Washington, D.C. We have won congressional elections and Democratic primaries in Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Montana, Colorado, New Jersey and New York.”

After victories by far-left and socialist candidates over more moderate contenders in deep-blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado last month drew outsized national attention, upcoming primaries in Michigan and Wisconsin are now the latest battleground in the high-stakes showdown.

And the center is pushing back.

MEET THE FAR LEFT INSURGENTS WAGING WAR ON THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS

“Socialism has not worked anywhere on the globe,” former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday in an interview on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria.” “Promises of free lunch, free buses, free bread, free everything. There’s no such thing as free. Someone always pays. This is a dream. This is nirvana. This is utopia. And they’re selling to young people who are buying it. It’s not going to work.”

The former governor resigned amid multiple scandals five years ago and failed in his political comeback last year, losing New York City’s mayoral election to socialist Zohran Mamdani,

The victories by a trio of far-left congressional candidates in New York City heavily supported by Mamdani, followed a week later by Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed challenger and first-time candidate Melat Kiros’ defeat of 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado, have emboldened progressives as they wage a far-left national pressure campaign against the Democratic Party.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY CIVIL WAR HITS DEBATE STAGE IN CRUCIAL PRIMARY SHOWDOWN

“Only socialism can solve decades of capitalist mismanagement in the US. Our newly elected leaders will fight for the working class — not for crumbs,” the DSA proclaimed in a social media post celebrating the string of primary election victories.

That view is far from universal.

“I’m tired of being told that, to be a progressive, I now must swear allegiance to crazy ideas,” Democratic political analyst Van Jones, a veteran of then-President Barack Obama’s administration, lamented in a social media post.

“Supporting Hamas is not progressive. ‘No police, no prisons, no borders’ is not progressive. Celebrating the murder of Israeli civilians is not progressive. These ideas are REGRESSIVE,” Jones wrote.

Jamie Metzl, a technology and healthcare futurist who years ago served in former President Bill Clinton’s administration, said in a Fox News Channel interview that it’s time for Democrats “to stand up” to what he called “the bigots and anti-Americans in our own party.”

Metzl said the DSA and other far-left groups “who are trying to take control of our party and our brand” represent “a fundamental threat to our party and our country.”

VAN JONES WARNS FAR-LEFT AGENDA IS ‘REGRESSIVE’ THREAT TO DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another progressive rockstar, parachuted into Michigan’s campaign trail this past weekend to boost Abdul El-Sayed, the far-left candidate they’re supporting in a crucial Democratic Senate primary.

El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department director who unsuccessfully ran an insurgent campaign for governor in 2018, is facing off for the party’s nomination in the Great Lakes battleground state against Rep. Haley Stevens, a more moderate lawmaker backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the establishment.

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The winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary will take on former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination, in the key midterm Senate faceoff to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

The rare open Senate seat is a top Republican target in the midterms, as well as a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber with a slim 53-47 margin.

El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, has made support for Medicare for all a major component of his campaign.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

The far-left candidate has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations.

Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point.

The primary clash is combustible and expensive, with outside groups spending big bucks to flood the campaign trail with ads. The biggest spending, to boost Stevens and attack El-Sayed, is United Democracy Project, a political action committee aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

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“I think we’re at an opportunity to show folks where the Democratic Party ought to go. Whether or not there are people who oppose that, that’s for them to decide. But if you’re opposing that on behalf of big corporations, folks like AIPAC, you’re going to find that their power is going to start to slip,” El-Sayed warned in a Fox News interview on Sunday.

Sanders, speaking alongside El-Sayed and Ocasio-Cortez on Saturday, argued, “In all due respect to Haley Stevens, everyone knows that this is not an election between her and Abdul El-Sayed. This is an election between Abdul and the billionaire class.”

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a vocal critic of the far left and a top Democratic supporter of Israel, fired back in a Fox News Channel interview.

“You know, humble yourself, Bernie. You know, you just pushed an accused rapist and imploded up in Maine and now you’re pushing, you know, essentially a pro-Hamas candidate that’s been anti-American and deeply anti-Israel,” Fetterman said as he pointed to Sanders’ support over the past year for now-ex-Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner of Maine.

Platner ended his campaign earlier this month, amid calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to immediately exit the race following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside.

One week after the showdown in Michigan, on Aug. 11, Wisconsin will hold its primary elections. That’s where DSA-backed state Rep. Francesca Hong is on the rise among a crowded field of candidates in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

“It’s a great day to be a democratic socialist,” Hong posted on X last month after the progressive victories in New York City, in which two Democratic congressional incumbents lost renomination. “Wisconsin is next!”

The same day, another statewide battle will take place as progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota and more moderate Democratic Rep. Angie Craig are the leading contenders in the Democratic primary faceoff to succeed retiring Sen. Tina Smith, a fellow Democrat.

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While the upcoming primary battles will impact the fight for the future of the party, there’s a more immediate concern: this year’s midterm faceoff for congressional majorities.

“What you’re seeing here are the two opposing forces of the Democratic Party,” veteran Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo told Fox News Digital as he referred to the ballot box showdowns. “The stakes are monumentally high because Democrats have to hold these seats in November.”

Speaker Mike Johnson’s latest bid to skirt Democrats’ opposition to an election integrity bill backed by President Donald Trump survived a key hurdle on Monday evening.

The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has faced significant headwinds in Congress despite having Trump’s full-throated support. While it passed the House, the legislation has struggled in the Senate where at least several Democratic votes are needed to break a filibuster and advance to final passage.

But the new plan by Johnson, R-La., which would allow key parts of the bill to skirt Democrats entirely, is one step closer to getting a House-wide vote sometime this week.

TRUMP INTERVENES AS HOUSE GOP REVOLT PUTS SAVE AMERICA ACT AT CENTER OF SPENDING SHOWDOWN

Republicans would erase the need for any Democratic buy-in by putting key elements of the SAVE America Act into a larger budget reconciliation bill. The reconciliation process allows the party in power to pass sweeping fiscal policy reforms without input from their opposition by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to line up with the House’s simple majority requirement.

But there are strict guidelines for what can be in a reconciliation bill. Such legislation must deal with yearly federal spending and revenues, meaning issues that do not directly affect fiscal policy are generally excluded.

House Republicans are aiming to use this reconciliation bill to fund states’ election integrity efforts, replenish military funding amid the U.S. war with Iran, and dole out aid to American farmers.

GOP’S $95B DEFENSE PACKAGE SURVIVES CRITICAL HURDLE AMID FISCAL HAWK REVOLT

In total, the legislation would set the stage for $95 billion in new federal spending across the next 10 years.

The first chamber-wide step in the reconciliation process is to pass a framework that directs the relevant committees to then craft details dealing with their allocated budgets. Those details are then put back into a single sweeping bill that must pass the House and Senate before getting to Trump’s desk for his signature.

Passing the House Rules Committee means the bill will see a chamber-wide test vote that, if adopted, will set the stage for lawmakers to debate the bill before a final vote.

GOP CIVIL WAR ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S LATEST AGENDA PUSH AS KEY REPUBLICANS THREATEN TO SINK MEGABILL

That vote is expected to occur Tuesday afternoon, with the final vote taking place the following day at 3:30 p.m., according to a preliminary schedule obtained by Fox News Digital.

Trump urged Republicans to advance the bill earlier Monday, arguing it would “get AS MUCH of THE SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible in a Budget Bill, along with aid to our incredible Farmers, and funding for our Military.”

Democrats, meanwhile, have accused Republicans of trying to unfairly sway elections with their SAVE America Act push.

“This is a phony issue that Donald Trump is creating. What’s amazing to me is that Donald Trump had the nerve to say to the Speaker of the House, who apparently didn’t object, that the most important thing that Republicans should focus on is voter suppression legislation, and that housing doesn’t matter, healthcare doesn’t matter, grocery bills don’t matter,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said earlier this year.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has repeatedly referred to the legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0.”

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“While the specific policies may have changed since the days of the Jim Crow South, the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low income Americans and people of color,” he said in February.

Republicans argue that the SAVE America Act — which would implement federal voter ID requirements and a proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process — would make American elections safer and more secure.

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is claiming victory over the left after a successful FIFA World Cup tournament that saw record-shattering numbers of fans moving through the U.S.

Several million FIFA fans flocked to American stadiums this year, putting an enormous strain on federal, state and local transportation networks. However, aided in part by a more than a $100 million DOT infrastructure investment to World Cup host cities, the tournament went off without any major incidents, prompting Duffy to taunt doomsayers who predicted the country would fall on its face.

“The Left was praying for an American transit disaster as we hosted the most important international sporting event in modern history,” Duffy told Fox News Digital.

“They were wrong, and President Trump was right.”

FBI BOSS KASH PATEL DETAILS HOW AGENCY AND PARTNERS SECURED RECORD-SHATTERING FIFA WORLD CUP

Among the naysayers was Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who in April accused the Trump administration of endangering FIFA fans by “systematically dismantling security agencies, delaying critical security assistance, and initiating a war with Iran.” All this, Gallego said, made the country’s top security agency, the Department of Homeland Security, “woefully unprepared to accomplish its mission.”

Gallego remarked that “if state and local officials do not trust that federal employees will coordinate in lockstep and operate as partners, they will be unable to protect their communities—increasing threat risk and compromising Americans’ safety in the process.” He added that “this self-imposed chaos extends to the Trump administration’s management of federal departments and agencies.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took a similar tone, asserting ahead of the tournament that “Trump cares more about being on international TV at midfield on match day than actually hosting successful games.”

In May, The Atlantic published a piece titled “Another Way America Will Choke at the World Cup,” in which the author predicted that “in the coming months, America’s patchwork railway system will be similarly challenged—and its weaknesses exposed—across all 11 U.S. sites of World Cup matches.”

Nathaniel Sizemore, a spokesperson for the agency, told Fox News Digital that it was “the Left’s TDS [Trump derangement syndrome]” that “put them in the absurd position of praying for an American transit disaster.”

PRESIDENT TRUMP STEALS PART OF SPOTLIGHT AS SPAIN CELEBRATES WORLD CUP TITLE OVER ARGENTINA

However, with the World Cup officially concluded, the results are in and, according to DOT, they are conclusive. The department said that, aided by its $100.3 million in federal funding to host cities, local transit systems accommodated record-breaking numbers.

During the World Cup, Atlanta saw more than 2 million riders use public transit to get to matches, fan fests, and other events, with match-day ridership reaching up to three times the typical average.

In Seattle, DOT said that more than 1.1 million combined riders used city public transit during the first two matches alone. On July 6, the city’s light rail system accommodated 309,000 riders, blowing well past the system’s single-day record of 220,000 riders.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia, which also hosted this year’s MLB All-Star Game, saw an average of 27,000 riders using public transit per match. The city’s PHLASH bus service recorded a 500 percent increase in ridership.

Even cities not previously known for their public transit systems accommodated record numbers. Kansas City saw a one-day record for streetcar riders at 48,260 on June 27. Los Angeles saw a 598 percent increase in rider taps on World Cup match day compared to a typical Friday.

To put it further in perspective, DOT said that in San Francisco, an average of more than 38,000 fans moved to and from World Cup matches using public transit, exceeding Super Bowl LX’s numbers by nearly 8,000.

DOT is not the only one that noticed the U.S. public transit system performing.

At the start of the tournament, Vox ran a piece titled “The World Cup has a Trump problem.” In the piece, the outlet accused Trump of “actively hindering” the World Cup and other sporting events, especially through the president’s “hostility to all immigrants … especially to non-white ones.” Yet, ahead of the final match, Vox wrote that “the nation’s widely expected World Cup public transit meltdown has simply not materialized.”

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The outlet said that “to the surprise of pretty much everyone, US cities have managed to absorb the influx of fans with relative ease, even under the pressure of record ridership en route to stadiums, watch parties, and fan zones.”

Duffy, however, was not surprised.

“Whether they flew, took passenger rail, hopped on public transit, or hit the open road, Americans and visitors alike saw the best of our nation over the last month,” he told Fox News Digital.

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He added that “from the FTA’s investment into local public transit to the FAA’s work keeping our skies safe, we were proud to help FIFA fans get to the games safely and on time.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Gallego, Schumer, The Atlantic and Vox for comment.

An illegal immigrant serving a lengthy prison sentence for the murder of a Michigan woman is suing President Donald Trump, alleging he faced humiliation when his case was used as a political talking point, and is demanding $75 million, a public apology, and U.S. citizenship.

Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 27, who was previously deported from the United States, is serving a sentence of 39 to 102 years in prison for killing Ruby Garcia in March 2024.

Garcia’s body had several gunshot wounds and was found dumped along a road in Grand Rapids. The pair were in a romantic relationship and were engaged in an argument at the time of the slaying.

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In a handwritten complaint filed in federal court, Ortiz-Vite named Trump and White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Steven Cheung as defendants.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House.

Ortiz-Vite’s case garnered national attention and was highlighted when Trump, who made combating illegal immigration a large part of his campaign, visited Grand Rapids in 2024. During his remarks, Trump labeled Ortiz-Vite as “America’s problem.”

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He also featured Ortiz-Vite’s mugshot in commercials as an example of the “murderers, rapists , and drug traffickers” who resided illegally in the United States, The Midwesterner reported.

He was mocked by prison staff and other inmates, he said.

“I was put into a category. Who I was as a person no longer mattered! What only mattered was my race,” Ortiz-Vite wrote. “My case and immigration status! Once again, it belittled me, shattered my dignity and what I was as a person.”

“The shame it brought to my family name is a reality I have to live with now,” he added. “I took full responsibility for my actions but for them to use my case for political gain on TV was unjust. Humiliating. When I thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. I was center stage in front of a nation, public scrutiny at its finest!”

Ortiz-Vite, who acted as his own attorney, said his case came under intense media coverage, resulting in him living in a “nightmare”.

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“It all became clear to me when I first met with my court-appointed attorneys. They explained how my case had now gotten blown out of proportion and was now a high-profile case!” he wrote. “The shock in their eyes and the tears from mine were a reaction to my realization that I was living everyone’s worst nightmare! To be publicly infamous—a target! To the United States of America, from here everything went downhill. I was now labeled a cold-blooded murderer in the eyes of the people of this nation.”

“The anxiety and despair I felt compares to no other,” he added.

Matthew Borgula, a criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, said the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed, citing a range of facotrs, including presidential immunity. 

“Federal law requires courts to screen prisoner suits before anyone is served. This complaint will likely not survive that screening,” Borgula told Fox News Digital. “Also, Presidential immunity covers official acts, and campaign statements can fall outside it — but this suit fails for more basic reasons.”

Borgula noted that Trump’s statements on the Ortiz-Vite’s case were “substantially true, and being publicly embarrassed by a politician isn’t a constitutional violation. This case should end before it begins.” 

Tudor Dixon, a former Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate, called the lawsuit an example of arrogance and entitlement.

“As long as we have Democrats jetting to other countries to coddle criminal illegal aliens over margaritas, this level of arrogance and entitlement from convicted murderers will continue,” Dixon told Fox News Digital. “It’s time lawmakers stand with the Ruby Garcias of the world instead of her killer.”

After entering the U.S. illegally, Ortiz-Vite remained under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program until his status expired on May 10, 2019, MLive.com reported.

He was deported following a 2020 arrest for driving while intoxicated. It was unclear when he re-entered the U.S. illegally.

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The complaint didn’t cite any legal violations, instead blaming Trump for labeling him as an example of the Biden administration’s border policies.

Ortiz-Vite eventually said he “stood tall” and took responsibility for his actions.

“Because I was remorseful for my actions on the 26th, I turned myself in and confessed to the murder of my partner at the time,” he wrote. “Knowing the consequences it would bring, I stood tall and was respectful when asked about the actions that took place on the night of March 24th, 2024.”

He is seeking $75 million, a public apology, and “naturalization to this beautiful country.”

Despite its lack of merit, Borgula, the lawyer, noted that the lawsuit appears to be a window into what it’s like to become a talking point in a national campaign. 

“While the plaintiff may feel aggrieved, I don’t see that a federal court can offer a remedy,” he said. “He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Once you’ve done that, absent overturning the conviction, I don’t see a legal avenue for collecting damages on a theory that your conviction was unfair.”

The congressional fight over birthright citizenship shifted to the U.S. territories this week after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s effort to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present.

Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., said a Senate proposal as well as the overall birthright citizenship debate leaves untouched the five inhabited U.S. territories, where citizenship at birth was established by federal law rather than directly under the Fourteenth Amendment.

“The ‘Barbara’ decision leaves open the door for Congressional action on citizenship in the American territories,” Griffith said in introducing the End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act, referring to the Supreme Court’s recent birthright citizenship ruling.

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“Because of the current birthright laws in place in the territories, any child born in a U.S. territory minus American Samoa, regardless of a parent’s nationality, accesses U.S. citizenship automatically.”

Four of the five U.S. territories – the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) would be covered by Griffith’s bill. American Samoans are not automatically conferred U.S. citizenship upon birth.

“This bill should stop the so-called ‘birth tourism’ that is taking place in the American territories,” Griffith said.

SEN ERIC SCHMITT SEEKS TO END BIRTH TOURISM, REVOKE CITIZENSHIP FOR BABIES OF FOREIGN DIPLOMATS

Congress established birthright citizenship in most territories by statute, and Griffith argues it therefore has the authority to revise those laws.

“Accordingly, I am leading the charge in Congress to rectify this problem, clarify U.S. citizenship laws in the territories and combat foreign nationals who are exploiting loopholes in our citizenship laws to take advantage of U.S. generosity.”

After the federal government assumed control of CNMI immigration in 2009, DHS used parole authority to permit eligible Chinese and Russian visitors to enter the islands without visas — a policy critics say facilitated birth tourism.

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That change led CNMI to be “flooded with so-called birth tourists” in what a New York Post report described as a “tropical maternity ward” of citizens ripe to reach voting age around 2030.

Residents of the five inhabited territories cannot vote in the presidential general election while living there, though they participate in party presidential nominating contests. Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and CNMI elect House delegates, while Puerto Rico elects a resident commissioner. None may vote on final passage of legislation on the House floor.

Federal prosecutors shut down one of the CNMI’s largest commercial birth-tourism operations during the first Trump administration.

Prosecutors said one individual, Sen Sun, operated a lucrative birth-tourism business on Saipan that “illegally employed dozens of caretakers… all Chinese nationals… without work authorization,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Guam and CNMI. Sun pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens.

Griffith’s bill relies partly on the Insular Cases, a group of early-20th-century Supreme Court decisions addressing how constitutional protections apply in U.S. territories.

Lower courts later applied that territorial framework in citizenship cases, including the D.C. Circuit’s 2015 decision in Tuaua v. United States, which held that the Citizenship Clause does not confer birthright citizenship on people born in American Samoa.

Asked about Griffith’s bill and the recent reports on birth tourism in her territory, Del. Kimberlyn King-Hinds, R-CNMI, said she supports securing U.S. borders and stopping anyone who “tries to abuse America’s immigration laws.”

“If someone is exploiting our immigration system, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I have zero tolerance for fraud or abuse,” King-Hinds said.

However, she claimed Griffith’s bill is targeting the wrong people – noting the 2009 shift in territorial immigration authority to the federal government.

King-Hinds said that with people admitted to CNMI under federal oversight, Congress should strengthen enforcement rather than “single-out” Americans living there.

King-Hinds said CNMI has a unique relationship with the mainland through what is called its “Covenant” – a negotiated agreement she said deserves “careful consideration” before Congress adjusts rights granted to people born there.

“I am also deeply concerned about creating one standard of citizenship for Americans born in the fifty states and another for Americans born in the territories. The people of the CNMI have disproportionately and proudly served in our Armed Forces, contributed to this nation, and lived as loyal Americans for generations. They should not become the testing ground for policies that Congress cannot or will not apply elsewhere.”

“I stand ready to work with my colleagues to accomplish those goals, but I will always fight to protect the rights of the people of the Northern Mariana Islands,” she said.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Dels. Stacey Plaskett, D-V.I., Pablo Jose Fernandez, D-P.R., and James Moylan, R-Guam, for comment.

In the 2022 case United States v. Vaello Madero, the Supreme Court upheld Congress’ exclusion of Puerto Rico residents from the Supplemental Security Income program. Justice Neil Gorsuch agreed with the judgment but wrote separately to argue that the Insular Cases should be overruled.

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“A century ago in the Insular Cases, this court held that the federal government could rule Puerto Rico and other territories largely without regard to the Constitution. It is past time to acknowledge the gravity of this error and admit what we know to be true,” Gorsuch wrote – potentially setting up another court battle, should Griffith’s bill gain further steam.

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Other critics have countered that if territorial residents want full rights, they should actively pursue statehood as Alaska and Hawaii did in the modern era.

Griffith’s proposal could force Congress and the courts to confront how much authority lawmakers retain over citizenship rules in the territories.

Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.