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Calling out federal waste and foreign aid subsidies while pointing to his own record of bucking party leadership in Tallahassee, GOP 14th congressional district nominee Mike Beltran promises to bring a sharp litigator’s cross-examination to Washington’s budget crisis. 

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital detailing his bid to unseat 20-year Democratic incumbent Kathy Castor, the former Florida state representative laid out a case rooted in strict fiscal accountability, pledged to challenge even Republican leadership on bloated federal budgets, and warned of the Democrats’ embrace of socialism.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES UNLEASH MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR MIDTERM BLITZ AGAINST DEM ‘SOCIALIST’ INSURGENCY

Beltran argues that despite her lengthy tenure on Capitol Hill, the people of Tampa Bay have not been served well by Kathy Castor.

“People in Tampa Bay have precious little to show for Kathy Castor’s two decades of incumbency. She’s had no major legislative initiatives. All she’s really done is rename post offices. And all that’s likely to happen if we reelect her is for her to rename every post office from Tampa to Timbuktu. 

“She votes with her party over 90% of the time, including radical socialists. She voted in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi and she’s poised to elect the Speaker Hakeem Jeffries. And Speaker Hakeem Jeffries would appoint a Chair Raskin, a Chair Omar, a Chair Cortez, and those folks would push radical policies in Congress that are completely out of line with what Tampa families need.”

Beltran argues that in the Florida Legislature he served as an independent conservative voice, not automatically beholden to party leadership, and pledges to continue that approach in Washington.

“I’ve had the courage to vote against special interests even when my own party had lost its way. I’ve voted against insurance companies, home builders, trial lawyers, I voted against various special interests…whenever somebody was doing something that wasn’t good for Tampa families.

“And I had that bipartisan record throughout my time, starting in 2019 and continuing through to 2024, unlike my opponent who discovered bipartisanship merely weeks ago. So I’m always going to do what’s best for the communities that I represent, regardless of party, regardless of special interests, regardless of pressure. And that’s what I’m proud of, having that independent voting record.”

Beltran argues that the United States needs to reexamine its military and geopolitical relationships, with an eye to fiscal prudence:

“It cannot be a one-sided exchange. You cannot have a wealthy country like Germany spend under 2% of GDP on their military when we’re spending over 5% of our GDP on our military budgets, about a trillion dollars. And a lot of that is spent overseas protecting other wealthy countries.

“You see Ukraine and Israel, they’re defending themselves from their adversaries. They’re doing a good job of that. But we are borrowing $2 trillion a year from countries like China. And that’s causing inflation. And what that says is that we don’t have money to be sending, particularly to wealthy allies like Germany and Spain. 

“These are countries where we have bases, where we’ve had trouble getting basing privileges or overflight rights for the conflicts that we do need to engage in. And we shouldn’t be subsidizing them anymore. 

“You see Israel spends over 10% of GDP on defense, as does South Korea. Those countries are carrying the weight of their own defense, but we don’t see that from all of our NATO allies. And they’re a lot closer to these rogue states, to these conflict regions than we are. They should be doing more, and they’re doing less, and that’s unacceptable.”

As an attorney, Beltran makes the case that he will bring a strong skill-set to Capitol Hill, to do away with business as usual and to fight for the citizens of Hillsborough County:

“My legal skills are quite good. I’m a good cross examiner. I’ll be good at scrutinizing witnesses who come before committees that I serve on. I’ve litigated in the federal courts, so I know the federal statutes. I know issues that need to be redressed. I know how to write statutes so that they can be easily applied by judges, so that attorneys can counsel their clients on what the law is and what they need to do to comply with that. 

“I’m proud to be a practicing attorney. I’ve helped a lot of businesses and individuals throughout Tampa Bay for almost 20 years. 

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“And my opponent is also an attorney, but she hasn’t practiced in a very long time. She was, I think, a land use attorney, she says, before she was a county commissioner. But I don’t think she brings that same skill-set. I’ve never seen her cross-examine a witness to any effect. And I haven’t seen her apply her legal skills to any legislative initiative. In fact, it’s kind of difficult to identify anything that she’s enacted that’s of any particular value to Tampa or otherwise.”

Kathy Castor has repeatedly voted against the interests of ordinary Americans in Florida’s 14th district, Beltran argues:

“Well, she opposed tax cuts for the middle class and working class and retirees. She opposed removing taxes on tips, removing taxes on Social Security, removing taxes on overtime. 

“And she wanted to pay, through taxpayer funds, for trans surgeries for children. And that was a very recent vote. That wasn’t something that we have to reach into ancient history to find. And I opposed that. 

“I see no reason why a single mother here in Hillsborough County should be paying taxes to pay for trans surgeries for minors while she actually is being taxed on her overtime or her tips.”

Beltran pledges to confront the leadership of his own party if he disagrees with their policies, but also notes he will work with Democrats:

“Obviously, we’ve had Republicans who have also spent too much money. And so I’m going to go to Washington. I’m going to work with my party, and I’ll work across the aisle, and I’ll work with any administration that’s in power to identify waste, fraud, and abuse, identify unnecessary government programs, identify savings, and identify cost controls, and make sure that we are the fiscal conservatives that we say we are. 

“That’s what’s necessary to save this country because we need to balance the budget and we need pay down the debt and we need to live within our means, because if we don’t balance our budget, then the budget will be balanced for us and it will be done when somebody cuts off our credit and people stop lending to us.”

Finally, as democratic socialist candidates have won Democratic primaries across the nation and in Florida, Beltran notes that Castor has consistently refused to condemn socialist ideology, or candidates with such views in her own party.

“We see Kathy Castor, who’s embraced Angie Nixon, who is one of those avowed socialist candidates. She said that her party was a big tent party, and that needs to be a very big tent to accommodate Angie Nixon…I’m not sure I’d like to be in a tent of any size with her, but my opponent welcomes her with open arms. 

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“And she’s going to vote in lockstep with these socialists, first to elect Hakeem Jeffries and then to appoint these socialists to committee chairmanships. She’s done very little to distance herself from the radicals within her party. Even as she masquerades recently as a moderate, she will empower the socialists. 

“And that’s really what’s at stake in November. It’s not just me, it’s not just Kathy Castor, it is the direction of the country and whether we’re going to embrace these radical policies, or whether we are going to have economic growth and prosperity and safety here in the United States.”

The Department of Homeland Security issued a stark warning after more than 300 cartel drones were detected along the southern border in just over a month.

According to the Department of War, 378 cartel drones were detected at the southern border between Aug. 22 and Thursday. Of those, 75 drones were turned back, 15 were engaged and one was captured. Fox News Digital previously reported that the War Department’s Joint Task Force – Southern Border took down “approximately” 100 suspected cartel drones in August alone.

In response to the threat, the Department of War and DHS are increasing their use of drone detection and interception tools along the southern border. The agencies are also working with private companies to develop technology to counter the increased presence of cartel drones.

In a statement posted on X, DHS wrote that “hostile surveillance of American personnel ends here.”

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP’S CBP AXES BIDEN-ERA POLICY ALLOWING PRIVATE GIFTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN FEDERAL CUSTODY

“To the Cartels,” DHS wrote, “Your drones are failing, your tactics are being exposed, and you have no advantage. @CBP and @DeptofWar will keep taking them down.”

In an interview with Fox News, Jeffrey Stalnaker, deputy chief patrol agent for Border Patrol, said cartels primarily use drones for reconnaissance during drug and human smuggling operations rather than for smuggling.

Cartels previously sent lookouts to monitor Border Patrol agents and other U.S. personnel but now use drones to watch from overhead.

“They’re watching when our soldiers and our agents are coming into the field, where they’re working, and then that allows them to plan how they’re going to send individuals north from Mexico into the United States illegally, trying to circumvent us between the ports of entry,” he explained.

Federal officials told Fox News that U.S. anti-drone measures at the southern border have succeeded so far, but cartel drone tactics are rapidly evolving. Some cartel drones are known to be used for lethal purposes, but officials said those have not yet been encountered at the border. For the past three weeks, the U.S. military has been conducting exercises in the desert outside Yuma, Arizona, testing new anti-drone gear ranging from guns and unmanned aerial vehicles to drone-capturing technology.

FBI WARNS BATTLEFIELD-STYLE DRONE ATTACKS COULD REACH US: ‘ONLY A MATTER OF TIME’

Brigadier General Jason Rueschhoff, director of operations for U.S. Northern Command, told Fox News, “We are developing capability at a pace that is keeping ahead of our enemy, and that’s really important. And that’s what happens here.”

Fox News Digital reported at the start of the month that Joint Task Force – Southern Border was carrying out drone takedowns using specialized counter-drone equipment provided and integrated by other military units, according to a senior War Department official.

The official said each operation was planned and closely coordinated with the Mexican military and border authorities to prevent interference or unintended conflicts between forces operating on either side of the border.

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At the time, senior administration officials praised President Donald Trump‘s use of military force during a press call, saying, “The president directed, (and) the Department of War executed the first-ever plan and strategy to use direct military force to defend the homeland from this threat.

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“The effects have been spectacular, and we’ve seen the largest and steepest reduction in U.S. casualties inflicted by the cartels in American history.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

In the original Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Obi-Wan Kenobi find the Millennium Falcon under fire from Imperial TIE fighters in deep outer space. Luke speculates that the TIE fighters are “heading for that small moon.”

But Obi-Wan’s visage grows grim.

“That’s no moon,” intones Obi-Wan. “It’s a space station.”

Han Solo disagrees.

“It’s too big to be a space station,” says Han. To which, Obi-Wan instructs him, “Turn the ship around.”

But as quickly as he dismissed Kenobi’s observation, Solo pivots. He grimaces, realizing that the wise Jedi Knight is on to something.

DEMOCRAT AL GREEN TO FORCE HOUSE-WIDE VOTE ON IMPEACHING TRUMP

“Yeah. I think you’re right,” Han replies. The Millennium Falcon starts to shake.

“Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power,” Han commands his shipmate. “Why are we still moving towards it?” squeaks Luke.

“We’re caught in a tractor beam and it’s pulling us in!” shouts Han.

And a few moments later, the Millenium Falcon, the fastest ship in the galaxy, is suctioned into Bay 327 of the Death Star, moored, and unable to escape. The band of ragtag heroes are now stuck. On the Death Star.

Grand Moff Tarkin describes it as “the ultimate power in the universe.”

+++++++

Impeachment in Congress is kind of like the Death Star’s tractor beam. You can’t escape once you’re in its clenches. A decision to impeach sucks a political party in, eventually marooning everyone in the political equivalent of a hangar bay.

For Democrats, they can’t focus on the price of eggs and milk. There’s little debate about gas prices. It’s a challenge to even address oversight issues.

You can try to “lock in the auxiliary power.” But it’s too late.

You might think impeachment is “a moon.” But it’s really the political Death Star.

Not for your adversary. But often those orchestrating the impeachment.

Democrats might find themselves in an impeachment bind if they capture the majority next year. Progressives and the left will possess one of the loudest voices in Congress. And even though Democrats twice impeached President Trump in 2019 and 2021, some will insist on doing it again. That’s to say nothing of trying to impeach a host of Trump Administration cabinet officials – ranging from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Some Democrats are already falling prey to the impeachment tractor beam.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, led the initial effort to impeach President Trump during his first term in 2017 – long before the successful impeachment over Ukraine in 2019. Republican redistricting – engineered by President Trump forced Green out of his Houston-based district earlier this year. But Green engineered yet another effort to impeach the President last week as the Texas Democrat heads for the exit.

MIDTERM HISTORY MASSIVELY FAVORS DEMOCRATS. BUT THEY ARE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE

The House voted to sidestep Green’s impeachment resolution, 232-147. So this was not a straight, up or down vote on impeachment. It was one step removed. Forty-seven Democrats voted “present.” That includes the party’s top three Democrats: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.

In some respects, House Democratic leaders want to shun impeachment. Or at least avoid it for the time being.

In 2006, Democrats were on the precipice of flipping control of the House. Democrats largely won the midterms that year because of voter fatigue with President George W. Bush and the calcification of the war in Iraq.

Many Democrats wanted to impeach the President. But as she prepared to clasp the gavel, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., famously declared that impeachment was “off the table.”

House Democrats focused on drawing down the war in Iraq and eventually pivoting to other policy issues like health care and climate change. But Democrats had to get through those midterms first. So once Pelosi said no impeachment, there was no impeachment of the President.

Impeachment with President Trump was kind of “off the table” for Pelosi when Democrats reclaimed the House in the 2018 midterms. But there was a shift among moderate Democrats after disclosures about the President and Ukraine in the summer of 2019. A master of the political pulse, the Speaker understood the direction this was going among her Members. That’s when Pelosi got in front of her caucus, pushing for potential impeachment of the President later that year.

House Democratic leaders are depositing any overt discussion of impeachment on the backburner for now. They don’t want to veer away from their message about affordability. In fact they’ve frequently steered the conversation back to the cost of living when pressed about impeachment.

Consider this response from Jeffries when questioned about impeachment on April 9.

“We’ll have a conversation led by (Rep.) Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, and (Rep.) Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a former Judiciary Committee Chairman and Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., and Judiciary Committee Democrats tomorrow about Trump administration accountability,” replied Jeffries.

But, unlike completely mimicking Pelosi’s posture years ago, Jeffries signaled he was open to the impeachment question.

“I don’t want to get out ahead of that discussion. But we’ve also been very clear. House Democrats are going to focus on making life more affordable for the American people,” said Jeffries.

On June 14, Kristen Welker of NBC asked Jeffries if his party could “move to impeach President Trump” if Democrats reclaimed the House.

“We haven’t ruled anything in or ruled anything out in terms of accountability. What we have said is that our focus is going to be to make life more affordable for the American people,” answered Jeffries.

On August 25 on CNN, Jeffries deflected a similar impeachment inquiry.

“We haven’t ruled anything in and we haven t ruled anything out,” stated Jeffries.

Impeachment interrogatives continued for Jeffries during a September 13 interview on ABC.

“We haven’t ruled anything in and we haven’t ruled anything out in terms of impeachment,” said Jeffries.

That’s smart politics for Jeffries. He’s trying to keep his hand on the helm before the midterms – and essentially deferring to the political climate of next year and where rank-and-file Democrats might fall next year should Democrats capture the majority. But there are indications that many Democrats are already ready for impeachment. The progressive base will demand action. And it extends well beyond Al Green.

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., made her case after the President posted to social media in April

that “a whole civilization will die tonight” in reference to Iran.

“If that’s not high crimes and misdemeanors – and if it’s not madness – I don’t know what is,” said Dean.

Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said that the President was “threatening genocide.”

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said the party should “push for impeachment” and that the President “is unfit to be the Commander in Chief” and “should be removed.”

So Jeffries has a decision to make. The hard left will demand impeachment – for someone. Be it the President or Hegseth. But if Democrats flip the House, their “majority makers” might represent battleground districts. Those prospective lawmakers will be moderates. Impeachment could be politically toxic for them.

TRUMP COULD FACE IMPEACHMENT IF DEMOCRATS SEIZE HOUSE MAJORITY, GOP LEADER WARNS

Pelosi’s circumstances evolved in the summer of 2019. Moderate Democrats with national security credentials from swing districts edged toward impeachment. So, she pulled the impeachment trigger. Pelosi knew the direction of her caucus.

In September 2026, it’s not as clear for Jeffries. And it’s not a done deal that Democrats will seize the majority.

That’s why the New York Democrat expressed caution during his conversation on ABC.

“We’ve got to follow the facts. Apply the law. Be guided by the Constitution and then let the chips fall where they may, in the best interest of the American people,” said Jeffries.

+++

Han Solo was skeptical back on the Death Star.

“Even if I could take off, I’d never get past the tractor beam,” said Solo.

“Leave that to me,” promised Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Jedi Master then eluded detection on the Death Star, manually shutting off the tractor beam. That disgorged the Millenium Falcon. But in the end, Kenobi sacrificed himself for the mission.

On Capitol Hill, impeachment is a tractor beam. Once you’re siphoned in, nothing can escape its grasp. Debates about policy. Spending. Health care. War. The tractor beam controls all.

Until it’s switched off.

Not every party which is incapacitated by impeachment has an Obi-Wan Kenobi who can find the off switch. When it comes to impeachment best advice might be to “turn the ship around” beforehand.

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But if lots of Members are clamoring for impeachment, it may already be too late.

Federal law enforcement arrested a Senegalese immigrant in New Jersey accused of illegally voting in multiple elections, injecting a new flashpoint into Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s escalating fights with Washington over immigration enforcement and election integrity.

The case comes as Washington and Trenton battle over immigration enforcement and election administration, with the Trump administration challenging Sherrill over state policies affecting federal law enforcement while also pressing New Jersey for access to its voter rolls.

Sanata Coulibaly, a Senegalese national, was arrested when DHS and FBI agents jointly executed a criminal warrant in Hudson County, which stretches from West New York to Bayonne across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

FOUR NONCITIZENS CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY VOTING IN 2020, 2022 AND 2024 FEDERAL ELECTIONS IN NEW JERSEY

“This alien from Senegal has been charged with procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully and voting by an alien after allegedly voting in three general elections in New Jersey,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said.

“Sanctuary politicians can try to claim that this kind of voter fraud isn’t happening, but it’s very real and is a serious threat to our country.”

WATCH: TRUMP DOJ VOWS TO PURSUE ‘EVERY SINGLE’ VOTING VIOLATION AFTER NJ ROLL SHOCKER

Mullin said DHS and the Trump administration would continue efforts to protect election integrity.

The arrest comes after Sherrill revealed in July that a software error in New Jersey’s motor vehicle system had improperly registered roughly 6,600 people who identified themselves as noncitizens. The state later determined that fewer than 400 of those newly registered because of the error had voted.

After that revelation, New Jersey resisted federal demands to turn over voter rolls while pursuing its own investigation.

Fox News Digital reached out to Sherrill for comment.

According to the criminal complaint, Coulibaly cast ballots in the November 2018 midterm election, the July 2020 primary, the November 2020 general election and the 2024 general election while she was not a U.S. citizen.

Coulibaly registered through a paper application submitted to the Hudson County superintendent of elections in Jersey City, falsely certifying that she was a U.S. citizen, the complaint said.

She first came to the U.S. from Senegal on a B-1 nonimmigrant visa in approximately 1993 and later became a lawful permanent resident, according to the Justice Department.

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Prosecutors allege Coulibaly later applied for U.S. citizenship and falsely stated on her N-400 naturalization application that she had never registered to vote or voted in a federal election.

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Coulibaly’s case is part of a broader federal election-integrity push, with the Justice Department announcing election-related charges against 16 people across several states this month.

Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the level of “perfection” on display during his state visit to the White House as President Donald Trump said Friday that the two world leaders had a “very productive” time in Washington.

Trump, speaking to reporters as he and first lady Melania Trump hosted Xi and first lady of China Madame Peng Liyuan for tea at the White House, said “we’ve had a tremendous visit from two spectacular people,” and, “we’ve made great strides, very positive for both countries.”

“I want to thank the honorable president and the first lady for everything they’ve done for myself and my wife during this visit. Everything is down to the highest order of perfection,” Xi responded through a translator. “And there is thought in every little detail. And it’s greatly appreciated.

“The president and I are like two people that’s charting the course for the great ship of China, U.S. relations,” he continued. “When the president visited China in May, we agreed on the vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. This time, we’ve agreed to add new substance to it. That’s the relationship, will be a constructive one of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness and reciprocity. So from this, one can see that the prospects for this relationship will get more brighter.”

XI CAPS TRUMP STATE VISIT WITH SYMBOLIC FINAL STOP BEFORE LEAVING WASHINGTON

Xi, the leader of China’s ruling Communist Party, said he had two more opportunities to meet Trump this year, first at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in China in November, and then at the G20 Summit in December at Trump’s Doral resort in Miami, Florida.

“We will see you and we’ll be speaking a lot. I think our farmers are going to be very happy,” Trump said Friday. “A lot of very positive things happened. But, America is very happy about this visit and I’m sure China is very happy also. Great things for both countries. And it’s been just very, very productive.”

TRUMP-XI REUNION COMES WITH UNFINISHED BUSINESS — AND A BIGGER BATTLE LOOMING

Xi arrived in Washington Wednesday evening for a summit with Trump, four months after the two leaders reached a sweeping agreement that included Chinese commitments on rare earths, agricultural purchases, trade and investment.

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Trump hailed that agreement as a breakthrough for American farmers, manufacturers and workers. But the latest talks unfolded during uneven progress on commitments involving rare-earth minerals, agricultural and commercial purchases, trade and investment, while key disputes over tariffs, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, intellectual property and Taiwan remain unresolved.

“President Xi and Madam Peng have just left D.C., heading for China. The meeting was one of Friendship, Strength, and Success, for both China and the U.S.A.,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Much has been, and will be, accomplished. I look forward to our next meeting!” 

Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin is firing back at a progressive House Democrat who is pushing one of the most radical Trump administration crackdowns yet.

Mullin and his DHS spokesperson both criticized legislation by Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., a member of the progressive “Squad,” that would dismantle most of the department and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“Radical leftists are calling to defund the police and abolish DHS. It’s NEVER going to happen. Our 270,000 DHS patriots are keeping Americans SAFE— unlike this open-borders politician who refuses to prioritize Americans over illegal aliens,” Mullin told Fox News Digital.

DHS CHIEF FIRES BACK AT JAYAPAL OVER CLAIM MAJORITY OF IMMIGRATION ARRESTS POSE ‘NO THREAT’

His spokesperson went even further, telling Fox News Digital that Ramirez “should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these dangerous criminals from her district—NOT vilifying law enforcement.”

“This type of rhetoric is contributing to a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line,” the DHS spokesperson said. “While sanctuary politicians smear ICE, law enforcement is arresting criminals and saving countless American lives.”

DEMS SHAMED AS DHS BRINGS ICE SHOOTING RECEIPTS AFTER POLITICIAN CALLED ICE OFFICERS ‘LIARS WITH MASKS’

DHS also pointed Fox News Digital to a list of illegal immigrants arrested in Ramirez’s home state of Illinois. It included Bulgarian national Rumen Georgriev, who was convicted of “rape with a weapon,” Abdukadir Haji of Somalia, who DHS said was convicted of “sex assault and rape,” and Cuban national Samuel Reyes-Silva, who was convicted of “robbery and homicide.”

Ramirez’s legislation, the Reimagining Safety Act, would create a “Department of Community Safety” while dismantling DHS as it is currently known.

Certain agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Coast Guard, and customs functions would be preserved.

The bill would abolish ICE and “begin the process of establishing a separate civil immigration system,” according to a release. It would also abolish Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency charged with keeping the southern border free of illegal crossings.

TLAIB MOVES TO BLOCK ICE AIRPORT ARRESTS, SAYS TSA HELPING TARGET IMMIGRANTS

Democrat calls to abolish ICE have swelled in recent months amid bipartisan criticism of President Donald Trump’s handling of immigration, reigniting most recently when agents shot a Venezuelan national in Austin, Texas. Backlash has also been targeted at federal immigration officials’ killing of two U.S. citizens earlier this year.

But Ramirez’s bill would go further in dismantling the current anti-illegal immigration enforcement system with its call to end CBP as well as ICE.

She fired back at the Trump administration’s criticism in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Every day, Americans wake up with a new reason to dismantle DHS, reimagine safety, and build something that honors our shared humanity. The people have the power to reshape the government: instead of the weapon DHS has proven to be, we need a department built on the best parts of who we are and can be, and the best examples of how we can take care of each other in hard times.”

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“Markwayne and DHS will keep spreading cheap lies and fearmongering in a desperate attempt to save face because dismantling DHS and building something new is part of how we hold them accountable, stop corruption, and end their lawlessness,” Ramirez said.

An order issued Friday by the Supreme Court temporarily allows the Trump administration to move forward with a mass voter verification system.

The emergency order allows states, for now, to use the Department of Homeland Security program, called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on their rolls. 

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping comes to its end, some Republicans aren’t happy with the red carpet treatment the face of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) received.

“Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America, based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said.

Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been one of the more vocal Republicans about his disdain for the meeting, which kicked off Wednesday afternoon when Trump met Xi at Joint Base Andrews — the first time a president has met with a foreign dignitary there since 2015.

BIPARTISAN DUO WANTS TO REMIND CONGRESS, TRUMP OF CHINA’S ‘ATROCITIES’ AHEAD OF XI VISIT

It comes as Republicans are running to hold onto power in the Senate. They departed their midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month with a rallying cry: “Common sense versus communism,” as progressive candidates surge across the country.

The convention was designed to remind voters that while his name is not on the ballot, Trump’s agenda is. But his meeting with Xi, optically, runs afoul of that.

“I mean, the president campaigned on an anti-China policy,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said. “You go look at those MAGA rallies and look at everybody cheering when he said he’s gonna take it to China.”

“Any time we roll out the red carpet for a despot from Russia, or a despot from China, I feel the same way,” he continued. “It’s kind of not good.”

GOP FACES BRUTAL MIDTERM HEADWINDS AS REPUBLICANS PAINT ELECTION AS ‘COMPETITION WITH COMMUNISM’

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he was not “enthusiastic” about the summit, and said that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea were an “axis opposed” to the U.S.

“I hope the president’s clear-eyed about who he’s dealing with,” Cornyn told Fox News Digital. “I mean, he tends to call some of these dictators friends, and they’re no friend. I can guarantee.”

Some Republicans are willing to accept that a meeting between Trump and Xi is a necessary step in building a relationship between the two superpowers, even with the lavish nature of the summit.

“I think there’s value in being able to talk with your adversaries,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital. “And I think, in this case, you know, our two countries, the biggest economies in the world, have a symbiotic relationship.”

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., was invited to attend the dinner after spending years working in China before running for office.

Daines told Fox News Digital that he understood his colleagues’ apprehension, but that the U.S. and China, and particularly Trump and Xi’s relationship, had to work.

TRUMP-XI SUMMIT COULD HOLD KEY TO LOWER GAS PRICES, GOP CHAIRMAN SAYS

“This relationship is too big to fail, and it’s only appropriate that President Trump and his team extends respect to Xi Jinping, and it’s really reciprocal to what they did for President Trump back in May when they showed him great respect when he showed up in Beijing,” Daines said.

Still, that doesn’t mean Republicans have to like it.

“It is one of his strengths, his ability to sort of win individuals over with hospitality,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., told Fox News Digital. “He’s in the business. So I don’t, again, I’m not gonna second guess it. You know, I hate seeing it at a personal level, but I trust his instincts on it.”

Lawmakers hoped that the two-and-a-half-day summit would yield deals on the artificial intelligence (AI) race, trade deals that would end the trade war between the U.S. and China and for Xi to use his influence to get oil and natural gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again.

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Trump kept tight-lipped about the nature of their bilateral meeting in the Oval Office on Thursday, but so far, Xi has promised two new pandas while the president is mulling allowing Chinese electric vehicles to be built in the U.S.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., took no issue with the meeting, but hoped that Trump would see through any smokescreen Xi deployed.

“I just suggested, and I don’t think he will — the president’s a pretty good judge of character — not to believe President Xi’s bulls—, because he’s lying. Particularly about helping Iran, and Xi could get the Strait open immediately if he wanted,” Kennedy told Fox News Digital.

Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser who switched her party affiliation over unheeded warning signs of President Joe Biden’s decline in the 2024 election, believes the party badly misallocated its fundraising, misled donors and rewarded party operatives who propped up Biden’s image.

“It was: ‘maintain this very obvious lie in return for access,’” Li recalled in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, referring to assertions that Biden was not experiencing cognitive decline.

“And whoever maintained, whoever was most strident in propounding that lie got the most access. And whoever subverted it or dared to ask questions would see their access quickly diminish.”

Li herself would find her access completely cut off after she began questioning Biden’s physical ability to serve another four years as president. But before leaving, Li became a top operative and is now chronicling the months leading up to Biden’s withdrawal from the race in her new book, “Unburdened.” Her revelations include what Harris did with a historic, billion-dollar war chest.

NANCY PELOSI DENIES KNOWING ABOUT BIDEN’S DECLINE, CLAIMS THOSE WHO KNEW ‘SHOULD HAVE ACTED’

For starters, Li believes that the numbers themselves weren’t what they appeared to be from the outside.

“I sincerely believe it’s a pyramid scheme,” Li said.

She explained how fundraisers would sometimes take credit for each other’s work. In some cases, top recruiters could effectively double-dip on work that their subordinates had done.

“When you recruit somebody, you can claim up to $250,000 of what they raise,” Li said.

“In fact, you could poach other people’s donors and move money around. And that is how some people reach like $10 million without actually raising a thing. It’s like accounting gimmicks and machinations rather than real money. I know there were people who were double counted.”

As a top fundraiser for both Biden and Harris, Li worked closely with top donors, high-profile members of the party and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Li described how she had a front-row seat for many of the party’s spending decisions.

Li recounted that most of the Harris campaign’s spending went through four large media contracting companies. These contractors, Li said, collected enormous fees and received over half a billion dollars. The companies that were listed in her book included Media Buying & Analytics, Gambit Strategies, Bully Pulpit Interactive and Dupont Circle Strategies.

CARVILLE SHREDS DEMS’ 2024 AUTOPSY, SAYS HARRIS CAMPAIGN WAS ‘MOST INEFFECTIVE $2 BILLION EVER SPENT’

“This tsunami of money represented about 70 percent of the campaign’s expenditures in the final days, enriching a handful of well-connected consultants while the broader effort collapsed,” Li wrote.

In interviews with Fox, Li described how the payments to the firms came partially as off-the-top fees.

“The vast majority of the money raised went into TV ads. And so… You know, people talk about 10% for the big guy. Okay, but I actually think the bigger grift is 15% for the big grift for these media people. They get 15%, 15 points off of hundreds of millions of dollars. You can do the math,” Li said.

“The consultants get the money, the consultants that are hired by the campaign, and they’re friends of the candidate or friends of Jen O’Malley-Dillon. It’s a very incestuous process,” Li said, referring to the Harris campaign chair.

In addition to the media companies and the lucrative contracts they paid out, Li believes that the party focused too much on expenses that didn’t advance the campaign while, in her view, neglecting strategic opportunities.

“$350,000 a night slapping her face in the Las Vegas sphere, spending that money on Gulfstream so they wouldn’t have to fly commercial, spending it on Ritz-Carlton hotels. I mean, that definitely happened because the National Finance Committee was hosting its final meeting there. Spending its money on tote bags,” Li said.

“None of that in Philadelphia,” she added, referring to the critical electoral center in Pennsylvania — a state that had been projected to be a pathway to victory in 2024.

HARRIS BACKS RELEASING DNC’S 2024 ELECTION AUTOPSY DESPITE LEADERSHIP BURYING REPORT

Part of what shocked Li was how brazen the party had been with the money she helped raise. She also expressed disbelief at the message the party spun to voters who had contributed their earnings in hopes of “saving democracy,” a refrain Biden used to convince voters to side with him over President Donald Trump.

“Some people forked over their life savings. Like people were liquidating their savings on the hope that they were saving the country. They absolutely did, and I truly believe that they donated $2.5 billion over seven weeks, not so much primarily because of Kamala’s strength as a candidate, but rather their hatred for Trump and their fear of Trump,” Li said.

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“Everyone knew, everyone played along.”

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ripped her colleagues for fast-tracking cases on the high court’s emergency docket, saying “it has been noticeably less restrained, especially with respect to pending cases that involve controversial matters.”

The emergency docket, sometimes known as the shadow or interim docket, allows parties to ask the Supreme Court to quickly intervene in lawsuits and temporarily pause lower court rulings. The process can take a couple of days, weeks or months, and is viewed as a much speedier, although temporary, way to secure court relief than when the court fully considers the merits of a case, which can include a long briefing schedule and oral arguments.

“Why is it that one party should get a fast pass to the Supreme Court of the United States, when so many other parties are queued up, waiting patiently for the court’s attention?” Jackson said Thursday during a speech at the University of the District of Columbia’s law school, according to The Hill.

“If we’re not careful, the emergency docket can and will become an end run around the standard review process, a special avenue that certain privileged litigants can use selectively,” she added.

SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO INTERVENE IN CASE OF SURROGATE MOTHER WHO REFUSED ABORTION

Jackson’s speech comes as the Trump administration has submitted 40 emergency applications to the Supreme Court since the start of the president’s second term, The Hill reported.

Through the emergency docket, the Supreme Court has greenlit Trump’s mass firings of career employees and high-profile terminations of Democratic appointees. It has curtailed nationwide injunctions and cleared the way for controversial deportations and immigration stops.

Since the start of Trump’s second term, his administration has won about 80% of its appeals on the emergency docket, according to Politico.

KAVANAUGH THROWS TRUMP ‘A LIFELINE’ ON MAIL BALLOT RULES DESPITE SUPREME COURT LOSS BEFORE MIDTERMS

The Supreme Court’s majority has often split along ideological lines and offered little reason for its emergency decisions. This differs from final orders from the court, which can be lengthy and include numerous concurring opinions and dissents.

Jackson also said Thursday that parties should be required to prove impending harm in cases that cannot wait for full adjudication by the lower courts, as opposed to the Supreme Court granting stay applications based on whether lower courts could have made mistakes, Courthouse News Service reported.

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“Significant real-world harms can follow Supreme Court stay rulings, and when the court’s orders do not acknowledge that reality, they seem oblivious and ring hollow,” Jackson was quoted as saying. “We cannot expect the public to have faith in our judicial system if, without clear explanation, we are consistently greenlighting harmful acts that do real damage to litigating plaintiffs without a court decision fully and fairly determining the lawfulness of that challenged conduct on the merits.”

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, leader of the country’s ruling Communist Party, will depart the United States today, but not before a final stop at the National Archives.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will first meet President Xi Jinping and his wife, Madame Peng Liyuan, for morning tea at the White House’s Red Room. After that, the couples will head to the National Archives for what the White House describes as a viewing of “a variety of important records and documents significant to the American and Chinese relationship throughout history.”

From there, Trump will bid Xi farewell, and the whirlwind two-and-a-half day summit, underscored by a palpable tension, will conclude.

The National Archives houses some of America’s most important documents, including the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.

TRUMP-XI SUMMIT SHOULD MAKE SURE AMERICAN STRENGTH DELIVERS AMERICAN RESULTS

The two heads of state met at the White House on Thursday morning, which began with a state arrival ceremony consisting of military honors, a review of troops, the Chinese and American national anthems and a flyover by a B-2 stealth bomber in formation with four fighter jets. A frenzied press, foreign and domestic, scurried around the White House grounds to catch glimpses of Trump and Xi, who does not often visit the West.

Trump and his administration officials held bilateral talks with the Chinese delegation from the late morning into the early afternoon, lasting for several hours. Xi and Trump also spoke behind closed doors in the Oval Office. After the meetings, Trump escorted Xi to the White House’s South Lawn, where the pair viewed Marine One, and the new helipad on which it sits. 

They also toured the White House ballroom, which is under construction, and Trump showed Xi the Presidential Walk of Fame outside the West Wing, which features headshots of presidents past.

Trump installed an image of an autopen in Biden’s place on the Presidential Walk of Fame, a reference to Trump’s repeated attacks on the former president’s use of an autopen while in office. Xi and Trump could both be seen laughing at the image, according to footage on social media.

Outside the White House gates, protesters against Chinese oppression could be heard chanting throughout the day of meetings.

The protests carried into the evening, with chants of “Free Hong Kong,” “Xi Jinping, you’re not welcome” and “freedom for political prisoners” at times drowning out the state dinner at the White House, Fox News Digital reported.

XI CAN’T ESCAPE PROTESTERS’ CRIES AT DEAFENING DINNER DEMONSTRATION

A White House official told Fox News Digital before the visit that Trump would explore a wide-ranging deal on possible tariff reductions on non-strategic goods in the meeting with Xi. That official also said the nation’s leaders would discuss rare-earth exports and possible export controls, and that Trump was expected to press China to do more to curb fentanyl precursor chemical exports.

Trump called the meeting “great,” but didn’t elaborate and didn’t take questions from the press during the day.

China will send two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to Zoo Atlanta under a conservation agreement, Xi announced. Xi also invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchanges and study over the next five years.

Xi departed the White House for several hours after the meeting, but returned for a state dinner that officially began at 8:00 p.m. Trump kicked off the dinner with a toast to peace and prosperity for both nations.

Guests at the dinner included the second family, Cabinet officials and their spouses, and titans of industry in banking and tech.

XI PREPARES CHINA ‘FOR BATTLE’ AS EXPERT WARNS OF GRAVE DANGER FACING US AHEAD OF DC SUMMIT

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, SpaceX founder and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser and Apple Board of Directors Chairman Tim Cook were all in attendance.

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The inclusion of American artificial intelligence leaders was notable, given that the powerful technology was a hotbed summit issue as China and the United States race for AI dominance.

Federal guarantees for jobs and housing, the elimination of private health insurance, a massive Green New Deal expansion, and new taxes on unrealized wealth are among dozens of current congressional proposals being called out by a national free-market group led by former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Miyares, whose family fled Fidel Castro’s communist regime, described the proposed laws seen on Capitol Hill as “straight from Castro’s playbook” in a sit-down interview with Fox News Digital. Miyares recently became the honorary chairman at the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, a conservative trade organization representing American businesses, which just launched a “Socialism Watch” initiative tracking thirty-two bills that have been introduced on Capitol Hill aiming to implement what the group describes as socialist policy goals across healthcare, energy, labor, housing, taxation, and more.

“The year Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, Cuba had the same GDP as Greece. The year that he died, too bad the same GDP as Sudan,” Miyares told Fox News Digital. “Socialism doesn’t work. It impoverishes every country that embraces it.”

DSA-BACKED CANDIDATES ARE WINNING PRIMARIES AND THEIR VISION FOR AMERICA IS VERY DIFFERENT

Among the bills highlighted by Miyares and the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce is legislation that would ban fracking nationwide beginning in 2029, prohibit greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants and restrict new liquefied natural gas infrastructure and most U.S. oil and natural gas exports. 

Others would create government-backed job-guarantee programs offering employment to qualifying applicants, replace private health insurance with a national Medicare for All program, and impose annual taxes on accumulated wealth, even when those gains have not been realized through a sale.

The group is also zeroing in on a massive progressive push to overhaul American real estate: the “Housing is a Human Right Act.” While supporters pitch the $300 billion bill as a moral crusade to end homelessness, critics like Miyares see it differently. They argue that by officially declaring shelter a government-guaranteed right and pumping billions into “social housing,” the legislation is actively trying to push private landlords out of the market.

TODAY’S LEFTISTS ARE DANGEROUSLY WRONG ABOUT COMMUNISM. JUST LISTEN TO THE SURVIVORS

Other measures flagged by the group include a proposal to create a quasi-governmental “National Infrastructure Bank” to fund politically favored state projects, alongside a $1.6 trillion “Green New Deal for Public Schools” that the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce warns would hand local school district operations over to the federal government.

“These young people are embracing socialism thinking that it leads to helping those that are poor, disadvantaged. The reality is it does the opposite,” Miyares told Fox News Digital. “It actually hurts the very people that it wants to help.”

Miyares’ warnings about socialism are rooted in his family’s history in Cuba. His mother, Miriam, fled Fidel Castro’s communist regime in 1965 at 19 years old, arriving in the United States after leaving nearly everything behind. Miyares has said his uncle, an opponent of Castro, was arrested following the Bay of Pigs invasion and subjected to a mock execution, an experience he has said helped drive his mother’s decision to leave the island.

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“So many young people have forgotten really, really painful lessons of history that you cannot judge a bill or an economic system based on intentions, you have to judge it on results,” Miyares said. “What we’ve seen time and time again is socialism fails everywhere it’s been tried.”

But Miyares argued the debate is no longer confined to activists or ideological arguments outside Washington, pointing to the 32 bills tracked through the American Free Enterprise Chamber’s newly launched “Socialism Watch” initiative as evidence that policies associated with the socialist-left have made their way into actual legislation before Congress.

“AOC joked that woke one was crazy,” Miyares said. “Well, it’s clear that woke two should belong in an insane asylum because it’s a full-blown embrace of Marxism and socialism.”

NEW YORK — Fears that Russia is preparing for a broader war with NATO aren’t rattling Estonia’s foreign minister, who told Fox News Digital that his country’s intelligence sees no signs Moscow is preparing for a full-scale invasion of the alliance.

“We have more and more this kind of panic in Europe that Russia will invade and will be full-scale aggressive against NATO and Europe and the Baltic states, Poland,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City before quipping, “But we don’t see it.”

Estonia shares a roughly 180-mile border with Russia and has long been among NATO’s most vocal members warning about the threat from Moscow under President Vladimir Putin. But Tsahkna drew a distinction between preparations for a conventional attack and the growing campaign of drone incursions, sabotage, cyberattacks and other provocations that European governments have blamed on Russia.

BATTLE-TESTED ZELENSKYY SOUNDS CHILLING ALARM ON WHERE PUTIN’S WAR COULD HEAD NEXT

“Our intelligence, we see very, very deep into Russia, we don’t see any change,” Tsahkna said. “We don’t see that Russia is preparing a full-scale invasion or aggression. The other side of our borders is pretty empty.”

Tsahkna, who served as Estonia’s defense minister from 2016 to 2017, contrasted the current picture with what he saw a decade ago, when he said roughly 120,000 Russian troops were positioned across the region’s borders and could be ready to move within 48 hours.

“It’s empty,” he said of the Russian side of Estonia’s border today.

His assessment comes as European officials grapple with a series of Russian airspace violations and suspected hybrid attacks, including a Russian military helicopter that crossed into Polish airspace Wednesday. Poland’s military said the incursion appeared to be another attempt to test the readiness of its air defenses.

RUSSIA’S SHADOW WAR IS PUTTING EUROPE ON EDGE AS GERMANY CONFRONTS A GROWING THREAT

European and NATO officials have also warned that Russia could rebuild sufficient military capability to pose a direct threat to the alliance in the coming years. Estonia’s own intelligence service said earlier this year that it saw no Russian intention to attack a NATO member in the immediate term, while warning that Moscow’s military reforms are increasing its longer-term capabilities.

Tsahkna argued that the more immediate threat is a Russian campaign of provocations and hybrid attacks designed to remain below NATO’s Article 5 threshold.

“What Russia is doing now is waging these attacks, which are not crossing Article 5,” he said. “It’s sabotage attacks, terror attacks.”

“The main purpose for Putin is to play with the Western part of the fear of escalation,” Tsahikna went on. “He’s trying to divide the Western parts of the world. Divide the unity, divide this kind of consensus.”

Estonia has dealt with GPS interference, cyberattacks and disinformation it has attributed to Russia, while drones have also crossed into its airspace as the war in neighboring Ukraine continues.

Tsahkna said Estonia recorded roughly 40,000 cyberattacks last year, a particular challenge for a country where virtually all public services are available online.

“We are witnessing already, yes, any kind of different level attacks,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s already like normality.”

Tsahkna said NATO needs to become more flexible in responding to attacks that fall below the alliance’s collective-defense threshold.

“NATO must be more flex and more dynamic, because these are the attacks which are not crossing Article 5,” he said, pointing to sanctions, public attribution and political responses as tools available to the alliance.

“Putin wants to boil Europe and western part of the world as a frog,” Tsahkna said. “Turning on the heat piece by piece is a test of us.”

Tsahkna also pointed to an incident last year in which three Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace for roughly 12 minutes, prompting Tallinn to request consultations under NATO’s Article 4 and raise the incident at the U.N. Security Council.

He recalled President Donald Trump later saying Russian aircraft that violate NATO airspace should be shot down, and said Estonia has not experienced another comparable fighter-jet incursion since.

“We have now drones coming in,” Tsahkna said. “NATO is working as a Swiss clock.”

Tsahkna said NATO may need cheaper and more efficient ways to bring down drones rather than relying on expensive fighter aircraft.

On Ukraine, Tsahkna called for increasing pressure on Moscow, arguing that Russia’s economic and battlefield losses could eventually push Putin toward serious negotiations.

“What we see, and I also visited Ukraine last week, is that we need to put more pressure on Russia, because Putin understands only very clear language through strength,” he said.

Tsahkna also pointed to Ukraine’s growing ability to strike targets deep inside Russia as a source of pressure on the Kremlin.

“If Putin is under heavier pressure, and also Ukraine is delivering more deep-strike capabilities and attacks, there will be a momentum when Putin may really start some kind of ceasefire or energy ceasefire, or real talks,” he said.

Tsahkna said Trump had devoted significant effort to seeking an end to the war, but argued that Putin has used the diplomatic process to buy time.

“President Trump has put lots of energy during the last year to find a way, but Putin has just played with him and also winning the time,” Tsahkna said.

He said Ukraine’s deep strikes are already weakening Russia economically, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly signaled his willingness to agree to a ceasefire.

“Putin can just decide like today or tomorrow to have a ceasefire,” Tsahkna said. “Unfortunately, we don’t see any change for now.”

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Tsahkna also said Estonia has been assured that U.S. forces will remain in the region for the next rotation, amid the Trump administration’s broader review of the American military footprint in Europe.

“We got the information that it will happen soon,” he said of the next rotation.

Tsahkna said the presence of American forces remains an important part of deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank.

“U.S. troops are keeping the peace in our region,” Tsahkna said. “The flag of the troops is so important to give the message to President Putin” about the red lines between Russia and NATO.

Republican congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds is taking aim at his Democratic opponent David Jolly over his shifting political positions and party affiliation, in a contest that is resurfacing themes from the 2016 congressional race between Jolly and Charlie Crist.

“You were pro-choice, then you were pro-life, then you were pro-choice. It was only after you switched parties that you switched your position. This was not a matter of conviction for you; it was for political convenience,” Jolly said about Charlie Crist when Jolly was a Republican running against Crist, a Democrat, for Congress in 2016.

Ten years later, Jolly is now a Democrat running for Florida governor and facing the same criticism for allegedly changing his positions for political gain, this time, in his race for governor against Donalds.

“The shift in positions by David Jolly is not because of personal conviction, it is purely because of political convenience,” Donalds told Fox News Digital, referencing that 2016 exchange.

DESANTIS ENDORSES FLORIDA GOP SLATE INCLUDING BYRON DONALDS IN GOVERNOR’S RACE

Some of the shifts in Jolly’s positions include issues like abortion, immigration, and drilling off the coast of Florida.

As a Republican, Jolly said he believed “life begins at conception,” authored legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and co-sponsored fetal-personhood legislation. He also voted for a federal 20-week abortion ban. Now running as a Democrat, Jolly calls himself “pro-choice,” supports codifying the Roe v. Wade framework and says he would veto legislation restricting abortion access as governor.

Jolly’s immigration views have also shifted sharply as he attempts to run for governor in a state that voted for Trump each of the last three presidential cycles by wide margins, with many voters motivated by Trump’s immigration policies.

As a Republican, he campaigned on securing the border, supported tighter screening for Syrian and Iraqi refugees and voted for the American SAFE Act. Today, he says the country should have “wide gates” for people coming to work or seek asylum, argues that crossing the border without legal status should not necessarily be treated as a crime in those circumstances and has called the Republican link between immigration and crime “gross,” “immoral” and “wrong.”

As voters consistently say that affordability is a top-of-mind concern, Donalds is also hitting Jolly’s record on healthcare as an example of inconsistency that shows a lack of credibility on the issue.

NEVER-TRUMP REPUBLICAN IS TOP DEM CHOICE IN CRUCIAL FLORIDA PRIMARY

“When David Jolly was in Congress, he opposed Obamacare,” Donalds said. “Now trying to run for governor he wants to expand Obamacare in Florida. I mean, these are just some of the complete shifts that we’ve seen in what he stands for.”

Another issue Donalds is taking issue with involves the period after the devastating Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which sent oil and tar balls washing ashore along roughly 178 miles of Florida coastline, contributed to an estimated loss of 1.88 million planned recreational visits in northwest Florida and cost the region $1.3 billion in visitor spending, $2.04 billion in economic output and more than 20,000 job-years.

Within a year of the spill, Jolly’s lobbying firm represented a client that publicly advocated for legislation that could have expanded offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Three Bridges Advisors listed H.R. 909, the Roadmap for America’s Energy Future, among the subjects of its 2011 lobbying activity for the Free Enterprise Nation, which supported the bill. Jolly also wrote a post on the group’s website stating that Free Enterprise Nation was “advocating for” the legislation.

BYRON DONALDS SHUTS DOWN BILL MAHER’S CLAIM ON GOP PRIMARY RACISM, SAYS ‘FLORIDA IS A MERITOCRACY’

Jolly said he had “never lobbied for offshore drilling,” but PolitiFact rated that claim “Mostly False” after finding that Jolly acknowledged attending a meeting where the bill was discussed, which lobbying experts said technically counted as lobbying.

Donalds cited the controversy to Fox News Digital saying, “Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of America, David Jolly went and became a lobbyist for more oil drilling off the coast of Florida, that is a fact and so what we’re seeing is a history of somebody who does everything possible, will say whatever, will be paid by whomever that are only in the interest of David Jolly.”

With polls showing a tightening race, the RealClearPolitics average gives Donalds a roughly 4-point lead. The candidates are also sparring over debate scheduling: Donalds has agreed to three proposed debates, while Jolly, who previously accepted two other debate invitations, has now ruled out participating in debates this cycle.

“Now he’s ducking debates,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “He won’t debate me because he knows that on a debate stage, I will hold him accountable for these things.”

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Jolly has hit Donalds on the campaign trail on a variety of issues as he tries to become the first Democrat to win a governor’s race in Florida since Lawton Chiles won reelection in 1994. Primarily, Jolly has focused on data centers and labeling Donalds as a candidate more interested in partisan culture-war battles than addressing Florida’s rising housing, insurance and health care costs.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Jolly campaign for comment.

Donalds told Fox News Digital that Jolly’s flips on both party registration and the issues is something his campaign will continue to focus on.

“What you find with David Jolly is somebody who’s done a complete 180 simply to run for office again and to gain relevance again and the people of Florida simply cannot trust David Jolly because we cannot afford David Jolly’s flip-flopping when it comes to the great state of Florida,” Donalds said.

The Senate is poised to possibly pass by the end of this week a bill fundamentally altering money and eligibility rules in college sports.

The Senate will take a test vote on the measure on Thursday. More than 70 senators support the bill that establishes a ceiling for how much money schools can allocate to pay students for their name, image and likeness. The legislation also limits transfers and sets eligibility standards.

The Senate could pass the bill later on Thursday if there’s a time agreement.

But does the Senate really want to make college sports the punctuation point before it leaves for the midterms?

It’s possible that senators have no other choice.

REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., wants to do a bipartisan permitting reform bill. The legislation would deal with data centers, drilling and environmental concerns — but that bill is aspirational and not yet ready for a vote.

Thune said last night that the odds favored the Senate staying in session next week, which they were scheduled to do anyway.

What has emerged is a dispute over the Ratepayer Protection Act. That bill passed the House last week 417-3. It would defray the cost of utilities consumers must pay if they reside near data centers.

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is one of the most vulnerable Republicans on the ballot this fall. He’s faced criticism back home for his support for data centers. So Husted asked the Senate last week to pass the House bill on the spot.

FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC ANXIETY AND CANDIDATE CONCERNS DEFINE OHIO SENATE RACE

Reluctant to give Husted a win, Democrats blocked him.

Now Republicans may want to stay in session and run all of the parliamentary traps to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act. For Republicans, that’s a better exclamation point before the recess.

But look at this exchange yesterday between yours truly and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.:

Pergram: Was this blocked in the Senate last week by Democrats as an effort to prevent Senator Husted from having a win in his competitive race?

Schumer: Sen. Husted’s bill is a fraud. It’s voluntary. No company has to do it. The bill we have is mandatory. It is much stronger and is what is needed.

WHO PAYS FOR US POWER BOOM? BLUE, RED STATES OFFER STARKLY DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOWER UTILITY BILLS AMID AI SURGE

Republicans are sure to capitalize on the “fraud” part. You may even hear that in ads back in Ohio. Republicans will emphasize that Schumer is calling a bill which commanded 417 yeas in the House a “fraud.”

Therefore, Republicans want to get Democrats on the record about this bill. That could help lift the GOP before the midterms. And certainly Husted.

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So, it’s possible that once the Senate is done with this bill, it remains in session and tackles this measure next week — finally emphasizing an affordability issue.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ legal battle against President Donald Trump over DOGE-linked access to sensitive Treasury systems ended Wednesday with a federal judge dismissing the lawsuit she spearheaded with 18 other states.

The case stems from Trump’s January 2025 executive order establishing DOGE, which directed executive agencies to create DOGE teams and set July 4, 2026, as the termination date for the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization.

James led a coalition – which included New York and 18 other states – that sued the following month after Treasury gave DOGE-affiliated employees access to Bureau of the Fiscal Service systems, which process federal payments and contain sensitive financial information.

JUDGE SAYS ISSUES IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ANTI-WEAPONIZATION CASE ‘ALIVE AND KICKING’ DESPITE DOJ PUSH

Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled that the “plaintiffs’ claims related to access by DOGE-affiliated employees to sensitive Treasury information are dismissed as moot,” according to Wednesday’s order.

Vargas said the Treasury DOGE team had been disbanded, and no DOGE employees remained at Treasury, leaving no access practice for the court to enjoin. She separately dismissed the states’ claims over an automated payment-review system, finding they had not alleged that the process froze or canceled any specific federal payment due to them.

The states argued the Trump administration unlawfully opened sensitive Treasury systems to DOGE, putting state financial information and federal payments at risk and exceeding the administration’s legal authority.

EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE THE SECRETIVE MINE DOGE HELPED DRAG OUT OF A DECADES-OLD BUREAUCRATIC BLACK HOLE

In February 2025, Vargas granted the states a preliminary injunction barring Treasury’s DOGE team from the covered payment systems, then modified the order over the following months to permit access for personnel who complied with specified vetting, training, hiring, reporting and mitigation procedures.

The Executive Order established DOGE and called for each department to assemble its own DOGE team to find fraud, waste and abuse before their termination date of July 4.

TRUMP’S LAWYERS PUT DEM AG ON NOTICE FOR TARGETING HIS FAMILY IN NY FRAUD FIGHT: ‘CANNOT STAND’

James has been a longtime critic and legal adversary of Trump, launching a civil fraud lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization in 2022 after campaigning on investigating his business practices.

The case initially resulted in more than $450 million in penalties, though an appeals court later upheld Trump’s liability while voiding the financial penalty.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the office of the New York attorney general for comment.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he prepared for the “extreme tail risk” that the U.S. would invade Canada amid recent trade tensions.

Carney made the statement in an interview with The New York Times published Wednesday, saying he weighed the possibility after President Donald Trump began referring to Canada as the 51st state.

“I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk. That’s just risk management. That’s not a base case,” Carney told the Times, arguing that “it would be irresponsible not to.”

CANADIAN PM TELLS TRUMP TO ‘STOP TRYING TO BE TOUGH’ IN TRADE FIGHT

Trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada have continued to escalate over the past year, with Trump levying increased tariffs and Canada responding in kind.

Carney admitted in a video statement earlier this month that Canada had come to overly rely on its economic relationship with the U.S. in recent decades.

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“The past 40 years has been a period of deeper economic integration with the United States. Truth is, it was easy business, but it meant we relied too much on one economic partner. It’s clear that time is over,” Carney said.

“This is why our plan, since I came into office, has been development and diversification, not denial, waiting to go back to some good old days and not continued dependence.”

FEARS OF A CANADIAN TRADE WAR ARE OVERBLOWN; SO FAR, IT’S MORE OF A SKIRMISH

Trump last week dismissed reports that Canada may be joining the European Union as an associate member, saying the U.S. could impose heavy tariffs on Europe if he believed such a “laughable” move was made with “bad intention.”

“I think it’s laughable,” Trump responded. “If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things.

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“If Europe does that with a bad intention — if it’s a good intention, that’s fine — if it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.”

A Nigerian national accused of killing a UMass Dartmouth football player entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and overstayed it before receiving deferred action under both the Biden and Trump administrations, multiple federal law enforcement sources told Fox News.

Chukwunonso Uzoma David Uzoma Eze is charged with murder in connection with the stabbing death of UMass Dartmouth football player Marvins Antoine, 19, during an altercation in Providence, Rhode Island, over the weekend.

A second player, Kensley Macean, 19, suffered stab wounds to his head and neck and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, according to the Providence Police Department.

Sources told Fox News that Eze first entered the U.S. on a B-2 tourist visa in 2015.

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Eze received two extensions on his visa under the Obama administration before remaining in the country after his authorized stay expired, according to the sources.

Sources said the Biden administration approved Eze’s request for deferred action in September 2022.

He applied for deferred action again in February 2025 and October 2025, with the latter request approved under the Trump administration on Oct. 8, 2025, according to the sources.

Deferred action is a discretionary decision by the federal government to temporarily delay an individual’s removal from the United States. It does not provide lawful immigration status.

DHS said Eze applied for employment authorization in August 2023, but the request was rejected the following month.

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He applied again for employment authorization in February 2025 based on deferred action, and DHS said that application remains pending.

If convicted of murder, Eze will lose his deferred action, according to DHS.

According to Providence police, the stabbing took place at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot outside Mezzo Lounge.

Police said the incident stemmed from an altercation involving people who had been inside the lounge before the stabbing.

Antoine was killed after a stab to the chest, while Macean suffered stab wounds to his head and neck.

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Eze was later located and taken into custody by the UMass Dartmouth Police Department, police said.

James Copenhaver, of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, who was wounded in a failed assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in 2024, has died, according to several reports.

Copenhaver, in his mid-70s, was one of several people who attempted assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at the Butler Farm Show complex outside Butler, Pennsylvania, after Crooks scaled the roof of a nearby glass manufacturing building and took aim at the then-presidential candidate.

A statement from the Copenhaver family provided to Fox News Digital confirmed his death Thursday afternoon, and noted the veteran’s “dedication to this great country.”

“It is with profound sadness that the Copenhaver family confirms that James Copenhaver passed away on September 23, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones,” the statement said.

“Above all else, James was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. James shared a lifetime of commitment to his wife, instilled the values of hard work, integrity, and the service of others in his children, and found some of his greatest joy in life in his grandchildren. His family was the center of his world, and he was the center of theirs.

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“James’s dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life. As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered. James was a true American patriot who believed deeply in the freedoms and ideals upon which this nation was founded, and he embodied the very best traits of our great nation. 

 “James and the Copenhaver family have been deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support they have received over the past two years, since James was gravely wounded while in attendance at President Trump’s rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life, and the kindness shown by so many brought great comfort to him and to those who love him.

 “As the Copenhaver family begins the difficult journey forward without James by their side, they welcome your continued thoughts, prayers, and support. The family respectfully asks that their privacy be honored as they mourn his loss and celebrate his life. James will be deeply missed, and his memory will live on in all who knew and loved him.”

The House Republican Conference posted an obituary for Copenhaver on social media, saying he had died Thursday and that lawmakers were “deeply saddened.”

“Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance. We join his family and loved ones in mourning his loss and praying for them during this difficult time. May he rest in peace,” the caucus said in a statement.

Ken Silva, a journalist who wrote a book about the assassination attempt, wrote on his website that a person close to Copenhaver’s family also confirmed Copenhaver had died and had been dealing with permanent injuries, including bullet fragments still lodged in his body.

David Dutch was also wounded in the shooting but survived. Butler County firefighter Corey Comperatore was shot and killed in the bleachers behind Trump’s dais that day.

Speaking to Pittsburgh’s KDKA in 2025, Copenhaver said he stood to look at the jumbotron behind him as Trump spoke.

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“Next thing I know, my sleeve has been yanked,” he said. “I could see a portion of it going by pretty fast, and I heard ‘pew.’ I heard it, and I didn’t realize at the time that I had gotten shot.”

He said he was then shot a second time but that the bullets both “went into soft material.”

“It was like a jolt. It didn’t knock me over, but I didn’t want to stand anymore,” he told the station.

A lawsuit Copenhaver filed against the United States earlier this year alleged he was also required to undergo multiple surgeries.

Mayor Jondavid Longo of nearby Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania — who spoke at the Butler rally — mourned Copenhaver’s reported death Thursday.

Secret Service missed ‘multiple opportunities’ to prevent Trump assassination attempt: watchdog

SECRET SERVICE MISSED ‘MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES’ TO PREVENT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: WATCHDOG

“[Copenhaver] survived that day, but he never fully recovered from the wounds. For two years he lived with surgeries, remaining fragments, and pain that never left him. Those of us who were there that day have never forgotten Corey Comperatore, David Dutch, or Jim,” Longo said in a statement on X.

“Butler County still carries that afternoon. May he rest in peace. Prayers for Marianne and the Copenhaver family.”

The attack triggered intense scrutiny of the Secret Service after investigations uncovered breakdowns in planning, communication and security around the rally site. Then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned less than two weeks later, taking responsibility for the security lapse. A subsequent bipartisan House task force concluded the Butler attack was preventable and identified failures in planning, execution and leadership.

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One of the Republican lawmakers on that task force, Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida, climbed onto the roof Crooks used to take aim at Trump and later told Fox News Digital he was incredulous at how easy it was to scale after Cheatle had cited the roof’s slope in explaining why it was not secured.

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Six Secret Service agents were later suspended without pay in connection with the failures.

Trump returned to Butler in October 2024, less than three months after the assassination attempt, to hold another rally at the same site and honor Comperatore.

Trump’s raised fist and mouthing of the word “fight” became a lasting image of the assassination attempt that he used throughout his successful campaign to become the first president since Grover Cleveland to serve two nonconsecutive terms.

The FBI is working to determine whether a breach involving its jobs website originated within the bureau or through a third-party provider after a criminal hacking group claimed it obtained FBI employees’ personal information.

“The FBI is aware of a cyber-criminal enterprise group claiming a compromise of the FBIJobs.gov portal and alleged impact to FBI employee personally identifiable information (PII),” the organization wrote in an X post Thursday. 

“While the point of breach is still undetermined — whether a third-party or the FBI’s enterprise — we are actively and aggressively investigating this matter and working closely with those third-party providers that support FBIJobs.gov to mitigate any and all risk.”

Jason Pack, CEO of Media Rep Global Strategies and a retired FBI supervisory special agent, said the distinction between a personnel data breach and access to the FBI’s classified systems is critical as investigators determine the scope of the incident.

FBI INVESTIGATES AFTER SHINYHUNTERS HACKERS CLAIM THEFT OF AGENTS’ PERSONAL DATA

“There is a meaningful difference between somebody obtaining personnel information and somebody gaining access to classified investigative systems,” he told Fox News Digital. “Based on what we know right now, there is no indication they have the keys to the kingdom.”

ShinyHunters, a criminal hacking and extortion group, has taken responsibility for the breach and said it stole information belonging to nearly all FBI agents and people who applied to work for the bureau, Reuters previously reported.

A sample of data shared with Reuters contained agents’ names, home addresses, Social Security numbers, assignments and, in some cases, names of family members, according to the outlet.

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Pack said combining personal information with information about an FBI employee’s work could create additional security risks.

“If an adversary knows who somebody is, where they work and what they do, they can build a much more believable scam around that person,” he said.

Pack said assignment information could also carry counterintelligence implications if it falls into the hands of a foreign intelligence service.

“There is also a counterintelligence concern. If a foreign intelligence service can associate particular people with certain assignments, it can help them identify individuals they may want to learn more about, approach or potentially assess for recruitment,” he added. 

“That does not mean that is happening here. It simply explains why assignment information can have value to an adversary.”

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Pack stressed that the hackers’ claims remain separate from what the FBI has confirmed, and said the bureau still needs to determine what information was accessed, how the breach occurred and who may have been affected.

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“The danger from stolen personal information does not necessarily end when the computer vulnerability is fixed,” he said. “Criminals may hold onto that information and use it weeks or months later.”

The FBI said it is working with third-party providers supporting FBIJobs.gov as investigators seek to determine the source of the breach and mitigate potential risks.