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Attendees at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Exposition were skeptical of President Donald Trump’s signal that a deal with Iran to end the war may be near, arguing the United States needs to continue its military and economic pressure on Tehran to bring the conflict to a close.

“Look at history, and that area only respects strength, right?” a member of AUSA’s Marne chapter in Georgia told Fox News Digital about Iran. “We’re not going to get a deal with them. We’re going to have to, unfortunately, beat them into submission.

“There is no such thing as negotiation. So, I think we’re probably looking at at least another year, if not two.”

TRUMP AGAIN SAYS DEAL IS CLOSE, THEN CONFIRMS A LAST-MINUTE AGREEMENT WITH IRAN, BUT DETAILS STILL SECRET

The war began in February with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. The conflict has continued despite an April ceasefire and a June agreement intended to pave the way for a broader settlement, which later collapsed amid renewed fighting.

Trump still signals optimism about ending the conflict, saying earlier this month that Iran was “ready to fold up” and suggesting the war could end before the November midterm elections.

“It looks like you guys are holding off because of the midterms,” Lincoln from Australia said.

“But it also appears that the Gulf allies need to step up and start doing something for themselves, for their own defense,” Lincoln said. “Saudi Arabia doesn’t seem to be doing enough.

“It shouldn’t just be the United States providing security for the entire world.”

TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL REACHES MAKE-OR-BREAK DEADLINE AS 60-DAY NEGOTIATING CLOCK EXPIRES

Trump said Thursday he would not use nuclear weapons against Iran after reports started circulating that the Department of War was developing new strike plans that could include using a bomb known as the “Mother of All Bombs” against Iranian nuclear sites and energy infrastructure.

“I know they tried diplomatic channels and … that’s a good idea,” Joe from Florida said. “It looks like we have to move beyond that. It looks like force is needed. They keep trying force on us. Let’s talk their language.”

An Army veteran had more optimism toward the prospects of a deal, arguing that continued economic pressure on Iran could help to end the conflict.

“Physically, they’re having a hard time because there’s a lot of pressure on them,” Carl from Maryland said. “They’re running low on resources, cash.

US ECONOMIC CHOKEHOLD ON IRAN REACHES PEAK LEVERAGE AS COLLAPSE RISKS EMERGE

“I think that more of … this continued pressure on them — economically, the sanctions — not allowing them to export the oil that they’ve done in the past to their other partners will continue to put pressure on them to cease hostilities.”

But even among those who expressed support for Trump’s handling of the conflict, questions remained about whether the Trump administration could end the conflict through negotiations.

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“I respect the hell out of President Trump,” the AUSA Marne chapter member said. “I think he’ll do what he can, it’s best for our country, but I’m very skeptical that there’s any type of brokered peace between us and Iran.”

Johnny Garcia, a candidate for Congress in Texas’ newly redrawn 35th District, faced a pair of suspensions for “job performance,” “insubordination” and “conduct or action that would seriously impair job effectiveness” during his time with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, records show.

In the first suspension in 2009, Garcia brought a cellular device into a secure area against repeated instruction. The second, in 2020, arose when Garcia left a gun in an unsecured location, where it was later stolen.

In both cases, Garcia was suspended without pay.

The suspensions, discovered through a public records request, put new scrutiny on a law enforcement career that Garcia has made a central part of his campaign as he wages a race against Republican candidate Carlos De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran. 

The race to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, is expected to be significantly more competitive in the upcoming midterms than in years past.

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The first suspension came in 2009 when Garcia carried his cellphone into a secured jail area, something he had been told repeatedly not to do.

“You have been instructed multiple times not to bring cellular phones or electronic equipment into the secured area and that doing so is a violation of policy. You stated you had been informed several times during Roll Call that cellular phones are not permitted in the secured area,” a notice of suspension reads.

“You are hereby notified that the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department is suspending you without pay for a total of three days … for insubordination [and] conduct or action that would seriously impair job effectiveness.”

The second suspension, according to the disciplinary record, came in 2020, when Garcia left his Glock firearm, four magazines and his badge — items that were later stolen — in his car. 

“Your equipment was not properly secured and was kept temporarily in your vehicle against Bexar County Sheriff’s policy. This negligent behavior has seriously impaired your job effectiveness and is a clear violation of the policies and procedures of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office,” a report read.

Garcia received a five-day suspension without pay for “job performance,” according to the county’s records. The firearm was eventually recovered after Garcia reported it was missing.

The sheriff’s office did not address questions about additional context on the suspensions, how frequently such suspensions are imposed and what other kinds of discipline the office would consider ahead of a suspension. Instead, it confirmed that Garcia had not faced any other forms of discipline as a result of the two incidents.

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“The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office handles all policy violations in strict accordance with Civil Service Commission guidelines. Deputy Johnny Garcia served a 3-day unpaid suspension for bringing an electronic device into a secure facility and a 5-day unpaid suspension for failing to properly secure county issued equipment. The disciplinary actions were the agency’s final decision of the incidents,” Deputy Noel Diaz said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“All deputies are required to maintain complete knowledge of the Civil Service Commission policies. Disciplinary actions are handled independently on single incidents.”

Garcia, who has not held elected office before, faces considerably steeper election odds than other Democrats who have run in Texas’ 35th District.

Casar, a progressive, last won re-election in the old district with a 67.4% to 32.6% victory in 2024. But Republicans targeted that electoral advantage through redistricting changes passed last year, prompting Casar to seek re-election in the state’s neighboring 37th district.

“Trump and Abbott just rammed through maps designed to kick people like me out of office. They don’t want me in Congress because they don’t want us to be heard. But we’re not going anywhere,” Casar said in a post explaining his move.

To overcome that shift in political advantage, Garcia has brought a centrist message to voters, highlighting his service with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, a post he joined at the age of 21. He would go on to work with the county jail and then as a hostage negotiator.

On his website, Garcia lists border security as a top priority in addition to issues like affordability and protecting government programs like Social Security. He said he had faced border weakness firsthand, stating that he had seen “how Biden failed us on the border.”

“An old school Democrat … he believes true public safety means more than tough talk,” his website states.

SUPREME COURT HANDS GOP A REDISTRICTING WIN BY STRIKING DOWN LOWER COURT BLOCK ON TEXAS MAP

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When asked about the two suspensions, Garcia’s campaign pointed back at his record of safety as a law enforcement officer.

“As a sheriff’s deputy, I’ve spent nearly two decades putting my own safety on the line to protect my community to keep violent criminals off our streets. These politicized claims are Republicans’ desperate attempts to distract from the fact that tariffs and his war in Iran have made everything more expensive for working families,” Garcia said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Having cleared his party’s primary in May, Garcia heads to the state’s general election on Nov. 3.

A Biden-appointed judge dealt the Trump administration another legal blow Thursday, tossing its lawsuit seeking to upend New York City’s sanctuary policies after ruling that the Justice Department’s arguments amounted to a “backdoor around the Tenth Amendment.”

The Trump administration sued New York City in July 2025, alleging that its sanctuary laws unlawfully hinder federal immigration enforcement by restricting local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal authorities.

The New York City case is one of more than two dozen lawsuits the Trump administration has filed against state and local jurisdictions over sanctuary and related policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

But U.S. District Judge Ramón E. Reyes Jr. ruled the federal government lacked standing to challenge New York City’s restrictions on honoring ICE detainers and rejected the Justice Department’s claims that the city’s sanctuary policies are preempted by federal law.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated the ruling in a post Friday on X, accusing the administration of attempting to turn city employees into immigration enforcement agents.

“The federal government tried to turn our public servants into deportation agents and force New York City to carry out ICE’s cruel agenda,” Mamdani wrote.

“Today, a federal court rejected that effort and upheld our laws. Every New Yorker deserves to seek help from their city without fear of being targeted for deportation. We will stand by our immigrant neighbors, defend our laws and protect the promise that this city belongs to all of us.”

Reyes found the administration lacked standing because striking down the city’s restrictions would not remedy its alleged harm because separate state laws restricting cooperation would remain in place.

But Abhishek Kambli, a former federal prosecutor and partner at Holtzman Vogel, disputed that reasoning, arguing that the city’s laws independently harm the federal government’s authority regardless of whether similar state restrictions exist.

“The sovereign harm is done just by the fact that New York City has the law (on) the books, no matter what other factors prevent practical application of the United States’s position,” Kambli told Fox News Digital.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS NEW YORK LAW BANNING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING MASKS

Reyes also rejected the Justice Department’s argument that New York City’s sanctuary policies are overridden by federal immigration law.

“Even if the United States has standing — and it does not — its preemption claims fail,” Reyes wrote. “All of the United States’ preemption claims — express, conflict and field — fail because the relevant federal statutes do not regulate private actors.”

The judge pointed to the 10th Amendment’s anti-commandeering doctrine, which prevents the federal government from forcing state and local governments from using their own officials and resources to administer federal programs.

“If states cannot remain free to control their agencies and employees to resist federal immigration enforcement, which is within states’ constitutional prerogatives, the Tenth Amendment anticommandeering doctrine means nothing,” Reyes wrote.

Kambli, however, argued that Reyes misinterpreted the distinction between forcing local governments to assist federal immigration enforcement and preventing them from actively obstructing it.

“Really what the 10th Amendment anti-commandeering means is you can’t force states to go from doing nothing to affirmatively assisting. What these statutes are doing is basically preventing states from actively obstructing federal immigration enforcement,” Kambli said.

He argued that the Justice Department was not seeking to force New York City officials to carry out federal immigration enforcement, but instead to prevent local laws from interfering with federal authorities’ ability to enforce immigration law.

“That’s different from the federal government saying a state or a city is required to actively assist ICE in operations,” Kambli said.

HUNDREDS OF JAILED ILLEGAL ALIENS RELEASED BACK ONTO BLUE STATE STREETS DESPITE ICE DETAINERS, RECORDS SHOW

The Justice Department also argued that New York City’s sanctuary policies went beyond simply refusing to assist federal authorities by restricting information sharing with ICE that is protected under federal law. The administration additionally claimed that the city unfairly singled out federal immigration officials for restrictions that did not apply to other law enforcement agencies.

Reyes, however, found that federal information-sharing protections apply specifically to information about an individual’s citizenship or immigration status and do not require local governments to provide ICE with broader details, such as a person’s release date or whereabouts.

“The United States’ assertion that information regarding release dates and custody status is information regarding immigration or citizenship status is contrary to law,” Reyes wrote.

Kambli, however, argued that the distinction over what information is being withheld misses the greater issue at hand.

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“The issue is mainly whether any state or locality that prohibits cooperation is preempted by federal law, regardless of what the information is,” Kambli said.

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The ruling marks the latest setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to challenge sanctuary policies in federal court after dismissals of similar lawsuits involving Boston, Los Angeles and Minnesota.

In the last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested more than 100 suspected gang members in the country illegally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) exclusively told Fox News Digital.

Agents arrested 131 gang-affiliated people between Oct. 4 and 10, including 22 affiliated with MS-13, and 13 with Tren de Aragua (TdA).

ICE has made 12,018 gang-related arrests since President Donald Trump took office again in 2025, DHS said.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED MORE THAN 10,000 SUSPECTED GANG MEMBERS

“In less than a week, the brave patriots of ICE have arrested more than 100 gang members across the country, including members of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “The best that America has to offer are on the frontlines every day to ensure that the worst of humanity cannot threaten or harm innocent Americans.”

Mullin praised Trump’s leadership for helping ICE to smash the “gangs and cartels, making it impossible for them to do business in America, and removing their members from our country. Arresting and deporting illegal aliens, especially gang members, is how we make America safe again.”

MULLIN TELLS RUTHLESS PODCAST THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS APPREHENDED 2,210 TERRORISTS

Among the arrestees was Gustavo Adolfo Flores-Ramirez, a Salvadoran national who DHS said is an MS-13 member.

Arrested in Las Vegas, on Wednesday, he’s wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide, aggravated femicide, rape of a minor or incapacitated person, illegal or irresponsible handling, carrying, or possession of firearms, illicit grouping, and crimes involving public peace.

It’s not known when he first illegally entered the country, but he was arrested in the U.S. in September 2021 and deported to Mexico.

He then illegally entered again, which is considered a felony, at an unknown time.

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

Jose Luis Perez-Arrias, a Venezuelan national and TdA member, was arrested in Tallahassee, Florida, on Wednesday, DHS said.

Perez-Arrias is a suspected hitman for TdA.

He illegally entered the country in Oct. 2023, while former President Joe Biden was in office and was arrested by Border Patrol agents and released into the country.

MORE THAN 25 CHARGED IN NATIONWIDE TREN DE ARAGUA CRACKDOWN INVOLVING GUNS, DRUGS AND CASH

Emerson Jossiel Calderon-Hernandez, a Salvadoran national and suspected MS-13 member, was arrested in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

He illegally entered the country in August 2012, while former President Barack Obama was in office, and was released into the country.

Calderon-Hernandez has been arrested for second-degree assault, attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, armed robbery, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and false imprisonment.

DOJ CHARGES 8 ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS IN TEXAS, ILLINOIS MURDER AND KIDNAPPING CASES

An unnamed 14-year-old from Venezuela facing charges of first-degree murder — criminal attempt with extreme indifference was arrested in Denver on Tuesday. 

The 14-year-old is associated with the Los Piratas Gang, a faction of TdA, according to DHS and was illegally carrying a Glock 48 pistol at the time of his arrest.

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He also faces charges of first-degree assault with extreme indifference, first-degree kidnapping, aggravated criminal extortion, illegal discharge of a weapon, and conspiracy.

DALLAS — Every fall, millions flock to the Lone Star State for one of America’s largest and most iconic state fairs, where towering midway rides, blue-ribbon livestock and the latest deep-fried creations compete for attention.

But while each year’s newest culinary creation may dominate social media, the State Fair of Texas has long been defined by the long-held traditions that keep generations of families coming back for more.

Few are more recognizable than Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs.

“What started as a simple idea has turned into now an 84-year Texas tradition for fairgoers,” Amber Fletcher, a third-generation owner of Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs, told Fox News Digital as the fair kicked off this year.

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Her grandfather, Neil Fletcher, and his brother Carl say they invented the corny dog in Dallas in the late 1930s before introducing it at the State Fair of Texas in 1942.

More than eight decades later, that simple creation has grown into a massive family operation. During the fair’s 24-day run, Fletcher’s sells roughly 550,000 corny dogs, going through about 60,000 pounds of hot dogs, 1,500 gallons of mustard and 800 gallons of ketchup.

“I don’t remember the oil, but it is a lot,” Amber Fletcher joked after listing the other metrics.

Yet even as the operation has grown, the family has largely resisted changing the product that made it famous.

“We’ve never changed our recipe. We haven’t even tinkered a little bit,” she said. “It is the same method and recipe my grandfather started with.”

TEXAS VOTERS HAVE PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT WHETHER LONE STAR STATE COULD TURN BLUE

That stalwart mindset includes resisting shortcuts, too.

“There’s a lot of things we could do to speed up the process,” Fletcher acknowledged. “We could get our hot dogs pre-stuck, but no. Each corny dog is hand-stuck. Everything is hand-dipped, fried, made to order.” 

For Aaron Fletcher, also a third-generation owner, consistency helps explain why the old-fashioned corny dog continues to hold its own against the over-the-top creations that debut at the fair each year.

“The viral stuff is cool, but people know what they’re going to get when they come to Fletcher’s,” Aaron told Fox News Digital. “They get excited about it. They look forward to it all year.”

Being rooted in tradition doesn’t mean the menu was also frozen in time.

Over the years, Fletcher’s has added jalapeño cheese, turkey and veggie corny dogs. This year, the family even ventured into dessert with a chocolate corny dog, earning one of the fair’s most coveted awards for the creation.

Pulling it all off requires months of preparation, seven locations across Fair Park and roughly 200 seasonal workers.

Running an operation that produces more than half a million corny dogs also means navigating rising food and operating costs while trying to keep the fair tradition affordable for families.

“You do have to adjust for pricing as you go along,” Aaron said. “We try our best to be fair in that we are a family-owned business, so we appreciate the importance of being able to take your family to the fair.”

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Sometimes, that means absorbing higher costs rather than passing them along to customers.

“I know a lot of business owners won’t say this — we eat it. We eat the price sometimes,” Aaron said. “There’s only so much you can do before people are going to look at it and be like, ‘No, I’m not going to do that.'”

“If we don’t have to, we aren’t raising prices,” Aaron added.

After 84 years, the challenge for Fletcher’s is balancing what changes with what doesn’t — keeping up with the cost of doing business without losing what has kept generations of fairgoers coming back.

With control of the U.S. Senate hanging in the balance this November, candidates across the country have been trading blows on debate stages, delivering everything from explosive personal accusations to embarrassing gaffes and unexpected admissions.

The heated exchanges have unfolded in closely watched general-election contests and contentious primaries alike, offering voters a glimpse of the personalities and policy differences shaping the battle for Washington.

Some confrontations have drawn national headlines, while others produced memorable moments that quickly spread across social media.

12 RACES SCRAMBLE SENATE BATTLEFIELD AS DEMOCRATS EYE COMEBACK

Here are five standout moments from Senate debates leading up to the 2026 midterm elections:

1. Michigan Senate candidates keep fighting through commercial break

The first head-to-head debate between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed took an unusually combative turn on Oct. 8, with the candidates repeatedly interrupting each other and trading personal attacks.

The confrontation became so heated that the arguing reportedly continued even after the televised debate went to a commercial break.

“In 30 years of doing debates, I’ve never seen it continue during the commercial. But it did,” moderator Rick Albin remarked when the broadcast resumed.

The arguing got so bad Albin had to get stern with the candidates.

“Look, here’s the situation. We’ve got dozens of questions we want to get to. You can’t litigate all of these with 14 different rebuttals,” he told them at one point.

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Throughout the hourlong showdown, Rogers questioned El-Sayed’s medical credentials, accused him of misleading voters and repeatedly attacked his political ideology. The candidates also sparred over their respective property holdings, including Rogers’ Florida home and El-Sayed’s overseas investments.

El-Sayed, meanwhile, accused Rogers of enriching himself through corporate relationships after leaving Congress and criticized his support for President Donald Trump.

Rogers described his Democratic opponent as a “con man” during Thursday night’s debate, while El-Sayed accused the Republican of being “weak” and “cowardly.”

“I’d like to be part of the debate, too,” Albin interjected during one particularly contentious exchange.

2. Democrat Senator accuses Republican rival of hiring ‘half the Third Reich’

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., unleashed a series of accusations against Republican challenger Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., during their first head-to-head debate Oct. 8, accusing the congressman of associating with white nationalists and employing individuals with extremist ties.

“Mike Collins has brought dishonor to our state through his personal bigotry and his widely documented ties to white nationalists,” Ossoff declared in his opening statement.

The Democrat later escalated his attacks while questioning Collins about his support for tax incentives benefiting data center developers.

“It’s not just that you’ve hired half the Third Reich to staff your congressional office and you have promoted neo-Nazi content online,” Ossoff charged.

The accusations followed reporting about Collins’ former congressional staffers and son-in-law, whose social media activity and alleged associations with white nationalists have drawn scrutiny. Collins rejected the characterization, insisting he has consistently condemned extremist rhetoric.

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“I’ve condemned racism, anti-Semitism, hate. I don’t care where the source is. And I tell him that too” Collins said. “It’s wrong. We have no place in this world for that.”

Ossoff also invoked the late civil rights leader John Lewis, declaring that if Lewis were marching from Selma to Montgomery today, Collins “would be grabbing a billy club.”

Collins countered by portraying Ossoff as a radical liberal who was out of touch with Georgia voters, accusing him of supporting extremist policies and criticizing his connections to progressive political figures.

3. Republican Senate candidate admits she’s ‘not that informed’ on national security

A South Carolina Republican Senate primary debate produced an unexpected admission when Sen. Darline Graham acknowledged that she wasn’t very familiar with foreign policy.

Graham, who was appointed to the Senate following the death of her brother, longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, faced Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., during an Aug. 18 debate ahead of the state’s Republican primary runoff.

Asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea represented national security concerns for the United States, Graham struggled to provide a substantive answer.

“I’m just going to be honest here,” Graham said. “I’m not that informed on national security.”

Graham went on to emphasize her support for the military, pointing to her late brother Lindsey Graham’s 33 years of service in the Air Force and her father’s service in the Army, while acknowledging that she was “not a polished politician.”

DEMOCRATS ARE CHANGING THEIR TRANSGENDER MESSAGE. REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’RE JUST FLIP-FLOPPING

“National security is not my thing, not my area of expertise, but I do support the military,” she said.

The admission prompted audible reactions from the audience and a subsequent frenzy on social media.

Among Graham’s critics was former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who endorsed Graham’s Republican primary opponent, Norman.

In a post on X following the debate, Haley argued that national security expertise was not something Graham could inherit from her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, emphasizing its importance for serving in the U.S. Senate.

4. Collins demands apology after Democratic rival accuses her of profiting from Iran war

Republican Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, demanded an apology from Democratic challenger Troy Jackson during an Oct. 8 debate after he accused her and her husband of financially benefiting from the ongoing war in Iran.

Jackson, a former Maine Senate president, argued that Collins had failed to use her influence in Washington to stop the conflict because of her family’s financial interests.

“Sen. Collins and her husband are making money off this war,” Jackson charged, suggesting that financial interests were helping prolong the fighting.

Collins immediately rejected the accusation and called the allegations against her “absolutely false.”

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“That is absolutely outrageous, and you owe me an apology,” the Republican senator shot back at Jackson.

But Jackson refused to back down, responding, “You owe me an apology.”

Daffron owns stock in two U.S. defense contractors, Boeing and RTX. According to the couple’s 2025 financial disclosure, filed in May 2026, Daffron held between $15,001 and $50,000 in stock in each company. A Collins spokesperson previously told the Maine Independent the investments were managed by a third party and that no individual stocks had been bought or sold from his account in more than three years.

5. Maine Senate hopeful goes viral after citing songwriting as qualification for office

A Maine Democratic Senate candidate sparked widespread mockery on social media after citing songwriting and writing books among her qualifications for serving in Congress during a July 16 primary debate.

Ashley Webb, one of eight Democrats competing to replace former nominee Graham Platner, who had to drop out amid a flurry of accusations targeting his character, was asked directly what qualified her to serve in the U.S. Senate.

“I ran for office several times, didn’t win, but I did run and then, I’m a songwriter and then I write my own books,” Webb responded.

Webb went on to emphasize her transparency and honesty, arguing that Americans were being deceived by politicians, particularly over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

The exchange quickly circulated on social media, drawing reactions from conservative commentators and political observers.

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“Surely you can’t be serious,” conservative commentator Dave Rubin wrote on X.

“You cannot and will not convince me that this is real,” author and political commentator Bethany Mandel added.

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Webb subsequently defended herself in a statement to Fox News Digital, dismissing the criticism and insisting that her remarks had been taken out of context.

“If people choose to spend their time trying to belittle me, more power to them,” Webb said.

If Republican Joe Strada wins Florida’s eleventh congressional district in three weeks, he will likely be the wealthiest individual to ever hold a seat in the US House of Representatives.

It’s an impressive trajectory for a man from humble beginnings who got his start fixing equipment in a bowling alley, but always had a zest for learning, building, and working with his hands.

Strada, whose HVAC, electrical and plumbing company employs roughly 4,000 people across 13 states, told Fox News Digital that his journey from handyman to wealthy entrepreneur embodies the American Dream but that neither his fortune nor his business success defines him.

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“How about that? Just the kid, a handyman in a bowling alley, fixing things that break…and now I’m blessed to have a business that’s in 13 states, thousands of people that work for me. It’s been a blessing and, I’m able to live the American dream. 

“But it’s difficult. It was difficult with the headwinds and the rules and regulations that come out of Washington, D.C. And it was very challenging …It should be difficult, but not this challenging.”

Strada wants everyone to be able to benefit from the American capitalist system that brought him great success:

“You know, as a business owner, I realized and recognized all the problems that Washington, D.C. is causing. All the rules and regulations that are impacting families, small business owners all across the country. And I finally said, we need a different type of person in Washington, DC. 

“We have enough lobbyists, politicians and attorneys there. It’s time to have a business-minded person that knows how to fix things that could go to Washington, and solve problems for the real, you know, real problems for the American people.”

Strada is on a nationwide mission to pitch young people on the value of the trades, and suggests it’s a worthy alternative to racking up massive student loans:

“The word of trade is really starting to spread now. Trades people, young people just want to be successful. Sometimes they don’t know there’s an opportunity in the trades. You come to my company, you don’t know how to spell AC, you don’t know what end of the screwdriver to hold, but you’re paid the very first day. We train you. We give you a career that will support yourself and your family the rest of your life. 

“You don’t have a $250,000 student debt, and you’re able to be successful… And my objective, not just with my company, it’s across the country. I’m working with trade schools and high schools everywhere. I’m talking to young people all over our country to come into the trades because it’s a great opportunity to live your version of the American dream.”

As Strada’s HVAC company was growing throughout the country, a labor shortage prompted a serious challenge, and a major shift in business strategy:

“The most difficult challenge was we had the opportunity to grow, and we didn’t have enough labor. So I had to develop a program to teach people the trade. So we could grow, and we’ve been fortunate: we’re in 13 states now and 4,000 people that work with us. We never would have done that if we didn’t develop our own training program. 

“I couldn’t wait for the government to come and solve my problem. I’m a business guy who solves problems and I had to go develop a training program for young people.”

Strada argues that people on government assistance should also take a serious look at the trades, suggesting we have a large untapped labor pool within our own borders:

“The border had to be closed, and we did a great job keeping all the criminals out of our country. And as far as getting more workers, we have Americans that want to work. We have plenty of people sitting at home getting a government paycheck. Let’s get them to work. 

“Some of them are just lazy and don’t want to work, others just need the opportunity and the push to say, ‘this is easy, let’s get into a trade, let’s learn a business.’

TRUMP-BACKED GOP CANDIDATE WHO OUSTED SCANDAL-PLAGUED INCUMBENT WARNS AGAINST ‘NEVER-ENDING WAR’ WITH IRAN

“I’ve have plenty of people that turned out to be an entrepreneur. They’ve opened their own business, and I’m very happy and gratified when I’m helping people.”

Hard work is at the foundation of Strada’s success, and he argues an inherent part of that economic success is bringing others along:

“You know, most people think when you’re successful, it was handed to you. I got to tell you, David, I’m proud of the hard work my father did, but it was tough growing up. We were fortunate, we had a swimming pool, but it was mainly, a lot of times it was green because we couldn’t afford chlorine. It was the best Marco Polo pool in the neighborhood.

“I started with nothing. It’s just hard work. The passion and drive to want to be successful, to achieve goals. And it’s always about everybody wins. My employees have to win. My customers have to win, the company has to win and that’s the position I like to be in is to be able to help sit at a table, moderate those kinds of things and execute those results.”

Ultimately, Strada downplays the importance of money, and emphasizes character, while revealing that his greatest motivation in life was born from a family tragedy:

“I wake up every day the same person I was when I was 12 years old that I am today. I’ve been blessed to be wealthy. I worked hard. I don’t apologize for it…But you know, money is just a number. My perspective is everybody puts their head on the pillow at the end of the night. And when you put your head on your pillow, what do you stand for? What’s the character of who you are? 

“How much money you have…How many zeros you have and where the decimal point is on your bank account? None of that matters. What kind of character are you? I strive every day to do the right thing. For my God, my son in heaven who looks down at me, I want to make him proud. Every decision I make is to make him proud of me, and I do the best I can every single day.”

Strada’s son, Joe Strada, was an innocent bystander killed by a stray bullet in Lake Mary, FL, during a gunfight outside a shopping center in 2018.

Finally, Strada promises to be a powerful voice for tradeschools if he is elected to Congress next month.

“Well, first of all, I would love to have my name on the SAVE Act and put it into law. That’s the first thing. I also think our trade schools are so important: to treat our trade school just like we have our Ivy League colleges. 

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“We’re funding our Ivy league colleges billions and billions of dollars and we’re graduating unhirable people that, some of them, hate America. I think the trade schools need more support from our government and treat them just like the universities.”

Strada will face off in the general election against Democrat James Pericola, a Clinton administration official.

EXCLUSIVE: The highest-ranking House lawmaker from Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home state is calling for the embattled progressive to be jailed and deported if it is found that she or her father lied on federal paperwork to get her U.S. citizenship.

Omar, D-Minn., is under federal investigation over allegations that she or her father lied about her birth year on immigration paperwork in order to obtain her citizenship when her family fled Somalia in the late 1990s. She and other Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have denounced the probe as political persecution of one of President Donald Trump’s detractors weeks before a critical election.

But Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 leader in the House of Representatives, told Fox News Digital that “there have been rumors for years” about Omar and, if proven true, she should face consequences.

“I would say first she should probably serve time in the gray bar motel and then get the hell out of here. She should go back to where she came from” if the allegations are proven to be true, Emmer said. “If it’s determined that she lied to gain citizenship, then absolutely, she should go back to the front of the line.”

REP ILHAN OMAR’S IMMIGRATION HISTORY FACES NEW SCRUTINY AS FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SUBPOENA RELATIVES

Omar is a member of the House “Squad,” a far-left clique that includes Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

FEDERAL AGENTS RAID ILHAN OMAR’S DC HOME AMID IMMIGRATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION

Federal agents raided Omar’s Washington, D.C., home earlier this week and took her cellphone and other possessions.

The allegations stem from her father becoming a U.S. citizen in 2000. Omar was believed to be 17 at the time, and as a minor was automatically qualified for citizenship under U.S. law along with him.

HOMAN CONFIRMS ‘CRIMINAL’ INVESTIGATION INVOLVING ILHAN OMAR, SAYS HE KNOWS ‘THINGS ARE GOING ON’

But recently, it’s been alleged that she was actually 18 and would have needed to go through the process herself at that point.

“I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation,” Omar posted on X after the raid. “I will not be silenced.”

DEMOCRATS’ FURY OVER ILHAN OMAR RAID DRAWS STINGING GOP REMINDER ABOUT RAID FROM THE PAST: ‘SET THE PRECEDENT’

Omar’s allies and other critics of the probe have called it an unprecedented action with less than three weeks before Election Day on Nov. 3.

Jeffries and his top deputies said in a joint statement that the raid was “deeply disturbing and raises serious questions about the continued corrupt weaponization of the federal government against Donald Trump’s adversaries.”

Emmer argued it was not political. He said that the existence of a judicially authorized search warrant, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) said was being acted on, meant there was a reasonable basis to believe the allegations could be true.

“That judge had to determine that there was probable cause that a federal crime has been committed. And I’ll tell you what, as long as it was Ilhan Omar, it was going to be scrutinized to the very detail,” Emmer said. “So the fact that they issued the warrant in the first place and then executed it, I mean maybe after all these years, someone is finally going to hold Ilhan Omar accountable.”

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

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Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Americans are sounding the alarm over privacy concerns surrounding Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers (ALPRs) that can snap photos of cars and track locations, and one GOP lawmaker is moving to close the gaps.

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., introduced a bill Thursday that would ban ALPR searches targeting political or religious messages on vehicles, require warrants for most searches, mandate that records be deleted within 24 hours and prohibit vendors from selling or sharing location data.

“When you consider that these systems track everything that you do, where you work, where your kids go to school, where you even go to church, I think it’s pretty easy to understand why people are concerned,” Harrigan told Fox News Digital. “So that’s an extraordinary amount of information about somebody that the government has that has never committed a crime.”

POWERFUL CRIME-FIGHTING SURVEILLANCE GROWTH SPURS LAWMAKERS TO ISSUE WARNING: ‘ORWELLIAN’

Flock cameras and other ALPRs have drawn widespread debate. Law enforcement uses them in criminal investigations to collect searchable license plate, location and other vehicle data that allow officers to search by location and identify vehicles matching a suspect’s vehicle description.

Critics believe they raise constitutional concerns by tracking drivers without consent, while supporters say they are needed for crime prevention. President Donald Trump has voiced support for Flock cameras, telling reporters on Sept. 13 that he “sort of” likes them because of their use by law enforcement despite some people calling them “an infringement.”

Harrigan’s bill would impose restrictions on all ALPR systems, including prohibiting government agencies from categorizing vehicles by “expressive attributes” like political or religious bumper stickers, flags or decals.

HAWLEY RIPS FLOCK’S SPRAWLING SURVEILLANCE WEB AS TEXAS CITIES CUT CAMERAS OVER PRIVACY AND DATA FEARS

“At the end of the day, they have nothing to do with whether you committed a crime or not,” Harrigan said. “As all of this data comes in and is vacuumed in by the government, it becomes searchable, particularly with the new technologies that we have surrounding artificial intelligence.”

That means messages ranging from “Back the Blue” to “Jesus Saves” or “Black Lives Matter” could not be turned into searchable data. The bill would also block ALPR searches targeting political or religious activity, civil immigration violations, parking or non-moving traffic violations, debts and other civil penalties.

As ALPR technology expands, Flock Safety says its systems can detect bumper stickers but cannot identify their type, “like a political party or a house of worship.”

However, its AI-powered FreeForm search allows users to search vehicle characteristics “in plain terms,” raising questions about how bumper stickers and other markings could be used to identify vehicles. The company said safeguards are designed to block searches for vehicles based on political or religious bumper stickers and symbols.

The bill would require law enforcement to have a probable cause warrant in most searches, with exceptions for immediate threats to someone’s life or safety. Records would have to be deleted within 24 hours, with exceptions for warrants, emergencies and court orders.

It would also require agencies to log ALPR searches, publish annual reports and undergo audits. States without qualifying protections could lose 10% of certain federal criminal justice funding. Additionally, vendors would be prohibited from selling ALPR data or using it to train artificial intelligence (AI) models.

And for Americans worried about their Fourth Amendment rights, the bill would offer legal protections, allowing people to sue over illegal searches for at least $1,000 per violation and keep illegally obtained evidence out of court.

TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT MOVES TO CUT STATE FUNDING FOR AI-POWERED FLOCK CAMERAS AMID PRIVACY CONCERNS

In August, The Washington Post found that at least 50 officers had been accused or charged with misusing license plate readers. Some reportedly used them to spy on romantic partners, exes or other women, with Flock’s system used in 46 cases.

Harrigan said the bill would not stop the technology from being used as an investigative tool and would instead place limits on how far law enforcement can go.

“Simultaneously, when we have technology that can benefit humanity and our experience here as Americans and make America safer, we should leverage that. But we have to strike the right balance,” he said.

He said he believes lawmakers can get behind the bill “regardless of your political philosophy.”

“Protecting Americans from criminals and protecting their constitutional rights, to me, those are two core responsibilities of government,” he said. “And I think that that’s something that members on both sides of the aisle can get behind.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Flock Safety for comment but did not hear back before publication.

It was a week of legal turmoil for one of America’s most recognizable members of Congress.

Early Monday morning, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the chief investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), executed a search warrant on Washington, D.C. home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.

The raid was part of an ongoing criminal probe into Omar’s immigration status, with sources telling Fox News Digital that authorities are scrutinizing whether she or her father committed fraud when filling out paperwork for her to become a U.S. citizen.

A day later, U.S. Attorney for the District of Washington, D.C., Jeannine Pirro, announced her office was investigating Omar’s financial disclosures, which had previously been subject to public scrutiny and congressional oversight, but never by authorities.

FEDERAL AGENTS RAID ILHAN OMAR’S DC HOME AMID IMMIGRATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION

Fox News Digital breaks down what we know so far about each investigation:

Financial Disclosure Investigation:

In May 2025, Omar filed financial disclosure forms for the year 2024, a required for every member of Congress to complete every year. I showed that she had between $6 million and $30 million in assets connected to two businesses run by her husband, Tim Mynett. One was was a venture capital firm, and the other a California winery.

Her financial disclosures from the year prior, covering 2023, said those assets were only valued at between $15,000 and $51,000 total.

The now-defunct winery, eStCru LLC, saw its reported valuation jump from between $15,000 and $50,000 in 2023 to between $1 million and $5 million in 2024. Rose Lake Capital LLC showed an even sharper increase, rising from a reported value of between $1 and $1,000 in 2023 to between $5 million and $25 million the following year.

The massive reported spike in net worth over the one-year span raised eyebrows, leading a watchdog group called the National Legal and Policy Center to file a complaint with the Office of Congressional Conduct in February of this year.

‘SQUAD’ DEM DISMISSES FRAUD PROBE SPECULATION AFTER $29M NET-WORTH DROP

Less than a month after the complaint was filed, Omar amended her 2025 disclosure form. The new filing reduced the couple’s combined reported assets to between $18,004 and $95,000, and said the businesses had zero value after accounting for liabilities.

ILHAN OMAR’S OFFICE SAYS SHE’S ‘NOT A MILLIONAIRE’ AFTER $30M FILING REVISED DOWN TO UNDER $100K: REPORT

Omar blamed an accounting error, and has since repeatedly insisted that she is not a millionaire.

In September, the Office of Congressional Conduct voted 5-1 to recommend that the House Ethics Committee dismiss misconduct allegations stemming from the financial disclosures.

But the hubbub caught the eye of Pirro, who confirmed on Fox News’ “America Reports” Tuesday that her office is investigating the discrepancies.

Further details about the investigation have not yet been released.

Criminal Immigration Probe:

Monday’s judicially authorized raid of Omar’s Washington, D.C. home sent shockwaves through the political world, with many critics calling it politically motivated because it occurred three weeks before November’s general elections.

The Trump administration has denied those accusations.

DEMOCRATS’ FURY OVER ILHAN OMAR RAID DRAWS STINGING GOP REMINDER ABOUT RAID FROM THE PAST: ‘SET THE PRECEDENT’

HSI agents spent several hours at Omar’s home, and the Wall Street Journal reported that the lawmaker’s personal cell phone, computers and passport were seized during the search. She has not been seen publicly since before the raid.

Sources told Fox News Digital that investigators are scrutinizing whether Omar or her father fraudulently filled out immigration paperwork when Omar was become a U.S. citizen decades ago. The Journal also reported that the goal of the probe is to strip Omar of her citizenship.

A dozen people, including family members, were subpoenaed in relation to the investigation.

FEDERAL AGENTS SEIZE PHONE OF REP ILHAN OMAR IN RAID TIED TO IMMIGRATION FRAUD PROBE

“Well, I understand they’re looking at her very carefully,” President Donald Trump said Monday of the raid. “I’ve always found her to be totally crooked, personally, but that has nothing to do with me.”

“I think she’s a terrible person. Just a complainer. She comes from a country that is … a non-country, and then she comes over here and she complains about our Constitution,” he continued. “I think she’s a terrible person, but that’s really up to the DOJ. I have nothing to do with it.”

On Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital after rallying for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton in Tyler, Texas, Vice President JD Vance echoed a similar sentiment.

“We don’t want to be like the Biden administration. We never want to be like that — where they would allow the law to go after their political opponents,” Vance said. “We really want to let the law, the facts drive this. And if justice requires something else be done, then, of course, we’ll take a step when we have to.”

ILHAN OMAR’S EMBATTLED HUSBAND APPEARS AT SCENE OF HSI RAID IN MIDST OF CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATION

Vance made it clear taking that unprecedented step of denaturalizing a sitting member of Congress is possible, but only if the law requires it based on the facts of the case.

“And to the question of it being unprecedented, I mean, what I’d say is that Ilhan Omar herself is a very unprecedented person,” Vance said.

“We have very rarely had a person in Congress who seems to have such disdain and such rage at the country that gave her a better life,” Vance said. “Now, that’s not a crime.”

“But we’re going to see whether she did commit a crime. And if she did, we’re obviously going to follow the law.”

A spokesperson for Omar did not return multiple requests for comment throughout the week.

However, Omar has responded on social media.

“This raid by Trump’s DHS is an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies,” she said.

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“For a decade, Donald Trump has relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with inflammatory rhetoric, repeatedly putting a target on her back. Now, those attacks have escalated to a pointless federal raid. The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the high-level organizers of the “No Kings” demonstrations seek to turn their operation into a nationwide get-out-the-vote rally Saturday, their warning to steer clear of partisan messaging that could violate their own rules is falling on deaf ears.

A Fox News Digital investigation reveals that, on the ground, the political activation is in fact highly partisan, led by the center-left Indivisible nonprofit that has received millions of dollars of funding from Democratic mega-donor George Soros. “No Kings” organizers didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The partisan nature of the day’s events is important because political experts say the “No Kings” operation reveals a sophisticated electoral strategy: transform the crowds assembled for anti-Trump protests into a durable voter bloc that participates in elections and turns out a “Blue Tsunami” of votes in political battles. But federal election law bars nonprofits, many of which fund the “No Kings” operation, from advocating for particular candidates.

Behind today’s action, Fox News Digital has identified a sprawling network of 300 progressive advocacy organizations, labor unions, Democratic political operatives and tax-exempt nonprofits with an estimated $2.5 billion in annual revenues, transforming the “No Kings” protest movement into a nationwide voter-mobilization operation of an estimated 3,000 events for Democrats.

A review of digital advertisements for Saturday’s “No Kings: Vote Early” demonstrations and their organizing rhetoric identifies multiple instances of organizers promoting the very language the coalition’s national rulebook forbids in its attempt to create the illusion of nonpartisanship.

In Newark, Delaware, Democratic activists from the local Indivisible chapter are encouraging voters to “wear blue” to their 2 p.m. demonstration at the corner of S. College Avenue and W. Main Street, and their “Sign Ideas” include: “Vote Blue Nov. 3,” “Vote Early, Vote Blue” and “Time for a Blue Tsunami.”

NEW MIDTERM BATTLEGROUND TAKES SHAPE AS PARTIES BUILD ELECTION ARMIES

Their announcement reads: “💙 Wear blue to signify the blue tsunami we are hoping we will see in Nov!”

Some 3,000 miles away, in Roseburg, Ore., Indivisible Douglas County activists are advertising their own “No Kings” rally with suggested signs reading “DOUGLAS COUNTY VOTES BLUE!,” “REPUBLICANS HAD THEIR CHANCE!” and “VOTE EARLY. VOTE THEM OUT!”

“Be bold. Be direct. Don’t hold back,” the Oregon organizers tell participants.

Those are precisely the kinds of partisan political messages the national “No Kings” coalition has explicitly prohibited.

On a Thursday night webinar promoting the protests, a member of Indivisible Colorado Springs told Indivisible co-founders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin that the group’s event is struggling to attract media attention without focusing on President Donald Trump.

Levin replied: “By all means, make it about Trump. Y’all make it about Trump. Create some conflict. Use some strong language. There’s nothing about No Kings that says you can’t focus on the fascists in the White House.”

SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN LIMIT ON PARTY CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN COORDINATION WITH CANDIDATES

Democratic Party Recruits at ‘No Kings’

Under “Event Prohibitions,” a “Host Toolkit” warns: “Events must not be partisan in nature or make references to preferred election outcomes.” It bars “candidate campaign activity,” “any political party or political committee attending or helping coordinate the event.”

The “Event Prohibitions” list bars events from being held at “overtly partisan organizations, or held at campaign offices, political party headquarters, or other locations principally associated with candidate or party political activity.” The prohibitions explicitly state: “Events should not be jointly branded with partisan organizations,’ and provides as “Examples: Democratic clubs, ‘the Lincoln County Democratic Party.'”

Yet, in Roseville, Calif., the Placer County Democratic Party in California is explicit in its connection to the “No Kings” voter drive, advertising a canvassing operation specifically tied to Saturday’s “No Kings” rally at the Roseville Galleria.

The party’s website invites activists to attend a morning canvassing session at Harry Crabb Park, saying voters will be gathered at the rally at the Galleria and promising materials to help participants “support our endorsed candidates.”

On their Democratic Party website, the local party activists describe the “No Kings” rally as “a day of nonpartisan voter participation.”

ACTBLUE SCRUTINY FUELS NEW GOP BILLS TO TIGHTEN ELECTION DONATION RULES

The advertisement raises questions about the relationship between the Democratic Party’s candidate-support operation and an event whose national organizers expressly prohibit political parties, political committees and candidate campaigns from coordinating activities.

In Springfield, Pa., an event listed on the Women’s March organizing platform advertises a one-hour “No Kings FOUR” demonstration at 1200 Baltimore Pike. The event calls for voter participation and, in another direct conflict with the national coalition’s ban on “vote Blue” appeals, also declares: “Vote Blue. Vote. Make Your Voice Count.”

FIRST ON FOX: ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST NETWORK BEHIND FIGHT AGAINST AI DATA CENTERS AND FLOCK CAMERAS

Rules They Wrote Themselves

The coalition’s own documents leave little ambiguity about its official standards.

In a five-page “Talking Points + Messaging” guide, organizers instruct participants not to use partisan political language, including telling participants to “vote for Democrats up and down the ballot” or saying, “we can get a Democratic Congress elected in 2026 to resist Trump.”

It bars any “speaker expressing bias for or against any candidate for office,” the guide states.

It prohibits candidate campaign activities, including campaign literature, fundraising and coordination with campaign staff. Political parties and political committees are also barred from helping coordinate events.

The instructions go beyond conventional warnings against endorsements.

Organizers specifically prohibit references to “MAGA politicians” and calls to elect a Democratic Congress. Even urging participants to register as Democrats ahead of the midterms is explicitly forbidden.

Another document, “Event Prohibitions + Things to Note,” specifically prohibits “vote them out” and “vote Blue” messaging, campaign fundraising and political party coordination.

Still, in Kingstowne, Va., Indivisible of Franconia is promoting its Oct. 17 rally at South Van Dorn Street and Kingstowne Village Parkway with the statement: “We vote for leaders to represent our interests—and if they don’t, we need to vote them out.”

The coalition also prohibits events hosted or co-sponsored by overtly partisan organizations, including Democratic clubs.

Its “Election Law FAQs” and “Resources” go further, warning that merely describing an event as “nonpartisan” doesn’t establish that it meets the standard.

“Saying this doesn’t automatically make it so,” the document states.

Democratic Infrastructure Behind No Kings

The contradictions come as “No Kings” draws on a sprawling coalition of advocacy organizations, labor unions and political activists.

In March, Fox News Digital identified about 500 organizations associated with the movement, representing an estimated $3 billion in combined annual revenues.

The coalition partner list for today’s protests is smaller but continues to include major labor organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the National Education Association and the Service Employees International Union.

It also includes organizations that align with the Democratic Party, including: Indivisible, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, End Citizens United, NextGen America, Our Revolution, Voto Latino and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Most of these organizations or their affiliated political committees have histories of substantial spending to support Democratic candidates and causes. Their involvement places organizations with extensive electoral experience inside a coalition now publicly promising to avoid partisan campaign activity.

The coalition’s breadth also raises questions about how organizers distinguish between participating in a nonpartisan event and advancing the electoral objectives of affiliated political organizations.

From a $250,000 Protest to the Ballot Box

The political infrastructure was visible during the March 28 flagship No Kings rally in St. Paul, Minn.

Fox News Digital documented an estimated $250,000 production operation involving nine vendors, approximately 30 semitrucks, a massive stage, eight video screens and other concert-scale equipment.

Roger Fisk, a former Obama and Biden administration political strategist, described himself as a senior adviser to the flagship event and credited its sophisticated media operation with generating hundreds of millions of digital impressions.

The event featured Democratic political figures and celebrities, including rock star Bruce Springsteen and actress Jane Fonda, illustrating the extensive organizational and political relationships behind the movement.

Former Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison – all Democrats – were among the event’s political speakers, alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

The involvement of Democratic officials in earlier anti-Trump demonstrations illustrates the movement’s close relationship with Democratic political figures.

Now the coalition is moving from street demonstrations to voter mobilization.

In its October “Host Toolkit,” “No Kings” describes Saturday’s events as an opportunity to turn protest participation into electoral engagement.

“Pivoting our strategy from marching to voting is our movement using the tool available to us when it matters most,” the coalition tells organizers.

The “Host Toolkit” insists: “Vote Early events are nonpartisan and are designed to increase participation from all eligible voters. The event should not reference, endorse, or oppose any candidate or political party. The event should not coordinate with any campaign or permit campaign materials. The event should comply with all applicable federal, state and local election laws.”

The campaign calls for voter education, early-voting assistance, volunteer recruitment and election-protection training, with additional organizing sessions scheduled after Oct. 17.

The coalition maintains that the effort is intended for all eligible voters, regardless of party preference.

Legal Dividing Line

The distinction between partisan advocacy and nonpartisan voter education matters particularly for tax-exempt organizations.

Under federal law, 501(c)(3) charities are prohibited from supporting or opposing political candidates. Other organizations, including 501(c)(4) advocacy groups and political action committees, operate under different legal restrictions.

Indivisible, the coalition’s leading organizer, operates through several affiliated entities with different legal structures, including a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a political action committee.

The coalition has scheduled an Oct. 21 training on what happens after the demonstrations, followed by an Oct. 22 session on sustained mobilization and protecting election results.

Just two days before the nationwide No Kings demonstrations, Indivisible co-founders Levin and Greenberg discussed the November midterms in openly partisan terms, celebrating Democratic candidates, criticizing Republicans and outlining their hopes for Democratic control of Congress.

“Our candidates are quite good all around the country. Their candidates are quite trash all over the country,” Levin said, referring to Democratic and Republican candidates, respectively.

During the program, Levin, identifying himself as “a Texas Democrat,” summarized the organization’s immediate priorities: “Right now, we’re just full on let’s win the election, but after that, we’re going to shift.”

Levin said “you got to let people connect the dots” on the “nonpartisan” messaging.

In a webinar last week, Levin was clear about the effort’s political and electoral goals to win a “Democratic trifecta” in the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, saying: “It ain’t over in November. It ain’t over in 2027. It ain’t over in 2028. We are building towards a national Democratic trifecta in 2029 that ushers in an age of accountability and reform…”

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From delivering pizzas to running for an Iowa House seat, 22-year-old Dillon Fillion hopes to make history in his swing district and inspire Gen Z to embrace conservatism, which he says he’s already seeing on the ground.

Fillion, believed to be the youngest candidate ever to seek office in Scott County, spoke to Fox News Digital about his ambitions to cut property taxes, boost police funding, give parents more say in their children’s education and draw Gen Z to the polls.

“I think people are very excited that a young person is running because they see a lot of these old people running for office, no offense to them, but people wanna see some fresh new faces and I think it’s time for my generation to step up,” Fillion said.

Before launching his bid for the Iowa House, Fillion decided to take a gap year from Scott Community College, where he is pursuing a criminal justice degree. He currently works as a Domino’s delivery driver while hitting the campaign trail, which he described as juggling “two full-time jobs.”

MEDIA NARRATIVE PREDICTING BLUE WAVE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE NOT MESHING WITH LOCAL REPUBLICANS: ‘FIRED UP’

“Basically, I do a full-time job as well as campaigning,” he said.

But campaigning wasn’t always Fillion’s vision. A lifelong hockey fan, he said his initial dream was to play professionally before stepping into politics.

Fillion said he became interested in politics in 2019 after seeing Democrats accuse President Donald Trump of colluding with Russia, saying he found it “weird” they were “calling our president a lot of weird, untrue things.” From there, he said he went down a “rabbit hole” researching what he described as corruption within the Democratic Party, which he found “baffling and shocking.”

“I just couldn’t stand back and just watch all this stuff happen, and I decided to get involved,” he said.

“Keep Iowa Great!” is the slogan Fillion has plastered across campaign signs and merchandise as he works to win over Iowa voters. One of three siblings, Fillion had an upbringing “grounded in Christian family values, a strong work ethic, and the perseverance to stand by his principles no matter the challenge,” according to his campaign website.

Fillion credited Charlie Kirk with helping young men like him “find a purpose” and turn to conservative principles.

“The men in my generation are really conservative. They admire conservative principles. I think Charlie Kirk really helped with the young men in my generation in regard to finding a purpose in life. And I think that’s really helped a lot of men in my generation,” Fillion said. “I do think my generation is going in the right direction in regard to conservatism. It’s just, I think my generation needs to turn out more in our elections.”

LIZ PEEK: HASAN PIKER EXPOSES DEMOCRATS’ DESPERATION TO WIN BACK YOUNG MEN

Fillion will challenge incumbent Democratic state Rep. Daniel Gosa for a seat representing Iowa’s 81st House District. Fillion says he finally has the opportunity to “carry the ball down the field” in his district and is calling for a leadership overhaul.

“I wouldn’t be in this race if I didn’t think I could win it,” he said. “However, my Democrat opponent does not stand up for the things that this district cares about.”

Among Fillion’s most high-profile endorsements are Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann, according to his campaign website.

DEMOCRATS SAY THEY’LL MAKE LIFE AFFORDABLE. YOUR WALLET MAY DISAGREE

One of Fillion’s top priorities is eliminating property taxes completely. His campaign website said if that isn’t “immediately achievable,” Fillion will work to lower taxes as much as possible.

“I wanna keep Iowa number one in affordability,” he said.

Crime and education are also on Fillion’s mind, and he told Fox News Digital those will be two of his top priorities if elected in November.

“When I get into that legislature, I will be introducing a constitutional amendment for the Back the Blue Act to make sure our police are protected so they can do their job correctly,” Fillion said. “And I will continue to empower parents and teachers in our kids’ education, because parents should be the forefront of your kids’ education, not the government.”

He said his ultimate goal is to make Iowa “the number one state to live, work, and raise a family.”

With voters preparing to head to the polls in November, Fillion said his campaign aims to spread more optimism and show people that Gen Z wants to make the world a better place.

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“I just want our country to know that there are people in my generation that are doing everything they can to try and save this country,” he said.

The federal raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home prompted warnings Wednesday from a conservative watchdog leader that more revelations could be coming, as the Minnesota Democrat faces separate investigations involving her immigration records and financial disclosures.

Oversight Project President Mike Howell, whose group pushed to strip a $1.031 million earmark backed by Omar, says the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) search raises broader questions about congressional accountability and what investigators may uncover next.

His warning comes as U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro confirmed on “America Reports” that her office is investigating the Minnesota Democrat’s financial disclosures, while separate reporting revealed that federal investigators had subpoenaed Omar’s relatives as part of an immigration-related probe.

FEDERAL AGENTS RAID ILHAN OMAR’S DC HOME AMID IMMIGRATION FRAUD INVESTIGATION

“I think there’s other shoes that are going to drop here,” Howell told Fox News Digital.

“That’s why I think the Democrats really just couldn’t resist the temptation to jump out of this before they saw any evidence and just circle the wagons [around Omar],” he said.

DEMOCRATS’ FURY OVER ILHAN OMAR RAID DRAWS STINGING GOP REMINDER ABOUT RAID FROM THE PAST: ‘SET THE PRECEDENT’

“I will say it appears they’re walking that back a little bit. It has shifted from just a wholesale defense of Omar to a non-substantive defense, talking about, ‘well, this stuff was old,’ or ‘this is political since she’s Ilhan Omar’.”

Howell suggested that Omar’s defenders’ arguments indicate that it’s “not all peaches and cream underneath the hood.”

WATCH: ILHAN OMAR DENIES FEDS HAVE CONTACTED HER AFTER BORDER CZAR HOMAN CONFIRMS ‘CRIMINAL’ INVESTIGATION

Howell’s warning extends beyond Omar to what he describes as a broader failure of accountability in Washington, where lawmakers can champion taxpayer-funded projects that later face questions about their legitimacy.

Fox News has learned that federal investigators are examining whether Omar’s age was accurately reported when she arrived in the United States in 1995 and when she acquired U.S. citizenship in 2000, including whether any inaccurate information could have affected her eligibility for citizenship through her father under the law in effect at the time.

ILHAN OMAR’S HUSBAND INSISTS HE HAS ‘NO CONCERNS’ AMID FEDERAL IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATION

The inquiry also encompasses paperwork completed by her late father and whether he provided inaccurate information. Sources told Fox News that investigators are examining potential immigration fraud spanning multiple years.

Federal investigators have issued more than a dozen subpoenas as part of the immigration inquiry, including subpoenas to members of Omar’s family.

The immigration inquiry is separate from the financial-disclosure investigation being handled by Pirro, sources told Fox News.

“We’re in the speculation zone, of course,” Howell told Fox News Digital, acknowledging uncertainty about the full scope of the federal investigations.

DEMOCRATS HAVE ‘DIRTY HANDS’ OVER COMPLAINTS ABOUT OMAR RAID WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION, EX-PROSECUTOR SAYS

Still, Howell argued that obtaining a search warrant for a sitting member of Congress in Washington suggested investigators had developed substantial evidence, though the warrant establishes only that a judge found probable cause to believe the search would uncover evidence or other items subject to seizure, not that Omar committed a crime.

Howell pointed to what he viewed as a unique combination of circumstances — an HSI investigation under the Trump administration, a warrant authorized by a federal judge in heavily Democratic Washington, D.C., and the proximity of the election — as reasons he believes investigators may have substantial evidence.

“They probably got the goods on her,” Howell said. “You don’t get a federal judge to sign off on something like this in Washington, D.C., of all places, unless there is something that is rather convincing.”

Jonathan Fahey, a former acting ICE director and federal prosecutor in the neighboring Eastern District of Virginia, said the timing of the HSI search raises questions about whether investigators are examining more recent documents tied to longstanding immigration allegations.

“I surmise that what they may be looking for is newer things that were used with what they believe is false information,” Fahey told Fox News Digital, referring to the immigration investigation.

Fahey suggested that knowingly repeating materially false information in more recent federal filings could create separate legal exposure, depending on the documents, circumstances and applicable statutes, even if criminal charges based solely on older paperwork would be barred by the statute of limitations.

Former FBI agent Nicole Parker cautioned that Omar might not face criminal liability if her father completed allegedly false paperwork while she was a minor.

“If her father lied and filled out the [citizenship/naturalization] forms, then in my opinion, she will not be criminally held responsible,” Parker said.

However, Parker said Omar could face a separate legal question if authorities establish she obtained citizenship through materially-false information.

“It could potentially cause her to be denaturalized and lose her citizenship if her citizenship was gained on false pretenses and false information,” she said.

In January, the Oversight Project challenged a proposed $1.031 million earmark for Generation Hope MN’s Justice Empowerment Initiative in Minneapolis, a project backed by Omar and Minnesota’s Democratic senators.

The group raised concerns about the nonprofit’s finances, operations and eligibility for taxpayer funding, including questions about its addiction recovery services at a location shared with a Minneapolis restaurant, whose owner previously confirmed to Fox News Digital that Generation Hope operated in upstairs office space.

“We said, let’s go check out those earmarks,” Howell recalled.

Conservative Republicans subsequently objected to the funding, with Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, among those pushing for its removal.

The earmark was stripped, and Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, later requested Justice Department scrutiny of the nonprofit.

The funding dispute raised questions about congressional vetting of proposed recipients, but its removal did not establish fraud by Omar or the organization. No connection between the earmark controversy and either federal investigation has been publicly confirmed.

As part of his broader “institutional rot” argument, Howell argued that Omar’s earmark controversy is not unique, criticizing what he sees as lawmakers placing loyalties outside the United States ahead of their constitutional responsibilities.

“This isn’t normal. And it only seems normal because it’s been happening so much. And I think it’s about time we take the oath to the Constitution that members swear seriously,” he said.

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“If somebody has loyalties to another place, they should not be in Congress.”

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Omar has denied wrongdoing and accused the Trump administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement against political opponents. Her office called the search an abuse of power and previously pointed to congressional ethics findings recommending dismissal of allegations concerning her financial disclosures, but did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.

Americans interviewed by Fox News Digital were overwhelmingly pleased with President Donald Trump’s decision to call off livestreaming the Fort Hood shooter’s planned firing squad execution after the Pentagon had announced it would be livestreamed for public viewing.

“I’m really glad that he called it off, because I feel like it’s not really a deterrent, it’s more like a shock effect,” Sylvia from Arizona told Fox News Digital. “I don’t think we really need that in this country right now.”

“The only other countries that really do that are like North Korea,” David from Arizona said. “We don’t want to be North Korea.”

AMERICANS DRAW THE LINE AT LIVESTREAMING ‘SPECTACLE’ OF FORT HOOD SHOOTER’S EXECUTION: ‘IT’S AN ABOMINATION’

“I never approved of the idea of it being public in the first place,” Nate from Virginia said. “I think it’s just ridiculous to make a spectacle out of an execution, especially in 2026 of all time.”

War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that Nidal Hasan’s execution, set for Dec. 3, would be publicly available via livestream.

Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday to announce that while livestreaming the execution could serve as a deterrent to terrorism, the execution would not be available for public viewing as he acknowledged that many Americans would rather not witness Hasan’s death.

“He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

FORT HOOD SURVIVORS PRAISE TRUMP FOR SCRAPPING HASAN EXECUTION LIVESTREAM: ‘WE’RE NOT BARBARIC’

Despite the execution not being publicly available, Trump confirmed that the family members of the victims who died in the 2009 shooting “deserve to witness JUSTICE” and will be permitted to attend in person.

“Well, maybe he has a conscience now,” one person said about Trump’s reversal of the Pentagon’s decision to livestream the execution.

Some Americans who spoke with Fox News Digital argued that Trump’s decision to call off the livestreaming was to save face after criticism of the proposal was circulating, with many arguing that livestreaming the execution would turn it into a spectacle and could easily be exposed to children.

“I think it was trying to save his image,” Ivy from Georgia said.

“He doesn’t wanna look like a bad person, but at the end of the day, we all know who he really is — a piece of s—,” Ivy said.

“I think it was just so clearly an unpopular thing to do that he realized it would probably do more harm to his public image than good,” Nate said.

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist at the time of the shooting, killed 13 and injured 32 people when he shouted “Allahu Akbar” and opened fire at a military base in Texas. The mass killer is now 56 years old and uses a wheelchair after he was left partially paralyzed from being shot by police officers during his arrest almost 17 years ago.

TRUMP CLEARS WAY FOR FORT HOOD TERRORIST TO FACE ARMY FIRING SQUAD NEARLY 17 YEARS AFTER MASSACRE

Only one person who spoke with Fox News Digital argued that livestreaming the execution would have been a good idea, even adding that he would have watched the livestream himself.

“Yeah, I would watch,” Daniel from Virginia said. “Because I wouldn’t want somebody to kill another person, you know what I mean? That person should be held wrong for what he’s done.”

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Hasan was sentenced to death during his 2013 military trial after being found guilty on all 42 counts. His execution is set to be the first U.S. military execution in over six decades.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday vowed to conduct a “fair” investigation into the seven defendants accused of sexually assaulting an unnamed woman at a fraternity party at Cornell University.

James’ investigation into the alleged college gang rape was launched after the filing of a recent lawsuit against Cornell University, the Chi Phi fraternity and several other defendants that has thrust the Ivy League university’s handling of campus sexual assault into the national spotlight.

The remarks to a reporter come as James has repeatedly pushed back on questions about her impartiality, insisting the investigation will be guided by the facts and evidence, not politics.

President Donald Trump, a longtime foe of the attorney general, has also questioned James’ ability to lead an impartial investigation. Trump made the remarks after Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked for his view on Hochul appointing James as special prosecutor in the case.

LETITIA JAMES FACES NEW PUSH TO BOOT HER FROM CORNELL RAPE PROBE OVER ALLEGED BIAS: COURT DOCUMENTS

“Letitia James is a corrupt person,” Trump said. “She’s totally corrupt, and I can’t imagine it. And I feel badly for whoever she’s looking at because they won’t get a fair shake. Letitia James is a corrupt person.”

Attorneys for two of the defendants have also sought James’ removal, including Andrew Miltenberg, who represents Gillio Lopes, and Teny Geragos, who represents Winston Lee. The defense attorneys point to a social media post by James that Geragos separately argued in a court filing shows she is “unquestionably biased.”

Just days before Hochul’s appointment, James posted on X in support of the alleged victim, identified in court filings as Jane Doe.

“What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers,” James posted on X Sept. 28. “To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”

Hochul has stood by her appointment of James amid the criticism, saying she has “every confidence” the attorney general will “look at the facts, examine the record and draw the proper conclusions.”

James has rejected accusations that she prejudged the case, saying during an attorney general campaign debate that her comments supporting the alleged victim were intended to demonstrate “empathy” and insisting that “politics stops at the door” of her office.

CORNELL RAPE ALLEGATIONS PROMPT NY ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES TO OPEN ‘ACTIVE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION’

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The case centers on allegations from a Cornell student that she was gang raped at a Chi Phi fraternity house party in 2024. Her allegations were investigated by Cornell University Police, which submitted her six-page sworn statement to the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office. 

Prosecutors declined to pursue charges at the time, concluding that the conduct described in the statement did not provide sufficient evidence to sustain criminal charges under New York law.

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Cornell separately conducted a Title IX investigation that resulted in disciplinary action against several of the seven defendants, including the expulsion of two students and suspension of two others.

DETROIT — Former President Barack Obama’s endorsement of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is getting a mixed reception among Black voters in Detroit, with some undecided voters saying the former president’s backing isn’t enough to win them over.

Fox News Digital spoke with more than a dozen Black voters in Detroit, most of whom said they plan to back El-Sayed in November, but several undecided voters said Obama’s endorsement had not persuaded them to support the Democrat. The reactions come as Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers seeks to win over disaffected Democrats, including Black voters in Detroit, a key constituency for the party in Michigan.

“Honestly, it’s a turn-off just because I’ve seen too many candidates use him just to manipulate the Democratic vote,” Mercedes, one undecided Black voter, told Fox News Digital of Obama’s endorsement.

BLACK VOTERS RIP DEMS OVER TAKING THEM FOR GRANTED IN EL-SAYED’S BACKYARD: ‘HUSH US UP’

“No, not at all,” Anthony, another undecided Black voter, told Fox News Digital when asked if Obama’s endorsement had swayed him toward El-Sayed. “What he’s been able to do is from an image standpoint, as far as ‘hope,’ he drove the point there. But as far as really giving back to the community, minority owned businesses, and everyone across the board, I don’t really think he really got there for me … he really hasn’t swayed me one way or another.”

Obama and El-Sayed are preparing to campaign together in Michigan despite the Democratic Senate nominee’s history of sharply criticizing the former president, a political reversal that also drew mixed reactions from Black Detroit voters interviewed by Fox News Digital.

Juanita, another Black voter who has yet to commit to El-Sayed, told Fox News Digital that, “I don’t want to be pushed to vote for him because somebody else is backing him.”

Rita, a Black voter who said she had recently been homeless, told Fox News Digital that she would prefer to do her own research rather than relying on Obama’s endorsement.

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED SAYS LEADERS MUST ADDRESS ‘UNPAID DEBTS’ TO BLACK COMMUNITIES

Even some voters who support El-Sayed stated that Obama’s endorsement didn’t do much for them.

“I think that a lot of people put more stock into who the person is than what he does … his yay or nay doesn’t sway me either way,” one such voter told Fox News Digital.

Detroit’s African American residents were not uniform in dismissing Obama’s endorsement, however. Roughly half of those who spoke with Fox News Digital said the former president’s backing improved their opinion of El-Sayed, though none of those voters claimed that they were undecided before the endorsement.

“For sure, I’m an Obama stan,” Jamel, a Black voter planning to support El-Sayed, told Fox News Digital when asked whether Obama’s endorsement made him more likely to back the Democrat.

“Somebody who is endorsed by Obama, I would want to vote for them, because I stand behind the things he endorsed at the time, and I think that Obama’s endorsement means a lot to our community,” Kenya, another Black voter, told Fox News Digital.

Detroit’s Black voters were also divided over El-Sayed’s past criticism of Obama, particularly now that the two are preparing to campaign together.

‘DESTROYING THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE’: EL-SAYED’S POLITICAL ORBIT COMPLICATES EFFORT TO MODERATE HIS IMAGE

In a 2012 opinion column, El-Sayed accused then-President Obama of perpetuating war, violating civil liberties and deporting more people than any previous president. He described Obama’s reelection as “no victory,” writing, “it was the rock we chose over the hard place.”

El-Sayed has since walked back those criticisms, praising Obama’s handling of the circumstances he inherited and noting that it is possible to disagree with someone while still admiring them.

“Yeah, I don’t understand how you can endorse somebody that was kind of the opposition when you were in office,” Juanita told Fox News Digital. “I mean, that doesn’t make sense.”

“I think I see it as a flip flop, but I also see it as an opportunity to pretty much highlight those things and how he’s actually changed and why their objectives may align now,” Anthony said. “You know, people’s objectives change, their perspectives change.”

Nia, an African American voter who said she intends to support El-Sayed, said that pivots like El-Sayed’s are common in politics, pointing to Vice President JD Vance’s past criticism of President Donald Trump as an example.

Despite mixed reactions to Obama’s endorsement and El-Sayed’s past criticism, several Black voters interviewed by Fox News Digital acknowledged the former president’s continuing influence within the Democratic Party.

HARRIS JOINS FORCES WITH RADICAL SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY SWING STATE AS 2028 WHISPERS SWIRL

“He is. I mean, you can’t deny that he has a gigantic following and a lot of people will follow him and will listen to what he has to say,” Vincent, a Black voter who voted early for El-Sayed, told Fox News Digital. “But we’re coming into a point in time now where we want to see results on both sides. We’re not seeing results from either party, so we have to see results. So he may still have a big sway in the party now, but I think party politics is coming to an end kind of quick.”

While Fox News Digital’s interviews were limited in number, they echo concerns about El-Sayed’s support among Black voters that have surfaced in other reporting and polling. Pre-primary polling showed stronger support for Rep. Haley Stevens among Black Democratic voters, and questions have persisted about whether El-Sayed can consolidate that support heading into November.

A recent focus group of Black voters held by MS NOW, for instance, found reluctance among Black Michigan voters to cast their lot with El-Sayed. A Fox News poll conducted in late September found that just 77% of African American voters were supportive of El-Sayed, significantly below the usual Democratic benchmark for the demographic.

“I think he’s taking advantage [of] we as Black people are Democratic, and he think we gonna vote for him anyway,” one middle-aged Black woman told the MS NOW panel. “And I’m like, ‘No sir, I’m gonna put uncommitted down on that little circle and move on.’ If you’re going to Congress to represent me, I need you to talk about what’s going on in this community.”

While the GOP sees an opportunity here, the party has long attempted to court minority support, with mixed results.

Kandia Milton, a government affairs professional with deep ties to Detroit’s African American community, pushed back against the narrative that El-Sayed would struggle with Black voters in November.

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS BACKS EL-SAYED AFTER NARROW PRIMARY DEFEAT, CALLS SOCIALISM ‘DANGEROUS’

“The great thing about Abdul is that he’s not new to Detroiters. … And so Detroiters, once they understand his background, understand what he stands for and all the things that he’s done in the past, you see greater enthusiasm for his campaign and his candidacy for Senate,” Milton said of El-Sayed. 

“He has been very active in getting out into the community. In fact, tomorrow we have a public meeting with Abdul at our church. Where he will be speaking to the community around, you know, the issues that he stands on and stands firm on.”

Milton characterized Obama’s endorsement of El-Sayed as a “great shot in the arm” for his campaign, citing the former president’s “credibility in our community” and arguing that the endorsement “puts to rest this notion that there’s some tension between him and former President Obama.” Milton wasn’t surprised, however, that some Black voters said Obama’s endorsement alone wasn’t enough to win their support.

“I think so often we take for granted the fact that many of the voters are informed voters, all of them are informed voters, and so it’s not just the fact that Obama supported him, thus I’m going to vote for Abdul. A lot of folks are doing their own research,” Milton told Fox News Digital. “They’re very curious about Abdul. They see a lot of him on social media, in the media, national media as well. And so it has raised eyebrows and a lot of curiosity around who this guy is.”

Obama’s endorsement comes as both sides are trying to eke out every possible advantage they can in what is likely to be a very tight race. 

Fox News’ most recent Power Rankings has Michigan’s Senate race categorized as a “toss-up,” meaning that neither party has an edge.

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A representative for Obama and the El-Sayed campaign did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.

A Biden-appointed judge dismissed former CIA Director John Brennan’s lawsuit against President Donald Trump and senior administration officials, ruling that his concerns about the potential destruction of evidence needed for a future criminal defense were too “speculative.”

The dismissal comes as Brennan faces two federal investigations, including a Justice Department probe into whether former intelligence officials conspired to violate Trump’s civil rights through investigations into alleged ties between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. 

A separate investigation is examining whether Brennan made false statements during 2023 congressional testimony about the Steele dossier’s role in a 2017 intelligence assessment of Russian interference in the presidential election.

FORMER CIA DIRECTOR BRENNAN SUBPOENAED TO TESTIFY IN FEDERAL TRUMP CONSPIRACY CASE

Trump has repeatedly accused Brennan, President Barack Obama and other former intelligence officials of orchestrating the “Russia collusion hoax,” but they have rejected those accusations, claiming that the administration is attempting to discredit legitimate intelligence findings about Russian interference in the 2016 election.

While Judge Jia Cobb called Brennan’s allegations that the Trump administration was targeting him for opposing the president “deeply concerning,” she ruled that he lacked standing to sue because he had not shown that officials were likely destroying records relevant to a potential defense, and the injury he feared depended on a series of events that had not yet occurred.

“For Brennan’s constitutional injury to actually accrue, a series of dominoes must fall, and Defendants’ deletion of records is just one of those dominoes,” Cobb wrote. 

“There is no dispute about this: Defendants describe this domino chain in their motion to dismiss … and Brennan accepts it in his response.”

Brennan has been identified as a target in two federal investigations that have involved three grand jury inquiries — two in the Southern District of Florida and one in Washington, D.C. — but he has not been charged with a crime. The former CIA director was subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, Oct. 15, though his scheduled appearance was postponed.

Brennan filed his lawsuit naming Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Todd Blanche, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other officials July 1, 2026. The 46-page lawsuit accused the Justice Department of handling its investigation into Brennan with “unprecedented, irregular conduct” that was driven by the “president’s retribution agenda.”

DELETED EMAIL DETAILS ALLEGED TRUMP-TARGETING PUSH INSIDE LETITIA JAMES’ OFFICE: ‘FIND AND PURSUE CRIMES’

Brennan argued that key evidence could disappear before he had a chance to challenge any future indictment. He pointed to deleted social media posts, the administration’s use of Signal and other messaging tools with auto-delete features, unpreserved texts and direct messages, AI queries, Microsoft Teams chats and alleged failures to preserve discovery in other cases, including the prosecution of Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J. 

He said the loss of those records could make it harder to determine whether the investigations were based on legitimate law enforcement concerns or political retaliation.

“With this lawsuit, Director Brennan has served notice that the government’s conduct and its document preservation will be carefully scrutinized in the event of any future indictment,” Brennan’s lawyers, Ken Wainstein and Dan Gelber, told the AP.

“Director Brennan will continue to vigorously defend himself against these baseless investigations, and he will challenge any attempt to use the criminal justice system for personal and political retribution.” 

The lawsuit also pointed to what it described as irregularities in the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation.

It cited the removal of longtime DOJ prosecutor Maria Medetis Long, who was reportedly taken off the Brennan investigation in April 2026 after expressing doubts about the strength of the case, as evidence of what it described as irregular conduct. She was replaced by Trump ally Joseph diGenova, who later resigned from his role overseeing the investigation amid reported internal disagreements over the handling of the case.

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOMINATE ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE TO PERMANENTLY LEAD JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Brennan’s attorneys accused the Justice Department of “judge-shopping” by trying to steer grand jury proceedings toward Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, Florida, rather than allowing the case to proceed through the court’s normal assignment process. They also questioned why prosecutors were pursuing the investigation in Florida when much of the allegations occurred in Washington, D.C.

The complaint also accused DOJ and FBI leaders of improperly discussing details of the investigations publicly, raising questions about whether officials disclosed information that should have remained confidential.

It cited Attorney General Todd Blanche’s statements that DOJ had issued “200 grand jury subpoenas” and was investigating a “pattern of behavior” to “destroy” Trump, as well as FBI Director Kash Patel’s public discussion of the investigations and their targets.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

Michele Tafoya, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Minnesota and a former broadcaster, aggressively sought to put her opponent, Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, on the defensive during a debate Friday afternoon over the billion-dollar fraud schemes that drew national attention to the state earlier this year.

Early in the debate, Tafoya pressed Flanagan on her qualifications for federal office, pointing to her record as lieutenant governor.

“My opponent has been second in command in this state for eight years, drawing a taxpayer-funded paycheck. And what do we have to show for that? We have massive fraud, historic fraud. We have test scores down. We have crime spiking. We have a massive surplus turned into a deficit,” Tafoya said.

TAFOYA MAKES ‘COMMON SENSE’ PITCH TO DISAFFECTED DEMOCRATS AS SHE VOWS TO FIGHT MINNESOTA’S ‘SOCIALIST LURCH’

“This election is about Peggy Flanagan.”

Local and federal investigators have uncovered myriad fraud schemes involving daycare centers, food programs, health clinics and other operations accused of defrauding the state of up to $9 billion. Investigators say fraudsters either inflated the number of people they allegedly helped or fabricated their services altogether — all while receiving government dollars.

When the issue resurfaced later in the debate, the moderator asked Flanagan directly whether, in her view, she had “any ownership over the fraud.”

Flanagan sought to distance herself from the issue, pointing to Walz’s acknowledgment that responsibility for oversight rested with him.

“The governor has been very clear that the buck stops with him,” Flanagan said.

“He was the one who had oversight here. I’ve led on issues like paid family and medical leave, nation-leading child tax credit, making sure that kids get breakfast and lunch at school. Those are the things and those are the areas where I took the lead.”

When Flanagan then redirected the conversation to criticism of President Donald Trump, Tafoya went on the attack.

DAVID MARCUS: PEGGY FLANAGAN’S DEI RECORD AND FRAUD SCANDAL PUT MINNESOTA SENATE RACE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

“Peggy, Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot. You and I are on the ballot, and only one of us let $9 billion walk out the door to fraud to suggest that we that she somehow is going to be a fraud czar all of a sudden,” Tafoya said.

“My goodness, she was second in charge in this state, and she’s just going to point her finger at Gov. Tim Walz when she demanded to be in the room where everything happened. But, suddenly, she has nothing to do with this. Again, sell it to someone else,” she added.

Flanagan has served as Minnesota’s lieutenant governor for nearly eight years, taking office in 2019. By the time Walz announced that he would not run for re-election as governor amid political scrutiny for the fraud, Flanagan had already announced her bid for U.S. Senate.

Responding to Tafoya, Flanagan doubled down on her criticism of Trump, noting that the president had recently endorsed Tafoya.

“Donald Trump doesn’t just endorse anybody. In fact, he endorses against people in his own party if they dare to take him on. Michele Tafoya passed his litmus test with flying colors,” Flanagan said.

Tafoya then laid out her own proposals for combating fraud, including tougher consequences for noncitizens who defraud Americans.

“No. 1, if you’re a guest of this country, and you defraud Americans, you must leave. You must leave, and you should have no pathway back,” she said.

FRAUD EXPERT EXPOSES HOW HIDDEN NETWORKS DROVE MINNESOTA FRAUD, OTHER MAJOR SCAMS: ‘CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE’

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“No. 2, if you’re an American and you defraud your fellow Americans, we should be talking about mandatory prison minimums. Tough sentences, not an easygoing slap on the wrist. 

“And No. 3, if you’re a state like Minnesota who cannot keep your financial house in order, why would the federal government release billions and billions of dollars to you, only to see it go to fraud?”

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After securing their respective parties’ nominations earlier this year, Flanagan and Tafoya will face off in the state’s Nov. 3 general election.

Katie Zacharia is leaving her role as White House press secretary after only seven days following a rocky first week on the job, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital.

President Donald Trump told Zacharia to “reconsider” the role, revealing to members of the press on the South Lawn on Friday that he told her: “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to… I think you should reconsider.”

A senior White House official tells Fox News that Katie is now “transitioning out” of the role. 

It comes as her one-week tenure was marked by mounting scrutiny over her legal credentials and a rocky debut before the White House press corps on Tuesday.  Critics have taken aim at Zacharia over her recent interviews attempting to recover from the bumpy start. 

Zacharia was named to the role Oct. 9 and stepped behind the White House podium for her first press briefing just days later on Oct. 13. The briefing lasted 14 minutes and Zacharia took only three questions.

“Maybe it’s not for her,” Trump acknowledged in his brief remarks outside the White House on Friday.

TRUMP NAMES LEAVITT SUCCESSOR AFTER WEEKS OF SPECULATION — AND SHE’S NO STRANGER TO MAGA 

When pressed if this update meant that Trump fired Zacharia, the president walked back. “No no. I want her to have a good life,” he said. 

“She’s been brutalized by the media,” Trump added. 

During an appearance on “Hannity” Thursday night, Zacharia was pressed over whether she could refer to herself as an attorney. Zacharia admitted she did not pass the bar exam and never obtained a law license in the United States.

“I had already pre-registered for the bar exam, and basically during the summer, I knew I would be living in China and the result of the bar would be inconsequential. I sat for it because I didn’t want to have a withdraw status,” she said.

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS WIDELY PRAISE KAROLINE LEAVITT AS SHE ANNOUNCES EXIT FROM TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Zacharia was also pressed on her fumbled briefing. 

“What I feel is I really stepped up to the plate with very little prep time,” Zacharia said. “Given the fact that I’d been on the job less than maybe eight hours and had a briefing book in the morning, I feel like I did my very best, Sean, to deliver for the American people that day.”

Zacharia’s debut drew scrutiny over several verbal stumbles, including a moment when she mistakenly referred to her husband as “my president” before correcting herself, as well as the briefing’s brevity, during which she took questions from just three journalists in 14 minutes.

Karoline Leavitt’s first White House press briefing lasted nearly 47 minutes, while Sean Spicer’s debut ran roughly 79 minutes. While Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ first briefing as press secretary lasted about 23 minutes in 2017.

TRUMP’S NEW PRESS SECRETARY FACES FIRST MAJOR TEST AS WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING ROOM ENTERS NEW ERA

A White House official told MS NOW earlier this week that she could end up with a shorter tenure than Anthony Scaramucci, whose notoriously brief stint as President Donald Trump’s White House communications director lasted just 10 days before he was ousted in July 2017.

“Getting behind the podium is tough, but she got off on the wrong foot,” the unnamed White House official said. “She needs to get much better, fast, otherwise she’ll break Scaramucci’s record.”

Zacharia clearly did not recover enough in her short media sprint this week — where she attempted to clear up confusion about her lawyer credentials — and instead was pushed out of the job on Friday without another shot at the podium. 

The White House doubled down on supporting Zacharia Wednesday when asked by Fox News Digital for comment on the Scaramucci comparison reportedly coming from the White House.

“Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team. She is uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital.

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The White House X account @PressSec, formerly run by Leavitt before switching to White House Press Office, never switched over to Zacharia, and has still not posted since Oct. 7.

Zacharia, whom Trump described as an attorney when announcing her appointment, previously served as senior communications adviser to Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates the president’s social media platform, Truth Social.

She also served earlier this year as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security for just six weeks. 

Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is facing lingering frustration from inside his own political backyard over the cancellation of an event that was supposed to take place on Oct. 5 with a Black civic-service group.

The Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium (CT-AACES) expressed deep frustration in an email, sent to the Talarico campaign and obtained by Fox News Digital, after the campaign cancelled an event – which had 325 confirmed registrants – during Talarico’s two-week absence from the campaign trail due to illness.

CT-AACES said the cancellation left them with “irrecoverable financial loss,” and that Talarico’s campaign had not engaged in rescheduling efforts

“While we understand Representative Talarico’s health required priority, we are deeply disappointed by the campaign’s decision to issue a flat cancellation rather than committing to a rescheduled date,” the email reads. “It was a missed opportunity for Representative Talarico to directly address community skepticism and demonstrate the sincerity of his commitment to Central Texas African Americans.”

The cancellation is the most recent instance of the tensions that Talarico’s campaign has faced with the Black community. It also casts doubt on the effectiveness of his efforts to reach Black voteBlack voters through a $25 million outreach pledge aimed at mobilizing black voters is fully reaching the ground.

TALARICO DISAPPEARANCE HAS DEM VOLUNTEERS WORRYING AND TRUMP ASKING, ‘WHAT IS GOING ON?’

The frustration isn’t isolated to CT-AACES.

At least one Austin-area Democratic operative who has met directly with Talarico told Fox News Digital that she remains frustrated by what she described as uneven follow-through on outreach to Black Democrats and candidates further down the ballot.

“Black voters aren’t a monolith,” the source cautioned, rejecting any blanket assertion that Black Texans distrust Talarico outright. “I think that there are pockets that do. There’s a pocket that doesn’t. And then there’s the pocket that’s really unsure,” she said.

The operative, who previously ran for Talarico’s prior state House seat and spoke to Fox News Digital, is particularly familiar with the nominee and the Democratic organizing landscape in the Austin region.

Asked about a $25 million investment to focus on door-knocking in Black neighborhoods, in-person community events and engagement with Black churches, the source said those investments haven’t manifested yet.

“We haven’t received the money, but we’re being told it’s coming,” she said of some accounts she has heard from the ground. “We received, you know, one or 2% of what we were told we were going to get. And then it’s been silence since,” she said.

DAVID MARCUS: HOW CROCKETT’S LAST STAND IN TEXAS COULD BRING DOWN TALARICO

The comments come after Talarico appeared on a Black voter coalition Zoom last week, delivering brief remarks about “put[ting] in the money … time … and effort to win” before his feed disappeared from the call reportedly without a public question-and-answer session. At the July Houston town hall where Talarico announced the $25 million pledge, nurse Kandice Webber confronted him as the event approached its scheduled end and demanded that he remain to answer questions. “Black people don’t trust you for this reason,” she said, according to the Texas Tribune .

“And you cannot win without us, so you stay here and you answer our questions, or you suffer the consequences,” Webber said.

During his primary, Talarico also encountered controversy over the black vote when reports surfaced the he had characterized rival candidate and former NFL linebacker Collin Allred as a “mediocre Black man.” “He had the audacity to say to a Black woman that he had signed up to run against a mediocre black man,” Allred said in a video response posted to X.

“We should say ‘thank you.’ Thank you for taking off the mask. Thank you for telling us who you really are and what you really think… keep my name out of your mouth while you’re at it.”

Talarico, for his part, described the wording as a mischaracterization, stating that he “described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre” and that he would “never attack him on the basis of race.”

Talarico also received criticism from Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, his primary opponent in the Senate primary, after she accused him of darkening her skin in campaign ads against her.

“And you know, I’ve been asked a couple of times about it. And you know, I look at this specifically as a civil rights lawyer, and I see when they’re sending out ads and they’re darkening my skin. And I’m just like, I know what this is, right?” Crockett said at a press conference.

The operative said she personally pressed Talarico during a June meeting to do more to endorse and support down-ballot Democrats after hearing from campaigns that donors had already exhausted their political giving on his Senate bid and were asking whether he had endorsed those candidates.

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“He was very gracious. He said he understood,” she told Fox News Digital. “I followed up with his staff multiple times and to this day have still not heard anything, which has been really frustrating to me.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Talarico campaign for a response to the characterizations and comments.