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In a state as solidly Republican as Indiana, the May primary is the real competition.

Four months out, five candidates are still jockeying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in an unusually crowded field. Annual campaign finance reports filed Wednesday reflect a multimillion-dollar race that has become a competition of who can out-conservative the others for primary votes in a state with historically low turnout.

Two-term Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, cannot run again because of term limits. Indiana’s primary is May 7.

INDIANA HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY PASSES BILL DEFINING ANTI-SEMITISM IN EDUCATION CODE

“In Indiana, we are not used to seeing competitive primaries,” said Gregory Shufeldt, a professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis.

Shufeldt said the crowded field could be a result of interest in state government roles, rather than a career in a Congress bogged with gridlock in the recent years. First-term U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s decision to join the gubernatorial race opened up his seat, and many expect U.S. Rep Jim Banks, a Republican, to easily fill it.

Braun’s close allegiance to former President Donald Trump helped propel his Senate win in 2018 and has given him statewide name recognition. Braun ended 2023 with a healthy $4 million in the bank, according to finance reports, and has Trump’s endorsement again this year.

Touting similar name recognition is Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, whose ambitious plan to eliminate the state income tax is one of the most divisive subjects in the race so far. “Axe the Tax” has been decried by the other candidates to some degree as unrealistic and untimely.

Holcomb has not endorsed a successor, including Crouch. And Crouch has rarely evoked Holcomb, whose popularity took a hit over some COVID-19 restrictions such as a statewide mask mandate. Crouch has, rather, relied on her record of statewide and county service and pitched a focus on mental health and addiction services.

Her campaign reported ending 2023 with $3.7 million in the bank.

Shufeldt called Crouch’s politics “pragmatic” conservatism, similar to Indiana’s past two governors.

“It’s a contest between conservative, very conservative and extremely conservative,” he said of the race.

SUPREME COURT DECLINES INDIANA SCHOOL’S APPEAL ON TRANSGENDER BATHROOM ORDER

Curtis Hill, the embattled former attorney general, has appealed to the Trump conservative base with his campaign rhetoric.

Hill lost the Republican nomination for reelection in 2020 following allegations that he drunkenly groped four women during a party. He denied the accusations, but the Indiana Supreme Court temporarily suspended his license after finding “by clear and convincing evidence that (Hill) committed the criminal act of battery” against three female legislative staffers and a state lawmaker.

He and Braun have been the most vocal on topics pertaining to issues contested in national elections, such as immigration and border security.

Shufeldt said Holcomb and former Gov. Mitchell Daniels, who served two terms before former Vice President Mike Pence, generally avoided stepping into “cultural issues” and focused more on school vouchers and economic development.

“I think a Braun or Hill governorship probably puts cultural issues more front and center,” he said.

However, Hill ended the year millions of dollars behind the competition, reporting about $123,000 in cash on hand.

The other Republican candidates, Brad Chambers and Eric Doden, have similar resumes. Both have led the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, a quasi-governmental agency, and have focused their campaigning on Indiana’s economic future.

Doden’s “Main Street Initiative” — focused on reviving and retaining the economy of Indiana’s small towns — is the backbone of his campaign. Chambers has repeatedly touted Indiana’s economic growth during his recent time as secretary of commerce. Both have directed messaging toward supporting law enforcement.

Chambers, who entered the race last of the bunch in August, raised over $8.5 million in 2023 and contributed $5 million himself. He ended the year with $2.91 million in the bank, according to records.

Doden threw his name in the ring as early as 2021 and reported over $1 million in cash on hand at the end of 2023. His campaign said he has raised $5 million to date.

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While the race is expected to be the most expensive in Indiana history for the office, its unlikely to boost turnout, said Laura Wilson, professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis. Indiana historically has low voter turnout; 24% of those registered voted in the 2020 primary. Fundraising might matter the most to Doden and Chambers, who lack the name recognition of the other candidates.

On the Democratic side of the ballot, former Indiana schools Superintendent Jennifer McCormick is running a longshot bid to flip the state’s top office. McCormick split from the GOP over education policy and later changed her party affiliation after her term ended in early 2021. Libertarian Donald Rainwater and Republican Jamie Reitenour are also campaigning for the office.

Wilson expected the race to soon turn to more political topics including abortion and support for Trump.

“For some voters, I think, this race unfortunately is going to be somewhat of an afterthought because the focus nationally is going to be so heavy on the presidential,” Wilson said.

EXCLUSIVE: Federal investigators suggested banks search private financial transactions using terms beyond “Trump” and “MAGA” after Jan. 6, 2021. Additional suggested terms included “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Antifa” and more, sources familiar told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital on Wednesday reported that the Treasury Department’s Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, distributed materials to financial institutions that outlined “typologies” of “various persons of interest” and provided the banks with “suggested search terms and Merchant Category Codes for identifying transactions on behalf of federal law enforcement.” 

‘ALARMING’ SURVEILLANCE: FEDS ASKED BANKS TO SEARCH PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS FOR TERMS LIKE ‘MAGA,’ ‘TRUMP’

Sources familiar told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the search terms, like “MAGA” and “Trump,” were generated by a bank and used to help them identify suspicious transactions when reviewing customer transactional information. It is unclear which bank generated the search terms. 

The sources said FinCEN then shared those terms with other banks to help those financial institutions to comply with their own suspicious activity reports.

But beyond the terms identified by the House Judiciary Committee, the unnamed bank generated other terms, which FinCEN shared with other banks, the sources told Fox News Digital. 

The source said the additional search terms included: “White Power,” “Camp Auschwitz,” “Antifa,” “Proud B,” “Storm, the,” “Capitol,” “Groyper Army,” “Threepers,” “boogaloo,” “civil war,” “last sons,” “kill,” “shoot,” “gun,” “death,” “murder,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Pelosi,” “Schumer” and “Pence.”

The sources said the distribution of the search terms, including “MAGA” and “Trump,” began in the final weeks of the Trump administration after Jan. 6, 2021.

The initial terms “MAGA” and “Trump” were revealed in a letter sent by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to a former director of FinCEN. Fox News Digital first reported on that letter. 

The committee’s investigation also revealed that FinCEN distributed slides, prepared by Key Bank, to other banks to explain how they could use merchant category codes (MCC) to detect customers whose transactions may reflect “potential active shooters, and who may include dangerous International Terrorists/ Domestic Terrorists/ Homegrown Violence Extremists (‘Lone Wolves’).”

HOUSE INVESTIGATION INTO ‘WHAT REALLY HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6’ ENTERING ‘NEW PHASE’ WITH SPEAKER JOHNSON SUPPORT

Jordan said the slide instructs financial institutions to query for transactions using certain MCC codes like “3484: Small Arms,” “5091: Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies,” and the keywords “Cabela’s,” “Dick’s Sporting Goods” and “Bass Pro Shops,” among others.

Key Bank declined to comment.

Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

A source familiar with the documents held by the House Judiciary Committee told Fox News Digital that while Jan. 6, 2021, was the “impetus” for the queries and searches, none of the documents the committee has obtained reveal any specific time frames or limitations for banks searching customer transactions with the terms. The source said the federal government used the information for investigations beyond Jan. 6.

It is unclear if the terms are still being used by banks to search private transactions. 

“Despite these transactions having no apparent criminal nexus — and, in fact, relate to Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights — FinCEN seems to have adopted a characterization of these Americans as potential threat actors,” Jordan wrote. “This kind of pervasive financial surveillance, carried out in coordination with and at the request of federal law enforcement, into Americans’ private transactions is alarming and raises serious doubts about FinCEN’s respect for fundamental liberties.”

Meanwhile, in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday and obtained by Fox News Digital, Jordan requested a transcribed interview with the senior private sector partner for outreach in the Strategic Partner Engagement Section at the FBI.

Jordan said the committee has received testimony indicating that Bank of America provided the FBI “voluntarily and without any legal process” with a list of individuals who made transactions in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area using a Bank of America credit or debit card between Jan. 5 and Jan. 7, 2021.

BANK OF AMERICA CUSTOMERS FURIOUS AFTER DATA SHARED WITH FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS

Fox News Digital first reported on that portion of the committee’s investigation last year. Bank of America, in November, said the bank “followed all applicable laws” in its interactions with the government. The bank noted that the Treasury Department on Jan. 15, 2021, “shared information regarding potential criminal activity that could disrupt the upcoming inauguration.” 

“We have cooperated with the committee as they evaluate whether the laws we complied with should be changed,” Bank of America said Wednesday. 

FBI INTERVIEWED PRIEST, CHURCH CHOIR DIRECTOR AHEAD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC MEMO, HOUSE GOP FINDS

But in the Wednesday letter, Jordan stated that when that list was later brought to the attention of the FBI, the former section chief of the Domestic Terrorism Operations Section, Steve Jensen, acted to “pull” that Bank of America information from FBI systems because “the leads lacked allegations of federal criminal conduct.”

Jordan said the committees obtained documents that show FBI personnel “made contact with and provided Bank of America with specific search query terms, indicating that it was ‘interested in all financial relationships’ of BoA customers transacting in Washington, D.C., and customers who had made ‘ANY historical purchase’ of a firearm, or who had purchased a hotel, Airbnb, or airline travel within a given date range.”

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Jordan is requesting that the former FinCEN official and an FBI official appear before his committee and the Weaponization Subcommittee for transcribed interviews to aid in the panels’ oversight investigation. 

Hollywood attorney and Hunter Biden confidant Patrick Kevin Morris may have violated California’s bar rules with his lavish spending on the president’s son, says a complaint by America First Legal. 

The AFL, a conservative legal group founded by former Trump White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, filed the complaint Tuesday with the State Bar of California alleging Morris violated California’s rule that prohibits a lawyer from funding the lifestyle of a client or potential client.

The complaint came ahead of Morris’ closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee Thursday.

Morris reportedly spent $4.9 million financially supporting the president’s son. Included in the sum was a $2 million loan for Hunter to pay off his back taxes, and $875,000 was a purchase Hunter Biden’s art. 

A Los Angeles Times story characterized Morris’s relationship with Hunter Biden as, “foremost as his lawyer, but also his friend, confidant and bankroller.” And, when Hunter Biden made a surprise visit to Capitol Hill, last week, he was flanked by Morris and his attorney Abbe Lowell. 

ART DEALER REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN KNEW ‘SUGAR BROTHER; WAS TOP BUYER, MAKING WH ETHICS PLEDGE A ’SHAM’: COMER

“However, if Mr. Morris has provided personal funds to an individual who has now been confirmed to be a client – or who would reasonably believe himself to be Mr. Morris’s client – Mr. Morris would have violated both the text of the Rules of Professional Conduct and the well-established norms of the legal profession,” the America First Legal complaint says. 

Morris was reportedly scheduled to do a transcribed interview with the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the House Judiciary Committee this week, as part of the formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden for potential actions or benefitting from alleged influence peddling by family members, including his son. 

HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER WHO INTRODUCED. HUNTER BIDEN TO ART DEALER RAISED AT LEAST $25K FOR JOE BIDEN’S CAMPAIGN

Specifically, State Bar of California Rule 1.8.5(a), states that “[a] lawyer shall not directly or indirectly pay or agree to pay, guarantee, or represent that the lawyer or lawyer’s law firm will pay the personal or business expenses of a prospective or existing client.”

“If Hunter Biden or a similarly situated person would reasonably anticipate that Mr. Morris was obligated to provide legal services, the alleged funding of the lifestyle of a client or potential client justifies the immediate opening of a misconduct investigation under Rule 1.8.5,” the complaint says. 

On Capitol Hill, and on other occasions, Lowell has been the lawyer who spoke as Hunter Biden’s representative. However, the same Times story said, “Morris strode shoulder to shoulder with the president’s son as they made a surprise appearance at a congressional contempt hearing on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, he is expected to be seated behind him in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom as Hunter Biden is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on criminal tax charges, much as he did in a Delaware courtroom.”

Morris did not respond Wednesday to Fox News Digital for this story after phone calls were made to his firm, PKM Law.

The State Bar of California would not confirm or deny if an investigation was underway. 

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“By law, disciplinary investigations are confidential, unless confidentiality is waived pursuant to the provisions of Business and Professions Code section 6086.1(b) or (c),” a state bar spokesman said in an email to Fox News Digital. 

Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee pushed forward with their efforts to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after emotional testimony from two victims of the border crisis, and Democrats moved to have their own hearing and slammed what they said was a “MAGA spectacle” from the majority.

Republicans on the committee all voted to push forward with the impeachment of Mayorkas, who Republicans have blamed for mishandling the ongoing crisis at the southern border. A markup on the impeachment is expected before the end of the month.

“The Secretary has consistently willfully and systematically refused to follow the laws passed by Congress, abused his authority, and breached the trust of Congress and the American people on numerous occasions,” the 18 Republicans said after the hearing.

HOUSE HOMELAND GOP CALLS FOR MAYORKAS WRITTEN TESTIMONY; DHS SLAMS ‘BAD-FAITH’ IMPEACHMENT PUSH 

“The result of his failure to fulfill his oath of office has been a border crisis that is unprecedented in American history – a crisis that has cost the lives of thousands of Secretary Mayorkas’ fellow Americans,” it said.

The hearing itself, the second impeachment hearing, focused on the victims of crime and featured testimony from Tammy Nobles, whose daughter was killed by an illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member, and Josephine Dunn, who lost her daughter to fentanyl poisoning.

“This is not a political issue. This is a safety issue for everyone living in the United States. This could have been anyone’s daughter. I don’t want any other parent to live the nightmare that I am living,” Nobles said.

“In my humble opinion, Mr. Mayorkas’ border policy is partially responsible for my daughter’s death,” Dunn said, arguing that Arizona has become a “fentanyl superhighway” into the U.S.

But amid that testimony was a fierce political back-and-forth between Republicans and Democrats over the testimony of Mayorkas himself and potential additional hearings. Mayorkas had expressed willingness to testify in-person but had said he couldn’t attend this hearing. Republicans have said the lack of specificity amounts to stonewalling and that they have been trying to get him to testify at a border-specific hearing since August.

DHS pushed back on those claims, accusing Republicans of “playing politics.”

“It’s abundantly clear that they are not interested in hearing from Secretary Mayorkas since it doesn’t fit into their bad-faith, predetermined and unconstitutional rush to impeach him. Last week, the Secretary offered to testify publicly before the Committee; in the time since, the Committee failed to respond to DHS to find a mutually agreeable date,” spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said ahead of the hearing.

REPUBLICANS, DEMS SPAR AT MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING AS STATE AGS DESCRIBE IMPACT OF MIGRANT CRISIS

“Secretary Mayorkas can object all he wants, but the paper trail is clear–he has consistently, tacitly refused to show up,” the majority responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, after accusing Mayorkas of “indefinite delays.”

On Thursday, the White House weighed in, accusing Republicans of “choosing to play extreme, far-right politics” and of “attempting to scapegoat a Cabinet secretary who is actively working to find solutions to a problem Congressional Republicans have spent years refusing to actually solve.”

Democrats on the committee moved on Thursday to request a minority-led hearing, arguing that House rules require such a hearing in an impeachment inquiry. Republicans argued that it is not necessary because they have their own witness at the hearing.

Ranking member Bennie Thompson accused Republicans of having “predetermined the outcome.”

HOUSE HOMELAND DEMOCRATS BACK MAYORKAS, SLAM GOP ‘SHAM’ AHEAD OF IMPEACHMENT HEARING

“This isn’t a real impeachment. It’s a MAGA spectacle, paid for [with] American tax dollars for Republican political gain,” he said.

 The fight is the latest flash point in the battle over the narrative of the border between Republicans and the Biden administration.

Republicans have pinned the crisis on the Biden administration, saying its “catch-and-release” policies, reduced interior enforcement and rollback of Trump-era border policies have sparked the historic surge to the border, leaving Border Patrol agents overwhelmed and unable to stop the influx gotaways and fentanyl.

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The administration has said it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis and needs more funding and immigration reform from Congress. It has also pointed to what it says are a record number of removals since May, greater than in all of fiscal 2019, and record seizures of fentanyl at the border.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was released from a hospital after receiving treatment for an unspecified infection, his office said Thursday. 

Grassley, 90, was hospitalized on Tuesday in the Washington D.C. area, and was receiving “antibiotic infusions,” his office said. 

He is expected to be back at work next week. 

GOP LAWMAKERS HAIL TRUMP’S ‘BIG VICTORY’ IN IOWA; SOME CALL FOR DESANTIS, HALEY TO DROP OUT

No other details were released. 

Grassely was first elected to the Senate in 1980, and has been re-elected seven times. He is the oldest member of the Senate. 

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He earned that distinction after the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in September. 

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., gained the endorsement of former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang on Thursday, who told voters in New Hampshire it was time to upgrade from the predicted Biden vs. Trump rematch that “no one wants.”

Phillips, who is considered to be a moderate Minnesotan, is a long shot to lead the Democratic presidential ticket, but he and Yang were campaigning in the Granite State ahead of the primary on Jan. 23.

The two men attended an event together at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire on Thursday afternoon, with Yang introducing the Democratic candidate.

Yang spoke about other Democratic leaders like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker who have not thrown their names into the ring for president because President Biden is seeking reelection.

BIDEN CHALLENGER DEAN PHILLIPS WIPES REFERENCE TO ‘DEI’ FROM CAMPAIGN WEBSITE

“If you want to run for president, your time is right now. In this time of need, only one person decided to place his country above his professional aspirations,” Yang said. “That is the man I am proud to endorse tonight as the next President of the United States… Dean Phillips.”

Yang told the crowd at Dartmouth that he spent time in New Hampshire four years ago, campaigning for President Biden, but noted the last four years have not been great.

He said if they had been great, he may not have been with them on Thursday night, endorsing Phillips.

“He is a substantial, accomplished president. I campaigned for him in 2020. I endorsed him,” Yang said of Biden. “He’s a good man, a true public servant and a great American. He was the right candidate four years ago. He is not the right candidate for 2024.”

DEAN PHILLIPS SAYS HE HAD A ‘VERY DIFFICULT EPISODE’ WITH FRIEND RASHIDA TLAIB OVER ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO EXIST

The former presidential candidate said when Biden campaigned in 2020, he said he was running to be the bridge to the next generation.

Yang said the U.S. needs Biden to be that bridge to the next generation, pointing to the president’s low approval rating and not being the top candidate in several swing states he won in 2020.

“Essentially, you can take his numbers for 2020 and subtract eight from them, and that’s where he is right now,” Yang said, reminding the attendees he is the “math guy.”

Yang also pointed to Biden’s age, explaining that at 81 years old, it will be tough to “reinvent grandpa.”

DEMOCRAT DEAN PHILLIPS ATTACKS BIDEN FOR TRYING TO UPEND TRADITIONAL PRIMARY ELECTION PROCESS

He said campaigning is tough because of things like traveling, rallying, meeting new voters, and doing friendly interviews, especially for the 81-year-old president.

“All of it is going to be tougher for Joe Biden this cycle than it needs to be for the person who’s going to take on Donald Trump,” Yang said. “…poll after poll shows Joe Biden losing to Donald Trump by two or three or four points more in the swing states. The same polls find Donald Trump losing to a generic Democrat. You put another Democrat in there and all of a sudden people are like, wait, I don’t like Trump. Who’s this other person?”

Yang continued, and said Biden has been a great leader, though he should not run for reelection in 2024. Yang said many Democrats feel the same way, yet nobody wants to step up.

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“The notion of challenging Joe Biden, that is the culture of conformity and careerism that is going to lead us again to this Trump return that so many of us find unfathomable,” Yang said. “[Dean Phillips] is not beholden to the special interests that have grown to dominate our politics. He is the man for this moment. He is what most Americans, certainly the independents who decide our elections actually want in a candidate. And most of all, he will win.”

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said that pardoning former President Trump would be “healing for the country” as she took tough questions from voters days ahead of the New Hampshire primary election.

Haley fielded a series of tough questions at the town hall Thursday night, which came just five days before Granite State voters head to the polls for the GOP primary.

TRUMP SAYS NIKKI HALEY ‘HAS NO CHANCE’ AHEAD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY: ‘MAGA IS NOT GOING TO BE WITH HER’

PARDONING TRUMP WOULD BE ‘HEALING FOR THE COUNTRY’

During Haley’s town hall on CNN, the former United Nations ambassador said she would pardon Trump if elected, but only if the GOP frontrunner were convicted of a crime.

Haley said that “the last thing we need is an 80-year-old president sitting in jail” because “that’s just going to further divide our country.”

“This is no longer about whether he’s innocent or guilty,” Haley said. “This is about the fact, how do we bring the country back together?”

Haley said she is “determined” to make the “division” and “chaos” go away and that she believes pardoning Trump “would make all of that go away.”

“And I think it would be healing for the country,” Haley said.

AMERICA 

Haley got pushback from CNN when she answered a question about whether America was a fundamentally racist country.

She said if one tells a black or brown children they live in a racist country, “you’re immediately telling them they don’t have a chance.”

Townhall moderator Jake Tapper pushed back, saying “You’re talking about the ideals of America, but America founded institutionally on many racist precepts, including slavery.”

Haley said America’s ideals were present from the founding, but the country needed to correct certain places where the nation fell short of the intent of the Constitution.

“When you look at said all men are created equal, I think the intent the intent was to do the right thing. Now, did they have to go fix it along the way? Yes, but I don’t think the intent was ever that we were going to be a racist country. The intent was everybody going to be created equally,” Haley said.

Even though it took decades to fix certain aspects of the nation, Haley said she refuses to believe that the country was based on racism. 

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

Another top moment for Haley came when she was asked about marijuana legalization. Haley said was a state-by-state issue, but wouldn’t commit to descheduling the substance.

Haley said she would “go with the scientists” on marijuana legalization, and added that she thinks “it’s obviously not in the same class as heroin.”

“But I also think when you’re looking at the legalization of this, I want states to be able to decide that,” Haley said.

“That’s something that should be as close to the people as possible,” she added.

CHILD TAX CREDITS ‘ACROSS THE BOARD’

Haley also said that she is “for child care tax credits for everyone” and said that the tax credits need to be done “across the board” to remain “fair.”

If you’re going to do it, do it across the board and make sure that it’s fair,” Haley said. “Look, when you look at the welfare system and you look at all of those other things, when you look at those programs, the goal that I want to look at is what are we doing to lift them up?”

“What are we doing to make life better for them?” Haley continued, citing her work as South Carolina governor to move people off of welfare and into jobs.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR AMERICANS, NOT FOREIGN ACTORS

Haley was also asked about the idea she floated of social media companies identifying online users by their real name, as a national security concern.

The former U.N. ambassador said she “will always fight for freedom of speech.” She faced widespread criticism for her comments, but on Thursday defended her statement. She said she speaking about “when it comes to our tech companies, is there is a responsibility that our social media companies have.”

“What I think they should do is they should show us their algorithms,” Haley said. “They should be completely transparent so that you know why they push what they push, why you see what you see, all of that, that’s a business transparency situation.”

“I’m not saying that Americans have to disclose their name. What I’m saying is you have millions of foreign bots where there are no people behind them. When I was at the United Nations, Russia, China and Iran knew, and said it was the cheapest form of warfare. There are millions of bots that are spreading disinformation, that are sowing division in our country, and they’re doing this to spread harmful things to our younger teenagers.”

“And what I’m saying is those social media companies have to do something with the foreign bots,” Haley continued. “I will always fight for Americans’ freedom of speech, but I am not going to fight for Russians’ and Iranians’ and Chinese freedom of speech. And that’s what’s happening.”

DEMOCRATIC SUPPORTERS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Haley was also asked about the support she has been garnering from Democrats in New Hampshire — where around 4,000 voters switched their registration from the Democratic Party, which some speculate could potentially help Haley in the primary.

The former governor said she has seen some independents align with her, and said “some Democrats say they want to support us because they’re not happy with Joe Biden.”

“What I want everybody here to remember is Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president,” Haley said. “That is nothing to be proud of. We should want to win the majority of Americans.”

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“The problem is, if you’re going to win the majority of Americans, you have to make sure as a leader, you don’t decide who’s good and who’s bad, who’s right and who’s wrong,” Haley said.

“You bring out the best of people and get them to move forward,” she added.

The 2024 Republican primary is in full swing, as former President Donald Trump continues to hold a commanding lead over Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. 

Here’s a snapshot of where the battle to lead the Republican Party stands. 

DELEGATE COUNT AFTER IOWA: 

1. Trump: 20
2. DeSantis: 9
3. Haley: 8
4. Ramaswamy: 3

DELEGATES NEEDED TO WIN: 1,215 

DELEGATES REMAINING: 2,389  

ONE NEW POLL: New polling from New Hampshire shows Trump holding a double-digit lead over Haley in what is largely a two-person race for the Granite State. The poll shows Trump garnering 50% support among those likely to vote in next Tuesday’s New Hampshire GOP presidential primary. Haley is in second with 36% support, and DeSantis is a distant third at 6%. 

ONE NEW ENDORSEMENT: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz endorsed Donald Trump for president Tuesday night and called for the country to unify behind the Republican front-runner.

“I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for President of the United States,” Cruz said on “Hannity.” “I look forward to supporting him enthusiastically.”

ONE KEY QUOTE: 

“Trump is the one I’m going for.” – Nikki Haley

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

Former President Donald Trump said he believes the U.S. Supreme Court will “intervene” and rule in his favor by keeping him on 2024 primary ballots across the nation despite challenges, telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he has faith that the justices on the high court are “not going to take the vote away from the people.” 

Trump sat down for an exclusive interview in New Hampshire with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. The interview aired Thursday night on Fox News Channel and came just days before the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary, set for Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Several states, like Maine and Colorado, are looking to remove Trump from the 2024 GOP primary ballot in the state, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution, or, the “Disqualifications Clause.”

MAINE SUPERIOR COURT ISSUES A STAY ON STATE’S DECISION TO BAR TRUMP FROM PRIMARY BALLOT

That clause bars individuals who have “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against America, or aided those engaged in such, from holding office.

Trump has never been charged with insurrection.

“We put on three great justices, and you have some other great justices up there, and they’re not going to take the vote away from the people,” Trump said.

Trump, as president, nominated and had confirmed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court: Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

“You saw in the history of the Iowa primary…it goes back a long time…I won by the most,” Trump said. “Nobody’s ever won, as you know…there’s nobody even close. I doubled up and more than doubled up.”

Trump dominated the Iowa Caucuses, winning 98 of 99 counties. He lost one single county by one single vote. Trump collected 20 delegates in the state. 

“I’m sure the Supreme Court is going to say we’re not going to take the vote away from the people,” Trump said.

But the former president said that it is President Biden who is “a threat to democracy.”

TRUMP APPEALS DECISION TO BAN HIM FROM MAINE BALLOT

“Biden is a threat to democracy — is an absolute threat to democracy, and he’s very dangerous for a couple of reasons,” Trump said.

The former president said Biden is “grossly incompetent, which is the number one reason,” but said the president is “actually in his own way.”

“It’s not him — it’s the people that surround him,” Trump said. “You got some very bad people surrounding him at that desk.”

Trump said the people running the Department of Justice are “young and they’re smart and they’re communists and they’re Marxists, they’re fascists, and they’re running this country.” 

“They’re running it right into the ground,” Trump said.

But returning to the Supreme Court, Trump said: “I don’t think the Supreme Court would do it because, uh, you can’t take the vote — I am leading in every poll. I am leading Biden, but I am leading the remaining Republicans.” 

Trump said the Supreme Court has “two votes that are very important coming up.”

TRUMP CAMPAIGN SAYS 14TH AMENDMENT ADVOCATES USING ‘LAWFARE’ TO ‘DEPRIVE’ VOTERS OF CHOICE IN 2024

“One, as we discussed, we call it Colorado or whatever, but you know, I really believe they’re going to leave the people to vote again,” Trump said. It’s hard to imagine they would do, and most states have already approved it, and as you know, very few states have done that.”

Trump said “this is Colorado and a couple of others at this moment.”

But Trump also said the Supreme Court is considering “immunity for the president of the United States.”

“And I’m not talking about myself,” Trump said. “I’m talking about any president has to have immunity because if you take immunity away from the president — so important — you will have a president that’s not going to be able to do anything, because when he leaves office, the opposing party president, if its the opposing party, will indict the president for doing something that should have been good.”

Trump used an example of former President Barack Obama dropping “misses and they ended up hitting a kindergarten or a school or the apartment house.”

“A lot of people were killed,” Trump said. “Well, if that’s the case, he’s going to end up being indicted when he leaves office. He meant well. The missile went in the wrong direction.” 

Trump also pointed to Biden.

“Look at Biden. What would happen to Biden? He’s killed our country with his policies,” Trump said. “The border is a disaster. Everything he does is a disaster.”

TRUMP 14TH AMENDMENT BALLOT ELIGIBILITY CHALLENGER ARRESTED ON FEDERAL TAX FRAUD CHARGES

Trump pointed to the Biden administration’s withdrawal of U.S. military and assets from Afghanistan, calling it “the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country, giving $85 billion worth of equipment, killing our soldiers, wounding horribly our soldiers, leaving people behind.”

“Well, when he leaves office, if he doesn’t have immunity now, I think it’s horrible what he did, but he probably, I don’t know, it’s hard to believe, but he probably meant well,” Trump said. “But the man is incompetent, but you have to leave immunity with the president.” 

He added: “If a president is afraid to act because they’re worried about being indicted when they leave office, a president of the United States has to have immunity, and the Supreme Court is going to be ruling on that.”

Trump said if presidents don’t have immunity, “no president is going to act.”

“You’re going to have guys that just sit in office and are afraid to do anything,” Trump said.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington D.C. is expected to issue a ruling in the case brought by Trump, who is seeking to have the charges against him stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation dismissed. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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Trump and his lawyers are arguing that he should be immune from prosecution, because he was serving as president of the United States as he pushed to investigate the results of the 2020 election.

If the Appeals Court rules against Trump, the matter will come before the U.S. Supreme Court.

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

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What’s Happening? 

– Trump sits down with Hannity on Fox News. Watch the interview

– Congress kicks the government funding battle to March

– Feds included more search terms in bank surveillance suggestion, beyond ‘Trump’ and ‘MAGA’

A Killer Decision

GOP candidate Donald Trump is reportedly considering picking Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to be his running mate in the 2024 election, praising her last month as “a killer.”

Reports surfaced Wednesday that Stefanik came up as a suggestion during a dinner Trump had at Mar-a-Lago, shortly after she went viral with her sharp interrogation of college presidents about campus antisemitism.

Trump seemed to approve of the suggestion and nodded, according to the media outlet, and added, “she’s a killer.”

Stefanik announced Wednesday that she would be joining Trump on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. 

“America will elect President Trump the next President to save America,” she wrote on social media. 

Plenty of potential veep contenders have gone through the rumor mill in recent months. And Trump told Fox last week that he already knows who his running mate will be.

White House

‘RELIANT ON CHINA’: Retired military brass issue stark warning on Biden’s EV push …Read more

‘UNFORTUNATE’: Harris hits out at those who would ‘deny fact’ America has racist past …Read more

Capitol Hill

CHALLENGE TO GOP REP: Congresswoman who helped push out McCarthy could see primary challenge from ex-chief of staff …Read more

NEW HOPE: Lawmakers cautiously optimistic about reaching deal on border security, Ukraine aid …Read more

DEMS SINK GOP AMENDMENT: Senate Dems reject Rand Paul’s amendment to freeze Palestinian aid until Hamas’ hostages released …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

TAKING OUT THE COMPETITION: Biden-aligned group hires top Dem operative to help stifle third-party challengers …Read more

DOUBLE-DIGIT DON: Trump enjoys massive lead in NH polls after first caucus victory over Haley, DeSantis …Read more

BATTLE OF BALLOTS: Bicameral GOP leaders file amicus brief supporting Trump against the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove him from 2024 ballot …Read more

Across America

MISCONDUCT HEARING: Georgia DA to face court over allegations based on relationship with top Trump prosecutor …Read more

‘INADVERTENT’ MISTAKE: Survivor winner turned Kentucky lawmaker withdraws bill that allowed sex with first cousins …Read more

DEADNAMING DEBATE: Transgender candidates in Ohio could be disqualified from ballot for failing to disclose ‘deadnames’ …Read more

‘EPITOME OF ELEGANCE’: Melania Trump gives emotional tribute to late mother at Palm Beach funeral …Read more

WORLD POWER?: Bill Gates floats ‘global government’ during discussion about regulating AI …Read more

President Biden raised eyebrows Thursday when he appeared to confuse a woman with whom he took a photo for a Democrat North Carolina congresswoman who wasn’t in attendance.

“I want to mention Congresswoman Deborah Ross, where’s Deborah?” Biden asked the audience in North Carolina during a Thursday speech.

“I just had my picture taken with her, that’s probably why she left,” Biden continued, sparking a laugh from the crowd.

“Oh, she couldn’t be here, actually,” Biden continued. “That’s not true. I got it mixed up.”

BIDEN ROCKED FOR GRAND CANYON GAFFE: ‘HE’S CLUELESS’

It is unclear who Biden took a picture with and who he got “mixed up.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Rep. Ross’s office for clarification but did not immediately receive a response. 

BIDEN REPEATS SAME STORY TWICE ALMOST ‘WORD FOR WORD’ WITHIN MINUTES, SPARKING CONCERN ONLINE: ‘ELDER ABUSE’

Conservatives on social media quickly jumped on the comment as a troubling sign of Biden’s mental sharpness.

Biden’s remark also prompted social media users to bring up a previous gaffe in which the president appeared to forget about the death of Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski when he asked where she was on stage after her death.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters 14 times that Biden wasn’t confused about whether Walorski was alive and in the room but rather he had her “top of mind” because he would meet with her family later that week.

MOST MEMORABLE POLITICAL GAFFES AND BLUNDERS OF 2023

Biden has been widely criticized by conservatives for his age since becoming president, including by those who have openly questioned his mental sharpness.

Seventy-six percent of voters agreed Biden is “too old” to serve a second term, compared to 48% who said the same about 77-year-old former President Trump, according to a poll late last year.

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Biden has consistently held several closed-door meetings with his top donors to alleviate their concerns heading into the 2024 election, including worries about his age and energy, according to a recent report.

The White House has sternly defended Biden’s mental acuity on multiple occasions, including in November when Jean-Pierre said she “would put the president’s stamina, the president’s wisdom, ability to get this done on behalf of the American people against anyone, anyone on any day of the week.”

Former President Donald Trump will sit down exclusively with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in the Granite State Thursday night, just days before New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.

The interview will air Thursday on Fox News Channel at 9 p.m. ET.

Trump, who solidified his standing as the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race after winning the Iowa caucuses Monday night, now has his sights set on New Hampshire.

Trump traveled to the Granite State this week after he dominated his GOP opponents in Iowa by winning 98 of 99 counties. He collected 20 delegates in the state. 

TRUMP DOMINATES POLLING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND BEYOND AFTER IOWA CAUCUSES VICTORY

Based on polling, Trump could see similar results after Tuesday’s primary. He leads opponents by double digits.

A daily tracking poll released Thursday morning by Suffolk University, the Boston Globe and NBC10 Boston shows Trump with 50% support among those likely to vote in the New Hampshire primary Jan. 23.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, stands at 36%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at just 6%.

TRUMP HOLDS DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY AS HALEY EDGES UP IN LATEST POLL

In that same poll, 4% of respondents said they were undecided, with 1% saying they would back a different candidate altogether.

Another poll released hours earlier from Saint Anselm College also had Trump with a 14-point lead over Haley, with DeSantis in single digits.

While Trump is ahead by double digits in most New Hampshire polls, one recent poll shows Trump and Haley neck and neck.

A poll from American Research Group Inc. released Tuesday shows Trump and Haley tied at 40% among the state’s likely Republican primary voters.

DESANTIS CAMPAIGNS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT MOST OF HIS STAFF DECAMPS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Independents can vote in the Republican primary in the state, which could be beneficial to Haley, who some have cast as a more moderate Republican option. 

Moderate voters in the Granite State are highly influential, and the state’s independents — who can vote in either major party primary — have long played a crucial role in New Hampshire’s storied presidential contest.

Nevertheless, according to the RealClearPolitics Average between Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, Trump holds a double-digit lead over Haley and DeSantis.

And beyond New Hampshire, Trump holds an even stronger lead.

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In Nevada, which holds its primary contests in early February, Trump sits at 69%, which is 58.5 points ahead of DeSantis, who has 10.5% of the vote, according to the RealClearPolitics Average from Sept. 29 through Jan. 8.

And in Haley’s home state of South Carolina, which votes Feb. 24, Trump is up 30.2 points at 52%, with Haley in second place at 21.8% and DeSantis polling at 11%, according to that RealClearPolitics Average from Oct. 18 through Jan. 3.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican House and Senate leaders filed an amicus brief in support of former President Donald Trump’s case against the Colorado Supreme Court for removing him from the state’s 2024 ballot. More than 170 lawmakers signed the brief. 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., filed the brief on Thursday, arguing the court’s decision “encroaches” on Congress’ powers and that Congress must pass authorizing legislation to enforce the 14th Amendment, which the Colorado Supreme Court cited as the basis for removing Trump. 

“The radical left consistently does what they claim their opponents are doing. While President Biden and his allies claim they are defending democracy, their supporters are working to undermine democracy by banning Biden’s likely general election opponent from appearing on the ballot,” Cruz said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The American people see through this, and I’m confident the Supreme Court will as well.”

POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP

Scalise said in a statement that the Colorado court is “setting a dangerous precedent” and “subverting the will of the American people.”

“Not only does the Colorado Supreme Court have no authority to remove President Trump from the ballot in the 2024 presidential election, but the broad and ill-defined justifications they use can easily be abused in the future to block political opponents from assuming office,” he said. 

READ REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER’S AMICUS BRIEF

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., one of the lawmakers who signed the brief, said “liberal activist judges” are weaponizing the legal system against Trump “solely because they despise him.”

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., another signer, said the Colorado Supreme Court “mis-stepped and overstepped.”

Lawmakers assert in the 29-page amicus brief that it infringes on the prerogatives of Congress members and argue the court overlooked various textual and structural limitations in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which says no one shall assume office if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. government.

TRUMP DOMINATES POLLING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND BEYOND AFTER IOWA CAUCUSES VICTORY

Additionally, they criticized the court for adopting a broad interpretation of what it means to “engage in insurrection,” which they believe could result in the widespread misuse of the 14th Amendment against political opponents.

“The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision severely intrudes on those congressional powers first by allowing enforcement of Section 3 without congressional authorization, and then by concluding that Section 3 authorizes a state to de-ballot a candidate,” the brief states. “The Fourteenth Amendment expressly gives Congress the ‘power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.’” 

“In other words, Section 3 enforcement mechanisms are left to Congress, not to a patchwork of state officials and courts,” lawmakers wrote. 

The brief states that if Congress decides to approve enforcement legislation outside of criminal contexts, it has the option to narrow down the scope by providing more specific definitions for terms like “engaging in” and “insurrection.” 

“Congress could even require a factfinding process and standards of proof that accord with the gravity of the consequence,” the brief read.

The brief contends that “in polarized times, it is easy to cast an opponent’s rhetoric about the outcome of elections as encouraging others to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power.”

“According to President Biden, a sizable portion of the Republican electorate, if not all of it, is determined to destroy democracy,” the brief read. “When partisan state officials believe so much is at stake, they may go to great lengths to interfere with the ordinary democratic process. That makes it all the more critical to minimize the partisan incentive to boot opponents off the ballot using the incredible sanction of Section 3.” 

TRUMP SAYS LEGAL WOES ARE A BIDEN, DEMOCRATIC PARTY SETUP: ‘NEW FORM OF CHEATING’

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In December, the Colorado Supreme Court disqualified Trump from appearing on the state’s ballots in 2024.

The disqualification, which was made under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, is related to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

“We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” the court’s majority wrote. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.”

In a previous ruling, Colorado District Judge Sarah B. Wallace allowed Trump to stay on the ballot, but found that Trump “engaged in insurrection” for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement that she would “continue to follow court guidance on this important issue.”

“The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump is barred from the Colorado ballot for inciting the January 6 insurrection and attempting to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election. This decision may be appealed,” Griswold wrote.

Fox News’ Bill Mears and Adam Sabes contributed to this report. 

A Washington state judge denied a push to remove former president Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential primary election ballot. 

Following a hearing that lasted less than two hours, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson denied eight registered voters who had petitioned the court to remove Trump’s name from Washington ballots. 

Judge Wilson emphasized that state law says a ballot challenge must be filed within two days of the candidate list being finalized and required her to make a decision within five days of the challenge being filed, according to a report in The Seattle Times.

“The court determines that the secretary of state acted consistent with his duties,” Wilson said from the bench. “An order directing the secretary of state to take different action, an order from this court, is simply not supported by the statutes and not supported by the affidavit of the electors.”

MAINE SUPERIOR COURT ISSUES A STAY ON STATE’S DECISION TO BAR TRUMP FROM PRIMARY BALLOT

The push to eliminate Trump from the ballots started a few miles north near Seattle in Kitsap County earlier this month. But a judge there, within 10 minutes of a court hearing, denied the request, noting that the petition should be heard in Thurston, where the state government sits. 

MAINE DEMOCRAT WHO BARRED TRUMP FROM BALLOT MET WITH BIDEN TWICE, CALLED ELECTORAL COLLEGE ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’

Wilson reportedly declined to consider a question about Trump’s place on the general election ballot, calling it premature, but noted the possibility of people, “when it is right,” potentially challenging Trump’s spot there, too.

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The Kitsap County residents who pushed for Trump’s removal, argued that his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol make him ineligible for office. 

No Labels, the centrist group that’s moving toward potentially launching a third-party unity presidential ticket, is asking the Justice Department to investigate possible criminal charges against some Democratic-leaning groups and activists who are opposed to their ballot access efforts.

The organization says that “there is a group of activists and operatives and party officials who have participated in an alleged illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors, and its potential candidates.” 

Dan Webb, a No Labels volunteer and lawyer, told reporters at a news conference on Thursday, “No Labels has filed a formal complaint with the United States Department of Justice regarding an alleged unlawful conspiracy to subvert American’s voting rights and shut down the organization’s effort to secure ballot access in the 2024 presidential election.”

“There is a group of activists and operatives and party officials who have participated in alleged illegal conspiracy to use intimidation, harassment and fear against representatives of No Labels, its donors and its potential candidates,” Webb charged.

NO LABELS REACHES OUT TO CHRIS CHRISTIE REGARDING 2024 UNITY TICKET

“We decided it was time to fight back,” he emphasized. “Their tactics are becoming increasingly brazen.”

As it works toward launching a potential presidential ticket to give Americans a third option in what may likely end up being a rematch this year between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, No Labels has been working to get on the ballot across the country.

POLLS POINTING TOWARDS ‘POLITICAL UPHEAVAL’ HELP MAKE CASE FOR NO LABELS

No Labels says they are already on the ballot in 14 states – and currently working in 13 others. The group says it intends to have access in 32 states by later this year.

“We will decide in the coming months whether to offer our ballot line to a unity presidential ticket,” No Labels executive director Margaret White said. “If we do so, that ticket’s presidential campaign will be responsible for securing access in the final 18 states plus the District of Columbia.”

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, a Democrat turned independent and co-founder of No Labels, stressed that “the American people want another choice for president this year.”

“No one in our country has a right to prevent that choice from being offered to the voters,” he added, as he pointed to the group’s complaint to the Justice Department. 

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No Labels, in their complaint to the Justice Department, wrote that “it’s one thing to oppose candidates who are running; it’s another to use intimidation tactics to prevent them from even getting in front of the voters.”

Opponents of No Labels – which includes outside Democratic groups and operatives – have repeatedly argued that if a unity ticket is launched, it would only boost Trump’s chances of retaking the White House. And No Labels opponents have publicly stated that they would put pressure on the organization and its staff as well as with donors and potential candidates.

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

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will appear for a Feb. 15 hearing regarding allegations that she had an improper relationship with her lead prosecutor.

Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee scheduled the hearing on Thursday. Willis has spearheaded the prosecution of former President Trump in his indictment on election interference charges.

Court documents filed earlier this month say Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade, her alleged romantic partner, to prosecute Trump and benefited financially from the relationship in the form of lavish vacations that the two went on using funds his firm received for working the case.

Willis has not confirmed or denied the claim, but she suggested she and Wade are being scrutinized because they are Black.

GEORGIA DA FANI WILLIS CLAIMS ‘IMPROPER’ RELATIONSHIP ACCUSATIONS ARE BASED ON RACE

GEORGIA DA FANI WILLIS SHOULD RESIGN FROM TRUMP CASE OVER ‘IMPROPER’ RELATIONSHIP ACCUSATION: EX-U.S. ATTORNEY

Willis spoke about the matter for the first time on Sunday at the Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta.

“They only attacked one,” she said. “First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.’

“But no God, isn’t it them that’s playing the race card when they only question one,” Willis asked.

Trump’s co-defendant in the Georgia case, Michael Roman, accused Willis and Wade of having an “improper” and “clandestine” affair at the same time that appointments were being made for the 2020 election interference case.

TOP TRUMP PROSECUTOR, GEORGIA DA ALLEGED TO BE IN ‘IMPROPER’ ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP: COURT FILING

Trump has called for the case against him to be dropped outright over the allegations.

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“You had a very big event yesterday as you saw in Georgia where the district attorney is totally compromised. The case has to be dropped,” Trump told reporters last week. “They went after 18 or 20 people.… She was out of her mind. Now it turns out that case is totally compromised. 

“It’s illegal. What she did is illegal. So we’ll let the state handle that, but what a sad situation it is,” he added.

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.

Former Republican Congressman Justin Amash, a Libertarian who left the Republican Party in 2019 and became an independent, has announced he is considering running for Senate in Michigan.

“I’ve been humbled in recent weeks by the many people who have urged me to run for Senate in Michigan and to do so by joining the Republican primary,” Amash, who represented Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District until 2021, posted on X on Thursday. “They see what I see: contenders for the seat who are uninspired, unserious, and unprepared to tackle the chief impediment to liberty and economic prosperity – an overgrown and abusive government that strives to centralize power and snuff out individualism.”

“The people of Michigan and our country deserve better. Today I’m launching the Justin Amash for Senate Exploratory Committee as I consider entering the race.”

Amash added that a “principled” and “consistent conservative” is needed in the Senate while touting his record of “taking on the bipartisan oligarchy, defending sound money and free speech, fighting the surveillance state and military-industrial complex, and protecting all our rights.”

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS HE WAS OFFERED $20 MILLION TO CHALLENGE REP. TLAIB INSTEAD

Amash famously left the Republican Party amid strong disagreements with President Trump. After switching to “independent,” Amash joined House Democrats in voting to impeach Trump over his communications with Ukraine.

“In recent years, though, I’ve become disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it,” Amash wrote in a Washington Post op-ed announcing his departure from Congress. “The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions.”

Trump soon responded, calling Amash’s departure “great news” for the GOP and suggesting he quit because he was likely to lose to a primary challenge for his re-election bid.

Amash filed an exploratory committee to run for president in 2020 as a Libertarian but decided against running. 

TRUMP BOASTS SIGNIFICANT LEAD IN MICHIGAN AS BIDEN FALTERS: POLL

Amash, if he decides to run, would be joining an already crowded field in the GOP primary that includes former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer, businessman Sandy Pensler, and Detroit’s former police chief, James Craig. 

The Republicans are vying for a seat that’s been held by Democrats since 2001, but that will be vacated by Stabenow, who is retiring at the end of next year.

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U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin has led a field of Democratic candidates that also includes actor Hill Harper. Slotkin had nearly $4 million more in the bank than any other Senate candidate through September, according to campaign finance numbers released in October.

A statewide poll earlier this month concluded that the Michigan Senate race is currently a “toss up.”

President Biden won Michigan by less than three points in 2020 after former President Trump won the state in 2016 by less than a point.

Fox News Digital’s Sam Dorman, Adam Shaw, and the Associated Press contributed to this report

Former first lady Melania Trump remembered her mother Amalija Knavs for her passion for fashion and family, celebrating the Slovenia native’s immigration to the United States to be with her grandson during a heartfelt eulogy at her funeral Thursday morning. 

“My mother, the epitome of elegance and grace, exemplified the essence of a true woman. Her love for her husband, Viktor, my father, Ines, my sister and me was boundless. Her nurturing spirit had no limits, creating a legacy that will last for generations. She showered her grandson, Barron, with affection, illuminating his world with love, tender care, and unwavering devotion,” Melania said at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida. “She embodied the best mother, wife, grandmother, mother-in-law, a true beacon of love and luxury in our lives.” 

“With each step she took, she embraced the privilege bestowed upon her and, in time, the privilege of becoming a US citizen. She vowed to contribute to make a difference in the world,” Melania Trump said of her mother, who died Jan. 9 at age 78 in Miami after an undisclosed illness. “Filled with uncertainty, she knew an exquisite sense of pride as my husband became the President of the United States and as I embarked on a grand odyssey, traveling the corners of the globe as the first lady. My father, my sister, Barron, Donald and I will forever remember the echoes of our laughter that we share with our beloved Babi over family dinners and travels. Her conversations flowed effortlessly, adorned with grace and charm. No topic was off limits.” 

“In her presence, the world seemed to shimmer with radiant joy. She was not just a friend, but a confidant. A ray of light in the darkest of days. In her company, I found peace knowing that she would always be there to listen. She celebrated our successes and provided unwavering support during chaotic times. Our bond was unbreakable. A testament to the power of a true love for one another. She was my dear friend. An irreplaceable treasure. A gift bestowed upon me by the universe. And for that, I am entirely grateful. Rest in peace, my beloved mommy.” 

MELANIA TRUMP ANNOUNCES PASSING OF ‘BELOVED’ MOTHER: ‘WE WILL MISS HER BEYOND MEASURE’

The former first lady also recalled how her mother taught her to cook and inspired her interest in fashion with tales of glamorous travels to Paris and neighboring European cities and spending late nights together sketching designs and patterns, ultimately creating pieces akin to “artwork.” 

“She was a creator of dreams, and I am forever grateful for the beauty she brought into my life,” Trump said, describing how her mother “balanced the demands of motherhood with grace and poise. From managing the household to pursuing her own ambition in fashion, she never ceased to amaze with her resilience and determination.” 

Fox News had been granted exclusive access to the funeral, and Melania was to be the only one giving a eulogy. 

Former President Trump had acknowledged the passing of his mother-in-law during a speech Monday night after sweeping the Iowa caucuses. 

“I think most importantly, I want to thank my incredible wife, first lady, I’ll say former and maybe future, but more important than Melania, I want to thank her incredible, beautiful mother who passed away a few days ago. And she’s up there, way up there. She’s looking down, and she’s so proud of us,” Trump said. “And I just want to say to Amalija, you are special, one of the most special people I’ve ever known. And that was a tough period of time for the family. But she – she’s amazing. She was amazing.”

“So I just want to thank what she’s done for our family and her husband, who’s home right now and very lonely. He’s a lonely man, but he’s going to be okay, Viktor. They’re great people, great, great parents to all of us, really great parents, but also to Barron. Boy, did she take care of Barron. That’s how he got so tall. He only ate her food,” Trump said. “And I want to thank my family. Generally, they’ve worked so hard and they’ve taken so much abuse for being good people.” 

Donald and Melania Trump were married at the same Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in 2005, and the former president sometimes attends services with the congregation. 

MELANIA TRUMP SPENDS CHRISTMAS WITH AILING MOTHER, MISSING MAR-A-LAGO CELEBRATION

During the Trump presidency, the first lady’s mother lived in New York along with Melania’s father, Viktor Knavs, and occasionally appeared at the White House. Amalija Knavs was at a 2018 ceremony where the first lady debuted her “Be Best” public awareness campaign to help children.

The Knavses raised Melania, born Melanija, and her older sister, Ines, in the rural industrial town of Sevnica while Slovenia was under Communist rule as part of Yugoslavia. Amalija Knavs was a textile worker and homemaker, while her husband worked as a chauffeur before becoming a car dealer.

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The former first lady, 53, attended high school in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, and changed her name to Melania Knauss when she started modeling. She settled in New York in 1996 and met Trump in 1998. She sponsored her parents’ immigration to the United States, and they became citizens at a New York City courthouse in 2018, while Trump was president.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.