Author: Daniel

Elon Musk amplified a post from Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, weighing in as transgender bathroom policies again take center stage in the state’s off-year election.

Musk alleged Spanberger “tr[ied] to weasel out” of a question from ABC Washington reporter Nick Minock about whether the former congresswoman supports biological males using women’s locker rooms as the Department of Education scrutinizes five major school districts.

“Spanberger obviously does shamefully support boys in girl’s sports and is trying to weasel out of the question by blaming the president,” Musk said, retweeting Spanberger’s response to Minock – who encountered her after she visited an early-voting poll.

Minock mentioned the Trump administration is investigating potential Title IX violations in allowing students to use their desired restroom or changing facility, for which Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William County schools under scrutiny. 

VIRGINIA LEADERS REBUKE RACIST SIGN TARGETING GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE WINSOME EARLE-SEARS: ‘REPULSIVE’

Spanberger replied that court cases brought on the matter of transgender students’ restroom use have already played out, including the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who challenged the local school’s bathroom policy in Grim v. Gloucester County School Board, arguing it violated equal protection and Title IX.

In that case, the Richmond-based Fourth Circuit upheld a lower court’s judgment against the school district and ruled its biologically-based restroom policy led to discrimination against Grimm.

“In fact, the argument is the assessment is there needs to be much clearer guidance in terms of what is an executive order’s binding assessment of Title IX versus what has been a decision of a court,” Spanberger said.

“But ultimately, the real impact here is, once again, it is the Trump administration taking dollars away from Virginia. Threatening education dollars to our public schools is an attack on Virginia’s kids. It’s an attack on our economy. It’s an attack on Virginians.”

POTENTIAL YOUNGKIN SUCCESSOR FOCUSED ON MESSAGE IN TOUGH RACE TO KEEP SWING STATE RED

Spanberger said her priority is making Virginia schools the best in the country and painted President Donald Trump as an official who is “coming after Virginia.”

When Minock asked again whether Spanberger specifically supported such policies, she did not respond.

However, in comments to Fox News Digital, a Spanberger spokesperson rebuffed Musk, saying the Democratic nominee is a mother of three Virginia public schoolchildren and a former federal law enforcement officer who investigated child predators.

“Nothing is more important to her than the safety of all of Virginia’s kids,” the spokesperson said.

“Ultimately, Abigail believes that these are decisions between parents and local schools — and she believes that politicians need to stop politicizing Virginia’s public schools.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears – the Republican nominee for governor – for comment.

In 2021, the issue of transgender bathroom policy in schools loomed large in the gubernatorial election. Current Gov. Glenn Youngkin was credited with pulling off an upset win against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe by making the overarching issue of “parental rights” front-and-center in the campaign.

Many of the individual cases affected schools in heavily-Democratic areas like Loudoun County, where McAuliffe still won, but Youngkin mildly increased expected margins. A case in Loudoun involving a transgender student allegedly assaulting another student also made headlines during the campaign.

At present-day, the issue – as well as Washington, D.C.-metro school systems like those mentioned are again front-and-center.

Earle-Sears has called for requiring students to use the restroom assigned to their biological sex as “common sense,” and recently appeared alongside demonstrators outside a Loudoun school board meeting in Ashburn earlier this month.

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Appearing at an Arlington school board meeting, where a protester held up a sign telling Earle-Sears – who is Black – she should not share her water fountain if people can’t share bathrooms, the Republican said the continuing trend is “dangerous, insane and has to stop.”

“Here’s the truth. There are two sexes: boys and girls.”

Musk’s former DOGE counterpart, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, headlined a rally on Friday to endorse Earle-Sears, lieutenant governor candidate John Reid and Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Reid, who approached and embraced Spanberger at her recent appearance in Henrico, highlighted Musk’s comments and said both sides of the aisle “can and should be polite to each other – but also must clearly highlight the differences between the candidates…”

“Abigail Spanberger is dodging the trans in the girls locker room issues because she’s smart enough to know it’s a big loser for her,” Reid said.

“No boys in girls’ sports. No boys in girls’ locker rooms and vice versa. No medical engagement with minors without parental consultation and consent. No underage surgical or hormonal procedures on anyone,” Reid said.

“We should do our best to let adults make their own decisions as long as they fully own the costs and consequences.”

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani announced on Monday that he is withdrawing from an upcoming WABC town hall to protest Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension. 

The town hall, hosted by ABC News’ New York affiliate, was scheduled for Thursday, one week after a Disney spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely.”

“It is not the government’s job to bully talk show hosts off of the air,” Mamdani told reporters on New York City’s Roosevelt Island on Monday. “It is not the government’s job to tell us what we can and cannot talk about.”

The White House fired back against Mamdani’s “authoritarian” accusations on Monday. “It’s not surprising that the Little Communist is too scared to defend his absurd policy positions on live TV,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP REVEALS NEW NICKNAME FOR MAMDANI WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION DAY

The socialist candidate, who could become New York City’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor if elected this November, joins a chorus of late-night talk show hosts, celebrities and lawmakers who have criticized Kimmel’s indefinite suspension. 

ZOHRAN MAMDANI LAUNCHES ANTI-TRUMP TOUR ACROSS FIVE BOROUGHS IN NEW YORK CITY

“We cannot understand this moment of authoritarianism as solely coming from the White House, when it is also characterized by the cowardice of those in response to it,” Mamdani said Monday. 

Mamdani delivered his remarks at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms State Park on Roosevelt Island, where he invoked the former president’s 1941 State of the Union address, when the United States was on the brink of joining World War II. 

“A moment similar to now, when tyranny was spreading across the globe,” Mamdani said. “And he articulated a thesis of democracy built around four freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear. And all of our freedoms are currently under attack from this federal administration.”

Mamdani said Trump’s “authoritarian” administration has “showcased, once again, an attack on the First Amendment.”

“ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air after the FCC sought to pressure them. And the parent companies, Nexstar and Sinclair, put the decision of their merger, the factors that they are considering as part of that, in front of those very freedoms and that very First Amendment right,” Mamdani said.

The 33-year-old mayoral hopeful said his withdrawal from the WABC town hall is not an “indictment of the local affiliate or the hard-working journalists there, but rather, in response to the corporate leaders who have put their bottom line ahead of their responsibility in upholding the freedom of the press.”

In the next several weeks ahead of the November election, Mamdani vowed to participate in another town hall featuring questions from the public. 

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“We are living in a moment where Donald Trump’s actions are the ones which determine whether or not we can enjoy that which we have taken for granted for so many years,” Mamdani said. 

ABC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

The Supreme Court on Monday backed President Donald Trump’s decision to fire a commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, sending yet another signal that the high court intends to revisit a 90-year-old court precedent about executive firing power.

The temporary decision to maintain Biden-appointed Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter’s termination was issued 6-3 along ideological lines. The Supreme Court set oral arguments in the case for December.

Trump’s decision to fire Slaughter and another Democrat-appointed commissioner, Alvaro Bedoya, faced legal challenges because it stood in tension with the FTC Act, which says commissioners should only be fired from their seven-year tenures for cause, such as malfeasance.

FTC FIRINGS TAKE SPOTLIGHT IN TRUMP’S FIGHT TO ERASE INDEPENDENCE OF AGENCIES

Trump fired Slaughter and Bedoya shortly after he took office without citing a cause other than the president’s broad constitutional authority over the executive branch. Bedoya resigned, but Slaughter vowed to fight her firing in court and see the case through to its conclusion.

A lower court initially sided with Slaughter and reinstated her, but she has since been fired and rehired several times as her case made its way to the Supreme Court. Monday’s decision came after the Trump administration asked the high court on an emergency basis to temporarily pause Slaughter’s reinstatement while it considers the merits of the case.

The Supreme Court’s decision to keep Slaughter’s firing intact means she will remain sidelined from the FTC until after the high court hears arguments about the case in December.

The case raises a pivotal question of whether Trump has the ability to fire members of independent agencies as the president pushes for a more unified executive branch. Independent agencies, such as the FTC, various labor boards and the Securities and Exchange Commission, have long been insulated by law from at-will firings.

TRUMP ADMIN URGES SUPREME COURT TO ALLOW PRESIDENT TO FIRE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION MEMBER

Slaughter had argued to the Supreme Court that siding with Trump, even on an interim basis, directly flew in the face of the precedent set in Humphrey’s Executor vs. the United States, which deemed President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s firing of an FTC commissioner unlawful.

Legal experts have speculated that the current conservative-leaning Supreme Court is interested in narrowing or reversing Humphrey’s Executor, which could carry broader implications about a president’s ability to fire members of certain independent agencies.

The three liberal justices dissented and would have denied Trump’s stay request. Writing for the dissent, Justice Elena Kagan speculated that the court’s majority may be “raring” to reverse Humphrey’s Executor. She said, though, that it should not make decisions on the shadow docket that contravene that precedent and instead wait until such a reversal happens.

SUPREME COURT SAYS TRUMP CAN PROCEED WITH FIRING DEMOCRAT-APPOINTED CPSC MEMBERS

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“Our emergency docket should never be used, as it has been this year, to permit what our own precedent bars,” Kagan wrote. “Still more, it should not be used, as it also has been, to transfer government authority from Congress to the President, and thus to reshape the Nation’s separation of powers.”

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Slaughter for comment.

NEW YORK, NY – New U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz warned Monday the U.S. and its allies will defend “every inch” of NATO territory after Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace.

“The United States stands by our NATO allies in the face of these airspace violations, and I want to take this first opportunity to repeat and to emphasize the United States and our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory,” Waltz said during opening remarks of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week. “Russia must urgently stop dangerous behavior.”

The warning marked one of Waltz’s first public statements since winning Senate confirmation Friday. It came days after three Russian MiG-31 jets flew deep into Estonian airspace — the closest such incursion to the Baltic nation’s Parliament building in years — raising fears Moscow is testing NATO’s resolve.

Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna revealed Monday morning that the jets were armed. The jets were in Estonian airspace for 12 minutes.

RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM TALK TO ACTION, TARGETING NATO HOMELAND AMID FEARS OF GLOBAL WAR

Tsahkna noted that Russia remains a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council even as it continues its war on Ukraine and now pushes into NATO territory.

Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that an armed attack against one or more NATO members in Europe or North America is considered an attack against them all. In practice, this means that if any member nation is attacked, the others are committed to take action.

Waltz, a former House member from Florida, served as President Donald Trump’s national security advisor until May. His confirmation to the U.N. was held up in the Senate until last week, when a 47-43 vote confirmed him as U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. Security Council.

A separate vote to confirm him as U.S. representative to the General Assembly did not come up — it’s unclear whether that will have any effect on his participation at UNGA. 

The Estonia incursion followed an incident where at least 19 Russian drones entered Poland’s airspace just one week after Polish President Karol Nawrocki met with President Donald Trump at the White House. Last week, Romania reported a Shahed drone of Russian origin was found in its territory. 

Russia called reports of the incursions “groundless accusations.” 

“There is no proof except the Russophobic hysteria coming from Tallinn,” said Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N., referring to Estonia’s capital. 

RUSSIAN JETS VIOLATE ESTONIAN AIRSPACE, FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS

“There was a time when Europe was associated with the renaissance, enlightenment cutting edge of philosophy, culture and science. Yet today unfortunately all of that is gone and it’s gone for good,” the representative went on.

Polyansky claimed the “only ideology” of European states is “primitive hatred” for Russia. 

“Any events are immediately interpreted through an anti-Russian prism,” he said. “The idea that war with Russia is unavoidable is being frantically pounded into the heads of the European populace.”

On Monday, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on the jet incursions into Estonia at Tallinn’s request. 

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“Russia’s reckless actions represent not only a breach of international law, but also a destabilizing escalation that brings the entire region closer to conflict than at any time in recent years,” Tsahkna said. 

“Such a provocation is profoundly disrespectful towards the collective and tireless efforts of the international community to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and to restore peace and stability in accordance with international law.”

North Carolina Republican leaders plan to put forward a criminal justice reform package to roll back what they call “soft-on-crime” policies, which they argue led to last month’s murder of a young Ukrainian woman in Charlotte by a mentally disturbed man.

The unprovoked stabbing of Iryna Zarutska led North Carolina Senate President Phil Berger to spearhead the effort, announced Monday.

“Iryna should still be alive. She should be thriving and enjoying time with her family and friends,” said Berger, R-Reidsville.

“We cannot let North Carolina be held hostage by woke, weak-on-crime policies and court officials who prioritize criminals over justice for victims. We are also taking steps to revive the death penalty for those who commit the most heinous crimes.”

PAM BONDI SAYS DEATH PENALTY A POSSIBILITY FOR IRYNA ZARUTSKA KILLER

The package, dubbed “Iryna’s Law,” cracks down on lax provisions in pretrial release or bail policies – as alleged suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. had a lengthy, violent rap sheet.

House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Lenoir, added in a statement that residents deserve to live without fear of criminals being “cycled in and out” of the criminal justice system.

Hall said Iryna’s Law would eliminate cashless bail, “hold magistrates accountable” for lapses in judgment and set new standards for mental health evaluations to be administered to suspects.

WHO IS IRYNA ZARUTSKA, UKRAINIAN REFUGEE KILLED IN CHARLOTTE TRAIN ATTACK?

“We will simply not tolerate policies that allow violent offenders back onto our streets to commit more crimes and jeopardize public safety,” Hall said.

While curbing some of the judges’ discretion, the package in turn allows jurists to impose GPS monitoring and conditional bond for a “new category” of violent offenses.

Electronic monitoring and house arrest are heavily weighted as options for certain recidivist offenders.

Death penalty appeals would also be required to be adjudicated within two years of filing rather than allowing them to fester in the judicial system.

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Magistrates and judges who violate the policies in Iryna’s Law could face suspension or removal if recommended by a chief judge or by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, a Republican from Asheboro who won the most recent nonpartisan election.

Fox News Digital reached out to North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein for comment on the legislation but did not hear back by press time. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to the New York Magazine cover story today, which claims that Corey Lewandowski, rather than Secretary Kristi Noem, is the one calling the shots at the agency. 

DHS punched back at New York Magazine’s reporting in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, saying that the story is simply “peddling anonymous gossip.”

“This NYMag hit piece reads like a preteen rage-scrolling, then prompting ChatGPT for a screed on misogyny,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “It’s not just lazy — it’s libelous — peddling anonymous gossip as fact while ignoring our exhaustive, on-the-record rebuttals that destroy their narrative.”

“New York Magazine has sunk to new depths of journalistic cowardice, force-feeding the American public lies less digestible than Kibble dog food,” McLaughlin added.

GAVIN NEWSOM FACES BACKLASH FOR ‘RECKLESS’ POST ABOUT KRISTI NOEM AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION

Lewandowski served as President Donald Trump’s first campaign manager during the Republican primary in 2016. He also served as a senior adviser for Trump’s 2024 campaign. He now holds the title of senior adviser at DHS.

“All decisions are made by Secretary Noem,” McLaughlin told Fox. “Multiple staff have the ability to provide recommendations and input for her consideration. Mr. Lewandowski serves as an advisor.”

“The Secretary, like all previous Secretaries, has various senior advisors,” McLaughlin continued. 

Noem, who was selected by Trump in November 2024, served as Governor of South Dakota prior to her tenure at DHS, and was rumored to be a potential Vice Presidential candidate along the campaign trail in Trump’s third run for president.

ICE HAS DEPORTED NEARLY 200,000 SO FAR DURING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM, SETTING PACE FOR HIGHEST LEVEL IN DECADE

Sources at DHS told Fox that Secretary Noem receives regular death threats, including from the terrorist organizations, cartels and criminal rings that DHS targets, presumably as a result of Noem and the Trump administration drastically reducing traffic across the southern border and deporting illegal migrants across the country. 

Despite the threats against Noem, NY Magazine published that the secretary is living in the U.S. Coast Guard military housing in Washington D.C., which DHS told Fox is due to the security threats she regularly faces. 

NY Magazine’s cover story later goes on to describe the Department of Homeland Security’s increase in deportations as one of the roots of “Trump’s police state,” saying that DHS is “endangering the constitutional rights of citizens and noncitizens alike.” 

McLaughlin punched back at those claims, telling Fox News Digital that Noem has specifically targeted dangerous illegal migrant criminals while also being responsible for overseeing the U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

DHS SECRETARY NOEM SAYS KIRK’S LAST TEXT TO HER WARNED ABOUT THREAT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN BIG CITIES

“[Secretary Noem] slashed taxpayer waste by over $12 billion in her first 200 days while locking down the border in the wake of Biden’s chaos, facilitating the exit of 2 million illegal aliens (including terrorists, murderers, rapists, child pedophiles and gang members), revolutionizing the Coast Guard and overhauling TSA for safer, smoother, more hardened security,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.

“That’s leadership, not gossip — America’s safer and stronger because of Kristi Noem,” McLaughlin added. 

Last month, McLaughlin told Fox that the agency has arrested more than 359,000 illegal migrants and removed more than 332,000 illegal migrants from the U.S.

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Lauren Starke, a spokesperson for NY Magazine, told Fox News Digital that their cover story was “carefully reported and fact-checked” in response to DHS’ comments to Fox.

“Our Washington correspondent spoke with more than a dozen current and former DHS staffers, as well as Trump administration officials, lobbyists, consultants, immigration experts, and former colleagues of Noem in South Dakota,” Starke told Fox. “There is a public interest in government accountability, and we stand by this story.”

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Trump’s newest Fed governor Miran vows to be ‘as independent as I can’

-NYC mayor hopeful boycotts ABC affiliate town hall over Jimmy Kimmel suspension

–Conservative PAC turns tables on liberal narrative against exposing teachers who smear Kirk: ‘Ridiculous’

Tony Hawk, Taiwan and a flashlight: Trump assassination attempt suspect’s bizarre defense

Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last year, said he would not take the stand in his own criminal case on Monday — the strongest sign yet that the defense is preparing to rest its case and kick the trial into its final phase before jury deliberation.

Routh, 59, has been representing himself in the federal criminal trial. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and possession of a firearm, among other crimes. If convicted, he could face life in prison. 

He previously floated the possibility that he could testify on his own behalf — a risky strategy that would have waived his Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination, and opened him up to cross-examination by federal prosecutors…READ MORE.
 

White House

FACULTY IN THE FIRE: Education chief urges colleges to punish faculty who cheered Charlie Kirk’s death

SCIENCE ON TRIAL: Trump to reveal medical finding he calls an ‘answer to autism’ in major announcement

UNSTOPPABLE LOVE: Erika Kirk forgives husband’s killer at memorial service: ‘It’s what Charlie would do’

World Stage

PARIS AND PALESTINE: Macron pushes Gaza initiative as UNGA opens, raising questions about his motives and rivalry with Trump

NEW DEAL NEEDED: Trump must tell UN: US funding depends on reform, ex-diplomat says

Capitol Hill

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Thune slams Democrats’ ‘cold-blooded partisan’ tactics as funding deadline nears

RHETORIC REVEALED: Dem Senate hopeful calls for civility, despite past warning of ‘radicalized White men’

Across America 

ELON CHIMES IN: Elon Musk wades into Virginia transgender bathroom clash, says Dem gov candidate wrongly ‘blaming’ Trump

FACE-OFF: Newsom on courtroom collision course with Trump over ICE mask ban

CULTURE CLASH: From Kirk to Kimmel: Fiery NJ debate spotlights political violence and free speech

LIFE ON THE LINE: Luigi Mangione moves to dismiss death penalty, federal case citing Bondi comments

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

The House of Representatives censured the late Roderick Butler, R-Tenn., in 1870 for taking a bribe for a military academy appointment. 

The House also censured late Rep. Thomas Blanton, D-Texas, in 1921 for inserting a document into the Congressional Record which contained obscene language.

And late Rep. Gerry Studds, D-Mass., faced censure in 1983 for having sex with a 17-year-old page. 

Those are three of the 28 Members ever censured by the House.

4 HOUSE REPUBLICANS VOTE WITH DEMS TO BLOCK RESOLUTION CENSURING ILHAN OMAR FOR CHARLIE KIRK COMMENTS

 Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., did not become the 29th Member slapped with censure recently.

That’s probably because Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., was one of four Republicans who joined Democrats to block a censure of Omar. And in so doing, Mills may very well have prevented himself from becoming the 30th House Member to be censured.

Censure is the second-highest form of discipline in the House. It falls between a reprimand and expulsion. Censure is more than a regular foul in a soccer game. Kind of like a yellow card, which serves as a caution. But it’s not a red card, either, which triggers ejection.

That said, censure has become a “thing” in recent years on Capitol Hill. If the House were to ever consider censuring any Member, such an inquest would go behind closed doors with the Ethics Committee. An inquiry may take months.

No more. “Snap” censures are now fashionable in the House of Representatives.

Here’s how it works:

Someone thinks someone says a colleague says something outrageous. So they just prep a censure measure, go over the head of the Congressional leadership by making their resolution privileged (meaning the House must consider it within two days) and, if the House votes in favor of your gambit, that Member is censured.

Done.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., crafted a resolution to censure Omar and strip the Minnesota Democrat from her committee assignments. Mace accused Omar of using inflammatory rhetoric in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

During an appearance on the news outlet Zeteo, Omar claimed “there is nothing more effed up, than to completely pretend that his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.” Mace’s resolution quoted from a profane social media video not produced by Omar — but reposted by her — which fired invective at Kirk.

Mace’s maneuver came as leaders from both sides tried to urge calm at the Capitol amid the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

‘SQUAD’ MEMBER, NANCY MACE CLASH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘YOU BELONG IN REHAB’

“Every leader has an obligation to lower the temperature right now,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. “I disagree with the retweet of one of our one of our colleagues.”

Aguilar said that Mace’s resolution to sanction Omar was not “helpful.”

“Every member of Congress, and certainly the President of the United States, have a responsibility to take the temperature down,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “Nancy Mace wants to lecture Ilhan Omar and Democrats about civility? Are you kidding me? It’s not a serious effort. It’s an effort to drive donors into her gubernatorial campaign.”

For his part, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., didn’t try to sidetrack Mace. He declared that “Members have a prerogative to file privileged motions.” 

“What she did was outrageous and dangerous. And there has to be accountability in the House for these kinds of activities,” said Johnson. “I don’t understand why she uses that kind of language.”

Mace and Omar wound up tangling over the censure resolution on X. 

“One-way ticket to Somalia with your name on it, Ilhan Omar,” posted Mace.

“I am going soon, so please drop off the tickets on your way to your office. I am next door,” retorted Omar. 

The Minnesota Democrat added that Mace was either not “well or smart.” She added “you belong in rehab, not Congress.”

Democrats defended Omar.

“When we are all trying to take the political temperature down, when we are all trying to work to be able to approach our differences with humanity and stand out against political violence, this is the wrong move,” said House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass.

But lawmakers from both sides are growing weary of the censure trap.

“Every time a Republican in this House is offended, they pile on censure resolution,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. “I’m not here to be fighting over whatever people’s schoolyard thing is for the day.” 

“It’s escalation,” said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., of Mace’s maneuver. “You’ve got to remember, we’re going to be in the minority someday. We’ll be on the receiving end of this.”

Bacon added that Congress is now “better at shaming people versus legislating.”

Ultimately, the House never took a direct vote on sanctioning Omar. Democrats instead moved to “table” or kill the resolution. That blocked an actual up/down vote on disciplining Omar. The House then voted 214-213 in favor of tabling Mace’s measure. All 210 Democrats who cast ballots voted to table. But four Republicans joined Democrats: Reps. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., Tom McClintock, R-Calif., and Mills.

A ballot by Mills against tabling would have reversed the final tally to 214-213. That means the House would have proceeded immediately to the actual vote to censure Omar. But Mills’ vote with the Democrats froze Mace’s effort.

ILHAN OMAR TANGLES WITH CNN HOST IN FIERY INTERVIEW, RIPS ‘HATEFUL’ CHARLIE KIRK

It’s unclear if Mills based his decision on self-preservation. But had the House censured Omar, it would have undoubtedly triggered a resolution by Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, to sanction Mills.

Casar’s resolution accused Mills of assault – which Casar denies. It also alleged that Mills improperly received the Bronze Star when he served in the Army. But once the House diffused the Omar measure, Casar withdrew his plan for Mills.

Flood explained his vote to table.

“I’m going to vote in ways that support the Ethics Committee,” said Flood. “If we were to pursue a censure action against this Representative, that should be referred to the Ethics Committee. It should be investigated. There should be due process. There should be a back and forth before you issue a censure.”

Mace excoriated her Republican colleagues who voted to table.

“They didn’t stand with Charlie Kirk. They didn’t stand with the millions of Americans mourning his death. They stood with the one who mocked his legacy. They showed us exactly who they are. And we won’t forget,” said Mace in a statement.

But censure is now en vogue.

The House censured no members between Studds in 1983 and late Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. in 2010. But five Members have felt the weight of censure since 2021.

The House voted to censure Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., for posting a cartoon video depicting him killing Ocasio-Cortez.

Republicans then began returning the favor.

The House voted to censure former Rep. and now Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., for how he handled the Russiagate investigation. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., faced censure for her comments after Hamas attacked Israel. The House censured former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., for pulling a false fire alarm. And the House voted earlier this year to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for heckling President Trump during his State of the Union speech. 

Members have embraced censure lately. Those censured have characterized it as a “badge of honor.” They’ve fundraised off censure. Their colleagues have even engineered a pep rally in the well of the chamber to drown out the House Speaker when he issues the censure.

This probably won’t be the House’s last dalliance into the realm of censure.

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“It just seems like every week or so we want to censure somebody for something,” lamented Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Tex., who is no fan of Omar. “A lot of people say a lot of stupid stuff around here.” 

This is Congress. So you can bet that someone will say some “stupid stuff” soon. And unless lawmakers can restore some calm, there will be another effort to censure someone else any day now.

The Department of Homeland Security is criticizing Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for failing to assist in responding to a chaotic anti-ICE riot in a Chicago suburb that forced federal authorities to deploy tear gas and other non-lethal measures.

In a Monday statement, the department claimed that police “under JB Pritzker’s sanctuary jurisdiction refused to answer multiple calls for assistance.”

Fox News Digital reported last Friday that federal officials clashed with a group of protesters who were blocking ICE vehicles from entering and exiting a processing facility in Broadview, Illinois.

DHS labeled the protesters “rioters” and said that so far, federal law enforcement has arrested 16 rioters. The agency said that the “rioters and sanctuary politicians obstructed law enforcement, threw tear gas cans, rocks, bottles, and fireworks, slashed tires of cars, blocked the entrance of the building, and trespassed on private property.” DHS said that rioters also assaulted law enforcement officials.

Matt Hill, a spokesperson for Pritzker, responded by telling Fox News Digital that “it’s completely false to suggest the state or local municipalities have been obstructing federal officials.” 

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE THROWN TO GROUND DURING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE PROTEST

“The state has not received multiple calls for assistance from the federal government and would remind them of the importance of coordinating with local law enforcement to protect public safety,” said Hill. He added, “Governor Pritzker has been clear that violence is unacceptable and everyone needs to follow the law, which includes federal agents respecting constitutional rights to peaceful protest.”

“The media needs to use extreme caution before reporting what the Trump administration is saying given their record of lies, lack of transparency, and failure to coordinate with the state and local law enforcement,” said Hill. 

The DHS statement said the protest disrupted an operation targeting “some of the worst of the worst—including criminals convicted of drug trafficking, domestic abuse, drinking and driving, and assault,” who were being processed at the facility.

The agency highlighted some of the criminal illegals who were being processed when the protest broke out.

Among those was Andres Ventura-Uvaldo, a criminal illegal and Mexican national, who the agency said was previously arrested for felony DUI and domestic violence.

Another, Alberto Algeria Barron, also a Mexican national, was previously removed from the U.S. in 2014 and was convicted for domestic battery twice, according to DHS.

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Erwin Jose Roa-Mustafa, an illegal alien from the Dominican Republic, was also being processed at the facility after pleading guilty on federal charges of conspiracy and intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

DHS said that ICE was also processing another alleged drug trafficker, Ibis Alberto Testa Nunez, from Mexico, who was previously arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration for cocaine possession and possession with intent to distribute.

Two others, Salvador Alcantar-Alcantar, from Mexico, was previously arrested for DUI, trespassing and assault, and Carlos Eduardo Chavez-Cardenas, from Bolivia, was previously convicted for DUI and possession of drugs, according to DHS. 

“These heinous criminals, including domestic abusers, drug traffickers, violent offenders, and drunk drivers are some of the illegal aliens being held in the ICE Broadview Processing Center,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

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“These rioters in Illinois are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Illinois streets,” said McLaughlin. “Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers who every single day wake up and make our communities safer.”

This comes as DHS says that ICE officials are facing a more than 1,000 percent increase in assaults as they conduct operations across Illinois. 

FIRST ON FOX: Two of the top Republicans in the solid red state of Ohio are endorsing each other, representing a move toward unity in the state where Republicans are hoping to win next November without President Trump on the ticket. 

“I’m proud to back Jon Husted for U.S. Senate,” Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said in a press release alongside an event with Ohio Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Columbus on Monday night. 

“Jon represents Ohio values, and he is a common-sense leader who I’ve known for years. He’s a fighter for our families and our freedoms, and he’ll carry Ohio’s voice to Washington without compromise.”

Husted reciprocated the sentiment by issuing his own endorsement of Ramaswamy’s campaign for the governorship in Ohio. 

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“Vivek has articulated bold ideas for our state, and I believe his vision for excellence aligns closely with the priorities Ohioans expect and deserve,” Husted said. “I’m proud to endorse my friend Vivek Ramaswamy to be the next Governor of Ohio.”

The press release touted Husted’s “reputation as Ohio’s common-sense public servant who streamlines government and expands opportunity” along with Ramaswamy’s “perspective of a successful entrepreneur who champions innovation and free markets.”

The two candidates together, the press release stated, represent a pairing that is “uniting Ohio around a strong mission for the state on the national stage.”

Husted, appointed to the U.S. Senate by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to replace Vice President JD Vance, is running for re-election against former Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republicans across the country have circled the wagons in support of the freshman senator.

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 “After 50 years of living off the tax payer, losing an election by a wide margin with $300 million in out of state money, abandoning working Ohioans to be Chuck Schumer’s lap dog, and sucking up to coastal elites, it’s time for @SherrodBrown to just go away,” Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who defeated Brown last year despite entering the race as an underdog in the polls, said on X after Brown entered the race.

“Ohio is lucky to have @SenJonHusted in the Senate!,” Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan posted on X after Brown jumped in the race.

Husted, who has previously served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor and secretary of state, has Trump’s endorsement as he runs next year to fill the final two years of Vance’s six-year term.

Ramaswamy, a billionaire entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical sector, catapulted onto the political scene when he ran for president in 2024 before dropping out and endorsing Trump but continuing a push for the “America First” agenda as a surrogate. Ramaswamy had also stated an interest in being appointed to the Senate to replace Vance before Husted was appointed. 

“One of my core areas of focus that I think is really resonating, is elevating the standards of educational achievement in our state,” Ramaswamy said earlier this year about his gubernatorial campaign.

“The No. 1 issue that I see resonating across the board, in a non-partisan manner, is the recognition that we are in the middle of this educational achievement crisis.”

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Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton is currently the leading Democrat in the governor’s race in Ohio, a state Trump carried by 11 points in 2024. 

Ramaswamy and Husted endorsing each other represents a united Republican front between Husted, elevated to the Senate by DeWine, a longtime political stalwart viewed as an establishment figure, and Ramaswamy, who has taken up the mantle of the Republican “MAGA” base in Ohio.

RNC surrogate and Ohio attorney Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital that “this kind of unity is rare” in “today’s political climate” and sends a “powerful message” that the Republican Party is a “big tent.”

“We don’t all have to look the same, speak the same, or even come from the same lane to believe in what’s best for Ohio,” Cooke said. 

“Endorsements are more than just words on a press release—they are a testament to a shared belief that Ohio can and must lead. From excellence in our schools, to economic growth that empowers families, to building safe and strong communities rooted in opportunity, Vivek and Jon are showing that when leaders come together, Ohioans win.”