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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday accused the United States and Israel of committing a “grave betrayal of diplomacy” by carrying out airstrikes on Iranian cities, telling world leaders at the United Nations that the attacks violated international law and undermined peace efforts.

Speaking in his first address to the U.N. General Assembly, Pezeshkian said the U.S. strikes in June on Iran’s nuclear facilities came as Iran was engaged in diplomatic negotiations, and he warned that such actions threatened to erode the foundations of global stability.

“The aerial assault… constituted a grave betrayal of diplomacy and a subversion of efforts toward the establishment of stability and peace,” the president said. 

“This brazen aggression, in addition to murdering citizens, women, scientists and intellectual elites of my country, inflicted a grievous blow upon the prospect of peace in the region.”

IRAN DOUBLES DOWN ON REFUSAL TO END NUCLEAR PROGRAM, READY FOR WAR WITH ISRAEL

In June, seven U.S. B-2 bombers dropped 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs on Iran’s nuclear sites. The U.S. declared the mission a success, and former President Donald Trump said Iran’s nuclear program was “totally obliterated.”

Pezeshkian, however, claimed Iran never had intentions to develop a nuclear weapon and only enriched uranium for civil nuclear purposes. 

“We do not seek the weapons. This is our belief based on the edict issued by the Supreme Leader and by religious authorities,” the Iranian president said. 

“We never sought weapons of mass destruction, nor will we ever seek them.”

He accused Washington and its allies of a double standard, pointing to U.S. support for Israel in Gaza and other regional conflicts, while casting Iran as the victim of aggression that has killed civilians, scientists and journalists.

TRUMP’S IRAN ULTIMATUM STARTED A 60-DAY CLOCK TICKING FOR DECISIVE JUNE STRIKES, BOMBER COMMANDER REVEALS

Pezeshkian tied the strikes against Iran to what he described as a broader pattern of Western-backed aggression across the Middle East, citing Israel’s offensive in Gaza as “genocide” and denouncing the “Greater Israel” project as a delusional scheme destabilizing the entire region. He accused the U.S. of enabling Israel’s actions in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, and urged Muslim states to unite in collective defense.

“The world in these two years has witnessed a genocide in Gaza, the destruction of homes in Lebanon, the devastation of Syria’s infrastructure, the assault against the people of Yemen, and the assassination of Iran’s scientists,” Pezeshkian said. 

“All of this under the full support of the most heavily armed regime on the face of the earth, under the pretext of self-defense. Would you countenance such things for yourselves?”

The Iranian leader portrayed his country as resilient in the face of pressure, insisting that military and economic coercion has backfired.

“The patriotic and valiant people of Iran laid bare before the aggressors the fallacy and self-destruction of their arrogant calculations,” he said. “The enemies of Iran unwittingly fortified the sacred national unity. The people of Iran, despite the most severe, protracted and crushing economic sanctions… rise in unison in support of their valiant armed forces.”

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Pezeshkian’s remarks also underscored the depth of Iran’s hostility toward Israel. 

He declared that those responsible for targeting children in Gaza “are not worthy of the name human being” and said such crimes prove Israel “shall never prove to be trustworthy partners.” 

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security is firing back at mainstream media claims that federal officers are gravely mistreating illegal immigrant criminals being held at a sectioned-off portion of Angola Prison in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana dubbed the “Louisiana Lockup.”

As the bayou brother of Alligator Alcatraz in Ochopee, Florida, Louisiana Gov. Jeffrey Landry offered that “criminal illegal aliens, beware – Louisiana Lockup is where your time in America ends.”

A spokesperson for the department told Fox News Digital there are more than 70 violent offenders among the ranks of prisoners being held at the ICE facility, and that besides the allegations being untrue, no one should shed a tear for those inside.

“Louisiana Lockup” houses at least 26 child predators, 20 other sex offenders and 28 convicted murderers, the department said.

NEW ICE DETENTION FACILITY ‘LOUISIANA LOCKUP’ OPENS AT NOTORIOUS PRISON

DHS highlighted several recent headlines they said were false, including those alleging illegal immigrants were conducting hunger strikes over inhumane conditions and lodging sexual misconduct complaints that went without sufficient corrective action.

“Allegations made by criminal illegal aliens that they do not have access to medical or mental health care at this facility are completely false. Detainees have full access to medical treatment, three proper meals per day, legal counsel, and other essential items,” a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

A deputy to Secretary Kristi Noem added that there is “no hunger strike at Louisiana Lockup.”

“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last, that the media repeats unsubstantiated, false allegations peddled by criminal illegal aliens,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

250K DREAMERS WOULD BE PROTECTED FROM DEPORTATION UNDER BIG-NAME BIPARTISAN EFFORT

“This facility is housing the worst of the worst,” she said, challenging critics to inform her who might be worse in society than child molesters and murderers.

As for claims inmates are going without proper medical attention, McLaughlin said the department’s practice of providing comprehensive care “from the moment an alien enters ICE custody” has been true for years.

“Why does the media have an obsession with peddling false sob stories of pedophiles, murderers, rapists, and other violent criminals?” she asked.

ALABAMA CONDUCTS FIRST STATE-FEDERAL CHECKPOINT OPERATIONS WITH ICE, DETAINING OVER 20 PEOPLE

Illegal immigrant criminals being held at Louisiana Lockup – just downriver from Natchez, Mississippi – include Manna Massaquoi of Liberia; convicted of aggravated assault.

Raymond Louis of Haiti was convicted of assaulting a police officer, while Jose Gonzalez-Suarez of Cuba is a homicide convict.

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Cuong Vu Son of Vietnam was convicted of lewd/lascivious acts with a minor, while Laotian national Bounmy Thammavongsa illegally entered the U.S. and was convicted of rape of a disabled person.

Other rape or sex-crime convicts include Jose Hernandez-Garcia of Mexico, Felix Rico of Cuba, Admassu Regassa of Ethiopia, Lam Nguyen of Vietnam, Jorge Cajides-Vegas of Cuba, Boonmee Vang of Laos, and Ibrahim Mohammed of Ethiopia.

Carlos Tealdi of Argentina was convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor via film, and is being held in the bayou slammer, along with Anton Khoptynskii from Russia – who was convicted on similar charges, along with Henry Santamaria Hernandez, who was convicted of molesting a child.

Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., who represents the region around the jail, previously told Fox News it shows the Pelican State is “leading the way” on the illegal immigration crackdown.

FIRST ON FOX: A pair of House Republicans are pushing to have Charlie Kirk memorialized on U.S. currency in the wake of his assassination earlier this month.

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., plan to introduce a bill later this week directing the U.S. Treasury to mint 400,000 silver dollar coins with Kirk’s likeness, the pair first told Fox News Digital.

It’s the latest proposal in a litany of bills and resolutions introduced by Republican lawmakers to honor the conservative activist after he was shot and killed during a college campus speaking event in Utah earlier this month.

The coins, which would be considered legal tender, would have Kirk’s image on one side and feature the words “well done, good and faithful servant” on the other.

58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK

They would also be inscribed with Kirk’s full name, “Charles James Kirk,” the year 2026 as well as the U.S.’s full name and motto. 

The coins’ final design would be selected by the Treasury Secretary in consultation with the sitting president, in this case, President Donald Trump.

“Since 1892, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to celebrate and honor historic American patriots,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital.

He also hailed Kirk as an “American treasure.”

“He tirelessly sacrificed his time, energy, and money to save this nation for future generations. Ultimately, at the hands of a radical leftist, he sacrificed his life,” Hamadeh said. “His life must be commemorated, and this coin will allow us to pass a reminder of his remarkable life on to generations to come.”

Pfluger said that passage of their legislation would make Kirk, at age 31, the youngest-ever American to be placed on U.S. currency at the time of the coins’ minting, which the Texas Republican called “a fitting honor that cements his extraordinary legacy alongside presidents and founding fathers who shaped our republic.”

“Charlie Kirk was a conservative titan whose transformational impact on millions of Americans deserves permanent recognition alongside our nation’s greatest leaders and influential figures,” Pfluger said.

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

A law passed by Congress in 1866 bars the image of a living person from being used on U.S. currency.

Several historical figures have been awarded the honor, even beyond American presidents.

Benjamin Franklin notably is the face on the $100 bill, Alexander Hamilton is shown on the $10 note and different versions of the $1 coin feature Sacagawea, former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and Susan B. Anthony, respectively, among others.

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Some historical records have said Sacagawea was 25 at the time of her death, but conflicting accounts reported her passing decades later.

The proposal comes after the House passed a bipartisan resolution honoring Kirk and denouncing political violence late last week.

In addition to Pfluger and Hamadeh’s bill, GOP lawmakers have offered legislation to award Kirk congressional medals, honor him with a day of remembrance, among other initiatives.

Several House Republicans also wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to ask for a statue at the U.S. Capitol in Kirk’s likeness after his assassination.

Conservatives are rallying around a message of “revival” in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, with two commentators telling Fox News Digital that the right’s response to Kirk’s death stands in stark contrast to how the left reacted to the deaths of George Floyd, Michael Brown, and other high-profile cases involving police.

“After Charlie’s assassination, we didn’t see violence. We didn’t see rioting,” Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika told a packed arena gathered to celebrate her late husband’s life in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday.

“We didn’t see revolution. Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country,” she continued. “We saw revival.”

In the wake of Kirk’s assassination, conservatives on social media have pointed out the contrast between the conservative response to the Kirk assassination and the response from Democrats in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and other controversial political events. 

CHARLIE KIRK HONORED BY 90K IN ONE OF THE LARGEST MEMORIALS FOR A PRIVATE CITIZEN

Floyd’s death in 2020 set off a chain reaction of violent protests causing at least hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in cities like Minneapolis, Portland and Seattle, many of which were egged on by elected Democrats preaching a message of defunding the police. 

What was left after the violent 2020 summer was a massive increase in the number of murders, dealing a disproportionate blow to Black Americans, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

“Let’s be blunt: when Charlie Kirk was assassinated, conservatives didn’t riot, loot or torch cities,” RNC surrogate and attorney Mehek Cooke told Fox News Digital. “As Erika said we gathered, we prayed and we embraced revival. That’s the difference between the Right and the Left – and it’s clear as day. Conservatives don’t respond with destruction, because our movement is fueled by faith, not rage.”

“Contrast that with the left’s response to George Floyd in 2020: riots tore through cities, billions in damage, businesses burned and neighborhoods never recovered. From Baltimore to Portland, ‘justice’ is weaponized as a twisted justification for violence.”

CHARLIE KIRK’S BOLD LEGACY LIVES ON AND WILL SHAPE AMERICA FOR YEARS TO COME

Brilyn Hollyhand, a 19-year-old political commentator who was a friend of Kirk’s, told Fox News Digital that when he received the text that his mentor had been assassinated, “my first thought wasn’t to go burn down a Wendy’s or loot a CVS.”

“My first thought was prayer. Prayer for his soul, his family and his team,” Hollyhand said. “Then, during the stages of grief, when I grew frustrated that my friend was murdered just for his political beliefs, I didn’t dye my hair blue, get a nose ring and grab a bullhorn – I wanted to do something effective with that frustration.”

Hollyhand says he will be partnering with TPUSA, the organization Kirk founded, to speak on 10 campuses this upcoming semester in an effort to “continue Charlie’s legacy of championing civil discourse.”

Cooke called it “profoundly significant” that conservatives “chose peace in the face of tragedy” and that “our actions spoke louder than their riots.”

Since Kirk’s death, conservatives have held vigils across the country and put up memorials, some of them vandalized by Kirk’s opponents, honoring the political commentator and rejecting calls for violence.

Over the past few years since the Floyd riots, liberal activists have taken to the streets on several occasions to oppose Republican policies, including earlier this year when violent protests erupted in Los Angeles in response to President Trump sending in federal resources to carry out his immigration agenda and deport illegal immigrants.

Those riots, which several elected Democrats referred to as “peaceful,” will cost taxpayers at least $32 million, Fox News Digital previously reporte

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Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect charged in Charlie Kirk’s murder, was much like the other young men that her husband encountered, Erika Kirk said at the memorial service. 

Charlie Kirk “wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life,” she told the massive crowd at State Farm Stadium.

“Our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That young man… I forgive him,” Erika Kirk said, drawing a standing ovation. “I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it’s what Charlie would do.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report

A federal judge rejected former FBI agent Peter Strzok’s claims that his termination from the federal law enforcement agency ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

Strzok was fired during President Donald Trump’s first term.

He sent anti-Trump text messages while leading the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Trump’s campaign and Russia.

DOJ SETTLES WITH FORMER FBI OFFICIALS OVER RELEASE OF ANTI-TRUMP TEXTS

“At this point, only two issues remain to be resolved: did plaintiff’s termination violate the First Amendment, and did his termination violate the Fifth Amendment guarantee against the deprivation of property without due process of law?” an order signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson explained.

Berman was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama.

The court found that Strzok’s “interest in expressing his opinions about political candidates on his FBI phone at that time was outweighed by the FBI’s interest in avoiding the appearance of bias in its ongoing investigations of those very people, and in protecting against the disruption of its law enforcement operations under then-Director Wray’s leadership.”

TRUMP SAYS BRENNAN, COMEY ‘CROOKED AS HELL’ AMID FBI PROBE, MAY HAVE TO ‘PAY THE PRICE’

“As to Count Two, the due process claim is predicated on a misrepresentation of the facts and distortion of the chronology,” the document declares. 

“Once one gets past the rhetoric and considers the undisputed factual record, it becomes clear that there is no evidence to support a finding that plaintiff entered into a contract … that gave him a property interest in his tenure before the Deputy Director exercised his authority to terminate him, or that plaintiff lacked notice and an opportunity to be heard before his fate was decided,” the document notes.

PATEL FOUND THOUSANDS OF SENSITIVE TRUMP–RUSSIA PROBE DOCS INSIDE ‘BURN BAGS’ IN SECRET ROOM AT FBI

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“The full Memorandum Opinion has been docketed under seal,” the order notes, adding that in the court’s perspective, “nothing in the Memorandum Opinion needs to remain sealed, and therefore, the parties must inform the Court by September 30, 2025 of whether they have any objection to the Court’s unsealing the Memorandum Opinion in its entirety, and if so, specifying what portions they believe should remain under seal and why.”

When President Donald Trump took the stage at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the teleprompter didn’t work. But no matter — he was about to deliver a series of points he knew well, and one that shattered the typical U.N. script.

At times, world leaders shifted uncomfortably in their seats, particularly when he charged that the U.N. had failed to help the U.S. end wars and joked that all he ever got from the institution was being stuck on an escalator and a broken teleprompter. Yet in his trademark style, Trump also drew laughter from the room, managing to be both affable and scolding at the same time.

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked, after recounting how he — not the U.N. — had ended seven wars. 

From there, he launched into a wide-ranging address that touched on every one of the U.N.’s modern priorities — climate change, Ukraine, refugee resettlement and Palestinian statehood—and rejected each of them outright, unsettling many in attendance.

TRUMP DRAWS LAUGHS FROM WORLD LEADERS MOMENTS INTO UN SPEECH

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže told Fox News Digital world leaders took note of Trump’s blunt style and sweeping agenda. She emphasized that his remarks spanned “a whole set of international issues,” from Ukraine to Gaza. She highlighted his criticism of Russia, saying it was clear he wanted the war to end and was openly disappointed in President Vladimir Putin.

Former U.S. diplomat Hugh Dugan noted that while Trump hammered the U.N., he did not press the case for reform as forcefully as expected. 

“As for U.N. reform and criticizing and guiding it through financial crises and endemic dysfunctionality, surprisingly he left a vacuum instead of a narrative,” Dugan said. “He neither validated nor criticized the U.N. as expected, except pointing out the obvious views of its administrative and diplomatic passivity shared widely.”

Climate change

For the U.N., climate change is an existential threat requiring global action. Trump mocked the entire concept as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” deriding green energy as “all bankrupt” and declaring the carbon footprint “a hoax.” Dismissing decades of climate change work at the U.N., he said: “No more global warming, no more global cooling, whatever the hell happens, it’s climate change.”

Braže noted that European nations still see the U.N. as the central forum for tackling global problems, even if reforms are overdue. “We might differ in our opinion where we still think the U.N. is a valuable organization and the U.N. charter is a basis of [the] international system,” she said, adding: “Of course it needs change… stepping up efficiencies.”

Ukraine

Trump and the international body are largely aligned on wanting the war in Ukraine to come to an end, but Trump criticized its European members sharply for continued reliance on Russian oil.

Trump argued the war “would never have started if I were president” and accused NATO allies of hypocrisy and said some NATO allies were “funding the war against themselves” by buying Russian oil.

“They’re buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia. It’s embarrassing to them… they have to immediately, immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia.”

He threatened tariffs unless Europe cut off energy purchases from Moscow, but blamed India and China as the “primary funders of the war” through Russian fuel purchases. The president also once again promised a “very strong round of powerful tariffs” if Russia refuses peace.

TRUMP MUST MAKE UN FUNDING CONDITIONAL ON REAL REFORMS, EX-DIPLOMAT URGES

Braže said Latvia welcomed Trump’s commitment to ending the war, even as she underscored Europe’s reliance on the U.N. system. “He also explained, of course, his efforts to achieve peace in various regions which we welcome,” she said.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna echoed Trump’s point that Russia’s war effort is not unstoppable. “As for the president’s speech, it was good to hear that Trump is dedicated to peace in Ukraine, and he also hinted that Russia is defeatable. We believe that as well,” Tsahkna said. “Estonia has long said that Russia’s energy exports are its main source of revenue, and the engine behind its war in Ukraine. That’s why we must do more to cut off this funding.”

Migration

Where the U.N. sees migration as a shared humanitarian challenge, Trump painted it as an “invasion.” He accused the U.N. of bankrolling illegal immigration into the U.S., citing U.N. cash and food assistance for migrants, and warned that uncontrolled migration was “ruining” Europe.

“The U.N. is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them,” Trump said. “Your countries are being ruined. Europe is in serious trouble. They’ve been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody’s ever seen before.”

He claimed migrants in London want to impose “Sharia law.”

“I look at London where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor. And it’s been so changed, so changed. Now they want to go to Sharia law, but you’re in a different country. You can’t do that.”

Braže said the Baltic States share skepticism about uncontrolled migration, rooted in their history under Soviet rule. “In some European countries, political correctness overcame the need to limit immigration. For us in the Baltics, immigration has always been something that we are quite skeptical about,” she said. “That is due to the fact when the Soviet Union occupied us for 50 years we were not able to define our own rules… so today we are very clear that our borders are our borders, we control them.”

Palestinian statehood

While the U.N. pushes for recognition of Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution, Trump blasted such efforts as “a reward for Hamas.” He argued it would encourage terrorism and instead demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages — and made calls for peace. 

Dugan said the White House calculated carefully how to handle the Palestinian issue. “He denied added publicity for the Palestinian statehood matter, while robbing his critics of a snarky quotable they depend upon. His team would say that they opted not to throw more gas on that fire, I suppose.”

“We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to immediately negotiate peace,” Trump said.

But French President Emmanuel Macron said that if Trump really wants peace, he has to put pressure on Israel to end the war. 

“There is one person who can do something about it, and that is the U.S. president. And the reason he can do more than us, is because we do not supply weapons that allow the war in Gaza to be waged. We do not supply equipment that allows war to be waged in Gaza. The United States of America does,” Macron told France’s BFM TV after the speech. 

Macron went on: “I see an American president who is involved, who reiterated this morning from the podium: ‘I want peace. I have resolved seven conflicts’, who wants the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is only possible if you stop this conflict.”

TRUMP SAYS NATO COUNTRIES SHOULD SHOOT DOWN RUSSIAN JETS THAT VIOLATE AIRSPACE

Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Trump’s handling of Iran, where the president touted the U.S.’s offensive strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, in particular stood out. “The calmness and even casualness with which President Trump spoke about the elimination of the Islamic Republic’s military leaders at the UNGA today shows an understanding and willingness to embrace America’s superpower status against its adversaries not often seen,” Taleblu said.

The broader UN message

Beyond individual issues, Trump’s message was that the U.N. itself was failing. He ridiculed its reliance on “strongly worded letters” and its expensive renovation projects, portraying the body as corrupt and ineffective.

“I’ve attended UNGA a few times. Never have I heard a speech like this. Trump was right on one thing: the UN is paralyzed,” Tobias Ellwood, a former British member of Parliament, shared on X. But he warned major conflict is “likely to follow” if the UN dissolves like the League of Nations did.

But Dugan suggested Trump stopped short of offering a roadmap. “He went to tier-2 topics (immigration and green energy) because they are tier-1 with MAGA,” he said. “Given the teleprompter and the escalator, he seems resigned to the fact that the place is not teachable when it comes to organization turnaround — certainly not while [Secretary General Antonio] Guterres continues.”

Trump launched a review of the U.N. six months ago, and Dugan said he’d hoped to hear more about its findings in the speech. It’s “not evident” that the review was “deep, good or even completed.” 

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Looking ahead, Dugan warned that Trump’s silence on deeper U.N. reform left space for rivals. “Next: let’s see if China is editing its speech now to swoop down to fill the missing narrative vacuum,” he said.

Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Trump was also making a point about the U.N.’s lack of engagement. “The President also foot-stomped the fact that he has received relative silence from the U.N. system and its leaders in the face of numerous ceasefires and deconfliction agreements he helped broker in warzones around the world. For an organization aimed at stemming or resolving conflict, the silence is deafening.”

Vice President Kamala Harris’ inner circle crafted a “Red File” contingency plan in the event something “traumatic” happened to President Joe Biden, the former vice president revealed in her new memoir “107 Days.”

While the Biden campaign maintained that he was running for re-election until the moment he suspended his campaign, Harris’ brother-in-law, Tony West, created a succession plan long before the president’s consequential announcement, according to Harris. 

“A year earlier, he had started what he called the ‘Red File,’” Harris wrote in her book. “With a president in his eighties, he suggested, it would be malpractice on my part to be unprepared if, God forbid, something should happen.”

West had made a list of the first dozen calls to world leaders and political leaders, a plan for when to release her first statement and the rules of the transition. The “Red File” only grew as the pressure for Biden to drop out intensified, Harris said. 

KAMALA HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE ON BIDEN DROPOUT, ADMITS SHE HAS REGRETS ABOUT HER HANDLING OF SITUATION

In the event of “such a traumatic moment,” Harris said, West explained to her that it would be “prudent to have a plan for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours, so people don’t have to make a lot of decisions in the pressure of a crisis.”

KAMALA HARRIS REVEALS WHAT BIDEN TOLD HER JUST BEFORE CRUCIAL DEBATE WITH TRUMP THAT LEFT HER ‘ANGRY’

Harris said she didn’t want to think about such a reality, despite being the vice president to a president in his eighties, so she “left it in his hands.”

Because Harris didn’t want to be involved in such discussions, she said West met with four members of her core team during one family weekend.

“Let’s assume he’s dropping out tomorrow,” West said, according to Harris. 

Brian Fallon, Harris’ communications chief, who she said participated in the meeting, said Biden dropping out was “not going to happen,” because the president was meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that week. 

News broke that Biden was dropping out on July 21, 2024, as Harris’ team discussed the upcoming Democratic National Convention. Her team didn’t realize then that Harris would be the candidate to formally accept the Democratic nomination at the convention. 

When Harris hung up the phone with Biden, West was the first person she spoke to.

“If this isn’t handled right, he will crap all over his legacy,” Harris recalls West telling her after momentarily staring at each other, shocked and in disbelief. 

After Biden told his former running mate that he was endorsing her, Harris said she thanked him and said, “I will do you proud.”

“You’re gonna do great, kid,” Harris said Biden told her. 

Twenty-two minutes later, Biden announced on X that he was dropping out, Harris said. 

“Twenty-seven minutes after that, he endorsed me as the Democratic candidate president of the United States.”

While Harris did not want to be involved in the “Red File” discussions, her inner circle’s shadow plan allowed the vice president to quickly launch her 107-day presidential campaign. 

West became one of Harris’ “chosen committee of advisors,” as the campaign launched into full-gear. The committee was involved in critical decisions, like choosing Harris’ running mate and debate prep. 

West is currently the senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Uber. During President Barack Obama’s administration, he was twice confirmed by the Senate to serve as a senior official, including as associate attorney general of the United States. 

He met Maya Harris during law school, and they married soon after graduation, according to Harris’ book. 

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Harris described him as a “political thinker, working on campaigns since he was a teenager.”

“Doug and I have taken to affectionately calling him our fifty-year-old teenage son, given how much we love taking care of him when he stays with us,” Harris wrote.

Biden’s team declined to comment on the book when reached by Fox News Digital. 

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Wisconsin Republican, has announced a Badger State gubernatorial bid.

“Madison politics may smell like the barn, but I know how to clean up the bull. I will roll up my sleeves and deliver results for every Wisconsinite,” he says in a campaign video.

“I will freeze property taxes, protect our farmland from Communist China, and I’ll preserve our Wisconsin values, just like my mom does with her pickles,” he says in the video.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY EXECUTIVE MOUNTS WISCONSIN GUBERNATORIAL BID, ACCUSING TRUMP OF ‘CHAOS AND CRUELTY’

Tiffany began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2020 after winning a special election that month to fill the House seat vacated in 2019 by Republican Sean Duffy.

Duffy is currently serving as secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

President Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2024 and 2016 but lost it in 2020.

SWING STATE DEM GOV BOWS OUT OF 2026 RACE, INSISTS HE’D WIN IF HE RAN: ‘NO QUESTION’

The governor’s race will be an open contest since current Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, announced earlier this year that he will not run for a third term.

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, who is also vying for the governorship, said in a post on X, “Welcome to the race, @TomTiffanyWI! Looking forward to a Republican primary focused on ideas and winning back the governor’s office.”

FORMER NAVY SEAL AND ‘POLITICAL OUTSIDER’ ANNOUNCES GOP CAMPAIGN FOR WISCONSIN GOVERNOR

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Manufacturer and former Navy SEAL Bill Berrien, another gubernatorial hopeful, declared in a post, “After years of bureaucratic leadership in Madison, the last thing we need is another career politician at the helm. Instead, we need builders who will create prosperity for all through work, revitalize the manufacturing infrastructure that lies dormant in our state, and jumpstart our economy. As the only builder in this race, I’m the strongest general election candidate Democrats will face — and they know it!”

FIRST ON FOX – The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Wednesday launched a new digital ad campaign spotlighting what it calls President Donald Trump’s “ongoing attacks on free speech” following last week’s suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel from his late-night TV perch.

The spots, which will target a handful of House Republicans in swing districts who face challenging re-elections in next year’s midterms, will run on conservative and independent media, including the podcasts of media superstars Joe Rogan and Ben Shapiro, who are very popular among younger and male audiences.

The campaign, shared first with Fox News Digital, comes in the wake of ABC’s move last week to pull Kimmel’s late-night talk show off the air after his remarks about the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk sparked outrage and a veiled threat from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

SINCLAIR AND NEXTAR STATIONS PRE-EMPT JIMMY KIMMEL

The suspension of Kimmel sparked outrage among Democrats and progressives, and even some high-profile conservatives, who said the late-night host was being punished for exercising freedom of speech. Many Republicans countered that Kimmel’s comments suggesting Kirk’s suspected killer was a MAGA member were outrageous and false. 

ABC reinstated Kimmel on Monday and his program returned to air Tuesday night, although the roughly 60 affiliated stations owned by Nextar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group preempted the program.

DISNEY ANNOUNCES ‘JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!’ RETURNING TUESDAY AFTER SUSPENSION

“The American people don’t support attacks on free speech, which is why Trump is losing support among independent and conservative voters,” the DNC argued in a statement. “The Republican base is fracturing, with Republican figures including Megyn Kelly, Ted Cruz, and Ben Shapiro loudly breaking with the administration.”

The DNC ad includes a clip of Trump, during the first week of his second administration, announcing that “on day one I signed an executive order to stop all government censorship.”

The narrator in the spot later charged that “Trump wants to control what you see so he can control what you think.” 

The DNC says the campaign, which is backed by a modest five figures, will target the congressional districts of Republican Reps. Rob Wittman of Virginia, Jen Kiggans of Virginia, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey.

“It’s clear Donald Trump only cares about silencing his critics — and now, voters across the country and in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are going to hear about it,” the DNC claimed.

FCC CHAIR LEVELS THREAT AGAINST ABC, DISNEY AFTER KIMMEL SUGGESTED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN WAS ‘MAGA’

Trump and many of his top allies, long advocates of free speech, have criticized people who have been critical of Kirk since the conservative activist’s assassination earlier this month.

The president welcomed ABC’s decision to initially pull Kimmel off the air indefinitely. And Trump also suggested axing the broadcast licenses of networks who, in his opinion, treat him too negatively.

DNC Chair Ken Martin, in a statement to Fox News, said, “Donald Trump’s administration has amassed a chilling record of restricting speech, extorting private companies, and dropping the full weight of the government censorship hammer on Americans simply exercising their First Amendment rights. This is no exaggeration, and it’s splintering the coalition that got Trump elected.”

Martin claimed that Trump is “attempting to silence people. It’s un-American, and Democrats won’t stand for it.”

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Republicans and conservatives,during the administrations of Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden railed against what they considered were efforts to muzzle free speech, attacking Democrats for pushing “cancel culture.”

Trump and his allies are now defending their latest actions by saying that “consequence culture” is replacing “cancel culture.”

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized recent remarks by President Donald Trump as “unhinged” during a press conference on Tuesday, as the federal government lurches toward a potential shutdown at the end of this month.

Jeffries held a media availability in his Brooklyn, New York, district after Trump canceled a planned meeting with congressional Democratic leaders on the issue of government funding.

Trump accused Democrats of making “unserious and ridiculous demands” in their push for a compromise deal to avert a shutdown.

“The statement that Donald Trump issued today was unhinged, and it related to issues that have nothing to do with the spending bill that is before the Congress, and the need to try to avoid a government shutdown,” Jeffries said in response.

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

He said at an earlier point, “Leader Schumer and I are ready to meet with anyone, anytime, at any place, to discuss the issues that matter to the American people and avoid a painful, Republican-caused government shutdown.”

“Democrats do not support the partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the healthcare of the American people,” he added.

Schumer held his own press conference later in the afternoon, where he charged, “Today seems to be tantrum day for Donald Trump.” 

“Mr. President, do your job,” he said. “Stop ranting, stop these long diatribes that mean nothing to anyone. Get people in a room and let’s hammer out a deal.”

The House passed a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025’s government funding levels intended to keep federal agencies running through Nov. 21, in order to give Senate and House appropriators more time to reach a deal on FY 2026.

58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK

If not passed by the Senate by the end of Sept. 30, Congress risks plunging the government into a partial shutdown.

Democrats, infuriated by being sidelined in discussions on the bill, have been pushing for the inclusion of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025 without congressional action.

During his press conference, Jeffries also appeared to reference Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill,” conservative legislation that imposed new restrictions and work requirements on Medicaid coverage for certain able-bodied Americans.

“Our top priority is to make sure that we cancel the cuts, lower the costs and save healthcare for the American people. That’s eight words – not difficult for Donald Trump to process. Cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare. Eight words,” Jeffries said.

“And we’ve been very clear that if Republicans want to go it alone, then go it alone and continue to do damage to the American people. But as House Democrats, partnered in lockstep with [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer] and Senate Democrats, we are not going to participate in the Republican effort to continue to gut the healthcare of the American people. That’s immoral, and we want no part of it.”

Jeffries and Schumer were set to meet with Trump on Thursday to discuss a path forward to avert a partial government shutdown.

But Trump nixed the meeting in a lengthy post on his social media platform Truth Social, where he blasted the duo for pushing “radical Left policies that nobody voted for.” 

“I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump said. 

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“They must do their job! Otherwise, it will just be another long and brutal slog through their radicalized quicksand. To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court. I look forward to meeting with you when you become realistic about the things that our Country stands for. DO THE RIGHT THING!” the president continued.

The Senate already voted against moving forward with the House GOP stopgap bill on Friday.

With 60 votes needed to proceed on the measure, at least some Democratic support will be needed to avert a shutdown.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for a response to Jeffries’ comments.