Blog

Rejecting reports of a split with the brass, the Department of War says the National Defense Strategy was “seamlessly coordinated” with senior civilian and uniform leaders — and that “any narrative to the contrary is false.”

On Monday, The Washington Post reported that multiple senior officers had raised concerns about the forthcoming strategy, pointing to a divide between political leadership.

Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg pushed back on Wednesday, in an on-the-record statement to Fox News Digital.

“The Department’s National Defense Strategy has been seamlessly coordinated with all senior civilian and military leadership with total collaboration — any narrative to the contrary is false,” Feinberg said.

RENAMED DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COMING ‘SOON,’ TRUMP SAYS

A senior War Department official said the strategy was the product of “extensive and intensive” collaboration across the department.

The drafting team included a policy lead, a Joint Staff deputy and representatives from the military services who consulted widely with civilian and uniformed offices.

Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby and the acting deputy under-secretary for policy, Austin Dahmer, met with leaders from every group. The official called that level of policy-shop engagement “unprecedented.”

SUPPORTERS HAIL TRUMP’S PENTAGON REBRAND AS ‘HONEST,’ CRITICS CALL IT RECKLESS

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided feedback directly to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Colby, the official said, and both assured him his input would be reflected in the final draft.

The Post report said political appointees in the Pentagon policy office led the drafting and described unusually sharp pushback from some commanders over priorities and tone. 

The War Department disputes that characterization and says the document was coordinated at the principal level and aligned closely with the National Security Strategy.

The pushback comes a day after Hegseth addressed hundreds of commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

TOP US MILITARY BRASS TO HOLD SECRETIVE MEETING WITH HEGSETH AS TRUMP RAMPS UP RUSSIA CRITICISM

In a 45-minute speech, he argued the force needs tougher standards and a tighter focus on warfighting. He has recalled one-star and above officers from around the world to brief in person and has removed several senior general officers as part of a broader overhaul.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Hegseth says new directives will restore rigorous physical, grooming and leadership standards and require combat roles to meet one set of physical benchmarks.

The Washington Post did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

New Jersey gubernatorial hopeful Mikie Sherrill has become one of the Garden State’s richest lawmakers in Congress six years after getting elected to Washington — buoyed by a portfolio of luxe properties, millions in stock and a banker husband who earns more than $2 million per year.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli and his allies have pummeled Sherrill (D-NJ) over her finances — accusing her of “flipping stocks and cashing in” since being elected to high office.

“In the seven years that she’s been in Congress, she’s tripled her net worth!” Ciattarelli said during their fiery clash at last week’s debate.

SHERRILL FIRES BACK AT GOP RIVAL AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER HER MILITARY RECORDS: ‘HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR’

“While you were sitting on the House Armed Services Committee, you were trading defense stocks,” he went on.

Sherrill has denied that claim, saying she does not own individual stocks — though a mealy-mouthed response to the question about her net worth from “The Breakfast Club” host Charlamagne tha God has only fanned the flames.

A peek at Sherrill’s financial disclosures contradicts some of the attacks Ciattarelli and his allies have made on the campaign trail about her net worth — and suggests her impressive wealth growth comes from a variety of sources.

“Mikie does not own or trade individual stocks, and has gone ‘above and beyond’ releasing the exact values of her finances to the dollar,” Sherrill campaign communications director Sean Higgins told The Post.

“New Jerseyans have zero insight into Jack Ciattarelli’s net worth, they do know he made $15 million in profits off opioid misinformation and investments linked to the Chinese Communist Party.”

The frequently cited $7 million figure stems from a Washington Free Beacon analysis that used the average of a range of values provided in congressional financial disclosures.

In 2019, Sherrill’s net worth would’ve been between $730,000 and $4.3 million, per her House financial disclosure records. By 2024, it jumped to between $4.8 million and $14 million.

DEM GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE HIT WITH ACCUSATIONS OF NEPOTISM OVER CHILDREN’S ACCEPTANCE INTO NAVAL ACADEMY

Additionally, that analysis looked at all her assets, not just stocks. And a key reason why her net worth jumped so sharply in that analysis is that she added a Washington, DC, townhouse, purchased in a tony neighborhood in 2021 for $1.5 million.

As Ciattarelli noted, Sherrill was forced to pay a $400 fee in 2021 for STOCK Act violations, after blowing past a 45-day deadline to disclose her husband’s stock trades — something that is not uncommon in Congress.

What is Mikie Sherrill’s net worth?

The Garden State Democrat’s net worth is somewhere between $9.4 million and $14.61 million.

Quiver Quantitative, which provides estimates for most members of Congress, pegged Sherrill’s fortune at $14.61 million, which would place her just behind Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s (D-NJ) $42.19 million net worth as the second-richest Garden State pol in Washington.

An August analysis by the New Jersey Globe pegged her and her husband’s net worth at $9.4 million.

How did Mikie Sherrill get so rich?

Most of Sherrill’s fortune stems from her banker husband, Jason Hedberg.

Hedberg gets partially compensated through stocks from UBS, which they frequently sell off, according to financial disclosures.

He has raked in more than $2.6 million each year since 2021 — topping out at $2.9 million last year. For comparison, Sherrill’s congressional salary is $174,000.

Shortly after taking office, Sherrill began offloading individual stocks in favor of exchange-traded funds to mitigate conflict-of-interest concerns.

MIKIE SHERRILL STAYS SILENT AS NEW JERSEY POLITICIANS REACT TO CONVICTED COP KILLER’S DEATH

She had $4.4 million in her brokerage account, and her husband reportedly had $1.9 million in unvested stocks. The pair also had about $1.5 million between their checking accounts, retirement accounts and life insurance policies.

The New Jersey Democrat’s investment portfolio fared 1.9% worse than the S&P 500, according to insider trading watchdog Unusual Whales.

Luxe properties

Sherrill and her husband also own three homes: a large mansion in wealthy Montclair, a vacation home in Vermont, and the Washington, DC, townhouse.

Zillow records indicate that her Montclair home is worth about $3 million, her vacation home is about $780,000, and her DC home, which she once rented to former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), was pegged at $1.6 million.

Records indicate those three homes have mortgages on them.

At least two of her children went to the tony Montclair Kimberly Academy, which has tuition as high as $53,340 annually.

Ciattarelli’s wealth

Following pressure from Sherrill’s allies to release more of his tax documentation, the Ciattarelli campaign let media outlets examine 13 years of his tax returns.

While his net worth isn’t fully clear, tax records show that he has raked in close to $14.9 million since 2012 and paid at least $4 million in taxes, the New Jersey Monitor reported.

Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, had made his fortune off two medical publication businesses, one of which he sold in 2017, the same year he made $7.1 million in total income, per the outlet.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Tax records showed that his income fluctuated throughout the years, from $600,946 in 2014 to $854,966 in 2018 and $168,433 in 2022, according to the report.

Additional reporting by Steven Vago and Isabel Vincent

EXCLUSIVE: Recent Russian incursions into NATO airspace have sharpened divisions inside the alliance over how to respond, exposing both the strength and the limits of collective defense.

Secretary General Mark Rutte clashed with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal last week after Estonia invoked NATO’s Article 4 clause, which triggers consultations when a member feels its security is threatened.

According to three European officials granted anonymity to speak freely, Rutte argued that repeated invocations risked diluting the treaty’s force. One source said he even raised his voice at Michal, warning that NATO must be cautious about how often it signals alarm.

Rutte argued that if Article 4 were invoked every time Russia violated sovereignty — through drone incursions, fighter jets, cyberattacks and more — it would quickly lose impact, according to the officials.  

DENMARK CONSIDERS TRIGGERING NATO ARTICLE 4 AFTER DRONES FLY OVER AIRPORTS

A NATO spokesperson confirmed Rutte and Michal spoke Friday and said the secretary general “has supported Estonia throughout the process.”

Rasmus Ruuda, director of the Government Communication Office of Estonia, told Fox News Digital Rutte “expressed support for Estonia and the Prime Minister thanked NATO for its actions.”

“Article 4 is just a signal that we’re taking note of what happened,”  said Giedrimas Jeglinskas, a Lithuanian member of parliament and former NATO assistant secretary general. “We can be invoking Article 4 every week, and I think that only weakens us, because we’re unable to truly respond to that aggression that Russia is sort of throwing at us.”

The tension comes after a series of provocative moves by Moscow. Last month, missile-carrying Russian MiG-29s flew into Estonian territory, following an earlier breach of Polish airspace by 19 drones and repeated incursions over Romania. In Poland, jets scrambled to intercept the drones, shooting some of them down. It marked the first time since World War II that Polish armed forces mobilized to engage an airborne threat over their homeland.

The Russian jets in Estonia were eventually escorted out of its territory by Italian F-35s. Estonia’s Article 4 request followed Poland’s own invocation days earlier, prompting another round of consultations in Brussels.

Since its creation in 1949, Article 4 has been triggered only nine times. NATO’s warning to Russia after the Estonian request was blunt: any further breaches would be met with “all means” of defense. Estonia’s defense minister said his nation was prepared to shoot down Russian planes violating airspace “if there is a need.” 

But Jeglinskas said signaling without consequence risks leaving the alliance trapped.

“We’re happy to do Article 4 every other day, but so what? What’s next?” he said. “The real question is what happens when the jets actually enter our airspace.”

The debate cuts to a deeper question: what constitutes a “need” to shoot down Russian jets? How can Russia be deterred without stumbling into direct war?

“The last thing we want is to have NATO get drawn into a war with Russia,” a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital. “God knows how that ends.”

“Almost all wars … they don’t necessarily start with a big bang,” the official went on. “They start with an escalation, and then somebody feels they need to respond to this, and then you just get in a toxic spiral.”

‘PUTIN IS PUSHING THE LIMITS’: EASTERN ALLIES WARN TRUMP NOT TO PULL US TROOPS

The United States has promised to defend “every inch” of NATO while pressing Europe to bear more of its own defense burden. Washington’s mixed signals have only complicated matters.

Trump administration officials long favored reducing the U.S. troop presence in Europe. But President Donald Trump recently delivered one of the starkest warnings to Moscow, declaring that NATO states should shoot Russian aircraft down if they incur on their territory.

Jeglinskas said the statement resonated across the Baltic States. “What was really helpful was that President Trump was very clear,” he said. “That gives us confidence we’re on the right track, and we really appreciate the support.”

Still, allies remain divided on whether to escalate. Some warn that Eastern Europe cannot credibly threaten retaliation without an American security guarantee. Others argue that deterrence depends on showing Russia its incursions carry a cost.

“If we really want to send a proper message of deterrence to Russia, we need to be prepared to use kinetic force,” Jeglinskas said. “That means neutralizing those jets — shooting them down or finding other ways to impose consequences — so Russia actually feels the cost of its incursions. That hasn’t happened yet, and it leaves us vulnerable.”

The airspace disputes now extend beyond fighter jets. European Union members are meeting in Copenhagen this week to discuss shoring up air defenses after a wave of drone sightings. Denmark briefly shut down its airspace following mysterious drone activity, while Lithuania’s Vilnius airport and Norway’s Oslo airport also reported disruptions. Drones have even been spotted over Germany’s northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.

“We are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either. We must do much more for our own security,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Düsseldorf.

NATO jets scrambled to intercept drones over Poland, but the response underscored a growing mismatch: deploying multi-million dollar fighters to counter small, unmanned aircraft is neither efficient nor sustainable.

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

“NATO remains the most crucial element of our security equation,” Jeglinskas said. “It’s the backbone through which our security is viewed. There’s really no doubt about NATO’s political will and its capability to defend its territory, but warfare is changing — and the question now is, has NATO adapted to the new way of war that is seeping through the borders of Ukraine?”

Jeglinskas warned that neither NATO nor the Baltic States have done enough. “The Polish incursion signified that NATO is not fully ready to counter these threats,” he said. “Scrambling jets is a tremendous economic mismatch. If these kinds of attacks become swarms, it’s not sustainable.”

To address mounting threats, NATO last month launched Operation Eastern Sentry, reinforcing its presence on Europe’s eastern flank. Jeglinskas welcomed the move but said gaps remain.

“Jets are very important, but more jets don’t mean we’re more secure from low-altitude drones,” he said. “The question is: do we have sensors that can detect what’s happening from the ground up to a kilometer into our airspace? We don’t see that. It’s like a dead space.”

Jeglinskas called for stronger short- and medium-range radar, as well as layered defenses akin to Israel’s Iron Dome, capable of intercepting drones with both kinetic and electronic means.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“NATO’s response is commendable,” he said, “but it’s not enough. You need technical know-how, the right capabilities, and systems that are truly integrated if you want to make this work.”

For now, NATO remains caught between signaling resolve and acting on it. As Russia continues to test the alliance’s borders, Jeglinskas and other Eastern European officials warn that credibility is at stake. The next incursion, they argue, may demand more than words.

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., vowed to stand fearlessly with young conservatives in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination — a tragedy that sparked national outrage and led to three Clemson professors being fired after allegedly celebrating his death.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital ahead of her address Wednesday at a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) gathering at Clemson University in South Carolina, Mace said she and other conservative leaders will continue speaking in public to honor the late TPUSA founder’s legacy, noting, “we’re not going to be afraid.”

The South Carolina gubernatorial candidate’s public appearance comes less than a month after Kirk, 31, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, leaving behind his wife, Erika, and two young children.

SHOCK AND RESOLVE: STUDENTS REFLECT ON CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH, FUTURE OF CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT

“I want all of our young people across South Carolina and the country to know that we are with them, that we are all Charlie Kirk and that they will be supported — that we aren’t going to allow anyone, or any political violence, to stop this movement or this moment,” Mace said. 

“We are doing this for Charlie Kirk. We’re doing this for Turning Point. We’re doing this for the millions of Charlie Kirks that are now out there today, who want to carry the torch forward, and we’re not going to be afraid,” she added. “We’re going to continue to do these things in public. We’re going to respect and honor free speech and our faith, and we’re going to do it as publicly and valiantly as we can.”

Following Kirk’s killing, Fox Digital reported young conservatives were harassed at on-campus memorials, as professors across the country faced firings over insensitive public posts condoning the activist’s murder.

At Clemson alone, three professors were terminated after allegedly celebrating Kirk’s death.

Mace said young members of the Clemson College Republicans and the Clemson TPUSA chapter worked together to ensure the public, elected officials and President Donald Trump were aware of the professors’ comments, and were instrumental in booting them from campus.

UNIVERSITIES CRACK DOWN ON EMPLOYEE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CELEBRATING, DEFENDING KIRK’S DEATH

“They made a difference where it mattered, because those who are promoting murder, inciting murder, shouldn’t be teaching our kids. Regardless of your politics or what your beliefs are, you shouldn’t be near students or indoctrinating them,” she said. “There are hundreds, if not thousands, of students on every campus across the country who are with you. When we speak up in numbers, we can’t be defeated.”

She added her message to parents concerned about leftist indoctrination on college campuses is one of hope.

“I have never been more proud and had more confidence in a generation than I do today, because these young men and women have stepped up in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s tragic murder, and they have stepped up to fill in the gap, and it is an inspiration,” Mace said.

‘FEARLESS’ TOUR TAKES CHARLIE KIRK’S FREE SPEECH MISSION TO COLLEGES NATIONWIDE

The university also came under fire in April after Mace revealed Clemson had a health portal form that listed 15 gender identity options, excluding male and female.

Though the form was eventually taken down, Mace noted school officials “deflected any and all blame.”

“I expect better than that, and even when these professors came forward, we saw a slow response from Clemson,” she said. “Luckily, the Board of Trustees held an emergency meeting and did the right thing, so we are going to have to continue to have eyes on and put pressure on Clemson to do the right thing.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Mace said amid the chaos, it is important lawmakers and the courts step in to protect free speech, and continue to honor Kirk’s mission.

“The First Amendment is a right established by our founders, and when we need to step in, we should absolutely do that,” she said. “That’s what you saw happen in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. You saw lawmakers step up, come forward, and protect the free speech of students on campuses everywhere.”

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

Backlash is mounting against New York University after its law school decided to block an on-campus event with conservative Jewish legal analyst Ilya Shapiro, which was scheduled for the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

The university’s Federal Society chapter had planned to host Shapiro for a midday discussion, but the event was canceled after NYU administrators stepped in.

The group was asked to host Shapiro on a different date due to “security reasons” and because the university said it was anticipating “an increased likelihood of demonstrations and protests connected to the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 incidents in Gaza,” according to emails shared with Fox News Digital. The request was later turned into a refusal to permit the event during the week of the Oct. 7 anniversary.

AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, COLLEGES ADDRESS CONCERNS OVER CAMPUS EVENT SAFETY

“This is not a decision based on the proposed program or speaker but rather based on an obligation to provide enhanced security generally on campus during that week as well as resource commitments we have already made,” stated a Sept. 17 email from Megan McDermott, NYU’s associate dean for academic and faculty affairs. “For the sake of clarity and for future planning purposes, I do not know that anyone has any information suggesting that your proposed event would be subject to disruption or protest specifically related to the anniversary of the October 7th hostage taking.”

Shapiro had planned to discuss his upcoming book at the NYU event, in which he posits that the nation’s top law schools have been captured by an illiberal and ideological regime that fosters radicalism and supports ideological conformity over open debate and inquiry. This shift, Shapiro argues, weakens cultural and institutional guardrails protecting free speech on campuses. 

“There could not be a more on-the-nose example of weak university officials in the face of a heckler’s veto than this farce,” Shapiro said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I’d be happy to give NYU’s dean a copy of my book so he can ‘do the work’ of learning how to be an effective and principled leader.” 

A spokesperson for NYU’s law school, Michael Orey, told Fox News Digital that NYU “did not cancel” the Federalist Society event, but rather “requested” they find another date to host Shapiro.

“We did not cancel an appearance by Mr. Shapiro. When the students organizing the event requested a classroom on Oct. 7, they were informed that we could not accommodate them on that date, and we subsequently suggested alternative dates,” said Orey. “Mr. Shapiro is welcome to come speak here at NYU Law and has appeared here in the past. We remain willing to work with students to find a time for him to do so in the future.”

PROFESSOR FIGHTING DISMISSAL FOR CALLING CHARLIE KIRK A ‘NAZI’ HANDED LEGAL WIN, FUELING FREE SPEECH DEBATE

“I was grateful to the NYU students for inviting me to discuss my book and the crisis in higher education. I’ve enjoyed speaking there in the past and was looking forward to a lively discussion of important issues,” Shapiro said. “But alas the law school administration caved to the threat of bigoted protest—God forbid there be a conservative Jewish speaker on October 7.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Shapiro posted on X that the Federalist Society will instead host Shapiro at an off-campus location, alongside two federal judges and the former head of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Nadine Strossen.

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…

–Supreme Court keeps Fed’s Lisa Cook in role for now, agrees to review case

-Social Security, airports, military: How are you affected during a government shutdown?

-White House memo says Democrats’ plan could spend $200B on healthcare for illegal immigrants

Trump’s peace initiative carries the potential to end the Gaza war while threatening Netanyahu’s hold on power.

A 20-point peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump this week could finally conclude the nearly two-year war in the Gaza Strip and see the return of the 46 hostages still held by Hamas. But it could also mean an end to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s time in the Israeli government’s top job. 

Hamas still needs to agree to the plan that Netanyahu accepted on Monday, which would ultimately end Israel’s military operation, disarm Hamas and pave the way for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip under a Palestinian governing body overseen by an international coalition headed by Trump…Read more

White House

DEMS FORCE CUTS: White House prepares for ‘imminent’ federal layoffs after Democrats force government shutdown

‘IT’S NOT TRUE’: Vance brings receipts to target Dems on healthcare benefits for illegal aliens

Capitol Hill

SHUTDOWN SHOUTOUT:’Have Dems lost their boogeyman’? Winsome Sears blasts Spanberger’s silence on shutdown after months of DOGE slams

DOUBLE STANDARD: 13 times Democrats voted for a short-term continuing resolution under Biden

‘BEST EVER’: Maverick House Republican in Trump’s crosshairs touts record campaign cash haul

HOSTAGE POLITICS: Government shutdown continues as Senate Dems block GOP funding bill for 3rd time

Across America 

DEFENSE PLAN: How James Comey’s indictment could go south for the DOJ

SUMMER’S BIG HAUL: Back-to-back highs: August and September bring in $62.6B in tariff revenue

FULL STOP: Trump administration halts $18B in NYC transit funding over DEI concerns amid government shutdown

PROSECUTOR SLAMMED: Virginia AG flames opponent for supporting sex-change ID law he blames for latest pedophile cases

END OF AN ERA: Patel cuts ties Comey’s FBI made with ADL as organization faces backlash for TPUSA criticism

JUDICIAL SMACKDOWN: Federal judge disqualifies acting Nevada US attorney from handling cases

MONEY FOR MIGRANTS: Fed audit, emergency Medicaid undercut Dems on illegal immigrant health coverage

CONSPIRACY CLAIM: Ciattarelli campaign rips ‘lying’ Dem opponent amid new National Archives investigation

FLIP FLOP MAYOR: ‘The View’ co-host presses Mamdani on whether he’s apologized to officers over ‘defund the police’ claims

GUNFIRE HORROR: Inside Dallas ICE facility in aftermath of sniper attack that killed two detainees

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

Democratic candidate for Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones is facing mounting scrutiny after records revealed he was convicted of reckless driving in 2022.

The incident, in which he was barreling 116 miles per hour down Interstate 64 in New Kent County, happened roughly one year after Jones’s first campaign for attorney general.

Per the Richmond Times-Dispatch, court records show Jones was cited by Virginia State Police after being clocked at nearly double the posted speed limit. 

RETIRED UFC STAR JON JONES EXONERATED AFTER NEW MEXICO PROSECUTORS DROP CHARGES IN TRAFFIC CASE

Under Virginia law, reckless driving is a Class 1 misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine, and license suspension.

Jones was ultimately convicted of the charge, paid a fine, and fulfilled additional court requirements. There is no indication he served jail time.

Following reports of the conviction, Jones told Fox News Digital the incident was a “serious mistake.” 

“Several years ago, I made the mistake of speeding, for which I am regretful,” Jones said in a statement.

“I accepted responsibility for my actions, paid the fine, and fulfilled my responsibility to the court, which was accepted by the New Kent County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and the judge,” Jones added.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS CHOOSE NOMINEE TO CHALLENGE GOP ATTORNEY GENERAL JASON MIYARES

In a statement issued to Fox News Digital, incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares blasted Jones and said he was “alarmed by reports of Jay Jones recklessly endangering lives.”

“Instead of taking accountability for his actions, it appears that my opponent submitted a letter to the Court stating that he performed 500 hours of ‘community service’ for his own Political Action Committee, which is not a charitable organization under the Virginia Code, to dodge potential jail time,” Miyares added.

The speeding revelation arrives just weeks before Virginians head to the polls in a competitive statewide election, creating what some analysts are calling an “October surprise” in the 2025 Attorney General’s race.

VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS PICK RADIO HOST TO RUN ALONGSIDE WINSOME SEARS IN RACE TO REPLACE YOUNGKIN

Jones, 36, is a Norfolk native and graduate of William & Mary and the University of Virginia School of Law. 

He served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 to 2022, representing the 89th District, and previously worked in the Office of the Attorney General. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Voters will decide on November 4 whether Jones can overcome the controversy and unseat Miyares.

“Our laws are not suggestions,” said Miyares. “This new information raises serious, troubling questions about Jay Jones’ judgment, his ability to uphold the law, and, ultimately, his qualifications for Attorney General.”

With a government shutdown in effect, both sides of the aisle are looking to place blame on the other. House Speaker Mike Johnson pointed out that while Democrats expressed outrage over the proposed legislation, it is similar to several continuing resolutions that passed under the Biden administration.

“The nonpartisan clean CR only appears ‘partisan’ because 212 House Democrats and 46 Senate Democrats chose to make it that way. This CR is the same short-term funding extension that virtually all Democrats voted to pass 13 times during the Biden Administration. Despite this voting history, nearly every Democrat has refused to support the current clean, nonpartisan funding extension to keep the government open and operational,” Johnson said in a statement.

During the Biden administration, there were 13 instances in which Congress enacted short-term funding measures, also known as continuing resolutions.

SPEAKER JOHNSON REVEALS THE HIDDEN GOP ADVANTAGE TO GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

1. September 2021

On Sept. 30, 2021, Congress passed H.R. 5305, also known as the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act. This legislation gave the government nine weeks of funding and averted a shutdown.

The act not only extended funding levels, but also added allocations for natural disaster relief and the influx of evacuees from Afghanistan following the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal.

Additionally, it extended programs and authorities such as the National Flood Insurance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, among others.

2. December 2021

Following the previous short-term funding measure, on Dec. 2, 2021, Congress enacted H.R. 6119, the Further Extending Government Funding Act, providing FY2022 appropriations through Feb. 18, 2022.

Like the act before it, this legislation also provided appropriations for several federal agencies for activities related to Afghanistan evacuees. This included what was then called the Department of Defense (now, the Department of War), the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of State.

The resolution also extended several authorities, including the authority for HHS to make appointments for the National Disaster Medical System. There was also an extension of the pay freeze for certain senior officials and political appointees in the executive branch.

3. February 2022

The Further Additional Extending Government Funding Act, H.R. 6617, went into effect on Feb. 18, 2022, as its predecessor expired. The legislation continued to fund most programs at FY2021 levels with some exceptions that provided what Congress referred to as “funding flexibility.”

The continuing resolution also included provisions on then-President Joe Biden’s authority “draw down defense articles and services to respond to unforeseen emergencies” and the Department of the Interior’s implementation of cybersecurity safeguards.

H.R. 6617 gave the government just under a month — until March 11, 2022 — to avoid a shutdown.

4. March 2022

Unlike previous continuing resolutions that gave the government weeks to avert a shutdown, the Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2022, also known as H.J.Res. 75, was set to expire days after it was enacted.

Just before this legislation was set to expire on March 15, 2022, Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, which served as the omnibus appropriations package for FY2022.

GOP LAWMAKER WANTS CONGRESS TO FEEL THE PAIN DURING SHUTDOWNS WITH BOLD PROPOSAL

5. September 2022

Congress enacted H.R. 6833, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided FY2023 appropriations to federal agencies through Dec. 16, 2022. It also provided supplemental appropriations that allowed the U.S. to help Ukraine and established a compensation program for victims of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire in New Mexico.

The legislation also extended several immigration-related programs and provided additional funding for the Administration for Children and Families to carry out the Unaccompanied Children Program, a federal program aimed at helping unaccompanied minors encountered at the border.

6. December 2022

The Further Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2023, H.R. 1437, provided several extensions, though most of them were set to expire on Dec. 23, 2022.

One of the extensions that the act provided was for the FCC to continue auctions for electromagnetic spectrum licenses. The legislation also provided for the payment to the family of the late Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., who died in office.

Additionally, the act required the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to update precipitation estimates.

7. December 2022

The Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2023, H.R. 4373, extended FY2023 appropriations to several federal agencies through Dec. 30, 2022. Additionally, it extended expiring programs and authorities.

H.R. 4373 was the final stopgap legislation of FY2023. On Dec. 29, 2022, an omnibus bill known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, was signed into law. The $1.7 trillion spending bill funded the government through Sept. 30, 2023.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES AS SENATE DEMS BLOCK GOP FUNDING BILL FOR 3RD TIME

8. September 2023

H.R. 5860, also known as the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act, provided extensions of FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies through Nov. 17, 2023 and provided emergency funding for disaster relief.

The legislation also gave extensions for Federal Aviation Administration programs, such as the Airport Improvement Program and the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site Program. Additionally, the bill reauthorized the FDA to collect fees for generic animal drug applications through FY2028.

9. November 2023

The Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, H.R. 6363, provided continuing FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies.

The legislation was laddered, meaning it contained various expiration dates for different provisions. Some of the funding was set to be provided through Jan. 19, 2024, while other parts expired on Feb. 2, 2024.

Additionally, it provided for a payment to the family of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who died in office.

10.  January 2024

The Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, P.L. 118-35, was signed on Jan 19. 2024, averting a government shutdown. It was also laddered, giving some programs an expiration date of March 1, 2024, and others March 8, 2024.

The legislation itself gave Congress more time to negotiate by making technical adjustments rather than sweeping policy changes.

11.  March 2024

H.R. 7463, also known as the Extension of Continuing Appropriations and Other Matters Act, 2024, modified requirements for determining eligibility for federal student aid, provided continuing FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies as well as additional funding for Federal Pell Grants.

This acted as a continuation of the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, and moved the March 1, 2024, expiration date to March 8. Additionally, the March 8 expiration date was extended to March 22, 2024.

Biden then signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, on March 9, 2024, which provided the government with funding through Sept. 30, 2024. It included several appropriations bills, such as the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024; the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024; and
the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, among others.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

12.  September 2024

Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, also known as H.R. 9747, which provided continuing FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies through Dec. 20, 2024.

The legislation provided additional funding for the U.S. Secret Service and extended several expiring programs and authorities. Some of the miscellaneous extensions were given to the DHS Joint Task Forces, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission and others.

13.  December 2024

H.R. 10545, the American Relief Act, 2025, provided continuing FY2025 appropriations to federal agencies through March 14, 2025. It also provided supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and assistance related to hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms, flooding, tornadoes and other natural disasters.

The legislation also included public health funding extensions through March 31, 2025.

Vice President JD Vance smacked down Democrat lawmakers’ “preposterous” claim that Democrats are not trying to provide taxpayer-funded health care benefits to illegal immigrants in an interview with “FOX & Friends” on Wednesday.

Vance said Democrats want to reinstate Biden-era federal funding for emergency healthcare for illegal immigrants that was ended under the Trump administration.

“They say, ‘We’re not actually trying to give health care benefits to illegal aliens,’” Vance said of the Democrats. “And here’s why it’s not true.”

Vance called out two Biden-era programs “that explicitly gave the taxpayer health care money to illegal aliens that we turned off when President Trump took over in January.”

GOP ACCUSES DEMS OF RISKING SHUTDOWN TO RESTORE ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE’

The first Biden-era program provided illegal immigrants emergency health care at hospitals, the vice president said.

“We turned off that funding because, of course, we want American citizens to benefit from those hospital services, not to be taxed, and then to have those hospital services go to illegal aliens,” Vance said.

President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” tightened who could receive federal payment for emergency treatment and reduced the federal match for emergency-only coverage.

Vance said a second Biden-era program gave mass parole to millions of illegal aliens and simultaneously made the parolees eligible for taxpayer-funded health care.

The “big, beautiful bill” removed parolees from eligibility for taxpayer-subsidized credits that were once provided under the Affordable Care Act by redefining who is an “eligible alien.”

“In the ‘one big, beautiful bill,’ President Trump and congressional Republicans turned off that money to health care funding for illegal aliens,” Vance said.

WATCH THE FULL “FOX & FRIENDS” INTERVIEW WITH VANCE BELOW:

Now, Vance says that Democrats “want to turn it back on” as they engage in a face-off with Republicans to fund the federal government, which entered a partial shutdown Wednesday after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.

“The first thing that they put out to reopen the government, they actually turned that money for health care benefits for illegal aliens back on,” Vance said. 

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

The White House’s Rapid Response X account shared an image from the Democrat’s current proposal that repeals a subsection of the “big, beautiful bill” regarding emergency health care for illegal immigrants, along with two other images showing the “big, beautiful bill” table of contents and the actual text of the bill that effectively ended health care for illegal immigrants.

“So it’s not something that we made up,” Vance said. “It’s not a talking point. It is in the text of the bill that they initially gave to us to reopen the government. It’s preposterous for [Democrats] to run away from it now.” 

Vance said that the objective right now should focus on reopening the government.

“But look, let’s set that all to the side. Let’s open up the government,” he said. “Let’s negotiate on all these health care policy issues.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Obviously, we’re not going to support health care benefits for illegal aliens, but we will work with them to lower health care costs for American citizens if they’re willing to do so,” Vance said.

Acting Inspector General of the National Archives Will Brown is launching an investigation into the release of Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s unredacted military records to an ally of her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli. 

While Sherrill has spent the past week accusing the Trump administration of illegally conspiring against her gubernatorial campaign, a spokesperson for the National Archives and Records Administration said the breach “was done in error by a NARA employee, who is a technician at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.”

“We have launched an internal investigation to understand how and why the standard operating procedures were not followed, and have also asked that the National Archives’ inspector general launch an investigation as well,” a National Archives spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “While the investigation is ongoing, there is no current indication that the release was intentional by the employee or the requestor. While mistakes are rare, they do happen as NPRC processes over 6,000 requests per day.”

Yet, Sherrill has maintained for nearly a week that the breach “was no mistake.” House Oversight Democrats confirmed the investigation on Tuesday, framing it as “an investigation into the Trump Administration illegally meddling in the New Jersey governor’s race.”

DEM GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE SLAMMED AS THE ‘KAMALA HARRIS OF NEW JERSEY’ AS ELECTION SLIDES INTO HOME STRETCH

“Jack needs to cooperate fully with investigators and reveal the full extent of his campaign’s participation in this illegal action,” Sherrill charged in response to the National Archives launching a formal investigation. 

Ciattarelli campaign spokesperson Chris Russell responded to Sherrill on Tuesday, urging her to “stop hiding and release her disciplinary records.”

NEW JERSEY GOP LAWMAKERS DEMAND SHERRILL RELEASE NAVAL ACADEMY RECORDS AS QUESTIONS SWIRL

“The Sherrill campaign’s desperation is showing here,” Russell told Fox News Digital in a statement. “They are flat out lying about this internal NARA investigation that has nothing to do with our campaign in an attempt to distract attention away from the increasing likelihood that Congresswoman Sherrill is lying about what got her barred from graduation. Sherrill’s refusal to release her disciplinary records can only be interpreted as her trying to hide the truth from NJ voters.”

“The illegal disclosure of my military records to my political opponent is not just an attack against me; it is an attack on every veteran who served this country. New Jersey deserves better. It deserves leaders who protect our rights; not those who break the law to score political points,” Sherrill countered, in one of several statements condemning the breach. 

The Ciattarelli campaign told Fox News Digital that Nicholas De Gregorio, a friend who is not directly involved in the campaign, “submitted a lawful FOIA request” about Sherrill’s military background of his own accord. 

A spokesperson for the National Archives said leadership became aware of the breach on Sept. 22, after the technician mistakenly released the records while responding to a June 30 Freedom of Information Act request.

National Archives said the technician who responded to De Gregorio’s request about Sherrill’s military record “should NOT have released the entire record,” which included private information like her Social Security number. 

The agency has apologized for the breach of privacy and has committed to holding their staff accountable for the blunder. 

And while Sherrill has blamed the breach on the Trump administration’s political “weaponization of the federal government,” the NARA employee, a technician based in St. Louis, whom the National Archives spokesperson said released Sherrill’s personal information by mistake, is not a political appointee.

With less than five weeks until Election Day, the National Archives controversy has invigorated an already contentious race to replace Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited this year, in the Garden State.

A Fox News survey of New Jersey voters released Tuesday found Sherrill ahead of Ciattarelli by eight percentage points among likely voters (50-42%) and seven points among the larger sample of registered voters (48-41%), with both leads just outside the margin of sampling error. 

Democrats were quick to blame the National Archives breach on the Trump administration as the news broke last week. 

“The Trump administration’s breach of privacy is a slap in the face to our nation’s brave servicemembers. It’s shameful,” former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee, said Thursday. 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has condemned the Trump administration for what they claimed was a “decision” to release the documents, despite a National Archives official confirming it was a low-level St. Louis branch employee responsible for “failing to follow proper administrative procedures.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“The Trump administration’s decision to release her unredacted military personnel files to her opponent’s campaign, including her Social Security number, is yet another example of Donald Trump and the Republicans illegally weaponizing the federal government for political purposes,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said, while calling the breach a “shameful scandal that shows how little Donald Trump and Jack Ciattarelli think of the American military.”

Fox News’ Dana Blanton contributed to this report.