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When U.S. forces launched strikes against Iranian military targets in June, critics warned it could ignite a regional inferno — even the start of World War III. Four months later, the Middle East is quieter than at any point in years. Iranian proxies have scaled back attacks, Gulf tensions have cooled, and Washington has shifted attention toward the Western Hemisphere.

The unexpected calm is raising a new question: Did decisive U.S. action restore deterrence — or has Washington simply been lucky?

Those who favor a more forceful U.S. foreign policy counted Iran’s lack of a response as a win for their frame of mind — and a loss for restrainers. They now credit the strikes with bringing about a period of relative peace that culminated in a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas this week.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., publicly broke from her longtime support of President Donald Trump after the strikes.

ISRAEL’S STRIKE IN QATAR TRIGGERS RARE US REBUKE, TESTS TRUMP’S GULF DIPLOMACY

“Six months in and here we are turning back on the campaign promises, and we bombed Iran on behalf of Israel,” she said on Newsmax at the time.

“We’re entering a nuclear war, World War Three, because the entire world is going to erupt. And you know what, the people that are cheering it on right now, their tune is going to drastically change the minute we start seeing flag-draped coffins on the nightly news.”

On Monday, she praised Trump for brokering the peace deal between Israel and Hamas. “Blessed are the peacemakers! May healing begin for all.” 

“You’ve put every U.S. troop and embassy in the region at risk and squandered America’s diplomatic leverage — though you’ll likely think you’ve strengthened it,” said Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East Program at the Quincy Institute, at the time.

IRAN PRESIDENT ACCUSES US OF ‘GRAVE BETRAYAL’ WITH NUCLEAR STRIKES IN UNGA SPEECH

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., claimed the strike “put the United States on a path to a war in the Middle East that the country does not want, the law does not allow, and our security does not demand.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was even more blunt. “It was a good week for the neocons in the military-industrial complex who want war all the time,” he said on CBS’ Face the Nation.

Four months later, those who once warned of a spiral toward World War III are facing an uncomfortable reality: the region is largely quiet.

“Those who warned of World War III before the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran fundamentally misunderstood both the nature of deterrence and the regime in Tehran,” said Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“Strength and resolve don’t invite escalation — they prevent it. What we’ve seen in recent months is a return to deterrence through escalation dominance: Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other American enemies are recalibrating precisely because the United States finally imposed real costs on the Islamic Republic.”

Dubowitz said years of Western restraint emboldened Iran. “For years, Western policymakers indulged in a fantasy that restraint would produce stability,” he said. “It did the opposite. Tehran read our de-escalation as weakness and kept pushing.”

“Everybody who said that a strike on Iran would be a disaster was wrong,” said Matthew Kroenig, vice president of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center and a former Pentagon strategist. “These fears about Iranian retaliation and region-wide war were exaggerated. Iran doesn’t want a major war with the United States, the greatest superpower on earth that could end its regime. Instead, Iran engaged in some kind of token retaliation, and the whole thing died down.”

Trump’s authorization of the strikes was not a departure from his “America First” principles, as Greene suggested, but a continuation of them.

“When it comes to hitting an adversary hard, Trump has always been open to that kind of short, sharp, decisive use of force to achieve a clear objective,” Kroenig said.

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

Those in the restraint camp say they don’t count Trump’s decision as a total loss for their viewpoint. They argue that predictions of a wider war were based on a different scenario — one that Trump ultimately avoided.

“The prediction that this could lead to a wider war was for the scenario in which the U.S. would join Israel in a larger military campaign against Iran with the intent of regime change,” said Trita Parsi, co-founder of the Quincy Institute. “This is not what Trump opted for. He clearly signaled to Tehran before the strikes where he would strike to ensure that the locations would be vacated and that there would be no casualties. He also signaled his intent to only strike these sites and be done with it. This significantly reduced the risk of a larger escalation.”

Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities acknowledged that the strikes were “not a win for restraint” in principle, and though the U.S. felt few repercussions, it was still a gamble.

“I think it’s really easy to learn the wrong lesson from this, which is, all we have to do is go in and bomb for 45 minutes and then everyone will back down,” she said. “Most of the time, U.S. military force doesn’t actually produce the outcomes that we want.”

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Adam Weinstein said the operation came at the cost of diplomacy, noting that the strikes took place in the midst of ongoing negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.

“The strikes were a setback on diplomacy with Iran,” he said. “They negatively affected the world’s ability to ensure that Iran doesn’t develop a nuclear capability. It essentially destroyed trust between Iran and the international community.”

EXCLUSIVE – SADDLE BROOK, N.J. – GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy of Ohio was a long way from home on Wednesday night, as he briefly left his own race to help another Republican running for governor.

But Ramaswamy’s campaign trail stop in New Jersey’s competitive and combustible gubernatorial election, where he teamed up with GOP nominee Jack Ciattarelli at a packed diner full of supporters, could pay dividends next year in his own race back home.

New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states to hold gubernatorial showdowns in the year after a presidential election, and the contests traditionally grab outsized attention and are viewed as political barometers ahead of the following year’s midterm elections.

And this year, they’re being viewed to a large degree as ballot box referendums on President Donald Trump’s unprecedented second-term agenda.

CIATTARELLI WELCOMES TRUMP’S HELP IN BATTLE FOR NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR

Pointing to New Jersey and Virginia, Ramaswamy said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that GOP victories in both elections would “set the table for even bigger and more decisive victories, hopefully in places like Ohio next year.”

Ramaswamy arrived in New Jersey hours after the latest poll in the governor’s race indicated Ciattarelli narrowing the gap with Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic Party nominee in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

The MAGA world rock star’s stop in New Jersey could help Ciattarelli energize many in the party’s base – low propensity voters who often skip casting ballots in non-presidential election years.

NATION’S ONLY TWO 2025 RACES FOR GOVERNOR ROCKED WITH THREE WEEKS UNTIL ELECTION DAY

“If you want to bring down costs in this state, back Jack,” Ramaswamy told the boisterous crowd. “If you want to make New Jersey great again, back Jack. We are ready, Jack, for change. This state is hungry for it.”

And Ramaswamy, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and conservative commentator who pushed an “America First 2.0” platform as he ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination before ending his bid and becoming one of Trump’s top supporters and surrogates, told Ciattarelli, “We’re going in Ohio next year, but you’ve got to pave the path this year. We’re counting on you.”

Ramaswamy, who’s been endorsed by Trump, is the only major Republican candidate right now in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.

Former Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who spent two decades representing a large swath of northeastern Ohio, including Akron and Youngstown, is likely to launch a gubernatorial campaign in the coming days. Ryan, his party’s Senate nominee in Ohio’s 2022 election, would become the second major Democrat in the 2026 gubernatorial race, joining former state Health Director Amy Acton.

FINAL FACEOFF: CIATTARELLI, SHERRILL, CLASH ON DEBATE STAGE

“It doesn’t matter who we’re running against,” Ramaswamy said when asked what a Ryan candidacy would mean to him. “The beauty of our side of this election in Ohio is we’re more united than we’ve ever been as a Republican Party. I’m running unopposed in the Republican primary. But even more importantly, we have widespread labor support in Ohio. This is unprecedented.”

Ramaswamy, as he spoke at the Ciattarelli event in New Jersey, which included an overflow crowd of a couple of hundred people outside the diner, received encouragement to make another White House run down the road.

“I’m 100% focused on Ohio,” Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital. “You can’t make long-run plans. Life never goes according to your plan.”

But he added, “We’re gonna do our part in Ohio, and that’s my next step for how we save the country.”

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Ramaswamy’s stop in New Jersey, with less than three weeks until Election Day, came hours after multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that Trump will hold tele-rallies with Ciattarelli. 

In what’s expected to be a low-turnout election, Trump’s backing could prove crucial for Ciattarelli, who’s making his third run for governor after narrowly losing to Murphy four years ago.

“There’s obviously a whole lot of people across the state of New Jersey that are pleased with the job the president’s doing,” Ciattarelli said earlier Wednesday in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview.

Pointing to the president’s push to temporarily halt wind farms off the Jersey Shore, his vow to kill New York’s congestion pricing, tax cuts, deductions, and credits in the GOP’s massive domestic policy measure, and his efforts to secure the nation’s southern border, Ciattarelli said that people “are very pleased with the president, what he’s done for New Jersey.”

Trump endorsed Ciattarelli earlier this year in the GOP gubernatorial nomination race. And the president headlined a tele-rally for Ciattarelli ahead of the June primary.

While Trump isn’t on the ballot, he’s loomed large over the New Jersey gubernatorial election.

At last week’s second and final debate, Sherrill charged that her GOP rival had “shown zero signs of standing up to this president. In fact, the president himself called Jack 100% MAGA, and he’s shown every sign of being that.”

Asked whether he considered himself part of the MAGA movement, Ciattarelli said he was “part of a New Jersey movement.”

When asked to grade the president’s performance so far during his second term, Ciattarelli said, “I’d certainly give the president an A. I think he’s right about everything that he’s doing.”

“I think that tells us all we need to know about who Jack Ciattarelli’s supporting. I give him an F right now,” Sherrill responded, as she pointed to New Jersey’s high cost of living.

While Democrats have long dominated federal and state legislative elections in blue-leaning New Jersey, Republicans are very competitive in gubernatorial contests, winning five out of the past 10 elections.

And Trump made major gains in New Jersey in last year’s presidential election, losing the state by only six percentage points, a major improvement over his 16-point deficit four years earlier.

Ciattarelli said in a Fox News Digital interview last month that he was “really pleased that the White House has offered to help us in any way that we see fit,” and that he and his campaign were “in constant communication with the White House about different ways they can help.”

And while there’s no indication, as of now, that Trump will join Ciattarelli in person in New Jersey, campaign strategist Chris Russell told Fox News, “We’re appreciative of all the help we’ve received from the president and his team so far, and grateful for any support they provide down the stretch.”

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But the Democratic National Committee (DNC), in a release after word of the Trump tele-rally was first reported by Axios, claimed that Ciattarelli was “desperate.”

“It’s clear that this election comes down to one major truth: Jack is 100% for Trump, while Mikie Sherrill is 100% for New Jersey,” DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman said in a statement.

Former President Barack Obama endorsed former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s governor race, releasing a pair of ads attacking Republicans. 

The contest between Spanberger, a former CIA officer, and current Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is one of only two governor races in the U.S. this November. The contests are viewed as political bellwethers ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. 

“Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year. We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women. That’s why having the right governor matters, and I’m proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger,” Obama said in one of the ads, titled “Protect Our Rights.” 

“In Congress, Abigail held Republicans accountable and fought to protect voting rights and abortion rights. But it won’t happen without you. Every vote counts, so turn out. Virginia, Abigail Spanberger is the best choice for governor,” Obama added. 

TOP GOP GROUP DROPS BIG MONEY INTO VIRGINIA SHOWDOWN AFTER DEM AG NOMINEE’S VIOLENT TEXTS GO VIRAL 

In the other ad, Obama said, “Republican policies are raising costs on working families so [that] billionaires can get massive tax cuts.”

“As governor, Abigail will stand up for Virginia families,” Obama said. “She’ll work to build an economy that works for everyone, not just big corporations and the wealthy.” 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Earle-Sears campaign for comment. 

WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES ‘TWO BULLETS’ AD SCATHING OPPONENT FOR FAILING TO DEMAND JAY JONES’ OUSTER 

Earle-Sears most recently criticized Spanberger on her X account Wednesday night for her reaction to the texting scandal surrounding Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones. 

The scandal involving Jones came to light earlier this month when the National Review published text message exchanges between Jones and his former state legislative colleague, Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner. In the exchanges, Jones appears to call for violence against then-Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert, his wife, Jennifer, and their children. 

“Jay Jones expressed his desire to murder a dad and his two young boys — and to see police officers get shot,” Earle-Sears said. “Abigail Spanberger still supports him.” 

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Fox News Digital reported this week that Spanberger’s campaign store continues to sell merchandise co-branded with the rest of the statewide Democratic ticket — which includes Jones. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser, Rachel Wolf and Charles Creitz contributed to this report. 

Working in partnership with U.S. and Mexican authorities, ICE Homeland Security Investigations officers rescued a three-year-old Alabama child who was abducted by a woman working in conjunction with a deported illegal alien charged with child rape.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin shared with Fox News Digital that the child was rescued after being kidnapped by her mother, Haley Harris, and illegally taken across the southern border to Mexico.

According to a statement by ICE, agents uncovered “disturbing details about Harris’s actions while in possession of the child.”

The agency said that during the course of the kidnapping, Harris maintained repeated contact with her boyfriend, Pedro Pedraza-Trejo, a previously deported Mexican national who has charges for child molestation and rape in Washington state.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SCREAMS DURING VIRAL DC ARREST: ‘WHAT I VOTED FOR’

Local outlet ABC 33/40 reported that the kidnapped child, Kionii Haugen, was returned home to Orange Beach, Alabama, after 12 days. The outlet said that Harris took the child with her to Pensacola, Atlanta, San Diego, Tijuana and Mexico City before being located by authorities.

During this period, ICE said that Harris contacted Pedraza-Trejo 193 times in the span of just a few days.

The ICE statement said, “The fact that Harris maintained repeated contact with Pedraza-Trejo, a man convicted of such vile crimes, while illegally holding her child, underscores the gravity of her actions and the danger she posed to the child’s safety.”

Harris was extradited to the U.S. on Sept. 28 and subsequently arrested and faces charges for international parental kidnapping, according to ICE.

DEM GOVERNOR IN HOT SEAT AFTER WHISTLEBLOWER RIPS DISTURBING SENTENCING PATTERN FOR ILLEGAL CHILD RAPISTS

“Haley Harris broke into her ex-partner’s home and unlawfully kidnapped her child from the father’s Alabama home. She violated international parental kidnapping laws by fleeing to Mexico,” McLaughlin explained. “During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that her boyfriend Pedraza-Trejo was deported to Mexico and his criminal history includes multiple child sex crimes, including molestation and rape of a child.”

McLaughlin said that “through coordinated efforts with U.S. and Mexican authorities, Harris was located, arrested, and extradited to the United States to face charges,” while the child “has been safely returned to Alabama.”

“HSI remains committed to safeguarding vulnerable children and ensuring that those who endanger them are held accountable,” said McLaughlin.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FACING ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES FOR STABBING VICTIM MULTIPLE TIMES AT SOCCER GAME

Steven Schrank, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, also commented on the case, saying it “highlights the power of collaboration between U.S. and international law enforcement agencies.”

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“Thanks to the swift and decisive actions of our dedicated agents and partners, a child has been safely reunited with her family, and the individual responsible will face the consequences of her actions,” said Schrank.

With under three weeks until Election Day, Zohran Mamdani holds a double-digit lead in the race for the nation’s most populous city, but former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to the latest public polling.

The tightening contest underscores how Cuomo’s independent bid continues to draw support from disaffected Democrats following Mayor Eric Adams’ withdrawal.

Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from the New York City borough of Queens who shocked the political world in June with his convincing win over Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination, stands at 46% support among likely voters in the most recent survey in the race, from Quinnipiac University.

THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE NEW YORK CITY RACE FOR MAYOR IS A CLICK AWAY

Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, had 33% support in the survey, which was conducted Oct. 3–7.

Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee in the Democratic-dominated city, stood at 15% in the poll.

Quinnipiac’s survey was the only major poll in the field entirely after embattled Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who was running for re-election as an independent, dropped out of the race. 

In Quinnipiac University’s previous poll, conducted in early September, Mamdani held a 22-point 45%-23% lead over Cuomo, with Sliwa at 15% and Adams at 12%.

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“The numbers changed, but the contours of the race haven’t. Andrew Cuomo picked up the bulk of Adams’ supporters, cutting into Zohran Mamdani’s lead, but Mamdani’s frontrunner status by double digits stays intact,” Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Mary Snow said last week, when the survey was released.

But Cuomo’s campaign spotlighted the poll, with longtime spokesman Rich Azzopardi claiming in a statement that the survey confirmed that “this race is shifting decisively” and that “Mamdani remains stagnant.”

According to the survey, Mamdani was winning the enthusiasm battle with 90% of his supporters saying they were very or somewhat enthusiastic. The level of enthusiasm dropped to 85% among Sliwa supporters and down to 69% among those backing Cuomo.

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A Fox News poll of New York City voters, just before Adams bowed out of the race, asked respondents their second choice candidate. Without Adams in the running, Mamdani topped Cuomo 45%-31% among registered voters, with Sliwa at 13%.

Among likely voters, Mamdani’s lead over Cuomo edged up to 48%-32%, with Sliwa at 13%.

The Ugandan-born Mamdani, if elected, would become the first Muslim and first millennial mayor in New York City’s history.

Mamdani surged to the Democratic primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living. It was fueled by a grassroots army of supporters and backing from top national progressive champions, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

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Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering free childcare for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores.

Mamdani has been heavily criticized by his rivals not only for his far-left proposals, but also for his criticism of Israel, his past negative comments regarding the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and his proposal to shift certain responsibilities away from the NYPD and focus on social services and community-based programs. 

The White House lauded the State Department for imposing consequences on foreign nationals who posted controversial statements following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September.

The White House said the State Department’s decision to revoke visas for these foreign nationals is safeguarding Americans. 

“President Trump has long called attention to the spread of left-wing political violence, which is driven by Democrats’ vile rhetoric characterizing Republicans as Nazis, fascists, and more,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement Wednesday to Fox News Digital. “The Trump administration is ensuring that so-called ‘guests’ in our country are not echoing this dangerous practice of celebrating and encouraging left-wing political attacks, which poses a national security threat to law-abiding Americans.”

On Tuesday, the State Department announced that it had yanked the visas of six, unidentified people for their comments in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination. 

CHARLIE KIRK PAINTED AS ‘CONTROVERSIAL,’ ‘PROVOCATIVE’ IN MEDIA’S ASSASSINATION COVERAGE

“The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans,” the State Department wrote on X Tuesday. “The State Department continues to identify visa holders who celebrated the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”

In particular, the State Department said that those whose visas were pulled included a German national who said that “when fascists die, democrats don’t complain,” and a Paraguayan national who said “Charlie Kirk was a son of a b**** and he died by his own rules.” 

Additionally, the State Department said it revoked the visa of a Mexican national who said Kirk “died being a racist” and that “there are people who deserve to die. There are people who would make the world better off dead.” 

The State Department also said it revoked visas from foreign nationals from Argentina, South Africa and Brazil. 

The agency signaled there would be consequences for visa-holders who mocked Kirk’s death on social media, and said in September that it would take “appropriate action” in response to such posts. 

Critics of the State Department’s move have pointed out that Kirk himself was an advocate for free speech. 

“US revokes visas for 6 foreigners for derisive posthumous comments about Charlie Kirk–who was, ironically, a self-styled champion of free speech!” David Axelrod, who served as an adviser to former President Barack Obama, said in a Tuesday post on X. 

TRUMP DEFENDS LABELING ANTIFA A ‘TERRORIST ORGANIZATION’ AS HE TARGETS LEFT-WING EXTREMISM

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has blasted “far-left radicals” for embodying the “devil’s ideology” amid political violence in the U.S. 

“We’ve watched legions of far-left radicals resort to desperate acts of violence and terror because they know that their ideas and arguments are persuading no one,” Trump said Tuesday at the White House. “They know that they’re failing. They have the devil’s ideology and they’re failing.”

In particular, Trump pointed to recent violence at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, and inflammatory text messages recently unearthed from Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones describing a hypothetical scenario where he would shoot a Republican lawmaker in the head. 

YEARS OF CAMPUS ATTACKS ON CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS RESURFACE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER

Trump’s comments came as he posthumously awarded Kirk, Turning Point USA (TPUSA) co-founder, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is the highest award issued to civilians in the U.S.

Kirk, 31, was assassinated during his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University in September — just over a year after two assassination attempts against Trump.

Tyler Robinson, the shooting suspect involved in Kirk’s assassination, was charged in September with aggravated murder, along with other charges.

The National Rifle Association and other gun groups are suing California over the state’s ban on Glock-style guns with features known as switches that allow them to be converted to fully automatic weapons.

The NRA was joined by the Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Poway Weapons & Gear, and two NRA members in challenging the state’s ban.

The lawsuit argues that California’s ban on Glock-style handguns violates the Second Amendment and defies U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

“A law that bans the sale of—and correspondingly prevents citizens from acquiring—a weapon in common use violates the Second Amendment,” the lawsuit reads.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES CALIFORNIA AMMUNITION BACKGROUND CHECKS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

“Semiautomatic handguns with cruciform trigger bars are not different from any other type of semiautomatic handgun in a constitutionally relevant way,” it continues.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed Assembly Bill 1127 last week, prohibiting the sale or transfer of Glock and Glock-style handguns.

Under the law, licensed firearms dealers “shall not sell, offer for sale, exchange, give, transfer, or deliver any semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistol,” which is defined as “any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted by hand or with common household tools … into a machinegun by the installation or attachment of a pistol converter as a replacement for the slide’s backplate without any additional engineering, machining, or modification of the pistol’s trigger mechanism.”

The law excludes hammer-fired semiautomatic pistols and striker-fired semiautomatic pistols without a cruciform trigger bar. The law also does not apply to law enforcement officers.

The law is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported a 570% increase in converted devices collected by law enforcement agencies between 2017 and 2021, according to The Associated Press.

SUPREME COURT TAKES SECOND AMENDMENT CASE CHALLENGING HAWAII GUN LAW

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“You can make a switch with a 3D printer, you going to outlaw those too?” a gun owner told Fox 11, arguing that the ban is just another step in attempting to eventually outlaw all weapons.

Former Virginia state Del. Jay Jones’ escalating scandal — over messages envisioning the murder of a Republican lawmaker and his young “fascist” children — is expected to dominate Thursday’s attorney general debate at the University of Richmond.

The tentacles of the scandal have already reached far beyond the home of the Spiders, as President Donald Trump and Republican leaders across the country have latched onto the messaging from Jones, D-Norfolk, and the muted response from fellow Democrats.

The most recent Fox News-approved poll, conducted by Christopher Newport University on Oct. 3 before the scandal broke, showed Jones leading Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares by six points, with other Democrats on the statewide ticket enjoying similar margins.

But anecdotal evidence points to a tightening race, as Miyares has largely put the three-seat Republican ticket on his shoulders while Jones’ campaign falters.

JOE SCARBOROUGH TELLS DEM CANDIDATE JAY JONES TO LEAVE RACE OVER VIOLENT COMMENTS AGAINST GOP LAWMAKER

Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears hammered Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger on the issue at their own debate last week in Norfolk, repeatedly asking whether Jones should withdraw from the race.

Spanberger declined to call for his resignation, saying voters should decide, but several voters in the Shenandoah Valley told Fox News Digital they were disappointed she didn’t take a stronger stand.

Jones’ fellow Democrats have either been silent or vaguely supportive of the embattled former Biden administration Justice Department staffer continuing his bid, even as polling and public sentiment suggest his troubles could bring down the rest of the Democratic ticket.

Top Democrats back Jones despite backlash

Current Virginia House Speaker Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, was defiant when he addressed the media following the gubernatorial debate, comparing and contrasting the situation with Trump’s own words about Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney facing gun barrels in one of the war zones her neoconservative stances advocated for.

Senate President L. Louise Lucas, D-Norfolk, and caucus campaign chief Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, later issued a joint statement backing Jones and warning that keeping Miyares in office would be worse.

Meanwhile, Earle-Sears has a similar grip on the Republican base as Youngkin did, but continues to trail Spanberger in recent polling. Miyares, however, has now either closed the gap or slightly surpassed Jones – which pundits have said may help blunt Democratic turnout for the entire ticket.

LIBERAL MEDIA DOWNPLAYS SCANDAL OF DEM VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL JAY JONES’ TEXTS FANTASIZING MURDER OF GOP LAWMAKER

Republican lieutenant gubernatorial candidate John Reid recently posted on social media that he has reportedly pulled to within a point or two of challenger Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, although the rubric of the surveys he was referring to were not immediately verifiable.

Together, these signs suggest a tightening statewide contest in an increasingly blue-leaning commonwealth.

Virginia’s political upset shifting again 

In 2021, Republican Glenn Youngkin rode an upset victory on parental-rights outrage over transgender athletes in school sports. Earle-Sears has since championed that same issue while also hammering Democrats for their silence or ambivalence over Jones remaining in the race.

Youngkin’s upset over Terry McAuliffe was an outlier versus other recent Virginia races – notably Republican military veteran Hung Cao’s 20-point defeat to Sen. Tim Kaine in the intervening 2024 election. Kamala Harris also defeated Trump that year.

A decade ago, Republicans still had somewhat of a presence in heavily-populated northern Virginia. Then-Prince William County chairman Corey Stewart, seen as a staunch conservative, unsuccessfully sought statewide office but remained in the suburban county’s leadership for many years.

While currently opposed to Trump’s brand of Republicanism, then-Rep. Barbara Comstock, was a popular officeholder in the now-progressive Loudoun County area. Del. Geary Higgins, R-Lovettsville, remains the only Republican delegate in the once-red county west of Washington. Though he, too, faces a tough road against Warrenton innkeeper John McAuliff in November’s contest.

YOUNGKIN SAYS DEMOCRAT AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES MUST ‘STEP AWAY IN DISGRACE’ OVER TEXTS ABOUT FORMER GOP LEADER

During his campaign, Youngkin made repeated trips to southwest Virginia to run up margins in Republican strongholds and boost turnout — a strategy that, combined with support from concerned parents across northern Virginia’s Democratic-leaning suburbs, helped secure his victory.

Jones’ texts revealed

In messages first reported earlier this month, Jones texted Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Hopewell, in 2022, imagining a scenario where he would choose to “fire two bullets” into then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert’s head, describing Gilbert as worse than dictators Pol Pot or Adolf Hitler.

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Jones also referred to Gilbert’s young children as “fascists” in the exchange.

The revelations have prompted bipartisan condemnation, though Democratic leaders have so far resisted calls — including from Youngkin — for Jones to bow out of the race. 

Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy faced backlash and mockery for taking a trip to Europe as a powerful nor’easter barreled toward the Garden State, sparking an emergency declaration, and as the gubernatorial election looms. 

Murphy traveled overseas to Europe Oct. 9 for a wedding and returned to his duties Tuesday, according to his office, with Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way serving as acting governor in his absence. Way declared a state of emergency Saturday as a nor’easter was set to batter the coastal state, and as the gubernatorial campaign cycle hits a fever pitch before Nov. 4.  

“Starting on Sunday, a dangerous coastal storm will begin to move past our state with extreme weather conditions for several counties, especially those on the Shore,” the acting governor said in an emailed statement to the media Saturday. “In preparation for this storm, I am issuing a State of Emergency for all 21 counties out of an abundance of caution, authorizing our state’s emergency services personnel to activate as necessary.

The New York Post reported over the weekend that the former Goldman Sachs executive was MIA as the state braced for the storm, reporting his office said the first couple of the Garden State were in Europe for a wedding. 

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“Governor Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy are out of state this weekend to attend a close family friend’s wedding in Europe. The Governor has been in close communication with his team and emergency response officials regarding the nor’easter storm impacting the East Coast,” a Murphy spokesman told the outlet Sunday. 

Murphy’s official X account continued posting messages as usual, including celebrating Indigenous People’s Day — which Democrats and liberals often celebrate instead of Columbus Day — igniting condemnation in the reply section as social media users demanded answers as to why he was not home during a state of emergency. 

“You type this from Italy?” one user responded. 

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“Are you honoring them while in NJ? You seem to disappear a lot,” one commenter said. 

“Columbus Day! And are you doing this tweet from Europe?” another person wrote. 

Murphy cannot run for re-election as he is term-limited. The 2025 gubernatorial election pits Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill against Trump-backed Republican Jack Ciattarelli in an election that is heating up as the candidates rally last-minute voter registration by the Tuesday evening deadline. 

New Jersey voted to elect former Vice President Kamala Harris as president nearly a year ago in the presidential election. Trump, however, made inroads with Garden State voters, flipping five counties red, improving his 16-point loss in the state during the 2020 election to a six-point loss in 2024, which has teed up a nail-biter gubernatorial election a year later. 

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During another overseas trip in 2023, Murphy’s lieutenant governor died in office while serving as acting governor in his absence. Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver suddenly died at the age of 71 on Aug. 1, 2023, when Murphy was vacationing in Italy and forced to make an early trip home. 

He also came under fire in 2021 when he made an eight-day trip to Costa Rica for Christmas when coronavirus cases flared in the Garden State. The governor also was abroad just in April when he took part in a state-funded trip to the Middle East as wildfires raged at home. 

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Murphy’s office reported the governor was back at work as of Tuesday, with his schedule detailing he would attend a local media event at 8 p.m. called “Ask Governor Murphy.”

Murphy’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment Tuesday. 

U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) is investigating after Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, reported vandalism in his Washington, D.C. office that included a swastika.

Images obtained by Politico show an American flag altered with a swastika pinned on one of the cubicles in Taylor’s office.

A pocket Constitution and congressional calendar were also spotted in the photo, allegedly taken near a staffer’s desk.

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Taylor’s office released a statement Wednesday afternoon, noting he condemns the symbols “in the strongest terms.”

“I am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,” the lawmaker wrote. “The content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.”

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Taylor said when he found out about the vandalism, he immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside USCP, which remains ongoing.

“No further comment will be provided until it has been completed,” according to Taylor’s office.

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Taylor, who represents Ohio’s Second District in the U.S. House of Representatives, is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and House Agriculture Committee. 

The husband and father of three also serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus.

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USCP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, with an automatic reply citing office closures due to the federal government shutdown.