FEMA official directed hurricane relief workers to avoid homes with Trump signage as agency conducts cleanup
A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official has been fired after directing disaster relief workers to skip homes “advertising” support of now President-elect Trump in the wake of the devastating hurricanes in Florida. A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official has been fired after directing disaster relief workers to skip homes of supporters of now President-elect Trump in the wake of the devastating hurricanes. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a FEMA spokesperson said that they are “deeply disturbed” following the incident,” noting that the official who gave the instruction “was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes.” “While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again,” the spokesperson said. “The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes, and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident,” the agency said. FLORIDA RESIDENTS FEEL ‘BEATEN DOWN’ BY HURRICANE SEASON: REP. BYRON DONALDS The Daily Wire first obtained internal messages about the incident. In messages obtained by the outlet, a FEMA official is seen instructing workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump” among other practices. The outlet noted that the aid workers would enter into a system tracking application that they made no contact with the residents, blaming the directive: “Trump sign, no contact per leadership.” The agency said that it is investigating the incident and are taking it “extremely seriously.” FEMA noted that following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the agency has helped over 365,000 households and provided over $898 million in direct assistance. FEMA DOESN’T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THIS: ADAM SMITH “We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels,” the agency said. “Helping people is what we do best and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes.” In a statement on X, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that his administration is launching an investigation into FEMA following the “blatant weaponization” of the agency. “The blatant weaponization of government by partisan activists in the federal bureaucracy is yet another reason why the Biden-Harris administration is in its final days,” he said. “At my direction, the Division of Emergency Management is launching an investigation into the federal government’s targeted discrimination of Floridians who support Donald Trump.” FOLLOW THE MONEY: UNDERSTANDING FEMA’S DISASTER BUDGET IN HURRICANE MILTON AFTERMATH “New leadership is on the way to D.C. and I’m optimistic that these partisan bureaucrats will be fired,” he added. WATCH: The discovery of mismanagement came after the Biden administration lectured people about spreading “disinformation” about FEMA. During a White House address on the government’s response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene, President Biden denounced the “reckless, irresponsible and relentless disinformation and outright lies that continue to flow.” “That $750 that they’re talking about, Mr. Trump and all those other people know it’s a lie to suggest that’s all they’re going to get,” Biden said during an address in October. “It’s just bizarre. They got to stop this. They’re being so damn un-American with the way they’re talking about this stuff.”
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz scored big wins in Texas, but the president-elect outperformed the senator on his own turf
Cruz beat his challenger by 9 points, while Trump prevailed over his by 14 points. Still, Cruz performed better this year than he did in 2018
US Rep. Mike Rogers being considered for secretary of defense under Trump
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., is being considered to serve as secretary of defense in a second Trump administration. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital Rogers has been contacted by the Trump transition team. Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for comment. INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN VICTORIES IN SUBURBAN NEW YORK: ‘FED UP WITH ONE PARTY DEMOCRATIC RULE’ Rogers was re-elected to a third term Tuesday after running unopposed. Another potential candidate for defense secretary is Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Green Beret. In addition to serving in the military before joining Congress, Waltz was an adviser to defense secretaries Robert Gates and Donald Rumsfeld and spent time in the private sector as CEO of defense contractor Metis Solutions. He sits on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, in addition to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. NEW YORK DEM WARNS ‘VILIFYING VOTERS OF COLOR AS WHITE SUPREMACISTS’ PUSHES THEM ‘FURTHER INTO TRUMP’S CAMP’ Republicans are bullish about keeping the House majority after victories in the Senate and the White House on election night. Replacing a House member, even one from a district that heavily favors one party or the other, generally takes at least several weeks. Republican leaders have already signaled they would not want to waste any time in using their majorities in Congress to forward Trump’s agenda. On Thursday, Trump announced his campaign manager, Susie Wiles, will serve as his White House chief of staff. House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is being discussed as a potential candidate for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, two people familiar with such discussions told Fox News Digital.
Moderate Republican Don Bacon projected to win re-election for Nebraska swing seat
Moderate Republican Rep. Don Bacon is projected to survive a close re-election race in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District. The Associated Press projected on Friday that Bacon, a retired military general, who ran against Democratic state lawmaker Tony Vargas, won. The race was one of the most closely watched races of the 2024 election cycle. It was a key win for House GOP leaders fighting to keep the chamber majority. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION In a testament to the district’s battleground status, both Bacon and Vargas emphasized their bipartisan work in the closing days of the campaign. Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District is the least red House seat in the state. It includes all of Omaha, the state’s largest city, as well as the city of Papillion. Bacon was one of 16 House Republicans who won seats in 2022 in areas that had voted for President Biden in 2020, making it one of the most competitive races from the get-go. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ The moderate GOP lawmaker made a name for himself for speaking his mind, even when it came to criticizing plans and measures levied by fellow Republicans and House Republican leadership. He retired from the Air Force as a brigadier general in 2014. Bacon won the seat in 2016 by defeating incumbent Democratic Rep. Brad Ashford by roughly 1%. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ His three subsequent elections saw him narrowly hold on to power by roughly 2% or less. Vargas had previously challenged Bacon in the 2022 midterms and lost by about 2.2%. A former teacher and Omaha Public Schools Board member, Vargas joined the Nebraska Legislature in 2017. Like Bacon, he defeated an incumbent of the opposite party to win his seat.
Texas AG demands records from special counsel investigation of Trump
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Biden administration’s Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday, demanding that it provide records relating to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s corruption investigation into President-elect Trump. In a release, the Republican AG alleged that former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who led a team investigating Trump regarding a false Trump-Russia election collaboration, “destroyed records.” “Past Special Counsels, including — notoriously — Robert Mueller, destroyed records at the end of their investigations to avoid accountability,” Paxton said in a release. “It is not clear why nobody was prosecuted for doing so,” he added. “This request is part of my Office’s efforts to ensure that Americans are not cheated out of accountability or information again. This pattern of weaponizing the justice system for partisan retribution must end.” JORDAN DEMANDS SMITH RETAIN ALL RECORDS RELATED TO TRUMP PROSECUTIONS AS SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE WINDS DOWN In Paxton’s request, he argued that past special counselors “appear to have intentionally destroyed documents” during their tenure. “Our office would consider any destruction of the documents requested herein to be a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1361, and would refer the matter for prosecution in the event destruction occurs,” the letter said. PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ALREADY MEETING WITH TRANSITION TEAM, STRATEGIZING HOW TO FILL ADMINISTRATION According to the DOJ, 18 U.S.C. § 1361 “protects “any property” of the United States or an agency or department thereof.” The FOIA request from Paxton follows the House Judiciary Committee sharing its concern that Smith and prosecutors involved in the Trump investigations will “purge” records to skirt oversight. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., penned a letter to Smith on Friday, demanding that he produce to Congress all documents related to the probes before the end of the month. “The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing its oversight of the Department of Justice and the Office of Special Counsel. According to recent public reports, prosecutors in your office have been ‘gaming out legal options’ in the event that President Donald Trump won the election,” they wrote. “With President Trump’s decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to purge relevant records, communications, and documents responsive to our numerous requests for information.” Following Trump’s decisive victory, the DOJ is looking to wind down two federal criminal cases against Trump as he prepares to be sworn in for a second term in the White House. Its decision to do so upholds a long-standing policy that prevents DOJ attorneys from prosecuting a sitting president. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: Democrat governor vows Mass. resistance to Trump
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Where do Trump’s legal cases stand after massive election win? -Shutdown standoff looms in Congress’ final weeks before Trump’s return to White House – Special Counsel Jack Smith moves to drop Trump election interference case – What does President-elect Trump’s win mean for US regarding the Israel-Hamas war? Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey says that her state police will “absolutely not” be cooperating with the expected mass deportation effort by the incoming Trump administration, warning that she will use “every tool in the toolbox” to “protect” residents in the blue state. Healey was asked on MSNBC on Wednesday whether the Massachusetts State Police would assist the federal government in the mass deportation of illegal immigrants. President-elect Trump has pledged to launch the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history” to deport millions of illegal immigrants. “Following the Eisenhower Model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” Trump said during the campaign…Read more ‘CREATED A CRISIS’: Federal judge throws out Biden admin program to legalize illegal immigrant spouses of US citizens…Read more ‘NOT MESSING AROUND’: Trump ally floated as possible AG has harsh warning for Letitia James: ‘We will put your fat a– in prison’…Read more ANSWER STANDS: White House says President Biden still has no plans to pardon Hunter Biden…Read more TRUMP TRANSITION: Trump’s former Education Secretary says she is ‘very open’ to discussion about returning to previous post…Read more ‘NOT STAYING HERE’: Trump says mass deportations ‘not a question of a price tag’…Read more ‘GARBAGE’: 4 key times Biden undermined Harris’ campaign against Trump…Read more TRUMP’S FIX-IT WOMAN: Who is Susie Wiles, Trump’s White House chief of staff? 5 things to know…Read more LAWFARE: Former White House lawyer says Trump will not use DOJ ‘for political purposes,’ but to implement ‘his agenda’…Read more ROUND ONE: Highlights from President-elect Donald Trump’s first term as President of the United States…Read more ‘RAPID PACE’: Former Trump official makes prediction about incoming admin’s aggressive border plan…Read more PLAYING THE COURT: Justice Sonia Sotomayor faces pressure to retire ahead of Trump taking office: report…Read more CLOSE CALL: Toss-up Maine House race moves to ranked-choice tabulation…Read more SEEING RED: Trio of longtime Dem senators elected same year were voted out in 2024…Read more ‘HISTORIC MANDATE’: Newly elected swing state GOP rep previews first 100 day plan under Trump’s ‘historic mandate’…Read more ‘UNPRECEDENTED’: Cornyn touts lifetime fundraising prowess for GOP in final case to succeed McConnell…Read more KEYSTONE ‘GRATITUDE’: PA Sen-elect McCormick thanks Casey family for decades of service, as Democrat declines to concede…Read more NO MERCY: Republican senator says Trump should not pardon Hunter Biden…Read more ‘LET’S DO THIS!’: Tim Scott launches NRSC chair bid as GOP seeks to capitalize on new minority gains…Read more THE FATAL 5: 5 mistakes that doomed Kamala Harris’ campaign against Trump…Read more FIRST ON FOX: Jordan demands Smith retain all records related to Trump prosecutions as special counsel’s office winds down…Read more TRIM THE FAT: Trump administration could lead to budget cuts, leadership shakeup at the United Nations…Read more MOVING ON UP?: Stefanik in contention for Trump administration role…Read more VOTER BREAKDOWN: Trump clinched a higher percentage of Muslim voters compared to Jewish voters in recent election…Read more RED THREAT: Chinese spies hacked Trump attorney Todd Blanche’s phone: source…Read more US VS. ‘THEY/THEM’: Trump’s ‘they/them’ ads combined culture war, economic worries to make effective pitch: expert…Read more ‘READY FOR CHANGE’: Incumbent San Francisco mayor concedes to opponent amid concerns over homeless, drug overdoses…Read more WANTED: Masked attackers who attacked Jewish students near Chicago’s DePaul University seen in new photo…Read more ‘POWERFUL REPELLANT’: New York Dem warns ‘vilifying voters of color as white supremacists’ pushes ‘them further into Trump’s camp’…Read more WARRIOR’ WARNING: Dem governor issues stark warning to Trump: ‘You come for my people, you come through me’…Read more NO MORE: NYC ends taxpayer-funded prepaid debit card program for illegal immigrants…Read more ‘WARRIOR’ WARNING: Dem governor issues stark warning to Trump: ‘You come for my people, you come through me’…Read more ‘FAILED EXPERIMENT’: Experts reveal why Soros-backed policies took beating in deep blue state…Read more OPEN BORDER CONSEQUENCES: Illegal migrant charged with killing mother of 4 in AOC’s district…Read more BLUE STATE RESISTANCE: Dem governor threatens to use ‘every tool’ to fight back against Trump-era deportations…Read more CLIMATE ON THE BALLOT: Voters decide on climate measures, reject initiative to tax natural gas powered buildings in California city…Read more DEM MAYOR INDICTED: Capital city Democratic mayor, prosecutor indicted in undercover bribery sting…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
US charges man allegedly tasked by Iran to plot Trump killing pre-election
Iranian citizen tapped to create plan to assassinate former president, DOJ alleges, although he never followed through. The United States Department of Justice has unsealed criminal charges against a man allegedly tasked by Iran with “surveilling and plotting to assassinate” Donald Trump before the presidential election. The criminal complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan on Friday said an agent with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had instructed an Afghan citizen, Farhad Shakeri, to come up with the plan in October. However, Shakeri told investigators he did not intend to provide a plan in the timeline requested: Before the election on November 5. In a statement, Attorney-General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department “has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump”. He added, “There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran.” Iran did not immediately respond to the allegation, but has in the past dismissed similar claims and has denied wanting to kill Trump. Former immigrant, deported The alleged assassination effort was revealed as part of a wider complaint that alleged Shakeri, and as well as New York City residents Carlisel Rivera and Jonathon Lodholt had taken part in a separate plot to kill a US journalist who has been a vocal critic of Iran. The complaint said Rivera and Lodholt had spent months surveilling the journalist, who was not identified, and shared regular updates with Shakeri, who remains at large and is believed to reside in Iran. According to the Justice Department, Shakeri immigrated to the US as a child and was deported in or about 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction. “In recent months, Shakeri has used a network of criminal associates he met in prison in the United States to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets,” the Justice Department said in a news release. Shakeri also told investigators he had separately been offered $500,000 to surveil and eventually kill two “Jewish American citizens residing in New York”. The three men were charged with murder for hire and money laundering. Shakeri has also been charged with providing and conspiring to provide “material support to a foreign terrorist organisation”. US says Iran motivated by revenge The FBI has said that threats against Trump surged following the July 13 assassination attempt against the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania, although that attack was not believed to have been connected to any foreign actors. A second assassination attempt against Trump in September was also not believed to have been connected to any foreign governments. Still, in August, the Justice Department said a Pakistani man was charged in an alleged plot to carry out political assassinations in the US. The arrested man, Asif Merchant, allegedly had ties with Iran, although court documents did not specify who he was targeting. In September, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had been briefed on US intelligence on “big threats” to his life by Iranian agents. His campaign manager said at the time that the intelligence community had warned Trump “regarding real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States”. In its statement on Friday, the Justice Department repeated allegations that Iran is “actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for attacks, including assault, kidnapping, and murder”. It claimed that Iran was doing so both to silence dissent and to enact vengeance for the US drone killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in January 2020. Trump was president when that strike was ordered. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia seeks 6-year jail term for medic accused of criticising Ukraine war
Paediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova is on trial for statements allegedly made during a private appointment with a patient. Authorities in Russia are seeking a six-year prison term for a paediatrician accused of criticising the war in Ukraine during a private appointment with a patient and his mother. Dr Nadezhda Buyanova was reported to the police by the ex-wife of a soldier missing after fighting in Ukraine – Anastasia Akinshina – who accused the doctor of blaming Russia for the war and telling her son that his father was a legitimate target for Kyiv’s troops. Buyanova, 68, was arrested in February and initially released on condition of complying with certain restrictions. But two months later, authorities placed her in pre-trial detention, arguing that she violated some of the restrictions. She is charged with spreading “fake” information on the Russian army under military censorship laws used to silence dissent. The case against her is one of hundreds brought against Russians after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and unleashed an unprecedented crackdown on opposition activists, independent journalists and Russian citizens. Handcuffed behind a glass defendant’s cage in a court hearing on Friday, the Moscow medic cried and said: “I am innocent.” Many have pointed to her birthplace – Ukraine’s western city of Lviv, which Russia has painted as the root of all evil – as a reason for such treatment. “I was born in the city of Lviv, a city in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,” she said, sobbing after prosecutors announced they were seeking a years-long prison sentence. “What kind of hatred can I feel? I am related to three Slavic peoples: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,” she said. “I am not a politician. … I am just a doctor,” she said. Buyanova also denied the charges against her. “None of this happened,” she said in court, accusing Akinshina of making up the conversation. At the start of the trial in April, Akinshina said her son was not present in the room when the dialogue took place. But in a court hearing over the summer, the seven-year-old boy said Buyanova had alleged, “Russia is an aggressor country, and Russia kills peaceful people in Ukraine.” He also said Buyanova had called his father a “legal target for Ukraine”. “I saw that boy. … These were such adult phrases, such scary ones. I doubt that those were his words,” Buyanova said in court. Lawyers had asked if the boy was pressured, but the court refused to consider the complaint. “It is obvious the boy could not remember or understand such phrases like ‘legal target’,” Buyanova’s lawyer Oskar Cherdiyev told reporters. A dozen people, mostly medics, came to court to support Buyanova, whose first name means “hope” in Russian. “The whole situation is absurd,” 49-year-old child psychologist Arina told the AFP news agency. “The only thing we can do is to show Nadezhda that she is not alone, … that there are people who are hoping for a miracle,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
UN peacekeepers accuse Israel of ‘deliberate and direct’ attack in Lebanon
The Israeli military, which has hit UNIFIL positions several times, denies responsibility despite footage. United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have reported another Israeli assault on their positions as ground and air attacks on Lebanon continue to claim lives. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Friday that two Israeli military excavators and one bulldozer had destroyed part of a fence and a concrete structure at a UN base in Ras Naqoura a day earlier. The Israeli military denied any activity after UN forces contacted it to protest, despite UNIFIL publishing footage of the incident online. The Israeli military’s “deliberate and direct destruction of clearly identifiable UNIFIL property is a flagrant violation of international law and resolution 1701”, UNIFIL said, referring to the UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Statement: Yesterday, two IDF excavators and one IDF bulldozer destroyed part of a fence and a concrete structure in a UNIFIL position in Ras Naqoura. In response to our urgent protest, the IDF denied any activity was taking place inside the UNIFIL position. pic.twitter.com/gQm02hjNTG — UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) November 8, 2024 Since September 30, Israel has repeatedly demanded that UN peacekeepers vacate their internationally mandated premises so it can more freely advance with its ground invasion of southern Lebanon. The peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon has been targeted 40 times since then, UNIFIL’s deputy spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told Al Jazeera on Friday. Ardiel said eight of those attacks were confirmed to have originated from the Israeli army. Peacekeepers have been wounded and property destroyed in previous attacks. Israel also requested that UNIFIL evacuate 29 sites near the Blue Line, the UN-delineated line of withdrawal between Israel and Lebanon, Ardiel said. Earlier, UNIFIL said Israeli forces have been destroying and removing blue barrels that mark the Blue Line. “Yesterday’s incident, like seven other similar incidents, is not a matter of peacekeepers getting caught in the crossfire, but of deliberate and direct actions” by the Israeli military, UNIFIL added. UNIFIL convoys ‘at risk’ European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday said the bloc condemns an “incident which put at risk an UNIFIL convoy and left several peacekeepers wounded” after six Malaysian peacekeepers were injured on Thursday by an Israeli drone strike that killed three Lebanese people in a car nearby. Borrell’s statement did not directly name Israel and said “all parties must ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and allow them to carry out their vital mission under UNIFIL’s mandate”. A rescuer and a member of the Malaysian battalion of UNIFIL treat the wound of a fellow soldier, after he was injured at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Sidon, on November 7, 2024 [Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP] Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues to push ahead with its ground operation in southern Lebanon and launch air strikes across the country as Hezbollah fires rockets and launches drones into Israel. At least three people were killed and more than 30 wounded in one of the latest Israeli attacks on Lebanon that struck two buildings in the ancient city of Tyre on Friday night. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health announced that at least 15 people were killed and 69 wounded on Thursday as a result of Israeli strikes. Since October last year, at least 3,117 people have been killed and 13,888 wounded by Israeli attacks in Lebanon, the ministry said. Among them, 617 are women and 192 children. The casualties include 180 health workers. The ministry said hospitals have been attacked 65 times. Israeli attacks are ongoing across the Gaza Strip as well, where more than 43,000 people have been killed since October last year, nearly 70 percent of them children and women, according to the UN. This is while famine is looming in northern Gaza, which has been under siege for more than a month. Adblock test (Why?)
Dem governors, AGs vow resistance to incoming Trump administration
Democratic governors and attorneys general alike have vowed resistance to the incoming Trump administration’s policies, just days after the election was called for the former president. President-elect Trump has already begun his transition back into the White House, with one of his first major moves being the announcement of Susie Wiles as his chief of staff. Just recently, Trump also signaled to NBC News that mass deportations are not out of the question as one of his top priorities upon starting his term in January. In response, governors and attorneys general in Democratic states have also voiced their priorities in being on defense during Trump’s second term. NEW YORK DEM WARNS ‘VILIFYING VOTERS OF COLOR AS WHITE SUPREMACISTS’ PUSHES THEM ‘FURTHER INTO TRUMP’S CAMP’ New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James — who has notably been vocal about her attempts to prosecute Trump — said Wednesday during a press conference that while they would honor the election results and would “work with anyone who wants to be a partner in achieving the goals of our administration in our state, that does not mean we’ll accept an agenda from Washington that strips away the rights that New Yorkers have long enjoyed.” “The safety and wellbeing of New Yorkers are my top priorities,” Hochul said in a statement released shortly after. “I’m committed to working with anyone on policies that make our state stronger, safer and more livable — but my administration will also be prepared to protect New Yorkers’ fundamental freedoms from any potential threats.” James echoed those same sentiments in the statement, saying she and her team had “been preparing for a potential second Trump Administration, and I am ready to do everything in my power to ensure our state and nation do not go backwards.” Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul and James’ offices for comment. HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS THE PARTY NEEDS TO GET PAST ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement released Wednesday that “our most vulnerable communities woke up to new uncertainty about their future, scared that their rights will no longer be protected.” Pritzker said he would continue to uphold Illinois’ values, stating, “When that means working with the next presidential administration that is what I will do, and when that means standing up to it, I believe my record is clear on where I’ll be.” Pritzker reiterated these same points during a press conference on Thursday, where he said that anyone who comes “for my people, you come through me.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment. Washington State Attorney General and incoming Gov. Bob Ferguson held a press conference on Thursday alongside incoming Attorney General Nick Brown, where Ferguson said his team had been preparing for a potential Trump presidency for months in advance. Ferguson said during the press conference that his team had reviewed Trump’s policies and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, the latest iteration of a longstanding Heritage Foundation initiative to establish a conservative governing blueprint. DEMOCRATS LOOKING TO POINT FINGERS AFTER ‘HUMILIATING’ ELECTION DEFEAT SHOULD START WITH MEDIA: WSJ COLUMNIST Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement with the agenda, saying, “I disagree with some of the things they’re saying, and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal.” “The president has significant authority. That is the way our system works,” Brionna Aho, Ferguson Communications Director, told Fox News Digital. “However, no one is above the law. Our office has successfully litigated against the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. When a president exceeds his authority and harms Washingtonians, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office is prepared to hold him accountable to the rule of law.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday announced the state legislature would convene a special session “to safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration.” The session is expected to focus on “bolstering California legal resources to protect civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families” ahead of Trump taking office, the statement read. “We’ve been through this before, and we stand ready to defend your rights and protect California values,” Bonta said in the statement. “We’re working closely with the Governor and the Legislature to shore up our defenses and ensure we have the resources we need to take on each fight as it comes.” “We will uphold the rights of all Californians. Between Project 2025 and President Elect Trump’s own statements, we know what to expect from a second Trump Administration,” Bonta’s office told Fox News Digital Friday evening in a follow-up statement. “What happens next is up to the President Elect. If he doesn’t violate the law, and we hope he won’t, we won’t need to take action. But based on our experience with the first Trump Administration and the President Elect’s own words, we expect that won’t be the case and we will be prepared to respond.” “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “He will deliver.”