Eric Schmitt withdraws from Trump attorney general consideration to remain in Senate
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., has requested that President-elect Trump’s transition team withdraw his name from consideration for attorney general, he announced Monday. Schmitt won election to the U.S. Senate in 2022, and he says he wishes to remain there to represent the interests of Missouri voters. His announcement comes as Trump’s transition team is tasked with preparing to fill thousands of roles in the federal government. “I ran for the U.S. Senate to represent the people of the Show Me State and I’m just getting started. The American people have given President Trump a mandate. A mandate to secure our border, make America energy dominant and fight for the forgotten men and women of this country,” Schmitt wrote on X. “We need America First fighters who don’t just say they support the agenda but who are willing to stand in the breach and actually fight for it and for the hopes and dreams of the American people. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and be a champion for President Trump in the Senate,” he added. TRUMP TO APPOINT FORMER ICE DIRECTOR TOM HOMAN AS NEXT ‘BORDER CZAR’: NOBODY BETTER AT POLICING OUR BORDERS’ Schmitt had previously served as the attorney general of Missouri. Trump has made few staffing announcements since securing his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last week. He announced that Susie Wiles will serve as the White House chief of staff. Tom Homan will also serve as Trump’s border czar. EX-ACTING ICE DIRECTOR SAYS MASS DEPORTATION POSSIBLE WITHOUT FAMILY SEPARATION IF THEY’RE ‘DEPORTED TOGETHER’ Trump has also selected Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and he has announced Stephen Miller as the White House deputy chief of staff for policy. STEFANIK SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘SCARE TACTICS’ ON TRUMP’S RECORD WITH WOMEN ON IVF, ABORTION Stefanik, the fourth-highest ranking House Republican, is a frequent figure on television where she advocates for the GOP side on a number of issues, including Israel and what she refers to as the “Biden Crime Family.” Stefanik, who was elected to her sixth term in the House last week, made national headlines for grilling the presidents of Ivy League universities about the rising antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel. “The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” Stefanik added in her statement to the Post. “I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations. “
Vance congratulates Miller on new Trump administration position
President-elect Trump is expected to pick Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy in his administration. Vice President-elect JD Vance posted a message of congratulations to Miller on X Monday morning. “This is another fantastic pick by the president,” Vance wrote, following a CNN report about Trump’s pick. FORMER ICE DIRECTOR TOM HOMAN ‘HONORED’ TO BE APPOINTED TRUMP’S BORDER CZAR: ‘WE HAVE TO FIX IT’ Miller was a senior adviser in Trump’s first term. He helped craft many of Trump’s hard-line speeches and plans on immigration. Since Trump left office, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization of former Trump advisers fashioned as a conservative version of the American Civil Liberties Union, challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as freedom of speech and religion and national security. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
‘Get her in here’: Joe Rogan reveals Harris team wanted ‘restrictions’ on potential interview
Popular podcast host Joe Rogan revealed more details about how his attempt to interview Vice President Kamala Harris before the election never materialized. “There were a few restrictions of things they didn’t want to talk about, but I said, ‘I don’t give a f—, get her in here.’ Like, whatever you want to talk about,” Rogan said on a Friday episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.” The comments come after Rogan made waves by endorsing President-elect Donald Trump the day before the election, a rare nod to a political candidate by a podcast host who has earned a legion of loyal followers. TRUMP VICTORY PROVES IMPORTANCE OF CANDID, LONGFORM PODCASTS AS PLATFORM SHOWED ‘HUMAN SIDE’ OF ONE CANDIDATE Rogan’s endorsement of Trump after he appeared for an interview on the podcast in late October, talking to Rogan for nearly three hours. Rogan would later go on to interview billionaire Elon Musk, who became a key Trump ally down the stretch run of the campaign. However, similar attempts to get Harris on his show did not bear fruit for the podcast star, who revealed Friday that he would have talked about anything in an attempt to get to know the Democratic presidential candidate. “I bet there’s a person in there. I bet I can get to that person,” Rogan said. “I would love to talk to her about all kinds of s—.” JOE ROGAN SAYS HARRIS SITDOWN WAS SCRAPPED AFTER CAMPAIGN TOLD HIM SHE ‘ONLY WANTED TO DO AN HOUR’ Rogan had previously revealed that there was hope of a last minute chance to sit down with Harris before Election Day, but those plans were scrapped when her team asked Rogan to travel to her for only a one-hour interview. “Also, for the record, the Harris campaign has not passed on doing the podcast,” Rogan said the day before the election. “They offered a date for Tuesday, but I would have had to travel to her, and they only wanted to do an hour. I strongly feel the best way to do it is in the studio in Austin.” “My sincere wish is to just have a nice conversation and get to know her as a human being. I really hope we can make it happen,” Rogan added. Rogan also revealed he was asked by Harris’ team if the show would be edited, something Rogan said he would not do. “They want to know if I edit. I was like, there’s not going to be any editing, there’s no editing. We’re not going to edit,” Rogan said. Rogan, who boasts 14.5 million followers on Spotify and 17.6 million followers on YouTube, said that at the end of the day, he was just hoping for a conversation with Harris, arguing you can find out a lot about a person over the course of a few hours. “I just wanted to talk. I feel like you give someone a couple of hours and you start talking about anything, I’m going to see the pattern of the way you think, I’m going to see the way you process ideas, I’m going to see whether or not you’re calculated or whether you’re just free,” Rogan said. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
What Stefanik’s House tenure reveals about what type of UN ambassador she may be
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, who hammered elite university leaders for their handling of anti-Israel agitators who stormed college campuses in the last year, will be nominated to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s ambassador to the U.N. “I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in comment provided to Fox News Digital. A person with direct knowledge of the matter additionally confirmed to Fox News Digital that Trump has chosen the New York Republican for the role. Stefanik is a longtime Trump ally who has chaired the House Republican Conference since 2021, serving as the fourth-most powerful Republican in the House. She was first elected to the House in blue New York in 2014 at the age of 30, making her the youngest woman elected to the House at the time. In the last year alone, Stefanik has been a conservative firebrand who grilled “morally bankrupt” college leaders over their handling of antisemitism on campus following Hamas attacking Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. “Northwestern, Rutgers and UCLA negotiated with pro-Hamas terrorist encampments, bent the knee to the radical antisemitic mob and surrendered their campuses to illegal antisemitic encampments while repeatedly ignoring the harassment and violence against Jewish students and faculty,” Stefanik told Fox News Digital back in May as she was set to grill another group of college leaders. TRUMP NAMES STEFANIK UN AMBASSADOR “House Republicans will use every tool at our disposal to ensure accountability from campus leadership for allowing self-proclaimed terrorists to turn once acclaimed American colleges into dens of antisemitic hate.” During last year’s college school year, agitators and student protesters flooded college campuses nationwide to protest the war in Israel, which also included spiking instances of antisemitism and Jewish students publicly speaking out that they do not feel safe on some campuses. STEFANIK SPARS WITH HEAD OF TOP SCHOOL OVER FAILING GRADE ON ANTISEMITISM, STUNNING WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIM Radicals on Columbia University’s campus, for example, took over the school’s Hamilton Hall building, while schools such as UCLA, Harvard and Yale worked to clear spiraling student encampments where protesters demanded their elite schools completely divest from Israel. Terrorist organization Hamas launched a war in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which initially fanned the flames of antisemitism on campuses in the form of protests, menacing graffiti and students reporting that they felt as if it was “open season for Jews on our campuses.” The protests then heightened to the point Jewish students at some schools, including Columbia, were warned to leave campus for their own safety. NEW BATCH OF ‘MORALLY BANKRUPT’ COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS TO BE GRILLED OVER CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM BY HOUSE Stefanik has served as a leading voice against antisemitism, including taking victory laps when University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill and Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned from their positions amid widespread backlash for waffling in their answers to Stefanik during a House hearing last year. Stefanik grilled Magill and Gay in December regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. The pair were both unable to provide direct answers. STEFANIK GRILLS HARVARD PRESIDENT OVER STUDENTS CALLING FOR ‘INTIFADA,’ RAMPANT ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS “It can be, depending on the context,” Gay responded. “Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct, and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews breaks school rules. “So the answer is yes, that calling for the genocide of Jews violates Harvard code of conduct, correct?” Stefanik asked. “Again, it depends on the context,” Gay said. “It does not depend on the context. The answer is yes and this is why you should resign,” Stefanik responded. “These are unacceptable answers across the board.” Magill answered similarly during the hearing, with both issuing apologies following outrage from Jewish groups, the public and lawmakers that the school presidents could not unequivocally answer Stefanik’s questions. The pair subsequently resigned from their Ivy League jobs as outrage mounted. CAMPUS ‘OCCUPATION GUIDE’ TAPS INTO AGITATORS’ ‘RAGE,’ INSTRUCTS HOW TO ‘ESCALATE’ CHAOS “One down. Two to go,” Stefanik posted after their resignations. “This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America. This forced resignation of the president of @Penn is the bare minimum of what is required. These universities can anticipate a robust and comprehensive Congressional investigation of all facets of their institutions negligent perpetration of antisemitism including administrative, faculty, funding, and overall leadership and governance.” Stefanik continued grilling college administrators in other hearings, and has also publicly lambasted anti-Israel protests that have cropped up, including when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United States in July and Vice President Kamala Harris skipping his address to Congress. STEFANIK FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT AGAINST TRUMP TRIAL JUDGE ALLEGING HARRIS CAMPAIGN PAID HIS DAUGHTER’S COMPANY “Kamala Harris’ embarrassing snub of @netanyahu’s Joint Address to Congress was a stunt to appease the pro-Hamas base of the Democrat Party that just burned American flags, clashed with police, and spread dangerous pro-terror chaos and violence. Why won’t Kamala disavow these antisemitic terrorist sympathizers?” Stefanik posted to her X account of Harris. The vice president ultimately did condemn the protests in July during Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S., and met with Netanyahu one-on-one after skipping his address to Congress. Stefanik also supported Trump amid his Manhattan criminal trial, where he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in May. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case, calling the trial a “witch hunt” and “scam” promoted by Democrats to hamper his campaign for the White House. “Today’s verdict shows how corrupt, rigged, and unAmerican the weaponized justice system has become under Joe Biden and Democrats. I fully support President Trump
California voters shoot down proposed ban on forced prison labor
California voters shut down a ballot effort that would have banned the use of forced labor as a punishment for crime in the state. The measure, known as Proposition 6, would have amended the state’s constitution to ban forced labor in all circumstances. The state’s constitution currently allows for an exception for forced labor bans in the case of punishment for crimes. The measure was part of a wider movement among far-left Democrats in California who want the state to atone for past racism against Black residents. Activists previously failed to push through reparations bills in September. A representative for Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who supported the measure, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. NATHAN HOCHMAN OUSTS EMBATTLED LIBERAL PROSECUTOR GEORGE GASCON AS LA COUNTY DA AMID CRIME CONCERNS Democratic assembly member Lori Wilson, who helped push the ballot measure, addressed the failure in a statement. “While it’s disappointing that our measure to remove slavery from California’s constitution was not approved by the voters, this setback does not end the fight,” Wilson wrote in a statement. “Together, we will continue pushing forward to ensure that our state’s constitution reflects the values of equality and freedom that all Californians deserve.” The measure’s failure comes months after a pair of reparations-related bills for the descendants of enslaved Black Americans failed to pass in the California legislature in early September. Authored by Democrat state Sen. Steven Bradford of Inglewood, Senate Bill 1331 would have created a new state fund for reparations, while Senate Bill 1403 would have established a state agency to oversee these efforts and determine who would be eligible. PELOSI PRAISES CA BILL GIVING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS MONEY TO BUY HOMES: ‘AMERICAN DREAM’ ‘AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE’ These measures were considered key components of some lawmakers’ ambitious efforts to pass legislation aimed at atoning for what they said was a legacy of racist policies that drove disparities for Black people, from housing to education to health. Bradford said the bills didn’t move forward out of fear that Gov. Gavin Newsom would veto them. “We’re at the finish line, and we, as the Black Caucus, owe it to the descendants of chattel slavery, to Black Californians and Black Americans, to move this legislation forward,” Bradford said, urging his colleagues to reconsider Saturday afternoon.
Trump to install ‘energy czar’ to dismantle Biden climate rules: report
President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to install an “energy czar” to scale back energy and climate regulations implemented under the Biden administration. Six sources familiar with Trump’s transition team told the New York Times that a series of executive orders and presidential proclamations have been drafted related to climate and energy, aimed at rolling back Biden-era clean energy regulations that some critics argue have hurt the economy. Other plans Trump and his transition team are reportedly discussing include installing an “energy czar” to help cut regulations on domestic energy production and potentially moving the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) headquarters outside of Washington, D.C. “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,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked to confirm the details about Trump’s reported plans. “He will deliver.” News of the policy plans from Trump and his transition team comes amid speculation over who will staff his various agencies, including those governing environmental policies. The Times suggested that former Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was being floated as a potential candidate to be Trump’s “energy czar.” The outlet also pointed to Dan Brouillette, who served as Trump’s energy secretary during his first tenure as president. US TO TIGHTEN RESTRICTIONS ON ENERGY DEVELOPMENT TO PROTECT STRUGGLING SAGE GROUSE “President-elect Trump will begin making decisions on who will serve in his second administration soon,” Leavitt told the Times when it reached out to confirm details about the new post. “Those decisions will be announced when they are made.” Besides plans to install an “energy czar” and potentially move the EPA’s headquarters out of Washington, the potential executive actions reportedly drafted by Trump’s transition team would pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, expand drilling and mining on federal lands, and would loosen regulations around fossil fuel pollution. BIDEN-HARRIS EPA FUNDING ‘RADICAL, LEFT-LEANING’ ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CALLING TO END FOSSIL FUELS: REPORT Prior to the Times’ report on Trump’s potential energy policy plans, the president-elect said while running his campaign that he would peel back Biden administration regulations intended to cut carbon emissions, and has also said he would stymie green energy initiatives within Biden’s signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act. “The green agenda is an elitist agenda,” Trump transition team co-chairman Howard Lutnick told Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo. “Who is the strongest? Where? The Ivy League on the East Coast. Right? They’re the ones that are [pushing] climate change.” Lutnick added that “real” Americans are “not talking climate change” but are focused on kitchen-table issues impacting their pocketbooks.
Trump’s ‘border czar’ warns Dem govs rejecting Trump deportation plan: ‘Get the hell out of the way’
Thomas Homan, who President-elect Donald Trump appointed as “border czar” on Sunday night, has a clear message for any Democratic governors who oppose the planned mass deportation operation. “If they’re not willing to help, then get the hell out of the way because [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] is going to do their job,” Homan, who was acting ICE director during the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday. Trump announced on Sunday that Homan will be appointed “border czar” and would be in charge of the borders and “all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their country of origin” in the new administration. DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS Before that announcement, Fox News asked Homan about comments by Democratic governors who have indicated they will not work with the administration on the mass deportation of illegal immigrants. Mass. Gov. Maura Healey said last week that “every tool in the tool box has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states and to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle.” “No. Absolutely not,” she said last week when asked if state police would help with deportations. Homan, a Fox News contributor, suspects some “sanctuary” jurisdictions will work with the administration. “They’re not going to say it, but with all the alien crime and the young women being sexually assaulted and murdered, some sheriffs have been coming forward and working with us behind the scenes,” he said. However, while he said it would be useful to have the “force multiplier” of assistance from state and local governments, and for agents to have access to county jails where serious illegal immigrant criminals are locked up, he said that a lack of that aid would not stop the operations. “If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way, we’re going to do it. What it means is, rather than send 100 people to Boston, we’re going to send 200 agents to Boston. We’re going to get the job done,” he said. “We have a mandate. I think the American people just gave President Trump a mandate. That’s why he’s elected — to secure the border, save lives and deport people, especially national security threats and public safety threats. So if you’re not going to help us, step aside, but don’t get in our way, because there will be consequences.” Homan said that the immediate focus will be on those illegal immigrants with criminal convictions or charges, as had been the focus under the first Trump administration. ‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION “It’s not going to be a massive sweep of neighborhoods, it’s not going to be massive raids. It’s going to be a targeted enforcement operation,” he said. However, he warned that it does not mean anyone is off the table. “If you’re in a country illegally, you’ve got a problem.” Homan argues that with millions of people having entered illegally across the southern border under the Biden administration, there has to be consequences for those who are found not to have a valid asylum claim, or else there is no true due process. “There will be a massive deportation operation because we had massive never seen before illegal immigration where 90% will be ordered removed. It’s common sense,” he said. He also said that many illegal immigrants will likely leave by themselves when incentives to cross the border are ended. As for how many can be removed, he says that will depend on the resources made available. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “It depends on resources, depends on the money. But I guarantee you that President Trump means what he says and there will be a green light to enforce our laws and secure that border. And that’s going to require a mass deportation operation,” he said. Homan, a former New York police officer, Border Patrol agent and ICE chief, had been widely expected to play a key role in the mass deportation operation. A Washington Post article in 2016 said that Homan “deports people. And he’s really good at it.” Homan said Friday of his potential role in the administration, “Here’s what I’ll say. I have not asked for a position. I have certainly not asked for a cabinet position. President Trump knows that if he needs me to do a deportation operation, if he needs me to secure the border. I stand ready to help any way I can. And he’ll decide what he wants me to do or if he wants me to do it.” Instead, he emphasized the threat posed at the border and the determination in the upcoming administration to solve it. “The southern border is the biggest national security vulnerability I’ve seen in my lifetime. It should be a nonpartisan issue. People shouldn’t be making death threats against me, hating on me. Securing the border should be a nonpartisan issue,” he said. “And we’re going to do it …I don’t care what people’s opinions are, we’re going to get it done.”
Trump allies back Rick Scott in GOP Senate leader race as they look to influence secret ballot
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., began receiving a deluge of endorsements from President-elect Donald Trump-aligned conservatives following his decisive re-election victory last week, including support from billionaire X owner Elon Musk and several of his Senate colleagues. “Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk wrote on his platform on Sunday. The Tesla CEO endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and became a fixture of his campaign as the election inched closer. In fact, Trump has reportedly vowed to include Musk in his administration, claiming he will tap him to run a commission on government efficiency. SCHUMER WON’T ALLOW DAVE MCCORMICK AT SENATE ORIENTATION, CITING OUTSTANDING PA BALLOTS Scott also racked up endorsements from former presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Prior to last week, there were only two public endorsements in the Senate Republican leader race. Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., backed Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., soon after he launched his bid for leader in the spring. SENATE LEADER CONTENDER JOHN THUNE RESPONDS TO NEW TRUMP LITMUS TEST AHEAD OF ELECTION Before endorsing Scott, Musk criticized Thune, writing on X, “(Republican) Senator Thune is the top choice of Democrats.” Scott, Thune and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, are the current contenders to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. The election will be conducted via secret ballot on Wednesday. Cornyn received his first public endorsement from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who cited the Texas senator’s support for legislation that he has spearheaded. While many figures close to Trump have gotten behind Scott, the president-elect himself has not made an endorsement. He also has not said whether he plans to. CORNYN TOUTS LIFETIME FUNDRAISING PROWESS FOR GOP IN FINAL CASE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL However, Trump has made some requests of the candidates. “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” he wrote on X. “Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY! Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!” Scott quickly shared his agreement with Trump. Cornyn, who spoke with Trump on the subject on Sunday, vowed to stay in session until the president-elect’s appointments can be confirmed, including on weekends. He also noted that “the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments.” TIM SCOTT LAUNCHES BID TO CHAIR NRSC AS GOP SEEKS TO CAPITALIZE ON NEW MINORITY GAINS Thune responded exclusively to Fox News Digital, signaling he was open to Trump’s request. “I’ve spent eight months carefully listening to my colleagues about their vision for the next chapter of the Senate Republican Conference, especially as we hit the ground running with President Trump,” he said in a statement. “One thing is clear: We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we’ve been sent to execute, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats block the will of the American people.” Recess appointments refer to the president’s ability to fill federal vacancies that occur while the Senate is in recess. This power is outlined in the Recess Appointments Clause of the Constitution. For the president to unilaterally make these appointments, the Congress must be in recess, which the House and Senate leadership must agree to go into. Fox News Digital reached out to Scott’s office for comment.
GOP senator offers to ‘personally escort’ McCormick to Senate orientation after Schumer hold
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has offered to “personally escort” Republican Pennsylvania Senator-elect Dave McCormick into the Capitol to attend the new-senator orientation after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., moved to block him. “I’m willing to personally escort @DaveMcCormickPA into the Capitol for new-senator orientation. I’d like to see how they’d keep him out if he literally walked into ‘the room where it happens’,” Lee wrote from his personal X account Sunday. Lee said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, “has indicated he’ll join the effort.” “I’d welcome other senators to join us!” Lee added. “I’ll be right there alongside you, Mike,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, responded. “Dave McCormick is the Senator-elect for Pennsylvania. And deserves to be at orientation alongside every other member of his freshman class.” SCHUMER WON’T ALLOW DAVE MCCORMICK AT SENATE ORIENTATION, CITING OUTSTANDING PA BALLOTS A Schumer spokesperson told Fox News Digital that McCormick was not invited because at the time there were still “over 100,000 ballots left to be counted” in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, claiming that the contest “has not been decided.” “As is custom, we will invite the winner once the votes are counted,” the spokesperson said. Fox News Digital reached out to McCormick’s campaign for comment on Schumer’s refusal and Lee’s offer, but they did not immediately respond. The Associated Press on Thursday called the race in favor of McCormick over three-term Democratic incumbent Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey. Casey has not conceded, citing the thousands of ballots still to be counted. “I have dedicated my life to making sure Pennsylvanians’ voices are heard, whether on the floor of the Senate or in a free and fair election,” Casey wrote on X on Thursday. “It has been made clear there are more than 100,000 votes still to be counted. Pennsylvania is where our democratic process was born. We must allow that process to play out and ensure that every vote that is eligible to be counted will be counted. That is what Pennsylvania deserves.” According to the Pennsylvania elections results website, McCormick led Casey by 40,145 votes as of Monday morning, a margin of 0.58%, just above the margin that triggers an automatic recount. McCormick was leading by more than 30,000 votes when the AP called the race at 4:09 p.m. Thursday. Though there were an estimated 91,000 votes still outstanding at that time, the AP asserted that there were not enough in areas supporting Casey for him to make up the difference. In an appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” McCormick said he was up by “by something like 40,000 votes, which is a very significant margin,” so “mathematically, there’s no path for Senator Casey to win.” “And ultimately, Senator Casey’s going to have to decide when he’s willing to acknowledge that,” McCormick added. PA SEN-ELECT MCCORMICK THANKS CASEY FAMILY FOR DECADES OF SERVICE AS DEMOCRAT DECLINES TO CONCEDE “Schumer is not allowing @DaveMcCormickPA to participate in Senate orientation this week because Casey refuses to concede the race,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote on X. “What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?” Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, also had not been invited to the new-senator orientation. While he is ahead, the AP has yet to call the Arizona Senate race between Gallego and Republican Kari Lake. The winner will replace outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party two years ago. “In 2018 my race wasn’t called for 6 days. I jumped on a redeye to DC to make senate orientation-I learned so much & made lasting relationships that week,” Sinema wrote on X. “Dave McCormick & Ruben Gallego will be Senators for PA & AZ. They should be invited to orientation & start learning the job.” Fox News’ Julia Johnson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pro-Palestinian protesters plan anti-Veterans Day gathering at Columbia University: ‘DISGUSTING’
Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University are coordinating an anti-Veterans Day gathering to instead celebrate “those martyred by the Israel-US war machine,” just months after a congressional probe was launched into antisemitism on the Ivy League campus. According to a flyer for the gathering, the protest is scheduled for noon on Monday, Veterans Day, at the Sundial, which the university describes as “a highly trafficked location and is often used as a campus landmark for gathering.” “We reject this holiday and refuse to celebrate it. The American war machine should not be honored for the horrors unleashed on others,” the flyer promoted on social media reads. “Instead we will celebrate martyrs day in honor of those martyred by the Israel-US war machine,” the flyer says. NETANYAHU CONDEMNS ANTISEMITIC POGROM IN AMSTERDAM, WARNS WORLD LEADERS ATTACKS WILL SPREAD IF DON’T ACT News of the gathering garnered backlash on social media, including from the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association, who condemned the “atrocious behavior.” “This post by CUAD is absolutely DISGUSTING,” the group wrote in a post on X. “They ‘reject’ VETERAN’S DAY??? We unequivocally condemn this disgraceful attempt to pervert and disrespect the sacrifices of our military veterans.” TWO JEWISH STUDENTS AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY TARGETED ON CAMPUS BY MASKED ATTACKERS “Wonder if these activists at @Columbia realize that veterans won and preserved their right to protest?” Craig Bruce Smith, an associate professor of National Defense University, wrote on X. “In an attempt to become even more unpopular, the students in Columbia University Apartheid Divest say they will reject Veterans Day and celebrate ‘martyrs day’ instead,” wrote Steve McGuire, Paul & Karen Levy Fellow in Campus Freedom at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, on X. The protest comes just months after the Ivy League university was plagued with anti-Israel protests following the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. The House Ways and Means and the Education and the Workforce committees have been leading an investigation into antisemitism on college campuses, including Columbia University, since April that they say has “uncovered a deeply worrisome, systemic culture of antisemitism at a large number of elite American universities across the country.” A spokesperson for Columbia University told Fox News Digital that they will be monitoring the gathering. “Columbia is proud of our students, faculty and staff who are veterans, and we are grateful for their service and sacrifice and the invaluable contributions they offer to our community. The University honors its veterans on Veterans Day and every day, and we are proud to be participating in the New York Veterans Day Parade tomorrow, as we have for more than a decade,” the university said in a statement. “We are aware that a small group has called for a demonstration today, and our public safety team is monitoring for any disruptions to campus activity. As always, we are committed to preserving our core mission to teach, create, and advance knowledge.”