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Harris paid Oprah $1 million in failed bid to help campaign: report

Harris paid Oprah  million in failed bid to help campaign: report

Vice President Kamala Harris paid Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions $1 million, just one example of millions the campaign spent on various entertainers during the vice president’s failed bid for president. The Harris campaign paid $1 million to Winfrey’s company on October 15, according to a report in the Washington Examiner, coming after a star-studded town hall that Winfrey hosted for the vice president in September. Winfrey also appeared at Harris’ final rally in Philadelphia on the eve of Election Day, with the talk-show star offering a rare endorsement of a presidential candidate. HARRIS CAMPAIGN REPORTEDLY SPENT 6 FIGURES ON ‘CALL HER DADDY’ PODCAST WITH FEWER THAN 1 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS “We’re voting for values and integrity,” Winfrey said at the rally. “We’re voting for healing over hate.” But Winfrey wasn’t the only star the Harris campaign spent big money on, with the Washington Examiner report also revealing that the campaign spent big on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.  “A source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner that the Harris campaign spent six figures on building a set for Harris’s appearance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper,” the Examiner wrote. “The interview came out in October and was reportedly filmed in a hotel room in Washington, D.C.” HARRIS CAMPAIGN AND ALLIES SPENT MORE THAN $1.4B ON POLITICAL ADS IN LOSING RACE AGAINST TRUMP The campaign also spent up to $20 million on swing state concerns on the eve of the election, according to a report in the New York Post, a sum that could have been more if a planned performance by Alanis Morissette had not been scrapped. The campaign had seven swing-state concerts on Monday, the report noted, including performances by Jon Bon Jovi in Detroit, Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas, Katy Perry in Pittsburgh and Lady Gaga in Philadelphia, and a 2 Chainz performance at a rally three days before the election in Atlanta. “Money can’t buy you love or a good candidate,” Republican political strategist Brad Todd told the Examiner, with regard to the massive spending. “Advertising is a pretty important source of information for swing voters,” Todd said. “It no doubt matters, but it’s not enough. It doesn’t matter if you have the wrong message and it’s not delivered in a compelling way. What her campaign was missing was any effort to break with the unpopular administration she has been a part of.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Elon Musk endorses Rick Scott for Senate majority leader

Elon Musk endorses Rick Scott for Senate majority leader

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Sunday endorsed lawmaker Rick Scott for Senate majority leader, joining a growing list of MAGA figures who are throwing their support behind the Florida Republican.  “Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk wrote in a post on X Sunday afternoon, days after Republicans won back control of the Senate on Election Day.  Musk’s post came in response to a post from Scott, who was responding to President-elect Trump’s demand that “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.”  “100% agree,” Scott responded. “I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.”  SCOTT TOUTS ‘DEAL GUY’ BACKGROUND IN BID FOR SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SEN. JOSH HAWLEY ‘DELIGHTED’ TO BACK SEN. JOHN CORNYN FOR SENATE MAJORITY LEADER Musk is the latest Trump-ally calling for Scott to be the Senate GOP leader. Scott’s senate Republican colleagues, including Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and Rand Paul of Kentucky have each pledged to vote for Scott.  Scott, whose bid for the position is seen as a long shot by some observers, is up against fellow Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota for the job McConnell has held since 2007.  Scott has expressed hope that Trump will publicly endorse his bid for the top job, though some reports have indicated the president-elect has been hesitant to weigh in on the race.  Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report. 

Schumer won’t allow Dave McCormick at Senate orientation, citing outstanding PA ballots

Schumer won’t allow Dave McCormick at Senate orientation, citing outstanding PA ballots

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is not allowing Senator-elect Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania to attend Senate orientation in the coming week, pointing to outstanding ballots in the state, even though the race has already been called.  Two sources with knowledge confirmed to Fox News Digital that McCormick was not invited to orientation, despite having been projected by the Associated Press to win the Pennsylvania Senate race.  When reached by Fox News Digital, a Schumer spokesperson said in a statement, “With over 100,000 ballots left to be counted in Pennsylvania, the race has not been decided. As is custom, we will invite the winner once the votes are counted.”  CORNYN TOUTS LIFETIME FUNDRAISING PROWESS FOR GOP IN FINAL CASE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL McCormick’s campaign declined to comment to Fox News Digital.  Several Republican senators took to X on Sunday to slam Schumer for not inviting McCormick. “@AP declared @DaveMcCormickPA winner of #PASen 3 days ago. Denying legit election results & blocking @DaveMcCormickPA from participating in Sen. orientation this week is outrageous & a disservice PA & the country. Casey should concede. He has no path to overturn these results,” wrote National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont. Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who is also running for GOP leader this week, added, “Dave McCormick is the new senator for Pennsylvania. The idea that Schumer would not allow him to participate in Senate orientation is beyond unacceptable. The voters of Pennsylvania have spoken. Looking forward to having Dave’s strong voice in the Senate Republican Conference.” TIM SCOTT LAUNCHES BID TO CHAIR NRSC AS GOP SEEKS TO CAPITALIZE ON NEW MINORITY GAINS “Schumer and Senate Democrats are denying the election results in #PASen. Trying to block @DaveMcCormickPA from attending Senate orientation this week is an outrage. Casey must concede immediately or Senate Democrats face consequences,” said Senate Republican conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo. The Pennsylvania Senate race was called by the AP on Nov. 7, two days after Election Day. McCormick currently leads his incumbent opponent by more than 30,000 votes in the state.  Casey’s campaign did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital regarding McCormick not being invited to orientation. TOP REPUBLICAN PRIVATELY BACKING THUNE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL IN GOP LEADER RACE ? vote is counted. We estimate there are at least 100,000 ballots remaining to be adjudicated, including provisional, military, overseas, and Election Day votes. We urge patience as election workers continue to do this important work, especially in contests where the margins are very close,” he said in a statement.  However, critics have cast doubt on Casey’s ability to make up the difference with the current outstanding votes.  RICK SCOTT SEES RED WAVE AS ‘BEST CASE SCENARIO’ FOR SENATE LEADER BID AS HE LOBBIES TRUMP FOR SUPPORT Pennsylvania Republican strategist Mark Harris claimed on Saturday that, “The votes for Casey to win are just not there,” citing Republicans’ record with the type of ballots that are still being counted.  Schumer’s office shared with Fox News Digital that Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has not been invited to orientation either. The Arizona Senate race is still ongoing and has not been called by the AP.  A spokesperson for the majority leader also noted that Sen. Al Franken did not attend orientation in 2008 due to the close nature of his election. However, Franken’s election was won by only a few hundred votes, while McCormick is leading by tens of thousands.  Notably, even a member of Schumer’s caucus referred to McCormick as the senator-elect on Sunday. “While we are losing a good person and colleague in Senator Bob Casey, I believe the Senate will be gaining another good man in Senator-Elect David McCormick,” wrote outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., in a post to X.  Manchin has been known to occasionally go against the Democrat caucus during his tenure.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub

Senate leader contender John Thune responds to new Trump litmus test ahead of election

Senate leader contender John Thune responds to new Trump litmus test ahead of election

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., responded to President-Elect Donald Trump’s newly announced litmus test for those vying to be the next GOP leader, exclusively telling Fox News Digital that he was open to it and that “all options are on the table.” Trump said on Sunday that whoever the new leader is “must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner.” 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.  CORNYN TOUTS LIFETIME FUNDRAISING PROWESS FOR GOP IN FINAL CASE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL “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,” Thune told Fox News Digital in an exclusive 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,” he continued.  TIM SCOTT LAUNCHES BID TO CHAIR NRSC AS GOP SEEKS TO CAPITALIZE ON NEW MINORITY GAINS Trump’s request for the new GOP Senate leader to agree to recess appointments comes after his struggle with a divided Congress in 2020, which would not adjourn when he asked them so that he could push through key appointments amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  TOP REPUBLICAN PRIVATELY BACKING THUNE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL IN GOP LEADER RACE “If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress,” he threatened at the time. “The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro-forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis. It is a scam that they do.” RICK SCOTT SEES RED WAVE AS ‘BEST CASE SCENARIO’ FOR SENATE LEADER BID AS HE LOBBIES TRUMP FOR SUPPORT One of Thune’s opponents in the race, Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., quickly agreed with Trump, writing on X, “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.”  He is also competing against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.  Cornyn has not yet responded directly to the latest ask from Trump, but he shared on X on Saturday, “The first order of business in the new Senate should be confirming President Trump’s cabinet. If I am the majority leader, I will keep the Senate in session until those confirmations occur.” “No weekends, no breaks. Democrats can cooperate in the best interest of the country, or continue the resistance, which will eventually be ground down. Take your pick,” he said.  The election will be conducted by secret ballot on Nov. 13.  Trump has not made any endorsement in the race and has not said whether he plans to. 

Scott touts ‘deal guy’ background in bid for Senate majority leader

Scott touts ‘deal guy’ background in bid for Senate majority leader

Florida Sen. Rick Scott touted his experience in business when asked why his Republican colleagues should back him for Senate Majority Leader. “I built businesses all my life,” Scott said during an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday. “I built the largest hospital company, I built a variety of manufacturing companies, I ran the state of Florida.” The comments come as Scott finds himself in a three-way race to become the GOP Senate leader, battling fellow Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota for the job held by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., since 2007. Scott, whose bid for the position is seen as a long shot by some observers, has earned the endorsement of Republican Sens. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida. “I will be voting for my Florida colleague @ScottforFlorida to be our next Senate GOP leader,” Rubio said on X on Sunday. SEN. JOSH HAWLEY ‘DELIGHTED’ TO BACK SEN. JOHN CORNYN FOR SENATE MAJORITY LEADER But the Florida Republican is also seen by some as the friendliest candidate to President-elect Trump, something Hagerty noted when making his endorsement of Scott. “Any leader of this new majority must be able to work hand-in-hand with President Trump to advance his America First agenda,” Hagerty posted to X on Sunday. “That’s why I want to see a Senate Majority Leader who can join me in embracing the Trump agenda, which will unify Senate Republicans. On Wednesday, I will be voting for Rick Scott.” Scott himself hinted at the alignment with Trump during his appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures,” arguing that the Republican Senate should reflect the will of the voters. “Washington ought to represent the Republican voters around the country,” Scott said.  “We have a mandate for change … who is going to represent all the Republican voters? I ran two years ago because I knew we needed to make a change in the Senate.” he continued, referring to his failed 2022 attempt to oust McConnell for the Senate GOP’s top job “I’ve talked to my colleagues, I think everybody realizes we need to make a change. So the question is going to be: Who is going to make sure we get those things done?” CORNYN TOUTS LIFETIME FUNDRAISING PROWESS FOR GOP IN FINAL CASE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL Scott has expressed hope that Trump will publicly endorse his bid for the top job, though some reports have indicated the president-elect has been hesitant to weigh in on the race. Thune, meanwhile, has encouraged Trump to stay out of the race. “Obviously, if he wants to, he could exert a considerable amount of influence on that, but honestly, I think my preference would be, and I think it’s probably in his best interest, to stay out of that,” Thune, who has at times had a rocky relationship with Trump, said during an appearance on CNBC last week. “These Senate secret ballot elections are probably best left to senators, and he’s got to work with all of us when it’s all said and done,” Thune, who currently serves as Senate minority whip, added, “but whatever he decides to do, that’s going to be his prerogative, as we know.” RICK SCOTT SEES RED WAVE AS ‘BEST CASE SCENARIO’ FOR SENATE LEADER BID AS HE LOBBIES TRUMP FOR SUPPORT Cornyn, who also previously served as the Senate’s GOP Whip, has touted he held the role when Trump’s tax cuts were passed through the Senate, arguing he would once again be able to work with the president-elect to help pass his agenda. Republicans return to Washington this week, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is expected to host a forum with the candidates on Tuesday. The election, which is done by secret ballot, will take place on Wednesday with incoming GOP Sens.-elect Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Tim Sheehy of Montana and Jim Justice of West Virginia also being able to participate in the vote. Only a simple majority is required for a winner to be chosen. If no candidate achieves a simple majority in the first round of ballots, the candidate with the least number of votes will be eliminated and there will be another round of voting between the top two candidates. Scott argued that a vote for him on Wednesday would be a vote for a candidate who could “bring people together.” “What it’s going to take is somebody is going to take the time to sit down and bring people together. We’ve got to get, for a lot of things, 60 votes in the Senate, so we’ve got to have somebody that’s going to sit down with Democrats and say, ‘How do we balance a budget? How do we do these things?’” Scott said. “That’s all I’ve done. I’m a deal guy. That’s what I did all my life.”

Byron Donalds unleashes on Dem Trump ‘lies,’ says there’s one metric he will use to lead

Byron Donalds unleashes on Dem Trump ‘lies,’ says there’s one metric he will use to lead

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donald slammed Democrats for promoting and spreading “lies” about what President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration will look like, saying that Trump is focused on creating “success” for all Americans.  “For the American people who have been listening to these lies from the Democratic left: I will tell you, this is not something that Donald Trump has ever spoken to or he’s committed to whatsoever. There’s no enemies list. I mean, yeah, there are people who’ve been opposed to him, but he is focused on the American people,” Donalds told Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” when asked about Americans who report being fearful of a second Trump administration.  “Job number one is securing our border and beginning the process of deporting illegal immigrants out of our country. Job number two is getting our economy thriving again, becoming energy dominant again. That’s his focus. His focus is the American people, not some enemies list that only gets talked about in the Daily Kos or Salon.com or any other place like that,” he said.  MSNBC’S AL SHARPTON, DONNY DEUTSCH ‘CONVINCED’ THEY’LL BE PUT ON ENEMY ‘LIST’ IF TRUMP ELECTED Trump locked down the presidential election in the early morning hours last Wednesday, after he won battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia. He ultimately secured 312 Electoral College votes to Harris’ 226, and also won the popular vote. Amid his campaign and afterward, Democrats and left-wing media pundits claimed that Trump would re-enter the Oval Office armed with an “enemies list” of those he would allegedly target once inaugurated as president. Donalds said that American success is Trump’s top concern, arguing that that metric will be used to demonstrate that Trump is “back in charge of running this nation.”  “He’s focused on making our country great. And what will happen in our country is, success is going to be the measurements that he will use to demonstrate he’s back in the White House and back in charge of running this nation. The metric is success. There is no other measure,” he continued.  CNN HOST CLASHES WITH GOP LAWMAKER OVER TRUMP SAYING HE’LL PROTECT WOMEN WHETHER THEY ‘LIKE IT OR NOT’ Donalds continued in his interview Sunday morning on Fox News that Trump’s victory had been aided by Black and Hispanic voters. Trump made substantial in-roads with minority communities this year over 2020, with a Fox News Voter Analysis finding he earned a six-point gain among Hispanic voters this year over 2020, and a seven-point gain among Black voters.  REP. BYRON DONALDS UNLEASHES ON CNBC HOST AFTER HE SAYS ‘VITRIOL’ NOT A FEATURE AT HARRIS RALLIES “What you heard from Black men, and you heard also from Hispanic men, you heard also from, in part, suburban women: They want a country that is safe. They want an economy that is thriving. And Donald Trump is going to deliver on all of those promises,” he said.  “I heard the same thing talking to Black men that I heard talking to anybody across our country. How are we going to get ahead and make more money, be able to pass something on to our children? How are we going to secure this southern border? It’s not fair that you have illegals coming in, getting gas cards, getting hotel stays and all the like. That’s not right. And actually, you’ll notice that the city of New York is now announcing not giving out any more food cards, these food cards. That’s because of Donald Trump and the fact that he won,” Donalds said. 

Letitia James vows to continue targeting Trump after years in the courtroom: ‘Trump derangement syndrome’

Letitia James vows to continue targeting Trump after years in the courtroom: ‘Trump derangement syndrome’

New York Attorney General Letitia James has a long history of slamming President-elect Donald Trump, vowing in her first campaign to “take on Donald Trump” if elected, only to double down on the rhetoric after his massive election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last week.   “She’s got serious Trump derangement syndrome,” Trump said at the start of the year as he faced a civil fraud trial brought by the New York attorney general. He has repeatedly accused James of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome” throughout a bevy of New York court cases brought against him by James and other Democrats in New York.  A staunch supporter of the president-elect who has been floated as a potential AG contender has already put James on notice to end her “lawfare” against the 45th and upcoming 47th president in a fiery interview after Trump’s win.  “Let me just say this to Big Tish James, the New York Attorney General. . . . I dare you to continue your lawfare against President Trump in his second term,” Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project, said on the “The Benny Show” podcast last week. “Because listen here, sweetheart, we’re not messing around this time. And we will put your fat a– in prison for conspiracy against rights, and I promise you that.”  NEW YORK APPEALS COURT APPEARS RECEPTIVE TO REVERSING OR REDUCING $454M TRUMP CIVIL FRAUD JUDGMENT Fox News Digital pored through James’ history as New York attorney general candidate, compiling the highlights of her legal battles against Trump over the last nearly seven years.  James, a former city council member in New York and public defender, launched her run for New York AG during the 2018 cycle, while emphasizing that if she were elected, she would aggressively pursue charges against Trump.  “I’m running for attorney general because I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president when our fundamental rights are at stake. From the Muslim ban, to efforts to deport immigrants, to denying transgender students the ability to choose whatever bathroom they want, rolling back regulations to protect our planet, colluding with foreign powers, putting profits over people, dividing us in ways we haven’t seen in generations,” James declared in September of 2018.  “And what is fueling this campaign, what is fueling my soul right now, is Trump and his abuses, abuses against immigrants, against women, against our environment. We need an attorney general who will stand up to Donald Trump,” she said during a debate in August of that same year.  James won her election that year, about two years into Trump’s first administration, and took a victory lap while vowing to expose the “con man.”  “New Yorkers, we can spot a con man. We can spot a carnival barker, a fearmonger a mile away and he should know that we here in New York, and I in particular, we are not scared of you,” she said. “As the new attorney general of his home state, I will be shining a light into every dark corner of his real estate dealings and every dealing, demanding truthfulness at every turn. I will hold him accountable using the unbending power of the law.” TRUMP’S $454M JUDGMENT BOND SLASHED BY MORE THAN HALF IN APPEALS COURT RULING Trump and his team immediately slammed James’ apparent fixation on pursuing him, with Trump saying on X at the time that a candidate who “openly campaigned on a GET TRUMP agenda” was elected New York’s top cop and that he would “never be treated fairly by these people – a total double standard of justice.” About three months into taking office, James announced an investigation into the Trump Organization, claiming there was evidence indicating that the president and his company had falsely valued assets to obtain loans, insurance coverage and tax deductions. The investigation was launched after Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who had previously served federal prison time for violating campaign finance laws, testified before Congress that Trump Org. had exaggerated the value of his assets.  James officially sued Trump, Trump Organization and its senior leadership for allegedly falsely inflating “his net worth by billions of dollars to induce banks to lend money to the Trump Organization on more favorable terms than would otherwise have been available to the company, to satisfy continuing loan covenants, to induce insurers to provide insurance coverage for higher limits and at lower premiums, and to gain tax benefits, among other things.” “For too long, powerful, wealthy people in this country have operated as if the rules do not apply to them. Donald Trump stands out as among the most egregious examples of this misconduct,” James said in a press release. “With the help of his children and senior executives at the Trump Organization, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself and cheat the system. In fact, the very foundation of his purported net worth is rooted in incredible fraud and illegality. Mr. Trump thought he could get away with the art of the steal, but today, that ends.” Trump charged that James had launched a “witch hunt” against him after her explicitly campaigning on a platform to prosecute the president.  TRUMP VOWS TO FIGHT NEW YORK AG CASE ‘ALL THE WAY UP TO THE US SUPREME COURT,’ AS DEADLINE TO POST $454M LOOMS “Another Witch Hunt by a racist Attorney General, Letitia James, who failed in her run for Governor, getting almost zero support from the public, and now is doing poorly against Law & Order AG candidate, highly respected Michael Henry,” Trump wrote on Truth Social following the lawsuit.  “I never thought this case would be brought – until I saw her really bad poll numbers. She is a fraud who campaigned on a ‘get Trump’ platform, despite the fact that the city is one of the crime and murder disasters of the world under her watch!” he added. Trump and his family denied any wrongdoing, with the former president saying his assets

Sanders doubles down on his criticism of Democrats, fires back at Pelosi’s pushback

Sanders doubles down on his criticism of Democrats, fires back at Pelosi’s pushback

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent who won a fourth six-year term last week, doubled down on his claim that the Democratic Party’ lacks appeal to the working class, and responded to pushback from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.  In appearances on CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sanders was pressed about his statement, released after President-elect Trump decisively defeated Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election.  “Look, the working people of this country are extremely angry,” Sanders told NBC’s Kristen Welker. “They have a right to be angry in the richest country in the history of the world. Today, the people on top are doing phenomenally well, while 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Millions of families worry that their kids have actually got to have a lower standard of living than they do.”  “You got the top 1% owning more wealth than the bottom 90%. We’re the only major country not to guarantee health care to all of our people. Twenty-five percent of our seniors are trying to live on $50,000 a year or less. We have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth. And the gap between the people at the top and everybody else is getting wider and wider. And then, of course, that on top of all of that, we’ve got a corrupt campaign finance system which allows billionaires to buy elections. So if you’re an average worker out there, you’re saying, ‘Hey, I’m working longer and longer hours, go nowhere in a hurry, worried about my kids.’ And yet the people on top, ‘I’ve never had it so good.’”  BERNIE SANDERS EXCORIATES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CALLS CAMPAIGN ‘DISASTROUS’ AFTER TRUMP VICTORY The left-wing lawmaker, who is listed as a member of the Senate Democratic caucus, said Wednesday, “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.”  Pelosi shot back against the criticism of her party on Saturday, telling The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast that while she has “a great deal of respect” for Sanders, “I don’t respect him saying that the Democratic Party has abandoned the working class families.”  “Under President Biden, you see the rescue package, money in the pockets of people, the shots in the arm, children in school safely, working people back to work,” Pelosi said. “What did Trump do when he was president? One bill that gave a tax cut to the richest people in America.” NANCY PELOSI FIRES BACK AT BERNIE SANDERS FOR COMMENTS ON DEMS’ SWEEPING ELECTION LOSS: NO ‘RESPECT’ Welker played the podcast clip on NBC and asked Sanders to respond.  “Nancy is a friend of mine,” Sanders said. “But here is the reality. In the Senate in the last two years, we have not even brought forth legislation to raise the minimum wage to a living wage despite the fact that some 20 million people in this country are working for less than $15 an hour.” The progressive senator listed his grievances with the Democratically controlled Senate, saying that in the past two years the chamber failed to pass legislation to make it easier for workers to join unions. He also claimed that the Senate has not been talking about benefit pension plans “so that our elderly can retire with security,” and that Democrats are “not talking about lifting the cap on Social Security so that we can extend the solvency of Social Security and raise benefits.” “Bottom line, if you’re a working person out there, do you really think that the Democratic Party is going to the max, taking on powerful special interests and fighting for you? I think the overwhelming answer is no,” Sanders said. Arguing that Biden had followed through on his promise to be the most progressive president in terms of domestic policy, Sanders lodged a dig at Trump regarding the Republican’s success in reaching working-class voters. 

Los Angeles officials vow to fast-track ‘sanctuary city’ law after Trump victory

Los Angeles officials vow to fast-track ‘sanctuary city’ law after Trump victory

Members of the Los Angeles City Council say they are working to expedite a law declaring Los Angeles a “sanctuary city” for illegal immigrants following President-elect Trump’s victory last week. The law would ban federal immigration officials from accessing city databases and ban city resources from being used for immigration enforcement. The ordnance was originally passed last year, but it has faced a lengthy legal review and has yet to take effect. City Council member Hugo Soto-Martínez, who supports expediting the process, also called on President Biden to renew a program that allows illegal immigrants from Central America to stay in Los Angeles, according to the LA Times. “More than anything, people are angry,” Soto-Martínez told the Times. “They’re agitated and they’re ready to fight back, just like we did in 2016.” PROPOSITION 36 OVERWHELMINGLY PASSES IN CALIFORNIA, REVERSING SOME SOROS-BACKED SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. California officials appear to be preparing to push back on the upcoming Trump administration from top to bottom. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he is calling an emergency special session to bolster the state’s legal response to any future attacks from the Trump administration. The special session will focus on safeguarding “civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families,” Newsom’s office said in a press release. “California is ready to fight,” Newsom said on X. “Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate action – we refuse to turn back the clock and allow our values and laws to be attacked.” NATHAN HOCHMAN OUSTS EMBATTLED LIBERAL PROSECUTOR GEORGE GASCON AS LA COUNTY DA AMID CRIME CONCERNS His action comes just a day after Newsom said he “will seek to work with the incoming president.” The special session will convene on Monday, Dec. 2. Newsom is urging his state legislature to earmark more funds for the California Department of Justice and other state agencies with additional resources to mount legal challenges. “The funding will support the ability to immediately file litigation and seek injunctive relief against unlawful federal actions,” Newsom’s office said. During Trump’s first term, Newsom launched lawsuits against the federal government more than 100 times. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.