Fox News projects Democratic Rep. Don Davis will win North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District
Fox News Decision Desk projects Democratic Rep. Don Davis will be the winner against Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, considered a toss-up race this election cycle. Davis, who won the seat in 2022 after the retirement of longtime Democrat G.K. Butterfield, is a former state senator and mayor. He also has a military background as an Air Force officer. Buckhout is a retired U.S. Army colonel with extensive experience in military logistics and national security. While the 1st District has historically leaned Democratic and has a large Black population, recent electoral trends in North Carolina are showing growing Republican support in rural areas, where conservatives are largely dissatisfied with Democratic policies on issues such as the economy and agriculture. The district, which covers much of the northeastern part of the state, includes rural counties, the Inner Banks, and parts of the Research Triangle. POLITICAL STORM: ON TRUMP ‘ONSLAUGHT OF LIES,’ BIDEN URGES FORMER PRESIDENT TO ‘GET A LIFE MAN’ ———————————————————————————————- POLITICAL STORM: ON TRUMP ‘ONSLAUGHT OF LIES,’ BIDEN URGES FORMER PRESIDENT TO ‘GET A LIFE MAN’
Kamala Harris underperformed Biden’s numbers with women. South Dakota’s governor thinks she knows why.
In her quest to become the first female president, Vice President Kamala Harris portrayed herself as a champion of women’s rights, putting abortion rights at the forefront of her campaign. But she fell short, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem explains in an interview, because in doing so, Harris and the Democrats failed to meet voters where they are. “I think what was so interesting during this campaign is we consistently saw Kamala Harris and the Democrats try to put women in a box,” Noem told Fox News Digital. “They tried to define women as only caring about abortion and their health care. They didn’t really give them due credit for being the individuals out there that are raising families and caring about their children’s education and paying their bills and pursuing their careers.” Among the more surprising findings from the 2024 election is that Harris under-performed with women compared to President Biden’s support four years ago. HARRIS FORMALLY CONCEDES ONE DAY AFTER TRUMP’S SWEEPING VICTORY President-elect Trump prevailed Tuesday in a decisive victory, sweeping all the key battleground states and winning a majority in the national popular vote – the first time a Republican has done so in 20 years. Voter concerns about the economy and immigration propelled Trump’s triumphant return to the White House. But he also expanded his base with traditionally Democratic constituencies, including Black, Hispanic and young voters, according to the Fox News Voter Analysis. The election showcased many of the nation’s deep divides, particularly in gender. Men voted for Trump by 10 points, while women supported Harris by 8 points. The 18-point gender gap was slightly bigger than in the 2020 presidential election (17 points). That widening was due to Trump improving 5 points among men since 2020. But Harris also under-performed with women compared to President Biden, who won the female vote by 12 points. Harris became the Democratic frontrunner after President Biden suspended his bid for re-election in July amid reports of his declining mental acuity in the wake of a poor debate performance against Trump in June. Biden quickly endorsed Harris, who made “reproductive rights” a top issue on the campaign trail, a strategy that would ultimately not win over enough swing state voters. Harris was the Democrat nominee for only about four months. DONALD TRUMP JR., KRISTI NOEM JOIN FRANKLIN GRAHAM IN HELENE-TORN NORTH CAROLINA WITH SAMARITAN’S PURSE GOP strategists told Fox News Digital that the Harris campaign’s abortion strategy was ineffective against Trump, who had argued the issue returned to the states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Noem added that abortion is just not the only priority for women in America. She campaigned for Trump in Pennsylvania and other swing states, promoting his policies and taking questions from voters. “We’ve got women running businesses that want their communities to be safe. They want to thrive. And they certainly don’t want a president that doesn’t protect women and the opportunities they have in front of them,” she told Fox News Digital. The governor also criticized Harris’ team for “minimizing women” in the closing weeks of the election, referencing how Harris surrogate Mark Cuban had said Trump never surrounds himself with “strong, intelligent women.” SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM SIGNS BILL BANNING SOME GENDER-RELATED MEDICAL, SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR MINORS “They even went so far as to call women weak and dumb, you know, by their surrogtates. And I think that was offensive to many of us across the country,” said Noem. She also said the Democrats’ far-left positions on abortion and transgender issues have made it easier for Republicans to take “common sense” positions that most Americans agree with. “Kamala Harris and her Democratic Party have become more and more extreme on gender issues, on abortion. It’s easier for Republicans and our candidates and President Trump to use common sense to talk to the American people about truly how extreme the Democrats want to take this country and what we can do to make sure that every single person in this country, whether you’re a man or woman, that you get an opportunity,” she said. The Trump campaign and associated political action committees leaned in to the culture wars with millions of dollars spent on ads that attacked Democrats and Harris as too liberal on gender issues. “Kamala is for they/them. Trump is for you,” one of Trump’s strongest attack ads concluded. The New York Times reported that Trump’s anti-trans ads shifted the race 2.7 percentage points in Trump’s favor after viewers watched it. Noem has also fought the culture wars. In South Dakota, she signed legislation that banned puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone treatments and sex-change operations for transgender individuals under the age of 18. She has spoken repeatedly about keeping biological men who identify as transgender out of women’s sports and protecting opportunities for women and girls. “President Trump is not going to let mediocre men take away opportunities for our outstanding women,” Noem said. It was Harris, she argued, who would have women on an “uncompetitive playing field.” Asked if she had discussed joining the new administration, Noem said she had not had any conversations with the president-elect about a job. “He knows I’ll help him any way that I can. But I spoke to him today, and he’s in great spirits. He’s looking forward to getting his administration set up. And I think he’s already getting phone calls from world leaders and working with people on his transition team to make sure that he’s ready to hit the ground running.” “I love being the governor of South Dakota,” she added. “So we’ll continue to be a strong advocate for President Trump. He’s my friend, I’m so happy for him. And if he asks me to do something, well, we’ll make a decision at that time.”
Susie Wiles, the ‘ice baby,’ is a top contender for Trump’s chief of staff, sources say
Speculation is surging that Susie Wiles, a veteran political operative who worked closely with President-elect Donald Trump during his campaign, could take a top position in his new administration. Sources within Trump’s transition team and others close to the former president’s campaign confirmed to Fox News that Wiles is reportedly the frontrunner for White House Chief of Staff – who will oversee the Executive Office of the President. Trump, during his victory celebration in West Palm Beach late Tuesday night, gave special thanks to Wiles for her prominent role throughout the campaign. “Let me also express my tremendous appreciation for Susie [Wiles] and Chris [LaCivita], the job you did. Susie, come, Susie,” Trump said, inviting her up to the microphone, but Wiles refrained from making comments. HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION “Susie likes to stay sort of in the back, let me tell you. The ice baby. We call her the ice baby. Susie likes to stay in the background. She’s not in the background,” Trump added. “Thank you, Susie.” NBC News also reported that Wiles is seen as the frontrunner to become Trump’s chief of staff. Two sources in Trump’s political orbit didn’t wave Fox News off the reporting. PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ALREADY MEETING WITH TRANSITION TEAM, STRATEGIZING HOW TO FILL ADMINISTRATION Wiles’ decades-long political career stretches back to working as former President Ronald Reagan’s campaign scheduler for his 1980 presidential bid. Wiles managed several campaigns throughout her political career, including former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.’s presidential campaign and Florida Sen. Rick Scott’s Senate bid. The Florida-based consultant successfully managed the operations for Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns in the Sunshine State, contributing to his victories in Florida during both elections. In between presidential cycles, Wiles helped Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with his 2018 re-election bid. Wiles currently serves as a senior adviser to Trump and is campaign co-chair alongside Chris LaCivita. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was previously floated as a possible contender for the role, but recently told “The Guy Benson Show” that he would not take the position if it was offered. “People always ask if I’m going to be chief of staff, no I’m not going to be…that’s a no,” he said.
Moderate Republicans buck Cheney, throw support behind Trump
Moderate Republicans broke heavily for President-elect Trump despite the efforts of opponents such as Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney. Trump carried Republicans who didn’t identify as a “MAGA Republican” 74%-22% nationwide in Tuesday’s election, according to Fox News voter analysis. The result comes as Vice President Kamala Harris spent much of the last few weeks of the campaign making an appeal to moderate Republicans, hoping to siphon off votes from members of the party who have typically attempted to distance themselves from Trump and his “Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.” LIZ CHENEY ACKNOWLEDGES TRUMP’S VICTORY: ‘WE HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT-ELECT’ At the center of Harris’ campaign to appeal to those Republicans was Cheney, a former GOP lawmaker who became infamous for having public clashes with Trump during his first term as president. Cheney hit the trail with Harris in late October, including a three-state battleground tour in which Cheney stressed her opposition to Trump as a constitutional conservative. “I would say, I don’t know if anybody’s more conservative than I am. And I understand the most conservative value there is to defend the Constitution,” Cheney said during a stop in the battleground state of Michigan when explaining her opposition to the nominee of her own party. Joining Cheney in the Republican movement to endorse Harris was her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, as well as former Trump White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake. Prominent Republicans such as former President George W. Bush and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, also declined to endorse Trump’s bid for president, though neither opted to offer an endorsement of Harris. LIZ CHENEY BLASTS TRUMP AS ‘DEPRAVED,’ ‘UNSTABLE,’ CLAIMS PRO-LIFE AND PRO-CHOICE WOMEN RALLYING BEHIND HARRIS Nevertheless, Republican voters in battleground states who identified as not MAGA Republicans largely mirrored the national numbers, overwhelmingly throwing their support behind Trump. Such voters broke for Trump in the largest numbers in Georgia, with 82% of non-MAGA Republicans supporting Trump compared to 16% who supported Harris. Nevada saw the least support for Trump among members of the group in battleground states, with 68% of non-MAGA Republicans supporting Trump and 26% supporting Harris. Cheney acknowledged the results of the election in a social media post Wednesday, calling for people to accept the results. “Our nation’s democratic system functioned last night and we have a new President-elect. All Americans are bound, whether we like the outcome or not, to accept the results of our elections,” Cheney said. Representatives for Cheney did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Xi Jinping warns Trump US would ‘lose from confrontation’ with China as renewed trade war looms
President Xi Jinping called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on his election win, and warned the U.S. would “gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation” with China. The message comes as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must prepare for deeper tensions as Trump has vowed to bring back the trade war of his last presidency with blanket tariffs. “Xi Jinping noted that history tells us that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. A China-U.S. relationship with stable, healthy and sustainable development serves the common interests of the two countries,” China’s foreign ministry said in a readout of the conversation. “It is hoped that the two sides will, in the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and find the right way for China and the United States to get along with each other in the new era to the benefit of the two countries and the world.” This week, Republicans captured control of the Senate and have favorable prospects in the undecided race for power in the House. With both chambers in Congress and the presidency, little would stand in Trump’s way of a steep sanctions regime. BIDEN FINALIZES CRACKDOWN ON US MILITARY TECH INVESTMENTS IN CHINA WITH ONE WEEK TO LAME DUCK SESSION In recent years, U.S.-China relations have worsened not only on trade – China has been threatening U.S. allies like the Philippines, Japan and Taiwan in the South China Sea. They’ve been accused of sending Chinese nationals to spy on U.S. military bases and sent what was believed to be a surveillance balloon across the U.S. While Trump ushered in an era of steep trade competition and increased support for Taiwan, President Biden did not necessarily warm the relationship. Trump increased duties by at least 10% during his first term on over $300 billion worth of goods. Biden did not lift those tariffs. That was on top of export controls on a variety of items that started under Trump and furthered under Biden. On the campaign trail this year, Trump has proposed a 10% tariff on all U.S. imports and 60% on Chinese-made products. CHINA EXERTS NEW RESTRICTIONS ON EXPORTS OF MINERALS CRITICAL TO US WEAPONS MAKING If Trump successfully raises tariffs to 60%, it could reduce China’s exports by $200 billion and cause a one percentage point drag on GDP, said Zhu Baoliang, a former chief economist at China’s economic planning agency, at a Citigroup conference. Last year, China exported about $500 billion worth of goods to the U.S., about 15% of all of its exports. Mainland China and Hong Kong stocks fell Wednesday as it became clear Trump would win the election. China’s exports grew 12.7% year-on-year, hitting a 27-month high in October, in anticipation of the potential for a Trump victory, as Chinese vendors likely rushed out products that could be hit by tariffs next year. Beijing is expected to unveil a bold stimulus package on Friday to aid its ailing economy, amid lackluster consumer spending and deflation. The U.S. and Europe both increased tariffs on electric vehicles recently, darkening trade outlook for a market where China has long dominated. China has been taking key steps to buoy its markets, and has an arsenal in response to U.S. tariffs that could include imposing duties on U.S. agricultural imports, export controls on critical minerals essential for U.S. defense and targeting U.S. companies with interests in China.
Trump-backed incumbent Rep. Scott Perry wins re-election in Pennsylvania
Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry is projected to win his re-election effort against Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson in the state’s 10th Congressional District. With 99% reporting, Perry led with 50.8% of the vote, to Stelson’s 49.2%. President-elect Donald Trump is projected to win Pennsylvania on the presidential level. The victory puts the GOP one seat closer to the 218 seats needed to secure the House majority. As of Thursday afternoon, the balance of power there is still undecided, with the Republicans leading 209 seats to the Democrats’ 195. Perry has served as a Pennsylvania congressman since 2013, and currently represents the state’s 10th District, which includes the state’s capital, Harrisburg, as well as Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York Counties. The race for the district’s seat heated up recently even as most attention has been on the Keystone State’s presidential and Senate races. CONGRESSMAN, ARMY VET SAYS BIDEN BEING ‘USED,’ FEARS OTHERS ARE MAKING DECISIONS: ‘IT’S ABUSIVE’ Perry, who has repeatedly been endorsed by former President Trump throughout his career, is the former chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and campaigned on issues such as cracking down on illegal immigration following the “Biden-Harris Administration’s reprehensible, dangerous, and failed border policies,” American energy independence, protecting women’s sports and reeling in inflation following the “the radical Left’s spending increases.” PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE RACE: 5 FORMER HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY DON’T SUPPORT REP SCOTT PERRY Perry faced Stelson, a former broadcast journalist for decades in the Harrisburg area. Just days ahead of the election, the Democratic challenger racked up endorsements from former Republican House members who worked with Perry. Former Reps. Barbara Comstock, Adam Kinzinger, Denver Riggleman, Dave Trott and Joe Walsh threw their support behind Stelson last week and launched a “Republicans for Janelle” group. HARRIS HECKLED AT PENNSYLVANIA CHURCH, SAYS VOTING FOR HER FULFILLS GOD’S EXPECTATION ‘FOR US TO HELP HIM’ Stelson campaigned on issues such as protecting abortion access following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, hiring more border agents to better secure the border, and lowering the cost of living for Pennsylvanians. The pair traded barbs during a debate last month, with Perry touting legislation he supported under Trump’s administration when the cost of living was cheaper for voters. “I voted for the largest tax cut in history, giving people in this district and across the country, in Pennsylvania, more money in their pocket,” he said. “When I was in Congress four years ago, when President Trump was there, wages were the highest they have ever been since the Carter administration.” IT’S CLEAR THE KAMALA HARRIS CAMPAIGN IS IN ‘FREE FALL’, SAYS REP. SCOTT PERRY Meanwhile, Stelson focused on raising the minimum wage. ”Pennsylvania has a $7.25 an hour minimum wage,” she said. “Every state around us, has almost double. West Virginia has a higher rate than that, and the cost of living is far less.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Political eyes have been locked on Pennsylvania as Keystone State voters are championed as the ones who will likely determine the outcome of the federal election. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 when he successfully campaigned against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but lost the state in 2020 against President Biden. The Senate race between longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick has also attracted a greater focus in the state as the GOP looked to flip that seat red.
Where does Trump’s New York sentencing stand after massive election win?
Following his massive election victory, President-elect Trump is still scheduled for sentencing in his Manhattan criminal case later this month, with presiding Judge Juan Merchan first ruling whether to dismiss the charges altogether after the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling earlier this year. Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records following his Manhattan criminal trial in May. District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office worked to prove that Trump falsified the business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case. Trump is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 26, which is already a four-month delay from the original date of July 11. Trump’s lawyers had asked Merchan to overturn the former president’s guilty verdict in New York v. Trump after the Supreme Court ruled in July that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office, but not for unofficial acts. Merchan is expected to rule by Nov. 12 as to where the charges stand. “A normal judge would dismiss this case, and then the DA would have to decide, what — if anything – remains, so that we could consider re-bringing the case. But Judge Merchan has shown himself to be nothing but an ordinary judge. And so the catch-22 here is, if he was normal, he would dismiss it, but because he’s not normal, he’ll probably deny it. But because it’s an immunity claim, that gives the Trump defense team the right, the legal right, to immediately appeal his denial,” Cully Stimson, deputy director of the Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, told Fox News Digital. TRUMP’S ‘MODERN DAY SALEM WITCH TRIAL’ VERDICT SIGNALS ‘OPEN SEASON’ ON FORMER PRESIDENTS: EXPERTS Stimson said that even if Merchan denies Trump’s claim of immunity, the Trump team appeals the decision and an appellate court also denies Trump’s claim, the president-elect would not face incarceration. “For all intents and purposes, no matter what happens if [Merchan] denies it, and the appeals court… follow the judge, and then the judge gets to sentence him. Even then the Justice Department will come in and say, ‘Look, under the Supremacy Clause, you cannot impose a criminal sentence, especially one of incarceration on a sitting president.’ And so that case will be on ice until after Trump gets out of office. But as a practical matter, this case and the Fanni Willis case are over,” he said. Trump pleaded not guilty in the case and denied any such affair with Daniels. The now-president-elect had railed against the trial as a “sham,” while calling Merchan “corrupt” and “conflicted,” appearing to refer to the judge’s familial ties to the Democratic Party. Trump also lambasted the case as “lawfare” promoted by the Biden-Harris administration to hurt his chances of succeeding in the 2024 presidential election. Trump cannot pardon himself upon his inauguration, as it was a state case. Stimson continued that, considering the Supreme Court’s ruling on immunity, it would be impossible to take a scalpel to the case and remove the evidence connected to Trump’s first White House administration and “official acts” in the position from the evidence connected to his life before he was president. TRUMP LAWYERS REQUEST TO MOVE NEW YORK CRIMINAL CASE TO FEDERAL COURT, CITING SCOTUS IMMUNITY RULING “[Merchan] is not your traditional judge, but he’s not going to say there’s no immunity for Trump because… the highest court in the land has said that presidents enjoy absolute immunity for their official acts, and so he’s going to have to recognize that the question is whether he has the temperament and the judgment — which he has proven not to, at least so far — to apply that in a fair and impartial manner and dismiss the charges,” Stimson told Fox News Digital. “By dismissing the charges, that just puts the ball back in Alvin Bragg’s court. If Alvin Bragg wants to double down on stupid, which he’s done a lot, he can [reopen the case]. But he’s not going to get anywhere with that, because by then, the president will have assumed office. And the Justice Department will move under the Supremacy Clause that you cannot bring your case, your criminal case, against a sitting president while he’s the president,” he continued. JUDGE MERCHAN DELAYS TRUMP SENTENCING UNTIL AFTER ELECTION Fox contributor and former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Andrew McCarthy also wrote in an op-ed for Fox Digital this week that Trump would not face prison time in the case. “Understand, Trump is not going to prison even if Merchan metes out an incarceration sentence. Though the charges are felonies, they are not sufficiently serious under New York law to merit immediate detention; Trump will get bail pending appeal,” he wrote. “Given that Trump is not going to be sent to Rikers Island by a Manhattan judge in any event, it would be prudent to postpone the sentence and allow Trump to pursue his immunity appeal. That would avoid the unseemliness of subjecting the next president of the United States to a criminal conviction and sentence when he is about to take office,” he continued. “Lawfare was terrible for the country. The resounding win Americans have given Trump should be its death knell,” McCarthy added later in his piece.
Rick Scott sees red wave as ‘best case scenario’ for Senate leader bid as he lobbies Trump for support
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is coming off the highs of a better-than-expected re-election margin in Florida and getting right into campaign mode for the Republican Senate leader race next week. His first project: Get President-elect Donald Trump’s support. The Florida Republican is actively lobbying his ally, who is now both the former and future president, for his endorsement ahead of the GOP leader race to determine who will succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a senior Scott source told Fox News Digital. In fact, the election presented Trump with a mandate, and “that’s the best case scenario for Rick Scott,” they said. CHUCK SCHUMER PREPS FOR RETURN TO SENATE MINORITY AFTER GOP VICTORY Trump has not endorsed anyone in the leader race, which currently includes candidates Scott, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D. He also has not said whether he will ultimately weigh in. Scott spoke to Trump following their electoral wins, telling FOX Business’ Larry Kudlow that they are “texting back and forth.” He expressed hope that Trump would back him in the race, which is rapidly heating up. ELECTION NIGHT WINNERS AND LOSERS: 2024 EDITION Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., made his own endorsement of Scott, and urged Trump to do the same on “The Jesse Kelly Show” on Thursday. He told host Jesse Kelly to ask the president-elect to “come out publicly” in support of Scott, if he has any influence with Trump. A source familiar also shared with Fox News Digital that Thune had connected with both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance after the election. However, the South Dakota Republican is of a different perspective than Scott and suggested Trump should not get involved in the Senate GOP leader race. MITCH MCCONNELL SINGS TRUMP CAMPAIGN PRAISES: ‘SHARPER OPERATION THIS TIME’ “It’s probably in his best interest to stay out of that,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday. “Obviously, if he wants to, he could exert a considerable amount of influence on that,” Thune acknowledged. He noted it’s his preference that Trump doesn’t publicly endorse. Thune and Trump had a previously fractured relationship, which they have been repairing in recent months. The senator first endorsed Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., in the Republican presidential primary before ultimately backing Trump. FOX NEWS DECISION DESK PROJECTS GOP TAKES BACK SENATE MAJORITY IN DEVASTATING BLOW TO DEMS Cornyn has been adamant about keeping the race out of the press. His office did not say whether he had spoken with Trump since the election but referred Fox News Digital to his interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto last week. Asked about potential friction with Trump, which McConnell dealt with, Cornyn said, “My experience with President Trump is you can tell him the truth in private, and he is willing to listen. And sometimes he’s willing to do what you suggest. Other times he may disagree, and that’s his prerogative. But I’ve had a very successful four years working with President Trump during his first term.” The leader election will be conducted through a secret ballot among the Republican conference on Nov. 13. McConnell does not plan to endorse in the race. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
DeSantis floats Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo as candidate for Trump’s HHS secretary
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is advocating for President-elect Donald Trump to tap state surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Retweet if you’d like to see this man — Dr. Joseph Ladapo — serve as the Secretary of HHS in the new Trump administration,” DeSantis wrote in a post on X, which features a photo of Ladapo. The post has earned thousands of retweets and amassed more than 1 million views. DESANTIS CLAIMS VICTORY OVER FLORIDA ABORTION, MARIJUANA AMENDMENTS AS SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE: ‘PRAISE GOD’ Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis was one of the many people who endorsed her husband’s idea by retweeting the post. On the heels of Trump’s decisive 2024 presidential election victory, DeSantis declared Wednesday on X that Trump “not only earned a sweeping electoral victory, he earned a mandate for change.” Ladapo tweeted on Wednesday, “The future of health freedom looks brighter today. Just as in Florida, it’s time to say ‘No’ to trampling on people’s rights, to gaslighting citizens about experimental vaccines that harm instead of help & to muzzling doctors who dissent with orthodoxy. Light triumphs over darkness.” RAND PAUL HITS ‘BIDEN/HARRIS CDC’ OVER COVID-19 VACCINE GUIDANCE FOR 6-MONTH-OLDS Ladapo recommends against using mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Florida Department of Health. “Based on the high rate of global immunity and currently available data, the State Surgeon General advises against the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines,” the department noted in a September press release. “Any provider concerned about the health risks associated with COVID-19 for patients over the age of 65 or with underlying health conditions should prioritize patient access to non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and treatment.” Ladapo asserted in a September tweet that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration “are gaslighting Americans with their new, unproven COVID-19 boosters, and recommend them for 6 month-old babies!” “We say bring data, acknowledge serious safety concerns & acknowledge the many people who believe they’ve been injured by these vaccines,” Ladapo added. NEW COVID VACCINE PUSH IS ‘ANTI-HUMAN,’ SAYS FLORIDA SURGEON GENERAL: ‘MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN’ The CDC’s 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Immunization Schedule advises three doses of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 6 months through 4-years-old. “An 8-week interval between the first and second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine might be optimal for some people, as it might reduce the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with COVID-19 vaccines,” the CDC notes.
New York Dem Laura Gillen ousts incumbent Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in toss-up House race
One of the first-term Republican lawmakers key to the House GOP winning the majority in the last election is projected to lose his seat. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., a retired NYPD officer, was defeated by former local official Laura Gillen in New York’s 4th Congressional District on suburban Long Island, in the shadow of New York City, The Associated Press said Thursday. Two days after Election Day, the balance of power in the House is still undetermined, with key races yet to be called in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and other states. Democrats and Republicans have now each flipped four seats. The election was a rematch of the November 2022 race, when D’Esposito beat Gillen and flipped the seat from blue to red. FORMER NEW YORK GOV. DAVID PATERSON, STEPSON ATTACKED BY GROUP OF SUSPECTS WHILE WALKING DOG Gillen is a former Hempstead town supervisor and previously worked as an attorney representing victims of domestic violence, according to her campaign website. She was backed by the House Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, through their “Red to Blue” program – an initiative pouring resources and funding into seats where Democrats saw an opportunity to grow their numbers in the House of Representatives. Gillen was endorsed by sitting New York Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman, Grace Meng and Tom Suozzi, among others. MOST NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS WANT INDICTED MAYOR ERIC ADAMS TO RESIGN: POLL D’Esposito’s election in 2022 came amid a wave of voter backlash against New York City’s progressive crime policies, when Republicans swept key districts in the suburbs of New York and New Jersey. He later helped lead the push to expel former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., after his criminal indictment related to fraud and other charges. However, his campaign was rocked in recent weeks by allegations in a New York Times report that D’Esposito possibly violated ethics rules by previously having his affair partner and his fiancée’s daughter on his payroll. D’Esposito denied all the allegations when asked by reporters on Capitol Hill in late September. “There was nothing done that was unethical,” he said at the time. When asked if he would stay in his race, D’Esposito said, “Absolutely. And win.” Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.