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GOP challenger in key House race blasts Dem opponent’s explanation on ethics complaint: ‘Not satisfied’

GOP challenger in key House race blasts Dem opponent’s explanation on ethics complaint: ‘Not satisfied’

CINCINNATI — GOP House candidate Orlando Sonza is blasting his Democrat opponent’s response to an ethics complaint related to reporting stock trades that he said is not enough to quell voter concerns on the issue. “Absolutely not,” Sonza told Fox News Digital when asked if he thinks Ohio voters are satisfied with Democrat Rep. Greg Landsman’s explanation of his stock trading activity that has drawn scrutiny in recent days.  “I mean, giving an answer that I’m not responsible for my own stock transactions does not fly muster. Do you really want that representative representing you in the U.S. Congress that says, ‘I’m sorry? I’m not the one that balances our budget because I’m not on the Budget Committee?’ No, You are responsible for every issue that’s put before you, as voters should expect.” Landsman was recently hit with an ethics complaint by a former inspector general of the Department of Commerce accusing him of breaking the law by waiting 20 months to disclose stock transactions, far outside the mandatory 45-day period. OHIO GOP SENATE CHALLENGER REACTS TO POLLS SHOWING DEAD HEAT IN CRITICAL SENATE RACE: ‘RADICAL LIBERAL’ “It was a question of whether or not the stock trades were disclosed,” Landsman said during Wednesday’s debate at Xavier University in Cincinnati. “They’ve all been disclosed. I have nothing to do with my trades. And so I didn’t know. Once I found out when we were putting our financial disclosure together, we disclosed them. It was late and that was wrong. And I took responsibility. It happened to maybe 60, 70, 80 members of Congress in the last term, dozens this term. And we put in place a system to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Sonza told Fox News Digital that “the best way to look at how someone would act in elected office” is to “look at how they treat their own personal life.” “Their own personal finances, their own life decisions, and that’s a good metric for how they’re acting when cameras are not on and doors are closed, and I think you saw that tonight – so, no, absolutely not satisfied.” NRA TARGETS SEN SHERROD BROWN IN 7-FIGURE AD BUY IN OHIO: ‘VOTE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT’ Sonza also took issue with a comment from Landsman in the debate about his involvement in the “Gang of Five” scandal while serving on the City Council, along with the recent ethics complaint. “That was a mistake,” Landsman said. “I should not have done that. In both instances, I immediately took responsibility. Politicians don’t do that often, certainly not often enough. I took responsibility and I moved on. I would encourage you to move on.” Sonza, who argued that Landsman would be a continuation of the Biden-Harris agenda in Congress, responded, “I mean, you had a politician that was asked point-blank why you violated the law, and his answer was, ‘We got to move on from it.’ No, voters have not moved on from you being part of the Gang of Five on [the] Cincinnati City Council or a judge who said voters should not vote for you ever again, and voters are not moving on to this very fresh allegation that my opponent himself admitted tonight that he violated federal law as a sitting congressman in failing to disclose over 80 stock transactions. I mean, that raises so many questions that really I think voters are now sadly just keying into.” Landsman, who has argued that he did not personally trade the stocks, told Fox News Digital in a statement, “We disclosed the trades, but late, and it’s been fixed. Sonza is desperate. Voters want normal, pragmatic, bipartisan leaders like me and they’re exhausted with the chaos and extremism of far-right politicians like him.” Sonza told Fox News Digital that while Wednesday’s debate was civil, it highlighted “stark” contrasts between the two candidates.  “No. 1, there is contrast on how to fix these big problems that our country has, and it comes down to policy,” Sonza said. “You heard on one side that it seems to my opponent, just seems to be invoking a lot of the same rhetoric, political rhetoric and buzzwords and really no substance to it. The very bills that he talks about. … I think we’ve been able to highlight why they were actually wrong for America and why I would have voted differently in these last 20 months and what I will do differently if elected. So, policy-wise, whether it was the economy or the southern border or national security, VA, there were stark policy differences.” The Cook Political Report ranks the Ohio 1st District race as “likely Democrat,” but Republicans have dedicated resources to the race as they look to protect their slim majority in the House in a race that could play a key role in determining that outcome. Landsman won by just over five points in 2022.

Critics drag Harris for ‘cringe’ pre-recorded video aired during Catholic charity dinner

Critics drag Harris for ‘cringe’ pre-recorded video aired during Catholic charity dinner

Conservatives and critics on social media dragged Vice President Kamala Harris over her “cringe” pre-recorded video message that was broadcast to the audience of the 79th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on Thursday evening after she skipped attending the event in-person.  “Kamala Harris releases her pre-recorded video for the Al Smith dinner in New York that she didn’t show up for. Comedian Jim Gaffigan made fun of the Vice President after the crowd gave a dismal applause once it ended. Cringe,” Trending Politics co-owner Colin Rugg posted on X of Harris’ video.  The Al Smith Dinner is a bipartisan charity dinner that has grown to become a political and cultural hallmark of election seasons, as the nominees for both political parties have historically attended the event to trade barbs with one another in a light-hearted manner.  Harris skipped the event – the first time a nominee has done so since failed Democratic nominee Walter Mondale in 1984 – and instead sent dinner organizers a video to broadcast to the audience. The video also featured comedian Molly Shannon as she reprised her “Saturday Night Live” character Mary Katherine Gallagher, a quirky Catholic student. Former President Donald Trump attended the event and was the featured speaker.  HARRIS TO VIRTUALLY ATTEND CATHOLIC CHARITY DINNER THAT RIVAL TRUMP IS HEADLINING “I just want to say that I’m Catholic, and tonight is one of the biggest dinners next to the Last Supper,” Shannon, dressed as Mary Katherine Gallagher, told Harris in the video.  “It is a very important dinner, and it’s an important tradition that I’m so proud to be a part of,” Harris responded, before Shannon delivered her character’s hallmark odd behavior of sticking her hands under her armpits and smelling them.  “Is there anything that you think that maybe I shouldn’t bring up tonight?” Harris asked.  “Well, don’t lie. Thou shall not bear false witness to thy neighbor,” Shannon responded.  “Indeed. Especially thy neighbor’s election results,” Harris said in a dig at Trump.  COMEDIAN JIM GAFFIGAN TAKES SURPRISING SHOTS AT HARRIS FOR SKIPPING ‘CATHOLIC MET GALA’ Shannon’s character advised Harris to not “say anything negative about Catholics,” before asking her: “Does it bother you that that Trump guy insults you all the time? Because it really bothers my friends and me.” “Oh, Mary Katherine, it’s very important to always remember. You should never let anyone tell you who you are. You tell them who you are,” Harris said.  Critics, including those on the Trump team, lambasted the video on social media.  KAMALA HARRIS PLANS TO SKIP HISTORIC AL SMITH DINNER DESPITE LONG-STANDING TRADITION The emcee of the dinner, comedian Jim Gaffigan, even quipped after the video was shown to the audience that he was unsure if attendees were supportive of her video and message. “I don’t even know what that noise you’re making is,” Gaffigan said. “Something like ahhhhh.”  “As I watched that, I couldn’t help but think of: Now I know how my kids felt when … I FaceTimed into a piano recital they were at,” he continued.  TRUMP APPLAUDS CATHOLIC GROUP’S MULTI-MILLION ANTI-HARRIS CAMPAIGN APPEALING TO CHURCH FAITHFUL Supporters of Harris lauded the video on social media as a “must watch,” while others commended her for skipping the dinner.  Former President Donald Trump took shots at Harris during his remarks, including her absence at the historic dinner.  “If you really wanted Vice President Harris to accept your invitation, I guess you should have told her the funds were going to bail out the looters and rioters in Minneapolis, and she would have been here, guaranteed. She would have been guaranteed,” Trump jabbed at Harris, citing her promotion of a bail fund during the riots of 2020.  “I must say I was shocked when I heard that Kamala was skipping the Al Smith dinner. I’d really hoped that you would come, because we can’t get enough of hearing her beautiful laugh. She laughs like crazy,” Trump joked at another point. Harris wrapped up her video on a serious note, including invoking the Gospel of Luke.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Gospel of Luke tells us that faith has the power to shine a light on those living in darkness, and to guide our feet in the path of peace. In the spirit of tonight’s dinner, let us recommit to reaching across divides, to seek understanding and common ground. And in honor of the great Al Smith, let us fight to build a better future with faith in God, our country, and in each other,” she said.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan takes surprising shots at Harris for skipping ‘Catholic Met Gala’

Comedian Jim Gaffigan takes surprising shots at Harris for skipping ‘Catholic Met Gala’

Comedian Jim Gaffigan took surprising digs at Vice President Kamala Harris for skipping the 79th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on Thursday, instead opting to send a pre-recorded video message to be shown at the bipartisan and light-hearted Catholic charity event.  “You know, this event has been referred to as the Catholic Met Gala. Twenty-two percent of Americans identify as Catholic. Catholics will be a key demographic in every battleground state,” Gaffigan, the emcee of the charity dinner, said Thursday.  “I’m sorry. Why is Vice President Harris not here?” he continued, with some of the audience jeering. “I mean, consider this. This is a room full of Catholics and Jews in New York City. This is a layup for the Democratic nominee. I mean, in her defense, I mean, she did find time to appear on “The View,” Howard Stern, Colbert and the long time staple of campaigning, the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. You know what I think it is? I think she doesn’t like me.”  In another jab at Harris and the Democratic Party, the comedian joked about the political “coup” against President Biden over the summer, when the 46th president dropped out of the presidential race amid mounting calls from members of his own party to exit the race amid concerns over his mental acuity.  TRUMP SPEAKS AT ANNUAL AL SMITH DINNER, HARRIS SENDS PRE-RECORDED VID “The Democrats have been telling us Trump, Trump’s reelection is a threat to democracy. In fact, they were so concerned of this threat, they staged a coup. Ousted their democratically elected incumbent, and installed Kamala Harris,” Gaffigan said.  “In other words, all her dreams have come true.”  HARRIS TO VIRTUALLY ATTEND CATHOLIC CHARITY DINNER THAT RIVAL TRUMP IS HEADLINING Harris is the first presidential candidate in 40 years, outside of 2020’s virtual dinner during the pandemic, to not physically attend the Catholic charity event. Failed Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale in 1984 was the last nominee to skip the event.  Harris’ snub of the historic Catholic charity event irked New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the host of the dinner, on his podcast this week.  “This year will be imbalanced because sadly, Kamala Harris isn’t coming,” Dolan said on his podcast Tuesday. “It’s a shame because the nature of the evening is to bring people together. The nature of the evening is civility, patriotism, humor. It’s not a campaign speech. It’s not a campaign stop.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment on sending a pre-recorded video message for the event, but did not receive a reply. The campaign previously told Fox News that Harris was skipping the event to focus on campaigning in the battleground state of Wisconsin on Thursday.  KAMALA HARRIS PLANS TO SKIP HISTORIC AL SMITH DINNER DESPITE LONG-STANDING TRADITION “The Vice President is going to be campaigning in a battleground state that day, and the campaign wants to maximize her time in the battlegrounds this close to the election. Her team also told the organizers that she would very much like to attend their event as President. This would make her one of the first sitting Presidents to attend,” the campaign said.  Harris recorded a video that was aired during the dinner, in which she was joined by comedian and actress Molly Shannon. During Shannon’s days as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” she played a Catholic student named Mary Katherine Gallgher, a role she reprised for the video.  TRUMP APPLAUDS CATHOLIC GROUP’S MULTI-MILLION ANTI-HARRIS CAMPAIGN APPEALING TO CHURCH FAITHFUL “So tell me something, I’m giving a speech. Do you have some thoughts about what I might say tonight?” Harris asked Shannon.  “Don’t lie. Thou shall not bear false witness to thy neighbor,” Shannon responded.  “Indeed, especially thy neighbor’s election results,” Harris said in a jab at Trump.  The Al Smith dinner was launched in 1946, and has raised millions of dollars for charities supporting women and children. It has since grown to become a political and cultural hallmark of election seasons. The dinner is named after the first Catholic presidential candidate, Al Smith, who served as the 42nd governor of New York. He ran for president as a Democrat in 1928.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Walz says 90-year-old mom lives off social security check during North Carolina rally

Walz says 90-year-old mom lives off social security check during North Carolina rally

On the first day of early voting in North Carolina, Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz hit the campaign trail in Durham on Thursday evening, making a personal revelation about his mother. During his campaign rally, Walz said that his mother has to wait for her social security check every month to feed herself. According to Forbes, Walz has an estimated net worth of over $1 million. Walz has spent the better part of his career in the public service sector. He was a former public school teacher and Army National Guardsman who served six terms in Congress before becoming the governor of Minnesota in 2019.  TRUMP-VANCE TICKET HAS DONE COMBINED 81 INTERVIEWS SINCE AUGUST COMPARED TO 44 FOR HARRIS-WALZ “We are all products of our past. When you grow up a middle-class kid in Oakland or in Butte, Nebraska, you care about Social Security,” Walz said. Walz continued, claiming Donald Trump and all his “rich friends” don’t care or even worry about Social Security.  “When my mom looks for that Social Security deposit to be made in her bank account, that’s how she’s going to feed herself. That’s how she’s going to get things done. He [Trump] doesn’t give a damn if his Social Security check comes or not,” Walz claimed.  ‘MAN ENOUGH’ VIDEO SUPPORTING HARRIS MOCKED AS ‘THE CRINGIEST POLITICAL AD EVER CREATED’ Walz also touted that a hundred million Americans under Kamala Harris as president would see a tax cut, adding that he passed the largest tax cut in Minnesota history, not for the rich, but for the middle class.  “The one thing we understand about this is the economy works best when it’s fair, and it’s focused on the middle class,” Walz said.  Walz, who was joined by former President Bill Clinton, has another campaign event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This is his third campaign visit to the Tar Heel state as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. TIM WALZ BACKPEDALS STATEMENT THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE ‘NEEDS TO GO’ After doing just one joint interview in the first three weeks of her campaign, Harris and Walz have stepped up their media appearances in recent weeks to more match those of their Republican counterparts. Walz joined “Fox News Sunday” for the second straight week on Sunday, Oct. 13, and he also did interviews last week with Jimmy Kimmel and the “Smartless” podcast. He’s also spoken to Pennsylvania and Arizona news stations in the past week, in addition to an extended interview on ABC News. Walz spoke with Georgia, Wisconsin and North Carolina TV stations in recent weeks. He spoke with MSNBC and ABC after last month’s presidential debate, and he was interviewed by Michigan station Fox 17. Walz has also spoken to radio stations in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Walz was previously mocked for a comment he made during a speech in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at a September rally when he told attendees “we can’t afford four more years of this.”  Although Walz may have been referring to gun violence or Trump’s rhetoric when he cited “four more years” of an issue, his statement led conservative commentators to roast the Minnesota governor on social media for what appeared to be a criticism of the Biden administration. Fox News’ Andrea Margolis, Brian Flood and David Rutz contributed to this report.