‘Insulting’: Ex-Trump official’s ‘dishonest’ campaign ad triggers conservative revolt
Republican Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders ignited backlash from conservatives Monday after releasing a campaign ad depicting a young White man as the face of welfare abuse, with critics arguing the portrayal was misleading. The ad, released as Huckabee Sanders runs for reelection on new welfare work requirements, follows a fictional character named “Brad,” who is portrayed as an able-bodied White man spending his days playing video games, lounging on the couch and avoiding work while relying on taxpayer-funded benefits. Huckabee Sanders argues her proposal would require able-bodied adults without dependents to work, train for a job or volunteer in order to continue receiving assistance. “Meet Brad,” Huckabee Sanders starts the ad. “Brad has turned relaxing into a full-time profession. But you – you actually work hard. You pay taxes to cover welfare for guys like Brad who just choose not to work.” Huckabee Sanders, who served as President Trump’s White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019, faced backlash from conservatives who slammed the campaign’s execution, arguing the decision to depict a young White man as the face of welfare abuse did not reflect reality. FLORIDA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO BLOCK WELFARE CASH FOR TATTOOS, VAPES AND MORE “Great policy,” Co-founder and CEO of The Federalist Sean Davis argued. “Terrible ad that is so dishonest and insulting that it will entirely overshadow the genuinely great policy.” “This is a massive own goal, [Sarah Huckabee Sanders], and you should fire the consultants who made this ad,” Will Chamberlain, the Article III Project senior counsel, posted on X. “Do not portray your core voting bloc as losers, period. “ “White males are the Republican Party’s voting base and yet they are the group the Republican Party sh—s on at every possible opportunity,” responded Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh. “Meanwhile, back in reality, women are significantly more likely to be on welfare than men. And black people are astronomically more likely to be on welfare than white people. So the number of single young white male ‘Brads’ abusing the welfare system is minuscule.” WARNOCK WARNS DEMS TO CUT THE ‘JARGON’ AND SPEAK ‘PLAIN ENGLISH’ WITH YOUNG MEN WHO FEEL LEFT BEHIND “Attacking white (specifically Christian) young men is the most acceptable political tactic in America thanks to the evils of liberalism,” said the American Principles Project’s Caleb Pascoe. “It’s staggering how much even the majority of GOP politicians feel safe attacking white young men, instead of communicating the truth of welfare, because they might get called ‘racist’ or whatever.” “Always a white male villain in these ads,” another conservative account wrote. “I hate the GOP so much it’s unreal.” After the initial post got millions of views, Huckabee Sanders followed up with an X post that said, “Some critics online don’t like my welfare work requirement ad. Next thing you know they’ll say I should have used cookies instead of cheese balls.” “If you are able-bodied you should not collect welfare simply because you choose not to work. Period. WATCH->” she continued, which invited conservatives to attack the video again. “Your ad targeted and mocked the one demographic—young white men—that is least likely to be on welfare and yet the most likely to be illegally locked out of the job market,” Davis added in a follow-up post. “Why?” “Is this an op?” another account wrote. EX-HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR SAYS GOP ISN’T ‘A CONSERVATIVE PARTY ANYMORE,’ BUT DEMOCRATS ARE ‘WORSE’ The unusual backlash from the right also attracted attention from critics on the left, who seized on the intra-conservative dispute over the ad. Among them was left-wing commentator Keith Olbermann, who mocked what he called the “White Power GOP Party” for turning on Huckabee Sanders over the ad’s depiction of a white welfare recipient. “Huck puts out the first honest TV ad by a republican in 75 years and the White Power GOP Party is big mad that the welfare leech shown is a white guy named Brad,” Olbermann said amid the backlash. “Republicans are insanely mad this Sarah Huckabee Sanders ad portrays a white gamer guy as the face of welfare,” Will Sommer, a senior reporter for The Bulwark, posted on X. “Republicans in the comments are furious that Sarah Huckabee Sanders dared to depict a white man on welfare and are blaming “jews,” far-left media company MeidasTouch posted on X. “The Republican Party has a massive racism and antisemitism problem.” Fox News Digital reached out to Huckabee Sanders’ team for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
El-Sayed questions ethics of football in resurfaced audio
Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed took aim at football culture, questioning whether America’s most popular sport is “ethical,” according to a resurfaced audio clip posted online Monday by the Republican Party. In a 2023 podcast episode, the Michigan Democrat questioned whether American football could be considered “ethical” or “safe” due to the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) for players and perceived ties to toxic masculinity and violence. “What is it about this brutal sport that keeps us coming back?” El-Sayed is heard saying. “Is there a version of football that’s actually ethical and safe? What would need to change?” El-Sayed has questioned the sport in the past, most recently earlier this month when he released a video voicing concerns about the cost to attend NFL games. ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES ‘RACIST NFL’ CLAIM, CONTINUES DEFENDING COLIN KAEPERNICK The video shows El-Sayed throwing and catching a football while questioning the high prices of tickets, in addition to money spent on concessions. NEW RESEARCH FINDS 1 IN 4 NFL PLAYERS COULD DEVELOP CTE IN THEIR LIFETIME: ‘SHOULD BE A CALL TO ACTION’ “It’s gotten way too expensive,” he said. “That means that something that’s supposed to bring us all together, like football, separates those who have and those who have not.” He also noted that many football stadiums are subsidized by taxpayer funds, and yet, ticket prices continue to climb. In October 2021, El-Sayed wrote that “the toxic masculinity at the heart of America’s most popular sport — and men’s sports culture more generally — is way deeper than a few emails or a Jay-Z turnaround.” The Democratic Senate hopeful played football growing up and was the captain of his high school team. He called sports his “lifeline.” Despite his criticism of what he described as the toxic elements of male sports culture, El-Sayed has also defended masculinity and chided Democrats for talking down to men, often posting fitness-related content as part of his strategy to appeal to male voters. Fox News Digital has reached out to El-Sayed for comment.
Protester storms DC party, flips off crowd as ‘USA!’ chants erupt amid Trump’s AI push
Protesters crashed a large pro-data center party in Washington, D.C., making obscene guestures attendees and shouting about the industry’s water use as President Donald Trump pushes to accelerate America’s artificial intelligence and data center boom. “Thank you for using all of our water!” and “You’re killing the world,” the protester shouted as a woman interrupted the party, directing middle fingers at the crowd while chanting against the data center industry. The “Data After Dark” party was hosted by three self-proclaimed data center “fanboys,” bringing together more than 600 people to show support for data center infrastructure. FIRST ON FOX: ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST NETWORK BEHIND FIGHT AGAINST AI DATA CENTERS AND FLOCK CAMERAS Party co-host and Young Voices CEO Casey Givens told Fox News Digital that one protester initially approached him asking to give a toast in support of data centers, but after he refused, she jumped onstage and attempted to grab the microphone from co-host Jonas Du. After the protester was removed by security, the crowd responded by chanting, “USA, USA, USA.” Data centers power artificial intelligence by housing thousands of high-performance computers that store, process and analyze data, enabling AI systems to be trained and operate. INSIDE THE FAR-LEFT’S ANTI-DATA CENTER PUSH AND WHAT EXPERTS SAY IS DRIVING IT: ‘PLAYBOOK WE’VE SEEN BEFORE’ “I organized the party along with my co-hosts because the three of us were dismayed by how one side was dominating the data center conversation with hysteria instead of reason,” said Givens. “We wanted to push back by throwing a celebration of technology and benefits of data centers — locally in terms of tax revenue and economic development, and nationally in terms of innovation and the fight against China,” Givens added. The party featured themed cocktails such as “Loudoun County Iced Tea,” named after the Northern Virginia county that handles more than 70% of global internet traffic across roughly 250 data centers, according to the county’s website. CHINA ‘THROWING GASOLINE ON THE FIRE’ IN AI DATA CENTERS RACE, SAY LAWMAKERS Trump has pushed for a rapid buildout of data centers as part of his broader AI agenda, contending the U.S. must stay ahead of China in the global AI race and that resistance to the projects gives Beijing an advantage. “If you want to go through poverty, crime and squalor, I would say don’t approve of data centers,” Trump said from the Oval Office Sept. 4. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Trump boasted about American AI supremacy over China during an address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York Tuesday, using his newly-minted term for the technology, “superintelligence.” “Every major new technology brings challenges, and superintelligence is no exception,” said Trump. “Whoever wins superintelligence wins. That’s the group that wins. And we’re leading now over China by a lot and everyone else. And we’re going to keep it that way.”
DOJ pleads with Supreme Court to save ban on transgender treatments in federal prisons
The Justice Department on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policy banning payment for hormone treatments and social accommodations for transgender inmates. The DOJ is asking the high court to block a lower court’s ruling so that the federal government can immediately enforce its updated prison policy regarding gender dysphoria. “BOP’s decision to prioritize mental-health treatment, while discontinuing medically disputed and unproven sex-rejecting interventions, falls well within the bounds of reasoned decision-making,” U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said in the DOJ petition. WOMAN OBJECTED TO TRANS SEX OFFENDER ROOMMATE — THEN SHE WAS SENT BACK TO PRISON, LEGAL GROUP SAYS The BOP issued a new policy in February prohibiting any surgeries aimed at modifying sex traits, as well as discontinuing hormone treatments for inmates not currently on hormone therapy. In addition, the policy prevents social accommodations for inmates, such as breast/buttock padding, chest binders, makeup, wigs, or undergarments that do not align with an inmate’s biological sex. FEMALE INMATE SUES WASHINGTON STATE AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK BY MALE-BORN PRISONER IN WOMEN’S FACILITY Earlier this year, a group of federal inmates sued the Trump administration over an executive order issued at the start of his second term that prohibited the use of federal funds for medical treatments or procedures for transgender inmates. In June, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Ronald Reagan appointee, ordered the BOP to continue providing accommodations and care for transgender inmates in federal prisons, saying officials had not provided a serious explanation for why medical treatment for gender dysphoria should be handled differently than in other cases. JD VANCE CALLS ON DOJ TO PROSECUTE ALLEGED FRAUD IN TEEN TRANSGENDER TREATMENT The lower court found that the BOP failed to adequately consider its own past experience providing care aligned with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). In its Supreme Court filing, the DOJ said the care guidelines from WPATH are scientifically flawed, biased, and unreliable. LIBERAL JUSTICE HAMMERS SUPREME COURT FOR FAST-TRACKING EMERGENCY DOCKET CASES Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declined to revive the policy while proceedings moved forward following an appeal by the Justice Department. In the lawsuit, the DOJ and Sauer argued that courts must grant double deference to federal prison administrators. “Prison administrators . . . should be accorded wide-ranging deference in the adoption and execution of policies and practices that in their judgment are needed to preserve internal order and discipline and to maintain institutional security.” “The court’s demand for additional evidence cannot be reconciled with bedrock principles of administrative law or the double deference that BOP is due in this context.”
Vance unloads on tech titans using foreign visa holders to displace American workers
Vice President JD Vance wants to drastically change the H-1B foreign worker visa program in favor of a system that prioritizes American workers rather than the one he says currently displaces members of the domestic workforce. “So, what are the things we can do administratively to ensure that if a tech company is going to try to get an H-1B visa, it’s an actual genius, it’s a person that is going to significantly enrich the tech ecosystem or the American economy?” Vance asked in a Sept. 15 episode of the “All-In” podcast, hosted by financial gurus Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks and David Friedberg — all entrepreneurs and investors. Vance explained that Congress doesn’t have the “political will” to make significant changes to the visa program, leading to recent executive action on the subject. AMERICA’S BROKEN LEGAL IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS REPLACING US WORKERS BY DESIGN H-1B visas are temporary nonimmigrant programs that allow foreign workers in “specialty occupations,” often referred to as “high-skilled workers,” to come to the United States and work, typically for three years, according to United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS). But critics say the program has been abused by large companies, many in the tech industry, to simply replace Americans in the workforce with cheaper labor from abroad. Many also argue that the visa recipients aren’t better suited than American workers to do the jobs. Vance said the administration is trying to ensure companies are, “not just replacing one accountant who makes $60,000 with a lower-wage foreign accountant who makes $45,000 a year.” CEO UNDER FIRE FOR MASS LAYOFFS AMID FOREIGN WORKER HIRING SPREE NOW APPOINTED TO FED’S TASK FORCE ON JOBS “We’re also looking at various ways of preventing companies that use H-1B visas from laying off a bunch of American workers,” said Vance in a clip shared on Sunday that sparked chatter on social media. “So, one of the things that I find just shocking about this is that you’ll have a company that applies for an H-1B, and they’ll say, ‘oh, we’re desperate for workers, we can’t find the workers,’ and then you go and look at their history and they’ve laid off 5,000 people,” he explained. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in August a new rule to charge $103,265 to companies as an additional fee for every H-1B petition subject to the annual statutory cap of 65,000 per year. FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN TRUMP’S $100K H-1B VISA FEE, RULING IT AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAX A similar proposal from the administration was previously struck down by a federal district court. “That’s ridiculous,” Vance said of American employers abusing the program to cut labor costs. “If you’re laying off American workers you shouldn’t be going to the market searching for foreign workers to replace them,” he said. “So, we’re doing a lot, within the confines of course of what we’re allowed to do legally. We’ve gotten sued on some of this stuff. But I think fundamentally, we’re on [sic] the right on both the law and the policy.” ‘The H-1B should not exist to replace American workers with low-wage foreigners. It should exist to enrich the American economy.” Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey resigns after year in role
Andrew Bailey, the co-deputy director of the FBI, announced in a social media post on Monday that he will resign from the agency, citing family reasons. Bailey, who stepped into the post in August 2025, said he would be returning to his family in Missouri. “With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am announcing that I am stepping down to return to my family in Missouri,” Bailey said in a post on X. “I am confident Director Patel will continue to reform the FBI, combat violent crime, defend the homeland, ensure strong organizational accountability and restore public trust in this institution of excellence.” DAN BONGINO REVEALS HOW HE TRAPPED ‘SNAKES’ INSIDE FBI TO STOP MEDIA LEAKS Bailey initially served in his role alongside Dan Bongino, a conservative podcaster and former U.S. Secret Service member who stepped down in December 2025 amid clashes with then-Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. He then served with his FBI co-deputy, Chris Raia, the former assistant director in charge of the bureau’s New York City Field Office, in a continuation of the nontraditional co-deputy structure initiated by FBI Director Kash Patel. KASH PATEL TO TOUT ‘LARGEST’ YEAR-TO-YEAR VIOLENT CRIME DROP IN US HISTORY In a social media post of his own, Patel thanked Bailey for his service. “Although Andrew is leaving the FBI in order to return to his family in Missouri, his fantastic contribution instituting critical reforms which resulted in our historic success will live on. Andrew’s leadership at the FBI will be missed but we are grateful he answered the call to serve!” Patel wrote. “Thanks Andrew for your tremendous dedication to the mission of this FBI.” FBI TOUTS 6,000 ARRESTS, 44% HOMICIDE DROP ONE YEAR INTO TRUMP’S DC CRIME CRACKDOWN The FBI referred Fox News Digital to Bailey’s social media post., while the White House deferred to Patel’s remarks. The resignation came after two FBI agents were demoted and reassigned last week amid concerns that the agency wasn’t acting fast enough to investigate alleged threatening phone calls to Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. Meanwhile, the FBI Rapid Response account on X disputed claims that Bailey was “annoyed” over recent personnel moves at bureau’s Washington Field Office. “This is clickbait dressed up as reporting,” the post states. “Fake news.”
Mamdani’s latest freebie sets off online fury as critics rip city priorities: ‘Opera socialism’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a plan last week to give away 70,000 free tickets to the Metropolitan Opera House, firing up critics on social media who argue there are more pressing issues facing New Yorkers. “Opera for All,” a partnership between the city and the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center, will allow New Yorkers who have never attended a performance to enter a monthly lottery for tickets to productions ranging from Macbeth to La Bohème, according to a press release from the mayor’s office. A spokesperson for Mamdani’s office told Fox News Digital the city is not paying for the program. The Metropolitan Opera is donating tickets from its pool of unsold seats, representing about 10% of its seasonal capacity, while the city will help promote and distribute them. In a video announcing the latest giveaway, Mamdani appeared alongside the cast of La Bohème, telling viewers that “every New Yorker should have the opportunity to see this no matter how much money is in their pocket.” He also highlighted former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s “People’s Opera,” which was founded in 1943 to offer affordable tickets before filing for bankruptcy in 2013 and relaunching in 2016. GROCERS ISSUE WARNING OVER MAMDANI’S TAXPAYER-BACKED STORES: ‘WE’RE GOING TO GO AFTER’ THEM “This art form was meant to be seen by everyone,” he said. While many liberals have touted Mamdani’s move, conservatives on social media were quick to ridicule Mamdani’s announcement, which was viewed over 6 million times on X, calling it a case of misplaced priorities. In a post on X, former Los Angeles mayoral candidate and reality TV star Spencer Pratt wrote, “Prior generations of billionaires gave endowments to the arts. Today’s autistic billionaires ignore culture and spend all their philanthropy fixated on the fecundity of peasants 10K miles away, then are baffled by why they’re so hated here & can’t get data centers approved.” MAMDANI’S AFFORDABILITY REVOLUTION STUMBLED AS RENT COSTS SOAR TO RECORD HIGHS “His entire shtick is designed to make you believe there’s this starving underworld that longs for things like opera tickets but is so oppressed they cannot attain them,” Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt posted on X. “It’s all bull—- and he’s just wasting your money.” “A random entertainment lottery for the poors? What the f— is this? The Hunger Games?” music video director Joseph Kahn posted on X. NYC BUSINESS OWNERS REVOLT OVER MAMDANI’S GOVERNMENT-RUN GROCERY STORES: ‘DOOMED FOR DISASTER’ “Ever see a fight break out at an opera?” comedian Danny Polishchuk posted on X. “Do you want to? Now’s your chance!” But this is not the first time Mamdani has pushed his democratic socialist agenda. In August, New York City high school students were offered thousands of free and discounted Broadway tickets through a partnership with the Theatre Development Fund (TDF). His other affordability-focused proposals, including fare-free buses, city-owned grocery stores, rent freezes and free child care programs, have also sparked concerns over expanded government and taxpayer burdens. The partnership with the Metropolitan Opera will remain permanent and continue into next season, with tickets available throughout the venue, excluding standing-room tickets. Fox News Digital reached out to the Metropolitan Opera for comment.
Reporter’s Notebook: Senate Republicans scrap early exit from Washington as midterm stakes soar
It’s a calculation by Republicans to keep the Senate in session this week. Yes. The Senate was scheduled to meet anyway over the next few days. But the general consensus early last week was that the Senate would be done then, and those facing competitive races would be back home campaigning. Then Wednesday hit. Republicans wanted to stay in Washington. For a very specific reason. And many of them told Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as much at their weekly luncheon. “Odds are we plan on being here next week,” said Thune. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS STRUGGLES TO FIND A MESSAGE THAT RESONATES WITH VOTERS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS One Senate aide compared the Senate’s schedule to a cat chasing a beam of light from a laser pointer. But the Senate is in fact meeting. There are reasons. Most of them are political. The Senate wasn’t quite done with the bill to regulate money in intercollegiate athletics last week. And with the affordability question vexing Republicans, they really didn’t want to pass the college sports bill and promptly vacate Washington. That would be an awkward punctuation point at the end of the legislative sentence before the midterms. GOPers wanted something more substantive. Democrats might have presented that opportunity to Republicans on a platter. Before the House left for the midterms the week before last, it accentuated its session by passing the Ratepayer Protection Act, 417-3. Let me tell you, not much passes around here with 417 votes. Like their Senate colleagues, House Republicans also worry about voters doubting they’re addressing affordability. So this bill hit the mark for them. The legislation defrays the costs ratepayers fork out for their utility bills if they’re driven up by data centers. This forces the tech companies which run the data centers to foot the bill. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is one of the most vulnerable Republicans on the ballot this fall. Husted’s longtime support for data centers is also dragging him down in the eyes of some voters. Husted tried to fix that. He went to the floor and asked for the Senate to pass on the spot the House bill. However, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., objected, blocking the effort. FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC ANXIETY AND CANDIDATE CONCERNS DEFINE OHIO SENATE RACE Republicans viewed that as an opening. Democrats stood in the way of passing a bill on affordability which 417 bipartisan House members supported without blinking. Senate GOPers immediately seized this opportunity as a wedge against their adversaries. And, they interpreted this as a chance to assist their Ohio colleague. “Tell the data centers we’re happy to have you. But you’ve got to pay your own electricity. People are not going to pay for it,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Republicans were already leery about the uneven political footing when it comes to AI. Even more so with data centers. Voters are not enamored with the results of the Big, Beautiful Bill, passed last summer. But dealing with data centers is more immediate and might resonate with those who soured on the Republican brand. “In Missouri, people are absolutely scared to death that these data centers are going to take all the prime farm ground of the state. And then they’re going to raise electricity bills so high, no one will be able to afford them,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. The official schedule intended for the Senate to meet this week. But once September hit and no government shutdown loomed, senators from both sides – especially those facing challenging elections – wanted to skip Washington and campaign back home. Yours truly asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., why his party stood in the way of the Senate aligning with the House on that data center/utilities measure. “Was this blocked in the Senate last week by Democrats as an effort to prevent Sen. Husted from having a win in this competitive race?” I asked. “Sen. Husted’s bill is a fraud. It’s voluntary. No company has to do it. The bill we have is mandatory. It is much stronger and is what is needed,” replied Schumer. There is something to Schumer’s argument about how muscular the bill is. The legislation says public utility regulators must only consider a standard for ratepayers. Nothing is required. Thus, there’s wiggle room for tech firms. HAWLEY TAKES AIM AT ‘CORPORATE WELFARE’ AFTER GOP-BACKED TAX BREAK BOOSTED CONTROVERSIAL INDUSTRY “What we’re saying is that we can do much better,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. “Is it a little step forward? Yes. But it’s not meeting the moment. So our view is we should expand it to make sure that ratepayers aren’t having to subsidize the richest corporations on the planet.” But a lot of Republicans aren’t buying what Schumer and Van Hollen are saying. The Democratic objections are all about three things: Politics. An endangered GOP senator in the most expensive Senate contest in the country. And, Democrats are hoping to flip the seat in their favor. “Sen. Schumer, what he cares about is the midterm election and politics. And I don’t think he cares about the substance of this,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “Obviously there’s a hot and heavy Senate race going on in Ohio, and he doesn’t want to let Sen. Husted have something he can talk about when he goes home.” Republicans view the opportunity to turn the affordability issue against Democrats – capitalizing on Schumer’s remark and forcing Democrats to take a stand. Either you’re for affordability (especially as it pertains to the toxic issue of data centers) or you’re not. Moreover, this could boost Husted in his competitive contest with former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. In fact, it was the Senate GOP’s campaign arm which specifically flagged vulnerabilities for Republicans generally and Husted in particular over the summer. Thune tees up a test vote on Wednesday to dare Democrats to either start debate on the bill or block it again. That vote requires 60 yeas. So Democratic cooperation is required.
Blue city funds immigrant activist program with taxpayer dollars, critics say it ‘shuts citizens out’
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration is offering taxpayer-funded scholarships for an activist program while limiting participation to immigrants, including non-U.S. citizens, a requirement that has drawn criticism online. The Immigrants Lead Boston program, run by the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, is designed for “emerging leaders” interested in advocating for Boston’s immigrant communities. Participants meet city officials and receive training aimed at helping them engage with local government and organize within their communities during the 10-week program. Critics have seized on both the taxpayer funding and the eligibility requirements, arguing that U.S.-born residents are excluded from a city-backed leadership program whose participants can receive a $575 scholarship. “That is not charity. That is a political pipeline built to shut citizens out of their own city,” one user wrote on X. BOSTON TO GIVE LGBTQ+ MIGRANTS VOUCHERS FOR YOGA, MEDITATION, ‘CREATIVE HEALING’ “Paying illegal immigrants to learn political organizing to protest against the country they’re in,” one person wrote on X. “For starters it sounds like discrimination,” posted a user. “Michelle WU is a communist who probably wants a American version of China,” a person wrote taking shots at the Boston mayor. TRUMP’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES NEW YORK, OTHER BLUE STATES OVER TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “Is this legal,” asked one user. “Illegal aliens have broken our laws. Any assistance given them other than assistance to leave the country, simply rewards their unlawful behavior, encourages other unlawful behavior, and more illegals to follow their lead,” one person posted. Similar taxpayer-backed benefits for immigrants have surfaced in other Democratic-led states, particularly in higher education. NEBRASKA ENDS IN-STATE TUITION BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER DOJ DEAL SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER New York, Connecticut and Vermont have offered in-state tuition or other financial benefits to immigrants in the country illegally, while Oregon and Washington have provided access to benefits such as state grants or student loans. California has also allowed qualifying students in the country illegally to apply for state financial aid. Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Wu’s office for comment.
Republicans zero in on key player accused of helping Democrat fundraising giant hide foreign cash
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans’ investigation into Democrats’ main fundraising platform is heating up on the heels of an explosive report that raised questions about whether left-wing candidates’ campaigns were raking in foreign cash. Top House GOP committee chairs are summoning ActBlue attorney Ronald Machen for a closed-door interview sometime before Oct. 9, Fox News Digital has learned. A letter sent to Machen Monday morning stated that information he previously disclosed to investigators appears to contradict other data that has been collected, specifically on ActBlue’s verification standards for making sure a donor is a U.S. citizen. “On September 11, 2026, you provided a briefing to the House Administration, Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform Committees regarding the accuracy of ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones’s prior statements to Congress about ActBlue’s donor and passport collection processes,” the letter said. “Your review appears to be nothing more than an after-the-fact sugarcoating of ActBlue’s misconduct and Ms. Wallace-Jones’s misrepresentations to the House Administration Committee.” ANOTHER ACTBLUE LEADER PLEADS FIFTH AS HOUSE INVESTIGATES ALLEGED FOREIGN DONATIONS The letter was sent by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Wis., Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who lead the panels probing ActBlue. ACTBLUE CO-FOUNDER PLEADS FIFTH AMENDMENT IN CLOSED-DOOR HOUSE GOP GRILLING ActBlue is a massive platform for campaigns to raise money that’s used by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, among others. Republican lawmakers have long accused the company of having lax verification standards for donors, something ActBlue has said it actively improved since the start of the GOP’s probe. But a new report released earlier this month, first reported by Fox News Digital, appears to show employees green-lighting donations despite some questions about where they came from. FAR-LEFT POLITICIANS STILL USING ACTBLUE AS 88-YEAR-OLD DISPUTES DONATING NEARLY $150,000 TO FUNDRAISING GIANT Chief among the GOP’s concerns is ActBlue’s passport number verification. According to the report, the field only requires the correct number of characters for a U.S. passport number rather than a valid code for a donation to be accepted. The Monday letter also points to a 2024 “contemporaneous review by ActBlue’s then-outside counsel, former Biden White House Counsel Dana Remus” which allegedly found “‘a substantial risk that some of the funds’ raised for Democrat campaigns and causes by ActBlue ‘were impermissible contributions from foreign nationals.’” Remus’ review further found that “passport checks did not always happen” and were “never conducted” when donations were made using third-party fiscal platforms like Apple Pay or PayPal, the letter said. The Republican chairs said Machen’s prior comments to Congress “conceded that your ‘forensic’ review found that ActBlue processed and accepted donations with foreign indicators even though ActBlue failed to identify a ‘passport number’ or ‘other indicia of eligibility’ for the donor. HOUSE DEM LASHES OUT AT GOP EFFORTS TO PROBE FOREIGN DONATIONS WITH STUNNING CLAIM ON MOTIVE “Nonetheless, you defended Ms. Wallace-Jones’s representations to Congress by arguing that ActBlue’s compliance and vetting policy was ‘as close to 100 percent as it could be,’” the letter said. “Documents produced to the Committees undercut your assertion. These documents demonstrate that if a donor did not have a U.S. passport or a U.S. address, an ActBlue employee retained the ability to determine an ‘alternative method of verifying the [donor’s] citizenship.’ This means an ActBlue employee could put ‘a placeholder,’ including ‘ACTBLUEXX,’ ‘in the passport number field of [the donor’s] ActBlue account.’ The placeholder allows ActBlue to accept all subsequent contributions from the donor without requiring a U.S. passport number.” ACTBLUE SCRUTINY FUELS NEW GOP BILLS TO TIGHTEN ELECTION DONATION RULES The letter said Machen’s review was also limited to 2023, arguing it left out potentially valuable information about 2024. “As such, the review did not accurately represent the totality of ActBlue’s foreign donation vetting and donor outreach practices during the 2024 election cycle. In fact, documents produced to the Committees show that ActBlue relaxed its vetting practices twice in 2024—data that your narrow ‘forensic’ review did not capture,” the letter said. ACTBLUE SUES TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON, ALLEGING POLITICAL RETALIATION OVER DEMOCRATS’ FUNDRAISING It also charged that he disputed Remus’ analysis without going into detail on how he established his own findings. ActBlue has consistently denied any wrongdoing and dismissed Republicans’ most recent findings in a statement to Fox News Digital. “There’s nothing to see here. After we released findings of a third-party forensic analysis that completely undermined a central claim that they have made against ActBlue, Republicans are refusing to move on,” ActBlue said. “Instead, they are orchestrating another political stunt before rushing out of town weeks early to go campaign. This coordinated campaign against ActBlue isn’t about the facts, or legislating, it’s about Republicans’ efforts to silence organizations they believe threaten their agenda.” A closed-door interview summons is not the same as a subpoena, which is a legally binding order.