James Carville breaks with famous ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ slogan because of Trump
James Carville, the architect of President Bill Clinton’s 1992 victory over President George H.W. Bush and industrialist H. Ross Perot, said this week that President Donald Trump has forced him to break with the catchphrase that many believe helped win that election and made him a political household name. Carville originally coined “It’s the economy, stupid,” as an internal reminder to campaign staff at Clinton’s Little Rock headquarters to stay on-message amid Bush’s rising approval ratings connected to his handling of the Gulf War. But this week, Carville suggested allegations of corruption involving President Donald Trump have supplanted the idea that the economy should remain top of mind during election season. During a discussion on his “Politicon” podcast network, former Mount Holyoke Dean Joseph Ellis mentioned “It’s the economy, stupid” before the Ragin Cajun cut him off. FOX NEWS POLL: AS ECONOMIC PAIN DEEPENS, DISAPPROVAL OF TRUMP HITS NEW HIGH “So, professor, I thought about that recently – about ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ – it’s a great catchphrase. It’s maybe one of the most oft-repeated things in politics,” Carville said. “I now have come to detest the fact I said that.” Without mentioning Trump by name, Carville — who has repeatedly accused the incumbent of corruption in recent months — compared him with the more genteel Bush. “I’ll listen to people who say, ‘people don’t care about corruption, they care about the economy — As long as their incomes are up, they don’t care what he does’ – and I’m afraid that’s right.” JAMES CARVILLE SAYS SOCIALIST DEMOCRAT SHOULDN’T BE IN THE PARTY, CALLS HER VIEWS ‘A BRIDGE TOO FAR’ “But I said it in 1992, and say what you want about George H.W. Bush, he was not… a corrupt man at all; decent man too. We have now the breathtaking, staggering — I understand if people say, ‘Yeah, you know, you’re right, that’s all people care about is the economy, and I won’t do it, I don’t say anything, I’m nice’,” he said, appearing to envision voters preferring to focus on the economy over other personality issues. “I want to punch him in the f—ing face. OK? Yes. I’m serious… Because the phrase actually haunts me today.” Asked about the invective, White House spokesman Davis Ingle called the Ragin’ Cajun a “stone-cold loser.” “[Carville] suffers from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, and it has rotted his peanut-sized brain,” Ingle said. During an earlier discussion with his co-host, former Wall Street Journal Washington bureau chief Al Hunt, Carville said that “we are drowning; we’re suffocating in corruption” before accusing Trump of increasing his net worth by $2 billion since becoming president. “I’m just really fearful for the United States,” he added. In February, Carville directed one of his segments at Trump as though the president was watching, telling the president that his inner circle “hates” him and that he is a “fat, sorry, sack of s—.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Since then, he has continued criticizing the president and recently said he is proud to have the proverbial “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Carville has been a mainstay in Democratic politics ever since helping engineer Clinton’s 1992 victory, alongside other notable campaign aides, including ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, whom Trump also spars with on occasion. Clinton’s 1992 campaign produced several enduring touchstones, from Carville’s “It’s the economy, stupid,” to Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 hit “Don’t Stop,” which became the de facto theme song for his successful bid. Carville’s comments about his old slogan also come as he recently rebuked socialist nominees taking over his party. Fox News Digital reached out to Carville via his “Politicon” podcast for further comment.
Vulnerable House Dem’s bipartisanship push clashes with fantasy to ‘beat the s— out of’ Hegseth
Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., a swing-district Democrat who touts herself as a bipartisan dealmaker, told a liberal audience she wants to “work across the aisle” before saying moments later that watching Pete Hegseth testify made her want to “beat the s— out of him.” Lee made the remarks during an appearance last month before the Sun City Liberal Club in Las Vegas while discussing rare earth minerals and her work supporting MP Materials, a Las Vegas-based company involved in U.S. critical minerals production. The comments come as she seeks re-election in Nevada’s closely divided 3rd Congressional District. “I want to be bipartisan. I want to work across the aisle,” Lee told the crowd, according to video of the remarks. But moments later, while discussing Hegseth appearing before her committee, she said, “Now listen, it’s so easy. It’s so easy. Like you just wanna beat the s— out of him.” SWING-DISTRICT DEMOCRAT FACES BACKLASH AFTER VULGAR LATE-NIGHT POST TARGETING TRUMP, DOUBLES DOWN “But you got to bite it,” Lee said of wanting to “beat the s—” out of Hegseth. The Hegseth remark is not the first profanity-laced comment to draw scrutiny for Lee. In April, Fox News Digital reported that Lee deleted an expletive-filled late-night social media post targeting Trump after online backlash, then defended her remarks by saying her “nerve was touched” by what she described as attacks on the Constitution. “Secretary Hegseth has made life less safe and more expensive for Americans. The war of choice that he and President Trump started has placed more burden on working families by increasing the cost of gas and groceries. And despite promising to immediately review Congresswoman Lee’s request to get Nevada Test and Training Range veterans the health care they need, Secretary Hegseth has dragged his feet for nearly two months,” a spokesperson for Lee told Fox News Digital. “Clearly, there are many areas in which Congresswoman Lee does not see eye to eye with the Secretary.” Lee’s comments about wanting to beat up Hegseth came while she was teeing up a story to the Sun City Liberal Club about pressing the Secretary of War during a hearing on the Pentagon’s decision to invest in an Australian company while supposedly leaving a U.S.-based one out to dry. Lee said she appealed to Hegseth by telling him she believed in “made in America” and questioned why the Pentagon had invested more heavily in a different Australian company as opposed to MP Materials, an American one. “Now listen, it’s so easy. It’s so easy. Like you just wanna beat the s— out of him. I mean yea, but you just got to bite it. So this is what I did – he came in front of my committee twice,” Lee said as she told the story about the rare earth investments. “You got to lay on their ego, right?” she continued. “Well, three weeks later, they announced a $2 billion investment in MP Materials, okay? I didn’t want to be sweet with Hegseth, okay, I didn’t. But, you know, you got to do what you got to do to get s— done, right?” “Congresswoman Lee set aside [her differences with Hegseth] on behalf of her constituents to secure an investment in a Nevada-based employer that will create hundreds of jobs in southern Nevada,” Lee’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “She will continue putting politics aside and working with anyone — regardless of party — to lower costs, create jobs, and make life better for her constituents.” But Republicans took aim at the remarks as evidence that Lee’s bipartisan brand is at odds with how she talks about Trump administration officials behind closed doors. DEM REP WHO WENT ON EXPLETIVE-LADEN ANTI-TRUMP RANT WINS PRIMARY “It’s unfortunate for our Republic, near our 250th birthday of this great experiment we call America, that town hall comments like this reveal the truth, and Republican voters should be warned that Democrats, if they take over the majority, will simply spend their time going after President Trump and his administration,” said Mark Bednar, former head of communications for former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Republicans also took issue with Lee’s claim that her exchange with Hegseth helped spur a major Defense Department investment in MP Materials, accusing the Nevada Democrat of overstating her role while using the story to burnish her bipartisan credentials. “Either Susie Lee believes her words contain the persuasive power of the word of God, or she’s making stuff up and being completely unhinged to boot,” said Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poché. “Nevadans deserve a leader who will work to deliver for them, not posers whose only objective in office is to improve their stock portfolios like Susie Lee.” MP Materials eventually signed a major agreement with the Defense Department, including a $400 million Pentagon investment that made the federal government the company’s largest shareholder and other commitments aimed at strengthening the U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain.
Trump kicks off Fourth of July weekend with symbolic salute to America’s legacy
President Donald Trump will open America’s 250th Independence Day weekend with a return to Mount Rushmore, reviving one of the most symbolic scenes of his first administration as the White House stages a week of patriotic events across some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks. Trump last attended a Mount Rushmore fireworks display in 2020, when the landmark hosted its first official fireworks show since 2009. Trump issued a presidential action in January to honor the history of America, ordering “a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence on July 4, 2026.” On both a federal and state level, the nation has thrown a line up of events this summer including the “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall. WORLD CUP SOCCER FANS ARE DISCOVERING AMERICA’S GREATNESS. IT’S TIME AMERICANS DID, TOO Trump kicked off the fair on June 24 by hosting a rally the night before the beginning of the fair. He will return Saturday for the “Salute to America” event, where he is expected to take the stage. Washington, D.C., has been placed under an “Extreme Heat Alert” until Sunday morning with temperatures predicted to feel like 105°F or hotter, according to DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management. TRUMP TAKES INAUGURAL FLIGHT ABOARD NEW AIR FORCE ONE AHEAD OF LIBRARY DEBUT HONORING FAMED OUTDOORSMAN Trump’s remarks are expected to begin around 9:00 p.m. ET, prior to a massive fireworks display on the National Mall that has been touted by the administration as the largest in history. The National Mall has garnered special attention this year after a string of vandalism against the Reflecting Pool and monuments. The pattern emerged after Trump ordered a restoration and repainting of the reflecting pool, which was then met with “razor-blade cuts” to its lining, according to the White House. Earlier this week, Trump attended the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Library in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday. Roosevelt was known for his passion for the outdoors – dramatically expanding federal protection of natural resources and public lands. He established national parks, created national monuments and strengthened the U.S. Forest Service. BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP TO RESTORE SLAVERY, CLIMATE CHANGE REFERENCES AT NATIONAL PARKS Trump signed the “Great American Outdoors Act Reauthorization,” which centers on previous legislation signed by the 45th and 47th president but renews funding in honor of America’s 250th birthday.
Massachusetts woman steps in after ‘shameful’ Dem governor boycotts Great American State Fair
A patriotic woman from Massachusetts took matters into her own hands after leaders in her state decided to boycott the Great American State Fair out of anger at President Donald Trump — and she showed no mercy to those who made that decision. “I came here to represent Massachusetts because I didn’t want the public to walk into an empty room. I wanted somebody to be there,” said Donna Festinger, who paid her own way from the Bay State to the nation’s capital to celebrate 250 years of American independence. Festinger is manning her state’s booth at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, part of the Trump-aligned Freedom 250 event that began on June 25 and ends on July 10. DAVID MARCUS: LIBERAL ELITES SEETHE OVER AMERICA’S STATE FAIR She had a clear message for Massachusetts leadership, along with the leadership of other states who also declined to participate in the celebration. “I’m very disappointed that Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts decided — their governments decided not to support this effort to celebrate our American heritage,” she said. “It’s actually shameful.” “It makes me feel like they really don’t love America or Massachusetts — my governor,” she said of Democrat Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who has had some very public spats with Trump. Festinger, a former teacher who paid her own way to the event in Washington, D.C., and arrived at the beginning of the celebration, says she plans to stay through the entire 16-day event. BILL MAHER TELLS LIBERALS TO STOP ‘PARTISAN SULKING’ AND JOIN AMERICA 250 PARTY She told Fox News Digital that she thinks the state boycotts are actually a point of unity for the American public, “because most people are upset about it and do not understand why a governor would do that.” “And so that’s actually uniting people, Democrats, Republicans, independents, and agreeing that every state should be proud of our country,” Festinger speculated. She added: “I think the Trump administration is working hard to bring the country together.” MIKE MINOGUE HEADS TO MASS GOP CONVENTION READY TO TAKE ON MAURA HEALEY: ‘SHE’S BANKRUPTING OUR STATE’ Meanwhile, Healey, known for her rabid anti-Trump streak, mocked the fair in an interview with Boston Public Radio. Asked whether she would welcome Trump if he visited the state, she reportedly said the president is “too busy with his Great American State Fair down there that everybody’s bailing on.” She also claimed, without evidence, that Trump is using the fair to “get money into his own pocket,” and falsely claimed that states were being charged to participate in the fair. Festinger also recently garnered some backup at the Massachusetts booth. Judith Kalaora, a Boston resident, stood at the state’s stand dressed to the nines in a Revolutionary War uniform to honor Deborah Sampson, a Massachusetts woman who disguised herself as a man to fight the British. “I’m hopeful that my being here will unite folks to realize that Boston and Massachusetts have a great spirit, and that that spirit can unite the United States through our nation’s heritage and through our military history,” said Kalaora. “I believe that the United States, in 250 years, has accomplished many more achievements than other nations have accomplished in 400 and 500 years,” Eleven states, all run by Democrats, decided to skip the fair. Some had explicitly anti-Trump reasons for declining to participate, like Illinois Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker, citing what he said is Trump’s “politicization of America 250 activities.” Oregon’s leadership expressed a similar sentiment, though did not mention Trump by name. “The State of Oregon will not be participating in the Great American State Fair due to both the cost of participating in the Fair and growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented,” Democrat Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said in a statement. Kalaora, however, remains optimistic. “Times change, and emotions change, and that’s okay, as long as we still remember that we’ve done great things,” she said. “I’m happy to be here.”
FIRST ON FOX: James Talarico slammed for calling American flag ‘complicated symbol’ ahead of Independence Day
FIRST ON FOX: Conservative political action committee Lone Star Liberty is bashing Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico ahead of Independence Day as “an America-laster” for calling the American flag a “complicated symbol.” In an attack ad released Thursday, Lone Star Liberty PAC ripped Talarico, a Democratic state lawmaker running to flip a critical Senate seat. The ad juxtaposes Talarico’s statement with images of Americans waving the flag. The ad concludes, “It’s not complicated. It’s 250 years of freedom.” Further, Lone Star Liberty spokesperson Gregg Keller told Fox News Digital, “It’s clear from James Talarico’s political record he hates America.” “Talarico’s gone out of his way his entire political career to make that clear: whether it’s saying the American flag is a ‘complicated symbol’ or his attacks on the Bible and the American family,” Keller said. TALARICO SAYS HE ‘HATES CHRISTIANITY’ IN UNEARTHED INTERVIEW WITH TRANSGENDER ‘LATINX’ THEOLOGIAN Keller drew a comparison between Talarico and the Republican Senate nominee, current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “We think it’s important Texans realize this Independence Day what the stakes in this election are: an America-loving Patriot, Ken Paxton, or an America-laster, James Talarico,” said Keller. JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, responded to the critique by telling Fox News Digital that “James believes the American flag means freedom, opportunity, and hope -– and that this broken, corrupt political system is robbing hardworking Texans of the American dream that our flag promises.” He said that “meanwhile, Ken Paxton is vacationing in Iceland for the 4th of July after he became a multimillionaire in office and ripped off Texans by abusing his position of power to benefit himself and his billionaire mega donors.” WATCH: OBAMA, HARRIS ADVISOR WARNS ‘BETRAYED’ BLACK VOTERS COULD BE TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE’S KRYPTONITE Talarico is a former middle school teacher in San Antonio and a Presbyterian seminarian. He was propelled to the national stage earlier this year when he defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for the Democratic Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate. Since entering the national consciousness, he has taken significant criticism over his history of controversial statements, including saying he “hates Christianity,” calling God “nonbinary,” and asserting that “radicalized white men are the greatest domestic terrorist threat in our country.” In one resurfaced clip, Talarico appears to be giving a sermon in front of a church congregation when he says, “I often think, when reclaiming symbols, I think about the American flag. I think the Confederate flag is a symbol of treason and terrorism. But the American flag is such a complicated symbol for most of us.” Talarico goes on to say, “In many ways, like Jesus, like the cross, it’s [the American flag] been co-opted and, in some ways, its true meaning has been betrayed.” WATCH: TALARICO EMBRACES ‘FREAKY’ IDENTITY AS CROWDS CHANT NAME MEANT AS INSULT: ‘SO WEIRD’ SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Despite the criticism, Eric Koch, a Democratic strategist familiar with the race, told Fox News Digital that “this attack is going to fall flat for a very simple reason: James is a red-blooded American, an 8th generation Texan who was a teacher, preaches across the state, studies the Bible, and served his community in the legislature.” Koch said that “over the top attacks that are absurd on their face go in one ear and out the other — especially when you are defending the Most Corrupt Politician in America, Ken Paxton.” Fox News Digital reached out to Paxton’s campaign for comment.
The Democratic socialists are no longer on the fringe
No one will struggle to keep warm amid an historic heat wave gripping the eastern U.S. But how about keeping “your comrade warm?” No. You’re not back in the USSR. But you might be in the Democratic party. SOCIALISTS SWEEP NYC AS AMERICANS BALK AT MOVEMENT’S BRUTAL CATCH: ‘TALK TO IMMIGRANTS’ “You deserve to make sure that your international comrades are actually working with you and getting the benefits that you that you all deserve,” said Democratic New York House nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier at a union rally in New York City. “Half of the people here are strangers to you all. But now you have comrades,” said Colorado Democratic Congressional nominee Melat Kiros who defeated Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) Tuesday. “I’ve got to give a shout out to my comrades,” said Missouri Democratic Congressional candidate Hartzell Gray on a podcast interview. To Democratic Socialists, you don’t know how lucky you are. “You have the solidarity of the entire labor movement. And you have my solidarity, too,” said Democratic New York House nominee Claire Valdez. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) didn’t endorse either Avila Chevalier nor Valdez. However, he did congratulate them. Jeffries naturally needs Avila Chavalier, Valdez and Democratic New York House nominee Brad Lander to win. They probably will this fall. But when asked about progressives who prevailed in the New York primary – who he didn’t endorse – Jeffries delivered a nuanced answer. “I will support every single Democratic incumbent in the New York Congressional delegation and beyond,” said Jeffries. CNN resuscitated a set of old tweets from Avila Chevalier. Some praised communism. Others called for more Marxist literature in libraries. Yours truly pressed Jeffries about whether he should call out Avila Chevalier for some of her old social media postings. “Should she apologize or clarify some of these very inflammatory tweets that she sent?” I queried. “That’s a question you’re going to have to ask her,” answered Jeffries. “But as Leader, is that a problem?” I followed up. “I’ve spoken to this issue. I’ve expressed my position as it relates to many of the things that she has said in the past over Twitter. my statement speaks for itself,” answered Jeffries. Then the 29-year-old Melat Kiros whipped 29-year House veteran Diana DeGette in Colorado. Kiros’s victory demonstrated that the Democratic Socialist message didn’t just resonate in the urban canyons of lower Manhattan. But in the Rocky Mountains, too. “What we are fighting for is Medicare for all. Universal child care. Abolishing ICE. And ending the genocide in Gaza,” said Kiros. These are core subjects for the left. “They’re winning on platforms like Medicare for all. Universal health care. Universal childcare. Raising the minimum wage,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). “These ideas, whether you call it socialism or not, they are very popular across the country.” Progressive influencer Hasan Piker believes victories by these candidates in New York and Colorado are just the beginning. “Progressive politics, left populism. It can work in every district in every state. That’s why I kept saying over and over again, it’s coming to a city near you,” said Piker. But not everyone is on board. “Will Democrats continue to defend crazypants?” asked Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) on Fox. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) is another. He’s a moderate, pro-Israel Democrat in a battleground district in which President Trump carried in 2024. HAKEEM JEFFRIES CONFRONTED ON ‘YOU’RE NEXT’ CHANTS FOLLOWING NY DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST VICTORIES “My folks want really normal folks. Democrats, Republicans, just people who are going to get things done. And so they see this because this is what gets attention,” said Landsman. “I hope the party doesn’t go in that direction. Having a diversity of opinions is one thing. But some of what some of them think is beyond the pale. It’s just outrageous.” Landsman wished Democratic leaders would speak out against controversial candidates and nominees. “The fact that they won’t even call it out, I think is an underlying current within the Democrat Party that they’re scared of their own base,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC). Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) is retiring after 32 years in Congress. She’s not aligned with her likely successor, Claire Valdez. “So what do you make of some of the controversy about your prospective successor? And is that driving a wedge through the party?” yours truly asked Velazquez. “Look, we are celebrating the outcome of this Supreme Court decision that reaffirm the fundamental principle of the Constitution that anyone born in this country is an American citizen,” answered Velazquez, trying to change the subject. “But do you have but did you not see things eye to eye with your prospective successor here?” I followed up. Velazquez sighed. “Look, she won and I wish her well. And I offered myself to sit down with her and discuss the transition. But this is how democracy works,” said Velazquez. Still, other Democrats believe the party can operate under a “big tent” and court voters. “There’s room for conversations about where we go. But we’re not the party of one person or coalition and there’s going to be those discussions about where we move forward,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL). Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) asserted that wins by Democratic Socialists in New York City carried outsized weight. She also said that it was natural for the press corps to capitalize on possible divisions in the party. “I think that you all try to stir it up. Stir up this language. Try to pit people against each other,” said Dingell. I asked Dingell about “controversial things” which Avila Chevalier peddled over the years. “I don’t have to agree with everything that she said. The Republicans are putting kerosene on the fire,” said Dingell. “Didn’t she pour kerosene on it to start with?” I asked. “Look, I wouldn’t have said some of the things that she said. But I don’t vote in New York. They do,” answered Dingell. SOCIALISM GOES WEST AS DSA-BACKED CHALLENGER OUSTS LONGTIME DEMOCRAT Republicans are
Ex-Obama advisor mocked after questioning Chicago’s response to unconscious man: ‘Own a mirror?’
David Axelrod, a Democratic political consultant and strategist, received backlash online for noting that emergency services in Chicago had declined to assist a seemingly homeless man outside the Art Institute of Chicago. “An elderly man, probably homeless, was sprawled unconscious on the museum’s front stone steps in the midst of a heat emergency. I called 911, and the operator said, ‘Well, is he ASKING for help?’ When I said no, she said, ‘Well, I’m not going to send anyone.’ So the man remained, passed out in the blazing noon sun. I guess that’s how the City of Chicago deals with such situations,” Axelrod wrote. “I hope we’re not all complicit in assisting an unintended suicide,” Axelrod, the chief strategist for Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential victories, said. FAMOUS LANDMARKS SLASH VISITING HOURS AS DEADLY HEAT WAVE THREATENS TOURISTS His comments sparked mockery online when observers highlighted similar encounters in a number of other Dem-run cities in the U.S. “David Axelrod comes face to face with Democratic policies in action… turns out he doesn’t like them very much,” Abigail Jackson, a White House deputy press secretary, observed on X. GOP Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s deputy chief counsel, Erielle Azerrad, said, “Anyone who lived in the Mission district of SF has like 20 stories like this.” “It’s awful to hear. It’s also why most of us who have witnessed it are so vehemently opposed to socialist nonsense ruining our once awesome cities. Welcome to the party, dude,” she continued. “Democrat policy which you dedicated your career to impose,” New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X. “Does David Axelrod own a mirror?” conservative strategist Steve Guest wondered. Earlier this year, the city, led by Mayor Brandon Johnson, launched a five-year homelessness initiative with the goal of making homelessness “rare, brief and nonrecurring.” The plan centers on seven core strategies, including emergency services, housing, health, education, employment, community cohesion and systems alignment. MORNING GLORY: DEMOCRATS CLIFF DIVE OVER THE FAR-LEFT EDGE OF AMERICAN POLITICS The plan does not come with a stated budget expectation but partners with several other city programs, such as a $1.2 billion housing initiative. At least one other Democratic voice bashed Axelrod’s description and the city’s response. “This is awful and unacceptable. In a case like this or a freezing/blizzard spell, the city must mobilize to render necessary aid, even if its refused,” Susana Mendoza, a candidate for Chicago mayor, said in her own post. “Despite all the talk from this mayor and his administration about helping people like this in urgent need, they have abandoned them.” Notably, Axelrod described how the man had spoken with security at the Art Institute but declined to move or accept assistance. “I asked a museum security guard about it and she said she had woken him 3 times and suggested he move into the shade and he refused each time,” Axelrod wrote. SPENCER PRATT SEIZES ON HOMELESSNESS REMARKS BY KAREN BASS, BLASTS DEMOCRAT FOR FAILURES When asked about the situation, the Art Institute of Chicago confirmed to Fox News Digital that a man had been outside the building and added that he had departed. “We are aware that a museum security officer checked on an individual on the front steps and that person left on their own accord shortly after,” the institute said in a statement.
Secret Service missed ‘multiple opportunities’ to prevent Trump assassination attempt: watchdog
The U.S. Secret Service “missed multiple opportunities” to prevent or disrupt the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump as he spoke to supporters during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General said in a report released Thursday. The 64-page document detailed several lapses in security that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks to get a line of sight of Trump as he stood on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the July 13, 2024, event. “The Secret Service’s overall lack of policy and processes coupled with limited intelligence sharing and poor collaboration and communication with protectee staff and state and local law enforcement set the conditions that led to missing opportunities to prevent and detect the attempted assassination,” the report states. Among the OIG’s findings was a failure to warn Trump’s protective detail that Crooks had a range finder and a long gun and had climbed onto the roof of a nearby building due to a lack of communication between the Secret Service and local law enforcement. TWO MEN SHOT AT TRUMP’S BUTLER RALLY SUE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER SECRET SERVICE ‘PREVENTABLE FAILURES’ Instead, they operated out of separate locations 257 yards apart with intermittent and highly limited radio connectivity between them. As a result, the Secret Service missed 102 radio transmissions regarding an increasingly intense search for a suspicious individual, including alerts that the suspect was on the roof with a long gun. Because the Secret Service communications room only received a handful of phone calls and texts, agents failed to recognize the urgency of the threat and never warned Trump’s protective detail to delay the speech or remove him from the stage, the OIG said. “Communications was a problem because of inoperability. There were too many command posts,” Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent, told Fox News Digital. “The biggest failure that is probably not addressed in the OIG report is that they never should have accepted the risk of doing it at this site. It never should have been done. That roof had an egregious line of site.” SECRET SERVICE, TSA AND NYPD TRANSFORM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INTO FORTRESS FOR TRUMP’S NBA FINALS VISIT Crooks was able to fire eight shots. Trump was grazed in the ear, and Corey Comperatore, 50, who was attending the rally, was killed. Two other spectators were critically injured but survived. Moments after Trump was shot, Secret Service agents rushed the stage and moved him to safety. In addition to a lack of communication, the Secret Service failed to detect Crooks’ drone flight that he used to view the campaign event stage less than three hours before the rally due to an under-trained operator and an equipment malfunction, the report states. Crooks flew the drone undetected for almost nine minutes and flew 471 yards from the event stage at an altitude of 102 feet. During the rally, the Secret Service had a counter-drone system on site, but it malfunctioned. The counter-drone system was not operational when Crooks flew his drone hours before he tried to kill Trump. The agency also failed to share intelligence about a long-distance threat to Trump with the Pittsburgh field office and agents on site, the report said. Agents also failed to secure the area outside the security perimeter and did not use available resources to block Crooks’ line of sight from the roof of the American Glass Research International building to Trump despite the line of sight being identified as a concern, the OIG said. Despite identifying the AGR complex as a line-of-sight vulnerability during advanced walkthroughs, the Secret Service failed to ensure the view to the stage was obstructed. “There should have been a better advance, more officers, more agents, but there’s simply a limit to that,” Eckloff said. Officials originally proposed using trucks already onsite to block the view from the AGR complex, but Trump’s campaign staff rejected the idea because it would interfere with press photographs. WHITE HOUSE UFC TERROR PLOT ‘RINGLEADER’ IS A MEXICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, DHS CONFIRMS An agent proposed a secondary location for the trucks but never verified that the campaign staff actually moved the equipment. As a result, Crooks had an unobstructed view of Trump’s podium from a distance of just 155 yards, the report said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Secret Service and the White House. The report offered several recommendations to improve the Secret Service’s processes for securing events, such as mandatory threat communication, enhanced counter-drone training and a process to formally document the identification and blocking of line-of-sight vulnerabilities.
Sanctuary county refused 615 ICE transfer requests, turned over just 11 illegal immigrants, records show
FIRST ON FOX: Records obtained by a conservative legal group show Fairfax County, Virginia, declined to transfer 615 illegal immigrants to ICE over the past 16 months, while turning over just 11. Fairfax County, whose board includes one Republican supervisor for what is the most populous jurisdiction in the Old Dominion, formally designated itself a sanctuary jurisdiction in 2021 after passing the Public Trust and Confidentiality Policy or “Trust Policy.” America First Legal filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the county seeking records from the office of Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid, who testified at a contentious House hearing earlier this spring on Fairfax’s reluctance to cooperate with federal law enforcement. The data, obtained directly from a Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office document, showed that for the entirety of 2025, Kincaid’s office refused to transfer 448 illegal immigrants to the Department of Homeland Security for processing and instead only turned over a total of nine to ICE. During the first four months of 2026, Fairfax declined to transfer another 167 illegal immigrants, while turning over only two. WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES Since then, county policy has barred law enforcement from honoring ICE civil detainers or otherwise assisting with federal immigration enforcement. America First Legal (AFL), which first obtained the data, placed much of the blame on Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephen Descano, who sat beside Kincaid at the recent hearing and faced sharp questioning from Republicans over his prosecutorial discretion in cases involving illegal immigrants arrested in the county. SOROS-BACKED DA’S LAX ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POLICIES LED TO ‘PREVENTABLE’ BUS STOP STABBING MURDER: COMPLAINT AFL said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that Fairfax’s overall framework encourages recidivism by illegal immigrant offenders and has directly led to several gruesome cases, including the murder of Fredericksburg, Virginia, woman Stephanie Minter, whose alleged killer is an illegal immigrant from West Africa with a lengthy criminal record in Fairfax County. AFL noted that Descano is under investigation by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division over claims U.S. citizens are effectively discriminated against because of the prosecutor’s stated preferential policies, which appeared on his campaign pages and elsewhere and were highlighted by Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock, R-Calif., and others during the hearing. The group pointed to fatal stabbings; the alleged assault of a woman on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, a popular rail trail spanning from Washington, D.C., to Purcellville that has long been considered safe; and other crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants who, it said, received light sentences or had charges dropped. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS BLUE STATE’S LAW PROHIBITING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING MASKS ON THE JOB Descano has long defended his prosecutorial discretion as evidence-based and handled on a case-by-case basis. A Descano spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement Thursday that the DOJ’s probe is politically motivated and has “distort[ed] the office’s policy.” The spokesperson also said the notice appeared to arrive intentionally just before Descano testified before McClintock. “Our office’s policies are fair, legal and reflect the values of Fairfax County, and we will not be distracted from our mission of keeping this community safe and holding individuals accountable when they commit crimes,” the spokesperson said. Fox News Digital also reached out to Kincaid’s office for comment. AFL counsel Will Scolinos rejected the county’s defense, telling Fox News Digital that tragic cases such as Minter’s murder are the product of the Trust Policy and the shielding of “hundreds of illegal aliens … from federal law enforcement.” “This deliberate obstruction by county officials protects illegal alien lawbreakers and endangers every family in Northern Virginia,” Scolinos said. “For too many families, it is already too late. But to protect other Virginians from future crimes at the hands of illegal aliens with prior arrests, Fairfax County must reverse this reckless, anti-American governance immediately.” In the most recent month recorded, April 2026, 32 illegal immigrants were listed as being in the sheriff’s office’s custody, with none released to ICE. All 32 were subject to an “informed detainer,” and three were listed as convicted. AFL also noted that Santa Clara County, California — home to the San Francisco 49ers’ new stadium — informed the group that it received 529 ICE detainer requests in 2025 and honored none. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “If each detainer represents a unique illegal alien, an average of 1.34 arrested illegal aliens were released into Santa Clara every day,” AFL said in April. The numbers reflect a pattern that is expected to continue drawing scrutiny from the Trump administration and groups such as AFL, which has also sought data from sanctuary jurisdictions nationwide. Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment.
Letitia James hammered after NY Medicaid fraud unit funding frozen over ineffective enforcement
New York Attorney General Letitia James is facing renewed criticism from Republicans after the Trump administration suspended federal funding for the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), citing years of poor criminal enforcement performance and leadership decisions that federal officials say left fraud investigations lagging. The federal action gives Republicans a new line of attack against James as she campaigns for re-election. Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy has made the state’s struggling Medicaid Fraud Control Unit a key issue in the race, arguing James failed to aggressively prosecute fraud. Federal watchdogs’ findings now lend new weight to those claims. “Letitia James ran New York’s Medicaid Fraud Unit into the ground, and now we know why: a deliberate leadership choice to open fewer cases and let them drag on for years,” Komatireddy said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This means New York taxpayers are losing their hard-earned money to fraudsters, and patients and seniors are being hurt or neglected, and no one is holding them accountable.” DR. OZ NAMES 5 STATES IN FRAUD CRACKDOWN AS TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS MEDICAID ABUSE The Republican Attorneys General Association also chimed in on the funding freeze, arguing it reflected broader differences between Republican and Democratic attorneys general in combating fraud. “While Republican attorneys general are aggressively fighting fraud, waste, and abuse, Democrat AGs like Keith Ellison in Minnesota and Letitia James in New York knowingly aid and abet scams and fraud in their states,” RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper said in a statement. “Republican AGs are thrilled to roll up our sleeves and work with JD Vance, Republican AG staff alum Andrew Ferguson, Scott Brady, and the White House Task Force to save taxpayers billions of dollars and deliver maximum accountability.” In a June 30 letter denying the unit’s annual recertification, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) officials concluded that New York’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit had become the lowest-performing large state unit in the nation for criminal Medicaid fraud enforcement despite receiving roughly $60 million annually in federal funding and employing more than 270 staff members. “The New York MFCU is not effectively prosecuting criminal Medicaid fraud,” the letter stated. “The Unit reported only 53 fraud convictions from 2023 to 2025. This is by far the lowest among similar-sized Units; the next lowest number of reported fraud convictions for this period was 129. “Enough is enough.” The report also found New York ranked last in criminal indictments, securing fewer than 10 fraud indictments in four of the past five years. Federal officials further found that 34% of the unit’s open cases were more than three years old, while 69% of referrals from the state’s Medicaid Program Integrity Unit had remained pending for at least two years, contributing to a growing investigative backlog. The HHS letter concluded that the unit’s poor performance stemmed in large part from “a deliberate leadership choice” to prioritize high-impact civil fraud cases over criminal prosecutions, finding that strategy had left the office ineffective at pursuing criminal Medicaid fraud despite its size and resources. PENNSYLVANIA AG EXPLAINS WHY STATE LEADS NATION IN MEDICAID FRAUD CONVICTIONS WHILE OTHERS BATTLE MASS SCHEMES While federal officials acknowledged the state’s fraud unit remained competitive in civil recoveries, they said those results did not outweigh the decline in criminal enforcement. “The Unit has sacrificed its ability to effectively fight criminal fraud to obtain civil recoveries that are largely in line with its peers,” the report stated. James blasted the funding freeze, accusing the Trump administration of targeting New York for political reasons. “This administration’s unprecedented attack on New York is another political distraction,” James said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “During my time as attorney general, my office has recovered more than $627 million for Medicaid and was recognized by this very administration for leading the nation in anti-fraud efforts.” James’ office noted that HHS highlighted New York as one of four states responsible for half of all civil recoveries nationwide in fiscal year 2025. The attorney general also pointed to several recent Medicaid fraud prosecutions, including multimillion-dollar fraud cases announced in recent weeks. “The only people this decision benefits are the criminals we investigate every day,” James said. “We are considering all legal options to stop this outrageous action.” TRUMP SAYS ANTI-FRAUD EFFORTS ARE UNCOVERING BILLIONS IN WASTE, CLAIMS SAVINGS COULD BALANCE BUDGET Meanwhile, federal prosecutors in New York said they are expanding efforts to investigate Medicaid fraud and patient abuse. “Attorney General James’ apparent inability to explain the New York MFCU’s indefensible criminal enforcement performance is not a political distraction as she puts it,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, who is spearheading the revival of the NDNY Health Care Fraud Task Force, said in a statement. Sarcone noted that the New York MFCU averaged just nine criminal indictments a year between 2021 and 2025, compared with more than 100 annually during the three years preceding James’ tenure. “Public benefits fraud and Medicaid fraud did not abruptly stop in 2019,” Sarcone added. “Instead, under the failed leadership of AG James, criminal Medicaid fraud in New York State has been ignored.” The suspension took effect July 1 and remains in effect through Sept. 30 unless New York completes a series of corrective actions ordered by HHS, including reducing case backlogs, increasing criminal indictments and improving coordination with federal investigators. If those deficiencies are not corrected, the Office of Inspector General warned New York it could lose its federal Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant for fiscal year 2027.