WATCH: Dems stand by Maine nominee hit with report he fathered children with his second cousin
Democratic senators are still backing Maine Senate nominee Troy Jackson, who replaced former candidate Graham Platner on the ballot, after the latest allegations threaten to yet again shake up the race for U.S. Senate in the Pine Tree State. Platner, following a series of scandals culminating in sexual misconduct claims, was forced to drop out ahead of the Democratic primary to take on Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, earlier this summer. But now, a bombshell report claims Platner’s replacement fathered two children with his second cousin. The recent report wasn’t enough to turn lawmakers against Jackson, with most stressing the necessity for Democrats to win swing state races in order to win back a majority in the upper chamber — not an easy feat in Maine, where Collins, a moderate, has represented the state in the Senate since 1997. Maine’s other senator, independent Angus King, said: “I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I’m not going to comment on it anyway.” Every senator who Fox News Digital spoke with on the issue this week denied having knowledge of the report. “I don’t know anything about that, but what I do know is that we have got to elect Democrats up and down the ballot,” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., told Fox News Digital. “I haven’t heard of these reports,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., echoed. “Troy Jackson is somebody who’s obviously in this fight for working people.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., ignored the crux of the question. “I think it’s super important that we win that seat so that we can put an end to the wild cost increases and rampant corruption that the Senate right now is indulging,” he said. INTERNET ERUPTS OVER REPORT THAT PLATNER’S REPLACEMENT IN KEY SENATE RACE FATHERED CHILDREN WITH SECOND COUSIN The Maine Wire editor Steven Robinson first reported last week that Jackson shares two children with his second cousin, Lana Pelletier. In posting the genealogical findings, the independent journalist claimed Pelletier’s father is a cousin of Jackson’s mother. The report made waves after Jackson received 94% of the 601 delegate votes in the process this summer to replace Platner, who dropped out of the race after a rape allegation finally forced his Democrat allies to turn against him. Platner denied the claim, among others made against him, but ultimately it was the nail in the coffin that resulted in him ending his bid for U.S. Senate before the deadline for Democrats to get a new candidate on the Maine primary ballot. Without directly denying the report, Jackson’s campaign said in a previous statement to Fox News Digital that it was an attack campaign from the Collins camp. “Susan Collins will do anything to distract from the fact that she votes with Trump 96% of the time and has sold out working people in Maine. Personal attacks on Troy’s family are shameful and desperate,” the statement read. Jackson’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment on the reporting. MAINE DEM IN HOT SEAT FOR CHAMPIONING POPULAR VOTE DESPITE CLINCHING SENATE BID WITHOUT IT “Haven’t seen it,” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said when asked on Capitol Hill about the reports. Ossoff initially avoided saying whether he’d back Jackson. Instead, he pointed to Michigan’s Democratic race, which the far-left progressive Abdul El-Sayed won on Wednesday, before addressing his support for Jackson. “I’m supporting our nominee in Michigan,” Ossoff replied when asked if he would be endorsing Jackson. “In Maine, we’ll see who wins.” Many senators credited their support for Jackson and other Democrat candidates running for office as a broader effort to target Republicans and their agendas — both within the Donald Trump administration and in Congress. “We have a president who today, again, has no strategic plan about getting us out of that war in Iran, where our children are dying on the battlefield while his are getting rich,” Alsobrooks said. A recent Fox News Poll found that 56% of voters oppose U.S. military action against Iran, with 40% strongly opposing the war, indicating the ongoing conflict might play a role in how voters show up in November. 2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN Alsobrooks said she is supporting the Democratic nominee “in every single state,” again indirectly backing Jackson, to ensure her party takes back the majority in Congress. “I’m supporting whoever the nominee, in every single state, the Democratic nominee,” Alsobrooks said. “We are going to have to take back the House and take back the Senate as well so that we can bring down the cost of living, get people healthcare again.” “That is what is important right now to the American people, and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Hawaii contractor nominated to construct GOP comeback after two-decade Democratic hold on governor’s mansion
Gary Cordery, who owns a contracting company, won the Republican nomination for Hawaii governor after defeating business owner Ken Fujiyama in Saturday’s primary. He is now set to face Democratic Gov. Josh Green in November in a race that heavily favors the incumbent. The Cook Political Report rates the contest as Solid Democratic, with a Partisan Voting Index of D+13. Cordery faces a steep challenge: Hawaii has not had a Republican governor since Linda Lingle left office in 2010. FORMER TOP OREGON GOP OFFICIAL SECURES NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR AS REPUBLICANS TARGET BLUE-STATE PICKUP In addition to facing an incumbent with a 56% approval rating and Hawaii’s long history of Democratic control, Cordery faces a significant financial disadvantage against Green. Green has raised approximately $3.5 million, far outpacing Cordery, who has raised about $313,000, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Despite the uphill battle, Cordery is pitching voters on a platform centered on lowering Hawaii’s high cost of living, reforming education and cracking down on corruption. “As a husband, father and grandfather, businessman and community servant, I love Hawai’i,” Cordery said in an interview with Honolulu Civil Beat. “These islands of unique beauty have endured mismanagement for decades. Her people live under tremendous stress and anxiety. I am running to open opportunity, create abundance and ensure stewardship of her resources, bringing accountability and hope for the people.” THE AMERICAN DREAM NOW COMES WITH A ZIP CODE: HERE’S WHERE STARTER HOMES ARE STILL WITHIN REACH Part of Cordery’s plan to create abundance includes adding 15,000 homes across the islands for working families, with prices ranging from roughly $400,000 to $600,000. His proposal calls for using state-owned land for fee-simple housing while streamlining permitting and opening more land for residential development. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER He is also proposing eliminating the state’s General Excise Tax on food and medicine and freezing property taxes for homeowners at retirement. Cordery argues that the state is failing to properly manage taxpayers’ dollars and says he would order audits to root out waste. “Hawai’i’s 20.5 billion dollar budget for 1.4 mil[lion] people is a staggering number. New Hampshire has 1.4 million people but a $7.75 billion dollar budget,” Cordery said. “I believe our tax burden is out of control. The answer is management.”
Hawaii Gov Josh Green cruises to Democratic primary win, sets up fall matchup with GOP nominee
Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Green defeated three little-known primary challengers seeking to lead the Aloha State. Green, who was first elected governor in 2022, entered the unusual Saturday primary with a 56% approval rating. His primary win makes him a strong favorite for re-election, as the Cook Political Report rates the race 13 points in favor of the Democratic Party. Green’s opponents were David “Duke” Bourgoin, George “Teva” Lucas-Tadeo, a Democratic socialist, and Lauren Kapoliahiʻiaka Shim. Bourgoin previously ran against Green for governor in 2022, but he captured only 590 votes compared with Green’s 158,161. He also lost two bids for Honolulu mayor, in 2022 and 2024. HAWAII’S DEMOCRATIC LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR INDICTED IN STATE CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION Despite the growing popularity of Democratic Socialists across the country, Lucas-Tadeo failed to win over Hawaii Democrats with public Instagram posts promising publicly run grocery stores and the legalization of marijuana. Neither Lucas-Tadeo nor Shim had campaign websites, and none of Green’s three challengers had raised any money in the race as of June 30, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Meanwhile, Green had raised approximately $3.5 million, far outpacing Republican Gary Cordery, the race’s second-highest fundraiser, who had raised about $313,000, according to Civil Beat. Hawaii has not had a Republican governor since Linda Lingle left office in 2010. In typical election years, the Democratic primary attracts candidates with strong name recognition. For instance, in 2022, the candidates besides Green included Rep. Kai Kahele, D-Hawaii, and former first lady Vicky Cayetano. “His policies have been fairly popular, there hasn’t been anything he’s done that’s really created a pushback,” John Hart, a communication professor at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, told Civil Beat. “So, why would you throw your hat in the ring on a suicide run when there are other offices that are more achievable?” BABYLON BEE TOUTS LEGAL WIN OVER HAWAII GOVERNMENT’S ‘WAR AGAINST POLITICAL MEMES AND SATIRE’ IN FEDERAL COURT Meanwhile, Green told Civil Beat that his administration responded effectively to the 2023 Lahaina wildfire, which killed 102 people, and flooding from the March Kona low storms, which caused more than $1 billion in damage. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “We were very present, and I think pretty competent and compassionate in our response, and we heard from a lot of people — both politicians and just people — that they appreciated that,” Green told Civil Beat. “It just didn’t create a scenario in which another Democrat thought it made sense to run against us,” Green continued. “I didn’t set out to get into fights with people, I really just tried to do this job. So, it didn’t create the usual opening where there was a big divide where people would come after me.”
Hawaii rep cruises to Dem primary win after challenger arrested for beach brawl
Progressive Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, cruised to victory in her primary on Saturday, setting up a showdown with Republican state Sen. Brenton Awa in November. Tokuda is seeking a third term representing Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes the entire state outside the island of Oahu, as well as rural and suburban parts of Oahu itself. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district D+12. That means it’s highly likely that Democrats keep hold of it in this year’s midterms. 2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN Tokuda defeated three primary challengers to win the Democratic Party nomination, though none posed a significant threat to her campaign despite a wider intraparty civil war that’s toppled several House Democrat incumbents throughout the country. Her fellow delegation member, Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, faced a significant primary challenge from his left in his own race, though Case is seen as much more moderate than Tokuda. HAWAII DEMOCRATIC HOUSE CANDIDATE FACES FELONY THREAT CHARGES AFTER BEACH FIGHT CAUGHT ON VIDEO Tokuda’s race did attract some controversy, however, after one of her long-shot opponents was arrested for a violent altercation that was caught on camera at Keawakapu Beach. Kirill Basin allegedly threatened a man who asked him to turn down his music, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. A violent clash ensued after a bystander intervened, and Basin allegedly pulled out a knife. Tokuda told Hawaii News Now that the video was “disturbing” and said “any individual, whether you’re running for office or a public citizen, you need to be held accountable for your actions.”
Dem establishment strikes back as longtime incumbent fends off progressive challenger
The Democratic establishment won a key battle in the left’s ongoing civil war with its socialist insurgency on Saturday. Longtime Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, won his primary bid to seek another term in the House of Representatives, defeating progressive state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole. Case, who served in Congress from 2002 to 2007 and then won again in 2018, faced his toughest primary challenge yet this year. It comes amid a wider showdown between the Democratic establishment and its far-left flank that’s seen multiple House incumbents lose to socialist upstarts. SOCIALIST VICTORIES SHOW DEMS’ DESCENT DOWN ‘DEADLY PATH OF COMMUNISM,’ JOHNSON WARNS Keohokalole, who’s been in Hawaii’s state legislature since 2014, was the most formidable of a group of primary challengers looking to oust Case this year. Both raised considerable money on the campaign trail, though the incumbent had more money in his war chest at the outset of the race. Keohokalole criticized Case for not doing enough to stand up to the Trump administration during the president’s second term, including President Donald Trump’s federal immigration operations. The progressive challenger also attacked Case for being one of four House Democrats to vote for Republicans’ initial iteration of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in April 2025. JOHNSON’S STRATEGY TO BYPASS DEMOCRATS’ SAVE ACT BLOCKADE SURVIVES KEY VOTE, HANDING GOP BIG WIN That version would have imposed a federal voter ID requirement at the polls as well as a proof of citizenship mandate for registering to vote, but would have allowed for a written affidavit absent that proof. Case told Hawaii News Now that he will “never” be someone who votes in lockstep with his party and said of the issue of noncitizen voting, “This has nothing to do with voter suppression. Now, those are fears and there are legitimate fears, and I accept those concerns.” “It’s a solution in search of a problem. There is no security problem in our election system,” Keohokalole told the outlet. Case later joined nearly all other House Democrats in opposing an updated version, the SAVE America Act, which would have vastly expanded the federal government’s authority over state voter rolls. He now goes on to face Republican Adriel Lam in November. Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, which encompasses part of Oahu, including Honolulu, is rated a safe Democratic seat with a Cook Political Report rating of D+13.
Trump’s 4th of July fireworks display on National Mall confirmed as largest in history
Nearly two months after President Doanld Trump proclaimed Washington, D.C. would launch the “LARGEST FIREWORKS SHOW IN HISTORY,” Guinness World Records confirmed it this week. “The largest firework display consists of 840,537 fireworks, and was achieved by Freedom 250 and Pyrotecnico, Inc (both USA) at an event organized by Event Strategies Inc in Washington D.C., USA, on 4 July 2026,” the organization wrote on its website. Despite weather delays that involved revelers being evacuated from the National Mall, hundreds of thousands of people still watched the Washington, D.C., fireworks that began just before midnight last month. TOP HIGHLIGHTS FROM TRUMP’S LATE-NIGHT JULY 4 ADDRESS: ‘NO DREAM IN HISTORY IS BIGGER’ The president also gave an abbreviated speech beforehand as part of the “Salute to America” celebration for the 250th anniversary of the country. Once it got underway, the show lasted for about 40 minutes. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum explained in June that the fireworks would be launched from several sites because of its immense scale. “Normally the fireworks are set off right along here,” he told the Washington Reporter of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. “This year, because of the size and scale of the thing, there are so many locations where the fireworks are going to be going off, including barges,” he explained. FLASHBACK: AS AMERICAN TURNS 250, HERE’S HOW THE NATION CELEBRATED ITS BIGGEST BIRTHDAYS The White House launched Freedom 250 as a public-private partnership months ago and the president serves as chair of the initiative. The previous record holder for largest fireworks celebration was a megachurch’s 2016 New Year’s Eve show, which featured 810,904 fireworks, according to The Washington Post. “On July 4th, America came together to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday with the largest fireworks display in history — over 850,000 fireworks lighting up the National Mall and the Potomac River, and miles around in a 40-minute spectacular,” Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez shared in a statement with Fox News Digital. AMERICA 250 ATTENDEES FIRE BACK AT CRITICS OF TRUMP’S JULY 4 SPEECH: ‘WHAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR’ Alvarez added, “This historic display shattered the previous global benchmark and stands as a powerful symbol of unity, resilience, and pride as we begin our nation’s next 250 years. Freedom 250 is honored to have brought this moment to millions of Americans, and we thank everyone who made it possible.” “No other president in history could have accomplished the incredible feat that President Trump did at our Nation’s historic 250th birthday celebration, which included an incredible air show, a record-breaking fireworks display, and an inspiring speech delivered before hundreds of thousands of American patriots,” the White House said in a statement, according to the Post. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump’s White House ballroom foes face ‘very tough argument’ at Supreme Court, legal experts say
President Donald Trump could win the legal fight over his planned White House ballroom, say two legal experts who believe the U.S. the Supreme Court could end the case without weighing in on the underlying constitutional issue. In a lengthy social media post Friday, Trump vowed to take the fight over his White House ballroom to the Supreme Court after the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower court order blocking above-ground construction. In a 2-1 decision, the appeals court ruled that the project cannot move forward without Congressional approval. Trump pointed to the dissent written by Judge Neomi Rao, appointed by Trump in his first term, as grounds for appealing the decision to Supreme Court. Rao argued that the plantiffs, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, lack legal standing in the case. The National Trust for Historic Preservation built its case for legal standing around Alison Hoagland, a member who lives near the White House and regularly visits President’s Park. Hoagland said she visits the area about once a month and argued that the proposed ballroom’s size and design would diminish her enjoyment of the area by overshadowing the White House and weakening its aesthetic. TRUMP SAYS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM RULING JEOPARDIZES LIVES OF FUTURE PRESIDENTS, VOWS SUPREME COURT APPEAL But according to Rao, the National Trust did not establish the kind of injury necessary to invoke the courts’ authority to block the project. “The district court elevated the aesthetic displeasure of a single passerby over the government’s security interests in the ballroom and the security risks of leaving an open construction site at the President’s home and office,” Rao wrote. Former Justice Department attorney Abhishek Kambli agreed, telling Fox News Digital the National Trust could face a particularly difficult hurdle on standing at the Supreme Court. He noted that, while Congress created the National Trust, the group still must show that its lawsuit is germaine to its interests. “While they do have ownership of some properties, the President’s Park, where the White House East Ballroom is, is not one of them,” Kambli said. “And I think that’s going to be a very tough argument to sustain, especially with the Supreme Court, that’s more likely to agree with Rao than they are the [circuit court] majority, given the makeup of the Supreme Court, and the fact that the Supreme Court is very strict on standing.” OBAMA JUDGE RULES ON EFFORT TO BLOCK AMERICA 250 EVENTS AT WH AND LINCOLN MEMORIAL Kambli also suggested that the National Trust faces a strong hurdle in proving it has standing based on aesthetic injury because it would have to prove it actually uses the space where the ballroom is being built . . . “Normally, aesthetic standing requires that you intend to use it,” Kambli said. “So, for instance, if you’re planning to be visiting the East Ballroom — and even this is kind of a stretch — that’s one thing, but if you’re someone on the outside that just passes it by, that’s a little tougher.” A similar standing issue surfaced earlier in July when U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, an Obama-appointed judge, rejected a lawsuit seeking to block the America 250 UFC event at the White House. He ruled that the plaintiffs had not met the standard of aesthetic harm to establish standing. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, said he expects Trump to prevail on appeal as well, based on the standing issue. “Under Supreme Court precedent, you cannot bring a claim, you cannot bring a lawsuit, until and unless you can demonstrate a concrete, actual injury,” Spakovsky told Fox News Digital. “The idea that a passerby, who claims she will be aesthetically injured because of what she sees at the White House, has an actual injury is absurd, and obviously, and clearly defies that precedent.” If the Supreme Court takes the case, it could resolve it without deciding whether the administration had the legal authority to build the ballroom in the first place. TRUMP WARNS JUDGE AGAINST SACRIFICING NATIONAL SECURITY BY BLOCKING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, DRONE BASE “The Supreme Court won’t rule on the substantive issue if it can dismiss the case based on a lack of standing by the plaintiffs,” von Spakovsky said. “I also don’t know of anyone else who could establish standing to bring a lawsuit. Perhaps Congress could collectively, but the chances of that happening are very slim given the partisan divides in both the House and Senate.” The National Trust argued in its lawsuit that federal law requires Congress to approve new construction on federal property in Washington, D.C., while the administration says existing law already gives the president authority to make alterations and improvements to federal property, including the White House. Abhishek agreed with Rao’s reasoning that the terms “alteration” and “improvement” should be understood in their ordinary real-property sense. “For instance, if I have an extension to my house, it doesn’t become a new house,” Abhishek said. “It’s the same house, but that’s an improvement done on the house. Or if I tear down some walls and then just create an open living space in my like between my living room and my kitchen, that’s also not a new house at that point. “It’s the same house, but there was an alteration or an improvement done, so if you’re using real property terms, then it’s pretty clear how how the statutory authority would make sense,” Abhishek continued.
Fauci in the congressional wringer: A test for Trump’s newly-minted attorney general
Contempt of Congress. It sounds bad. And it usually is. But what does it mean? Holding someone in contempt of Congress usually stems from them refusing to testify before a House or Senate committee or declining to provide documents and information requested by lawmakers. Especially if someone rejects an inquest by subpoena. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHY FAUCI’S 111 FIFTH AMENDMENT PLEAS COULD END UP BEFORE THE COURTS You refuse to cough up the goods, and Congress may try to hold you in contempt. And if you’re held in contempt, lawmakers may send a referral to the Justice Department. That’s kind of a parliamentary suggestion box, informing the feds that House members or senators believe you’ve earned prosecution. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted recently to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions at a hearing. The panel issued a subpoena to compel Fauci’s compliance. Republican senators say that’s all the more reason why Fauci should testify. They point to his pardon by then-President Joe Biden. That’s why they believe Fauci was obligated to answer their inquiries. Instead, he invoked the Fifth Amendment. “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution,” said Fauci. Twenty-one words. Uttered an astounding 111 times. That’s a grand total of 2,331 words. Fauci never deviated from the script. WATCH: GOP SPLIT OVER RAND PAUL’S DOJ STRATEGY IN FAUCI CONTEMPT PUSH Democrats say it was a Republican ruse. “The goal was to wait for Dr. Fauci to make any kind of misstatement and then have a weaponized Department of Justice file criminal charges for that new statement that would not have been covered by the pardon,” Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., said. So, the panel took action. It voted 8-5 to hold Fauci in contempt. A party line vote. “I’ve never voted to hold somebody in contempt. But if there’s one person that should be held in contempt, it is Anthony Fauci,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee. He warned that the GOP gambit is dangerous. “Criminal contempt is punitive. It does not compel a witness to answer questions or produce the documents we’d all like to see. What we’ll do is create a damaging precedent that future witnesses will use to resist legitimate congressional oversight and weaken this committee’s ability to compel testimony.” Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., was unbowed. “We will hand carry this over to the attorney general. We will hand carry this to the district court here in (the District of) Columbia,” Paul said. Even though, at the time, the DOJ only had an acting attorney general. FAUCI’S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED However, Paul was freelancing. He ignored the custom of the entire Senate voting to refer someone to the Justice Department for prosecution. The Kentucky Republican himself previously sent other, unilateral referrals to the DOJ asking for Fauci’s prosecution. But those efforts never even went through committee. Fox can’t locate any precedent for such an independent maneuver. Especially circumventing the Senate floor. Republicans control the Senate. It’s unclear whether there would be 51 votes to hold Fauci in contempt. But there is almost no scenario where the Senate could find 60 votes to break a filibuster on a contempt of Congress resolution of this nature. This is why Democrats argued that Paul is out of line. “No individual center senator and no committee speaks for the entire Senate as a whole,” Peters fumed. “The chairman has also suggested he may attempt to refer this matter to the Department of Justice without approval of the full Senate. That would be even more dangerous and widely unprecedented.” The DOJ says it “seriously reviews all congressional referrals.” But Democrats believe the GOP’s disregard for Fauci invoking the Fifth could undermine any prosecution. “It is almost certainly never going to be approved by a court because it violates basic constitutional rights,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. In a statement, Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, accused Paul of trying to “weaponize the Justice Department” against his client. Democrats asserted that before Fauci’s hearing, Republicans cut them out of their inquiry. “We have been excluded from witness interviews,” Peters said. FAUCI HELD IN CONTEMPT AS COVID CELLPHONE LANDS IN HANDS OF SENATE INVESTIGATORS But Republicans say Democrats showed no interest in their findings and revelations. “They have all been uploaded on a website that you were invited to join,” Paul said. “You never even asked for the password.” However, the Republican inquiry is just starting. Another Senate panel has now obtained a copy of the Health and Human Services phone Fauci used during the pandemic. “It’s frustrating we haven’t gotten these devices until now. But now we have them,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said on Fox. Johnson says decrypting that phone could answer questions Fauci refused to address during the hearing. Two interesting developments emerged since Fauci testified in late July. First, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeannine Pirro, dropped her prosecution of former Olympian David Hearn for allegedly vandalizing the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. President Donald Trump then upbraided Pirro. Does this mean that Pirro is doing things by the book? Would that diminish chances for prosecution of Fauci? Or, since Pirro enraged the president, could she redeem herself by prosecuting Fauci? After all, Trump said he wanted Fauci prosecuted. However, the ultimate decision to prosecute is up to the new attorney general, Todd Blanche. Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, vowed to oppose Fauci. With former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., out, the GOP couldn’t lose any more votes without tanking the nomination. It boiled down to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who was undecided. Cassidy announced Friday morning he would vote yea on Blanche. “I am particularly concerned about episodes of apparent lawfare, DOJ bringing
Graham replacement hopefuls make final pitches before special election: Iran war, DSA, Flock cams and more
Nine Republican candidates vying to permanently fill late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat spoke directly to voters Saturday at an event in Florence County, South Carolina, where they addressed the war with Iran, the rising tide of socialism in the Democratic Party and potential privacy concerns around Flock cameras. The event was hosted by Alan Wilson, South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, who pitched the gathering as a kind of “speed dating,” since each candidate was given six minutes to address the crowd. The special Republican Senate primary is scheduled for Aug. 11, which made Saturday’s event one of the last chances for the candidates to make their closing arguments to voters. Here’s what they chose to focus on in their elevator pitches. REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP, JUMP INTO SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE RACE DESPITE HIS HANDPICKED SUCCESSOR Sen. Darline Graham, chosen to finish out her brother’s term after his death in July, was the last to speak but was quick to tell attendees she intended to earn their votes. “I’m not a politician. I never wanted to be a politician. But like Lindsey, I have a servant’s heart. I am a hard worker. And, yes, I have President Trump’s endorsement, but I know I have to earn your votes,” she said at the beginning of her speech. She emphasized that she was not a “DEI” candidate, hyping her experience running the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, a state agency with a $90 million budget and dozens of employees. “We help blind people and people with disabilities get jobs so that they don’t have to rely on the government. How is that DEI?” she said. TRUMP MAY HAVE ENDORSED DARLINE GRAHAM, BUT GOP SENATE HOPEFULS AREN’T BACKING DOWN She also made sure to highlight issues she and President Donald Trump agree on, including keeping transgender athletes out of female sports, standing with Israel, supporting voter ID through the SAVE Act and ending blanket birthright citizenship. Graham briefly touched on socialism within the Democratic Party, calling it a problem that has to be stopped. She also described Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as crazy. Her speech concluded by answering a question about Flock cameras, which can automatically read license plates and are being installed all over the country. “I need to look into that one because there’s two sides to that story. I know that some people are concerned about privacy and protecting their privacy, and I’m all for protecting the privacy of U.S. citizens. The other side of it is, if there’s an emergency situation that an ambulance can be called quicker and it can save lives,” Graham said. “I’m going to be honest. That’s a hard one for me. So, I want to look into it a little bit more.” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., focused on his frustration with the Senate, calling it the place where “good bills go to die.” He proposed overhauling the Senate’s rules to get measures like the SAVE Act passed. “I will use my, whatever expertise I have, to go to the Senate and force the vote, whether it’s blowing up the filibuster or having a walking filibuster or getting with the parliamentarian and changing some of these stupid, arcane rules that the Senate has,” Norman said. The Senate filibuster allows a minority of senators to delay or block most legislation, effectively requiring 60 votes to advance a bill and making it harder for a narrow majority to enact its agenda. TRUMP’S VOTER ID BILL CATCHES UNLIKELY BREAK AS MCCONNELL REMAINS SIDELINED After his remarks, Norman was asked about the extent to which AI data centers should be regulated. He said the federal government should not have a role but appeared to disagree with Trump’s recent full-throated support of bringing data centers to communities around the country. “Do I think it’s bad for the community? Yes. Do I think it hurts the environment? Yes. And I will do whatever I can,” Norman said. The key takeaway from former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride’s speech is that he broke away from Trump’s position on the war with Iran. “Y’all, there is something we have to address if we’re going to win in November,” McBride said. “We need to end the war. We need to end the war now. “We just have to admit we’ve lost the war. We’ve lost this battle,” he continued. “Come home and regroup for another day.” He then addressed the crowd, saying, “There’s not one of y’all in here who voted for President Trump a year and a half ago because this is where you thought we would be.” RETIRED LT. COL. RUNNING FOR CONGRESS BACKS TRUMP IRAN STRATEGY: ‘HE’S ENDING A 47-YEAR CONFLICT’ Sam Shepherd, an engineer, inventor and entrepreneur, took the opposite approach to McBride, claiming he is “more conservative than Trump.” Shepherd cast himself as someone who has the skills to fix complex issues within the bureaucracy and the military. He also took a moment to one-up Elon Musk, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, arguing he had more patents than the Tesla billionaire. “I’ve actually authored more patents than Elon Musk. I have 44. I’m asking for you to bring common sense back to the government,” Shepherd said. Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., spent much of his speech tying the affordability issues Americans are facing to “onerous regulations.” “We see this on farms. We see this in every manner of our government. Regulations strangle us,” he said. “You’ve got to get government out of the way if we’re going to solve this affordability crisis.” In response to a question about how he would secure the border if elected, Fry started off by attacking former President Joe Biden’s work ethic and praising Trump’s. “You actually have to have a president who’s awake for more than four hours a day, right? We went from a president who slept for 20 and was awake for four, to a president who is awake for 20 and sleeps for four,” Fry said.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to what the Senate did and didn’t do overnight
The Senate wrapped up its summer session at 4:57 a.m. ET. Senators knocked two major items off their checklist. They confirmed Todd Blanche as the nation’s 88th attorney general. They also approved a bipartisan interim spending bill that likely goes a long way toward preventing a government shutdown in October. But nearly as important as what senators accomplished is what didn’t get done. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: SUMMER ENDS, BUT THE SENATE’S FALL CRUNCH BEGINS The Senate did not stay in session and attempt to pass the SAVE America Act. In fact, there was not even procedural stunting by the pro-SAVE America Act Republicans, who advocated blowing up the August recess. TRUMP PUMPS BRAKES ON SENATE BUDGET PLAN, DELAYING GOP SAVE AMERICA PUSH Moreover, the Senate did not take a vote on a budget framework that could enable them to eventually tack on some election integrity measures and pass them at a later date in a bill not subject to a filibuster. Expect some conservatives to rail against the Senate for not working this out. The SAVE America Act continues to lack votes. However, advocates of the bill can use the decision by the Senate to leave town without passing it as an opportunity to apply pressure on its opponents. That said, the Senate did take a test vote on a more narrow voter ID bill backed by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio. The Senate blocked that bill. But the test vote got Democrats on the record for opposing it. And giving Husted a vote on his measure was a tactical move to boost his chances in a competitive race this fall against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. The Senate did not take a test vote on the bipartisan bill to regulate money for intercollegiate athletics despite the endorsement by the Big 10 and SEC. PROTECT COLLEGE SPORTS ACT STALLS IN OVERNIGHT SENATE SHOWDOWN, VOTE PUSHED TO SEPTEMBER AFTER CHAOTIC EVENING In fact, President Trump even implored the Senate to stay in session in August to pass the bill authored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the panel. The legislation was beset by an internecine fight among Republicans about whether the legislation kept men from competing in women’s sports. The president published a full-throated endorsement of the legislation Friday night, declaring that the measure did go far enough. “Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying,” the President wrote on Truth Social. In an overnight statement, Cruz said the bill was still in play. “The good news is that when the Senate returns in September, the Protect College Sports Act will be one of our first orders of business having locked in a vote,” Cruz said. However, no vote is officially secured on the Senate docket. But what about a test vote on a bill to regulate cryptocurrency? It was thought that the Senate might pursue that bill in the closing days of the summer session. But the differences were just too wide to close. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., teed up a procedural vote on cryptocurrency for Sept. 15.