The celeb endorsements boosting Spencer Pratt’s chances of becoming the next LA mayor
As Los Angeles voters prepare to head to the polls next week, reality TV star and online influencer-turned-mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt has gained surprising momentum in the race for mayor. He’s racked up endorsements from fellow reality stars as well as famous actors, musicians and media personalities. Despite a growing list of high-profile supporters, Pratt said in an interview on “Gutfeld!” on Thursday that celebrity endorsements are not a priority for his campaign. “I actually don’t want celebrities to come out and endorse me,” he said, adding the only endorsements he wants are from “the moms and the animal lovers in L.A.” Fox News Digital breaks down the biggest names fueling Pratt’s rise in the second-largest U.S. city ahead of the June 2 primary. During an April 15 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan told Pratt he would vote for him if he could. “Listen, man. I’m voting for you. I can’t vote for you, but I’m rooting for you,” the world’s most famous podcaster said in a sit-down with the mayoral candidate. Rogan relocated from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas in 2020. Still, he told Pratt: “If I lived in Los Angeles, no question whatsoever, I would vote for you.” ROGAN BACKS REALITY TV STAR SPENCER PRATT’S BID FOR LA MAYOR, SAYS ‘I’D VOTE FOR YOU’ Comedian and radio personality Adam Carolla has repeatedly endorsed Pratt. On an April 21 episode of “The Adam Carolla Show,” Pratt outlined his plans to “bring back common sense” to City Hall, and Carolla later wrote on Instagram that Pratt had his “full endorsement for mayor!” Carolla describes himself as a libertarian and supported Andrew Yang’s Democratic primary run in the 2020 presidential election. The actor endorsed Pratt’s mayoral bid during a May 23 exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, saying, “Go Spencer Pratt.” Quaid has previously criticized LA Mayor Karen Bass for traveling to Ghana as the wildfires erupted. The actor was critical of city leaders over water shortages, budget cuts to Los Angeles Fire Department and the broader response to the wildfires. Pratt’s meteoric rise in the campaign stemmed from viral videos of him speaking on the lot of his burned down house and promising to help rebuild Los Angeles. The reality star and heiress to the Hilton Hotels throne backed Pratt on April 24. She promoted “Spencer for Mayor” with a raised-hands emoji on his Instagram video showing the Airstream trailer he has been living in since his Pacific Palisades home was destroyed in the California wildfires. SPENCER PRATT’S HOLLYWOOD UPRISING GROWS AS KATHERINE MCPHEE AND DAVID FOSTER MOCK KAREN BASS AT FUNDRAISER Actor James Woods praised Pratt’s mayoral debate performance in an X post, saying he was “surprisingly effective, direct, polite, and prepared.” He also criticizing Partt’s rivals Mayor Bass and Democrat Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman. “The other two have history as their enemy because everything they’ve done has been a catastrophe,” Woods wrote. “He can absolutely win this thing.” “Hot Mics” host Billy Bush threw his support behind Pratt after the mayoral debate on May 6. Many were surprised at how well Pratt fared and started taking him seriously as a candidate after his showdown with his two Democrat competitors. Bush said that Pratt “won that debate flat out” and calling him “relatable” and “likable” during an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime” earlier this month. He added that the Republican candidate running as an independent doesn’t represent “MAGA” but does appeal to people who have “had enough of mismanagement in our government.” Meghan McCain, conservative commentator and daughter of the late Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, wrote on X that Pratt’s debate performance was “the blueprint” for how “older millennials need to communicate and present their ideas and campaign messaging when running for office.” McCain described Pratt as “10/10 no notes” and echoed Bush and other supporters when saying he “killed the debate” performance. Singer Katharine McPhee and her composer and record producer husband David Foster hosted a star-studded fundraiser for Pratt at their Brentwood Park home. Video went viral of McPhee serenading Pratt at the event. “Spencer, you’re simply the best. Better than all the rest. Better than Karen Bass and Nithya Raman,” she sang to the tune of Tina Turner’s hit “The Best.” McPhee was also listed among the celebrity donors backing Pratt’s campaign. Pratt’s former “The Hills” co-star Kristin Cavallari said on the April 21 episode of her “Let’s Be Honest” podcast that his mayoral run is “f—ing genius.” She praised the registered Republican as an outsider who will “call out the corruption.” While she can’t vote for Pratt as a Tennessee resident, Cavallari encouraged Los Angeles voters to cast their ballots for him in the June 2 election. Brody Jenner, the son of Caitlyn Jenner who co-starred with Pratt in “The Princes of Malibu” and “The Hills,” was one of the candidate’s earliest supporters. He defended Pratt’s intelligence and qualifications in an Instagram Story post after he announced his run for mayor. Jenner said Pratt has “the backbone to stand up to career politicians.” Another fellow reality TV star Audrina Patridge said she was “impressed” by Pratt after listening to his interviews. Pratt “would make a lot of change to L.A. and he would follow through with what he said,” she told Us Weekly in an interview earlier in May. The “Dancing With the Stars” alum, like many who have backed “The Hill” reality star, cannot vote for Pratt because she lives in Orange County and not L.A. proper. WATCH: LEFT-WING LA MAYOR FACES REALITY TV CHALLENGER’S BLUNT TAKEDOWNS IN HEATED MAYORAL DEBATE That isn’t stopping Patridge from “rooting for him.” The model and actress publicly backed Pratt in the comments section of an Instagram post in which he vowed if elected mayor to end the “grift” surrounding homelessness, mental illness and addiction. “The Real Housewives of Miami” star publicly endorsed Pratt after appearing with him at a dog adoption event at The Barkery Encino. In an Instagram video posted after
Former Biden aide sounds alarm on Democratic party backing Platner as scandal deepens: ‘Dangerous game’
Former Press Secretary for First Lady Jill Biden Michael LaRosa said he has been “shocked” by the amount of Democratic support for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and that the Platner campaign reveals a line in the sand within the Democratic Party. “I am shocked at some of the people, some of the Democrats who I consider friends, being so all-or-nothing about this guy, and I don’t really understand why,” LaRosa told Fox News Digital. “He is not really representative of the values I would expect in a Democratic candidate, even by today’s standards. I’m a little surprised at the number of people who are circling the wagons just to beat Susan Collins.” Despite criticism across the political spectrum over Platner’s resurfaced sexually explicit and vulgar online posts, including one mocking a Purple Heart veteran shot multiple times by the Taliban, and a tattoo of a Nazi symbol on his chest have drawn criticism across the political spectrum, Platner continues to lead in the polls. LaRosa accused Democrats of brushing off serious concerns over Platner’s controversial past. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY “Democrats are playing a really dangerous game,” he said. “It’s really funny to me how selective and how short memories are in politics.” LaRosa added that he personally draws the line at backing “a Democrat who has Nazi tattoos,” adding that Platner was “just not for me.” “I get it,” he said. “I want the Senate seat, I want Democrats to win, I want Chuck Schumer to be the majority leader, but I’m not willing to take anybody off the street to run just because they arouse some vibes in a few portions of the Democratic Party.” LaRosa said five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins is “much more my style than somebody who I consider kind of a performative economic populist like Graham Platner,” adding that Platner attended elite private schools that LaRosa’s “family certainly couldn’t afford.” “It’s kind of odd to hear him talk about the elite when he was educated by the most elite of New England prep schools,” LaRosa said. LaRosa told Fox News Digital that he believes winning the election is “just not worth it” if it means supporting Platner. KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT “It’s his own behavior that disqualifies him. It’s his own history of rhetoric, of advocating for political violence, of mocking wounded U.S. soldiers shot by the Taliban. All of that stuff, it’s just not worth it for me as a Democrat.” He said just because Platner is a Democrat does not mean he is qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate. “That does not make him a good candidate,” he said. “It won’t make him a good senator. It just makes him a D. What’s the point in having a party if you don’t have standards anymore?” Despite Platner’s high polling numbers, LaRosa pointed to his experience campaigning in 2020 with former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, who repeatedly surged ahead of Collins in the polls before Collins won re-election in one of the most expensive races in state history, calling it a “cautionary tale.” “Sara Gideon did not trail Susan Collins in a single poll,” he said. “Six years ago, our Democrat outpolled, outraised and outspent Susan Collins, and the state of Maine on Election Day chose both Joe Biden and Susan Collins by 9 points.” Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee in the June 9 primary to decide who will face Collins in November after two-term Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign last month. More moderate stances that have drawn criticism from some Democrats, including Sen. John Fetterman’s support for Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and criticism of Democrats’ handling of border security, “were extremely normal or mainstream in the Democratic Party” years ago but are now being used to purge strong candidates, LaRosa explained. “We’re going to do to John Fetterman exactly what Trump is doing to candidates who opposed him or aren’t with him 100% of the time, and I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t like that my party is going to target John Fetterman for simply having, holding and defending views that were extremely normal or mainstream in the Democratic Party.” He said Democrats could be in for a “major disappointment” and that he personally would not “publicly support, give money to, contribute to or work for” Platner. MAINE GOV JANET MILLS DROPS OUT OF DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR SENATE, SIGNALING SHE STRUGGLED TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY “My party seems to think that this guy represents what the rest of America wants or what Maine voters want or what people outside of the Beltway actually want,” he said. “Democrats believe that Graham Platner seems to represent what people are yearning for and wanting outside of Manhattan and D.C.” LaRosa said the decision is now up to the voters and “Maine now has the choice” to decide if Platner will represent “their values and their views and their anger and their frustrations.” “They now have the opportunity to vote for him or Susan Collins, and we, the Democratic Party, have given and provided Maine that choice for them, and so now they’re going to decide,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.
Man charged with assaulting federal officers after allegedly biting ICE agents at Newark anti-ICE protest
A New Jersey man was arrested after allegedly biting two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a chaotic anti-ICE protest outside a Newark detention facility, authorities said. Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, New Jersey, was arrested Thursday and charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury, according to the Department of Justice. A DOJ news release said the incident took place outside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center, where protesters have gathered for more than a week and have been accused of assaulting federal agents. “Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS CLASH WITH FEDERAL AGENTS OUTSIDE NEWARK DETENTION CENTER “Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities,” Blanche continued. “With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking.” Blanche said additional arrests could follow as authorities continue investigating the demonstrations. “We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct,” he said. WATCH: POLICE ABSENT FROM DELANEY HALL CHAOS AS AGITATORS BLOCK ICE VEHICLES AND AGENTS USE PEPPER SPRAY Nine people were arrested during Thursday’s clashes, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital. The demonstrations have at times turned confrontational, with federal officials saying agents have deployed pepper spray and used crowd-control tactics to push back agitators. “As alleged in the Justice Department’s complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers.” ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY He added that “anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The DOJ said the incident took place around 10:30 a.m. Thursday as federal officers conducted perimeter security operations at the Newark facility. Prosecutors said a large group of demonstrators blocked a roadway leading to the detention center, prompting deportation officers to form a line and advance toward the crowd, which allegedly included Geier. TOP DEM GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT ICE DETENTION CENTER According to prosecutors, demonstrators ignored repeated commands to move back and remained in the roadway. “Geier instead engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle,” the DOJ said in a news release. Both officers were treated at a local hospital, authorities said. The announcement came hours after Blanche said a separate man was arrested outside Delaney Hall for allegedly making death threats against an ICE officer and the officer’s family.
Trump declared ‘fully fit’ for all presidential duties after annual physical shows ‘excellent health’
President Donald Trump remains in “excellent health,” his physician said in a memo released Friday following the president’s annual physical earlier this week. The report came after Trump underwent his annual examination Tuesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “President Donald Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function,” Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the president’s physician, wrote in the memo. “His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being,” Barbabella continued. “Cognitive and physical performance are excellent.” JAKE TAPPER REFUTES JILL BIDEN’S CLAIM SHE FEARED FOR HUSBAND’S HEALTH AT CNN DEBATE “He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” he added. The evaluation included diagnostic studies, laboratory testing and consultations with 22 specialty providers. Trump, who turns 80 in June, is 75 inches tall and weighs 238 pounds. He has a resting heart rate of 73 beats per minute, a blood pressure reading of 105/71 mmHg and an oxygen saturation level of 98% on room air, according to the report. WASHINGTON POST DECLARES AMERICANS DESERVE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO BIDEN’S HEALTH, POSSIBLE COVER-UP The examination did not identify any major health concerns. Barbabella noted scarring on Trump’s right ear from the gunshot wound he suffered during an assassination attempt in 2024. The physician also reported mild lower-leg swelling, which he said had improved from the previous year. WHITE HOUSE EXPLAINS BRUISE ON TRUMP’S HAND SEEN DURING MACRON MEETING Trump underwent a neurological examination that demonstrated “normal mental status,” including cognitive screening in which he scored 30 out of 30, according to the report. Barbabella also noted bruising on the president’s hand “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking in the setting of aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention.” The physician reported no significant abnormalities in Trump’s laboratory results. Trump’s “lifelong abstinence from tobacco and alcohol” was also highlighted in his medical history. According to the memo, Trump currently takes three medications: Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe for cholesterol management, along with aspirin for cardiovascular prevention.
Donna Brazile brushes off Biden’s stroke fears, says Democrats must ‘focus on the future’
Former acting chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Donna Brazile was not interested in talking about former first lady Jill Biden’s comments on being “frightened” watching her husband in the 2024 presidential debate. Jill Biden recently told CBS that while watching her husband’s debate performance against President Donald Trump, she feared he was suffering a medical emergency and thought he might be having a stroke. Her comments renewed attention on concerns about then-President Joe Biden’s age and health, which intensified after his widely scrutinized debate performance. JILL BIDEN SAYS SHE THOUGHT JOE WAS HAVING A STROKE DURING HIS DISASTROUS 2024 DEBATE PERFORMANCE “I don’t want to talk about Jill Biden right now,” Brazile said when Fox News Digital asked her to share her thoughts on the former first lady’s recent comments on her husband’s debate. Fox News Digital pressed Brazile to respond as conversations have been circulating around the 2024 election and what went wrong — particularly following the calling for and release of the 2024 DNC autopsy report, an internal review of the party’s 2024 defeat and the factors that contributed to it. Brazile, referring to herself in the third person, urged Democrats to deny any calls to look to the past, and instead focus on the future of the party and upcoming elections. “Donna Brazile will not focus on the past,” she said. “Donna Brazile want to focus on the future.” She argued Democrats already made their decision in 2024 when Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE FLIP FLOPS, PULLS PLUG ON ITS 2024 ELECTION ‘AUTOPSY’ “We made that decision in 2024 when the then-president decided to step down and pass the torch to Kamala,” Brazile said. A longtime Democratic strategist, Brazile served as interim chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2011 and again in 2016. She has remained an influential voice within Democratic politics through multiple presidential election cycles and has frequently weighed in on the party’s direction following major electoral setbacks. There has been widespread criticism over how Democrats handled concerns about Joe Biden’s age and his cognitive health, and whether that impacted the party’s performance in 2024. DEMS FACE A LITMUS TEST OVER BIDEN’S COGNITIVE ABILITIES There has been continued debate within the Democratic Party about how it handled concerns about Biden’s age and cognitive health for office before he ended his re-election campaign and endorsed Harris. Brazile’s comments highlight a divide between Democrats seeking a fuller accounting of the events that led to Biden’s withdrawal and the party’s 2024 loss and those who believe the focus should shift toward rebuilding ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and future presidential contests. But Brazile made clear where she stands. “Anyone who’s focusing on the past is not focused on the future,” she said. “I’m actually focused on ’26, ’28, ’32.”
Maryland Lt Gov rejects Trump’s corruption claims over mail-in voting error: ‘It happens’
Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller pushed back on President Donald Trump’s call for a Justice Department investigation into a state mail-in ballot error, rejecting allegations of corruption and arguing election administration mistakes occur in almost “every election.” Trump called for the DOJ to open an investigation into some Maryland voters receiving incorrect mail-in ballots for the upcoming primary elections, after election officials admitted to an error by the state’s election board. This prompted Trump to put the blame on Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, accusing him of corruptly interfering with the election process to ensure a win for Democrats. The Maryland State Board of Elections announced that it had been “made aware of an error by our mail-in ballot vendor,” Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc. TRUMP CALLS FOR DOJ PROBE INTO MARYLAND MAIL-IN BALLOT ERROR, SUSPECTING ‘CORRUPT’ GOV. WES MOORE TIES “This was done by the Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore,” Trump wrote on Truth Social May 18. “He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win. Miller told Fox News Digital that the Maryland State Board of Elections operates independently from the governor’s administration and characterized ballot-distribution errors as a recurring issue in election administration. “The administration, they’re a separate body from us, the board of elections,” Miller said. “And it happens, sometimes,” she continued. “Ballots get mailed the wrong way. It happens almost in every election. While election administration errors have occurred in Maryland, including a voter-roll software glitch in 2018, there is no publicly available evidence showing that incorrect mail ballots are an “every election” occurrence. The state elections board will send out new ballots to all voters who were mailed one before May 14, acknowledging that many voters receiving new ballots may not have been affected by the mishap. The state elections board said there was “no risk of duplicate voting as a result of this issue,” claiming the state has safeguards in place to avoid this from happening. Trump also questioned how the issue would be resolved without any potential threat of duplicate voting. POLITICAL STINK: MARYLAND GOV. WES MOORE CALLS TRUMP’S SEWAGE SPILL BLAME ‘ABSURD’ “In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent.” “In addition, many of these Ballots went to Democrats, so any Republican running in Maryland doesn’t have a chance!” Miller rejected the idea that this issue was intentional or was the result of corruption within the state. “I don’t think it was in malice, in any bad way that this happened,” she told Fox News Digital. “I think it was just error by the vendor.” State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis also denied Trump’s claim that any “illegal” ballots were distributed. MARYLAND BALLOT BLUNDER TRIGGERS GOP PUSH FOR FEDERAL REVIEW OF BLUE STATE’S VOTER ROLLS Trump said he has asked Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department to investigate the ballot error, but the DOJ has not publicly announced the opening of an investigation. Miller also said that she has not had any information shared with her by the DOJ into what the investigation will entail. “We’ll see what the investigation shows,” Miller said.
FBI arrests protester who threatened to kill ICE officer’s family at NJ detention center protest, Blanche says
Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche on Friday said that a man who made death threats against a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer and his family at a protest in New Jersey Thursday night had been arrested. The arrest came just hours after Blanche promised the protester, who was captured on video, would be found and arrested. “That’s a federal crime,” Blanche said on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show” on Thursday. “Not only threatening the ICE officer — but think about how disgusting this individual is by threatening his wife and his children with death. In the video, the protester can be heard taunting the officer: “I will kill your whole f—ing family. Your whole f—ing family is dead. Your children and wife all dead. I have your face mother—er! All dead!” ANTI-ICE AGITATOR SCREAMS ‘I’LL KILL YOUR WHOLE F- FAMILY’ DAY AFTER DEM GOV PRAISES ‘PEACEFUL PROTESTING’ Blanche said the officer was just doing his job and “standing there.” On Friday evening, Blanche wrote on X: Told you. @FBI just arrested the man who threatened to kill ICE officers and their families. FAFO.” He has not yet been identified. ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY The clash occurred Thursday evening outside of Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center where protesters were accused of biting, kicking and punching agents. Agents responded by deploying pepper spray and beating back agitators as the protest continued into its sixth night. Nine rioters were arrested during the clashes Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH Approximately 100 protesters mobbed the area surrounding the detention center, chanting “F— ICE” and brandishing black umbrellas, gas masks and other gear to protect themselves from pepper spray and various anti-riot measures. On Wednesday evening, DHS reported that approximately 100 anti-ICE protesters gathered around the Delaney Hall ICE facility. While rioters assaulted and threw objects at law enforcement, DHS said “local police refused to help our officers.” Six rioters were arrested Wednesday night for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers. “We called local police, we called state police multiple times. Listen, I know the law enforcement there would love to respond, but because of Governor Sherrill’s behavior what the governor is doing, she’s not allowing public officers and state officers to respond,” Mullin said during a Thursday morning appearance on Fox & Friends. Demonstrations over conditions for detainees began Friday, May 22, after detainees penned an open letter claiming they were being denied access to medical care, being insufficiently fed and detained without due process. DHS has denied those claims. Fox News’ Charles Creitz and Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
Dan Sullivan vs. Dan Sullivan: GOP blasts clone candidate as lookalike enters Alaska Senate race
FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic strategist has deployed a candidate look-alike that Republicans fear may act as a decoy and create confusion around their real nominee. Campaign material metadata reveals that Amber Lee, a progressive consultant, authored a press release announcing the Senate bid for a second “Dan Sullivan” — a figure Republican strategists say has nothing to do with incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. “Mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer know they can’t beat Senator Sullivan on his record, so they’re resorting to deceitful political maneuvers that attempt to trick Alaskans and buy a seat,” National Republican Senate Committee Spokesperson Nick Puglia told Fox News Digital. Although Republicans have months to clarify the situation to voters before the state’s primary in August, the filing shows efforts to create confusion to sway a high-stakes Senate race. FORMER DEM REP. MARY PELTOLA ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE RUN: “PUT ALASKA FIRST” The campaign website leans into the name overlap. “Dan Sullivan challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, urges Alaskans to defeat incumbent, elect a Sullivan who stands up for Alaska,” it reads. According to his biography, this second Sullivan spent his early career working blue-collar jobs like logging, construction, bartending and forestry, but decided to enter his bid for Senate after growing frustrated with government mismanagement. “Over time, he became increasingly frustrated with what he saw as federal inefficiency and a lack of long-term thinking in government,” the biography reads. The campaign’s Instagram page has no posts and just two followers. The campaign did not immediately respond to questions if Sullivan had been asked to run, whether the campaign had made filings with the FEC, or if he intends to run as an independent. Both Sullivans will appear in Alaska’s open primary system, where the top four candidates advance to the general election. If selected among them, the second Sullivan may appear on the ballot in November — a development that could prove especially confusing to Alaska’s many rural communities. Despite the comedic nature of the thinly-veiled ploy, the filing is especially relevant in Alaska — one of only two states that have implemented ranked choice voting. The system allows voters to select multiple candidates in order of preference. Under this model, voters can still apply their vote to a second, sometimes even a third option if their first choice is eliminated from contention. FORMER TALK RADIO HOST DIALS INTO ALASKA’S RACE FOR GOVERNOR, SAYS ENERGY IS KEY The system, sometimes called “instant runoff voting,” greatly increases the influence of candidates that may not otherwise be a voter’s first choice. Although Lee, the Democratic strategist, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, documentation of her political leanings appears to rule out an earnest attempt to campaign for another Senate hopeful who just happens to share the “Dan Sullivan” name. In addition to being called a backer for Mary Peltoa, Sullivan’s Democratic challenger, by the New York Times, Lee’s consulting firm, Amber Strategies, lists a number of progressive clients, including Alaska Women Ascent. The group aims to “train women who are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ rights, pro-union, anti-racist and pro-racial justice” to serve as candidates and volunteers. In the past, Alaska has historically voted Republican, but recently elected Peltola to its lone, at-large district in 2022. 10 SENATE RACES THAT COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF THE CHAMBER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS Sullivan, who previously served as Alaska’s attorney general, first came to the Senate in 2015 and last won reelection in a 53.9% to 41.2% victory over nonpartisan challenger Al Gross. Alaska will hold its primary on August 18.
Virginia bus crash that killed five involved driver who doesn’t speak English, Sean Duffy says
The driver of a bus involved in a deadly Virginia crash that killed five people doesn’t speak English, authorities said, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy who called it “unacceptable.” Five people were killed and dozens were injured when the driver of an E&P Travel bus heading from New York to North Carolina failed to slow down near a work zone and slammed into several cars on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, the Virginia State Police said. The crash happened around 2:35 a.m. Friday. A 13-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy, who were in the car ahead of the one the bus hit, died along with a 45-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman after their car caught fire. They were all from Massachusetts. EMERGENCY CREWS RESPOND TO TOUR BUS ROLLOVER WITH DOZENS OF PATIENTS IN NEW YORK A 25-year-old woman, who was in the car immediately in front of the bus, was also killed. At least 44 others were taken to hospitals, including three in critical condition, police said. The driver of the bus, identified as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was injured in the crash. Police say charges are pending. Ding is a naturalized citizen originally from China who received his commercial driver’s license in New York two years ago. FORMER US ATTORNEY CHARGED WITH FELONY HIT-AND-RUN AFTER HOUSTON CRASH, POLICE SAY “Unacceptable. This is exactly why we are holding states’ accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English,” Duffy wrote on X. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.” Duffy added that the Transportation Department is investigating “New York licensing records, training documentation, and the driver’s history. Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny.” Federal law requires commercial drivers to speak English well enough to do their job safely. In February, Duffy announced that all truckers and bus drivers would be required to take the test to get their license in English. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Virginia State Police.
Dem Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed recounts smashing vodka bottle after beard criticism
In a recent podcast appearance, Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed admitted to destroying property in a liquor store in Detroit over remarks about the length of his beard, a sign of religious observance among Muslim communities. “He says, ‘Are you Muslim?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Well, your beard is too short.’ I said, ‘Ok you’re gonna judge me? Ok, give me a second, I forgot something,’” El-Sayed said while on left-leaning YouTube show “Intellectually Petty.” “So, I walk back, I get a fifth of vodka, and put it on the counter. He’s like, ‘Hey, you can’t buy that,’ and I was like, ‘You’re right, and you can’t sell it.’ So, I smashed it on the ground and walked out.” The account is emerging as a new line of attack for some Republicans in the closely watched Senate race. SQUAD MEMBER SUMMER LEE CALLS ‘UPPER CLASS’ THE ‘ENEMY’ AT EL-SAYED RALLY Hunter Lovell, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee (RNC), believes it displays a willingness to become aggressive over matters of faith. “Abdul El-Sayed thinks he gets a free hall pass by using his religion as a way to promote violent extremism,” Lovell said. “In reality, Michigan voters see a deeply disturbed man with anger management issues who belongs nowhere near the United States Senate.” El-Sayed’s campaign, when asked about Lovell’s comments, did not address the incident in the liquor store. “Yes — Abdul is angry on behalf of the people. Unlike Trump who seems more focused on drapes in a ballroom, Abdul gets mad when everyday people get exploited,” Roxie Richner, a spokesperson for the campaign, told Fox News Digital. El-Sayed finds himself in a heated three-way Democratic primary to replace outgoing Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. Voters will soon have to pick between him, fellow progressive Mallory McMorrow, a state legislator, and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a more establishment-leaning candidate. HOUSE DEM JUMPS INTO CROWDED MICHIGAN SENATE RACE El-Sayed has positioned himself as the most leftward-leaning of the three, espousing positions such as “Medicare for all,” free college education and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Notably, El-Sayed has attracted criticism for his opposition to the current U.S. partnership with Israel, citing humanitarian concerns during the war in Gaza. He’s also drawn scrutiny for campaigning with Hasan Piker, a political commentator and media personality who has described Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror group, as the “lesser of two evils,” in its war with Israel and said that the U.S. “deserved 9/11.” El-Sayed himself has clearly said he condemns all forms of religious violence. In the wake of an attack on a synagogue in Temple Israel Michigan earlier in 2026, El-Sayed called it an act of “terrorism.” MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT DEFENDS APPEARING WITH HASAN PIKER, DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM PODCASTER’S CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS “He was an Arab American and a Muslim. I condemn what he did. There is never a justification for attacking innocent people or houses of worship. Never,” El-Sayed said in a press release. The Michigan Senate primary will be held Aug. 4.