Reporter’s Notebook: Congress faces a crisis that the ‘AI godfather’ warns it may not be ready to address
To hear estimates about the growing power of AI, one might ask AI chatbots how long it will take Congress to regulate the technology. But you might not need to do that. You could just inquire with your trusty Capitol Hill correspondent. Let’s call this chatbot “ChadGPT.” REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS MEETS AI AS FEARS OF HUMAN EXTINCTION JOLT CAPITOL HILL And it truly doesn’t require that much congressional clairvoyance to divine when lawmakers could address AI – despite the forecast of a looming crisis. You just need a little understanding of the congressional parliamentary posture over the next few months. It’s doubtful that Congress will do anything about AI until after the midterms. Or, maybe even early next year. Results of the midterms will likely consume the lame duck session – regardless of which party wins or loses. Plus, lawmakers must fund the government by mid-December. If either the House or Senate flips, it might be March or April next year until Congress returns to AI. It simply takes Congress a long time to accomplish anything. Especially when there’s a change in who runs the place. The Senate is scheduled to meet for the next two weeks. But House Members fled the Capitol last week – a day earlier than planned and two weeks earlier than the original schedule – even as the “godfather of AI” visited Capitol Hill. Geoffrey Hinton is professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He’s a 2004 Nobel laureate for his work on “artificial neural networks.” He proffered a stark warning for lawmakers. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., summoned Hinton to Capitol Hill for a bipartisan, bicameral briefing on AI. Sanders has called for a ban on “superintelligence.” Many lawmakers are furious over what’s unfolded with AI over the past few weeks. They want action now. I had a battery of questions for Hinton when he emerged from the briefing late last week in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. We’ve heard that Congress is lagging when it comes to taking action. ANTHROPIC CEO CALLS ON AI INDUSTRY TO SLOW DOWN TECH RACE, DRAWING SUPPORT FROM ELON MUSK, SAM ALTMAN “How much time do lawmakers actually have to get ahead of this before this is a big problem,” I asked. “Very little,” replied Hinton. “What is ‘a little,’” I countered. “A few weeks? A month?” “Maybe a year,” opined Hinton. “But not much more than a year.” Sigh. Hinton characterized the incident where AI agents went rogue and hacked another company as a “little Chernobyl.” For the uninitiated, that was the epic meltdown of the nuclear reactor in the former Soviet Union in 1986. It’s one of the most extraordinary human-made disasters in history. But some Republican leaders – and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in particular – are downplaying potential doom. Especially after President Trump declared on Truth Social that AI concerns were a “HOAX.” “Do you remember when AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.] said, was it climate change? What was her stupid thing? She said, ‘we’re all going to be dead in ten years,’” said Johnson. “This is what the President is saying. You’re not all going to be dead in ten years. That’s a hoax.” Johnson isn’t opposed to legislative action on AI. But he’s certainly taking his cues from President Trump. And even though many Democrats and some Republicans demanded that the House remain in session to wrestle with AI, Johnson predicted that the exercise would be moot. REP. TED LIEU: AI IS ALREADY TOO POWERFUL. WE NEED A KILL SWITCH BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES “If I called an emergency session today and I brought everybody in the House and said, ‘let’s regulate,” I tell you, nobody in the room knows yet what that should look like,” said Johnson. “We’re going to have steady hands at the wheel on this.” But other Republicans harbor more fear of rapid AI development. “What would happen if we created an independent species that became superior to a human species?” asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. Shortly after the briefing with Hinton and others, Kennedy went to the Senate floor and implored his colleagues to pass a bill on the spot requiring AI firms to install a kill switch if their agents rebelled again. However, Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked that on the floor. He feared that such a mandate could stifle innovation. “We’re going to just put this blanket regulation on the whole economy with no discussion in one fell swoop, on one day, by unanimous consent?” questioned Paul. Paul’s objection stymied the Senate. The Kentucky Republican is sanguine about what’s ahead for AI. But he worries about congressional intervention. “People have feared technology since the beginning of time,” said Paul. ” I wouldn’t put Congress in charge of a McDonald’s.” Jeffrey Ladish of Palisade Research assesses the risks of new technology. After the briefing, Ladish offered his own foreboding prediction about AI running amok. “How is this allowed to happen? And how do we ensure this never happens again?” asked Ladish. “Because right now, I guarantee you this will happen again. We are not on track for fixing this.” Ladish argued that even researchers “don’t know how to control it.” That’s why some lawmakers insist that Congress must move fast to combat AI – perhaps even treating it as a new threat. “The people who are the greatest innovators and creators in the world in the AI space are warning us of serious danger. So shame on us if we don’t listen to them,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., is studying for a master’s degree in AI at George Masson University. He says people are skeptical about AI. But he suggests that the public may grow even more skeptical if one party tries to legislate on AI without bipartisan buy-in. TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW ‘AI FORCE,’ VOWS TO PROTECT INDUSTRY AS AI CZAR ANNOUNCEMENT NEARS “We need to do it together. Also, if we do it together, Democrats and
Mamdani in hot seat over post mourning death of inmate charged with callous crime: ‘Absolutely shameful’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing strong pushback from critics after posting his condolences for the death of a jail inmate charged in the killing of an autistic man during an ambush. “A person in City custody died yesterday evening following a court appearance in Queens,” Mamdani posted on X on Thursday. “Department of Correction staff performed CPR until emergency medical services arrived to take him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. I extend my condolences to his family. In line with standard practice, the DOC and its oversight partners will investigate the circumstances of his death.” The vast majority of social media users who replied to the post took issue with Mamdani not providing more details about the alleged crime. The individual who died was Luis Alberto Lopez Castillo, who faced charges of murder, manslaughter and robbery related to the 2025 murder of 26-year-old Ron Marte, a man with special needs, the New York Post reported. Prosecutors allege Castillo and his accomplice Axel Martinez ambushed Marte in the Bronx’s Starlight Park as he walked home from work, with Martinez shooting him in the chest while Castillo took his cellphone. CITY-RUN BOARD CANCELS LEASE OF ISRAEL DRONE SUPPLIER, SPARKING BACKLASH TOWARD MAMDANI: ‘LUDICROUS’ Mamdani’s critics highlighted the post as an example of the mayor showing more concern for suspected criminals than victims. “Again!” FOX Business anchor David Asman posted on X. “I thought somewhere in the beginning of ‘An Idiot’s Guide to Being Mayor’ here’s a suggestion: ‘Display sympathy for the victims; Not the criminals.’” “Didn’t he murder a 26 year old special needs man?” Jewish advocacy group StopAntisemitism posted on X. MAMDANI SETS INTERNET ABLAZE WITH VIDEO EXPLAINING CAVE ON PLAN TO ARREST NETANYAHU: ‘WHAT A JOKE’ “The guy Mamdani is mourning here was charged with robbing and murdering a 26 year old with special needs,” Benny Polatseck, a former digital producer for former NYC Mayor Eric Adams posted on X. “Did you see any tweets from him mourning his helpless victim?” “Absolutely shameful…,” conservative influencer account Proud Elephant posted on X. “Just when you thought Mamdani couldn’t go any lower. Mamdani should do the right thing and resign from office in disgrace.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. Mamdani has faced similar criticism before, including in August when he mourned the death of a man with 27 prior arrests who died in Rikers Island jail while facing charges for murdering a man with a meat cleaver in a Brooklyn laundromat. Mamdani has been outspoken about his efforts to improve safety and living conditions across the jail system and has made several moves he says will accomplish that, including ending 12-hour shifts for correctional staff, addressing the practice of housing people of different ages together, moving to close Rikers Island, and strengthening oversight under the federal Nunez monitoring agreement. His administration has begun transferring unused Rikers facilities out of the Department of Correction’s control and opened a 104-bed therapeutic housing unit at Bellevue Hospital to provide incarcerated people with specialized medical care. New York City has been legally committed since 2019 to closing Rikers and replacing it with four smaller borough-based jails, a plan Mamdani has pledged to accelerate. Critics argue the move would leave the city with fewer jail cells and make it more difficult to tackle crime. Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report
White House won’t back down as attorney predicts how Trump’s latest press tussle will play out in court
An attorney at a nonprofit that defends the First Amendment doesn’t think President Donald Trump will come out on top in a legal battle with three media outlets he banned from the White House. But after announcing on Friday his ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico — and the resulting lawsuit against him — the White House told Fox News Digital that Trump isn’t backing down. “I think the Trump administration will not fare well in court because its action here is blatantly unconstitutional,” predicted Aaron Terr, the director of public advocacy at the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Trump took to TRUTH Social on Friday to announce that employees with the three major media outlets will be banned from White House grounds over “reporting FAKE NEWS. He said they “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States.” DISNEY SUES FCC OVER ‘RETALIATORY CAMPAIGN AGAINST ABC,’ SEEKS TO BLOCK EARLY RENEWAL PROCEEDINGS Terr says that what media outlets report is not at issue. “There’s settled precedent that when the White House opens its doors to the press, which it has done, the First Amendment walks in too,” Terr said. “So that means the administration can’t ban reporters from the White House grounds just because it doesn’t like their point of view or thinks their coverage is too negative or critical, and the president in his statements has been crystal clear that this was the exact reason that he banned CNN, MSN, and … Politico from the entire White House grounds.” Reporters and cameramen with the outlets removed their gear and set up on Pennsylvania Ave. over the weekend and this week continued to film live hits from across the street rather than from their usual spots on White House grounds. In response to Terr’s assessment, the White House remained defiant about the ban. “The Fake News has no place demanding a spot in the President’s Oval Office,” the White House said. “The lies they smear are a disservice to the American public and tear at the very fabric of our Democracy. They’re completely capable of reporting from directly outside.” CNN FIRES BACK AT TRUMP WHITE HOUSE OVER ATTACKS ON REPORTER, CALLS THEM ‘BENEATH THE OFFICE’ Monday morning, the three news outlets filed a lawsuit against Trump seeking an injunction that would halt the president’s ban temporarily, and asking the court to immediately order the restoration of the media members’ White House credentials. CNN was scheduled for White House television pool coverage on Monday. Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News and NBC News, the other press pool networks, announced in a joint statement that they would not take CNN’s place. “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the pool members said in a joint statement. Additionally, White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) President Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News, released a statement expressing the organization’s support of the outlets. “Today’s action revoking access for journalists from CNN, POLITICO, and MSNOW violates the First Amendment,” she wrote. “The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future.” “The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably,” she continued. “The WHCA calls on the administration to immediately restore our colleagues’ access.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUBPOENAS NY TIMES JOURNALISTS IN GRAND JURY LEAK PROBE TIED TO AIR FORCE ONE REPORT Terr said that while nobody has a First Amendment right to report from the White House, he said court precedent established that once a media outlet gains access to the White House, that access cannot be revoked for ideological reasons. “The principle here is that once the government provides access, it then can’t condition that access on whether you’re expressing a viewpoint that the government agrees with,” he said. “It’s a broader First Amendment principle that the government cannot retaliate against Americans for protected speech, and that includes revoking news outlets’ access to a space open to the press just because the president doesn’t like the actual or perceived slant of their report.” Terr noted that while there can be bias in media, the alternative of government-controlled media could result in a much worse outcome. “The First Amendment is designed to prevent exactly that type of government control over the flow of information in a free society,” he said. “The First Amendment guarantees that reporters are free to cover the news in a way that they think is best, and it’s up to the American public to hear what they have to say and decide whether or not to trust them and their coverage of the government and other issues in our society.”
SEE IT: Chinese nationals intercepted in ‘extremely dangerous’ infiltration attempt near Florida coast
A smuggling vessel filled with Chinese nationals and other illegal immigrants was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard in what sources called a rare and “extremely dangerous” attempt to enter the U.S. through Florida. CBP confirmed the interdiction exclusively with Fox News, sharing video and photos of U.S. authorities intercepting the vessel, which was carrying 22 illegal immigrants, including 13 Chinese nationals. The boat, a 27-foot cuddy cabin vessel, was stopped, and the migrants aboard were arrested without incident Tuesday. The interdiction took place near Angelfish Creek, Florida, near Key Largo. According to the agency, a CBP Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft first detected the vessel. The interdiction, carried out by CBP alongside Coast Guard personnel, resulted in the apprehension of one suspected smuggler, a Cuban national, 13 Chinese nationals, eight Ecuadorian nationals and one Dominican national. Sources emphasized to Fox News that it is extremely rare for Chinese nationals to attempt to enter the U.S. through maritime Caribbean routes that are typically used by Haitians, Dominicans and Cubans. During the Biden administration, Chinese nationals typically entered the U.S. through land routes in California and Texas, which are now subject to tighter enforcement under the Trump administration. CBP, COAST GUARD INTERCEPT MIGRANT VESSEL HEADING FOR PUERTO RICO; 40 APPREHENDED INCLUDING UZBEK NATIONAL Andres Blanco, executive director of Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region, told Fox News that “attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea is extremely dangerous and will not go undetected.” Blanco said that “this interdiction demonstrates the strength of our maritime partnerships and our commitment to stopping human smuggling organizations before they can put more lives at risk.” He added that “those who attempt these dangerous voyages face arrest, prosecution, removal, and the very real possibility of losing their lives at sea.” The illegal immigrants were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent for processing. Meanwhile, authorities seized the vessel. ICE-LED FLORIDA OPERATION NETS 500 — INCLUDING ILLEGAL ALIENS ACCUSED OF MURDER, CHILD ABUSE, CARTEL TIES After the operation, Coast Guard Lt. Corryn Ulrich, the commanding officer of the Pablo Valent, told Fox News that “the U.S. border remains secure due to highly capable teams and coordinated interagency enforcement” and that “we remain ready to save lives and enforce federal law at sea.” The CBP Air and Marine Operations unit is designed to anticipate and confront aviation and maritime threats to America’s national integrity, according to the agency. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet Thursday in Washington, D.C. Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang claimed that, despite the leaders trumpeting a positive relationship, Xi is mulling a war against the United States and organizing troops “for battle.” “Xi Jinping keeps on talking about going to war against us… and also he’s preparing China’s society, civilian and military, for battle. And we think we’re at peace,” Chang said Sunday on “Fox News Live.” “So, this is a very dangerous period for us.” Chang’s remarks follow reports that China aided Iran in attacks that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan earlier this summer. ICE SHOOTING ROCKS AUSTIN AS DEMOCRAT DEMANDS BODYCAM VIDEO, INDEPENDENT PROBE The incident comes amid renewed debate over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in Austin on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security said the man shot by the officer, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, “illegally entered the country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal during a law enforcement operation.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER His lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, has contested DHS’ statement, saying Perez entered the U.S. lawfully. According to DHS, he survived and is in stable condition and is in federal custody pending removal. The incident has resulted in large protests in Austin and Democratic politicians condemning ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
Blue state gov ignites online firestorm with plan to send gov’t into homes of newborn babies: ‘Lunatic libs’
Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey set off an online firestorm over the weekend over a plan to expand the commonwealth’s Welcome Family program, which she spoke about in a clip that went viral on social media. Healey made the controversial comments in an appearance last week on Boston Public Radio, where she discussed the state’s taxpayer-funded plan to send nurses into the homes of new parents after childbirth. “Everybody in the state, when you have a baby, you’re going to have a home visit within days, weeks and that will be an opportunity for a healthcare provider to make an assessment to see if you need some additional support and resources,” Healey explained. The clip quickly made waves on social media, with conservatives blasting the governor’s government expansion. GAVIN NEWSOM ACCUSED OF ‘INFANTILIZING’ PARENTS WITH DIAPER PROGRAM IN SCATHING WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL “Does this sound like a good idea?” conservative radio host Howie Carr wrote on X in a post viewed almost 2 million times. “I’m sorry what?!” Conservative influencer account Libs of TikTok wrote on X in a post that was viewed over 2 million times. “MA Governor Maura Healey says everyone who has a baby will be visited in their home by a government appointed healthcare provider ‘to make an assessment’. Stay out of our homes you power hungry creep.” “IDK who needs to hear this… but the government DOES NOT OWN your baby,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. posted on X. “Everyone needs to re-read 1984. “ ‘COVID 2.0’: LAWMAKERS PUSH BACK ON SWEEPING HEALTH ‘POLICE POWER’ IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE “Lunatic libs,” Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., posted on X. Fox News Digital reached out to Healey’s office for comment. Healey announced the expansion last week in a press release that described the program as “voluntary” and meant to “strengthen postpartum care and mental health support for mothers and families across Massachusetts, with a focus on reaching people earlier, making support easier to access and helping providers connect patients to care when they need it.” Postpartum care has been a major topic of conversation in Massachusetts in light of the highly publicized trial of Lindsay Clancy in the commonwealth, where a jury recently deadlocked and could not come to a consensus whether Clancy was guilty of killing her three young children. Clancy’s defense team argued that she suffered from severe postpartum mental illness. “Becoming a mother is a profound life change, and every parent deserves support—not just during pregnancy, but in the months that follow,” Healey said in the release. “Postpartum depression, anxiety and other maternal mental health conditions are real medical conditions, and no mother should feel ashamed to ask for help or feel like she has to navigate this journey alone. We’re working to expand postpartum care, identify concerns earlier and connect families to the mental health support they need, because taking care of moms means taking care of the whole family.” Amy Carnevale, chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, told Fox News Digital in an interview that “this is an example of the government overreaching.” “I’m a mom of three,” Carnevale said. “I’m blessed to have three wonderful children. And, doctors, today, they ask about postpartum depression. They ask about the need for resources. So, there are plenty of resources available to women after they have children in Massachusetts and nationwide. And this example by Gov. Healey to send people into the homes of new moms is an example of government overreach and the Massachusetts Republican Party has been hearing from moms across the state, moms and dads across the state, really objecting to this new policy.” Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report
The Soros political machine is putting millions to work before Election Day — and zeroing in on key races
Tens of millions of dollars in Soros-linked money are pouring into key Democratic campaigns and political groups as Election Day approaches, campaign finance records show. As of the end of June, Democracy PAC and Democracy PAC II — a pair of political committees created and funded by the Soros network — have disbursed over $40 million in donations to their Democratic allies, a review of campaign finance records show. Among the largest beneficiaries of the Soros-linked funding have been the Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC and the J Street Action Fund, the political arm of J Street, a vocal critic of Israeli government policies. Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who has made getting money out of politics a pillar of his Senate campaign, is also indirectly benefiting from Soros-linked money flowing into the Michigan Senate race through outside Democratic groups. MICHIGAN SENATE HOPEFUL CALLS AIPAC DONATIONS ‘LEGALIZED BRIBERY,’ REMAINS SILENT ON OTHER DONATIONS Senate Majority PAC, which has received $9 million from the Soros-funded Democracy PAC this cycle, has pledged $30 million in spending to help elect El-Sayed in Michigan. “The fundamental corruption of our politics has been the system that allows corporations and would-be oligarchs and billionaires to buy politicians,” El-Sayed said during a 2025 interview with a local news outlet. “I want to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, pass Medicare for all,” he told a reporter during a follow-up interview. El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday. The Senate hopeful is also scheduled to attend a Sept. 28 California fundraiser hosted by Jeffrey Soros – who is the nephew of billionaire George Soros. “Abdul El-Sayed is only for ‘money out of politics’ when it isn’t being spent on him. He’s wining and dining Soros billionaires and begging Chuck Schumer for money while Mike Rogers is taking on Big Pharma and calling for a suspension of the gas tax to lower costs for working families,” Alyssa Brouillet, a spokeswoman for Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, told Fox News Digital. “Mike Rogers is fighting for Michigan. Abdul El-Sayed is cozying up to billionaires and lying to Michiganders.” The full scale of the Soros family’s 2026 political spending will become clearer as additional campaign-finance reports are filed. FBI RAIDS SOROS-BACKED VOTER GROUP’S HEADQUARTERS IN REPORTED FRAUD PROBE Another major beneficiary of the Soros family’s largesse has been the federal and non-federal arms of its Justice & Public Safety PAC, the primary vehicle behind its efforts to elect progressive prosecutors across the United States. The criminal justice-focused committees have so far pulled in close to $2 million. The Soros family, chiefly through George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and political committees, has funded efforts to reduce the number of criminals in prison, end cash bail, elect progressive prosecutors, expand rights for illegal immigrants and address alleged racism among law enforcement — efforts that have made Soros a frequent target of criticism from conservative politicians and activists. Other causes to receive support from the Soros family during the 2026 cycle have included the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, Fair Fight, which is a voter mobilization organization founded by Stacey Abrams and focused on helping Democrats in Georgia, and the Working Families Party PAC, which works to help elect progressives primarily in New York. Democratic Govs. Josh Shapiro, of Pennsylvania, and Abigail Spanberger, of Virginia, also received financial support from the Soros family’s political committees during their 2025 campaigns. ABDUL EL-SAYED DUBBED ‘VETERAN’ BY SOROS-LINKED PROPAGANDA NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTED IN MICHIGAN The true extent of the Soros family’s 2026 political operation won’t be fully known until roughly a year after elections wrap up, as much of its spending is routed through 501(c)(4) nonprofits, a type of organization that can spend money on politics but is only required to release disclosures annually, often a year or more after the spending itself occurs. George Soros gradually transferred control of his political and philanthropic empire to his son, Alex, between 2022 and 2023. A spokesperson for the Soros family did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
Critics pounce as prominent Dem senator seems to make admission about party’s far-left ‘fringe’
Sen. Cory Booker’s response to a question about Abdul El-Sayed’s election campaign in Michigan has some online observers questioning whether the Democratic Party’s elected officials are behind the socialist-adjacent candidate. The Democrat from New Jersey joined Kristen Welker on ABC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, when he was asked a wide variety of policy questions along with a question about President Donald Trump’s announcement that he is banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds. But the question about El-Sayed stole the show. “Senator, you see there in our polls that socialism is viewed even more negatively than the ‘MAGA movement,’” Welker began. “President Trump is trying to paint progressives, and frankly all Democrats, as socialists, and we’re seeing one of the big battles play out for progressivism in Michigan right now with Abdul El-Sayed… do you think Democrats are drawing a firm enough line between themselves and socialism?” MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ENDORSED BY AOC AND BERNIE SANDERS INSISTS HE’S NOT A SOCIALIST “Again, this is really what the Republicans want to do — focus on a few fringe people,” Booker replied. He then diverted away from discussing the party establishment’s fracture with far-left candidates and pivoted to attacking Trump’s economic and foreign policies. “I serve in the United States Senate and I could go through my colleagues, left and right,” Booker said. “What we want right now is to end these reckless tariffs and drive down prices, to end this war to drive down prices, to give a tax plan for this country that puts more money in working peoples’ pockets and ends the giveaways to the wealthiest of Americans.” Political observers on X quickly seized on the response, claiming that Booker is too late in the push to try and distinguish the Democratic Party from its far-left fringe and the rise in socialist candidates in this year’s midterm elections. “Oops,” radio show host Jason Rantz said simply of Booker’s comments to Welker. “A day late and a dollar short,” said Trump Media & Technology Group communications adviser Katie Zacharia. “Senator Booker is trying to disassociate as the ‘Big Tent’ burns.” She added that the senator should have condemned socialism outright, claiming the “Dem party [is] in disarray.” SEE IT: DEM SENATORS RALLY BEHIND EL-SAYED BUT DUCK QUESTIONS ON PROGRESSIVE AGENDA “I really wonder what the internals they showed those senators in DC said,” said author Carl Paulus, speculating that polling within the Democratic Party could suggest that the far left is dragging them down and causing sitting lawmakers to change their tune with just weeks until November’s election. Booker was one of several senators who met with El-Sayed during a trip to Washington, D.C., last week. After the meeting, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., El-Sayed’s campaign described the gathering as “warm.” “We’re united in the fact that we have to win Michigan. Whatever our difference is, our agreement on the importance of winning Michigan to take back the Senate majority [is] overwhelming,” El-Sayed told MS NOW of the meeting. “We had a warm meeting, good conversation, and I know that we left that conversation committed to doing what we need to do to take on different perspectives. And I also know that the things that bring us together are so much bigger than any of the disagreements that we have.” Fox News Digital reached out to Booker’s office and the El-Sayed campaign but did not hear back at time of publication.
Social media erupts over Hasan Piker post targeting Brandon Gill’s wife
Hasan Piker is facing a barrage of criticism online after targeting the wife of Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, in a brief but pointed post on X over the weekend. Gill first went after Piker over an interview with Axios where the left-wing provocateur declared the U.S. was worse than al Qaeda in terms of terror committed around the world. He posted on X in response to Piker, “Hasan Piker is the poster child for why we need to end birth tourism. He was born in America to Turkish nationals, was raised back in Turkey to hate western civilization, and now spends his time working to make America weaker and our enemies stronger.” Piker then shot back, “your wife is indian.” RADICAL EL-SAYED ALLY DOUBLES DOWN ON ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC WITH STUNNING TERRORIST COMPARISON Gill’s father-in-law, right-wing filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, was among those who responded to Piker on X: “She’s Christian, born in America and her mom is white. Care to show us a picture of your family?” The congressman himself also responded to Piker, “My wife is an American, born in America to American citizens. She deeply loves our nation and its culture. You, on the other hand, were born to foreign invaders and want to turn America into the third world culture you were raised in, while advocating for communism at your $3 million mansion in between electrocuting your dog.” HASAN PIKER CALLS BIN LADEN A ‘SPOILED BRAT,’ LABELS 9/11 ‘BLOWBACK’ IN AXIOS INTERVIEW Gill’s colleagues also joined in piling on Piker. “Wrong. She’s a patriotic American, and you’re a terrorist (sympathizer) who hates this country and wants to destroy it. See the difference?” Rep. Riley Moore, R-W. Va., wrote online. UNIVERSITY EVENT WITH HASAN PIKER IN TEXAS DRAWS BACKLASH FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE Another commenter wrote, “i don’t know why Hasan is being racist all of the sudden but okay.” Internet Accountability Project attorney Will Chamberlain said of Gill’s wife, “she’s an American patriot, while you are a Turkish adversary.” Trump ally Alex Bruesewitz wrote, “You don’t get it and you never will.” Others, however, lashed out at Piker’s detractors. Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., wrote on X in response to D’Souza, “Imagine having to say ‘her mom is white’ for street cred[.] The self hating MAGA thing is so weird.”
Omar’s new legislation targeting ICE sparks outrage when the internet sees what’s in it: ‘Un-American’
Conservatives are pushing back after Rep. Ilhan Omar. D-Minn., introduced legislation that would redirect over $100 billion in funds previously allocated to immigration enforcement and “invest it into communities across the country that have been impacted by the Department of Homeland Security’s heinous operations.” Omar explained in a press release Thursday that her Make ICE Pay Act is a response to “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota and that it would send nearly $140 billion of ICE and Border Patrol funding from Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act toward “local recovery efforts” from immigration enforcement that has taken place across the country. Omar says the funding will be used by local jurisdictions to provide economic relief and distribute money through the states to nonprofits, small businesses and other impacted entities to support schools, healthcare and psychological services, increased local-government expenses, investigations and memorialization efforts. The program would be administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, overseen by its inspector general and expire three years after its creation. “ICE has been tearing through our nation, devastating our neighborhoods, our cities, and our businesses,” Omar posted on X about the legislation. “Our communities deserve accountability. My Make ICE Pay Act will redirect ICE’s $140 billion budget to the communities they’ve hurt the most.” MINNESOTA’S ANTI-ICE AID FUND BECOMES LATEST CASUALTY OF STATE’S EMBARRASSING FRAUD PROBLEM While the bill’s future is bleak as long as Republicans control Congress and the White House, it was quickly blasted by conservatives as emblematic of an ideology that places more of an emphasis on protecting illegal immigrants than it does enforcing immigration law. “This bill is un-American,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., posted on X. “This bill defunds law enforcement and gives their funding to the communities harboring criminal illegal aliens. Democrats fight for everyone except the American people.” OMAR’S GOP CHALLENGER COMES OUT FIRING WITH VOW TO CLEAN UP ‘MESS’ IN DEEP BLUE DISTRICT: ‘PEOPLE ARE FED UP’ “The definition of America last,” conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok posted on X. “Denaturalize and deport.” “Defund ICE. Weaken the border. Then expect safer communities? That math isn’t mathing,” Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders posted on X. “Her entire existence is on crippling the United States,” Republican John Nagel, running against Omar in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District this November, posted on X. “She is anti-police and pro communism.” Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s office for comment. White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed to Fox News last week that the Department of Homeland Security is looking into allegations involving Omar, but would not disclose details about what he described as an “ongoing criminal investigation.” Pressed on whether the federal government has evidence that Omar committed immigration or naturalization fraud, Homan declined to comment. When subsequently asked directly whether he was confirming an investigation involving Omar, Homan replied, “I’m confirming that ICE is, yeah — look, I said months ago that there’s something that’s been reported and needs to be looked at.” Omar has long been dogged by allegations that she married a man that critics allege is her brother as part of an immigration scheme. Omar has repeatedly denied the allegation, and the claim has not been proven in public records. In December, she dismissed the claims as “bigoted lies,” writing on social media that Trump was obsessed with her. Fox News Digital’s Max Bacall contributed to this report
GOP fiscal hawk sounds alarm on ‘out of control’ federal spending, saying ‘both parties have failed us’
With the U.S. national debt soaring above $40 trillion and the federal government engaging in massive deficit spending, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. — a fiscal hawk who says the situation is “out of control” and “both parties have failed us” — does not support President Donald Trump’s proposal to dole out $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans win both chambers of Congress during the midterms. The president floated the idea during a speech earlier this month at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, calling it “the Trump dividend.” Asked about the president’s proposal during an interview on Thursday, Paul told Fox News Digital that he is not in favor of giving away “dividends when there’s a deficit.” “We’re running $2 trillion dollars short,” he said, noting that he “can’t imagine giving out money when you’re running a deficit.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Friday. RAND PAUL CLASHES WITH FELLOW REPUBLICAN OVER AI ‘KILL SWITCH’ AS SENATE GRAPPLES WITH ‘TERMINATOR’ FEARS America’s soaring national debt has surpassed the staggering sum of $40 trillion and shows no signs of stopping. “And so, the debt is very important. So it’s not just important that it might bankrupt us or overwhelm us in some kinda crisis in the future,” Paul said, acknowledging that as “a possibility. But every day you’re being hurt by it because it’s stealing the value” of people’s earnings, he indicated. “So it is literally out of control,” Paul said. “And really both parties have failed us because both parties are afraid to tell the American public that some things they like from government would have to be reduced when we cut costs.” Paul has a plan that he says would balance the budget through a series of spending cuts over five years. GOP LAWMAKERS PUMP BRAKES ON TRUMP’S $5K CHECK PROMISE: ‘WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THE MONEY?’ “Now when I first introduced it, it was a 1% cut, or a one-penny plan, and you cut spending 1% a year for five years, and with economic growth increasing revenue, the lines cross at about five years,” balancing the budget, he explained. “Well, when COVID came along, both parties frankly started passin’ out money like drunken sailors and… the deficit ballooned. Now to balance the budget in five years it’s called the six-penny plan cuz it takes about a 6% cut. But it still shows you that we wouldn’t have to eliminate everything.” While the cuts under his proposal would not apply to Social Security, they would apply to Medicare, he indicated, though he suggested it could be possible “to cut Medicare 6% without cutting any health benefits,” saying that he thinks there is a lot of “waste and fraud in” the program. He also suggested that additional means testing could be used to achieve the Medicare spending cuts. Paul — who ran for president in 2016 but dropped out after placing fifth in the Iowa GOP presidential caucuses — is considering throwing his hat into the ring again. “I’d say we’re 50-50,” he said. “I do think that there should be a candidate on the Republican side, at least, who believes that international trade is good for our country and good for the economy, that believes in free markets, that isn’t a big believer in big government coming in and managing contracts and owning parts of countries, that isn’t a believer in giving out money we don’t have.” RAND PAUL SAYS HE’S ’50-50′ ON RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028, ‘THINKING ABOUT IT’ Paul said he does not “want there to be a choice of four populists running for president,” noting that he wants there to be “at least one free-market candidate. I could be that, or maybe somebody else could be,” he said, indicating that he will decide after the midterm elections.