Dems rally around best hope to defend governor’s mansion from GOP takeover
Democrats are hoping their new candidate will be able to keep the governor’s mansion Democrat in deep red Kansas as they put up Cindy Holscher to face the Republican nominee Ty Masterson in the Nov. 3 general election. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term-limited, and the party is hoping to extend their hold on the governor’s office despite Kansas’ strong Republican lean. Meanwhile, the GOP views the open-seat race as a prime opportunity to reclaim the governorship after two terms under Kelly. The Democratic field featured state Sens. Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher, along with Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS On the Republican side, voters had a crowded field from which to select their candidates. Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Senate President Ty Masterson, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara, businessman Nick Reinecker, businessman Philip Sarnecki and former Johnson County Sheriff Stacy Rogers duked it out for the nomination. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The primary in the Sunflower State coincided with a closely watched constitutional amendment that would replace the current system of appointing Kansas Supreme Court justices by instead holding direct elections. The proposal, backed by Republican lawmakers, comes after years of criticism from conservatives over the state’s judicial selection process. If approved, it would amend the Kansas Constitution to require Supreme Court justices to be elected rather than selected through the state’s nominating commission system. The winner of November’s election will become Kansas’ next governor after Kelly reaches her term limit in January. The governorship has frequently changed hands in recent election cycles, with voters alternating between Democratic and Republican leadership in Kansas despite it’s strong red tendencies, including voting 57 percent for President Donald Trump in 2024.
Trump-backed candidate lands GOP nod, setting up high-stakes governor showdown
President Donald Trump’s kingmaker status in Republican primaries was on the line Tuesday in Michigan’s GOP gubernatorial nomination showdown – and the president passed the test. Republican Rep. John James, a two-time U.S. Senate nominee in the crucial Great Lakes battleground state who was endorsed by Trump in late June, topped multimillionaire businessman Perry Johnson to win the GOP primary, the Associated Press reported. The West Point graduate and Army Ranger who served multiple combat tours as an Apache helicopter pilot in the Iraq war will face off in a high-stakes and expensive general election battle with two-term Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the Democrats’ gubernatorial nominee, in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB James preached party unity in his victory speech. “The primary is over now. We come together. One team, one fight, one mission to save Michigan. To those who supported me. Thank you. And for those who did not, I’m going to work every single day to earn your trust,” he told supporters. The GOP primary between James and Johnson, a former gubernatorial and presidential candidate, turned combative. Johnson, who is White, referred to James, one of the few Black Republicans in Congress, as a “DEI candidate” and in a recent debate accused James of playing the “race card.” James, meanwhile, called Johnson “desperate.” Johnson, who shelled out millions of his own money into his campaign, dramatically outspent James in the primary showdown. CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2026 RACES FOR GOVERNOR But James told Fox News on the eve of the primary that “nobody outworks a ranger,” and “money isn’t the only thing. People want someone who resonates with them, someone who has the proven leadership capability to turn the state around.” James and Johnson were the final two Republican candidates in a nomination race that previously included former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and state Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt. They both suspended their GOP gubernatorial campaigns, but their names remained on the primary ballot. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Trump gave James a boost last month as he campaigned with the congressman at a rally in Michigan. The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries this spring and summer, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Kentucky and Texas, as well as the Louisiana primary. But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped in early June when his last-minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory. Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk. Trump-backed candidates won two of the three top races in key GOP primary runoff elections in Georgia and Alabama in June, with the one setback coming against billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who shelled out over $100 million of his own money to boost his campaign. A week later, Trump-backed first-time candidate Anthony Constantino, a businessman and former boxer, defeated Robert Smullen, a retired Marine Corps colonel and New York assemblyman who had the backing of the state party, in the upstate New York race to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik. Meanwhile, in South Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial runoff, Trump couldn’t lose. That’s because, besides backing Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette a few weeks earlier, he also gave a last-minute endorsement to state Attorney General Alan Wilson, who ended up winning the late June showdown in a landslide. The president also enjoyed victory in Louisiana, where Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, was ousted as he sought renomination. Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow ended up winning the nomination in the runoff election. And last month, Trump-backed Rep. Andy Biggs, a former House Freedom Caucus chair, won Arizona’s primary for governor in a landslide.
Big money propels Dem megachurch pastor to victory in longshot Kansas Senate bid
Kansas Democrats have made their choice in one of the most crowded primary battles in the nation and are backing a political newcomer with an eye-popping campaign war chest. Adam Hamilton emerged victorious in an 11-way primary Tuesday night in the race to take on incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who is running for a second term in the upper chamber. And he has a line of attack against Hamilton already teed up. DEMOCRATS BLINK AS SCHUMER HELPS GOP CLEAR KEY SHUTDOWN HURDLE “Look, this guy is a woke, big megachurch pastor,” Marshall told Fox News Digital. “He’s too woke for Kansas. I think all we have to do is share his own sermons … with the Kansas people, and they’re gonna realize that he’s too woke for Kansas.” Hamilton’s campaign countered in a statement to Fox News Digital that Marshall’s voting record spoke for itself. “Roger Marshall would rather attack a church whose community is one of the largest sources of food donations in his alleged home state than talk about why he constantly votes for higher prices, why he’s been hiding from Kansans for over 500 days, and why only 27 named Kansans donated to his campaign last quarter,” Tyson Brody, a spokesperson for Hamilton’s campaign, said. History is on the side of Marshall, who previously served four years in the House before making the leap to the Senate in 2020. That’s because Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly a century. The last time was in the 1930s, when Kansans elected former Sen. George McGill. He only served one term before being ousted by a Republican. TRUMP DEMAND PUTS VULNERABLE REPUBLICANS IN IMPOSSIBLE SPOT AHEAD OF MIDTERMS Still, Marshall is not resting on his laurels as he stares down another likely funding disadvantage. National Republicans aren’t dumping resources into Kansas like they are in other states, given that Marshall is a strong incumbent and valuable campaign cash is needed in tougher contests in Texas, Maine and Ohio. While Kansas is not on Senate Republicans’ radar as a battleground state, there is big money flowing in that could make Marshall’s bid for another term complicated. SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN LIMIT ON PARTY CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN COORDINATION WITH CANDIDATES Hamilton, who leads the nation’s largest United Methodist church and congregation, has raised just north of $4.1 million since launching his campaign in February, according to financial filings with the Federal Election Commission. Marshall, on the other hand, has raised just over $6.2 million during this cycle. “Well, this is probably why my staff tells me, no matter what the polls show, they tell me that we’re down by three points, and we did get outspent about four to one last time around. Regardless, we’re gonna keep working hard,” Marshall said. And as precious campaign resources flow to other marquee races during this cycle, where the GOP has more vulnerable incumbents up for reelection than Democrats, Marshall isn’t asking for a handout. He wants the resources from major GOP campaign arms, like the National Republican Senatorial Committee or the GOP leadership-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, to stay put. “I guess we’re trying to not need to do that,” Marshall said. “That’s what our hope is, is that they won’t need to do that. Leader McConnell was super helpful last time. So, you know, they’re keeping tabs on this. We got to, you know, we’re all one, big happy family here, so we’re hoping we don’t need them.”
Federal appeals court clears way for DeSantis-backed law restricting children at some drag shows
A divided federal appeals court cleared the way for Florida to enforce a Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed law restricting children from certain sexually explicit live performances, including drag performances the state argues are obscene for minors. The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled Tuesday 8-5 that Orlando restaurant Hamburger Mary’s had not shown it was likely to succeed in its First and Fourteenth Amendment challenge to Florida’s Protection of Children Act. The court vacated the preliminary injunction in full and sent the case back to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida for further proceedings. The ruling clears the way for enforcement, though Hamburger Mary’s could still seek additional review. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier celebrated the decision in a post on X. DESANTIS SHUTS DOWN FLORIDA SCHOOL’S ‘DRAG & DONUTS’ EVENT FEATURING DRAG QUEEN ‘MOMMA’ ASHLEY ROSE: REPORT “Huge victory for our team at the 11th Circuit! After 3 years of litigation, the full court affirmed the constitutionality of Florida’s ban on children attending sexualized drag shows,” Uthmeier wrote. The law makes it a misdemeanor to “knowingly admit a child to an adult live performance,” according to the court’s opinion. The law defines an “adult live performance” as a live show that “depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or specific sexual activities … lewd conduct, or the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts” and that also predominantly appeals to a “prurient, shameful, or morbid interest,” is “patently offensive” for the age of the child present and, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for that child’s age. Writing for the court, Judge Andrew Brasher called the law “a straightforward regulation of obscenity.” “Preventing children from attending adult live performances obscene for them is rationally related to Florida’s interest in safeguarding the well-being of minors,” Brasher wrote. TIKTOK IN LEGAL HOT SEAT AS STATE ACCUSES APP OF EXPOSING KIDS TO HARMFUL CONTENT WHILE MISLEADING PARENTS The majority rejected Hamburger Mary’s arguments that the terms “lewd” and “the age of the child present” made the law unconstitutionally vague or overly broad. Brasher wrote that Florida Supreme Court precedent limits the meaning of “lewd” to sexual conduct. He also wrote that all three parts of the law’s obscenity test must be met before a performance is prohibited. The majority also ruled that using an age-variable standard did not make the law unconstitutional on its face. Eight judges agreed that Hamburger Mary’s was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its constitutional claims. Six judges joined Brasher’s opinion in full, while Judges Kevin Newsom and Britt Grant joined all but the section addressing universal injunctions. Grant wrote separately that the court did not need to rule on the scope of the injunction after deciding that Hamburger Mary’s was unlikely to succeed on the merits. Five judges dissented. FIRED SCHOOL COUNSELOR LOSES AGAIN AFTER FREE SPEECH FIGHT OVER GENDER-THEMED BOOKS IN HIS OFFICE Judge Robin Rosenbaum argued that the law forces venues to guess which performances are suitable for children of different ages while exposing operators to criminal penalties, fines and the possible loss of a business license. “Today our Court embraces mess-around-and-find-out (‘MAFO’) First Amendment jurisprudence,” Rosenbaum wrote. She argued that the law could chill protected speech by forcing businesses to risk prosecution before learning how officials would apply it. Rosenbaum also argued that the statute effectively imposes strict liability over a child’s age and could expose violators to jail, fines and the loss of a business license. US MONITORING ‘CONCERNING’ UK PROSECUTION OF RETIRED PASTOR WHO PREACHED JOHN 3:16 NEAR HOSPITAL She wrote that the law “wields a Titanic-sized iceberg of chilling power against protected speech.” Judge Nancy Abudu filed a separate dissent focused on the law’s legislative history. Abudu argued that comments from the law’s supporters, along with warnings from legislative staff, supported Hamburger Mary’s claim that the measure would chill protected drag performances. The majority rejected that argument, writing that courts generally do not strike down an otherwise constitutional law based on an alleged improper legislative motive. INDIANA REPUBLICAN SENATOR MOVES TO BLOCK KIDS FROM ACCESSING PORN ONLINE The majority also wrote that nothing in the law targets performances simply because they feature drag. Hamburger Mary’s filed the lawsuit in 2023 after Florida enacted the measure. The restaurant said it had previously hosted Sunday drag performances advertised as family-friendly but canceled those shows and barred minors from its other performances because it feared enforcement. A federal district judge initially issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law. A divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit affirmed that decision before the full court agreed to rehear the case. DeSantis’ and Uthmeier’s offices, as well as the ACLU of Florida, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
‘Squad’ socialist scores re-election nod as radical wave continues to sweep party
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., one of Congress’ most outspoken progressives and a member of the “Squad,” won the 12th Congressional District’s Democratic primary Tuesday evening, teeing up her re-election for a fifth term. Tlaib’s primary victory against Michigan state lawmaker Shanelle Jackson and Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen continues a string of victories for progressives as the Democratic Party’s far-left wing enjoys pronounced primary election success that has strengthened the hand of its coalition. It has also widened the range of positions held by their candidates. When Tlaib and fellow Squad members joined the House of Representatives in 2019, their campaigns stood out for their far-left views. Tlaib and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., in particular, stood out because of their membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Eight years later, the DSA has backed Tlaib again. BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS “For years, Rashida has been a strong voice in the halls of the Capitol, unapologetically standing up for the working class everywhere. Fighting for affordable housing, for clean air and water, for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and so much more – Rashida is a beacon of hope and courage for those in her district and across the world,” the group said in a statement. The group has also vastly expanded its influence beyond established figures like Tlaib. From primary candidates in New York like socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier and her victory over incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the veteran chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, to Melat Kiros, another socialist in Colorado, unseating 30-year incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., progressives have expanded their influence over the party. It’s a stark reversal of the party’s finger-pointing in the wake of disappointing 2020 congressional election results where Democrats were left with slimmer majorities in the House and Senate. DYING FORMER CONGRESSMAN BARNEY FRANK TELLS DEMOCRATS THEIR FAR-LEFT MESSAGING IS COSTING THEM VOTERS “Don’t say socialism ever again. We need to get back to the basics,” then-Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., said at the time. But Tlaib, along with other progressives in the party, pushed back, arguing that their platforms would set the future tone of the party. In a widely circulated memo on Nov. 10, 2020, they made the case that progressives would appeal to an expanded voter base. “We need a new generation of leadership grounded in a multiracial, working-class experience and background,” the memo urged. “As we speak, congressional Democrats are debating why they underperformed and some have been quick to blame progressives. There is no denying Republicans levied salient rhetorical attacks against Democrats, but these will continue to happen as they do every cycle.” Tlaib, in comments to Politico at the time, argued the platform would appeal to a kind of populist streak in the Democratic Party, similar to the populism she saw present in Trump’s appeal among the GOP. FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS “If we truly want to unify our country, we have to really respect every single voice. We say that so willingly when we talk about Trump supporters, but we don’t say that willingly for my Black and Brown neighbors and for LGBTQ neighbors or marginalized people,” Tlaib said. Having once again secured the Democratic nomination in 2026, Tlaib will advance to the general election on Nov. 3, 2026, where she is heavily favored to win. She last won re-election against Republican challenger James Hooper in a 69.7% to 25.4% victory in 2024.
Trump-backed Bronze Star veteran secures party nod in must-win district
Bronze Star veteran and Republican congressional candidate Michael Bouchard won a GOP primary on Tuesday evening in a bid to represent Michigan’s 10th Congressional District after receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Republicans are hoping Bouchard’s storied credentials and message of righting the country’s direction are enough to carry the district as the GOP looks to hold onto its slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. But the district is far from a guarantee. DEMOCRATS TARGET MORE GOP HOUSE SEATS AFTER SOCIALIST VICTORIES ROCK LEFT-WING PRIMARIES Incumbent Rep. John James, R-Mich., last won reelection in 2024 in a 51.1% to 45.0% victory over Democratic challenger Carl Marlinga, a judge and former prosecutor. The cycle before that, James beat out Marlinga by a narrow 48.8% to 48.3% win in 2022. James, who enjoyed the benefit of incumbency, announced he would vacate the seat and instead pursue a gubernatorial bid, calling it a way to secure Michigan’s prosperity for future generations. “My family, like countless others, came to our great state for the better opportunities our manufacturing and automotive industries offered and to live the American dream,” James said in a statement. Bouchard is highlighting his time in the military as a member of the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions. He was deployed to Iraq as well as the U.S. southern border. Like James, who also has a military background, Bouchard was awarded a Bronze Star for his service with the joint task force against ISIS. Bouchard, a political newcomer who hasn’t held office previously, is pitching himself as a continued part of the country’s shift away from the direction of the previous administration. ARMY VET, TRUCKING EXECUTIVE RAVES OVER TRUMP PLAN TO BOLSTER BLUE COLLAR INDUSTRY BY FAST-TRACKING VETERANS “Under President Trump, I led missions on the southern border; back then we got the job done. But on day one, Joe Biden shut us all down; he opened the border,” Bouchard said in a campaign video. “Human trafficking, drug smuggling, known terrorists walked right in,” he continued. “The Army taught me that weak leadership has consequences and I’m ready to lead America back.” On his website, Bouchard has highlighted fostering American manufacturing, finishing the southern border wall and increasing parental participation in education systems. Trump issued an endorsement of Bouchard in a post to Truth Social earlier this year. “A third-generation Michigander, brave U.S. Army veteran and Bronze Star recipient Mike has served his state and nation with distinction and will bring that same fighting spirit to the U.S. Congress,” Trump wrote. “Mike Bouchard has my complete and total endorsement to be the next representative from Michigan’s 10th congressional district,” he added. DEM PRIMARY ERUPTS AS ESTABLISHMENT FAVORITE DISMISSES RIVAL AS ‘CELEBRITY CANDIDATE’ Notably, Bouchard has also attracted endorsements from other key congressional figures, such as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich. Having cleared the Republican primary, Bouchard will head to the Nov. 3 general election.
GOP dukes it out in red state primary to reclaim governor’s mansion
Republican voters in Kansas chose their nominee Tuesday in one of the year’s highest-profile gubernatorial primaries. Ty Masterson will face the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 3 general election to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Republicans see the open-seat race as a prime opportunity to reclaim the governor’s mansion after two terms under Kelly, while Democrats are hoping to defy the state’s Republican lean and retain control of the office. 2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS The Republican field featured several well-known statewide and legislative leaders, including Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Senate President Ty Masterson and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. On the Democratic side, voters are choosing among state senators Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher and Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog. The winner of that primary will face the new Republican nominee in November. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The campaign centered on familiar conservative priorities, including tax relief, education, immigration, public safety and cultural issues, as candidates sought to distinguish themselves through their leadership experience and competing visions for the state’s future. The primary also coincided with a closely watched constitutional amendment that would replace Kansas’ current system of appointing Supreme Court justices with direct elections. The proposal, backed by Republican lawmakers, comes after years of conservative criticism of Kansas Supreme Court rulings on issues including abortion, school funding and election law.
Alarming missile report draws forceful response from Trump as Iran war tests America’s arsenal
The Trump administration is rejecting concerns that the war with Iran has left the U.S. low on some of its most advanced long-range missiles, after a report found the Army burned through “virtually all” of its stocks of two of its primary long-range precision weapons. The Army has used “virtually all” of its inventories of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) during the five-month conflict with Iran, Reuters, citing people familiar with internal U.S. military data, reported Tuesday. Officials fear the drawdown could complicate the military’s ability to respond to future crises involving adversaries such as China and Russia, according to the report. The White House disputed any suggestion the U.S. military lacks the weapons needed to carry out its missions. WEAPONS STOCKPILE SHORTAGES IMPACTING MILITARY STRATEGY IN THE MIDEAST “We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need, despite the fact that an unprecedented amount was given away by Crooked Joe Biden and the Biden Administration to Ukraine and Europe at no cost, in one of many of their extremely dumb moves,” President Donald Trump said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels. And as we build up, we will start issuing more to our allies in Europe and elsewhere.” If accurate, the report underscores a longstanding Pentagon concern: America’s most sophisticated precision weapons can be expended in months but often take years to replace. Reuters also reported that the conflict significantly reduced inventories of Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors, along with Tomahawk cruise missiles, though the Pentagon has maintained the U.S. military retains the capabilities needed to carry out operations worldwide. HEGSETH DISMISSES ‘FOOLISH’ US STOCKPILE CONCERNS AS IRAN CONFLICT TESTS MUNITIONS Exact U.S. weapons stockpile figures remain classified for national security reasons. The Pentagon also pushed back on the reporting. “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing. We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests,” chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. Independent analysts have also warned that months of combat have strained U.S. inventories of high-end munitions. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated last week that the U.S. had expended roughly 65% of its Patriot interceptor stockpile and that inventories of THAAD interceptors had fallen by at least 38% since the start of the Iran conflict, based on open-source analysis and budget data. Reuters reported Tuesday that its sources said those figures broadly aligned with internal U.S. data. ATACMS and the newer Precision Strike Missile are among the Army’s premier long-range precision strike weapons, capable of striking targets hundreds of miles away without putting pilots in harm’s way. ARMY CUTS HELICOPTERS, PUSHES ‘AMAZON FOR WAR’ AS DRONE COMBAT RESHAPES MILITARY Military planners consider them particularly valuable against heavily defended adversaries because they can destroy command posts, air defenses, logistics hubs and other high-value targets from beyond many enemy air-defense systems. Patriot and THAAD serve a different mission. Rather than striking enemy targets, they defend U.S. forces and allies by intercepting incoming ballistic missiles, while Tomahawk cruise missiles allow the Navy to conduct long-range strikes from ships and submarines. The report comes as Pentagon leaders have increasingly warned about the challenge of sustaining prolonged, high-intensity conflicts against major powers while replenishing advanced weapons consumed in combat. That concern has accelerated efforts to pair expensive precision missiles with far larger numbers of lower-cost, “attritable” drones and autonomous systems that can be produced rapidly and fielded at scale. Officials argue the approach would allow commanders to reserve million-dollar precision weapons for the highest-value targets while relying on less expensive systems for surveillance, electronic warfare and many strike missions. Military leaders caution, however, that inexpensive drones are not a replacement for long-range precision missiles such as ATACMS and PrSM. Those weapons remain essential for striking hardened command centers, air-defense batteries and other heavily defended targets at distances many lower-cost drones cannot yet reach or survive. Trump has met repeatedly with executives from the nation’s largest defense contractors, pressing them to accelerate production and expand manufacturing capacity as conflicts in Iran and Ukraine strain U.S. stockpiles. Following a White House meeting in March, Trump said the companies had agreed to quadruple production of what he called “Exquisite Class Weaponry,” including some of the military’s most advanced missile systems. At a second meeting in June and again at a defense summit in July, the president urged industry leaders to move faster, telling executives, “We have the best quality in the world, but we need a little more speed.” The production push is also reflected in the administration’s budget priorities. Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget would more than triple spending on drones and autonomous systems while boosting investment in munitions production, missile defense and Tomahawk cruise missile procurement.
Trump admin trucking crackdown lands 51 immigration detentions, 36 English language proficiency violations
President Donald Trump’s administration announced the results of a crackdown on illegal immigration in the trucking industry Tuesday. The Department of Transportation (DOT) began the crackdown, Operation Highway Shield, in Florida earlier this year. The DOT has since expanded the effort to multiple states in the Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio, Fox News has learned. Officials carried out 3,487 enforcement stops during the operation that resulted in 766 unsafe commercial vehicles or drivers placed out of service, 51 immigration detentions, 47 criminal charges filed, 39 incarcerations, 36 English language proficiency (ELP) violations and three cargo theft recoveries totaling roughly $1 million in stolen freight. TRUMP TAPS VETERANS TO FIX ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKING PROBLEM PLAGUING US ROADWAYS The Trump administration maintains that federal immigration and commercial driving enforcement remains a top priority. Fox News previously broke news about the ramped-up enforcement efforts in Florida in March. Florida troopers said up to half of truckers at some weigh stations cannot meet English proficiency requirements. “I try to concentrate on the [signs] they have to read,” Master Trooper Craig Lents said at the time. “If you are going down the road at 70 miles per hour, and you see that sign, you only see it for a split second.” In another encounter caught on video, a trooper asked a trucker what a road sign meant. VIRGINIA BUS CRASH THAT KILLED FIVE INVOLVED DRIVER WHO DOESN’T SPEAK ENGLISH, SEAN DUFFY SAYS The trucker replied, “No.” The trooper then asked what drivers should do if they saw the sign, to which the trucker replied, “No,” again. The Trump administration has noted that federal English requirements have been on the books for years. “It’s been the law for a long period of time,” said Derek Barrs, Federal Motor Carrier Safety administrator. “It’s a safety issue. … If there was a crash or something like that, I would want to make sure that driver would know how to respond — slow down for upcoming traffic or a crash that has happened up ahead.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER FROM INDIA ARRESTED IN DEADLY CALIFORNIA HIT-AND-RUN AFTER BIDEN RELEASE Authorities explained that being unable to speak or read English is dangerous because truckers are driving by important road signs at high speeds while carrying hundreds of tons. The enforcement push comes after a string of deadly crashes nationwide involving drivers the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims were in the U.S. illegally or operating with commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs) they should never have had.
Trump keeps calling Thune despite public fight over SAVE America Act
FIRST ON FOX: The reports of President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s dead working relationship have been greatly exaggerated, the South Dakota Republican leader told Fox News Digital. “I’ve heard from him twice this morning already. He called me over the weekend, and so there, you know, we talk, I don’t bother him, I’m not calling him every day,” Thune said in an interview. Last week, Trump said, “We’re going to find out,” whether Thune was the man for the job to lead Senate Republicans, casting doubt on a critical relationship between him and the Senate’s top Republican. TRUMP QUESTIONS THUNE’S LEADERSHIP AS SAVE AMERICA ACT STALLS The tension stems from the SAVE America Act floundering in the Senate, and Trump’s desire to see the election integrity package passed by any means necessary. Thune doesn’t see Trump’s comment as a personal slight, however. Both he and the president “want to get to the same place. We have, sometimes, disagreements about how best to get there.” “Most of mine are constrained by what’s achievable in an institution like the Senate that has procedural roadblocks to do almost anything,” Thune said. “We have those candid conversations, but I’m not worried about that relationship,” he continued. “I know he’s going to push as hard as he can. That’s his business model, is to just keep pushing, pushing, pushing to get people to go as far as they can go.” SENATE FACES ‘COME-TO-JESUS’ MOMENT ON TRUMP’S ELECTION PRIORITY UNDER GOP’S NEW PLAN There is a voracious appetite among Trump, Senate Republicans and their base to see the SAVE America Act passed. One that Thune hears every day, either online or within his own conference. It’s dominated the oxygen inside the Capitol and beyond its walls, and the pressure comes as the Senate is sprinting to finish work on key items, like preventing a government shutdown and confirming dozens of Trump’s nominees. “There are good days and bad days,” Thune said. “And around here, probably lately more bad days than good days, but you know you just kind of, like I said, keep your head down, do the work.” But passing the SAVE America Act is the most elusive item for Republicans, given the current make up of the Senate. While there are a cohort of Republicans who are voting against it, Thune made the point that every single Senate Democrat has shut it down each of the five times that it’s been brought to the floor in a variety of configurations. And Thune is one of the Republicans that wants the bill passed — he’s an original co-sponsor of the SAVE Act, the precursor to the current version of the SAVE America Act. The avenue of cutting Democrats out of the equation and ramming through aspects of the bill through budget reconciliation exists, which Thune is interested in pursuing. But then comes the problem of generating 50 votes to support that, and keeping those votes together to shut down “crazy democratic amendments.” GOP RIFT GROWS AS THUNE HITS BRAKES ON TRUMP’S ELECTION BILL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN Thune’s job helming the Senate majority is to do the math on what can be accomplished in an institution that’s “designed” to be difficult. And the votes still aren’t adding up. “I keep asking the question, am I the only one in this town that can count to 50? Because it seems like these questions recur and there are a lot of people out there who haven’t seemed to internalize the fact that there aren’t Democrats that are going to flip and vote for this,” Thune said. “And there aren’t 50 Republicans that are going to vote to nuke the filibuster. Those are two facts that are indisputable and unchangeable.” Thune’s position is, by extension, an embodiment of the Senate in many ways. Unlike the House, legislation and agendas can’t be rammed through without a bipartisan agreement to blast through the filibuster. And senators’ concerns and desires encompass an entire state, not just a sliver of a state’s population. Through several interviews with Fox News Digital, he’s instilled that part of his job is to listen and take consensus on what does and doesn’t work, deliberating on the best path for a deliverable outcome. “This place was supposed to be difficult, so that no dictator could master it, and I think that’s kind of the role of the Senate in our system and our democracy,” Thune said. “It’s important to keep that in perspective, but it’s frustrating as heck when you’re somebody who likes to get things done, likes to get results, and you’ve got procedural roadblocks holding things up as we try to wind down and get some things done,” he continued.