Big city Democrat mayor arrested at ICE protest faces voters in re-election bid
A big-city Democratic mayor who grabbed national attention last year as he was arrested during an anti-ICE protest outside a federal immigration detention center cruised to re-election on Tuesday. Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, New Jersey, easily topped 50% of the vote in Tuesday’s election as he faced off against seven challengers, the Associated Press reports. Since Baraka clinched a majority of the vote as he ran for a fourth term steering New Jersey’s largest city, he’ll avoid a runoff in November. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB While Baraka is a Democrat, mayoral elections in Newark are technically nonpartisan. Baraka, who is considered one of the most progressive mayors in the nation, last year opposed the reopening of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Newark, which was part of President Donald Trump’s second-term crackdown on illegal immigration. On May 9, 2025, Baraka was arrested by ICE agents outside the facility after he unsuccessfully attempted to join a congressional delegation’s tour of the facility. The mayor’s arrest made national headlines. The charges against Baraka were dropped, and he later ran for governor, coming in second to then-Rep. Mikie Sherrill in last year’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. Sherrill ended up winning election as New Jersey governor.
Warner calls Virginia court ruling ‘outrageous’ as Kaine urges Democrats to ‘go win’
Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine weighed in after the state Supreme Court blocked a newly drawn congressional map Friday, with Warner calling the ruling “outrageous” and Kaine urging candidates to “go win.” “I was really disappointed by the court,” Warner said. VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT RULES ON NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP The court ruled the redistricting effort failed to meet Virginia’s constitutional amendment requirements, halting a plan Democrats had hoped would help flip several GOP-held seats as both parties battle for control of the House. The amendment, passed in 2020, established stricter guidelines for congressional map-drawing and approval. It also included limits on how political influence can shape district boundaries — a key issue cited by the court. “I’m not going to second-guess the fact that the majority of Virginians voted for this,” Warner said. Democratic lawmakers had aimed to target four GOP-held seats under the proposal, which voters approved in May before it was overturned by the court. The plan would have reshaped the state’s House map in Democrats’ favor ahead of the midterm elections. THIS CRUCIAL STATE IS THE LATEST BATTLEGROUND IN REDISTRICTING WAR BETWEEN TRUMP AND DEMOCRATS Those targeted districts were seen as crucial in Democrats’ efforts to gain ground in Virginia, which remains competitive in federal races even as it leans Democratic statewide. “Here’s what I think,” Kaine said. “We need to do now what we did last November and just go win a whole lot of seats on the maps we didn’t draw.” Kaine’s response shows the face Democrats are putting on in Virginia amid the redistricting fallout as both parties struggle for control of the House in the upcoming November midterms. He did not directly address the question, instead pointing to his party’s candidate strength and its ability to compete in key races heading into the election. “Everything about the candidates who are in the races and the dynamic that they’re feeling tells me we can do that, so that’s what I’m focused on now,” he said. Republicans have criticized the redistricting effort as an attempt to tilt the map in Democrats’ favor, while Democrats have pointed to similar efforts in GOP-led states as part of a broader national fight over congressional lines. TRUMP URGES VIRGINIA VOTERS TO REJECT ‘BLATANT PARTISAN POWER GRAB’ BY DEMOCRATS Kaine accused Republicans of redrawing maps “through backroom deals” in a separate statement while scolding the Virginia Supreme Court for raising concerns about the referendum after “three million Virginians cast their ballots.” “It sure as heck seems like there are one set of rules for Democrats and another set of rules for Republicans,” Warner said. With the proposed map blocked, both parties are expected to focus on key competitive Virginia districts that could decide control of the House.
South Carolina Republicans defy Trump, tank redistricting, for now
A handful of Republican state senators in South Carolina on Tuesday derailed an effort in the GOP-dominated legislature to redraw their state’s congressional district map which aims to erase the only Democrat-dominated U.S. House seat ahead of the midterm elections. Five Republican state senators broke with their party and teamed up with Democrats to defeat a proposal that would have allowed the chamber to vote on redistricting after the South Carolina legislative session comes to a close later this week. The move came hours after President Donald Trump warned on social media that he’d be “watching closely” as lawmakers met to move forward with changing their state’s map. The setback means it will be much harder for South Carolina to join Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana, which are altering their maps to eliminate Democrat-controlled congressional districts in time for the midterms, when the GOP will be defending its razor-thin House majority. The southern states are the latest battleground in the nationwide redistricting showdown. At stake is which party will control the House during the final two years of Trump’s second term in the White House. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The efforts by Republicans in the southern states come in the wake of a decision by the conservative majority on the Supreme Court to slash a key protection in the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act. The justices ruled that race should not dictate the redrawing of legislative district maps. South Carolina Republicans were trying to advance a new map that could put longtime Rep. Jim Clyburn, the only Democrat in the state’s seven-person House delegation, out of a job. Clyburn this past week remained optimistic he can still win re-election. “I don’t know why people think I could not get re-elected if they redistrict South Carolina,” Clyburn said in a CNN interview. “I have a district that’s about 45 percent African-American. I have no idea what the number will be after the legislature finishes, but whatever that number is, I will be running on my record and America’s promise.” ALABAMA REPUBLICANS PLOW FORWARD ON REDISTRICTING Trump, in a social media post Monday night, urged “South Carolina Republicans: BE BOLD AND COURAGEOUS.” “Move the U.S. House Primaries to August, leave the rest on the same schedule. Everything will be fine. GET IT DONE!” he emphasized. Trump’s message came a week after five Indiana Republican state senators who in December helped sink congressional redistricting in the solidly red Midwestern state were ousted by Trump-backed challengers in GOP primaries. Shane Massey, the South Carolina Senate’s Republican majority leader, argued in a floor speech that following Trump’s lead on edistricting would be against the interests of the Palmetto State. “South Carolina has always punched above their weight,” Massey said. “Doing this will diminish that influence.” But he also acknowledged that he will likely face political payback from Trump and the president’s allies. “There are likely consequences for me, personally, taking the position that I am right now,” Massey said. “I’m comfortable with that. I may not like it, but I’m comfortable with it…My conscience is clear on this one.” Other South Carolina Republicans had raised concerns that carving up the district represented by Clyburn could backfire on their party in the midterms. The top four Republicans running for governor this year, Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, Attorney Gen. Alan Wilson, and Reps. Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman all criticized the lack of legislative action, with Evette describing it as “a betrayal of the people of South Carolina” and in “direct defiance” of Trump. The current governor, Republican Henry McMaster, a top Trump ally, could still call the legislature back into special session to try and push through redistricting, but his office has so far said that scenario is unlikely. WHAT’S ON THE LINE AS THESE STATES HOLD PRIMARIES TODAY The GOP-dominated Tennessee legislature on Thursday quickly adopted a new map that would eliminate the only Democrat-controlled congressional district in the state, and would likely give Republicans control of all nine districts. GOP Gov. Bill Lee quickly signed the new maps into law. Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents the majority Black district that’s being carved up, vowed legal action. “Trump knows he HAS TO rig the game to keep his majority in November. And the TN GOP was willing to go along with it. It’s shameful,” Cohen wrote on social media. “Next stop is the courts.” Trump praised Tennessee Republicans in his social media post and urged GOP lawmakers in South Carolina to act “just like the Republicans of the Great State of Tennessee were last week.” It’s back to the future in Alabama, after the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ideological ruling, cleared the way for the state to put in place a map Republicans drew up in 2023 that had been blocked by lower courts. The map would eliminate one of the state’s two blue-leaning congressional seats. GOP Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday called for a special primary election in August in the four U.S. House districts altered by the new map. Last week, the Supreme Court said that its decision declaring Louisiana’s map unconstitutional should go into effect immediately. That cleared the way for the GOP-controlled state legislature to begin the process of reshaping the map, and hearings got underway on Friday. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a top Trump ally, took swift action in the immediate aftermath of the high court’s ruling, when he delayed the May 16 U.S. House primary elections in Louisiana. Louisiana Republicans are aiming to erase one or both of the two Black-majority House seats, which are represented by Democrats. BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last week signed a bill by the GOP-dominated state legislature that overhauls the red-leaning state’s congressional districts, adding four more right-leaning seats by eliminating districts currently controlled by Democrats. Republicans currently control Florida’s U.S. House delegation by a 20-8 margin. Democrats are fighting
Fetterman warns Democrats must confront ‘rising antisemitism problem’ after clashes outside NYC synagogues
Amid mobs clashing with police outside synagogues in New York City, and after a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice announced he would be abandoning the Democratic Party over its “acquiescence to Jew-hatred,” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., called out his party for its “antisemitism problem.” A Supreme Court justice in Pennsylvania, David Wecht, who began serving on the court in 2016 and was retained in a 2025 election, put out a statement Monday obtained by Fox News Digital indicating he would no longer affiliate himself with the Democratic Party as a result of “activists, leaders and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party” acquiescing to a rise in antisemitism on the left. Fetterman subsequently posted on social media that, while he may not have plans to change parties himself, something he affirmed in an op-ed earlier in May, he understood Wecht’s choice and added that “the Democratic Party must confront its own rising antisemitism problem.” FETTERMAN SAYS ‘MORAL CLARITY’ DRIVES HIS WIDENING BREAK WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY In the past week, two mobs have clashed with police outside synagogues in New York City. The latest incident took place Monday night when agitators — three of whom police said were arrested — swarmed an area near the Young Israel Senior Services of Midwood, which had been hosting an event advertising real estate in Israel, according to local media reports. Hezbollah flags, chants of “Zionism will fall” and a banner bearing the red inverted triangle Hamas uses to designate Israeli targets were seen and heard at the Monday clash, according to the Combat Antisemitism Movement and videos shared on social media. “Mob of Pro-Hezbollah / Hamas s(—)heads raging against law enforcement and terrorizing the NYC Jewish community near a synagogue and day care,” Fetterman wrote in a Wednesday post on X following a clash earlier in May outside a separate NYC synagogue holding another Israeli real estate event. “Where’s my party’s condemnation?” “There’s a synagogue here. This is clearly a Jewish neighborhood, and they deserve the right to worship in peace,” a counterprotester at the anti-Israel clash in recent days in Brooklyn told Spectrum News New York. In Wecht’s statement about his plans to leave the Democratic Party, he said that while antisemitism has festered on the fringes of the right for a long time, “that same hatred has grown on the left,” and blamed leaders in the party for failing to stamp it out. Wecht did not necessarily provide any specific names, or instances, but he hinted at pro-Palestinian protests, mentioned “attacks at synagogues” and appeared to reference one of the party’s burgeoning Democratic Party candidates in Maine, U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, who has been forced to explain a tattoo he has that resembles Nazi insignia. JOHN FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH PARTY OVER ‘ORGY OF SOCIALISM’ MAY DAY PROTESTS “From 1998 to 2001, years that preceded my judicial career, I served as Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. In the quarter century that has passed since then, the Democratic Party has changed. Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other hateful anti-Jewish invective and actions are minimized, ignored, and even coddled. Acquiescence to Jew-hatred is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party,” he asserted in part of his statement obtained by Fox News Digital. After Wecht announced his plans to abandon the Democratic Party, Fetterman posted on social media that he “fully understand(s) David’s personal choice.” “I know David and his legendary father, Cyril,” Fetterman said in a post on X that included a screenshot of a headline about Wecht’s decision to leave the Democratic Party. “As I’ve affirmed, I’m not changing my party—but I fully understand David’s personal choice. The Democratic Party must confront its own rising antisemitism problem.” Earlier in May, Fetterman penned and op-ed in The Washington Post saying “it has become increasingly lonely” for him in the Democratic Party. Fetterman slammed the party’s disdain for “once-common views,” which he argued was the result of “catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base.” “There’s been a fracturing between me and my party… primarily it’s been Israel,” Fetterman said on “Life, Liberty & Levin” in April, noting that he was one of the few Democrats to support Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.–Israeli military campaign against Iran. However, while Fetterman has publicly discussed his widening break with the Democratic Party, in his op-ed, Fetterman reassured skeptics that he did not have any plans to switch parties. He wrote that while “being an independent voice” may put him at odds with much of the contemporary Democratic Party, he remains committed to it and wrote explicitly that he has “no plans to leave” the party. “Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats,” Fetterman concluded in the May 7 editorial. Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for comment on Fetterman’s remarks.
Patel, Van Hollen trade barbs over ‘slinging margaritas’ in heated Senate clash
FBI Director Kash Patel and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., clashed in a heated Senate hearing Tuesday, trading personal accusations over allegations of misconduct and a past overseas trip. The exchange escalated from questions about Patel’s leadership into a direct confrontation, with Van Hollen citing allegations reported in The Atlantic and Patel responding by accusing the senator of misconduct during a 2025 visit to El Salvador — a claim Van Hollen denied. During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Van Hollen pointed to allegations of “erratic” behavior, “excessive drinking” and “unexplained absences” outlined in the report. Patel has denied the claims. “When your private actions make it impossible for you to perform your public duties, we have a big problem. You cannot perform those public duties if you’re incapacitated,” Van Hollen said. FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL FILES $250 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE ATLANTIC OVER ‘DEFAMATORY HIT PIECE’ “And Director Patel, these reports about your conduct, including reports of your being so drunk and hungover that your staff had to force entry into your home are extremely alarming. If true, they demonstrate a gross dereliction of your duty and a betrayal of public trust,” Van Hollen said. Patel called the report “unequivocally, categorically false” before turning the focus to Van Hollen. “The only person who was slinging margaritas in El Salvador on the taxpayer dollar with a convicted gang banging rapist was you,” Patel said. Public records do not establish that Abrego Garcia is a convicted gang member or convicted rapist. MARYLAND SHERIFF INFURIATED BY SENATOR’S TRIP TO VISIT MS-13 SUSPECT, SILENCE ON LOCAL MURDER VICTIMS “The fact that you mentioned that indicates you don’t know what you are talking about,” Van Hollen replied. Patel later posted, “Fact check @ChrisVanHollen,” referencing images from the trip. The exchange stems from Van Hollen’s 2025 visit to El Salvador, where he met with deported migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who had been sent to the country’s high-security “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) over alleged MS-13 ties. His attorneys have denied any gang affiliation. Images from that meeting — showing the two seated at a table with drinks — resurfaced and drew criticism, including from El Salvador President Nayib Bukele. Van Hollen has previously dismissed the images as a “staged hoax” by the Salvadoran government and said no alcohol was consumed. “Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the ‘death camps’ & ‘torture,’ now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” Bukele wrote at the time. Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic over the report. The Atlantic has said it stands by its reporting. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Shelley Moore Capito wins West Virginia GOP Senate primary with Trump’s endorsement backing her bid
Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia is a big step closer to re-election, thanks in part to support from President Donald Trump. Capito easily defeated five Republican challengers in Tuesday’s GOP Senate primary in West Virginia, the Associated Press reports, to secure her party’s nomination in the solidly red Mountain State. The two-term lawmaker who served a decade and a half in the House before first winning election to the Senate in 2014 and making history as the state’s first female senator hails from a political family. Her late father was Arch Moore Jr., a former three-term governor and six-term congressman. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Among those trying to defeat her in Tuesday’s primary was state Sen. Tom Willis, who argued that it was “time for a change” and took aim at “career politicians.” But Capito, as she ran for re-nomination, spotlighted her support from Trump. “I’m honored to have President Trump’s complete and total endorsement as we fight to protect West Virginia jobs, make life more affordable, secure our border, and defend our shared values in the Mountain State,” she wrote last month. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY And on Tuesday, she took to social media to highlight, “Proud to lead President Trump’s ticket in West Virginia today.” The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which backs Capito, touted on social media after her primary victory that the senator “is ready to keep fighting alongside President Trump to put West Virginia FIRST!” West Virginia, once a state where Democrats dominated, is nowadays dark red. Trump carried the state by over 40 points in his 2024 White House victory. DEMOCRATS EYE NARROW PATH TO CAPTURE SENATE MAJORITY, BUT ONE WRONG MOVE COULD SINK THEM Capito will now be considered the overwhelming favorite in the November midterm elections, as top nonpartisan political handicappers rate the race as solidly Republican. The GOP currently controls the Senate with a 53-47 majority. Five Democrats were seeking their party’s Senate nomination.
Democrat lawmaker calls Clarence Thomas an ‘Uncle Tom’ and ‘lynchman’ after Supreme Court redistricting ruling
State Rep. Juandalynn Givan launched a blistering attack on U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in a fiery video Monday, calling him an “Uncle Tom” and a “lynchman,” as well as accusing him of betraying the Black community. Her remarks came in response to a Monday Supreme Court ruling on redistricting, in which the justices struck down a 2023 court-ordered congressional map that had helped create an additional Democratic-leaning seat in the 2024 elections. The decision could clear the way for contested maps that would eliminate two Democratic-held congressional seats, potentially impacting Reps. Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures. In the scathing rebuke, Givan argued that Thomas has undermined minority representation in Congress and went further, likening him to a slave trader and a sell-out within his own community. WHY THE SUPREME COURT GUTTED THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AFTER SIX DECADES IN A BLOW TO BLACK POLITICIANS “He must’ve been the one that sold us out in Africa. He must have been. His ancestors had to be the ones that sold us out in Africa that caused us to be chained,” Givan said on Facebook. “He is the man who has turned us back into the hands of the master.” “I don’t know what kind of Black he is. I don’t know what d— plantation this man came from. I don’t know what slave ship he was on. I don’t know what part of the slave ship he was on,” she added. “You have sided with the Republican Party. You are a freaking straw boss… or d— Uncle Tom for these people. I just don’t get it,” she said. ALABAMA’S CONGRESSIONAL MAP HINGES ON US SUPREME COURT Thomas, who acts in a supervisory role over district cases covering Alabama, has consistently opposed “racial apportionment” of congressional seats, arguing that such practice is discriminatory and would violate the Constitution. His Monday decision effectively overruled the 11th Circuit Court judges’ court-drawn map, which could have further allowed Black voters to elect their preferred candidates in the upcoming May 19 primary. Givan noted that the new ruling could render two seats null and void, potentially forcing a new vote under the newly permitted maps.
Stacey Abrams hit with subpoena in alleged campaign finance violations saga: ‘No one is above the law’
FIRST ON FOX: The Georgia Senate is ramping up its investigation into alleged campaign finance violations tied to Stacey Abrams’ voter outreach group, with a top lawmaker vowing to “follow the facts wherever they lead” as subpoenas have been issued to Abrams and other key figures. The Senate Special Committee on Investigations announced Monday that Abrams, along with New Georgia Project leaders Lauren Groh-Wargo and Nsé Ufot, must appear before lawmakers at the State Capitol at 10 a.m. on Friday. “This committee has a responsibility to follow the facts wherever they lead,” said Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal, the committee’s vice chairman. “Georgia law requires transparency and accountability in our elections.” The subpoenas stem from findings by the Georgia State Ethics Commission that the New Georgia Project and its affiliated Action Fund violated campaign finance laws during the 2018 election cycle. STACEY ABRAMS-FOUNDED VOTER ACTIVIST GROUP HIT WITH MASS LAYOFFS AFTER RECORD-BREAKING ETHICS FINE The groups admitted to 16 violations earlier this year and agreed to pay a $300,000 fine, the largest campaign finance penalty in Georgia history. New Georgia Project shut down and dissolved in 2025 following mounting financial and legal troubles. The Republican lawmakers explain in the press release that the goal of the probe is to figure out who was involved in the decision-making behind the violations, along with specifics on how the funds were managed and who was aware of the activity. WHITE HOUSE UNLEASHES ON STACEY ABRAMS IN LATEST CLASH OVER TRUMP’S ELECTION ORDER “The people of Georgia deserve to know who was involved, what decisions were made and how millions of dollars flowed through organizations that admitted to violating our campaign finance laws,” Dolezal said. Georgia’s Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said in the release, “No one is above the law in Georgia.” He added: “When organizations secretly spend millions to influence elections while evading disclosure requirements, it undermines confidence in our democratic process. The Senate will continue pursuing the truth and ensuring accountability, regardless of political party or influence.” The lawmakers say that additional hearings and witness testimony are expected in the coming weeks. “Today, the Georgia State Senate delivered a subpoena for me to testify in a partisan, performative hearing designed to intimidate and disarm voting rights advocates across Georgia and the nation,” Abrams wrote in a response to the subpoena posted on X. “Despite the hollow, cynical intent, I will indeed do so on a mutually agreeable date.” “It is not lost on me that I am being summoned days after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted protections for minority voting power and after I testified against the unconscionable voter suppression process unfolding across several Southern states.” Abrams, the two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee in battleground Georgia, ruled out another run for governor earlier this year, saying that instead she’ll focus on her work fighting what she warns is the nation’s move toward authoritarianism under President Trump. Abrams, a former Democratic Party leader in the Georgia state legislature and a nationally known voting-rights advocate, narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election. She lost her 2022 rematch with Kemp by nearly eight points. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
Members of Congress using online prediction markets? Don’t bet on it
No one would have predicted it. But you could have made a lot of money if you did. With uncharacteristic dispatch, the United States Senate unanimously voted to ban senators and staff from playing in the prediction markets. “This is a national security risk,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “The very possibility that a member’s vote could be influenced by a bet is reason enough to slam the door shut.” SENATE QUIETLY BANS LAWMAKERS FROM BETTING ON PREDICTION MARKETS You can’t predict the future. But now in the Senate, you can’t even bet on it. Especially real world events. Like if the stock market might crash. The fate of the economy. War. Terrorism. Or who would wear what gown at the Met Gala. SEN DAVE MCCORMICK: PREDICTION MARKETS ARE BOOMING. WASHINGTON MUST CATCH UP The biggest concern on Capitol Hill is potential wagering on the fate of legislation. Or the confirmation of nominees. There’s bipartisan concern that speculation in the prediction markets could tilt political outcomes. “Engaging in any way in a prediction market or trying to place bets where we might have inside information deteriorates the confidence that our constituents have in us,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. Moreno pushed to change the rules for senators. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., amended Moreno’s proposal to include Senate aides. This only applies to the Senate. For now. The House is playing catch up. “Any place where your role in Congress has a potential for individual benefit, I think needs to be tightly controlled,” said Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., when asked about prospects for a similar measure in the House. Keep in mind that under the Constitution, the House and Senate can make their own rules. The Senate’s maneuver comes just weeks after the Feds busted a U.S. special forces solider who had access to classified information – and then bet on the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Virginia U.S. Senate candidate Mark Moran placed a wager that he would run for office. Moran later made money on his own proposition after he jumped into the race. “Our constituents have to know that our only guiding light is what’s best for our state. What’s best for the people of our states. And what’s best for the United States of America,” said Moreno. “We must never allow Congress to turn into a casino,” said Schumer. “Just the possibility that Members could have their votes influence because of betting is a reason enough to prohibit members from meddling in the prediction markets.” But Schumer wants prediction market prohibitions extended to the executive branch. The New York Democrat argues that the Trump Administration “shows such a troubling affinity to corruption and self-dealing.” SENATE PASSES MEASURE BANNING LAWMAKERS FROM PREDICTION BETS This brings us to something else from which many Congressional Democrats want to exclude the executive branch: trading stocks. But here’s the problem. Congress has paid lip service to imposing its own ban for lawmakers and aides to stock trades. But neither the House nor Senate ever implemented an across-the-board prohibition. It’s a stalled issue. And has been so for years. “Send me a bill that bans insider trading by Members of Congress and I will sign it tomorrow,” instructed former President Obama during his State of the Union speech in January 2012. “Let’s also ensure that Members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information,” proclaimed President Trump during his State of the Union message in February. Well, it’s nearly mid-2026 and Congress still isn’t all the way there. Late Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., and former Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., were the most ardent advocates of a Congressional stock trading ban – dating back to 2006. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, made hundreds of stock trades in 1999 and 2000. That caught Baird’s attention. “If there is a way to make a profit on that, somebody has probably already figured out a way to do it,” said Baird, “And it’s not illegal.” Congress finally passed the STOCK Act in 2012. It stands for “Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge.” There was concern that lawmakers are privy to financial, economic and political intelligence. Therefore, they could buy or sell stocks on information which bordered on “insider trading.” But the STOCK Act didn’t prohibit lawmakers from playing on Wall Street. It just required additional financial disclosures about when lawmakers and aides traded stocks. TRUMP TAKES JAB AT PELOSI BY NAME OVER HISTORY OF CONTROVERSIAL STOCK TRADING President Obama’s 2012 entreaty certainly helped goad lawmakers into approving the STOCK Act a few days later. But it wasn’t a ban on “insider trading” as the former president suggested. This just entailed additional transparency. The stalemate over stock trades baffles some lawmakers. “I don’t know why it’s been such a challenge in the House,” said Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va. “I think any Member saying that they should be able to trade stocks is flat out wrong. I think it degrades trust in the institution. Even for those members who are not trading on inside information.” House Administration Committee Chairman Brian Steil, R-Wis., has a bill to curb stock trades by lawmakers. “If you want a day trade, go to Wall Street. Come to Washington to lead this country,” said Steil. But that bill is marooned. It partly goes back to the Democrats’ push to extend any Congressional stock trading ban to the executive branch. That’s something many Republicans are reluctant to do. “There is zero justification and rationale for allowing a president of any party or a vice president of any party, to be able to engage in stock trading while they have the awesome power of the presidency, vice presidency and executive branch in their hands,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., believes the stock trade issue is evolving. She doubts that voters will put up with market activity by her colleagues much longer. “We know there are many colleagues who do still trade stocks. I
Trump ‘seriously considering’ plan to make Venezuela and its $40 trillion in oil permanent part of USA
President Donald Trump is eyeing oil-rich Venezuela as a potential 51st state as officials continue to court oil companies for investments in the South American country following the U.S. intervention that removed President Nicolas Maduro from power. Trump said in a phone call with Fox News that he is motivated by the estimated $40 trillion value of oil in Venezuela, adding that he is popular with the country’s citizens. “Venezuela loves Trump,” Trump said. After U.S. military officials captured Maduro in January, whom the Justice Department indicted on narco-terrorism charges, Trump said the United States would “run” the country during its transitional period and work with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. US CAPTURE OF MADURO THROWS SPOTLIGHT ON VENEZUELA’S MASSIVE OIL RESERVES In January, Trump pledged to have the U.S. oil industry “up and and running” again in Venezuela. Major energy companies like Exxon and Conoco were expelled from the country nearly 20 years ago when former President Hugo Chavez nationalized the oil industry, leaving Chevron as the only U.S. major oil company with investments in Venezuela. For months, Cabinet officials and White House energy advisors have held meetings with top oil executives from major companies, urging them to invest in Venezuela. With the Trump administration now managing Venezuela’s oil sector, exports in April reached more than 1 million barrels per day, the highest level since 2018. “As the President has said, relations between Venezuela and the United States have been extraordinary. Oil is starting to flow, and large amounts of money, unseen for many years, will soon be helping the great people of Venezuela,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Only President Trump can be credited for the revitalization of this newfound partnership – and the best is yet to come!” The spokesperson did not provide details about what Trump’s plan to make Venezuela a part of the United States would look like. Trump’s interest in Venezuela’s oil has been known since Maduro’s ousting. He has argued that securing Venezuela’s oil supplies would help stabilize the country’s economy, a step he deems crucial to establishing a stable democracy. TRUMP’S VENEZUELA STRIKE SPARKS CONSTITUTIONAL CLASH AS MADURO IS HAULED INTO US But in March, Trump posted on Truth Social suggesting that Venezuela would instead become a state. “Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?” Trump posted. For Trump to annex Venezuela and make it a state, it would require congressional approval and consent from Venezuela, which Rodriguez said would never happen. “That would never have been considered, because if there is one thing we Venezuelan men and women have, it is that we love our independence process, we love our heroes and heroines of independence,” Rodriguez told reporters on Monday when asked about Trump’s eyes on Venezuela. Venezuela is just the latest country Trump has threatened to annex, with the list including Greenland, Canada, Cuba and Panama. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for further comment.