‘Just say yes’: Trump cuts in as NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani dodges on calling him a ‘fascist’ at Oval Office
During an Oval Office media spray Friday, Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich pressed New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on whether he still believes President Donald Trump is a “fascist.” Mamdani began to answer, but before he could finish, Trump cut in from behind the Resolute Desk. “That’s OK,” Trump said, before patting Mamdani’s arm. “You can just say yes. It’s easier than explaining it. I don’t mind.” The full 10-minute exchange capped a wide-ranging meting focused on affordability, housing and public safety and brimmed with tension between Mamdani’s past rhetoric and the political reality of governing alongside the Trump White House. TRUMP, MAMDANI SET TO FACE OFF IN FIRST OVAL OFFICE MEETING — WHAT’S ON THE TABLE Heinrich had earlier asked Mamdani whether he stood by his previous comments describing Trump’s agenda as “fascist” and “despotic.” Mamdani did not give a direct answer, saying only that he intended to work with the president “where we agree” to help the city’s 8.5 million residents. Trump jumped in before he finished, adding with a laugh, “I’ve been called much worse than a despot. Maybe he’ll change his mind.” TRUMP PREDICTS ‘CIVIL’ MEETING WITH MAMDANI DESPITE PAST COMMENTS ABOUT EACH OTHER The moment came after both men publicly emphasized areas of potential cooperation. Trump pointed to falling energy prices and said he wanted utilities, including Con Edison, to lower rates. Mamdani outlined a plan centered on housing, rent, groceries and utilities, saying New Yorkers are facing a “cost-of-living crisis that threatens to push families out of the city.” Heinrich also pressed Trump on Ukraine, asking how his proposed peace plan would work if President Zelenskyy rejected it. Trump replied that Ukraine would “have to like it or keep fighting” and repeated his claim that U.S. support would depend on securing an agreement. He also asserted that casualty numbers in the conflict were “far higher” than publicly reported. DAVID MARCUS: MR. MAMDANI GOES TO WASHINGTON BETWEEN ROCK AND HARD PLACE The spray also touched on public safety, with Mamdani saying he intends to maintain roughly 35,000 NYPD officers while shifting more non-urgent calls away from police and toward mental health responders. Trump said both men shared a goal of removing “very bad people” and making the city safer, adding, “We want New York to thrive again.” The exchange with Heinrich is likely to fuel further scrutiny over how Mamdani balances far-left progressive messaging with the realistic demands of governing. The mayor-elect has proudly identified as a democratic socialist but said he intends to “meet the moment” in partnership with the Trump administration when possible. Trump, who joked that the spray attracted “more reporters than usual,” said he was open to meeting again. Mamdani added the same, saying his goal was to find points of agreement that could “deliver for New Yorkers right away.” The President posted to Truth Social Friday night, documenting the visit with several photos of the two men with the caption, “It was a Great Honor meeting Zohran Mamdani, the new Mayor of New York City!” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Dem House hopeful exposed as far-left activist pushing to abolish police weeks before special election
FIRST ON FOX: The Democratic Party’s candidate seeking to win a House seat in Tennessee’s upcoming special election has a lengthy record of anti-police rhetoric, which she espoused repeatedly on a now-deleted social media account and in interviews prior to becoming a state legislator in 2023. Aftyn Behn, who is running against Republican Matt Van Epps in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election, also worked as a regional organizing director for the nonprofit activist group Indivisible prior to becoming a state legislator. The radical left-wing entity was also a frequent advocate for stripping funding from police departments, calling it “critical” at the height of the defund movement. “Where’s the proposal that dissolves @MNPDNashville?” Behn asked on an old social media account, which has since been deleted, in response to a separate social media post from a Nashville City Council member indicating local officials had submitted a “substitute budget proposal” aiming to strip Nashville police of $2.6 million in funding. KAMALA HARRIS RETURNS TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN TRUMP COUNTRY TO BACK ‘AOC OF TENNESSEE’ “If it’s been difficult for all of you to imagine a world without police … we can do it and there is a world,” Behn subsequently said during an interview with a local Nashville advocacy group. Behn posted most of her comments at the height of the “defund the police” movement in 2020 and 2021 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Amid violent protests that often devolved into dangerous rioting and looting after Floyd’s death, Behn also downplayed the violence and ridiculed White people for criticizing the looting, stating it was simply how minority communities were expressing their grief over Floyd’s death. “Looks like Aftyn is getting a visit from the Ghost of Wokeness Past,” quipped Republican strategist Matt Gorman. “Democrats over and over have been haunted by their past positions they thought they could hide from. Ask Kamala Harris about her advocacy of taxpayer-funded sex change surgeries for illegal immigrant convicts on how that goes.” Behn did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. However, Democrat strategist Eric Koch argued that attacks on Behn have been surging because “Republicans are getting worried in a district that Trump won by over 20 points,” adding that Democrats making this race competitive shows they are in good shape to take back the House in the midterms next year. The special election is scheduled for Dec. 2. While popular in the immediate aftermath of Floyd’s death, the push to “defund the police” has become a political liability for many Democrats running in recent elections. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani faced criticism in the lead-up to his victory for his past anti-police rhetoric and went on Fox News to apologize. Earlier this month, a progressive candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan was reported to have quietly deleted old social media posts in support of defunding the police. DEM HOUSE HOPEFUL VOWS TO HELP WORKING CLASS DESPITE RECORD OF HIKING TAXES “I’m currently involved in a transformative justice seminar, and so it’s how to imagine a world without police and what that looks like and what community mechanisms look like. How people cannot police themselves,” Behn said during an interview with Nashville Musicians For Change in July 2020. “If it’s been difficult for all of you to imagine a world without police, please tune in to, maybe not this episode, but the next one. Because I’ll talk about things I’m learning and growing as an organizer. Because I think, especially for those of us that are young, and talking to our parents about what police abolition looks like, that we can do it and there is a world.” Behn made her comments as she worked with the left-wing nonprofit Indivisible, which also has a record of pushing to defund the police, calling the effort “critical … to keep everyone safe,” in a Facebook post in 2020. The same year, the group called on people to phone their local, state and federal lawmakers to demand policies and budgets that steer money away from police departments and toward “Black communities.” “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified,” Behn said in another post in response to polling about who saw the destruction of a Minneapolis police precinct as justified. The precinct burned to the ground, and police were forced to abandon the precinct. Amid the chaos spurred by the death of Floyd that resulted in billions of dollars in damage and multiple lives lost, Behn was also co-hosting a podcast at the time. During one of the episodes, “Black Lives Matter,” Behn argued it “is not for us to decide as privileged White people how marginalized communities express their suffering and their pain and their grieving.” She was referring to the looting and rioting taking place, calling it “a trope” for White people to say the looting was bad. “I would really challenge all of you when you see these stories of looting, and you revert to this law and order type of response, I really challenge you to step back from that and think about what’s driving that,” Behn added of the rioting. “You should not condemn it because you don’t know the first thing about being where they come from and what their generational trauma that has been inflicted upon them by the police, by institutional racism.” SCOOP: TRUMP-ALIGNED MAGA INC. JUMPS INTO HIGH STAKES BALLOT BOX CONGRESSIONAL SHOWDOWN During the same podcast episode, Behn suggested police don’t actually serve to guard and protect Americans. “You think calling the cops is going to save you?” Behn asked her listeners. “Black men are being killed when White women call cops.” Behn also came under fire this week for other comments on her podcast, during which she said she hated her city of Nashville and all the southern-style elements that come with it, like country music. In addition to Behn’s remarks in
Top GOP chair issues stark warning to Clintons if they defy deposition subpoenas in Epstein investigation
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is urging former president Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to comply with subpoenas requiring them to appear for in-person deposition for the committee’s probe looking into late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case. Comer first ordered the Clintons in August to appear before the committee for an in-person deposition. However, the Clintons’ attorney, David Kendall, said Nov. 3 his clients could instead provide written answers because it is “the most efficient and equitable way to proceed.” But Comer said such an arrangement was unacceptable. “Given their history with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, any attempt by the Clintons to avoid sitting for a deposition would be in defiance of lawful subpoenas and grounds to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,” Comer said in a statement Friday that accompanied a letter to Kendall. EPSTEIN ESTATE TO HAND OVER ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ TO LAWMAKERS, HOUSE DEM SAYS “The Committee looks forward to confirming their appearance and remains committed to delivering transparency and accountability for the survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and for the American people.” In Kendall’s previous letter, he told Comer the Clintons had little to provide the committee. So, an in-person testimony was unnecessary. “The public’s demand for transparency from its government about their criminality is both understandable and warranted,” Kendall said in a letter on Nov. 3. “Former President Clinton and former Secretary Clinton welcome legitimate oversight in this matter that is grounded in fact. In that regard, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary Hillary Clinton have little to contribute to that legitimate goal, all of which can be readily submitted on paper.” However, Comer pushed back on that assertion and said Friday that future delays would amount to defying a lawful subpoena. Comer said Bill Clinton’s deposition is scheduled for Dec. 17, and Hillary Clinton’s is scheduled for Dec. 18. AG BONDI ANNOUNCES DOJ INVESTIGATION INTO BILL CLINTON, OTHER DEMOCRATS OVER ALLEGED EPSTEIN TIES Although Bill Clinton admitted he traveled on a jet with Epstein, he has said he has never visited Epstein’s island and wrote in his 2024 memoir “Citizen” that he wished he’d never even met Epstein. The former president also does not face any accusations of wrongdoing with respect to his relationship with Epstein. The Clinton Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Comer issued his letter after President Donald Trump signed legislation ordering the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein. Under The Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Justice Department must release all unclassified records and investigative materials related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Additionally, it must share files related to individuals who were referenced in Epstein’s previous legal cases, details surrounding trafficking allegations, internal DOJ communications as they relate to Epstein and any details surrounding the investigation into his death. EPSTEIN ESTATE TO BEGIN HANDING FILES TO HOUSE INVESTIGATORS AFTER ‘BIRTHDAY BOOK’ SUBPOENA The push to sign the legislation came after Democrats released three emails on Nov. 12 that Epstein’s estate provided to them that mentioned Trump. In turn, Republicans released their own stash of more than 20,000 pages of Epstein documents that same day. While the documents themselves are authentic, Epstein’s statements in the emails remain unverified and uncorroborated. The documents do not claim that Trump committed any wrongdoing and only portray Epstein mentioning the president. Bill Clinton is also mentioned in some of the new, unearthed documents. For example, Epstein said in a 2015 email that Bill Clinton “NEVER EVER” visited his so-called Epstein island. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump, Mamdani set for Oval Office face-off
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -New GOP bill targets funding to states with lenient bail policies -Troops risk court-martial if they follow Democrats’ ‘illegal orders’ advice, former military lawyers warn -Republicans get serious on housing crisis with high-profile conservative influencer to lead new initiative New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is gearing up to meet President Donald Trump at the White House Friday — fulfilling a promise he made to voters during his election night victory speech that he would work with anyone if it would benefit his constituents. While the president has been highly critical of Mamdani, he said Sunday he wants to see “everything work out well for New York” as both leaders zero in on a key issue for Americans: affordability. Mamdani, who ran on policies including rent freezes and city-run grocery stores to cut food prices, has vowed to use his face-to-face meeting with Trump to make a “case for New Yorkers” who are struggling to pay $2.90 in bus fees…READ MORE. SECRETS EXPOSED: John Bolton’s trial still far off as judge grills DOJ over lengthy discovery process DUCK AND DIP: Mamdani dodges question on socialism vote ahead of high-stakes meeting with Trump WORD WARS: Trump flips Dems’ ‘affordability’ script, turning buzzword into MAGA material as Mamdani visit looms GREEN NEW SCAM: White House dubs Dem a scam victim after he fumes Rubio wouldn’t fund climate trip PUTIN’S NIGHTMARE: Graham says Trump wants to ‘move the bill’ on Russia sanctions, but procedural hurdles await ON YOUR DIME: Minnesota taxpayer dollars funneled to Al-Shabaab terror group, report alleges ON THE HOUSE: Johnson says he’s ‘open’ to changing House censure rules after week of political drama NO ACCESS GRANTED: House Republicans demand Trump admin deny Mamdani federal security clearance RED LINE DRAWN: Dems vote with Republicans to condemn socialism in wake of Mamdani’s mayoral victory ASSIST NOT RESIST: As ICE readies ‘Swamp Sweep,’ Mississippi pledges to aid — not block — federal crackdown VATICAN ON ICE: JB Pritzker huddles with Chicago-born Pope at Vatican to rip ICE ops REALITY CHECK: Mamdani struggles to explain how he’ll fund free buses Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Pritzker seeks sympathy from Pope Leo over Trump’s Chicago immigration ‘blitz’
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was granted an audience with fellow Illini Pope Leo XIV, where the two exchanged gifts and discussed their collective criticisms of President Donald Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” ICE enforcement mission. “Pope Leo XIV’s message of hope, compassion, unity and peace resonates with Illinoisans of all faiths and traditions,” Pritzker said in a statement after the meeting, which was set up with the help of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich. Pritzker and Leo reportedly discussed their reservations about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations in Illinois and Chicago, specifically, with the governor saying that the pope agreed with his feeling of pride that “the people of Chicago stood up against the oppression that’s been brought on immigrants.” Pritzker told Chicago’s NBC affiliate that the pope has strong feelings about ICE’s activities and that the pontiff wanted to hear Pritzker’s views and asked questions about the state of Midway Blitz. TRUMP OFFICIALS SLAM BLUE STATE GOVERNOR FOR IGNORING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE ‘RIOTERS’ DISRUPTING OPERATION Leo was reportedly heartened when told the operation appeared to be winding down in Chicago, according to Pritzker’s comments. Earlier this month, a group of U.S. bishops released a statement supported by Leo that criticized some of ICE’s operations – including mass deportations – and spoke of public fears about the missions. Released from Baltimore, the statement – endorsed by a vote of 216-5 with three clergy abstaining – read in part that bishops are “bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ [and] are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement.” BORDER PATROL CHIEF FIRES BACK AFTER PRITZKER CALLS FEDERAL OPERATIONS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL INVASION’ Leo had also called into question whether people who oppose abortion but agree with the “inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States” can be considered “pro-life.” “If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that. There are courts; there’s a system of justice,” he told the Italian press at the time, adding that leaders should look for ways to treat people with dignity while enforcing the law. But, he added that every nation has its own right to determine immigration procedures and laws. POPE LEO XIV STRONGLY SUPPORTS US BISHOPS’ CONDEMNATION OF TRUMP IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL’ “No one has said that the United States should have open borders,” Leo, born Robert Prevost, said. Pritzker said of his audience that “you could feel [the pope’s] humanity.” “It was a special moment, even for this Jewish boy,” he said. The governor also invited Leo to visit Chicago and presented him with a case of “Da Pope” beer from local Illinois brewery, Burning Bush. “We’ll put that in the fridge,” the pope quipped as he smiled at the gift. The last papal visit to Chicago was in 1979 when John Paul II held an audience at Grant Park, according to Capitol News Illinois.
86 Dems vote with Republicans to condemn socialism in wake of Mamdani’s mayoral victory
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution condemning socialism Friday morning, with several Democrats crossing the aisle to rebuke “socialist policies” in the U.S. following Zohran Mamdani’s recent election as the mayor-elect of New York City. Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure in a 285-98 vote. Two members, Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Pa., and Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., voted present. Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — who endorsed Mamdani just days before the mayoral election — also voted in favor of the measure. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., highlights a list of the economic system’s failures and serves as a rebuke of political forces inching toward more socialist platforms. Among other items, it asserts that socialism has led to famine and mass murder under the Cuban Castro regime, the Chinese rule of Mao Zedong, the ongoing Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro and others. “Resolved by the House of Representatives that Congress denounces socialism in all its forms and opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States,” the text reads. SOCIALIST WAVE GOES COAST-TO-COAST AS HISTORIC WINS SHAKE UP THE 2025 MAYORAL ELECTIONS While the resolution itself isn’t binding, the congressional rebuke comes as socialism — and its political momentum — have taken up a larger share of the national spotlight in recent months. Progressive candidates like Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and others have continued to push for an increased government role in public services like healthcare and education. That’s dovetailed with new champions of progressive policies like Mamdani, a self-described socialist. The resolution also comes as Mamdani is set to meet with President Donald Trump on Friday. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he believes socialism is incompatible with the American ideal of freedom. He applauded the resolution on Friday morning. “It always leads to a destruction of liberties for people,” Donalds said of socialism. DEMOCRATS DID START THE FIRE OF SOCIALISM. NOW, THEY ARE AFRAID IT WILL BURN THEM He noted that socialism requires a top-down structure of authority to manage the distribution of resources. That, he believes, is a trait shared by other forms of oppressive government. “We have a responsibility to defend the American core of capitalism, free markets and liberty [against] socialism, democratic socialism, communism, authoritarianism, fascism,” Donalds said. While increasingly progressive wings of the Democratic Party have enjoyed momentum in recent months at a time when the party has struggled to unite behind a cohesive brand, not all Democrat lawmakers view socialism’s emergence as something the party should embrace. Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., one of the members who voted for the disapproval resolution on Friday, has opposed overtly socialist platforms, urging his Democrat colleagues to return to a more centrist path. REPUBLICANS PUSH TO MAKE MAMDANI THE NEW FACE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY “I talk about being a new kind of old-fashioned Democrat and giving policy prescriptions about what we need to do to address people’s concerns about the economy and affordability and the cost of living and wages,” Suozzi wrote on X earlier this month. “The answer is not the populism of Donald Trump or Zohran Mamdani — it’s about giving specific policy prescriptions.”
Trump flips Dems’ ‘affordability’ script, turning buzzword into MAGA material as Mamdani visit looms
“Affordability” was the hot-button word on the 2025 campaign trail, as Democrats separated themselves from the Biden-era economy and lobbed attacks on President Donald Trump for current cost of living woes. And on Friday, the main champion of the “affordability” platform in the 2025 election cycle, socialist New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, will travel to the White House for his first meeting with Trump. The socialist candidate, who was relatively unknown until his primary defeat against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, hammered home during his campaign that his policies would ease New Yorkers’ notoriously high housing prices, cut food costs and bring down the cost of living overall — including by hiking taxes on the wealthy and corporations to bridge the financial gap. LIZ PEEK: WHY EVERY ‘AFFORDABLE’ PROMISE FROM DEMOCRATS ENDS UP COSTING YOU MORE “I know that for tens of thousands of New Yorkers, this meeting is between two very different candidates who they voted for, for the same reason,” Mamdani said Thursday about his meeting with Trump. “They wanted a leader who would take on the cost-of-living crisis. That makes it impossible for working people to afford living in this city.” A winning economic strategy is nothing new to the president, however, considering his first administration and 2024 election platform focused on pulling the U.S. out of an economic hole. And Trump is making moves to lay claim over the word “affordability” while taking shots at the Biden administration’s record on prices. “The word is affordable and affordable. It should be our word, not theirs,” Trump said Monday evening during McDonald’s Impact Summit 2025 in Washington. “Because the Democrats got up in affordability, the front of it. And they don’t say that they had the worst inflation in history, the highest energy prices in history. Everything was the worst. What? The great ad is lying. They say affordability. This stuff was all much more expensive.” The White House told Fox News Digital Tuesday that Democrats don’t have “a leg to stand on” with the economy following the Biden administration, which saw inflation spike to the highest levels in nearly 40 years, while arguing Trump has focused on real-life deals that translate to American jobs and lower costs since his first day back in office. To the White House, Fox Digital learned, Democrats touting the word “affordability” is simultaneously an act of “desperation” following their 2024 losses, as well as “meaningless” as there’s a “difference between talking about a problem and then actually doing something about it.” Fox News Digital took a look back at how “affordability” grew in prominence as a top campaign platform in 2025 among Democrats, and Trump’s history of employing variations of the word “affordable” in his political efforts. “Make America Affordable Again” was touted at points by the 2024 Trump campaign, while the president signed an executive order under his first administration related to “affordable housing,” and the White House celebrating in 2020 that Trump was improving “the affordability and accessibility of life-saving prescription drugs.” “We will target everything from car affordability to housing affordability to insurance costs to supply chain issues,” Trump said from the campaign trail in North Carolina in 2024, The New York Times reported. The president, however, has largely steered clear of the word “affordability” in his public remarks and social media posts, instead focusing his language around tariffs and paying off the national debt, increasing the U.S. job market, onshoring companies that moved overseas and hitting back at the inflation woes that spiraled under the Biden administration and continue to loom over the Trump economy. The White House pointed to a bevy of deals Trump has made since his return to the Oval Office that underscore his focus on affordability for the American people: cutting regulations to unleash American energy to lower fuel and other costs, multiple deals to lower drug prices and attracting business to set up shop on U.S. soil to promote American jobs. The White House said that it is in the midst of “cleaning up” the woes left behind by the Biden administration, with an official telling Fox News Digital: “They got us in this mess in the first place.” Voters casting ballots for Democrats in the name of affordability “is like hiring the arsonists to put out the fire,” former Republican Kentucky Congressman and 2026 Senate candidate Andy Barr remarked to Fox News Digital. “Complete Democrat control of Washington brought us the highest inflation in decades,” he said. “President Trump and Republicans already delivered the lowest gas prices in years, the largest tax cut in history, and will keep fighting to Make America Great Again.” Just on Tuesday, the White House hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where he announced that Saudi Arabia was increasing its planned investment into the U.S. economy to nearly $1 trillion, up from $600 billion in May. The deal translates to Americans directly benefiting, with the White House pointing to GE Vernova, an energy equipment manufacturing company, as it celebrates the investment and its impact on American jobs. SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS David Broomwell, who oversees three GE Vernova factories, said during the Oval Office meeting Tuesday, “If you look at the landscape for GE Vernova investment, over $750 million in the U.S. focused on true manufacture, bring jobs here stateside. We’re looking at tripling the output of our Greenville, South Carolina facility where we make the gas turbines that are supporting U.S. needs as well as the Saudi Arabia needs. So real jobs, $300 million in gas investment, resulting in over 500 pieces of new equipment being installed in the Greenville, South Carolina facility. That translates into roughly 1,800 jobs across the board for GE Vernova.” IT’S NOT JUST THE ECONOMY — THIS IS HOW DEMOCRATS BEAT THE GOP ACROSS THE COUNTRY Just more than a year ago, economic anxiety under the Biden administration came to a vigorous boil and the election was thrown
As ICE readies ‘Swamp Sweep,’ Mississippi pledges to aid — not block — federal crackdown
EXCLUSIVE: Mississippi’s top law enforcement officer said the Magnolia State will welcome ICE agents with open arms compared to their clashes with public officials in California, Illinois and North Carolina – as reports surfaced of an upcoming “Swamp Sweep.” The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to send 250 border agents to areas in Mississippi and Louisiana for a two-month crackdown, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch told Fox News Digital on Thursday that her office is proud to have been the first in the state to sign on as a formal ICE law enforcement partner. “We look forward to working with Secretary Noem and the president to protect our communities and strengthen our efforts to combat human trafficking, drug cartels, and violent crime,” Fitch said. ALABAMA CONDUCTS FIRST STATE-FEDERAL CHECKPOINT OPERATIONS WITH ICE, DETAINING OVER 20 PEOPLE “Together, we will make Mississippi – and our entire nation – safer than ever before.” Another top Mississippi official, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, chairs the House Homeland Security Subcommittee for Border Security and Enforcement. Guest’s district runs close to New Orleans, spanning diagonally from Starkville – home of Mississippi State University – down to McComb, just north of the New Orleans metro, where the operation will reportedly have a key focus. DHS ‘BLITZES’ CHICAGOLAND, NETTING ‘MANY ARRESTS’ AS NOEM ONSITE FOR IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN “The men and women of ICE and CBP have been tasked with enforcing the law and working to remove the 15 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States,” Guest told Fox News Digital. Guest praised ICE for successfully removing unlawfully present people charged and convicted of serious crimes, including offenses against children and suspects who pose a danger to local communities. “I am confident that Operation ‘Swamp Sweep’ will have the same success as other operations across our nation,” Guest said. 250 BORDER AGENTS TO DEPLOY TO LOUISIANA FOR ‘SWAMP SWEEP,’ REPORT SAYS “This will result in locating, arresting, and deporting criminal illegal aliens who are residing in Mississippi.” Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss. – who represents Memphis’ southern suburbs as well as Elvis Presley’s hometown of Tupelo – told Fox News Digital he also supports ICE’s mission. “I am in favor of getting any criminal illegal immigrant off the streets,” Kelly said. DHS ARRESTS CHICAGO’S ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ AMID SURGE IN DOMESTIC TERROR ATTACKS “And I support law enforcement in their efforts to keep our communities safe.” When asked about the “Swamp Sweep” mission, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said her agency does not discuss future or potential operations. “Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country,” she said. In prior ICE operations, DHS was buffeted by official and legal roadblocks tossed in their way by local leaders. California officials condemned President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard, while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reportedly conceived “No ICE” zones and compared Trump’s government to the Confederacy. Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves did not respond to requests for comment on “Swamp Sweep.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Mississippi’s most prominent Democrat and Trump critic, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Hinds County, but he did not respond to a request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mamdani struggles to explain how he’ll fund free buses
Throughout his campaign, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani promised free bus rides for people in the Big Apple — but now that he’s won the election, he faces the practical problem of securing the funding to realize such a policy, and it’s unclear whether he’ll ever be able to fulfill his pledge. PIX11’s Dan Mannarino pressed Mamdani about how he plans to secure the money for the proposal if New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is not in favor of raising taxes. Mamdani opined that the “clearest ways” to obtain the money would be by increasing the state’s corporate tax or through personal income tax on people who earn more than $1 million per year. But he added that “the most important fact is that we fund it, not the question of how we do it, but that we do it.” AOC SOUNDS OFF ON TRUMP-MAMDANI MEETING AS NYC’S MAYOR-ELECT PREPARES TO TAKE OFFICE Mamdani’s campaign has laid out proposals including “Raising the top state Corporate Tax rate to 11.5 percent” and “Adding a 2 percent New York City Income Tax for anyone making more than $1 million a year.” The self-described democratic socialist trumpeted his free bus policy as a key plank of his Big Apple mayoral campaign. NYC MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI ASKS SUPPORTERS FOR $4M TO FUND TRANSITION, VOWS NO WEALTHY DONORS But when Mannarino asked Hochul earlier this year whether she’d support tax hikes, Gov. Kathy Hochul slapped down the idea, saying that she’s “not raising taxes on people at a time when affordability is the big issue.” NY GOVERNOR POURS COLD WATER ON MAMDANI FREE BUS PLAN “Free buses are an investment in our people and our economy — helping workers, small businesses, and every New Yorker who deserves a more connected city,” Mamdani said in a Thursday post on X.
Republicans get serious on housing crisis with high-profile conservative influencer leading the charge
FIRST ON FOX: Conservative influencer Benny Johnson is leading a new initiative to “Make Housing Great Again” amid concerns that Millennials and Gen Z are being pushed out of homeownership by rising costs, stagnant wages and regulatory burdens. The new initiative, which is being announced Friday, will be led by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) with help from Johnson, who will be the initiative’s co-chair and national spokesperson, serving as the voice of the initiative. Johnson will also help lead a business advisory council related to making housing more affordable. “Benny has 4 million followers. He is, you know, so influential. He’s been talking about this a lot on his own social media platforms, and so he is the perfect person to help deliver the policies,” Ashley Hayek, AFPI’s executive vice president and co-chair of the initiative, told Fox News Digital. “He has young children. I have young children. And for us, we are both very fired up about this issue.” I WORKED WITH CHARLIE KIRK FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. AMERICA LOST A FUTURE PRESIDENT Hayek pointed out that advocating for policy is, at least in part, a messaging war, and Johnson’s ability to articulate himself well will help with that. Additionally, he has the attention of many young people, who Hayek noted often aren’t aware of the tools out there to help them buy a home. Greg Sindelar, AFPI’s interim president, added that the current culture in the United States “too often diminishes traditional aspirations,” like homeownership and building a family, which has taken a toll on younger generations. Even Democrats tend to agree. Former Democrat congressman and ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in August explaining how the increased difficulty of homeownership is depressing young men, particularly due to the fact that buying a home is often seen as such a pivotal part of achieving the American Dream. “Rising costs, stagnant wages, regulatory burdens, and a culture that too often diminishes traditional aspirations have left millions feeling directionless and forgotten,” Sindelar said. “AFPI is committed to reversing this trend by advancing meaningful, actionable policy solutions rooted in the principles of the America First movement.” BIPARTISAN PLAN AIMS TO MAKE THE AMERICAN DREAM AFFORDABLE AGAIN FOR MILLIONS OF FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS The new initiative, announced Friday, laid out a list of policy proposals it plans to advance across government of all levels. Among those proposals is a push to eliminate capital gains taxes on first home sales as long as they reinvest in another home within the following five years. This proposal is aimed at mirroring the spirit of President Donald Trump’s “Opportunity Zones” aimed at accelerating wealth and economic development for low-income communities. “Homes are too expensive and totally out of reach for young people. The slow death of the American Dream is happening before our eyes. It is a generational betrayal and we must reverse this trend by Making Housing Great Again,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “Today, the average age of a first-time homebuyer in America is 40 years old. That is well past the optimal age for marriage and family creation. The battle for homeownership is a battle for our cultural and civilizational survival. We need more young people to get married and start families and that cannot happen without a culture of homeownership. We must deliver on this promise for our young people. The American Dream hangs in the balance.” Another proposal includes a push for the creation of “Home Savings Accounts” similar to a Health Savings Account (HSA) that allows individuals to contribute pre-tax dollars to pay for their healthcare needs. One proposal also includes a plan to reduce regulations and increase incentives across states and localities that have restricted the development of new housing supply. One example they point to is “green building standards,” which the initiative says bloats costs for builders. By getting rid of these regulations, they say that it will dramatically reduce the cost for builders, who will then in turn be able to increase supply. Other proposals include measures to stop predatory lending to young people, while promoting innovative housing like tiny homes. Tax-focused proposals are in the mix as well, such as a “Family Formation Mortgage Credit,” aimed at making family formation and homeownership financially synergistic. It will give families that marry and have a child within five years a $10,000 reduction on their mortgage through a refundable tax credit. The initiative will also push to double the child-tax credit for households filing their taxes jointly and own a home, or are planning to own one.