GOP veteran defeats populist candidate in one of America’s most conservative districts
Republican veteran strategist Tom Sell defeated populist, MAGA-style candidate Abraham Enriquez in a primary runoff race in a Texas congressional district known as one of the most conservative in the country. Sell, a Republican strategist with years of agricultural consulting experience, beat Enriquez on election night, earning () percent of the vote in the solid red 19th Congressional District in West Texas. A fifth-generation West Texan and businessman, Sell styled himself as an “America-first” “champion for rural America.” He was endorsed by several key House Republican leaders, including Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Sell also earned endorsements from younger congressional Republicans, Reps. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. SCOOP: HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN ARM LAUNCHES ‘MAGA MAJORITY’ PROGRAM TO BOOST TRUMP-ALIGNED CANDIDATES Meanwhile, Enriquez, a young candidate who cast himself as the anti-establishment contender in the race, earned ()% of the vote. Enriquez, who founded the conservative Hispanic outreach organization Bienvenido, ran on a “pro-Trump,” America-first platform. He was endorsed by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Turning Point Action, and the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). President Donald Trump did not make an endorsement in the race. HOUSE CANDIDATE PREDICTS HISTORIC RISE OF ‘NEW GENERATION’ IN CONGRESS AS PARTIES TARGET KEY DEMOGRAPHIC District 19, which includes vast swaths of West Texas, including Lubbock and Abilene, is considered a Republican stronghold. As a result, Sell’s primary victory virtually guarantees he will succeed outgoing Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, who is retiring from Congress. Arrington, 53, had been endorsed for re-election by Trump, but he decided not to run again. In a statement announcing his decision, Arrington said, “I have a firm conviction, much like our founders did, that public service is a lifetime commitment, but public office is and should be a temporary stint in stewardship, not a career.” TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN REVEALS HE WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2026 Sell will face Democratic candidate Kyle Rable, an Army Reserve officer who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
MAGA triumph: Trump ally Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn in bitter Texas GOP primary war
PLANO, TX – President Donald Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are the winners in the Lone Star State’s bitter Republican Senate primary battle, which has spanned for more than a year and became the most expensive Senate primary in history. Paxton, who was endorsed by Trump just one week ago, defeated longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday’s runoff election for the Republican nomination, the Associated Press reports. Paxton now faces off against state Rep. James Talarico — a rising star in the Democratic Party — in the general election in a race that is among a handful that may decide if the Republicans hold their slim 53-47 majority in the Senate. Talarico, who topped progressive star Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a vocal Trump critic, in the March primary, is trying to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in Texas. Cornyn, speaking to reporters after the race was called, said, “I’ve always supported the Republican ticket, and I intend to do so again in this general election.” TRUMP FLEXES MAGA MUSCLE IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN IN TEXAS Paxton, in his victory speech, delivered an olive branch to the senator and his supporters. “I want to thank John Cornyn for his service to this state. John has dedicated much of his life to serving Texans. He’s worked diligently for years to help Texas and for that spirit of service to the Lone Star State and our nation, I’m very grateful,” Paxton said. And Paxton, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital moments after he left the stage, said, “We need to come together as a Republican Party. I think John Cornyn will be a part of that. I think his voters will be too.” Trump targeted Cornyn as “VERY disloyal” as he backed Paxton, a major Trump ally and MAGA firebrand, in the final days of the runoff campaign. The ballot-box showdown in right-leaning Texas served as the latest test of Trump’s immense grip over the Republican Party and the strength of his endorsements in GOP nomination races. The runoff election was held three weeks after Trump’s purging of five state senators in Indiana’s primary who had opposed his push for congressional redistricting, a week and a half after the president helped to oust Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — who, five and a half years ago, voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial — and one week after Trump was instrumental in sending vocal GOP critic Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky down to defeat in his re-election bid. After sitting on the sidelines for months, Trump last Tuesday backed Paxton. “Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump wrote in a social media post last Tuesday. Paxton, pointing to Trump, told supporters that “when everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen. Instead, President Trump gave me his complete and total endorsement.” And Paxton told Fox News Digital after his victory that “the president’s endorsement is the most valuable endorsement in this country. I’m grateful to have it.” Paxton on Tuesday night quickly turned his fire on Talarico, charging in his speech that “James Talarico is a threat to everything we hold dear in this state and in this country. He’s a threat to our security and our safety. He wants open borders and even said a welcome mat should be at our southern border.” And he told Fox News Digital that “James Talarico doesn’t belong in Texas. We cannot let him be the center of the state of Texas. He fits in California, he does not fit here.” Looking to the general election showdown, Paxton said, “I think we’re going to try to highlight what he actually believes, because the people of Texas need to know what his views are, and whether they are going to support those views. The only way where they can know what he’s really about is to let people know what he said.” Paxton has faced a slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered him over the past decade. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton, but he was eventually acquitted of all charges by the state Senate. And Paxton is dealing with a very messy divorce, with his wife citing “biblical grounds” based on “recent discoveries” in filing last year to end their marriage. Talarico’s campaign, posting a mug shot of Paxton on social media, noted: “He was indicted on 3 felony counts for investment fraud. He was reported to the FBI by his own staff for bribery. He was impeached by his own party for corruption.” “Now he’s the Republican nominee for US Senate in Texas. Together we will stop him,” the Talarico campaign vowed. The two heated rivals topped a crowded field of contenders in the early March primary, with Cornyn edging Paxton. But since neither cleared the 50% threshold, the nomination race headed into overtime. Trump, in backing Paxton, said that “John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Pointing to the senator’s past criticism of him, Trump added, “John was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the Presidency.” Cornyn, in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the runoff, emphasized his support for the president and his agenda. “President Trump has called me a friend and a good man, and we’ve worked with him closely for both terms of office,” the senator said. Paxton, who grabbed significant national attention the past dozen years by filing lawsuits against the Obama and Biden administrations, disagreed. “John Cornyn fought Trump on the border. And you can
House Dem who repeatedly tried to impeach Trump toppled in heated Texas race
Texas redistricting claimed a longtime Democratic incumbent Tuesday, as Rep. Christian Menefee defeated Rep. Al Green in a Houston-area runoff that forced two sitting House Democrats into the same race. Rep. Al Green, one of Congress’ most vocal Trump antagonists, lost his Democratic runoff Tuesday to fellow Texas Rep. Christian Menefee after redistricting scrambled Houston-area congressional lines. The race for Texas’ solidly Democratic 18th Congressional District was an incumbent-on-incumbent Democratic clash, with Green and Menefee both trying to preserve their places in Congress after redistricting altered the congressional districts around Houston. In Texas, it is mandated by law that if no candidate has captured a majority of the vote during a primary, the race will head to a runoff election. Menefee received 46% of votes and Green 44.2% following the early-March primary. Green has been among President Donald Trump’s fiercest critics in Congress, pursuing impeachment charges on multiple occasions against him during both of Trump’s terms. Green has been kicked out of Trump’s State of the Union addresses multiple times as well for standing up and protesting amid the speech. Following the close March primary, Fox News Digital caught up with Green on Capitol Hill, during which the longtime congressman cited $1.5 million in spending against his campaign by the crypto-industry as a major driver behind the closeness of his race. At the same time, Green slammed Menefee, over his alleged lack of experience and failure to show up for votes early in his congressional career following his tenure as an attorney. Meneffee is a fresher face in Washington who ran on bringing a new face to Congress to combat Trump and Republicans. “A former commercial litigation lawyer from a military family, Mr. Menefee had been mentioned as a potential statewide candidate. His decision to run for Congress instead underscored what many Democrats have acknowledged: that the prospects for breaking the Republican hold on state politics in Texas appeared dim for Democrats in the short term,” Menefee said in a post to his website last March. Menefee will take on Republican Ronald Whitfield in the November general election, though Menefee is strongly favored in the heavily-Democratic Houston-area district.
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner embraces democratic socialism at Bernie Sanders rally in Portland
Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner appeared alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Monday and echoed several Sanders-style progressive themes, criticizing five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins, criticizing and U.S. weapons spending tied to conflicts in Gaza and Iran. Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee seeking to unseat Collins in November, made the fiery remarks during a “Fighting Oligarchy” rally led by Sanders in Portland — an event aimed at mobilizing progressive activists and expanding grassroots organizing efforts ahead of the midterm elections. The Portland event was one of Sanders’ Maine stops with Platner and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson. During the rally, Platner leaned heavily into anti-corporate rhetoric, telling a crowd of cheering progressives they must build a “political revolution” and take back “what is ours.” “We are taking back what is ours. We’re going to take it back from the corporations that seek profit, no matter the cost from the billionaires for whom greed is the point, and from corrupt politicians like Susan Collins, corrupt politicians who have sold us out,” Platner said. ‘MAINE’S MAMDANI’: MAINE GOP CHIEF ISSUES WARNING ABOUT NEW CHALLENGER LOOKING TO OUST SUSAN COLLINS “It is a system that is the politics of Susan Collins, a politics that turns politicians into millionaires, but tells you to be grateful for crumbs.” Throughout the evening, Platner echoed Sanders’ economic talking points, accusing health insurance executives of “lining their pockets with our blood, sweat, and tears.” BERNIE SANDERS TO FORCE SENATE VOTE ON BLOCKING ARMS SALES TO ISRAEL He also made sharp comments regarding the Middle East, claiming American tax dollars are being weaponized to “blow up someone else’s children.” “Our tax dollars can build schools and hospitals in America instead of bombs to drop on them in Gaza and Iran,” he said. Sanders later took the stage and cast Platner’s election as a key moment for the progressive movement, telling supporters, “You elect Graham Platner senator, you’re going to transform America.” The Vermont senator explicitly tied Platner to his tax proposals targeting the ultra-wealthy. “I introduced legislation, which Graham will be by my side in fighting for, which says that we are going to impose a 5% annual wealth tax on 938 billionaires in America,” Sanders said. Sanders introduced legislation earlier this year proposing a 5% annual wealth tax on 938 U.S. billionaires. Platner was also portrayed as an ally in battling major tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, warning that a “handful of billionaires” could otherwise control the future of artificial intelligence and robotics. “Graham understands… we are not going to let a handful of billionaires control the future of this country,” Sanders said.
Trump calls on Arab nations to sign Abraham Accords
President Donald Trump is pressuring Muslim-majority nations to join the Abraham Accords if they want to participate in a developing Iran agreement, according to multiple reports. The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority nations. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS DEAL WITH IRAN IS ‘LARGELY NEGOTIATED’ Trump said Saturday that he urged Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and Jordan to normalize relations with Israel during a phone call with regional leaders. “I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. TRUMP SAYS MORE NATIONS LINING UP TO JOIN ABRAHAM ACCORDS AFTER KAZAKHSTAN The president also said he planned to speak with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The UAE and Bahrain became the first two nations to sign the accords in 2020. Trump also floated the idea that Iran could eventually become part of the Abraham Accords. US MILITARY IS ‘IRON SHIELD’ PROTECTING AMERICAN BASES, LIVES FROM IRAN PROXIES: HEGSETH “In speaking to numerous of the Great Leaders mentioned above, they would be honored, as soon as our Document is signed, to have the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of the Abraham Accords. Wow, now that would be something special,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. U.S. and Israeli officials do not expect the UAE to move forward on the issue until after Israel’s elections in September.
New Jersey governor, Democratic senator spend Memorial Day protesting ICE facility
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., met with the families of detainees being held at a migrant detention facility that critics say should be shut down amid “unacceptable” conditions and an ongoing hunger strike. Kim and Sherrill, both Democrats, have asked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for access to the Delaney Hall center in Newark, where hundreds of illegal immigrants are being held. “I’m back at Delaney Hall with @GovSherrillNJ and other members of the NJ delegation to meet with families of detainees and listen to community advocates,” Kim wrote Monday on X. “We’re working together to make sure they’re heard and to speak out with them. Delaney Hall must be shut down immediately. ICE cannot be allowed to continue operating in this way.” BUMPY WEATHER OVER NEWARK: HOUSE DEMOCRATS COULD FACE CONSEQUENCES FOR DELANEY HALL INCIDENT Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE for comment. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said Kim personally called Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and that he was allowed in the facility to conduct his congressional oversight responsibilities. However, the spokesperson criticized Sherrill over he appearance at the detention center. “Governor Sherrill’s visit to Delaney Hall is nothing more than a political stunt on Memorial Day when visitation is currently suspended due to riots outside the facility,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Yesterday, approximately 125 agitators surrounded Delaney Hall Detention Facility, many carrying anti-ICE signs and Antifa flags. They formed a human chain around entrances to the facility and set up barricades, blocking all entries and exits.” On Sunday, protesters clashed with authorities outside the privately run facility — which was revamped as an immigration detention center last year — where some detainees have gone on a hunger strike to protest allegedly poor conditions inside. Sherrill said she was “deeply disturbed” by the conditions inside Delaney Hall, noting that she has always opposed private detention facilities and advocated against them. “I will continue to call for the closure of Delaney Hall because of reports like these,” she wrote Sunday on X. “I have contacted ICE to gain access to the facility and my office remains in close coordination with our federal delegation and with advocates, and I commend their continued oversight and work to hold DHS accountable.” Kim and Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J., arrived at Delaney Hall on Sunday but were denied entry. Critics of the facility allege that detainees endure squalid conditions and mistreatment from staff. US ATTORNEY ALINA HABBA ANNOUNCES REP. MCIVER HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES OVER NEWARK ICE CLASH “In sum, Delaney Hall is dangerous for those being detained, their loved ones, and all who care about immigrants’ rights, fundamental constitutional freedoms, and democracy,” the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey said in February. “Yet in the face of these cruel conditions, community members and families have united in fierce opposition to Delaney Hall’s existence and the abuse of human beings therein.” All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries, “DHS said. “Illegal aliens also have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers,” the agency said. “Certified dieticians evaluate meals. In fact, ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens.” “It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody,” the statement continued. “This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.” Democrats have repeatedly called for Delaney Hall to be closed. In May 2025, protesters — including three congressional lawmakers and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka — gathered outside the facility and clashed with authorities. They allegedly rushed past security through the gates, which had opened to allow an ICE bus inside. U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., faces a federal three-count indictment for allegedly assaulting, resisting and impeding federal law enforcement officers that day. She allegedly shoved and struck officers to prevent the arrest of Baraka. At the time, then-Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin categorized some of the detainees inside Delaney Hall as “murderers, terrorists, child rapists and MS-13 gang members” while questioning why the lawmakers continued to advocate for them.
Rubio pushes back on India’s concerns over US visa curbs, says policy must be ‘America First’ under Trump
Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back against criticism of President Donald Trump’s immigration reform as Indian officials and media raised concerns that U.S. visa and immigration reforms may curb migration from India. “What I want to leave clear is that the changes, while they may be having a disproportionate impact on a place like India that provides so many high-skilled workers to the U.S. economy, it is not a system that is targeted at India,” Rubio said during a Sunday news conference in New Delhi, India. “It is one that’s being applied globally.” India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pushed back in his remarks. THIS JULY 4TH, HERE’S HOW MY FAMILY EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE CALLED ‘AMERICANS’ – LEGALLY “I apprised Secretary Rubio of challenges that legitimate travelers face in respect of visa issuance,” Jaishankar said. “While we cooperate to deal with illegal and irregular mobility, our expectation is that legal mobility would not be adversely impacted as a consequence. After all, this is very relevant to our business, technology, and research cooperation,” he said. Ultimately, Rubio – a son of Cuban immigrants – stressed that the U.S. values India as a “strategic ally” and vital trade partner, but immigration policy must be America First under Trump. AMERICA NEEDS WORKERS, BUT TRUMP’S POLICIES ARE SHARPLY CUTTING LEGAL IMMIGRATION “Everything that you do as a country needs to be in your national interest, and that includes your immigration policy,” Rubio continued. “The United States, I believe, is the most welcoming country in the world on immigration.” “Every single year, a million people, roughly, become permanent residents of the United States and contribute greatly,” he said. “Modernization” was the keynote to Rubio’s reply to concerns about the “contribution that Indians have made to the U.S. economy,” noting “over $20 billion have been invested in the U.S. economy by Indian companies.” ‘AMERICA FIRST’ IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL BILL WOULD CODIFY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES ONCE AND FOR ALL “The changes that are happening now or the modernization of our migration system into the United States is not focused – it’s not India-specific; it is global,” Rubio stressed. “It’s being applied across the world.” “We are in a period of modernization, and I’ll be frank and honest with you, because it’s important to talk about this: We’ve had a migratory crisis in the United States,” he said. “This is not because of India, but broadly, we had over 20 million people illegally enter the United States over the last few years, and we’ve had to address that challenge.” THEIR PLAN WAS A FLOOD OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. OUR ANSWER IS AN IMMIGRATION MORATORIUM The reforms were “long overdue,” he added. “It has to be a process that’s adjusted in every era to the realities of the modern times in which you live, and we are, and it’s long overdue,” Rubio added. “So the United States is currently undergoing a process of reforming the system by which we choose how many people come into our country, who comes in, when they come in, et cetera.” HOUSE REPUBLICAN GREG STEUBE INTRODUCES BILL TO NIX CONTROVERSIAL H-1B VISA PROGRAM Rubio urged India to give the reform process time during the period of deepest adjustment. “Anytime you undertake a reform, anytime you undertake a change in the system by which you admit people, or frankly, anytime you undertake a reform in any system – not just on immigration – there are going to be – there’s going to be a period of transition that’s going to create some friction points and some difficulties and so forth,” he said. “Ultimately, we think when this process is in place, once this process has been modernized – and that’s really what it is – we are modernizing the U.S. immigration system for the 21st century so that it is an immigration system that’s not just good for America but it’s also good for the people that are coming.” JENNIFER WELCH TARGETS RUBIO IN RANT ABOUT HOW ‘BROWN-SKINNED’ MAGA SUPPORTERS ARE WHITE NATIONALISTS The U.S. and India will be stronger in the end, according to Rubio. “We’re going to wind up with a system that’s more efficient and even better than the previous system, and in some ways may prove to be even more beneficial than the previous system was to people from India that seek to enter the United States to work and innovate,” he concluded. “But obviously, there’s going to be a period of adjustment along the way. “We’re in a period of transition, and like any period of transition there’s going to be some bumps on that road. But we think ultimately our destination is going to be a better system, a more efficient system, one that works better than the one that we had in place previously, and more sustainable, by the way,” Rubio said. Rubio also addressed allegations of anti-India racism in America, urging India to not listen to the “stupid people.” “I’ll take that very seriously about the comments,” Rubio said. “Look, I’m sure that there are people that have made comments online and other places, because every country in the world has stupid people. I’m sure there are stupid people here.” “There are stupid people in the United States that make dumb comments all the time. I don’t know what else to tell you other than the United States is a very welcoming country,” Rubio said. “Our nation has been enriched by people who come to our country, have come from our country from all over the world, have become Americans, have assimilated into our way of life, and have contributed greatly.”
Vets torch Dem Senate hopeful who called Army ‘fat, lazy trash,’ mocked soldier shot four times
Veterans are ripping Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner after resurfaced posts showed him calling the Army “full of fat, lazy trash” and mocking a soldier who was shot multiple times in combat before receiving a Purple Heart. “I am a decorated veteran, and people need to understand what serving in the Army cost me: congestive heart failure, bilateral hearing loss, COPD, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism and PTSD,” Holland “Ricky” White, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade, told Fox News Digital. The 173rd Airborne Brigade, also known as “The Herd,” was one of the first ground combat units to deploy to Vietnam, where it endured some of the war’s most intense fighting. “I understand ridicule better than most. I was ridiculed not only as a Vietnam veteran, but as a black man as well,” White continued. “I lost friends over there, and it still hurts to talk about them. I often ask God, ‘Why did You spare me and not my friends?’ I believe God wasn’t done with me when I came home, and that’s why I continue trying to make a difference today.” “That is why comments like Graham’s are so offensive,” White said. PLATNER IN THE HOT SEAT AS MAINE VOTERS RIP HIS ‘HORRIBLE’ COMMENTS AMID REDDIT SCANDAL The backlash adds to a mounting controversy over Platner’s deleted Reddit account as the veteran-turned-oyster farmer seeks to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in one of the nation’s most closely watched 2026 Senate races. Platner has leaned heavily on his military background in pitching himself to Maine voters, but the resurfaced posts threaten to derail his campaign as his use of slurs, embrace of socialism and criticism of the armed forces come under scrutiny. Perhaps Platner’s most controversial Reddit post came in 2019 when he sharply criticized a soldier who was shot multiple times by the Taliban in 2012. “Dumb motherf—er didn’t deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat a– wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt,” Platner wrote on Reddit, reacting to combat footage another user had posted. “Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part is the only reason this mouthbreather made it home.” The video that Platner was commenting on came from the helmet cam of U.S. Army veteran Ted Daniels, who was shot four times and awarded the Purple Heart. “As a Purple Heart recipient myself – having been wounded for my country, I find his comments to be especially vile,” Steve, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who has built a large social media following, told Fox News Digital. “Mocking a fellow American that took enemy fire, to protect his squad shows a lack of basic understanding of brotherhood and selfless service.” Steve requested that Fox News Digital withhold his last name for privacy reasons. WARREN SAYS HER ‘KIND OF MAN’ IS LEFT-WING SENATE HOPEFUL ROCKED BY NAZI-TATTOO, REDDIT CONTROVERSIES Platner expressed a general distaste for the Army in his deleted forum posts. “I spent another 4 in the Army after the Corps, and while I was very lucky to serve in some sh–t hot units with good dudes, as a whole the organization is absolute trash,” Platner wrote in April 2019. “As an organization it’s awful. Full of fat, lazy trash who would rather not be in uniform.” “A Senator who calls soldiers ‘trash’ and mocks a man’s Purple Heart has shown who he really is,” Bill Brown, a retired Navy SEAL who served in Iraq, told Fox News Digital. “A Senator votes to send soldiers to war, confirms the generals who lead them, and funds the equipment that protects them. Platner’s own words in his deleted post prove he can’t be trusted to do right by those that protect us.” PLATNER’S DELETED REDDIT SPARKS OUTRAGE AGAIN AS HE APPEARS TO MOCK WOUNDED SOLDIER: ‘DIDN’T DESERVE TO LIVE’ “Being a veteran does not make someone honorable. Honor is how you carry yourself, how you treat others, and how you speak about those who served beside you. In this case, the uniform may have been earned, but respect clearly was not,” Kate Monroe, the CEO of VETCOMM and a Marine Corps veteran, told Fox News Digital. John Rourke, a retired Army staff sergeant who saw combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom, seconded Monroe’s sentiments, saying that Platner’s mockery doesn’t “make him edgy or tough” but “a disgrace to the uniform.” LEFT-WING DEM SENATE HOPEFUL CHEERED ON ANTIFA VIOLENCE IN UNEARTHED RANT: ‘KILL A MOTHERF—ER’ Some of Platner’s possible future colleagues in the Senate who served in the armed forces have also condemned his comments. “As a combat veteran, I’ve seen the cost of war up close. I’ve watched brave Americans come home with wounds, visible and invisible, that they’ll carry for the rest of their lives,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital. “Mocking servicemembers for getting wounded or killed is absolutely despicable. These are our brothers and sisters, people who volunteered to put everything on the line for this country.” Ernst served 23 years in the Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard, including as a company commander in Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and retired as a lieutenant colonel. MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON ‘TERRIBLE’ POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT “Platner’s comments about American servicemembers are disgraceful, but it’s what we should expect from a communist with a Nazi tattoo,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital. Cotton served as an Army infantry officer with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Let’s see the courageous Democrat vets defend this one … can’t wait to hear it,” Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., a retired Navy SEAL, said of Platner’s remarks. Fox News Digital reached the offices of some Democratic veterans serving in the Senate on Friday. None responded to requests for comment. The Platner campaign also did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital. “The motto and ethos of the Marine
Omar confronted on camera over GOP proposal targeting foreign-born lawmakers: ‘Good luck to her’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., appeared unbothered when asked about the newly proposed GOP resolution barring anyone foreign-born from serving in Congress. “Good luck to her,” Omar told Fox News Digital when asked her opinion on the potential legislation. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announced Wednesday that she is proposing a constitutional amendment that would require any member of Congress, federal judges, or Senate-confirmed officers to be a natural-born citizen. This amendment would impose the same natural-born citizen standard required for presidents and vice presidents in the U.S. DR. PHIL EXCORIATES ILHAN OMAR, CALLS HER BASHING OF AMERICA ‘ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING’ Omar was one of three targets that Mace specifically pointed out when she posted to X on Wednesday to announce her new “long overdue” joint resolution. Omar was born in Somalia and became a naturalized citizen in 2000. “Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal,” Mace posted to X “All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress. All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America.” There are currently 26 individuals serving as members of Congress that are not natural-born citizens — 19 Democrats and seven Republicans. Omar told Fox News Digital that she is not concerned about this legislation having the legs to pass. “If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural-born American citizen,” Mace told Fox News Digital in a statement. “For too long we have allowed foreign-born members to hold seats in this government, while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day.” MACE FILES RESOLUTION TO EXPEL HOUSE DEMOCRAT AFTER HER ARREST AT ICE DETENTION FACILITY PROTEST Changing the Constitution is not an easy feat, requiring approval from two-thirds of both the House and Senate before an additional ratification of three-fourths of U.S. states. The proposal has not yet drawn widespread public backing from House GOP leadership or any large group of Republican co-sponsors. Omar was also asked about Rep. Randy Fine’s, R-Fla., “Disqualifying Dual Loyalty Act,” which he introduced in October. This legislation would ban anyone from serving in Congress who has dual citizenship in another country. It would force individuals to renounce their foreign citizenship in order to serve or be considered for Congress. NIKKI HALEY’S SON SAYS ‘THIS ISN’T THE COUNTRY FOR YOU’ IF YOU CAN’T CHOOSE YOUR LOYALTY “Who’s that?” Omar said when asked about Fine’s proposed legislation. “I think it’s a fair argument to say you can only swear allegiance to one country, and if you’re in Congress, that allegiance should be to America,” Fine said in a statement. “This bill ensures that the people making laws for our citizens are themselves fully committed to our country, not divided between two.” Fine’s legislation has not shown significant movement in Congress since being referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary last year.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Marine vet prosecutor refuses to cross constitutional line on Spanberger ‘assault weapon’ ban
EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Mehaffey, a Marine veteran and Virginia prosecutor, is taking a hard-line stance against what he believes is an “unconstitutional” new gun ban signed by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger, who has been slipping in the polls amid criticisms of her progressive policy agenda, signed a new bill last week banning the future sale and manufacture of “assault weapons,” including many semiautomatic rifles, pistols and shotguns. The law also bans the future sale of magazines with a capacity of more than 15 rounds. The move caused immediate backlash from many Virginians and raised new Second Amendment violation concerns. Rather than protest, however, Mehaffey, who serves as the commonwealth attorney for Spotsylvania County, is drawing a line in the sand and flatly refusing to enforce the ban. With the bill set to take effect this July ahead of America’s 250th anniversary of independence, Mehaffey sent a letter to Spotsylvania Sheriff Roger Harris, instructing him that the ban is “unconstitutional and cannot be lawfully enforced.” LEGAL EXPERT UNLEASHES ON SPANBERGER’S NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETING ICE: ‘POLITICAL THEATER’ A statement released by Spanberger’s office called the assault weapons ban a “critical step toward protecting families, communities, and the law enforcement officers who serve them.” Spanberger remarked she signed the bill into law “because firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets.” She added that “while the General Assembly chose not to adopt my amendment that specifically carves out certain firearms frequently used for hunting, I will work with the patrons to clarify this language.” In response, Mehaffey said in an interview with Fox News Digital that the law “is striking at the core of the militia system that existed in Virginia.” According to Mehaffey, the Second Amendment is not just an assurance of personal freedoms, but also a safeguard for a community’s ability to defend itself through a “well-regulated militia.” “Our founders were careful to make sure when they drafted our founding document, that the ultimate right of the people was preserved to defend themselves and to defend their community,” he explained. “So, the linchpin of the constitutional analysis is going to be does this instrument have some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a regulated militia.” ‘BACKYARD BRAWL’ IGNITES AS WEST VIRGINIA’S MORRISEY MOVES TO POACH BLUE STATE RIVAL SPANBERGER’S JOBS Mehaffey argues that in Virginia, historical tradition and case law precedent not only allow citizens to own firearms but even require them to arm themselves with the weapons of a basic infantryman for common defense. In the Founding Fathers’ time, Mehaffey said the standard issue was a musket and 20 rounds. Today, the basic infantry weapon in the U.S. military is the M4A1 carbine equipped with a 30-round magazine. “The second amendment may not mean that you are allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” he laughed. “But what it does allow you to have is a basic infantry weapon.” “That sort of weapon is the core of what’s protected by the Second Amendment. Not necessarily a nuclear warhead, but a rifle that you can take out and form either a fire team or a company to defend yourself and to defend your community.” Mehaffey is not alone in his stance. In addition to what he characterized as the “overwhelmingly positive” response from his community, Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip Blevins, an Air Force veteran, has also refused to enforce the bill, arguing it is unconstitutional. The ban is also facing lawsuits from gun-rights groups, including the NRA, Firearms Policy Coalition and Second Amendment Foundation. Blevins told Fox News Digital that “ultimately, courts will continue to address these issues, and I respect the role of the judiciary. But as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for Smyth County, I will continue to stand for what I believe the Constitution requires, without apology or hesitation.” “My position is not based on politics. It is based on constitutional fidelity,” he continued, adding, “The Bill of Rights either means something, or it does not.” “As Commonwealth’s Attorney, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Virginia. That oath is not situational, and it does not change based on politics, headlines, or pressure from either side of an issue.” Mehaffey believes he and those standing beside him on this issue will ultimately prevail. “The Second Amendment is the supreme law of the land, both in the U.S. Constitution and the analog in the Virginia Constitution,” he explained. “So, whatever law is passed by the General Assembly is not going to have the ability to supersede the Constitution.” POWERFUL DEM’S JABS AT TRUMP COME BACK TO HAUNT HER AFTER OFFICE RAIDED BY FBI: ‘AGED WELL’ While he has gotten a lot of personal attention for his stance, Mehaffey emphasized that, “I want nothing more than to fulfill my office with honor and to be a good servant to the people that elected me to represent them and to stick up for their rights.” “That’s what I’m trying to do,” he continued, adding, “I would expect any government official to remain faithful to the Constitution and to discharge their duties as servants of the people in the same way that I have.” Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for additional comment.