NationalWatch

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley brought in over $11 million in fundraising the past three months as she runs for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, her campaign confirmed to Fox News on Monday.

The haul by Haley – a two-term governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in then-President Trump’s administration – during the July-September third quarter of 2023 fundraising was an increase from the $7.3 million she raised during the April-June second quarter.

With just over three months to go until the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar, the Haley campaign touted that they had $11.6 million cash on hand in their coffers as of the beginning of the month, including $9.1 million of which can be spent in the presidential primaries.

HALEY ON THE RISE IN THIS KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE: POLL 

The Haley campaign also touted “an explosion in donor interest,” with nearly 40,000 new contributors in the third quarter

“We have seen a big surge in support and have real momentum,” Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement. “Nikki is emerging as the candidate who can move America beyond the chaos and drama of the past and present, and we have the resources we need to do it.”

THIS IS HOW MUCH DONALD TRUMP HAULED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS IN FUNDRAISING

Haley has seen her standing in the polls rise over the past couple of months, thanks in part to well-regarded performances in the first two presidential nomination debates. She is now in second place in the Republican nomination race in some of the latest surveys in New Hampshire, which votes second in the primary and caucus schedule, and her home state of South Carolina, which holds the first southern contest.

Haley’s fundraising, while robust, pales in comparison to the whopping $45.5 million the Trump campaign said that he hauled in during the third quarter.

The former president’s political team also reported over $37.5 million in their campaign coffers as of the end of last month. Trump is the commanding front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination in both fundraising and polling as he makes his third straight White House run.

Trump’s lead expanded over the spring and summer as he made history as the first former or current president in American history to be indicted for a crime. Trump’s four indictments — including in federal court in Washington, D.C., and in Fulton County court in Georgia on charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss — have only fueled his support among Republican voters in both polling and fundraising.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign last week reported a $15 million fundraising haul over the past three months. Those figures, however, were down from the $20 million he brought in during the second quarter of fundraising, and DeSantis had only $5 million cash on hand in funds that could be spent on the presidential primaries.

Presidential candidates have until Oct. 15 to file their third quarter reports with the Federal Election Commission.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

FIRST ON FOX – Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, appears to be upping his fundraising as he builds resources towards his bid for re-election next year to a third six-year term in the Senate.

The conservative firebrand lawmaker brought in $5.4 million during the July-September third quarter of 2023 fundraising, according to figures shared first with Fox News on Monday morning.

Cruz’s haul is up from the $4.4 million he raised during the April-June second quarter of fundraising and the $1.8 million he brought in during the first three months of 2023. It is also a significant increase from the $3.5 he raised during the third quarter of 2017, the similar fundraising quarter during his 2018 re-election campaign.

The Cruz campaign says they entered October with over $6.7 million cash on hand in their coffers. 

TEXAS: THE RED STATE DEMOCRATS CONTINUOUSLY DREAM OF TURNING BLUE, BUT KEEEP FALLING SHORT

They noted that they had over 34,000 donors, including 10,000 new contributors, spotlighting that the senator’s average contribution during the quarter was $40.30 and consisted of donations from Texans in 240 out of the state’s 254 Texas, and from supporters in all 50 states.

“The momentum and excitement to re-elect Senator Ted Cruz could not be more tangible. With $5.4 million raised in Q3, we are seeing more and more Texans animated to re-elect Ted Cruz and ensure that Texas remains the nation’s model state for conservative values and ideas. Democrats better gear up, because Senator Cruz is ready for a hell of a fight to keep Texas, Texas,” Cruz spokesperson Nick Maddux emphasized in a statement to Fox News.

BLUE TO RED: FOUR SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP TO WIN THE MAJORITY IN 2024

Cruz has said that his re-election bid next year for a third term representing Texas is “going to be a firefight.” And there’s already a large field of Democrats gunning to win their party’s nomination and face off with him in 2024.

Cruz, who narrowly defeated then-Rep. Beto O’Rourke in a hard-fought 2018 Senate battle, touted in a Fox News Digital interview earlier this year that after former President Donald Trump, “there is no Republican in the country that Democrats hate more than me.” 

He highlighted that it is “something I wear as a badge of honor. There is no Republican that they would like to beat more than me.”

Cruz was dramatically out-raised in that 2018 showdown by O’Rourke, and Rep. Colin Allred, the most prominent of the Democrats running to take on Cruz, topped the senator by nearly $2 million during second quarter of 2023 fundraising. 

Allred has yet to announce his third quarter fundraising. Candidates for the Senate have until Oct. 15 to file their reports with the Federal Election Commission.

The Cruz campaign announced their third quarter haul and cash on hand as a combined total of money raised across three fundraising entities: Ted Cruz for Senate, which is the senator’s reelection campaign committee; Ted Cruz Victory Committee, a joint fundraising committee; and Jobs, Freedom & Security PAC, a leadership political action committee. The leadership PAC cannot spend funds directly on Cruz’s reelection.

Senate Democrats are defending their fragile 51-49 majority in next year’s elections.

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Republicans need a net gain of either one or two seats in 2024 to win back the majority — depending on which party controls the White House after next year’s presidential election. 

The math and the map favor the GOP, as the Democrats are defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs, including three in red states and a handful in key general election battlegrounds such as Pennsylvania

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
 

A former Trump-era adviser to the U.S. ambassador to Israel is calling on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to resign after she “embarrassed herself” while responding to the terrorist attacks on Israel.

In an early morning post to social media on Sunday, Aryeh Lightstone, who served as a senior adviser to former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman from 2017 to 2021, took aim at Whitmer for her comments following the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

“I have been in touch with communities impacted by what’s happening in the region. It is abhorrent. My heart is with all those impacted. We need peace in this region,” Whitmer wrote on X, with no mention of Israel.

“I hosted you for Thanksgiving in Israel just a few years ago. I am embarrassed for you and by you & disappointed that I opened my home and my family to you,” Lightstone responded to Whitmer.

GOV. WHITMER ROASTED OVER SLOW, ‘GOBBLEDEGOOK’ RESPONSE TO HAMAS ATTACKS ON ISRAEL: ‘SAY THEIR NAMES’

Elaborating on his comments, Lightstone — who’s in Israel witnessing the conflict as it unfolds — told Fox News Digital he was shocked by the “fraudulent nature” of Whitmer’s response.

“The job of a leader is to know the difference between right and wrong. The job of a politician is apparently to say nothing, and she demonstrated that she’s a politician,” he said.

“She watched this happen in real time. And to watch women and children be kidnapped and raped and murdered, and to not be able to say something? She should resign immediately,” Lightstone said of Whitmer.

Lightstone said he hosted Whitmer, her husband, and 25 other Michigan residents at his home in Israel for a Thanksgiving meal in 2019, when the governor had the opportunity to witness first-hand the ongoing conflict taking place in the country.

“She was in Israel. She saw what happened. She went to the border. She saw the people,” he said. “I’m a Republican… but she wanted a place for Thanksgiving and every American should have a place to go for Thanksgiving. So I welcomed her into my home and I invited 25 Michiganders at my expense to host them.”

Lightstone said he and the governor spoke about the U.S.-Israel relationship and ways to strengthen it.

Following the pushback she received from the tweet, Whitmer made another post on Saturday in which she included Israel’s name.

“The images that continue to come out of Israel on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War are devastating. The loss of lives in Israel –children and families – is absolutely heartbreaking and appalling,” the governor said in her follow-up post on X. “There is no justification for violence against Israel. My support is steadfast.”

VIDEOS OF HAMAS BRUTALITY TOWARD ISRAELIS EERILY REMINISCENT OF ISIS TACTICS

Asked about Whitmer’s follow-up tweet, Lightstone said he believes she only shared it because she was “embarrassed for herself.”

“There’s only two sides of this. There’s a right side and a wrong side. She chose the wrong side,” he said. “I don’t think she’s a bad person. I just think she’s a politician.”

Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

During his conversation with Fox, Lightstone also underscored his work to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship while serving with Friedman. Specifically, he touted the Abraham Accords, which were negotiated by the Trump administration and first signed in 2020. The agreements secured diplomatic relations between four Muslim-majority countries with Israel, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

“Israel is resilient, Israel is strong, but Israel is going through the worst day in its history. Saying anything short of that is mischaracterizing the day. It’s the worst day in Israel’s history,” Lightstone said.

“Israel has never asked for and never will ask for a single American troop on the ground here,” he added, highlighting the need for other means of support for Israel. “Every one of these people chanting ‘death to Israel’ finishes the sentence with ‘death to America.'”

Lightstone also attempted to throw cold water on reports that suggested Israel was not united in its efforts to combat terrorists in the region.

“It was reported that in the last nine months that Israel is deeply divided. Israel is not deeply divided. Israel is fully and totally united,” he said. “The people of the United States of America, I believe, strongly love Israel.”

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He also noted that there “can be no whataboutism” about the situation taking place in Israel.

“There is no parallel. This is not a competition between two sides that both have merit. One is a side of animals and the other is the side of democracy. This is the clearest distinction I’ve seen in my life since 9/11,” he said.

Fox News’ Landon Mion and Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE — The Department of Justice (DOJ) was slated to roll out the welcome mat in October for an Iraqi judge who issued an arrest warrant for former President Donald Trump because he ordered the assassination of a global Iranian terrorist responsible for the murders of more than 600 American military personnel, according to the U.S. government.

Fox News Digital exclusively learned last week through a source with first-hand knowledge of his travels that the alleged pro-Iran regime jurist, Faiq Zidan, was set to visit the DOJ.

Yet after a flurry of Fox News Digital press queries to the DOJ within a 24-hour period, the DOJ ostensibly and dramatically backtracked on its invitation to Zidan.

A source familiar with the situation told Fox News on Thursday, “Zidan will not be meeting with any DOJ officials.”

When asked about the visit prior to cancellation, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement on Wednesday, “The Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan is going to be hosted by the Department of Justice so we defer to the DoJ to discuss their meetings. We engage with a wide range of counterparts in Iraq and we value engaging the Iraqi judiciary. The DOJ meets regularly with foreign judicial leaders.”

IRAQ SEVERS DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH SWEDEN OVER ANTI-QURAN DEMONSTRATION AS PROTESTERS STORM BAGHDAD EMBASSY

According to a separate source familiar with the Zidan’s invitation to the DOJ, the judge told many U.S. officials the DOJ invited him to Washington, D.C. The appearance of working at cross-purposes between the State Department and DOJ suggests there may have been tension over the invitation to Zidan due to his pro-Iranian regime rhetoric and conduct.

In January, Zidan said that Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council filed an arrest warrant for Trump with regard to the targeted killing of Iranian Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the head of the pro-Iran Kata’ib Hezbollah militia in 2020.

Iranian regime-controlled outlets and other news organizations quoted Zidan, who declared that Trump confessed to his “crime” with respect to the assassination of the “Leaders of Victory.” According to the U.S. government, terrorists loyal to the IRGC’s Soleimani murdered more than 600 American military personnel in the Middle East. The U.S. and European Union designated Soleimani a terrorist.

Congressional letters sent to President Biden in 2023 expressed alarm about Zidan. Just last month, three influential congressmen wrote Biden: “We urge you to make every effort to end the unacceptable treatment of Iraqi Kurds and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) by Iran-aligned elements in Iraq.”

The letter noted, “You are well aware of the role the U.S. played in supporting the Iraqi people as they developed a constitution in 2005 that established the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has served as one of the United States’ most reliable partners in the Middle East, yet is being economically strangled, politically and legally pressured, including reportedly by Faiq Zidan, President of the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq, and militarily threatened by Iran and Iran-backed elements in Baghdad.”

IRAN OFFICIAL ADMITS COUNTRY’S ROLE IN TERROR BOMBING THAT KILLED 241 US MILITARY MEMBERS 

There are various anglicized spellings of Zidan’s name, including Zaydan. The KRG is widely considered the only free region of Iraq and the most important ally of America in modern Iraq.

The letter was signed by congressional representatives Michael Waltz, R-Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Joe Wilson, R-S.C. Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department about the September letter.

Another letter in February sent by Waltz asked Biden, “Have the State or Treasury Departments has determined whether Faiq Zaydan, the President of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council, meets the criteria for sanctions for gross human rights, acting as a foreign agent, corruption, and material support as defined by the Global Magnitsky Act and E.O. 13818.” The Magnitsky Act allows the U.S. government to sanction foreign officials engaged in severe human rights abuses. Executive Order 13818 freezes the property of individuals who have committed serious human rights violations.

IRAQ OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO KIDNAPPING OF ISRAELI-RUSSIAN CITIZEN WHO HAS BEEN MISSING FOR MONTHS

Naz Durakoğlu, assistant secretary for the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, answered the February letter on behalf of the White House in a letter dated March 22. Durakoğlu, whose office is part of the State Department, wrote, without naming the judge, “The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to vigorously implementing our visa restrictions and sanctions programs, including those related to Iran and those related to corruption. The State Department and Department of the Treasury actively review cases and apply these authorities to designate persons and entities globally. We do not comment on potential future visa restrictions or sanctions.”

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital they do not comment on correspondence between congressional representatives and the State Department.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the National Security Council for a comment. The NSC referred Fox News Digital to the DOJ.

Prior to the Thursday’s disclosure that the DOJ pulled the plug on its meeting with Zidan, a number of Iraq experts weighed in on the planned DOJ meeting with Zidan.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser for the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital, “The Justice Department should be focused on protecting Americans targeted by IRGC assassinations and kidnapping plots, not hosting the IRGC’s man in Baghdad who wants to prosecute Americans for killing terrorists. Zidan should not be allowed in America.”

Michael Knights, a fellow of the Washington Institute who has written about Zidan, told Fox News Digital that “Zidan issued one order after another that has disadvantaged opponents of Iranian militias.”

Knights said that after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Soleimani and al-Muhandis “were the architects of moving Zidan up through the judicial system. He was running counter-terrorism courts so that none of Iran’s friends got prosecuted under Iraqi law.”

The lack of modern judicial norms in Iraq was noted by Knights who said Zidan “is a supreme court judge who can hire and fire other judges. Iraq has one supreme court judge. He is as powerful as the prime minister of Iraq. He is unelected, installed by Iran and has no term limit.”

LAWMAKER DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER BIDEN OFFICIAL IMPLICATED IN IRANIAN INFLUENCE SCHEME: ‘UNBELIEVABLE!’

Knights pointed to an example of Zidan’s alleged human rights violations involving the case of an American citizen who was detained last year in Iraq because he was investigating Zidan’s reported misconduct. He said that “Zidan broke numerous Iraqi laws by detaining the U.S. citizen” who was tortured physically and mentally. The American was incarcerated for 11 weeks before Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell helped secure their release.

Knights said the U.S. government should “absolutely” sanction Zidan for human rights abuses. And he noted, “What it [DOJ] should not be doing is inviting him to the country to congratulate him on the great job he is doing.” Such a visit to the DOJ would have only empowered Zidan and his pro-Iran regime activities in Iraq, Knights added.

Entifadh Qanbar, the president of the Kurdish Protection Action Committee (KPAC) in the U.S., told Fox News Digital that Zidan is a “dangerous person.” Qanbar, who worked as a civil engineer in Iraq, said, “It is a disaster” that the DOJ invited Zidan because “he has no morals and sold himself to the Iranians. Whatever the Iranians tell him to do, he does. He issued an arrest warrant against Trump.”

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Qanbar said that after Iranian-backed militias killed 800 Iraqis in 2019, Zidan did not convict any of the killers and that Iranian militias bragged about it.

Fox News Digital spoke to Zidan’s representative on the telephone, and she asked for a written WhatsApp press query. Zidan did not respond to the Fox News Digital WhatsApp media query.

Fox News Digital also sent press queries to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Washington.

Former President Donald Trump returns to New Hampshire on Monday for his first visit in two months to the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the Republican presidential nominating calendar.

Trump will headline a campaign event at the Kingswood Art Center in Wolfeboro, in the state’s lakes region. The former president may very well make another stop after his event in Wolfeboro.

It’s Trump’s first trip back to New Hampshire since headlining an event at Windham’s high school on August 8. 

While the former president hasn’t spent nearly as much time in the Granite State compared to his rivals for the GOP nomination, Trump remains the commanding front-runner in the latest Republican presidential primary polls in New Hampshire.

HERE’S HOW MUCH MONEY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN HAULED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS

And when it comes to the all-important ground game efforts, his campaign touts that “we are miles ahead of everyone else.”

“We’ve been just hammering it as far as grassroots is concerned,” Steve Stepanek, the Trump campaign’s senior adviser in New Hampshire, told Fox News.

WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE LATEST POLLS IN THIS KEY PRIMARY STATE

The Trump campaign announced their New Hampshire grassroots leadership team in late June. It included 10 county chairs, 4 city chairs, and over 200 town chairs.

“We’ve been doing a ton of door knocking, a ton of phone calls,” said Stepanek, who is a former state representative and 2016 Trump campaign co-chair in New Hampshire who went on to chair the state GOP until early this year. “Getting a huge response, especially on the doors.”

The Trump campaign would be expected brag about efforts in the state that gave the then-first-time candidate his initial victory in the 2016 cycle, boosting him towards the GOP presidential nomination and eventually the White House.

LATEST FUNDRAISING REPORTS COULD BE DEATH KNELL FOR SOME GOP PRESIDENTIAL LONG-SHOTS

But even a neutral observer sees strength in Trump’s ground game.

Greg Moore, a veteran conservative activist in New Hampshire and longtime state director for Americans for Prosperity, tells Fox News that “there’s no question that Donald Trump has a robust organization here in New Hampshire.”

“When you run multiple times, one of the big benefits is you build up a strong list of people and strong relationships with people that you can go back and tap in the future. Trump’s rivals, other than Gov. Christie, don’t have that advantage. They started from scratch. And for those folks, they have to start building at a level that’s a lot lower than what Donald Trump began with.”

While the Trump campaign in New Hampshire appears to be firing on all cylinders, Moore also complimented the operations supporting first-time candidate and multi-millionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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“Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign as well as the Ron DeSantis aligned super PAC Never Back Down are building up robust campaign operations that can really support what they’re trying to accomplish,” he said.

But with just three and a half months to go until the likely date of the New Hampshire primary, Moore warned that “some of the other campaigns are starting late and it’s going to create a real challenge going forward, trying to position themselves to get out their message and start building that authentic grassroots. That’s critical as we get closer to the primary election. You need a strong foundation.”

Pointing to past cycles, he said “we’ve seen through the years many of these candidates who may be riding a national wave because of some publicity, when it actually becomes crunch time, those candidates frequently don’t fare as well as the candidates who built out robust grassroots capability.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

It has now been more than 24 hours since Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invaded areas of southern Israel, killing hundreds and wounding thousands, and two former presidents have been silent.

As of midday Sunday, no social media account, presidential library or foundation associated with Democratic former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama had commented on the conflict taking place in Israel.

The Clinton Foundation, though it has posted online since the conflict intensified over the weekend, has also yet to say anything about the situation. Similarly, the social media accounts belonging to Clinton did not comment on the attacks against Israel.

Despite former President Clinton’s silence, former first lady Hillary Clinton released a statement Sunday evening, saying “My prayers are with everyone affected by the horrific attacks by Hamas in Israel. The United States stands in strong support of our ally, today and every day.”

ISRAEL DECLARES WAR AFTER HAMAS SURPRISE ATTACK, LAUNCHES RETALIATORY AIRSTRIKES IN GAZA

Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have also been silent about the attacks. No statement, thus far, has been issued by the Obama Foundation and the social media accounts for both Obamas have not commented on the matter.

“Not one word from Obama, and why is that? Is he too busy? Or simply indifferent? Or could it be that, having given millions to Iran, he is privately celebrating his role in taking Israel down a notch,” conservative author Dinesh D’Souza questioned in a post to X.

Despite the silence from the Obamas and former President Clinton, former Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush both issued statements – either through their own means or entities associated with them – condemning the attacks on Saturday.

Trump, who maintained a good relationship with Israel during his tenure in the White House, called the attacks a “disgrace” and insisted that Israel should defend itself with “overwhelming force.”

GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DECLARE SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AFTER HAMAS ASSAULT: ‘JOE BIDEN FUNDED THESE ATTACKS’

“These Hamas attacks are a disgrace and Israel has every right to defend itself with overwhelming force. Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social.

“We brought so much peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, only to see Biden whittle it away at a far more rapid pace than anyone thought possible. Here we go again,” he added.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center also issued a statement on the matter and “strongly” condemned the “heinous terrorist attacks on Israel that claimed scores of innocent civilians.

“We urge the United States and our allies to stand unequivocally with Israel, its government and people, and support Israel’s right to defend itself against these threats,” the center added. “Attacks on free and democratic states anywhere are attacks on all of us, whether in Israel, Ukraine, or elsewhere.”

The Carter Center released a statement on the matter late Sunday evening, saying it “strongly condemns the targeting of Israeli and Palestinian civilians and calls for genuine dialogue as well as international collective action to halt hostilities in the region.”

“Our hearts are heavy with sorrow for the tragic loss of innocent lives on all sides of the conflict. We urge all parties to prioritize the protection and well-being of civilians by refraining from actions that target residential areas,” the center continued. “The Carter Center acknowledges the profound historical and religious significance this region holds for all parties involved. The fundamental human rights of all residents of the region must be protected, land claims and security concerns addressed, and the sanctity of Muslim and Christian holy sites preserved. In addition, it is crucial to recognize the complex dynamics of this situation, including the ongoing occupation.”

The center also called on “the international community to engage actively in building peace in the region.”

“The urgency for a robust and renewed peace process has never been greater,” the center added. “There is not a military solution to the crisis – only a political one. We implore the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and reinvigorate a credible process that brings peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians while safeguarding the lives of all civilians.”

Israel’s security cabinet officially declared war Saturday night after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise barrage of thousands of rockets into southern Israel, killing hundreds and wounding thousands, according to Israeli media.

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Israeli soldiers battled Hamas fighters in the streets of southern Israel a day after Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invaded the area and launched rockets from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 600 Israelis and wounding at least 2,000 others.

Israeli forces launched retaliatory strikes against Hamas terrorists in Gaza on Sunday, while also trading fire with Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in the north.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, was criticized on social media for not saying enough in her statement about the attack against Israel by Hamas terrorists.

In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the governor said she spoke with “communities impacted by what’s happening in the region,” but failed to mention “Israel” by name.

“I have been in touch with communities impacted by what’s happening in the region. It is abhorrent. My heart is with all those impacted. We need peace in this region,” Whitmer wrote.

The post drew criticism for her omission of Israel’s name, as the country faces ongoing attacks from Hamas militants.

‘SQUAD’ DEMS FACE BACKLASH FOR ‘CEASEFIRE’ AFTER ISRAEL ATTACKS: ‘CAN’T MERELY CONDEMN TERRORISM’

“Say their names…Israelis were murdered by Palestinian terrorists. I know this is hard for rich, white liberals like yourself,” NewsBusters managing editor Cutis Houck replied.

Fox News Radio host Guy Benson called the governor’s statement “Weak.”

Richard Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence under former President Trump, said the post was “pathetic” and asked why Whitmer would not express support for Israel.

“This is a pathetic statement,” he wrote. “Why can’t you say you support Israel? This is the Left in America. Wise up.”

In another reply, Grenell said to the governor, “This could be about Hawaii. You have terrible instincts.”

Aryeh Lightstone, who served as senior advisor to former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman during the Trump administration, said he is embarrassed for Whitmer and is disappointed that he once hosted her for Thanksgiving in Israel.

“Dear @GovWhitmer I hosted you for Thanksgiving in Israel just a few years ago. I am embarrassed for you and by you & disappointed that I opened my home and my family to you,” Lightstone wrote.

BIDEN ADMIN ‘UNEQUIVOCALLY’ CONDEMNS TERROR GROUP HAMAS, SAYS US ‘STANDS WITH ISRAEL’

Many of the replies under Whitmer’s post asked her to state the region and communities she was referring to.

Following the pushback, Whitmer made another post in which she included Israel’s name. She said the loss of lives in the country is heartbreaking, and condemned the violence against Israel.

“The images that continue to come out of Israel on the anniversary of the Yom Kippur War are devastating. The loss of lives in Israel –children and families – is absolutely heartbreaking and appalling,” the governor said in her follow-up post on X. “There is no justification for violence against Israel. My support is steadfast.”

The replies said the follow-up was an improvement from her initial post, but that Whitmer still needed to state that Hamas terrorists were responsible for the attack.

“And who were the people who did this? Say their name[s]. Coward,” Houck wrote.

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“Your support is so steadfast you couldn’t state it the first time around and had to be twitter shamed into a second statement,” said Stephen L. Miller, contributing editor at The Spectator.

More than 300 people were killed and more than 1,800 people were wounded in the violence in Israel stemming from the attack by Hamas.

The measure used to oust former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last week is now one of the main points of contention in the battle to replace him.

McCarthy became the first speaker in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives to be removed from the role after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a motion to remove him last week.

The 200-year-old parliamentary rule, known as a motion to vacate, triggers a chamber-wide vote on whether to oust the legislative body’s leader. 

According to the terms of a deal McCarthy made in January to win the gavel, the threshold for triggering a motion to vacate was brought down to just one House member, far below the party-majority needed under Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

“For me, one of the things they have to do is, they have to agree to put a change in the rules that won’t allow what happened [on Tuesday] to happen again,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital earlier this week when asked what he needs in order to support a new candidate for speaker.

GOP LAWMAKERS DENY REVENGE PLAY AGAINST PELOSI WITH OFFICE EVICTIONS AFTER MCCARTHY OUSTER

“If somebody’s not going to agree to do that, then they’re not going to have my vote.”

The pragmatic Main Street Caucus also came out with a statement calling the motion to vacate a “chokehold” on Congress.

“The ability for one person to vacate the Speaker of the House will keep a chokehold on this body through 2024,” the group said in a statement. “Personal politics should never again be used to trump the will of 96 percent of House conservatives. Any candidate for speaker must explain to us how what happened Tuesday never happens again.”

WHO IS PATRICK MCHENRY, SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE OF HOUSE FOLLOWING MCCARTHY’S OUSTER?

The topic was also a central point of conversation in Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s meeting with the Main Street Caucus last week, sources told Fox News Digital. Jordan, R-Ohio, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., are currently vying to be the next House Speaker. 

Fox News Digital was told that Jordan suggested he would be amenable to raising the threshold if a majority of the Republican conference was open to it. 

Even national GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel called for reforming the motion to vacate in a Fox News interview, stating, “We cannot have another chaotic turnover of speaker before next year’s election and think it’s not gonna impact our results.”

WHAT DOES MCCARTHY’S REMOVAL MEAN FOR BIDEN INVESTIGATIONS, DAILY FUNCTIONING OF THE HOUSE? EXPERTS WEIGH IN

But not everyone is on board. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, a member of the hardline-right House Freedom Caucus, defended it in a lengthy X post.

“With a narrow majority, clearly enough people had grievances to continue taking down rules and party line votes in perpetuity. Had the motion to table prevailed, Congress would have had more turmoil for longer. This reveals the pragmatic reality of the MTV,” Davidson argued. “Congress ought not fear the MTV. The MTV allows the debate and resolution. “

The influential right-wing group Club For Growth also indicated it would oppose any House Speaker candidate seeking to change the rules.

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“Club for Growth will oppose any candidate for Speaker of the House who supports a return to Pelosi’s rules, especially her rule change against vacating the chair which stood for more than 200 years,” Club For Growth President David McIntosh wrote on X.

“The House was meant to act as a democratic body, not at the whims of one person’s self-interested agenda.”

House Republicans are meeting on Monday and Tuesday and then are expected to hold elections on their new candidate for speaker on Wednesday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced another round of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees to a floor vote as the president is moving to name lower court judges on a par with his predecessor. 

Biden has gained confirmation of 144 federal judges, including his Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. 

That’s roughly tied with where Trump was by fall of 2019, his third year in office, said Curt Levey, president of the Committee for Justice. Trump finished out his term having appointed more than 230 lower court judges, in addition to three U.S. Supreme Court justices.

“There is a good chance that Biden will be edging Trump out on lower court judges,” Levey told Fox News Digital. “Trump prioritized circuit court judges over district court judges. Biden is a little behind Trump on the circuit court judges.” 

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS KEY BIDEN ADMIN ASYLUM RULE AT CORE OF POST-TITLE 42 STRATEGY

Biden made his 38th round of judicial nominations, as the Senate Democratic majority pushes to impact lower courts in the face of Republican appointees holding a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court. The lower court nominees were a mix of state judges, prosecutors, and public defenders.

A public defender, Richard Federico, was among the judges that advanced in committee on Sept. 28 despite sparking some controversy at his confirmation hearing. Biden nominated Federico to be a judge on the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

During the hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questioned Federico about his defense of a Kansas man convicted in a child pornography case in which Federico asked for a 105-month sentence, well below the federal sentencing guidelines range of 210 months to 240 months, or up to 20 years. He ultimately got 13 years.

“You have to make moral judgments as a defense attorney, wouldn’t you agree?” Hawley asked. 

Federico answered, “Yes.”

Federico has been a lawyer for the Federal Public Defender for the District of Kansas since 2017. Before that, Federico was an assistant federal public defender for the District of Oregon from 2015 to 2017. He has also been a Navy Judge Advocate General officer.

BIDEN JUDGE WITHDRAWS NOMINATION AFTER DEMOCRATS FAIL TO FIND THE VOTES: ‘WAKE-UP CALL’

Hawley followed up: “As his attorney, you can do whatever you want. But you are asking here for a lifetime appointment. So, I think it’s entirely appropriate we ask you about your judgment… Do you think the sentence that you recommended does justice to his victims?”

Federico first responded, “Senator, I could not agree more about the problem.”

Hawley kept trying to get him to answer in a more specific, yes, or no, but Federico said, “ultimately it’s the court that decides.” As Hawley kept pressing the nominee, Federico answered, “Senator, again, it wasn’t my decision as to his ultimate sentence.”

Also in the Sept. 28 meeting, the Judiciary advanced the nomination of Joshua Kolar, a federal magistrate judge in Indiana, to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. But he had bipartisan backing, including from Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind. 

While several district court judges are pending confirmation, among those who sparked Republican attention was California Superior Court Judge Eumi Lee–who Biden nominated to be a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., pressed Lee about her 2010 law review article on gender and prisons. 

BIDEN’S ‘MOST RADICAL’ JUDGES COULD ‘DELIVER THE LEFT’S POLICY PREFERENCES,’ JUDICIAL WATCHDOGS WARN

“In that article, you argued that male prisoners should be allowed to claim they are transgender in order to be assigned to a female prison, didn’t you?” Kennedy asked. 

Lee replied, “That was an article that originated from a symposium, which I just moderated the panel, and then summarized for the symposium edition the different arguments and issues that were raised.”

Lee was a law professor at the University of California College of Law, San Francisco from 2005 to 2018. 

“Do you think that a male prisoner convicted in a court of law, final judgment, should be allowed to claim that he is transgender in order to be assigned to a female prison?” Kennedy asked. 

Lee replied, “The issue of assigned facilities and such, is one that is being actively litigated in California and may come before me.”

Kennedy shot back, “Now all of a sudden you can’t answer. You answered it in your law review article.”

Kennedy went on to point out that Lee was one of the founders of the Gender and Sexuality Law Journal at Georgetown University. Lee was a 1999 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. 

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Past cases or writings are less of a problem than the Biden administration’s criteria for selection of judges, said Levey of the Committee for Justice. He said Biden has prioritized diversity and backgrounds in liberal activism over other important qualifications.

“I’m more concerned about Biden appointing open activists to the bench,” Levey said. “Past Democratic presidents appointed typical Democrats to the bench who were lower court judges or law professors. Biden has appointed activists who have worked for the ACLU, the NAACP, the Brennan Center, and other groups.” 

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says he believes the only way for the ongoing migrant crisis to be fixed will be via a new president in the White House who can reverse the “lawless” approach of the Biden administration.

“I believe the only way to solve this crisis is through a new president who’s actually willing to follow the law,” Cruz told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Cruz spoke as the ongoing crisis at the southern border, now into its third year, has hit record highs. Sources told Fox News there were over 260,000 migrant encounters in September — marking an all-time record.

Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for the ongoing crisis, arguing that the rollback of Trump-era policies fueled the crisis. Cruz cited three moves by the Biden administration in 2021 for causing the crisis: The ending of border wall construction; the broader use of “catch-and-release”; and the ending of the Remain-in-Mexico policy, in which migrants were held in Mexico for their asylum hearings.

MAYORKAS CITES ‘IMMEDIATE NEED’ TO WAIVE REGULATIONS, BUILD BORDER WALL IN TEXAS AS IMMIGRATION SURGES

He pointed to the consequences for his home state of Texas.

“South Texas is in an absolute state of crisis. The jails are overflowing, the hospitals are overflowing, the schools are overflowing. And throughout Texas, we’re seeing the very real human consequences of Joe Biden and the Democrats’ open borders,” he said.

He also noted criticism the administration has received from Democratic officials, including in New York City — where officials have declared themselves overwhelmed at the more than 110,000 migrants they have seen come into the city. Cruz said those numbers are eclipsed by the numbers border communities are seeing. He noted one day in which Eagle Pass, Texas — which has a population of around 28,000 people — saw 4,000 migrant encounters.

“That is 14% of the entire population of the city coming in a single day. The comparable number to New York City would be 1,260,000 illegal immigrants crossing into New York City in a single day. If 110,000 is a crisis, what do you think over a million would be?” he asked. “That is happening throughout our southern border.”

The administration has repeatedly denied that its policies are to blame for the ongoing crisis. Officials have said they are dealing with a Hemisphere-wide challenge and that its policies of expanding lawful migration pathways, targeting root causes and reinstating “consequences” for illegal entry are working. It has also touted an increased number of returns since the ending of Title 42, claiming more have been returned than in the same period in 2019.

The administration has also called on Republicans to provide more funding to the southern border as requested by the administration, while also passing comprehensive immigration reform legislation to fix what it says is a “broken” system.

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Republicans have introduced, and passed in the House, their own border security and asylum overhaul. Cruz introduced the Senate version of that legislation, and says that Congress should pass it “immediately.”

He also says the crisis could be solved if instead of releasing migrants into the interior, the administration deports them instead. But he says he does not believe that will happen, arguing that the Biden administration has been more radical than even the Obama administration.

“[Former President Barack] Obama generally followed the law on immigration, which meant the Obama administration deported millions of people. If you remember, the left wing got very angry with him and called him the deporter in chief,” he said.

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“What Joe Biden is doing has never happened in the history of our nation. He’s simply ignoring the law, is defying the law brazenly,” he said. “And as long as you have a president, as long as you have a chief executive who ignores the law, it doesn’t matter what laws are on the books. If you have a president that is willing to defy the law and you have a corrupt corporate media that is willing to cover for his illegal conduct, as long as this lawless administration remains in power, this crisis will continue, and I believe it will continue to get worse.”

“Squad” House Democrats known for criticizing the state of Israel faced massive backlash from conservatives online over their milquetoast statements following Hamas’s deadly surprise attack on Israel.

Several members of the informal progressive caucus published statements on Saturday condemning the violence and calling for the conflict to de-escalate.

Of the “Squad” members, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., has been silent on the attack on Israel.

‘SQUAD’ DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR END OF ISRAEL’S ‘GAZA BLOCKADE’ AS HE CONDEMNS HAMAS TERROR ATTACKS

Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib’s office for comment on the deadly surprise terrorist attack on Israel but did not receive a response.

Meanwhile, “Squad” queen Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called for a “ceasefire and de-escalation” after the surprise terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel.

“Today is devastating for all those seeking a lasting peace and respect for human rights in Israel and Palestine. I condemn Hamas’ attack in the strongest possible terms,” the New York Democrat said.

“No child and family should ever endure this kind of violence and fear, and this violence will not solve the ongoing oppression and occupation in the region,” Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) continued.

“An immediate ceasefire and de-escalation is urgently needed to save lives,” she added.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., — who has a history of controversial statements about Israel — condemned “the horrific acts we are seeing unfold today in Israel against children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed people who are being slaughtered and taken hostage by Hamas.”

“Such senseless violence will only repeat the back and forth cycle we’ve seen, which we cannot allow to continue,” Omar said.

“We need to call for deescalation and ceasefire,” she continued. “I will keep advocating for peace and justice throughout the Middle East.”

FOX & Friends Weekend co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy criticized Omar in a response to her statement, saying the congresswoman “will never acknowledge that there was peace in the Middle East [and] Europe when Trump was in office.”

Conservative commentator John Hasson also blasted Omar over her tweet.

“Notice how she only condemns the acts against ‘children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed.'” Hasson wrote. “She’s implying that attacking/killing IDF forces is fine.”

In 2021, Omar landed in hot water with senior members of her own party as well as her opponents when she compared America and Israel to murderous terrorist groups Hamas and the Taliban, saying the two democracies have committed “unthinkable atrocities.”

“We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban,” wrote Omar. “I asked [Secretary of State Antony Blinken] where people are supposed to go for justice.”

Additionally, during a 2021 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Omar said the fighting stopping wasn’t enough and that the U.S. was “underwriting crimes against humanity” through support for Israel and that there needed to be “accountability for every war crime committed.”

Amid the 2021 conflict, Omar also accused Israel of engaging in “terrorism” through their airstrikes that tragically killed civilians in the Gaza Strip.

“Israeli air strikes killing civilians in Gaza is an act of terrorism. Palestinians deserve protection. Unlike Israel, missile defense programs, such as Iron Dome, don’t exist to protect Palestinian civilians. It’s unconscionable to not condemn these attacks on the week of Eid,” Omar wrote on Twitter.

In 2019, during her first term in office, Omar came under fire for a since-deleted tweet from 2012, where she wrote “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”

Omar said the “unfortunate words were the only words” she could “think about expressing at that moment” while referring to the Israeli armed forces’ 2012 operation against Hamas in Gaza. She also defended the comments while speaking to comedian Trevor Noah on “The Daily Show.”

Omar, who previously has expressed regret over that tweet, responded by saying she had to “take a deep breath” and “understand where people were coming from and what point they were trying to make.”

Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley tweeted these “devastating attacks on Israelis are deeply alarming and my heart breaks for the victims [and] their loved ones.”

“We need an immediate ceasefire & de-escalation. It is long past time to stop this cycle of violence [and] trauma, and work toward a just [and] lasting peace in the region,” Pressley wrote.

Conservative commentator known online as Comfortably Smug criticized the “Squad” in a response to Pressley’s tweet.

“The squad telling Israel to stand down after it was attacked and hundreds of its citizens were massacred,” he wrote. “Incredible.”

New York Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman took to social media Saturday to call for an end to the Gaza blockade and condemned the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

“I strongly condemn the horrific attacks by Hamas and am saddened by the loss of precious lives, especially on the holy day of Simchat Torah,” Bowman said in a statement, which was shared to social media.

“We need a way to end this deadly violence that is killing and traumatizing generations of Israelis and Palestinians alike — including the blockade of Gaza,” he added. “I have been to the Gaza border and know that Israelis and Palestinians are constantly living in fear. We must work harder to ensure peace in the region.”

As new developments are made, Bowman, who made headlines recently after he pulled a fire alarm in Congress amid a vote to keep government open, said he and his team will be monitoring the situation closely, “especially since several of our Westchester service members are in the area of attacks.”

Conservative radio host Jason Rantz tweeted that “Bowman can’t merely condemn terrorism.”

“He has to include his ignorant criticism of Israel,” Rantz said.

Bowman has been criticized for his position toward Israel, and was one of nine progressives who voted against a resolution affirming Israel was not a racist or apartheid state earlier this year.

In recent weeks there have been protests in Gaza backed by Hamas against economic blockade of the region, which leaders described as aggressive.

“If there’s to be an explosion, let it be against the party that created these conditions, which is the (Israeli) occupation,” senior Hamas official Bassem Naim said earlier this wee, Reuters reported.

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Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invaded areas of southern Israel as rocket barrages launched from the Gaza Strip struck the area on Saturday, killing over 200 Israelis. 

A senior Hamas military commander, Mohammad Deif, announced the start of the operation in which he called on Palestinians everywhere to attack the Israelis, saying in a broadcast on Hamas media that the group launched 5,000 rockets. He called the attack “the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth.”

Local Israeli media reported that at least 100 people have been killed in the wide-ranging assault, while Gaza health officials say that 198 Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes made in response to the Hamas attack. Hospitals are treating at least 985 wounded people, including 77 who were in critical condition, the Associated Press reported based on public statements and calls to hospitals.

Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris contributed reporting.

Several GOP presidential candidates declared their support for Israel on Saturday after Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invaded southern portions of the country and killed at least 100 people.

Local Israeli media reported that at least 100 people have been killed in the wide-ranging assault, while Gaza health officials say that 198 Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes made in response to the Hamas attack. Hospitals are treating at least 561 wounded people, including 77 who were in critical condition, the Associated Press reported based on public statements and calls to hospitals. 

In a video message early Saturday morning, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Citizens of Israel, we are at war — not in an operation, not in rounds — at war.”

Ambulance crews responded to areas around the Gaza Strip, and sirens sounded across Israel. Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva, the largest town in southern Israel, is treating 140 wounded, including 20 in serious and critical condition. Some of these wounded people are civilians. Another hospital in Ashkelon is treating 94 victims wounded in various conditions.

AT LEAST 100 DEAD AS HAMAS LAUNCHES UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK ON ISRAEL, NETANYAHU SAYS NATION IS ‘AT WAR’

Former President Donald Trump, who maintained a good relationship with Israel during his tenure in the White House, called the attacks a “disgrace” and insisted that Israel should defend itself with “overwhelming force.”

“These Hamas attacks are a disgrace and Israel has every right to defend itself with overwhelming force. Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social.

“We brought so much peace to the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, only to see Biden whittle it away at a far more rapid pace than anyone thought possible. Here we go again,” he added.

Weighing in on the matter, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis offered a similar sentiment following the initial attacks. 

In a video message shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, DeSantis declared: “America stands with Israel.”

“Israel is now under attack,” DeSantis said in the clip. “I stand with Israel. America stands with Israel. Not only do they have a right to defend themselves, they have the duty to defend themselves against these Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists. Iran has helped fund this war against Israel and Joe Biden’s policies that have gone easy on Iran has helped to fill their coffers. Israel is now paying the price for those policies.”

“We’re gonna stand with the state of Israel. They need to root out Hamas and we need to stand up to Iran,” he added.

Nikki Haley, a former ambassador to the United Nations who also served as the governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, also insisted it’s time to back Israel as it seeks to defend itself from a “bloodthirsty terrorist organization backed by Iran”.

ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU DECLARES ‘WAR AFTER HAMAS TERRORISTS LAUNCH MASSIVE ATTACK: LIVE UPDATES

“Hamas has declared war on Israel on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret and the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Make no mistake: Hamas is a bloodthirsty terrorist organization backed by Iran and determined to kill as many innocent lives as possible,” Haley said in a statement Saturday morning. “The reports out of Israel are horrific with a stunning number of dead and wounded and should be universally condemned.”

“Israel has every right to defend its citizens from terror. We must always stand with Israel and against this Iranian regime,” she added.

Echoing his GOP counterparts, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy noted that the terrorists behind the attacks on Israel “cannot be allowed to prevail,” and that the country’s right to defend itself shouldn’t be questioned.

“I am appalled by the barbaric and medieval Hamas attacks,” Ramaswamy wrote in a post to X. “Shooting civilians and kidnapping children are war crimes. Israel’s right to exist & defend itself should never be doubted and Iran-backed Hamas & Hezbollah cannot be allowed to prevail. I stand with Israel and the U.S. should too.”

South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott called for U.S. assistance to Israel and condemned the attacks, suggesting like many other Republicans did that President Biden “funded these attacks on Israel.”

“Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel today is an assault on Western Civilization,” Scott said in a statement released by his campaign. “The truth is though, Joe Biden funded these attacks on Israel. America’s weakness is blood in the water for bad actors, but this is worse than that. We didn’t just invite this aggression, we paid for it. Iran is the biggest funder of Hamas. This is the Biden $6 billion ransom payment at work.”

“Israel must defend its people and the nation, and the United States must do everything we can to assist our ally Israel,” Scott added. “As Psalm 122:6 encourages us, we must pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence also declared his support for the country and insisted that Biden’s “weakness” on the world stage was responsible for the attacks.

“This is what happens when @POTUS projects weakness on the world stage, kowtows to the mullahs in Iran with a $6 Billion ransom, and leaders in the Republican Party signal American retreat as Leader of the Free World. Weakness arouses Evil,” Pence wrote in a post shared to X.

GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IDENTIFY TOP ISSUES FACING AMERICANS, FROM THE ECONOMY TO THE BORDER CRISIS

“Time to get back to Peace through strength. Time to get back to American leadership. Time to make sure the terrorists in Hamas and Tehran know …. America Stands With Israel,” Pence added.

Criticizing the attacks through social media, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum called for the United States to provide “maximum support” to Israel.

“Iran and its terror sponsors in Gaza are showing the world their true face: pure evil. Israel is at war with brutal terrorists and the United States must provide maximum support to our democratic ally,” Burgum wrote in an X post. “Our prayers go up for the all the victims of these horrific attacks. We also must remember who pays for this terrorism: Iran. An Iran that is billions of dollars wealthier thanks to Joe Biden.”

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also blasted Biden for the attacks on Israel, writing on X: “Biden’s appeasement of Israel’s enemies has invited this war against Israel. Appeasement anywhere never works. We must do whatever it takes to support the State of Israel in its time of grave danger, and we must end the scourge of Iran-backed terrorism. This terrorism is funded by Biden’s idiotic release of $6 billion to the Iranians.”

“The Hamas war against Israel is now the second war started under Biden’s failed presidency, first by Russia in Ukraine and now by Hamas in Israel. Both could have been deterred by strong American leadership. Under my presidency, America will restore the deterrence Biden has foolishly given away,” Christie added in the post.

A senior Hamas military commander, Mohammad Deif, announced the start of the operation in which he called on Palestinians everywhere to attack the Israelis.

“This is the day of the greatest battle to end the last occupation on earth,” he said in a broadcast on Hamas media, saying that 5,000 rockets had been launched.

According to Israeli media, gunmen opened fire on passersby in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, and footage of the fighting appeared to show attacks in city streets.

“A number of terrorists have infiltrated into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military said in a statement. 

Residents in the area surrounding the Gaza Strip are urged to remain in their homes.

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The sound of rocket launches could be heard in Gaza as residents reported armed clashes along the separation fence with Israel, near the southern town of Khan Younis. The residents said they had seen significant movement of armed fighters.

U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson “unequivocally” condemned the attacks, calling them unprovoked and stressing that “There is never any justification for terrorism.”

Fox News’ Landon Mion and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

GREENEVILLE, S.C. – Presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., does not think that 2024 polling reflects the current state of the heated GOP race, shaking off recent surveys that show him in 3rd place.

A recent Suffolk University survey for USA Today and the Boston Globe suggested that while former President Donald Trump remains the front-runner in the race, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley now leads DeSantis by 9 percentage points, 19% to 10%.

When asked about recent polling, DeSantis told Fox News Digital that he believes voters are still “on the fence.”

“I don’t think any of it matters,” DeSantis told reporters at a recent campaign event. “You’ve got to put yourself in a position to have the type of infrastructure needed to do well when the voting starts. But what’s going to happen is none of the polls are going to matter when people start voting. That’s what’s going to determine everything.”

TRUMP REMAINS COMMANDING FRONTRUNNER IN CRUCIAL FIRST PRIMARY, BUT HALEY KEEPS RISING: POLL

DeSantis also suggested that while Trump maintains a lead in most national surveys, he isn’t banking on the numbers to hold at the polls.

“I think at the end of the day, a majority of people have not made a decision,” the Florida governor told Fox News Digital exclusively during a visit to Greenville, South Carolina. “So if you’re polling someone, and you push them, well if they’re kind of on the fence and they know Trump more than anyone, they’re more likely to do that.”

“If you really pull down, half the electorate is up for grabs in these states, and we’re going to earn the votes in all of those states. We have the organization, we have the work ethic, and we have the message to be able to get it done,” he continued.

DESANTIS ENDORSED BY GROUP OF 60 BIPARTISAN LAW ENFOREMENT OFFICERS: ‘WILL BRING BACK LAW AND ORDER’

Eight Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., recently voted with House Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Cali. — marking the first time in history a House speaker has been removed from the position.

“It’s not about personalities. I think with me, I’m willing to work with anybody,” DeSantis said when asked who he would prefer to be the elected as the next speaker of the House. “We’ve had enough of D.C. politicians trying to impose their will on us. It’s time we, the people, impose our will on them.”

While he didn’t endorse anyone for the position, DeSantis said that GOP Reps. Chip Roy, Thomas Massie, or Jim Jordan “could do a good job” as the next speaker.

The Florida governor also told Fox that if elected in 2024 his agenda would be to “unify around restoring the American dream.”

“It’s about leadership, and you got to be willing to go in there and do that,” DeSantis said. “Now, in terms of the overall agenda, we can unify around restoring the American dream, around fighting inflation, around energy dominance and independence to lower those gas prices, a strong border policy where we’re going to go after the cartels.”

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“We’re going to make sure that parents have rights in this country again. We’re going to make sure that crime is not infesting the streets of every major city like it is now. So this is an agenda to be able to usher in a revival of the American spirit and to reverse this country’s decline,” DeSantis said.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

The White House was silent this week when asked about resurfaced social media posts from one of the administration’s top communications officials.

The White House didn’t respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital on Friday, asking whether it had any comment or response to past social media posts from Tyler Cherry, the Department of the Interior’s principal deputy communications director and senior spokesperson. Cherry has taken to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to blast law enforcement as white supremacy and boost “Russiagate.”

“Praying for #Baltimore, but praying even harder for an end to a capitalistic police state motivated by explicit and implicit racial biases,” Cherry posted in 2015 amid riots that were sparked following the death of Freddie Gray, a Black man, in police custody in Baltimore.

“Apt (sic.) time to recall that the modern day police system is a direct evolution of slave patrols and lynch mobs,” he stated in a separate post months later.

POLICE FIND FEMALE DESIGNER’S STOLEN CLOTHES IN EX-BIDEN OFFICIAL SAM BRINTON’S HOME

Cherry also added in another post that police were equivalent to “slave patrols” and voter identification laws are a modern version of poll taxes that were implemented to prevent Black people from voting in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

In November 2016, Cherry responded to former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s statement that “there is no substantial white power movement in this country.” In response, Cherry said “WRONG.”

NON-BINARY EX-BIDEN OFFICIAL SAM BRINTON WAS ON SECRET TAXPAYER-FUNDED TRIP AT TIME OF LUGGAGE THEFT

He also said in 2017 that conservatives in the Republican Party were focused on “white grievance politics.”

“The Tea Party was never about the debt/deficit but about racism and white grievance politics,” he wrote on X.

And in 2018, Cherry called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Homeland Security Department agency tasked with preventing cross-border crime and illegal immigration, to be abolished. 

Cherry also made multiple posts about the so-called Russia “scandal” during the Trump administration. After a multi-year investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and his associated conspired with Russia during the 2016 election, former Special Counsel Robert Mueller released a sprawling report in 2019 that largely acquitted the former president.

“At this point, how is everyone in the White House (Pence included) *not* complicit in the Russia scandal?,” Cherry said in May 2017.

SAM BRINTON’S LATEST ARREST INVOLVES ALLEGED THEFT OF TANZANIAN FASHION DESIGNER’S CLOTHES, LAWYER SAYS

At one point he noted that the “intensity of Russiagate is all-consuming,” but said it was important not to forget Trump “is letting a gay purge happen in #Chechnya.” At the time, police in Chechnya, Russia, were cracking down on men thought to be gay or bisexual, according to Human Rights Watch.

While it opted against commenting directly on Cherry’s statements on social media, the White House did respond to what it characterized as personal attacks on Cherry. 

“No one should be targeted simply for being themselves. It is cruel and unacceptable,” a White House spokesperson told The Advocate, an LGBT-focused news outlet, on Friday. “This is an administration that believes to our core in the principle that out of many we are one — and we are proud that the people who serve in it reflect those values as well.” 

“Tyler is an invaluable member of our team who continues to deliver for the Department of Interior and the American people.”

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Cherry, who has served at the Interior Department since early 2021, previously worked for President Biden’s presidential campaign, left-wing consulting firm SKDK, and Media Matters for America, a progressive publication.

Cherry did not respond to a request for comment.

Republicans bashed former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her recent comments suggesting supporters of former President Donald Trump be “formally” deprogrammed.

Clinton took heat Friday after her comments during an interview the previous night with CNN during which she suggested the GOP base is lined with bigots.

Some Republicans didn’t mince words, including Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

HILLARY CLINTON FLOATS ‘FORMAL DEPROGRAMMING’ OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS, SUGGESTS GOP BASE IS MADE OF BIGOTS

“Hillary Clinton wants Trump supporters to be formally reeducated,” Blackburn wrote Friday on X, formerly Twitter.

“Does she know that this is America and not a Communist regime?”

Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican, pointed out that “7 years ago, Hillary Clinton infamously labeled half of our country ‘deplorable’ [and] ‘irredeemable.’

“Last night on CNN, she called Republicans ‘extremists,’ a ‘cult’ [and] called for the ‘formal [deprogramming]’ of Republicans across our country.’

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“This is unhinged behavior.”

Former GOP congressional candidate Karoline Leavitt tweeted that Trump “has said countless times that they are only coming after him, because he stands in their way from coming after you — and Hillary Clinton just confirmed that to be true.”

Discussing the recent upheaval on Capitol Hill, Clinton contrasted what she called the “sane” part of the GOP caucus that helped prevent a government shutdown and the “cult” wing devoted to Trump.

“That’s the way it used to be,” Clinton told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour Thursday. “I mean, we had very strong partisans in both parties in the past, and we had very bitter battles over all kinds of things … but there wasn’t this little tail of extremism, waving, you know, wagging the dog of the Republican Party as it is today. 

“And, sadly, so many of those extremists, those MAGA extremists take their marching orders from Donald Trump, who has no credibility left by any measure. He’s only in it for himself. He’s now defending himself in civil actions and criminal actions. And when do they break with him?

“Because at some point, you know, maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members, but something needs to happen.”

The former presidential hopeful predicted that “sadly” Trump will be the Republicans’ 2024 nominee, but she expressed confidence President Biden would defeat him. Clinton was then asked how she has “processed” the reality that the man who defeated her in 2016 is seeking the White House again despite his legal battles.

“It’s a classic tale of an authoritarian populist who really has a grip on the emotional, psychological needs and desires of a portion of the population,” Clinton said. “And the base of the Republican Party, for whatever combination of reasons — and it is psychological — sees in him someone who speaks for them, and they are determined that they will continue to vote for him, attend his rallies, wear his merchandise because, for whatever reason, he and his very negative, nasty form of politics resonates with them.

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“Maybe they don’t like migrants. Maybe they don’t like gay people or Black people or the woman who got the promotion at work they didn’t get, whatever the reason,” Clinton added.

“So, it is like a cult, and somebody has to break that momentum. And that’s why I believe Joe Biden will defeat them and hopefully then that will be the end and the fever will break. And then Republicans can try to get back to fighting about issues among themselves and electing people who are at least, you know, responsible and accountable.”

Fox News Digital’s Joseph Wulfsohn contributed reporting.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday denied that she had promised to support her fellow Californian Rep. Kevin McCarthy as he was ousted as speaker.

“Kevin McCarthy says that you essentially broke a promise to him to keep Democrats with him if there was a vote against him. Is that not true?” FOX 11 Los Angeles anchor Elex Michaelson asked Pelosi in a recent interview. 

Shaking her head, Pelosi said she had never promised to help McCarthy, R-Calif., remain as speaker.

“Not really. I had no promise to him,” Pelosi told FOX 11. “Our Democratic members made that decision.” 

GOP LAWMAKERS DENY REVENGE PLAY AGAINST PELOSI WITH OFFICE EVICTIONS AFTER MCCARTHY OUSTER

McCarthy lost the speaker’s gavel this week after a handful of hardliners in the Republican conference led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., forced a vote to vacate the chair. Eight Republicans and every Democrat voted together to remove McCarthy as House speaker. 

At a press conference after the vote, McCarthy blamed Democrats for his ouster, arguing they should have voted against the motion to vacate the chair for institutional reasons.

McCarthy claimed to have had a discussion with Pelosi in the days leading up to the vote and told reporters she had promised to support him.

But Pelosi said Democrats had numerous reasons to vote to oust McCarthy, citing the Republican-led impeachment inquiry into President Biden and McCarthy’s support for former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. 

NANCY PELOSI EVICTED FROM HER PRIVATE OFFICE IN THE CAPITOL BY INTERIM HOUSE SPEAKER

“If you don’t respect the institution then don’t expect us to bail you out,” she said.

McCarthy has since said he will not run for speaker again. On Friday, he denied reports that he will resign from Congress, saying, “I’m not resigning. I got a lot more work to do.” 

McCarthy was succeeded by Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a temporary replacement until the House votes on a permanent one next week. Among his first acts as speaker pro-tempore, McHenry evicted Pelosi from her private Capitol office in what was claimed to be an act of retaliation after McCarthy was ousted.

However, several GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the evictions were not rooted in vengeance, but rather because the office is reserved for the immediately preceding speaker.

WHO IS PATRICK MCHENRY, SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE OF HOUSE FOLLOWING MCCARTHY’S OUSTER?

“This was a decision by Speaker Pelosi in getting removed because that is the office for the former speaker,” Louisiana GOP Rep. Garret Graves told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

“She’s no longer the immediately preceding speaker so that was a decision she made by evicting Kevin McCarthy,” Graves continued. “That was her own decision.”

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House Freedom Caucus chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., said the evictions were not done in revenge but that it seems to him “unfortunately that we have an unexpected recent vacancy in this with the speaker’s office and that speaker that’s been recently the speaker now has to have a place per the rules.”

“So that [place] needs to be reoccupied or occupied by somebody different,” Perry said. “That’s just the that’s just the flow of business here.”

Fox News’ Houston Keene contributed to this report.

Democrats in Congress and environmental groups are furious at the Biden administration over its move to waive dozens of federal laws to build miles of border wall in South Texas — just as the administration is claiming its hands are tied on the matter.

The agency posted an announcement this week on the U.S. Federal Register that outlines construction in Starr County in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, where the administration says there is “high illegal entry.” 

The agency said there have been over 245,000 migrant encounters in the sector this fiscal year.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says he is using his authority provided by Congress to waive 26 federal laws, including the Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Endangered Species Act.

MAYORKAS CITES ‘IMMEDIATE NEED’ TO WAIVE REGULATIONS, BUILD BORDER WALL IN TEXAS AS IMMIGRATION SURGES

“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas pursuant to sections 102(a) and 102(b) of [the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996],” Mayorkas said.

The move sparked accusations that the administration was backing off its anti-wall stance. The administration had shut off most border wall construction at the beginning of 2021.

The administration quickly pointed out that the wall was itself funded by a Trump-era fiscal 2019 congressional appropriation and was announced in June. Mayorkas said in a statement Thursday “we have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money, but it has not done so, and we are compelled to follow the law.”

A DHS spokesperson noted that the construction includes detection technology, lighting and access roads, and that it has worked throughout the summer with stakeholders and federal agencies.

“This is not a policy decision. The construction project you’re reading about today was appropriated during the prior administration, in 2019, and the government is legally required to utilize these funds for their appropriated purpose,” the spokesperson said. 

“The administration repeatedly called on Congress to cancel or reappropriate remaining border barrier funding and instead fund smarter border security measures, like border technology and modernization of land ports of entry that are proven to be more effective at improving safety and security at the border.” 

But that did not satisfy some left-wing Democrats. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., rejected the explanation.

“The Biden administration was not required to expand construction of the border wall — and they certainly were not required to waive several environmental laws to expedite the building,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The president needs to take responsibility for this decision and reverse course.”

BIDEN SAYS ‘NO,’ BORDER WALL DOESN’T WORK AFTER MAYORKAS CITED ‘IMMEDIATE’ NEED

She went on to say that walls “only serve to push migrants into more remote areas, increasing their chances of death. It is a cruel policy.”

“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not bolster border security in Starr County,” Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, told the Associated Press. “I continue to stand against the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.”

In the Senate, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said he thought that the U.S. would “stop resorting to Draconian and inhumane policies to address our challenges at the border” after the Trump administration.

“Instead, the Biden administration continues to take pages from Trump’s anti-immigrant playbook,” he said. “We should not repeat the mistakes of the past and provide any credibility to a boondoggle like a wall on our southern border. Walls don’t secure our borders, and walls don’t reflect our values as a nation.”

Menendez also took aim at an announcement form Thursday by the administration that the U.S. would start returning illegal immigrants directly to Venezuela.

“That is simply unacceptable. I will not remain silent as Venezuelan nationals who deserve our humanitarian protection remain in limbo while we wring our hands over semantics,” he said.

Environmental groups also criticized the waiving of federal laws for the project.

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“It’s disheartening to see President Biden stoop to this level, casting aside our nation’s bedrock environmental laws to build ineffective wildlife-killing border walls,” Laiken Jordahl, Southwest conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. 

“Starr County is home to some of the most spectacular and biologically important habitat left in Texas, and now bulldozers are preparing to rip right through it. This is a horrific step backwards for the borderlands.”

DHS officials have said they will continue to take steps to protect cultural and natural resources and will use “sound environmental practices.” Officials have also highlighted that the barrier will be movable to mitigate environmental impacts and maximize flexibility.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Presidential candidates competing for the coveted GOP nomination in 2024 have differing ideas of who should fill the currently vacant role of speaker of the House of Representatives.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., led a controversial ploy this to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Cali. — a position he earned in January after 15 rounds of voting. 

Given their slim majority and unanimous support from House Democrats, a small group of eight Republicans voting along with every Democrat on the floor were successful in removing McCarthy Tuesday.

Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Steve Scalise, R- La., Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and Kevin Hern, R-Okla., have all been floated as potential candidates, as the House scurries to quickly elect a new speaker in the coming days.

TRUMP ENDORSES JIM JORDAN FOR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: ‘COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT’

After several members of Congress suggested former President Donald Trump be chosen to fill the role of Speaker of the House, he revealed he would be endorsing Jordan for the seat.

“Congressman Jim Jordan has been a STAR long before making his very successful journey to Washington, D.C., representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District,” Trump posted on his TRUTH Social. “He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!”

GOP candidate for president and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters outside a campaign event this week that he had favorites for the next speaker of the House — but quipped that it isn’t a role he would wish on anybody.

DeSantis immediately weighed in on Tuesday’s drama in D.C., posting to X, formerly known as Twitter, that he “opposed McCarthy when it wasn’t cool”” and that “he’s really somebody that Donald Trump has backed and put into that position.”

HERE ARE THE 8 REPUBLICANS WHO SIDED WITH DEMS TO OUST SPEAKER MCCARTHY

The Florida governor suggested that GOP Reps. Chip Roy, Thomas Massie, and Jim Jordan “could do a good job.”

“I was deeply disappointed to see Gatez, and several other members of congress, partner with every single Democrat in the House of Representatives to fire the Republican speaker of the House,” former Vice President Mike Pence said on The Megyn Kelly Show. “It seems to me these eight republicans represent the chaos caucus.”

Pence did not name who he would like to see become the next speaker, but did suggest congress amend the House rules that only required one member to introduce a motion to vacate the speaker.

Gov. Tim Scott, R-S.C., also remained open.

“I look forward to working with whomever the next Republican Speaker is when I am President of the United States,” Scott told Fox News Digital. “The road to socialism runs right through a divided Republican Party – we have to get back to delivering for the American people. We need to focus on being the city on the hill. That starts with firing Joe Biden, and electing Republicans to secure the border, break the backs of teachers’ unions, and end Bidenomics.”

When asked who he believed should fill the role as Speaker, Vivek Ramaswamy said it would be “ideal” if Trump secured the role for a short period of time. 

“Jim Jordan is a strong choice. The ideal outcome would be for President Trump to take the position on an interim basis, shake things up, and then provide closure to this unusual ‘phase’ in the House and then turn it over to Jim Jordan from there,” Ramaswamy told Fox.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and former Gov. Chris Christie did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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The House is expected to hold a vote for the next speaker on Tuesday.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, sent a letter to President Biden on Friday urging him to halt the auctioning off of border wall materials next week.

Ernst’s letter comes just days after the Biden administration announced it would be bypassing dozens of federal laws to construct a border wall in South Texas, as thousands of migrant crossings persist in that region. 

“I am pleased you relented on your campaign promise that ‘there will not be another foot of wall constructed on [sic] my administration,'” she wrote. “While this acquiescence to commonsense is welcomed, I urge you to build the wall using some of the materials you have on-hand, rather than auctioning them off for pennies on the dollar.”

“If your administration is seeking to build more wall, I would encourage you to do so. In fact, I know somewhere you can get barrier materials on the cheap! Your own government is auctioning off materials—specifically purchased by the last administration to construct a border wall—starting at a bargain bid of $5 a lot,” she wrote.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FLIPS ON ‘BIGOTED’ BORDER WALL AFTER LONG HISTORY OF ATTACKS ON TRUMP PROPOSALS

However, Biden said he is not reversing course on his stance. On Thursday, he suggested the decision to build the wall was because money was already appropriated for the wall. 

“I tried to get them to reappropriate, to redirect that money, but they didn’t. They wouldn’t. And in the meantime, there’s nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated,” Biden told reporters at the White House. 

“I can’t stop that,” he added.

JEAN-PIERRE CLAIMS BIDEN IS HELPLESS AGAINST OWN ADMIN’S BORDER WALL; PRESIDENT BELIEVES IT WON’T WORK

Biden also said, “No,” when asked by a reporter if a wall is effective in preventing illegal entries.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who initially expressed an “immediate need” for a wall, also clarified Thursday that its construction represented no change in the administration’s position.

“I want to address today’s reporting relating to a border wall and be absolutely clear,” he said in a statement. “There is no new Administration policy with respect to border walls. From day one, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer.”

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ACCUSED OF HYPOCRISY FOR PROPOSING BORDER WALL AMID MIGRANT CRISIS

The funds Biden referenced were appropriated under former President Donald Trump, who made constructing a border wall a major point of his successful 2016 presidential campaign.

Reports of Biden quietly auctioning off border wall materials circulated after “square structural tubes” were captured in a storage yard in Arizona over the summer. The tubes were made available for auction on GovPlanet, an online auction platform operated by the publicly traded Canadian company Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ernst said: “We all know walls work, but seven million illegal border crossings later, the Biden administration is still being dragged kicking and screaming to address this crisis.” 

“For years, President Biden sent a clear message that he does not take border security seriously, but I have worked to hold him accountable for wasting taxpayer-funded border wall parts and to use them to actually secure our border. Now that he is finally building more of the wall, he must put these materials to use and end this crisis at our southern border, instead of auctioning off our already purchased materials for pennies on the dollar,” she said. 

Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report. 

Iowa Democrats caved to the Democrat National Committee (DNC) on the party’s new presidential nominating calendar and will allow the state’s 2024 Democrat caucuses to move from one of the first contests in the nation, to an entirely vote-by-mail process with results released on March 5, or Super Tuesday.

The DNC rules panel on Friday approved the plan Iowa Democrats released earlier in the day that would see what has been the country’s first presidential contest since 1972 move to a months-long process where voters have from mid-January until March to mail-in their presidential preference card.

Registration to receive a card will begin on November 1, and they will start being mailed out on January 12. Democratic voters have until February 19 to request a card, and must have them mailed by March 5.

FORMER SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER GETS ANOTHER BIG NAME ENDORSEMENT IN RACE TO FLIP SWING HOUSE SEAT FROM DEMS

But Iowa Democrat’s representative to the DNC panel said that the changes were only for 2024. 

“We intend to be first in 2028,” said Scott Brennan told the DNC committee, the Des Moines Register reported. “So we’re here to support the president in 2024, and by releasing the results on March 5, that’s what we’re doing. But all bets are off for 2028.”

Iowa’s decision to comply with the DNC comes as the the party’s fight continues with the crucial early voting state of New Hampshire over an effort to dramatically refigure the 2024 presidential nominating calendar. The Granite State’s governor, Republican Chris Sununu, vowed it “will not back down” on its effort to keep its primary the first in the nation.

The DNC overwhelmingly voted in early February to dramatically alter the top of its presidential nominating calendar for the 2024 election cycle, bumping Iowa and New Hampshire from their longtime leadoff positions in favor of South Carolina in order to better reflect Black and Hispanic voters in the early primary contests.

Democrats for years have knocked both Iowa and New Hampshire as unrepresentative of the party as a whole, for being largely White with few major urban areas. Nevada and South Carolina, which in recent cycles have voted third and fourth on the calendar, are much more diverse than either Iowa or New Hampshire. Nevada and South Carolina were added to the Democratic calendar nearly two decades ago to increase the diversity of the early states electorate.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN CALLS OUT ‘CROOKED JOE BIDEN’ AFTER ADMIN STRESSES ‘IMMEDIATE NEED’ FOR BORDER WALL

But both Iowa and New Hampshire balked at the changes.

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted last month to grant New Hampshire — which for a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House — a third extension to give the state more time to come into compliance with the national party committee’s new schedule.

The move by the panel came after New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan announced that his state’s presidential primary filing period would start on Oct. 11, leading to a contest that will likely be held in late January — ahead of South Carolina — and putting the Granite State on a collision course with the DNC.

POTENTIAL NAIL-BITER RACE IN DEEP-RED STATE HEATS UP AS DEM NOMINEE ACCUSES GOP GOVERNOR, FAMILY OF CORRUPTION

The extension unanimously granted by the DNC panel on Thursday would last until Oct. 14. 

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However, New Hampshire is likely to eventually be found in non-compliance and penalized, with the state all but certain to hold an unsanctioned primary that would probably keep President Biden from putting his name on the ballot.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.