Trump, top allies make closing pitch for Sherrod Brown challenger Bernie Moreno in Ohio Senate race


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VANDALIA, OH – Thousands of Ohioans braved strong winds at a Dayton, Ohio-area airport on Saturday to watch former President Donald Trump stump for Ohio GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, where the pair made the case that Moreno is the best option to challenge Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in a battle that pits the establishment against the MAGA agenda.

Ohio needs to defeat your horrendous radical left, Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown, who pretends he’s my best friend,” Trump told the crowd near the start of his speech. “He pretends he’s my best friend until he gets in, and then he goes radical left all the time. You know, if you listen to his commercials, he sounds like he’s running with Trump. He’s not.”

“He’s not with me, and the day he gets out, he votes with Biden all the time, and if you vote with Biden this country is finished, I’ll tell you right now.”

Brown, the only Democrat elected statewide in Ohio in the past decade, will face the winner of Tuesday’s GOP Senate primary in November in one of only three Senate races Cook Political Report ranks as a “toss up” opportunity for Republicans to take back control of the Senate.

OHIO REPUBLICAN US SENATE CANDIDATE BERNIE MORENO HAS SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR GOP MEMBERS WHO ‘DON’T LIKE’ TRUMP

Moreno, Trump shaking hands

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump greets Ohio Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Bernie Moreno during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on March 16, 2024 in Vandalia, Ohio.  The rally was hosted by the Buckeye Values PAC.  (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“With your vote, we’re going to take back the Senate,” Trump said. “We’re going to win Ohio in November. We’re going to win by a lot.”

Trump hit on immigration harder than any other issue in Ohio, where polling shows that illegal immigration is a top concern in the state, along with the economy. 

“Among my very first actions upon taking office will be to stop the invasion of our country and send Joe Biden’s illegal aliens back home,” Trump — who invoked the name of Laken Riley multiple times during the speech — told the crowd. 

“These are the roughest people you’ve ever seen. You know, now we have a new form of crime. I call it Biden migrant crime, but it’s too long, so let’s just call it migrant crime. We have a new category. You know, you have vicious crimes, you have violent crimes. You have all these, now we have migrant crimes, and they’re rough. They’re rough.”

TRUMP FACES OFF AGAINST GOP ESTABLISHMENT AS HE PARACHUTES INTO CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY

Donald Trump wearing a red make america great again hat

Former President Donald Trump (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

According to recent polling, Moreno supporters say that their top concern is immigration, and the Ohio businessman seemed to strike a chord on that issue with the crowd during his remarks.

“If you’re in this country illegally… listen… starting in January of 2025, you will be deported,” Moreno said, eliciting a cheer from the crowd.

On stage, Moreno made the case that his primary race is a battle between political outsiders and the establishment, similar to Trump’s messaging in the past.

Look at what happened in 2017,” Moreno told his audience. “President Trump took office and fought Republicans just as much as he fought Democrats over and over again.”

TRUMP-BACKED GOP CANDIDATE RIPS ‘SICK’ REPORT TYING HIM TO GAY HOOKUP WEBSITE: ‘DESPERATE PEOPLE’

Moreno on campaign trail

Ohio GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno  (AP Photo/Joe Maiorana, File)

“They’ve let us down. And I understand. I got to understand why that is. They care more about the job and their advancement in their career and making money being a public servant instead of taking care of this country. This is the issue in this election. This is the last gasp of breath of the swamp RINO establishment in Ohio. And I need you on Tuesday to stab it right in the heart and make it clear that in Ohio, we put America first.”

Moreno faces off against Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Ohio Republican State Sen. Matt Dolan on Tuesday in a race that has gotten increasingly hostile as it winds down, with polling this week showing 20-30% of voters still undecided.

Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance endorsed Moreno and stumped for him on Saturday, making the case that like Trump, he, too, goes against the GOP establishment. 

“Do we need a senator who answers to the people of the state of Ohio?” Vance asked the crowd. “Yes, we do. Do we need a senator who will not compromise with the D.C. swamp, but will fight the D.C. swamp? That’s Bernie Moreno.”

Over the past several months, each of the Republican candidates have attacked one other over who is the most conservative, pointing to past public statements and positions they argue don’t fit with Trump’s agenda. Various polls have showed each of the candidates leading the race at one point or another.

Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan spoke with Fox News Digital at the rally and explained why he believes Moreno is the best candidate to face Brown, who, he says, “talks one way” when “he’s at home,” but then votes with Biden in Washington, D.C.

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Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is seen during Senate votes in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

He’s a fighter,” Jordan said, adding he believes Moreno is in a good position to win in November. “He’s got an amazing story. He’s from an immigrant family who came here legally, did things the right way, lived the American dream — a successful business guy. So, I think he’s just the kind of guy we need and is going to be such a compliment to Senator Vance in the United States Senate.”

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, who also endorsed Moreno, argued that he is the “only one” that can “beat Sherrod Brown this fall.”  

“He’ll beat Sherrod, and he will beat him bad, and it will be amazing,” she said. 

Trump told the wind-battered crowd on Saturday night that there was “tremendous spirit” behind him in 2016 and 2020, but there’snever been spirit like we have now.”

I love being with you — this is a special place to me. We’ve won every single time. Vote for Bernie Moreno. He’s a great guy,” Trump said at the conclusion of his speech. “He’ll be a great, great senator.”



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Democrat Rep. Jeff Jackson apologizes on TikTok for voting to ban app: ‘I screwed this up’


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Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson posted a video to TikTok apologizing for his vote that could help ban the Chinese-owned app from the U.S.

“I screwed this up, I did,” Jackson, who is running for North Carolina attorney general, said in the video over the weekend. “And the reason I voted for it was because I genuinely believe the chance of a ban is practically zero for a lot of reasons – financial, political, geopolitical – I just don’t think there’s any real chance of a ban. I still believe that, but maybe I got that balance wrong.”

“I apologize, and I will keep you posted,” the freshman congressman said.

GOP LAWMAKERS PRESS TIKTOK CEO ON ‘DELUGE OF PRO-HAMAS CONTENT’ ON PLATFORM

Jackson, who has 2.3 million TikTok followers, said he’s been “completely roasted” on the app ever since his vote. 

Rep Jeff Jackson

Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson posted a video to TikTok apologizing for his vote that could help ban the Chinese-owned app from the U.S. (Rep Jeff Jackson/jeffjacksonnc/TikTok)

“If I were in your shoes, I would probably feel the same way,” he said. “I would see someone who used this app to build a following, and then appears to have voted against it. And I would be upset.”

In the video, Jackson said he liked TikTok as a means to connect with people, but that there were “genuinely alarming” briefings about the app in Congress.

Jackson said he thought the House bill would force the sale of TikTok to a U.S. company, not result in a full ban. Both Democrats and Republicans supported the bill, which passed the House by a 352-65 vote last week. 

HOUSE PASSES BILL THAT COULD SEE TIKTOK BANNED IN US

An iPhone screen with the TikTok app.

The bill would block TikTok in the U.S. if its parent company, Bytedance, does not divest from it within 165 days of passage. (iStock)

The bill, led by House China Select Committee Chair Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and ranking member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., would block TikTok in the U.S. if its parent company, Bytedance, does not divest from it within 165 days of passage. It would also require it to be bought by a country that is not a U.S. adversary.

TikTok’s critics have long called it a national security threat. They have cited concerns about the Chinese government’s ability to leverage its power over Bytedance to access sensitive user data, even in the U.S., something the company has denied. 

JOHNSON SAYS HOUSE WILL ‘APPLY EVERY AMOUNT OF PRESSURE’ TO SENATE TO PASS TIKTOK BILL

Congress hearing security

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before a congressional panel on Thursday regarding security concerns surrounding the Chinese-owned app. (Fox News )

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Last week, Jackson uploaded a TikTok video saying the Chinese Communist Party “can tweak the algorithm in ways that may be helpful to them, and harmful to us,” which is why the bill got overwhelming support in Congress, he said.

China hawks have also warned that the app’s popularity among young Americans gives the ruling Chinese Communist Party a platform for a mass influence campaign.

It’s unclear when the Senate will take up the legislation, but several senators have already signaled they support the divestment of the social media app. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Jackson’s office for further comment.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 





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Americans aren’t buying Biden’s ‘devout Catholic’ label, poll finds


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A large majority of Americans are not convinced by President Biden’s presentation of himself as a “devout Catholic,” according to a new poll from Pew Research.

The poll, conducted in late February, found that just 13% of Americans think of Biden as “very religious,” while 41% say he is “somewhat religious” and another 44% say he is “not at all” or “not too religious.”

The polling comes despite Biden’s own description of himself as a “devout Catholic” who attends church regularly. The White House has also used the term to describe Biden when defending his aggressive pro-choice stance on abortion.

Biden has had a fractious relationship with the Catholic Church since gaining office, with Pope Francis criticizing his views on abortion in July 2021. Francis argued that Biden’s faith and pro-choice views were a display of “incoherence.”

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President Joe Biden

A large majority of Americans aren’t convinced by President Biden’s presentation of himself as a “devout Catholic,” according to a new poll from Pew Research. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The pair met in person later that year, however, and Biden says Francis encouraged him to continue receiving Communion.

BIDEN PRIVATELY DEFIANT THAT HE DIDN’T BOTCH AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL: BOOK

Former President Trump has sought to capitalize on the friction between Biden’s faith and his stance on abortion, telling a campaign crowd on Saturday that Catholics would be “crazy” to vote for him.

While Trump himself has paid lip service to Protestant and Catholic Americans, he has not suggested that he is a man of devout faith himself. That reflects Pew’s findings in the February poll.

BIDEN’S BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL HAUNTS 2024 ELECTION AS BOOK CLAIMS ‘13 AMERICANS NEVER HAD TO DIE’

Trump victory speech

Former President Trump has sought to capitalize on the friction between Biden’s faith and his stance on abortion, saying Catholics would be “crazy” to vote for him. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Just 4% of Americans said they believed Trump is “very religious,” while 25% said he is “somewhat religious.” Meanwhile, 68% of Americans said Trump is “not too religious” or “not at all religious.”



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New Mexico county commissioner who participated in Jan 6 riot loses Supreme Court appeal


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A former New Mexico county commissioner who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot will not be able to run for future office, following a Supreme Court decision on Monday.

The rejected appeal by former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin leaves him the only elected official thus far to be banned from office in connection with the Capitol attack, which disrupted Congress as it was trying to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory over then-President Trump.

Though the Supreme Court ruled this month that states do not have the ability to bar Trump or other candidates for federal offices from the ballot, the justices said different rules apply to state and local candidates.

“We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office,” the justices wrote in an unsigned opinion.

NEW MEXICO JUDGE REMOVES COUNTY COMMISSIONER FROM OFFICE FOR PARTICIPATION IN JAN 6 RIOT

Couy Griffin loses Supreme Court appeal

Otero County, New Mexico, Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, D.C., June. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)

Griffin was kicked out of office in September 2022 over his participation in the Jan. 6 riot following a ruling from New Mexico State District Court Judge Francis Mathew that permanently prohibits him from running for local or federal office.

The judge ruled that Griffin participated in an “insurrection after taking his oath” at the U.S. Capitol and that he violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

PETER NAVARRO, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE ADVISER, FILES EMERGENCY REQUEST WITH SCOTUS

Capitol riot

A scene from the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Griffin was previously convicted in federal court of a misdemeanor for entering the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. He was sentenced to 14 days and given credit for time served.

Griffin contends that he entered the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 without recognizing that it had been designated as a restricted area and that he attempted to lead a crowd in prayer using a bullhorn, without engaging in violence.

GOP REPORT CONTRADICTS JAN 6 COMMITTEE’S WITNESS ALLEGING TRUMP TRIED TO GRAB SUV STEERING WHEEL

Couy Griffin in Sept. 2023

Couy Griffin, a former Otero County commissioner and co-founder of Cowboys for Trump, speaks during a gun rights rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sept. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)

On the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, Griffin cast himself as the victim of political persecution as he spoke to a gathering in the rural community of Gillette, Wyoming, at the invitation of the county Republican Party.

“God is really allowing me to experience some amazing days,” Griffin said, according to The Associated Press. “Jan. 6 was a day like no other. It was a day where a type of patriotism was expressed that I’d never seen before, and I was honored to be there.”

Couy Griffin in June 2022

Otero County, New Mexico, Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters at federal court in Washington, D.C., June. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File)

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Griffin is a cowboy pastor who rode to national political fame by embracing then-President Trump with a series of horseback caravans.

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 



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Biden campaign reveals ‘aggressive’ swing state strategy, admits beating Trump will ‘take relentless effort’


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EXCLUSIVE: President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign has revealed its ongoing, “aggressive” strategy to gain the advantage in critical swing states ahead of the November general election, telling Fox News Digital it will “take relentless effort” to defeat former President Trump.

Speaking with Fox amid a cross-country tour that will culminate in the president visiting all six of the states in which he narrowly defeated Trump in 2020, Biden-Harris communications director Michael Tyler touted the hawkish approach being taken by the campaign following the president’s fiery State of the Union speech earlier this month.

“We knew kicking off the year we wanted to have an aggressive posture going into 2024. That’s why the president began the year with speeches in places like Valley Forge and in Charleston, where he laid out what this election was going to be about,” Tyler said.

GEORGIA LAWMAKERS REACT TO JUDGE’S RULING ALLOWING FANI WILLIS TO STAY ON TRUMP CASE: ‘WHOLLY INSUFFICIENT’

Biden, Trump

President Biden, left, and former President Trump. (Getty Images)

“Looking ahead to March, we knew we had tentpole moments like Super Tuesday, and State of the Union, where, in the minds of the American electorate, the general election was really going to kick off,” he added. 

The day after his State of the Union speech — which avoided any major gaffes Republicans often point to as evidence of cognitive decline — Biden hit the campaign trail with a stop in Philadelphia, followed by another in Atlanta the next day. 

Stops in Wisconsin and Michigan followed on Thursday, with more planned in Nevada and Arizona this week, all an effort to demonstrate what Tyler described as “defining the choice” voters have this November. “Joe Biden, who wakes up every single day fighting for the American people, bringing people together to get results, and Donald Trump, who is running a campaign of revenge and retribution, and is focused on himself.”

“This is, of course, going to be a very, very competitive general election contest, as all presidential elections are. But we feel good about where we’re at, just given some of the key metrics. And if you look at which candidate is fully consolidating their base of support, Joe Biden is doing that throughout the primary contest, while Donald Trump continues to hit a ceiling in proving an inability to expand beyond the MAGA base,” Tyler said.

TEXAS DEMOCRAT COLIN ALLRED FACES 6-FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN FOR CALLING BORDER WALL ‘RACIST’

Concern over Trump’s ability to coalesce the various factions of the Republican Party behind his candidacy has continued to grow following former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s departure from the race the morning after Super Tuesday

Joe Biden SOTU

President Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Despite suspending her campaign, Haley still received more than 13% of the vote in Georgia’s primary last week, although it is unclear how much of that was early or absentee votes cast before she dropped out.

Recent polls have also suggested large portions of voters who supported Haley in other states were motivated by their opposition to Trump, and that they might not shift their support to him as the Republican nominee. 

That does not mean those voters would automatically show up to support Biden, but, as Fox News contributor and Republican strategist Karl Rove said amid Super Tuesday’s results being tallied, “Team Trump ought to be concerned about unifying the Republican Party.”

CNN FORCED TO CORRECT STORY AFTER ACCUSATIONS OF ‘SMEAR’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST KATIE BRITT

“I just think the ability to expand beyond the MAGA base, look at which candidate is amassing the financial resources and building the infrastructure needed to reach the voters who are going to decide this election — Joe Biden is doing that. Donald Trump is not,” Tyler said, referencing the massive cash advantage the campaign, in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee, holds over their Republican rivals.

“We have $130 million in the bank to wage this general election fight, while Donald Trump is … either spending money up to this stage in the race fending off Nikki Haley or spending money on legal fees. None of the money that he’s spending so far is geared towards reaching the voters that are going to, again, decide the pathway to 270 electoral votes in the general election,” he added.

Nikki Haley announces she is suspending her campaign for president

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks as she announces she is suspending her campaign, in Charleston, South Carolina, March 6, 2024. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

According to FEC filings, the $50 million spent by Trump’s fundraising entities on his legal defense last year goes up to north of $90 million if spending in 2022 and 2021 is included. Combining that with Trump’s fundraising costs — which reach nearly half of the $282 million he’s raised — his cash burn rate amounts to a whopping 81%, leaving him just $0.19 per dollar raised.

“He’s spending that money screaming into an echo chamber of MAGA extremism. And I think the most important thing is which candidate is running on an agenda that’s actually popular with the American people, and with a proven track record of delivering results for the American people,” Tyler said. 

WHO IS NEW TRUMP-BACKED RNC CHAIRMAN MICHAEL WHATLEY?

“Joe Biden is clearly doing that, running on a historic record of accomplishment, and running on an agenda that is very popular, versus Donald Trump, who is running on an agenda that is even more extreme than the one that he governed on when he had power, and that he campaigned on in 2020. It’s as dangerous as it is extreme this go around in 2024,” he said.

When asked if he felt Biden — who has trailed Trump in recent swing state polls — could get a boost from the former president possibly being required to attend court rather than be on the campaign trail, Tyler did not concede that any aspect of the race would be made easier.

Biden

President Biden speaks at a campaign event at Pullman Yards on March 9, 2024 in Atlanta. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

“I think it’s going to take a relentless effort on behalf of this campaign to reach the voters,” he said. “We are running on a popular historic record of accomplishment. It is about us doing the work to communicate with the voters who are going to decide this election everything this administration has done to make their lives better over the last four years.” 

“The more that the American people hear about Joe Biden’s record of accomplishment, his positive vision for the future, and the more that they hear about the danger and the extremism that is posed by Donald Trump, the more they’re going to side with Joe Biden over the course of the next eight months,” he said. 

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Tyler dismissed any notion that the campaign’s aggressive posture was part of an effort to push back on concerns about Biden’s age and cognitive ability, but rather about “aggressively campaigning, and aggressively contrasting what this election is actually going to be about.”

“The president himself has said this is not going to be a contrast in age. It’s going to be a contrast in the age of the candidates’ ideas,” he said. 

“Donald Trump’s ideas are old as hell, and they’ve already been rejected by the American people. And so, Joe Biden is going to aggressively make sure that we reject Trump’s ideas for good, and that we continue to pursue a more positive vision for what this country can achieve if we all work together,” he added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

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



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Jim Jordan previews main focus of upcoming Hunter Biden hearing, blasts Hur report ‘double standard’


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VANDALIA, OH – Republican Congressman Jim Jordan previewed an upcoming hearing on the investigation into the business dealings of Hunter Biden and railed against the “double standard” he says President Biden was the benefactor of in the investigation into his handling of classified documents.

“We’ll see,” the Ohio Republican told Fox News Digital on Saturday when asked about Hunter Biden previously expressing willingness to testify openly before the House before his legal team recently backtracked and objected to doing so.  

“I think Chairman Comer, we’re going to have this hearing this week, this upcoming week with three of Hunter Biden’s business partners, Mr. Galanis, Mr. Bobulinski and Mr. Archer and what’s interesting, all three of those individuals tell a different story, and their story seems to match up with the three of them versus what Hunter Biden told us when we deposed him,” Jordan said. “So we’ll see if Hunter Biden comes in. But we’ll go through this here and get information out to the American people.”

It’s going to be the comparisons between what these individuals said and what Hunter Biden said and the contradictions that exist in this testimony from both sides,” Jordan told Fox News Digital when asked for a preview of what this week’s hearing on the Hunter Biden scandal will entail. 

GOP REP SPOTLIGHTS 3 KEY PIECES OF EVIDENCE THAT THE BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONTRADICTED’ THEIR BUSINESS COVERUP

Rep. Jim Jordan gives a press conference

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Jason Galanis, Tony Bobulinski and Devon Archer, all former associates of Hunter Biden, were invited to participate in a House hearing on Wednesday as part of the investigation into an alleged corruption scandal that Republicans are suggesting could eventually lead to an impeachment vote for President Biden.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hunter Biden’s legal team for comment but did not receive a response.

Jordan, who was speaking to Fox News Digital near Dayton, Ohio where former President Trump was rallying for Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, brought up the recent testimony of Special Counsel Robert Hur while discussing Hunter Biden, which he suggested was an example of President Biden “knowingly” ignoring the law. 

I thought last week with special counsel Hur where we went through that, where we know Joe Biden knowingly retained and disclosed classified information, he knew the rules, he’d been in government five decades, he was the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was vice president, so he knew the law and willfully violated that law,” Jordan said. 

“And I think he did it because, special counsel Hur says in his report, he said Joe Biden was motivated to ignore classified procedures because he was writing a book and he got an $8 million advance so there are 8 million reasons why Joe Biden didn’t follow the law.

BIDEN GHOSTWRITER SPOTTED ON NYC STREETS HOURS AFTER GOP LAWMAKERS RIPPED HIM DURING HEATED HUR HEARING

Hunter Biden press conference

Hunter Biden (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

When asked by Jordan last week during the House hearing on Hur’s conclusion regarding Biden’s handling of classified documents and his decision not to file charges whether he agrees that Biden had motivation to misuse the documents to write a book, Hur replied, “That language does appear in the report, and we did identify evidence supporting those assessments.” 

The White House has pushed back on the idea that Hur’s report shows Biden’s actions possibly correlate with a potential book deal.

“And then, of course, Mr. Hur concluded by saying even though he knowingly, willfully retained and disclosed, did it for the money, in my judgment, we’re not going to prosecute because he’s a forgetful old man and I think that came out loud and clear in the hearing we had this past week,” Jordan added. “So we’ll have another hearing next week with these other individuals and we’ll go from there.”

Fox News Digital asked Jordan if he agreed with Hur’s conclusion that it would be too difficult to secure a guilty verdict from a jury with the current evidence.

If someone meets the elements of the crime, it’s the job of the prosecutor to take that to the jury and the jury decides,” Jordan responded. “Mr. Hur and his evaluation, you weigh all things, so we have some respect for that of course, but what I do think comes clear is the double standard.”

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Joe Biden talking at podium, making a fist

President Biden speaks at Abbotts Creek Community Center during an event to promote his economic agenda in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Jan. 18, 2024. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

“You know, this idea that there are pressing charges and they have charged President Trump, they raided his home for goodness sake, but nothing happens here, and that’s what Americans really take away is the double standard.

Several legal experts, including Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley, have recently suggested that the classified documents handling case against President Biden had more significant evidence than the case involving Trump.

Jordan told Fox News Digital he agrees with that analysis.

I think so especially when you see the report and you walk through the elements, particularly when he’s talking to the ghost writer, who, by the way, the ghost writer tried to destroy the evidence once he found out Mr. Hur was named the special counsel,” Jordan said. “Go figure. If that’s not obstruction. I don’t know what is. So, I do think that again underscores this double standard that we’ve seen for such a long time.”





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Biden campaign slams Trump after he suggests ‘bloodbath’ if he doesn’t win


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The Biden-Harris campaign accused former President Trump of threatening “political violence” after Trump, while speaking about the auto industry at a rally in Ohio, suggested there will be a “bloodbath” if he doesn’t win the upcoming election in November. 

Trump made the remark during a campaign event near Dayton on Saturday as he was talking about China and how “they think that they are going to sell” cars manufactured in Mexico to the U.S. “with no tax at the border.” 

“Let me tell you something. To China, if you are listening President Xi, and you and I are friends, but he understands the way I deal. Those big, monster car manufacturing plants that you’re building in Mexico right now, and you think you’re going to get that, you’re going to not hire Americans and you’re going to sell the cars to us. Now, we’re going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line,” Trump said. 

“And you’re not going to be able to sell those cars, if I get elected,” Trump continued. “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole, that’s going to be the least of it, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country, that’ll be the least of it. But they’re not going to sell those cars.” 

OHIO REPUBLICAN US SENATE CANDIDATE BERNIE MORENO HAS SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR GOP MEMBERS WHO ‘DON’T LIKE’ TRUMP 

Trump rally in Ohio

Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on March 16 in Vandalia, Ohio. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The Biden-Harris campaign later released a statement slamming Trump for his words, accusing him of speaking about actual violence, rather than economic consequences.

“This is who Donald Trump is: a loser who gets beat by over 7 million votes and then instead of appealing to a wider mainstream audience doubles down on his threats of political violence,” it said. “He wants another January 6, but the American people are going to give him another electoral defeat this November because they continue to reject his extremism, his affection for violence, and his thirst for revenge.” 

TRUMP REVEALS ‘VERY FIRST ACTIONS’ HE’LL TAKE AS PRESIDENT DURING OHIO RALLY, HAMMERS BIDEN’S BORDER POLICIES 

Trump Ohio rally crowd

Supporters react at the Trump campaign rally in Ohio ahead of remarks from the former president on Saturday. (AP/Jeff Dean)

Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller, addressing Trump’s “bloodbath” statement on X, clarified that it was “[f]or the auto industry[.]”

“Crooked Joe Biden’s Insane EV Mandate will slaughter the American auto industry,” Miller added. “So many jobs killed! That’s why we have to elect President Trump.”

Moreno, Trump shaking hands

Former President Donald Trump greets Ohio Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Bernie Moreno during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on March 16 in Vandalia, Ohio.   (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Trump on Saturday urged voters to support Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, an Ohio businessman who is running to help Republicans win a crucial seat and potentially flip the majority in the chamber. 

In his remarks, Trump also railed against Biden and his border policies, calling him “a great threat to our democracy” and the “worst president in U.S. history.” 

Fox News Lawrence Richard contributed to this report. 



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GOP candidate pushing term limits seeks unseat vulnerable 41-year Dem incumbent: ‘Our country is in trouble’


A Republican Senate candidate in northwest Ohio is setting his sights on a congressional seat held by a vulnerable Democrat incumbent in a race that he says comes down to a clash between the entrenched establishment class and the voters.

“People locally have encouraged me to run for Congress for years,” Republican Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin, 38, told Fox News Digital about his decision to run for the seat held by Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur. “I finally decided to pull the trigger. I’m a constitutional conservative. I believe our country is in trouble because the federal government has gone outside the bounds of the Constitution and is doing many things that should be left up to the states and the premise of my campaign is that America is the greatest country in the history of the world, and I’m fighting to preserve the American dream for everyone in northwest Ohio.

Merrin believes his previous electoral victories in northwest Ohio — home to Ohio’s 9th Congressional District that Kaptur has represented since 1983 — put him in a good position to challenge the 41-year Democratic incumbent. He once defeated a three-term incumbent in a race for mayor of Waterville, Ohio, as a 21-year-old.

Generally, about 50% of the vote in Ohio’s 9th District comes from Lucas County, where both Merrin and Kaptur are from. Merrin told Fox News Digital that his ability historically to win votes in that county will be key to his success in November.

WILL CONGRESS EVER HAVE TERM LIMITS? 4 REPUBLICANS SIDED WITH DEMOCRATS TO KILL LATEST PROPOSAL

Merrin Kaptur

L- Derek Merrin; R – Marcy Kaptur (Getty Images)

[Kaptur] historically runs up the numbers in Lucas County, and it’s imperative that we have a Republican that can stop her in Lucas County and that’s why it’s important to have someone that lives here and has a proven record of getting elected,” Merrin said.

When it comes to Kaptur’s record in Congress, Merrin told Fox News Digital the “majority of voters”  in his district agree with him on most policy issues, especially when it comes to immigration, spending, taxes, and energy policy.

Marcy Kaptur is completely out of step with our district, and voters are going to see if we have the resources to get our message out, which we will, that they’re more aligned with my positions and with Marcy Kaptur.”

Merrin, leader of the Ohio House Republican Caucus, explained that voters in his district are looking for an “authentic” candidate who will stand up to both parties.

OHIO GOP SENATE CANDIDATE TOUTS KEY PRO-2A GROUP’S ENDORSEMENT: ‘ONLY CANDIDATE’ VOTERS ‘CAN TRUST’ ON GUNS

Marcy Kaptur

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The majority of people agree with me on positions. There’s people that don’t but still vote for me because they realize I’m fighting against the establishment and doing what’s best for the people,” Merrin said, pointing to Kaptur’s track record of consistently voting with President Biden. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that Kaptur has introduced just five bills that have ultimately become law, although many bills she co-sponsored have become law.

She’s rarely in the district, she spent more time having brunch overlooking the Potomac River than she has overlooking Lake Erie,” Merrin said. “People really don’t see her.”

Over the next few days before the primary, Merrin told Fox News Digital that his message will be focused on three key issues.

TRUMP HEADING TO OHIO WITH HIS GOP CLOUT ON THE LINE IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY

Midterm voters casting ballots

Voter at a polling location (Fox News)

Number one, we must stop the invasion at the southern border,” Merrin said. “We must secure the border. Number two, we must balance the budget. I believe in a constitutional amendment to put lawmakers in a box and force them to do the right thing and balance the budget. I’ve taken a pledge not to raise taxes. Number three is I say we must take on and combat the political class of this country, and that’s Democrats and Republicans. We need to enact term limits on members of Congress and bring the bad ones and the good ones home.

“Our Founding Fathers never meant our government to have people sitting in Congress for 20 to 30 years, and in Marcy Kaptur’s case, for 41 years. Our government was never designed like this, and these guys need to come home.”

Ohioans will head to the polls on Tuesday, March 19 to vote in the GOP primary and Merrin is facing two other Republican candidates in that race, former state Rep. Craig Riedel, and real estate broker Steve Lankenau.

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If Merrin were to advance past Tuesday’s primary, the general election race is expected to be a tight one with Kaptur defending her seat in a district that Trump won by three points in 2020. The Cook Political report ranks the race as a “Lean Democrat” contest that Republicans are targeting as an opportunity to hold and improve on their slim majority in the House.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Kaptur’s team for comment but did not receive a response.



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Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno has message for GOPers who ‘don’t like’ Trump


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Former President Trump was flanked by several Republican allies during a campaign rally in Ohio on Saturday, where he urged voters to support Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno.

In his remarks, Trump railed against President Biden — calling him “a great threat to our democracy” and the “worst president in U.S. history” — and his border policies. The 45th president also urged voters to back Moreno, an Ohio businessman who is running to help Republicans win a crucial seat and potentially flip the majority in the U.S. Senate.

Moreno returned the favor during the speech, urging voters to back Trump, and he offered a special message to Republicans who “don’t like” the former president.

“I am so sick of Republicans that will say ‘I support President Trump’s policies, but I don’t like the man,'” Moreno said, drawing some reaction from the crowd. “This is a good man. This is a great American. This man wakes up every day fighting for us, fighting for this country. He loves this country like no other leader in this nation has ever loved this country.”

TRUMP REVEALS ‘VERY FIRST ACTIONS’ HE’LL TAKE AS PRESIDENT DURING OHIO RALLY, HAMMERS BIDEN’S BORDER POLICIES

Moreno, Trump shaking hands

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, right, greets Ohio Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Bernie Moreno, during a rally at the Dayton International Airport on Saturday in Vandalia, Ohio.  (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Moreno faces Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and state Sen. Matt Dolan in the Republican primary on Tuesday.

The winner will face third-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is viewed as a particularly vulnerable Democrat, in November.

Trump’s pick for Ohio senator has picked up several endorsements ahead of the crucial primary election.

Trump speaking at an Ohio rally

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., endorsed Moreno in a statement last month.

“I am thrilled to endorse Bernie Moreno as Ohio’s next U.S. Senator. Bernie is a strong conservative who will put America first and help reverse the damage done by Joe Biden and the radical left’s agenda.”

GOP SENATOR ENDORSES TRUMP-BACKED OHIO SENATE CANDIDATE TO FACE VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT

“Bernie is the type of senator we need to help get our nation back on track for working American families. Bernie will be a fierce voice for the forgotten men and women of this country, and I look forward to working with him in the U.S. Senate.”

He is also endorsed by fellow Ohioans, Sen. J.D. Vance and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, both of whom spoke during Saturday’s rally.

“What we had under President Trump was a guy who did what he said he was going to do,” Jordan said. “He was amazing. He said he would cut taxes, he did. He said he would reduce regulations, he did. He said he would put conservatives on the court, he did.”

TRUMP HEADING TO OHIO WITH HIS GOP CLOUT ON THE LINE IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY

Moreno has also picked up endorsements from former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., Reps. Max Miller, R-Ohio, Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith R-Miss., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rand Paul, R-Ky., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Moreno, JD Vance watching Trump

Ohio Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Bernie Moreno listens as Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Dayton International Airport on Saturday in Vandalia, Ohio. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

According to his website, Moreno is a former luxury car dealership tycoon, who purchased a flailing Cleveland Mercedes-Benz dealership in 2005. He has cast himself as a “political outsider” and a self-made man.

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With a background reminiscent of Trump, he quickly emerged as the Trump-world favorite for the nomination.

Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.



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Trump reveals ‘very first actions’ he’ll take as president during Ohio rally


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Former President Trump visited Ohio on Saturday, where he barnstormed for businessman Bernie Moreno, a Republican seeking to win his state’s primary to run against Democrat Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate.

During his rally in Dayton, Trump repeatedly mentioned illegal migrants surging across the border, violent migrant crime, and the death of University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.

“Not one more American life should be lost to migrant crime. We can’t have another Laken,” the 2024 Republican presumptive nominee said in his remarks, in which he also repeatedly blamed President Biden’s policies for allowing millions of migrants, including, “violent gang members and gangsters” into the U.S. “When I’m President of the United States, we will demand justice for Laken on day one. My administration will terminate every open border policy of the Biden administration.”

He added: “The fastest way to reverse every single Biden disaster is to very simply just put me back in office.”

TRUMP HEADING TO OHIO WITH HIS GOP CLOUT ON THE LINE IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY

Trump speaking at an Ohio rally

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks on Saturday during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump’s trip comes three days before Tuesday’s GOP Senate primary, when Moreno will face state Sen. Matt Dolan, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

On the Ohio Senate race, Trump called Moreno a “hero” and “a winner” and urged voters to elect him to replace the “radical left Democrat Sherrod Brown.”

“Ohio needs to defeat your horrendous radical left, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who pretends he’s my best friend. He pretends he’s my best friend, then he goes radical left all the time,” Trump said before a large crowd in the Dayton suburb of Vandalia. “If you listen to his commercials, he sounds like he’s running with Trump. He’s not. He’s not with me.”

Bernie Moreno

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Bernie Moreno, Republican candidate for Senate, in December. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Sherrod Brown

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio (Maddie McGarvey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The U.S.-Mexico border was a focus of Trump’s Ohio speech, as was Biden’s border policies which he criticized as allowing violent migrants to enter the U.S.

“We’re going to fix it again,” Trump said of the border. “Among my very first actions will be to stop the invasion of our country and send Joe Biden’s illegal aliens back home.”

6 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER

Trump also took issue with Biden apologizing last week for using the word “illegal” to describe Riley’s alleged killer during the State of the Union speech.

“They have a new term for people coming into our country,” the former president said of the Biden administration. “They call them ‘neighbors.’”

The line was an apparent reference to a recent White House handout that referred to illegal immigrants as “newcomers.”

“One week ago, I met with the family of a 22-year-old nursing student, Laken Riley, who was brutally murdered in Georgia last month while out on a morning run,” the former president said Saturday. “She was so badly beaten up, unrecognizable. Laken’s killer was set loose into the United States through Joe Biden’s program of releasing military-age males into our community after they’ve illegally crossed our southern border.”

Trump, MAGA hat

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks Saturday during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

He added: “Laken Riley would be alive today if Biden had not unleashed his savage attack on America. And that’s what he’s done. But instead of apologizing to Laken’s family, Joe Biden apologized to the killer for calling him illegal. He shouldn’t have done that.”

“We believe that Laken’s killer is an illegal alien criminal. He is an illegal monster. He should never have been in our country,” Trump said.

He also specifically addressed members of the notoriously violent MS-13 Mexican gang, who have crossed into the U.S.

“If you can [even] call them people. I don’t know if you call them people. In some cases they’re not people, in my opinion, but I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say,” Trump chided.

GOP SENATOR ENDORSES TRUMP-BACKED OHIO SENATE CANDIDATE TO FACE VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT

Trump’s speech also took repeated swipes at Biden, who the former president called “a great threat to our democracy.”

“Remember this, Joe Biden is a great threat to our democracy,” Trump told the thunderous Dayton crowd. “He’s a tremendous threat to our democracy. His incompetence is the number one reason. Also, he uses the Justice Department, the FBI, to go after his political opponent, which happens to be me.”

Rally attendees in Dayton, Ohio

Supporters of former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listen as he speaks Saturday in Vandalia, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

“There’s never been a president so bad,” Trump said of Biden. “There’s never been anything like it. He’s incompetent, he’s crooked.”

REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS FIGHT FOR OHIO AS FORMER SWING STATE’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE SHIFTS

The former president urged people to go out and vote Tuesday, and again in November to elect him and other Republicans.

“But with your vote, we’re going to take back the Senate. We’re going to win Ohio in November. We’re going to win by a lot,” Trump said.

Trump saluting

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives to speak Saturday at a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

During the speech, Trump had a notable issue with the wind affecting his teleprompters. He used the moment to swipe Biden again.

“We can give a non-teleprompter speech,” he persisted. “Isn’t it nice to have a president that doesn’t need to use a teleprompter?”

Trump then summarized his 2024 campaign pitch with four priorities: Seal the border, stop inflation, drill for oil, and prevent World War III.

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Moreno, an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally from Colombia, and later became a successful Cleveland-based businessman and luxury auto dealership giant, was endorsed by Trump in December.

The winner of the GOP primary will face off in November against Brown, who is the only Democrat to win statewide in Ohio over the past decade. The seat is contested as Republicans seek to win a majority in the U.S. Senate.

Democrats control a slim 51-49 majority, but Republicans have a favorable Senate map in 2024, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.



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WATCH: Dozens of migrants breach border wall, take selfies on US side


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Dozens of migrants were seen breaching the United States-Mexico border wall in Arizona over the weekend, where a video caught them crossing unimpeded and taking selfies once they got onto American soil.

Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin shared the video, which was taken in Lukeville, Arizona, on Friday. It appears to show dozens of women, children and whole family units, dressed casually and in clean clothes, carrying their belongings. Several of the migrants are seen holding cellphones and celebrating their entry.

The breach comes amid record illegal immigration entries under President Biden, especially in the Tucson Sector, which remains one of the busiest areas of illegal crossings.

It also comes just days after U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested five child sex offenders at the southern border — at the Yuma, Tucson, El Paso, Del Rio, and Rio Grande Valley sectors — and as the FBI warned Monday of a “wide array” of dangerous threats coming from the U.S. border, including drug trafficking, violent gangs, and smugglers with ties to ISIS.

BORDER OFFICIALS SEE MASSIVE NEW SURGE AT SOUTHERN BORDER

Migrants near the border wall in Arizona

A surge of migrants illegally pass through openings cut by smugglers on the southern border wall.  (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Earlier this month, border officials encountered upwards of 14,000 illegal migrants at the southern border over just a two-day period, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources.

Leading the encounters was the Tucson Sector, with more than 2,000 apprehensions of illegal immigrants, Melugin reported.

Migrants in a line

Migrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Lukeville, Ariz.  (John Moore/Getty Images)

Lukeville, Arizona migrants

Migrants enter the U.S. through the border wall in Lukeville, Ariz. (Fox News)

The border officials estimated an additional 1,000 gotaways on one of those days.

PENTAGON COMMANDER WARNS OF ‘ALARMING’ NUMBER OF DRONE INCURSIONS AT US-MEXICO BORDER

These border figures have followed a trend since President Biden took office, with illegal border crossings dipping during the colder months of January and February, then ticking back up in March before massive surges in the spring.

“If no action is taken — buckle up for the rest of the year, if the last 3 years are any indication,” Melugin tweeted. “Especially if migrants feel they need to get in before Biden is potentially voted out of office.”

Joe Biden southern border immigration

President Joe Biden speaks with Border Patrol agents along the southern border in January 2023. (JimWatson/AFP via Getty Image)

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Immigration and border security have become central issues of the 2024 presidential election, with both Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump visiting the border.

President Biden, after reversing several of Trump’s immigration policies, has ruled out further executive actions to secure the country and has urged Congress to pass a long-term solution.

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.



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Fani Willis’ ‘sordid scandal’ could make finding a jury in the Trump case ‘much harder’: experts


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After a Georgia judge gave embattled District Attorney Fani Willis an ultimatum to resign or remove her ex-lover and subordinate counsel, legal experts say their “illicit affair” could complicate jury selection in the case against former President Trump. 

On Friday morning, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee decided lawyers for Trump and several co-defendants charged in the sweeping 2020 election interference case “failed to meet their burden of proving” an “actual conflict of interest in this case” after alleging Willis benefited from hiring special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she was romantically involved. 

By Friday afternoon, Wade resigned from his position, noting in a letter to Willis he was doing so “in the interest of democracy,” leaving Willis to move forward with the prosecution. 

But legal experts told Fox News Digital Willis’ “sordid scandal” further complicates selecting a jury in an already high-profile case.

TRUMP GEORGIA CASE: FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM JUDGE’S ORDER GIVING DA FANI WILLIS AN ULTIMATUM

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse March 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

“Judge McAfee said in his order that, ‘Whether this case ends in convictions, acquittals or something in between, the result should be one that instills confidence in the process,’” John Malcolm, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Atlanta, told Fox News Digital. 

“Fani Willis’ actions here have made that laudable goal much harder to achieve and will certainly prolong the process of picking a jury that does not have a preconceived opinion about what the outcome ought to be or how fair the process has been to the defendants.”

GEORGIA JUDGE TOSSES KEY WITNESS’S TESTIMONY AGAINST FANI WILLIS, CITING ‘INCONSISTENCIES’: COURT ORDER

Nathan Wade

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade sits in court during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse March 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

While there’s no legal requirement to find a potential juror who doesn’t know anything about the case or hasn’t been following it, the judge must ask potential jurors if they can put aside whatever information they may have heard outside the courtroom along with whatever biases or preconceived notions they have about the case and focus only on the evidence presented in the courtroom.

“Jury selection is already a huge challenge in cases involving President Trump,” Jim Trusty, former legal counsel for Trump and a former federal prosecutor, told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP ATTORNEY REACTS TO FULTON COUNTY JUDGE’S FANI WILLIS DECISION: ‘PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT’ 

Trump Mar-a-Lago

Former President Trump arrives for an election night watch party at Mar-a-Lago March 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“Having a sordid scandal play out in public hearings — and making inflammatory comments in church — will not make jury selection any easier,” Trusty said, adding there is a risk “prospective jurors might lie about their biases to be a part of the big case.”

John Shu, a legal scholar and commentator who served in the administrations of presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, said, “The prosecution of former President Donald Trump was already high profile. Adding the fallout of Fani WIllis’ illicit affair and scolding by the Fulton County judge only complicates jury selection.”

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Willis, from the onset, has sought a trial to commence before the November election, less than one year after a grand jury returned an indictment. 

But Shu says in light of delays resulting from the motions to disqualify Willis and the judge deciding earlier this week to dismiss some of the charges against Trump and his co-defendants, Willis is still “months away” from getting to trial. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Willis’ office for comment.



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Trump faces off against GOP establishment as he parachutes into contentious Republican Senate primary


Donald Trump is aiming for a repeat performance.

Two years ago, the former president backed JD Vance in Ohio’s crowded and combative Republican Senate nomination race, boosting Vance to victory in the GOP primary a couple weeks later. 

Fast-forward to the present and Trump is returning to Ohio this weekend to once again support the Republican Senate candidate he endorsed in the state’s increasingly contentious GOP primary.

Trump, who earlier this week clinched the Republican presidential nomination and is now his party’s presumptive 2024 nominee, will headline a rally in Dayton, Ohio, Saturday or businessman Bernie Moreno. 

SIX KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER 

Donald Trump returns to Ohio to campaign for Bernie Moreno in the Senate Republican primary

Former President Trump poses for a photo with businessman Bernie Moreno ahead of a rally in Wellington, Ohio, June 26, 2021 (Bernie Moreno campaign)

Trump’s trip will come three days before the state’s March 19 primary. The rally was announced Monday night by Buckeye Values PAC, a pro-Moreno group.

The move came hours after state Sen. Matt Dolan, one of the two other major GOP Senate primary contenders, along with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, was endorsed by two-term Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a former longtime U.S. senator and state attorney general.

WHY THE BIDEN-TRUMP 2024 REMATCH IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Late last week, Dolan. a former top county prosecutor and Ohio assistant attorney general whose family owns Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, also landed the backing of former Sen. Rob Portman. DeWine and Portman are considered top members of Ohio’s Republican old guard or establishment.

“Matt Dolan has a vision for the future. He listens. He fights. And he knows how to get results for Ohio,” DeWine said in endorsing Dolan.

And DeWine has said Dolan’s the strongest Republican candidate to defeat longtime Democrat Sherrod Brown in November.

Dolan, who along with Moreno is making his second straight bid for the Senate in Ohio, has highlighted that he’s a supporter of Trump’s policies but not the former president’s personality. Dolan is the only one of the three major candidates not to seek Trump’s support.

Moreno, an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally from Colombia and later became a successful Cleveland-based businessman and luxury auto dealership giant, was endorsed by Trump in December.

Vance, who will campaign with Moreno across Ohio on Monday, last year backed him, which was seen as a prelude to the eventual Trump endorsement. Moreno also enjoys the support of two other Trump allies — Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a Buckeye State native.

JD Vance and Donald Trump in Ohio

Former President Trump welcomes JD Vance, Republican candidate for U.S. Senator for Ohio, to the stage at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio., Sept. 17, 2022.  (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

After DeWine endorsed Dolan, Moreno framed the race as a battle between “the America-First Republican Party” and the “RINO establishment.”

And Andy Surabian, a senior Moreno campaign adviser who’s close to Trump’s political orbit, emphasized in a social media post that “the Ohio Senate race is officially Team America First vs Team RINO.”

RINO is a term used to insult some in the GOP as “Republicans in name only.”

There’s been a dearth of public polling in the Republican Senate primary, and the three major campaigns are treating the race as a dead heat ahead of next week’s primary. Millions have been spent by the campaigns and aligned super PACs to flood the airwaves with negative attack ads.

LaRose at the podium

Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose speaks during an election night watch party Nov. 8, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio.  (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)

And now Democrats are meddling in the primary. 

Duty and Country PAC, which is funded by Senate Majority PAC, the top super PAC supporting Senate Democrats, is dishing out nearly $3 million in the final days ahead of the primary to run ads boosting Moreno.

The winner of the GOP primary will face off in November against Brown, who is the only Democrat to win statewide in Ohio over the past decade. Brown is being heavily targeted by Republicans in a state that was once a premiere battleground before shifting red.

Democrats control the U.S. Senate with a 51-49 majority, but Republicans are looking at a favorable Senate map in 2024, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. Three of those seats are in red states that Trump carried in 2020 — Ohio, Montana and West Virginia, where Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin is not running for re-election.

Five others seats are in key swing states narrowly carried by President Biden in 2020 — Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trump is expected to clinch the GOP presidential nomination on March 12

Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump gestures at a campaign rally March 9, 2024, in Rome Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

As Trump locks up the GOP presidential nomination, he’s once again exerting increasing control over the Republican Party. 

A week ago, a top Trump ally and the former president’s daughter-in-law were installed as chair and co-chair of the Republican National Committee. On Monday, the new regime at the RNC pushed roughly 60 current staffers out the door.

But Trump’s clout with congressional Republicans suffered a setback this week, as the GOP-controlled House went against Trump’s wishes. A few weeks after downing a bipartisan border deal in Congress, partially due to the former president’s wishes, most House Republicans supported the passage — over Trump’s objections — of a bill that could eventually ban TikTok in the U.S.

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The showdown in Ohio is one of the few major down-ballot GOP primaries where the Trump-backed candidate is at risk of losing.

“Trump’s got a lot invested in Bernie Moreno,” veteran Republican strategist Matt Gorman said.

Longtime Ohio-based GOP consultant Mike Hartley, who remains neutral in this year’s primary, told Fox News “it’s important to Trump, evidenced by the fact that he’s coming into the state, just like he did for JD Vance.

“President Trump wants to have allies in Congress to help him get his agenda passed. I think it’s as simple as that,” Hartley added.

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



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Trump attorney reacts to Fulton County judge’s Fani Willis decision


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The lead attorney representing former President Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case says the decision from a judge that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis must either step aside or fire special prosecutor Nathan Wade does not lend “appropriate significance” to their “prosecutorial misconduct.” 

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued the ruling Friday after hearing evidence presented by lawyers for co-defendants in the case who had accused Willis of having an “improper” affair with Nathan Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the matter.  

“While respecting the Court’s decision, we believe that the Court did not afford appropriate significance to the prosecutorial misconduct of Willis and Wade, including the financial benefits, testifying untruthfully about when their personal relationship began, as well as Willis’ extrajudicial MLK [day] ‘church speech,’ where she played the race card and falsely accused the defendants and their counsel of racism,” Trump attorney Steve Sadow said in a statement obtained by Fox News. 

“We will use all legal options available as we continue to fight to end this case, which should never have been brought in the first place,” he added. 

JUDGE RULES FANI WILLIS MUST STEP ASIDE FROM TRUMP CASE OR FIRE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR NATHAN WADE 

Attorney Steve Sadow speaks

Attorney Steve Sadow speaks in court at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on March 1.  (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

McAfee said the defendants “failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor.” 

“However, the established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options,” he wrote. 

FULTON COUNTY ETHICS BOARD WON’T HEAR COMPLAINTS AGAINST FANI WILLIS 

Fani Willis, Nathan Wade

Fani Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, previously said the allegations brought against her of having an “improper” romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade were made because she is Black. (Getty Images)

He went on to say that his finding is “by no means an indication that the Court condones this tremendous lapse in judgment or the unprofessional manner of the District Attorney’s testimony during the evidentiary hearing.” 

The co-defendants had alleged that Willis benefited financially by hiring Wade because they were in a pre-existing relationship when he was hired in 2021 and would vacation together.  

Judge Scott McAfee

Scott McAfee, a Fulton County superior court judge, issued his ruling on Friday. (Alyssa Pointer/Reuters/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

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Both Wade and Willis denied they were in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring and that the couple would split the costs of their shared travels; Willis said she reimbursed Wade for her share of the trips in cash. 

Fox News’ Kathleen Reuschle contributed to this report.



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Republicans hammer Judge McAfee’s ruling in Fani Willis case, calling it ‘election interference’


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Congressional Republicans criticized the latest ruling from Fulton County, Georgia, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, in which he refused to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis, calling it “lawfare,” a term used to describe a governing party’s wielding the law as a strategic weapon — and alleging “election interference” against former President Trump. 

“The Atlanta prosecution — like the others — is a political hatchet job aimed at salvaging Joe Biden’s campaign. This lawfare against President Trump is more appropriate in a banana republic than America,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

GEORGIA’S JUDGE MCAFEE SAYS HE WILL SOON RULE WHETHER DA FANI WILLIS IS DISQUALIFIED IN TRUMP CASE

McAfee ruled on Friday that Willis must step back from the election interference case, or she would be required to fire special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The judge made clear that the defendants seeking to disqualify Willis “failed to meet their burden of proving that the district attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor.”

Fani Willis

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testifies during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Feb. 15. (Alyssa Pointer)

The judge said the record from the evidentiary hearing “highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team.” This, said McAfee, has to be removed through one of those two options. 

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Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., took to X to respond, writing, “Judge McAfee once worked for Fani Willis and donated to her campaign,” he noted. “I am not shocked that he didn’t disqualify her, but as an American, I am disappointed.”

“Fani Willis is as crooked as they come! It is impossible for @realDonaldTrump to get a fair trial! Election interference!” he continued. 

Last month, McAfee held a two-day evidentiary hearing for the co-defendants to make their case for Willis’ disqualification, stemming from her relationship with Wade and its alleged connection to his role in the case. During the hearing, both Wade and Willis were questioned over money spent during their relationship and the timeline. 

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., blasted the judge’s choice as “nonsensical” in a statement: “The charges brought by Fulton County DA Willis and the bizarre decision by the judge not to remove her for an obvious appearance of impropriety reinforces the narrative that there is a two-tiered system of justice for President Trump and those around him.”

Graham added, “I am hopeful either the Georgia State Senate or the state’s Attorney General will look into this matter,” calling it “a sad day for Georgia.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said, “The American people are clear-eyed about what President Trump’s political opponents are attempting to do. They are using the justice system — timed to the election — for political purposes. Our nation deserves better.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, wrote on X, slamming McAfee as “another politically motivated judge.”

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The corruption in Fulton County, Georgia is some of the worst in the nation,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. “It makes most of us in Georgia sick.”

Fellow Georgia GOP Rep. Mike Collins also sounded off on the decision, writing, “Breaking: Fulton County Judge says Fani gets to stay on the case… As long as she fires her boyfriend who has already billed taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

“It’s totally fine. Nothing to see here,” he added. 

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Democratic lawmakers were largely silent on the court’s decision. 

However, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., spokesperson Sarah Feldman said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “Senator Tester believes everyone should be treated fairly and without bias in a court of law and expects the treatment of former President Trump to be no different. Our criminal justice system must be without political influence, where no one is above the law, and all Americans are presumed innocent until proven guilty.”





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Attorney who revealed Wade-Willis affair reacts to court decision in disqualification proceedings


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Georgia attorney Ashleigh Merchant claimed vindication after a Fulton County judge issued a ruling in the disqualification proceedings against District Attorney Fani Willis.  

In an order Friday, Judge Scott McAfee said that Willis must either withdraw herself and her team from the 2020 election interference case or remove Wade as special prosecutor. The decision came after Merchant, on behalf of her client Michael Roman, first alleged that Willis had had an “improper” affair with Wade before hiring him to prosecute former President Trump and his 18 co-defendants in 2021. 

“While we believe the court should have disqualified Willis’ office entirely, this opinion is a vindication that everything put forth by the defense was true, accurate and relevant to the issues surrounding our client’s right to a fair trial. The judge clearly agreed with the defense that the actions of Willis are a result of her poor judgment and that there is a risk to the future of this case if she doesn’t quickly work to cure her conflict,” Merchant said in a statement.

“While we do not agree that the courts suggested cure is adequate in response to the egregious conduct by the district attorney, we look forward to the district attorney’s response to the demands by the court. We will continue to fight for our client,” she added.

JUDGE RULES FANI WILLIS MUST STEP ASIDE FROM TRUMP CASE OR FIRE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR NATHAN WADE

Georgia Attorney Ashleigh Merchant

Attorney Ashleigh Merchant speaks during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on February 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Brynn Anderson-Pool/Getty Images)

Merchant was the first to allege in court filings that Willis had a conflict of interest in hiring Wade, her then-boyfriend, to prosecute the election interference case. She claimed that Willis had financially benefited from the relationship in the form of vacations she took with Wade, whose firm was compensated by taxpayers for working the Trump case.

Documents submitted to the court by Merchant revealed that Willis and Wade had taken several trips together and that Wade’s law firm had billed taxpayers $650,000 at a rate of $250 an hour since his hiring. 

Both Wade and Willis had denied that they were in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring. During a two-day evidentiary hearing in February, they each testified that they had split the cost of their shared trips. Willis told the court she reimbursed Wade for her share of the trips in cash.

During a two-day evidentiary hearing in February, Merchant called witnesses who testified that the couple had begun their affair in 2019 after meeting at a conference. 

TRUMP ATTORNEY REACTS TO FULTON COUNTY JUDGE’S FANI WILLIS DECISION: ‘PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT’

Fani Willis, Nathan Wade

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade (left) and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testified at an evidentiary hearing in February after defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant sought to have Willis disqualified from the election interference case against former President Trump, her client Michael Roman and 17 other defendants.  (Getty Images)

Robin Yeartie, a former “good friend” of Willis and past employee at the DA’s office, testified to observing Willis and Wade “hugging” and “kissing” and showing “affection” prior to November 2021 and said she had no doubt that the two had been in a “romantic” relationship starting in 2019 and lasting until she and Willis last spoke in 2022.

Willis dismissed Yeartie’s testimony and said she no longer considers Yeartie a friend.

The star witness for the defense was Terrence Bradley, a former law partner and divorce attorney for Wade. Merchant grilled Bradley on the witness stand last month about what he knew and when he knew about their romance.

Bradley, when pressed under oath, said he could not recall several details and timelines about conversations he had with former client Wade about Wade’s romantic relationship with Willis.

GEORGIA JUDGE TOSSES KEY WITNESS’ TESTIMONY AGAINST FANI WILLIS, CITING ‘INCONSISTENCIES’: COURT ORDER

Judge Scott McAfee

Judge Scott McAfee at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on February 15. (Alyssa Pointer, Getty Images)

Merchant at one point referenced text messages between her and Bradley in which she had asked Bradley if he thought the relationship started before Willis hired Wade in 2021. Bradley responded “absolutely” in the text exchange.

However, McAfee said Friday that he was “unable to place any stock” in Bradley’s testimony.

In his order, McAfee said that Bradley’s “inconsistencies, demeanor, and generally non-responsive answers left far too brittle a foundation upon which to build any conclusions.”

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“While prior inconsistent statements can be considered as substantive evidence under Georgia law, Bradley’s impeachment by text message did not establish the basis for which he claimed such sweeping knowledge of Wade’s personal affairs,” McAfee said.

The judge ruled that while neither side had conclusively proved when the relationship began, there was “an appearance of impropriety” that requires either Willis or Wade to be removed from the Trump case. 

Fox News Digital’s Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.



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House Oversight Democrats eye Michael Cohen as Biden impeachment inquiry hearing witness: source


Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have reached out to ex-President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen about appearing at next week’s impeachment inquiry hearing, a source familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital.

Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is leading an impeachment inquiry into President Biden over accusations he used his position as vice president to enrich himself and his family, which both he and the White House have denied.

The next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. 

COMER INVITES HUNTER BIDEN, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY MARCH 20 AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

Michael Cohen looking serious

Michael Cohen is ex-President Trump’s former lawyer. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)

Democrats on the panel hope that a potential Cohen appearance could turn the spotlight at the highly-publicized event onto Trump, according to the source. 

They “believe Cohen could help focus the hearing on Donald Trump by delivering first-hand testimony on Trump’s foreign business deals while he was president,” the source said.

The source said Democrats think Cohen’s appearance and testimony could also force Republicans to respond in real time, and on camera, to criticism that they ignored allegations that Trump profited from countries like China while in office.

Fox News Digital reached out to House Oversight Committee Democrats about Cohen.

HUNTER BIDEN ADMITS HE PUT HIS FATHER ON SPEAKERPHONE, INVITED HIM TO MEETINGS, BUT DENIES ‘INVOLVEMENT’

Joe Biden talking at podium, making a fist

House Democrats are eyeing Cohen as a witness in a hearing for the GOP’s impeachment inquiry into President Biden. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, was once one of his fiercest defenders, even serving part of a three-year prison sentence over charges linked to his defense of the ex-president. Cohen has become a vocal critic of Trump’s since his November 2021 release and admitted to investigators in 2018 that he arranged hush money payments to two women on Trump’s behalf. Trump has publicly denied wrongdoing.

House Republicans are investigating whether Biden was part of an influence-peddling scheme with relatives including his son, Hunter Biden, specifically scrutinizing the younger Biden’s business dealings with China and Ukraine. 

Hunter Biden recently turned down House Republicans’ invitation to appear at the same hearing that Democrats are in communication with Cohen about.

JOE BIDEN ‘ENABLED’ FAMILY TO SELL ACCESS TO ‘DANGEROUS ADVERSARIES,’ TONY BOBULINSKI TESTIFIES

Hunter Biden Capitol Hill

Hunter Biden, son of President Biden, turned down an invitation to appear at next week’s hearing. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

In a letter sent to Oversight committee investigators earlier this week, Hunter Biden’s lawyer Abbe Lowell said that a scheduling conflict prevented their appearance, while also criticizing the hearing itself.

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“Your blatant planned-for-media event is not a proper proceeding but an obvious attempt to throw a Hail Mary pass after the game has ended,” Lowell wrote.



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Georgia lawmakers react to judge’s ruling allowing Fani Willis to stay on Trump case: ‘Wholly insufficient’


Reactions from Georgia lawmakers poured in on Friday after a judge ruled that embattled Fulton County DA Fani Willis could remain on the case investigating alleged election interference by former President Donald Trump.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a ruling Friday that Willis, who was accused of an improper romantic relationship that she attempted to cover up with special counsel Nathan Wade, could remain on the case if she fired Wade which prompted pushback from Georgia Republicans.

“The ruling by Judge McAfee seems to clearly identify impropriety between the DA and Mr. Wade,” Georgia Republican State Rep. Josh Bonner told Fox News Digital.  “Unfortunately, it does not address the purely partisan nature of the case brought by a rogue District Attorney more interested in scoring political points than prosecuting criminals in Fulton County.”

“Judge McAfee clearly found significant impropriety between Fani Willis and Nathan Wade,” Georgia Republican Lt. Gov Burt Jones told Fox News Digital. “If Fani Willis acted in the best interest of her constituents, she would resign immediately, but we know her inflated sense of self won’t allow that to happen. Regardless, the Georgia Senate investigatory committee will continue its work on behalf of the Georgia taxpayer to hold her accountable.” 

JUDGE IN GEORGIA SLAMS FANI WILLIS’ ‘IMPROPER’ CHURCH SPEECH, ‘PLAYING THE RACE CARD’

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

Georgia Republican State Senator Jason Anavitarte told Fox News Digital it is “indisputable” that Willis “willfully concealed” her relationship with Wade.

“Rather than owning up to the relationship, admitting poor judgement and removing SADA Wade from this case as soon as it was revealed, DA Willis doubled down and spent the better part of 3 months continuing to obfuscate if not downright lie to the court,” Anavitarte said.

“Judge McAfee openly acknowledged that there is an ‘odor of mendacity’ and “reasonable questions about whether the DA and…SADA testified untruthfully.’ Despite all this, Judge McAfee chose to offer DA Willis an escape hatch that should have been voluntarily activated as soon as the relationship was uncovered, firing Nathan Wade,” he continued. “To me, that is wholly insufficient. Prosecutors should be held to the highest ethical standard. Clearly Judge McAfee failed in this account. Now it is incumbent on the nearly created Prosecuting Attorney Qualification Commission to determine whether DA Willis committed perjury. I suspect complaints to that end are forthcoming.”

REPUBLICANS HAMMER JUDGE MCAFEE’S RULING IN FANI WILLIS CASE, CALLING IT ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE’

Trump victory speech

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures to supporters during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds on February 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Georgia Republican State Sen. Bill Cowsert, who is leading a special Georgia Senate committee probe on Willis, told Fox News Anchor Martha MacCallum on Friday afternoon that he is “not surprised” by the judge’s move but agreed that Willis would be best served to recuse herself from the case.

“I feel confident that’s what she’ll do,” Cowsert said. “There’s just no way a jury will give any credibility to her further involvement, it will undermine her own mission of prosecuting these individuals if she stays personally involved. It’s just been a series of really poor choices.”

Some Democrats have backed Judge McAfee’s decision including Georgia State Sen. Derek Mallow who told Fox News Digital that the judge “clearly exercised jurisprudence” by reviewing the case and finding the “best process to move forward” to “remove any presence of impropriety in this case.”

“I think that is a good direction to head into, as this case does have merits and it needs to go before a jury,” Mallow explained.  “And I think that the judge has done his due diligence in his ruling. That’s why you have judges, to make those type of rulings. I still fundamentally believe my role and opinion in all of this is that there’s a separation between the judicial and the legislative branches.”

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Nathan Wade

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade sits in court during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

“Of course, I support the judge’s ruling for the case to move forward. I hope that the district attorney will make the needed separation there so that the case can move forward, and that the evidence and facts will come out, and a jury, the peers of all those involved, will make a determination and find guilt or innocence.”

McAfee said in his ruling that the defendants “failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor.”

“However, the established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team – an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options,” he wrote, adding that Willis and her whole office can choose to step aside, or Wade can withdraw from the case.

On Friday afternoon, Wade announced that he is stepping down from the case in the interest of “democracy.” 



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Speaker Johnson aims to stay leader of House GOP in 2025, vows ‘very aggressive first 100 days’


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EXCLUSIVE: WEST VIRGINIA — Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is aiming to stay at the helm of the House GOP next year, he told Fox News Digital.

In an interview at the House Republicans’ annual member retreat this year at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Johnson suggested he’d want to stay in the conference’s top spot regardless of whether they keep the House majority.

“I have not given a lot of thought about the next Congress, because I’m so busy with my responsibility right now. My intention is to stay as speaker, stay in leadership, because we’re laying a lot of important groundwork right now for the big work that we’ll be doing,” Johnson said.

“But each day has enough concern of its own right now. And I’ve got – we’ve got a very full, very busy agenda right now. And that’s where my focus is.”

HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T ‘CALL THE SHOTS’ ON WHEN IMPEACHMENT IS OVER

Mike Johnson

Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News Digital that he is intending to remain in House GOP leadership in 2025.

He also gave Fox News Digital a preview of what he wants Congress to focus on in 2025, expressing confidence that the GOP would go into the new year having kept the House majority and won the Senate and White House.

“We would absolutely turn our attention to securing the border and ending the catastrophe that the Biden administration has created. Obviously, we would continue to address the China threat and increase our stature on the world stage. That’s what the White House would be focused on, and we would give assistance in the House in every way possible,” he said.

Johnson also listed bolstering U.S. defense capabilities, tax reform, and exploring weaponization of the federal government as other priorities, as well as legislative advances on artificial intelligence.

“We’d have a very aggressive first 100 days of the Congress agenda, and we’re kind of excited about that prospect,” Johnson said.

SPEAKER JOHNSON FLOATS STAND-ALONE ISRAEL AID PLAN AFTER SCHUMER’S COMMENTS MADE SITUATION ‘EVEN MORE URGENT’

Trump Mar-a-Lago

Johnson said he was confident former President Trump would win the White House in November. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Johnson won the speakership in late October via a unanimous House GOP vote, three weeks after his predecessor, ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted by a group of eight Republicans and all House Democrats.

Johnson’s comments to Fox News Digital come a day after he was asked at a press conference about whether he’d have the House GOP Conference change its rules on how difficult it is to kick out a speaker.

Johnson, who was optimistic that the GOP could retain and expand its razor-thin House majority in November, suggested the next Congress would also likely see a change to its motion to vacate rules – the guidelines by which a speaker is ousted from power.

JOHNSON SAYS HOUSE WILL ‘APPLY EVERY AMOUNT OF PRESSURE’ TO SENATE TO PASS TIKTOK BILL

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Johnson became speaker after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

McCarthy agreed to lower the threshold from a House majority to just one person being able to trigger a vote to recall the House leader as part of a deal with critics to win the gavel in January 2023.

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Johnson said he never advocated for a rule change but expected that a majority of his lawmakers would want to move forward. Dozens of House Republicans criticized the eight that voted to oust McCarthy, arguing that it projected historic levels of instability under their leadership.

“The motion to vacate is something that comes up a lot amongst members in discussion, and I expect there will probably be a change to that as well. But just so you know, I’ve never advocated for that. I’m not one who’s making it an issue, because I don’t think it is one for now,” he said Wednesday.



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Senators signal bipartisan backing for TikTok divestment from China


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Senators on both sides of the aisle have signaled their support for taking action to force the divestment of social media app TikTok from Chinese-based ByteDance, under the threat of a U.S. ban.

The move comes following a vote on Wednesday that sailed through the House with a 352-65 bipartisan split, with one member abstaining. It would force Chinese divestment from TikTok or see the app banned. Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed concerns over ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok, stressing the national security threat is serious. 

HOUSE GOP LEADERS TARGET BIDEN ENERGY POLICIES IN LEGISLATION BLITZ NEXT WEEK

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he was pleased to see the House pass the bill, adding that he looks forward to seeing the Senate proceed with it. “I have been explicit and unequivocal about my concerns about TikTok, both that it is used by the Chinese Communist Party to engage in espionage and surveillance and that it is used to push incredibly harmful propaganda, particularly on our young people,” he told Fox News Digital.  

The TikTok logo

The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

HOUSE PASSES BILL THAT COULD SEE TIKTOK BANNED IN US

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she wants to see the app forced to divest: “I do want to see us divest — force them to divest. We shouldn’t have those ties with Communist China,” she said. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., echoed that sentiment, saying, “It has to be addressed.”

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who serve as chair and vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, applauded the House’s passage of the TikTok bill in a joint statement on Wednesday, saying, “We are united in our concern about the national security threat posed by TikTok.” They added that they hope to see the measure passed in the Senate and signed by President Biden.  

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Mark Warner and Vice Chair Marco Rubio

Committee Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., left, looks on as ranking member Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., questions witnesses during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing concerning worldwide threats on Capitol Hill  in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The top senators on the intelligence committee have been sounding the alarm on the social media app for years. Warner, a Democrat, claimed in 2022 that “President Trump was right” when he sought to ban TikTok with an executive order in 2020 that was ultimately blocked by the courts. 

JOHNSON SAYS HOUSE WILL ‘APPLY EVERY AMOUNT OF PRESSURE’ TO SENATE TO PASS TIKTOK BILL

During the annual Senate Intel worldwide threats hearing with various national security officials earlier this week, FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed to Rubio that ByteDance, “the parent company is, for all intents and purposes, beholden to the CCP.”

“I think what we’re hearing is genuine risk,” said Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. The senator noted he is hopeful for the Senate to take action, particularly because of the large bipartisan support evidenced by the House’s vote. 

Richard Blumenthal

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., speaks during a news conference to discuss legislation that would temporarily halt U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 12, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., added he also wants to see TikTok required to be divested from China so that “national security and information [and] data on ordinary Americans can be protected.”

TIKTOK CEO TELLS USERS ‘PROTECT YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS’ AGAINST TIKTOK BAN IN VIDEO

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said that he sees TikTok as “a national security threat,” adding that he wants “to make sure that we can sever that relationship” with China. 

Despite the high level of concern over TikTok among members of both parties, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was vague about the bill’s fate in the upper chamber on Wednesday, and did not offer any clues on whether it would be fast-tracked in the body. 

“The Senate will review the legislation when it comes over from the House,” he said in a statement following the measure’s passage. 

REPUBLICANS UNVEIL EFFORT TO REVERSE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES TARGETING MANUFACTURING

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer speaks

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks following a Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 28, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))

In 2020, Schumer notably wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “A US company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe.”

“With TikTok in China, it’s subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government,” he wrote at the time. 

SCHUMER SPEECH ON ISRAEL SLAMMED BY REPUBLICANS, EXPERTS AS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ AND ‘RIDICULOUS’

The House’s bill was read twice on Thursday and then referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, meaning it isn’t being fast-tracked for swift passage. 

Ted Cruz during Senate hearing

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, attends a Senate Judiciary Committee markup in the Hart Building in Washington, D.C., on May 11, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Cruz said there should be “a full and open amendment process” — a criticism of the Senate’s recent proclivity for skipping procedure. 

However, there are concerns over the extra time afforded to TikTok and tech lobbyists as consideration of the measure is dragged out. 

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., criticized the flow of money from TikTok and other tech lobbyists in Congress while talking to Fox News Digital, claiming that “there ought to be a sign right there that says ‘property of Big Tech’” as he gestured toward the Senate chamber. 

Sen. Josh Hawley

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questions Colleen Shogan, nominee to be archivist of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, about her social media postings during the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee full committee hearing on Shogan’s nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

DEMOCRATS PANICKED ABOUT THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES SWINGING ELECTION FOR TRUMP: ‘SINGLE BIGGEST THREAT’

Hawley said he hoped to see debate and a vote on the bill sometime soon. 

On Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Chew told Fox News correspondent Aishah Hasnie that his team had reviewed the House bill and called it “not feasible.”

“This bill, in all the details you can read, go through the details, this would lead to banning of the app in the country,” he claimed. 

Hawley posted on X, writing, “The answer is, the CCP won’t allow a sale. Which tells you how valuable TikTok is to them.”

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While there appeared to be broad support for the House bill addressing TikTok, a smaller but somewhat bipartisan group of lawmakers came out against it. That group included Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Rand Paul, R-Ky.; and Mike Lee, R-Utah, who warned that it could violate various constitutional amendments and increase the size and scope of the federal government. 



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