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Choosing your opponent: Why Democrats are bashing the Supreme Court now

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Biden can’t choose his direct opponent next year. But Mr. Biden and Democrats can certainly manufacture one. 

The Supreme Court is on the ballot in 2024.

Liberals are incensed at the latest spate of Supreme Court opinions. Several of the decisions went against causes important to the left.

The High Court undid the President’s plan to cancel $400 billion in student loans. LBGTQ groups are infuriated that the Court ruled that a Colorado web designer doesn’t have to make sites for same-sex weddings. Finally, the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action requirements in higher education.

IMPEACHMENT ONCE AGAIN LOOMS LARGE IN CONGRESS

Expect Democrats to resort to a page in their playbook which likely helped the party gain a seat in the Senate and nearly cling to control in the House in 2022. The Dobbs opinion on abortion last year emerged as a game changer. It energized progressives and pro-choice Democrats and independents. The ruling infused the polls with a stream of voters, serving as a political life preserver to the party. 

Democrats have a lot more to campaign on in 2024 when it comes to the Supreme Court. Questions about the ethics of Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas abound. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts declined to take part in a hearing called in the spring by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., about the conduct of the justices. The panel is prepping another clash with the Court as Senate Democrats write a bill about the ethics of justices.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told CNN the justices are "destroying the legitimacy of the Court." She endorses issuing subpoenas for justices.

"They are expanding their role into acting as though they are Congress itself. And that, I believe, is an expansion of power that we really must be focusing on the danger of this court and the abuse of power in this Court, particularly as it is related to the entanglements around conflicts of interest as well," said Ocasio-Cortez.

This is why left-wing Members hope to expand and potentially "pack" the Court with jurists who may do the bidding of progressives.

"Expanding the court is constitutional. Congress has done it before and Congress must do it again," said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.

Markey is right. The composition of the Supreme Court has bounced around for decades. The size of the Court is not established by the Constitution. Congress set the makeup of the Court via statute. Congress would periodically increase or decrease the number of seats on the Court for political reasons.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a Supreme Court comprised of six justices. But in 1801, Congress reduced the size of the Court to five justices. That was an effort to undercut President Thomas Jefferson from filling the Supreme Court with one of his nominees. Don’t forget that the House of Representatives elected Jefferson as president in what is known as a "contingent election" following a dispute over the Electoral College. 

MUST-DO: WHAT CONGRESS HAS LEFT ON ITS PLATE AT YEAR'S HALFWAY MARK

Because of the burgeoning size of the federal judiciary, Congress added a seventh justice to help oversee lower courts in 1807. The Court grew to nine justices in 1837.

In 1863, Congress added a 10th seat to the Supreme Court for President Lincoln. This came right after the pro-slavery Dred Scott decision in the late 1850s. There was hope that Lincoln could retool the Court following the Dred Scott case by appointing a jurist aligned with the Union who opposed slavery. However, Lincoln never filled that seat. But after Lincoln’s assassination, there was fear that President Andrew Johnson may alter the court. So in 1866, Congress shrunk the size of the Supreme Court to seven justices. That prevented Johnson from nominating anyone to the Supreme Court as the nation was in the midst of Reconstruction.

Once Johnson was out of office Congress switched the number back to nine for President Ulysses S. Grant. It’s remained at nine ever since. 

But there have been efforts to change the Court’s composition since then.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to "pack" the Court in 1937. He hoped to add justices for every member of the Supreme Court who was over the age of 70.

In a radio "Fireside Chat" on March 9, 1937, FDR squarely challenged the High Court.

"The Courts, however, have cast doubts on the ability of the elected Congress to protect us against catastrophe by meeting squarely our modern social and economic conditions," said Roosevelt.

FDR accused the Supreme Court of an "arbitrary exercise of judicial power" when it came to opinions about banks and railroads. So the president hoped to change the Court by adding more youthful members who might align more closely with his political agenda.

SUPREME COURT RULINGS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY CALLS FROM THE LEFT TO 'PACK' THE COURT

"There is nothing novel or radical about this idea," said FDR, noting that Congress also changed the Court’s membership in 1869. "It seeks to restore the Court to its rightful and historic place in our Constitutional government."

But FDR failed to marshal enough support for the plan with his Fireside Chats. The public opposed the idea and the Senate Judiciary Committee emphatically torpedoed the plan.

It’s doubtful that the Democrats efforts to increase the size of the Supreme Court will go anywhere. It’s unclear that the proposal has anywhere close to 51 votes to pass in the Senate. Commandeering 60 votes to overcome a filibuster is even more daunting.

However, this gives liberals another chance to rail against Senate procedures and call for an end to the filibuster. It energizes the base and helps Democratic candidates raise money. 

That’s why this effort is more about the ballot box in 2024.

"If you want to motivate American voters, you need to scare them," said Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer. 

Bitzer says that Democrats used last year’s abortion opinion "as a weapon in the campaign." It helped Democrats mitigate losses in the midterms.

Bitzer believes Democrats now have the opportunity to lean on three key voting blocs to help them in 2024. Democrats will lean on younger voters upset about student loans. There are minority voters upset about the Affirmative Action decision. Finally, Democrats will rely on the LBGTQ+ community. 

However, the closing argument could be the composition of the Supreme Court itself. 

"Democrats will look at the Court and argue there are individuals that should not be on the Court and that they are on the Court and we have to play hardball," said Bitzer.

Dial back to February 2016. 

Late Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly. Former President Obama nominated current Attorney General Merrick Garland to fill his seat. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is the Majority Leader at the time. He refuses to grant Garland a hearing. McConnell says the next president should fill that seat. 

So former President Trump prevails in the 2016 presidential election and nominates Justice Neil Gorsuch. McConnell then shepherds Gorsuch’s nomination to confirmation after Democrats threatened a filibuster.

Upset by filibusters, Senate Democrats established a new precedent in the Senate in 2013 to short-circuit most filibusters of executive branch nominees, known as the "nuclear option." But they left in place the potential to filibuster a Supreme Court Justice. The Senate had never filibustered a Supreme Court nomination. However, the Senate did filibuster the promotion of late Justice Abe Fortas from Associate Justice to U.S. Chief Justice in the late 1960s. 

Facing a filibuster, McConnell deployed the nuclear option to confirm Gorsuch. McConnell again relied on the nuclear option to confirm Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the fall of 2018. 

After the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, McConnell ignored what he said in 2016 about confirming justices in a presidential election year. The GOP-controlled Senate rammed through the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett days before the 2020 presidential election. 

This is why liberals are apoplectic about the Supreme Court.

"Republicans have been very willing to change the rules of the game," said Bitzer. "Democrats are slowly coming to the realization that if (Republicans) are going to play that game by their rules, then (they) need to be playing that game by (their) own set of rules."

You can’t always pick your opponent in politics. 

NBA teams often pine to secure a certain matchup in the playoffs. Team A pairs up really well against Team B. Then team A is often disappointed it didn’t get the opponent it "wanted."

You can’t manufacture a potential adversary in sports. But you can in politics. 

President Biden can’t choose his direct opponent in 2024. But Mr. Biden and Democrats can certainly aim to put the Supreme Court on the ballot in 2024.

Censured Schiff raises over $8 million for Senate bid after being punished for Trump-Russia claims

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Rep. Adam Schiff brought in a massive fundraising haul of $8.1 million in the second quarter of his campaign to replace retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., after the high-profile House vote to censure him last month.

That's the largest amount ever brought in by a U.S. Senate campaign during an off-year election cycle, Schiff’s campaign said in a press release on Wednesday.

"When I say we are a grassroots campaign, I mean it! Last quarter, we raised over $8.1 million – with an average contribution of just $34. We're in this fight together – and I'm so grateful to have you on this team," Schiff wrote on Twitter.

Schiff, D-Calif., is running against fellow California House Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter for Feinstein's seat.

SCHIFF BLASTED BY GOP OPPONENT FOR CALLING CENSURE A BADGE OF HONOR: ‘HE’S A NATIONAL DISGRACE’

His prominent role in former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment guaranteed him a higher national name recognition than his progressive rivals – while his accusations that Trump colluded with Russia to win the White House also made him a target for this Congress’ House GOP majority.

But Republican attempts to punish Schiff appear to have boosted his support in the blue stronghold of California. As of Wednesday’s announcement, Schiff’s campaign has more than $29 million in its war chest.

After chairing the House Intelligence Committee under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Republicans stripped Schiff from the panel altogether when they took power in the chamber this year.

'NEEDED TO BE DONE': LAWMAKERS CONSIDER IF SCHIFF’S CENSURE WILL BOLSTER HIS SENATE CAMPAIGN

Last month, the resolution by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., to censure him over his probing of Trump-Russia collusion claims as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee was approved along party lines, though she was forced to remove a provision that suggested a $16 million fine against Schiff.

Schiff seized on the drama immediately after the censure bid was announced, rolling out video clips and other campaign materials based on the GOP’s effort to punish him. It also served as a massive publicity push, earning him wall-to-wall media interviews.

SCHIFF GLOATS ON 'THE VIEW' ABOUT CENSURE: 'I'M DOING PRETTY DAMN WELL'

"The authors of the Big Lie would attack me for telling the truth," Schiff said in a video posted to Twitter. "But the real goal is to intimidate, to silence critics of the president. It takes issue with me for investigating Donald Trump, for impeaching him, for getting the first bipartisan vote to convict a president in U.S. history."

"This is an attack on our democracy, even as it’s an attack on me and the institution of Congress. But I will never back down," he pledged.

Last quarter, Schiff sprung out the gate with $6.5 million raised for his Senate campaign, more than Porter and Lee’s hauls combined. Porter, who like Schiff is a prolific fundraiser, had raised $4.5 million, while Lee took in $1.4 million.

Hunter’s lawyers team up with Jan 6 committee investigator to discredit laptop

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Former Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman has maneuvered his way into Hunter Biden's circle and is working with the first son's legal team to conduct digital forensics on the infamous laptop, as well as joining festivities at the White House.

Riggleman has reportedly aided President Biden's son since late 2022, analyzing whether any of the data on the lost laptop was fabricated — as Hunter Biden faces intensifying investigations from House Republicans.

"When I took this job, I wasn’t pro-Hunter or anti-Hunter. I am pro-data and facts," Riggleman wrote on Twitter Wednesday. "Forensics make clear that considerable information linked to Hunter Biden is questionable."

"What ‘data’ is being used? A laptop and data saying it’s a laptop are two different things," Riggleman said in a separate post, apparently attempting to question the validity of the Hunter Biden laptop. Data from hard drive from the laptop has been verified by multiple news outlets, and an IRS whistleblower recently revealed that federal investigators knew in December 2019 that the laptop was "not manipulated in any way" and contained "reliable evidence."

HUNTER BIDEN DRIVING 170 MHP IN PROSCHE AMONG NEW LAPTOP PHOTOS POSTED ONLINE

Individuals close to Hunter Biden's legal team reportedly told CBS News that Riggleman was also feeding first son information on the investigation methods of House Republicans.

A laptop belonging to Hunter Biden was reportedly left at a Delaware computer repair shop and turned over to the FBI in December 2019. The contents of the laptop, including 10,000 shocking photos recently made public online, "likely contained evidence of tax crimes," according to the IRS whistleblower.

IT'S APPALLING THE WAY THE BIDEN FAMILY IS TREATING HUNTER'S DAUGHTER: JONATHAN FAHEY

The emails and text messages found on the laptop also sparked concerns over President Biden's involvement with son Hunter's overseas business dealings.

Kevin Morris, a Malibu-based lawyer working with Hunter Biden, said Riggleman is "an invaluable resource" to the first son's legal team.

"Denver has been assisting us with data analysis since late last year," Morris told CBS News. "He is an invaluable resource, and we have made tremendous strides in untangling the massive amount of corruption and disinformation involved in this story. There will be much more coming to the public." 

Riggleman also reportedly spent the Fourth of July at the White House with the Hunter's legal team.

After getting ousted in a Virginia 2020 Republican primary, outspoken Trump-critic Riggleman served as an advisor on the January 6 Committee.

The news of Riggleman's involvement with Hunter and analysis of laptop contents comes after the Daily Mail reported on new footage of younger Biden filming himself and appearing to smoke crack while driving through Arlington, Virginia, in June 2018.

Another set of photos from the president's son recently surfaced of him driving 172 miles per hour in his Porsche to Las Vegas in August 2018.

Hunter Biden recently agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and a separate charge for possessing a firearm while acting as an unlawful user and addict of a controlled substance.

Following the plea deal, IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley Jr. claimed that there was intentional federal interference in the investigation, leading to calls for further GOP investigations and the impeachment of President Biden.

Fox News' Houston Keene and Brooke Singeman contributed to this report.

Kevin McCarthy reflects on history during tour of first speaker’s house

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EXCLUSIVE: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., recently toured the home of Frederick Muhlenberg, the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and reflected on the historical importance of his position.

During the tour in Trappe, Pennsylvania, located about 30 miles north of Philadelphia, leaders of a local historical society took McCarthy around Muhlenberg's property — dubbed "The Speaker's House" — and the Henry Muhlenberg House which was owned by Frederick Muhlenberg's father, a well-known 18th century Lutheran minister.

"I wanted to come to the house of the very first speaker of the House of Representatives, Frederick Muhlenberg. You learn from history," McCarthy told Fox News Digital in an exlusive interview following the tour. "Think about if you became the very first speaker of Congress — setting up a new nation, how did you create the tradition, the history?"

"And when you study his time of being speaker, there's something that stands out: I might have a little in common with him. He didn't win on the first ballot. It took him a couple ballots to win there," he continued. "So, he had some fortitude, some grit, which you needed back in the time. How did he make sure the Constitution was upheld? How did he make sure committees did the work, that the speaker didn't suck in all the power?"

MCCARTHY HINTS AT GARLAND IMPEACHMENT OVER 'WEAPONIZATION' OF DOJ AFTER WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS

McCarthy added that he was especially interested in learning about how Muhlenberg was able to work with the first U.S. President George Washington in the late 1700s as they established the foundations of the federal government for years to come. 

"Being a speaker of the House is not an easy job — you know that going in," he said. "But how do you wrangle and help people come together, uphold the Constitution, but pass the type of legislation through committees that puts America onto a better track, that tomorrow will be better than today?"

GOP REBELS WANT 'COMMITMENTS IN WRITING' FROM MCCARTHY TO END STANDOFF, FREEDOM CAUCUS MEMBER SAYS

In January, after multiple unsuccessful votes over the course of four days, McCarthy was elected the 55th ever Speaker of the House on the 15th ballot. The tight vote came after a group of Republicans demanded a series of concessions — such as ensuring certain committee assignments, creating a new "weaponization" subcommittee, and giving lower-ranked members power to alter bills — and for McCarthy to prioritize various conservative priorities.

And McCarthy's speakership hit another snag last month when House Freedom Caucus Republicans delayed votes on protecting gas stoves, a major GOP priority, in response to the way McCarthy and other leaders pushed the debt ceiling bill. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said he and others were fighting back against the "era of the imperial speakership."

McCarthy broadly reflected on the first six months of his speakership following the tour in Trappe, saying he understood the job isn't easy, but that he is willing to make the right decisions even if they aren't immediately popular.

"Muhlenberg, a lot of people may not know him, but he literally made a decision following George Washington on a Jay Treaty that cost him his political career — literally was attacked by a family member over it," McCarthy told Fox News Digital. "It was the right decision going forward. But emotionally, where the country was at, they wanted another decision." 

"He took the leadership upon himself to make that tie-breaking vote where George Washington believed our nation was too young to go to war with Britain again," he continued. "You can learn so many times in history that people putting the country first, made the right decision. It might not make you popular at the moment, but history will be very kind when they look back upon you."

HOSTAGES BUT NO DEMANDS: MCCARTHY SAYS GOP REBELS' CONCERNS UNCLEAR AS FLOOR BLOCKADE FORCES HOUSE ADJOURNMENT

The current Speaker said reflecting on history reminds him democracy isn't going to be "smooth," but will ultimately yield the best results.

"Democracy, as Abraham Lincoln put it, of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from Earth. There's a reason why: because our power doesn't rest with government, it's with the people," McCarthy added. "I actually embrace the struggle when it comes because I know it's working. You might not get everything that you want, but you know the struggle, that the people still have the power and you work through it."

According to Lisa Minardi, the executive director of Historic Trappe which manages an array of historical sites in the area, The Speaker's House was scheduled 20 years ago to be demolished and replaced by a CVS Pharmacy as part of strip mall expansion plan, but was rescued after a group of citizens who wanted to preserve the site banded together.

Today, the home is being renovated as part of a multi-year renovation funded, in large part, by individual donors. The largest project has been executing the restoration of the home's roof which was successfully completed in 2017. The organization is now focused on replacing windows and refurbishing the entire exterior, and plans to soon shift its focus on the interior.

"There's only one first speaker of the House," Minardi told Fox News Digital in an interview. "Frederick Muhlenberg is just incredibly important historically. He's important at the local level, the county level, the state and the national level."

"Not just here in our community of Trappe, but throughout all of those levels," she continued. "So, we think we've got a great story to tell. We want to, you know, get him on the radar."

Fox News Digital Production Assistant Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.

Embattled Texas AG Paxton secretly went on China junket against advice of staff, docs show

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Ken Paxton, the suspended attorney general of Texas, traveled to China with other attorneys general in a secretive trip that included meetings with government officials and did so against the advice of his staff who expressed worry over potential Chinese Communist Party influence, according to sources and internal documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

The shadowy trip — facilitated by the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) and Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) — was a 10-day excursion taking place between Oct. 30, 2019, and Nov. 8, 2019, and included stops in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Macau, according to an itinerary of the trip reviewed by Fox News Digital.

"My first thought was this is a terrible decision to have made," said one individual with knowledge of the trip, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to avoid retribution. "Under no set of circumstances as a U.S. law enforcement official should you willingly go to China."

Paxton — accompanied on the trip by his wife Angela, a Texas state senator — was not required to report the trip and ultimately attended against wishes from staffers who raised potential government influence and surveillance concerns, officials familiar with the matter said. 

TEXAS BUSINESSMAN CONNECTED TO KEN PAXTON IMPEACHMENT ARRESTED BY FBI

The documents showed AGA and CWAG arranged lavish accommodations and travel for Paxton and the other attorneys general who attended. And the top state law enforcement officers, both Republicans like Paxton and Democrats including then-Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors, met with both Chinese government officials and private sector representatives. 

Multiple individuals, who requested anonymity to avoid retribution, confirmed the authenticity of the trip and documents. Fox News Digital is withholding their names to protect their identities.

TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON HIRES PROMINENT LAWYER FOR IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

In addition to Paxton, his wife and Connors, then-Attorneys General Hector Balderas of New Mexico, Mark Brnovich of Arizona and Wayne Stenehjem of North Dakota; former Connecticut Deputy Attorney General Margaret Chapple; and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes joined the trip. Balderas, Brnovich and Reyes brought their wives.

Attendees such as Connors and Brnovich, for example, reported the trip due to disclosure laws in their state, filings show.

AGA Executive Director Karen White and executives from Microsoft, Alibaba, JUUL and various other companies and law firms were also listed on the trip attendee list.

"The international delegations are centered around matters to include Consumer Protection, organized crime, and cybercrime, all of which are priorities in other countries and the United States’ bilateral security relations," AGA Deputy Director and General Counsel Tania Maestas told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The United States and has extensive cultural ties and a mutually beneficial economic relationship and continues to build them through these delegations." 

"The China International Delegation surrounded issues like combating counterfeit goods and violations of intellectual property laws," Maestas continued. "Meetings with Chinese officials regarding counterfeit vaping products flooding the U.S. market also assists further protections for U.S. consumers as state attorneys general have regulatory and enforcement responsibility under the national tobacco settlements and ongoing matters related to vaping."

CHINESE TECH COMPANIES ARE EXPLOITING US GREEN ENERGY GOALS, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WARN

On the trip, the delegation first traveled to Beijing where they stayed at a Four Seasons hotel. 

In Beijing, the attorneys general met with Chinese federal court officials and Chinese prosecutors; met with the general counsel of the state-run China State Construction and Engineering; toured the Microsoft offices; and participated in several historical tours including one to Tiananmen Square, the site of an infamous government massacre of protesting students in 1989.

They then traveled to Hangzhou where they stayed in a Sheraton resort. Their short stay in the city was highlighted by an all-day visit to the headquarters for Alibaba, the hundred-billion-dollar e-commerce platform closely regulated by the Chinese government.

CCP-BACKED TECH COMPANIES ARE POISED TO CASH IN ON BIDEN'S CLIMATE BILL, NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS WARN

After Hangzhou, the delegation traveled to Shanghai where they stayed at a Waldorf Astoria hotel. In addition to sightseeing in the city, they met with leaders at law firm Squire Patton Boggs Shanghai and anonymous "local officials."

In their final leg of the trip, the delegation traveled to Macau where they stayed at the Venetian Macau. The main purpose of the leg was leisure.

"The Attorney General Alliance serves as a bipartisan forum where Attorneys General work in cooperation to share ideas, build relationships, and foster enforcement through meetings, panels, working groups, and social activities," Maestas, AGA's deputy director and general counsel, said.

"Importantly, AGA provides a unique environment where attorneys general can interact and discuss policy initiatives, leading to development of key long-term relationships with both state and international partners," she continued.

The AGA began as the Conference of Western Attorneys General, which still exists today as an AGA program, according to its website. CWAG's most recent financial audit covering its finances for the year ending June 30, 2022, shows it had nearly $7.5 million in total assets.

The AGA has received criticism for allegedly selling access to special interests, Axios reported last year. Chris Toth, who acted as the executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General, made the comments in his retirement letter last June.

TX GOV. GREG ABBOTT NAMES JOHN SCOTT AS TEMPORARY ATTORNEY GENERAL FOLLOWING KEN PAXTON'S HISTORIC IMPEACHMENT

"I have become increasingly alarmed at the growing influence of lobbyist and corporate money in the attorney general arena, particularly involving entities that are being investigated and/or sued by AGs," Toth wrote in the letter, singling out AGA and CWAG, saying it "seems to exist for no other reason than to provide access by such actors to attorneys general."

"But the AGA funding model, e.g., a minimum contribution of $10k to attend their annual meeting, forecloses access to all but the most well-funded persons and groups," Toth wrote. "There is clearly no functional vetting mechanism for who gains access and who can essentially buy programming at AGA meetings."

Toth said that "this places AGs in a very compromising and potentially embarrassing situation," adding that "AGA is overwhelmingly dependent on corporate and lobbyist money for its activities." 

"Dues only account for a very small share of its revenue," Toth wrote. "That means when you go on a delegation, some lobbyist or corporation is paying for that. When you have your room and airfare paid for, some portion of that is coming from someone you are investigating or suing."

Toth's former group distanced themselves from his comments, saying they were "his statements alone" and were not on behalf of the National Association of Attorneys General.

The Texas House voted in May to impeach Paxton after a months-long House investigation into him that led to 20 charges alleging abuse of power, obstruction of justice, bribery and abuse of public trust. The impeachment triggered an automatic suspension of Paxton who must now wait until the end of August for the Texas Senate impeachment trial.

"The ugly spectacle in the Texas House today confirmed the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be fair or just. It was a politically motivated sham from the beginning," Paxton said in a statement after the House impeachment.

Paxton and his wife's offices did not respond to Fox News Digital's inquiries for this story.

Trump draws massive crowd of at least 50K in small South Carolina town of 3,400: police

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Former President Donald Trump packed the house at his South Carolina rally on Saturday, drawing a massive crowd that was significantly larger than the population of the town which hosted it.

The leading Republican presidential candidate barnstormed in Pickens, a town of about 3,400 residents, on Saturday, speaking to more than 50,000 people who gathered at the downtown venue and lined the surrounding streets, according to Pickens police chief Randal Beach.

Beach told the Associated Press on Sunday that authorities were unable to calculate the exact number, but he estimated the rally was attended by "somewhere between 50-55,000" people.

South Carolina's first-in-the-South presidential primary makes it popular among GOP hopefuls, many of whom have already held events in the state. None of the other candidates in the race, however, drew an audience like Trump, who continues to dominate in 2024 polls.

TRUMP LEAD GROWS FOLLOWING INDICTMENT, ONE FACTOR CONTINUES TO BE THORN IN BIDEN'S SIDE WITH VOTERS: POLL

The former president's campaign told Fox News Digital that no other candidate can match the enthusiasm seen in Pickens because no one else has "delivered for the American people" in the ways that Trump has.

"The Supreme Court decisions ending racist college admissions, protecting religious liberty, and stopping an illegal student loan forgiveness scheme were a reminder of how President Trump kept the promises he made to voters," the Trump campaign said in a statement. "Mind you, the tens of thousands of patriots that turned out in Pickens, South Carolina did it on a day with temperatures over 90 degrees. The Trump train has left the station and is not stopping until President Trump is seated behind the Resolute Desk."

Saturday’s event marked a return to the large-scale rallies of his previous presidential campaigns, and his appearance effectively shuttered Pickens' quintessential Southern downtown area.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be to kick off the Fourth of July weekend than right here on Main Street, with thousands of hardworking South Carolina patriots who believe in God, family and country," Trump said Saturday.

The tens of thousands who attended Saturday's rally, which attendees began lining up for the night before, seemed to agree with the president's sentiments.

Greg Pressley and his wife, Robin, said they drove more than three hours from their home in Tennessee to see Trump, a candidate they've supported since his first White House bid in 2016.

"Donald Trump's the best president in history," Greg said. "I love his policies. I love the man. I'm here to support him getting back to where he needs to be, to begin with."

TRUMP SAYS HE'S 'PROUD TO BE THE MOST PRO-LIFE PRESIDENT' IN US HISTORY ON ANNIVERSARY OF ROE V WADE OVERTURN

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have all held events in the state. The two South Carolinians in the race, former Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott, have campaigned there as well.

Shelley Fox, of Spartanburg, who also said she has supported Trump since 2016, said she didn't feel it necessary to even think about any other candidates for next year's election.

"I'd write him in," she said when asked if she would consider another hopeful. "No question – I'd write him in."

Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also spoke at the event.

In 2016, Trump handily won the state during a crowded Republican primary, garnering 32.5% of the vote and earning the state’s 50 delegates. Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz were second and third, respectively, both receiving about 22%.

The huge event shows Trump continues to sit firmly in the driver’s seat of the Republican Party and that his supporters stand unwaveringly beside him during his third bid for the White House.

Contrasted with his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, which drew thousands to rallies in states across the country, Trump's 2024 effort has been noticeably different. 

HOUSE GOP SEEKING TO EXPUNGE 'SHAM' TRUMP IMPEACHMENTS

This was only Trump's second large rally of the 2024 campaign – the first took place in Waco, Texas, in March. Another scheduled outdoor rally in Iowa in May was canceled due to tornado warnings.

The former president has mostly focused his efforts on smaller events this go around, including a series of speeches before state party organizations, frequent media interviews and town halls, working relationships with delegates and local officials, and unannounced stops at restaurants in cities he is visiting.

Trump has also appeared at many of the multi-candidate events of the primary season so far, including this past week's Moms for Liberty gathering in Philadelphia.

Saturday’s massive showing comes as Trump faces an indictment on hush-money charges in New York, federal charges related to his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House and several other investigations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

AOC proposes subpoenas and impeachment to limit SCOTUS justices’ power following landmark decisions

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Democratic "Squad" member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., slammed the U.S. Supreme Court for what she called an "abuse of power" Sunday, following landmark decisions this past week rejecting affirmative action and Biden's student loan debt plan. She proposed impeachment and subpoenas be put into play in order to limit the justices' power. 

"The Supreme Court is far overreaching their authority," Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"And I believe, frankly, that we really need to be having conversations about judicial review as a check on the courts as well," she added.

The Supreme Court issued the last decisions of its term this past week, among them rejecting the use of race as a factor in admissions, ruling in favor of a Christian web designer who refuses to make a same-sex wedding websites, and striking down President Biden’s student loan debt cancellation plan. Democrats have considered the rulings to be attacks on the left, denouncing the court as "illegitimate." 

ROBERTS SCOLDS LIBERAL JUSTICES FOR DEMONIZING RULINGS THEY DON'T LIKE: 'DISTURBING FEATURE' OF DISSENTS

"These are the types of rulings that signal a dangerous creep toward authoritarianism and centralization of power in the courts," Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday. "In fact, we have members of the court themselves with Justice Elena Kagan saying that the court is beginning to assume the power of a legislature."

Ocasio-Cortez has been a vocal proponent for court-packing and limiting the court's power, going as far as to tell CNN's Dana Bash that subpoenas and impeachment should be placed on the table for consideration. 

"And so I believe that if Chief Justice Roberts will not come before Congress for an investigation voluntarily, I believe that we should be considering subpoenas," the Democrat representative said. "We should be considering investigations. We must pass much more binding and stringent ethics guidelines where we see members of the Supreme Court potentially breaking the law, as we saw in the refusal with Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from cases implicating his wife in Jan. 6."

BIDEN SNAPS AT REPORTER AFTER STUDENT DEBT HANDOUT DEFEAT AT SUPREME COURT: 'I DIDN'T GIVE ANY FALSE HOPE'

"There also must be impeachment on the table. We have a broad level of tools to deal with misconduct, overreach and abuse of power, and the Supreme Court has not been receiving the adequate oversight necessary in order to preserve their own legitimacy," she continued. "And in the process, they themselves have been destroying the legitimacy of the court, which is profoundly dangerous for our entire democracy."

Unlike Ocasio-Cortez, the president recently clarified his position against expanding the court during an interview on MSNBC on Thursday. Biden said progressive efforts to expand the Supreme Court would "politicize it maybe forever in a way that is not healthy."

SUPREME COURT RULINGS LIKELY TO INTENSIFY CALLS FROM THE LEFT TO 'PACK' THE COURT

"And I think, look, I think maybe it's just the optimist in me. I think that some of the court are beginning to realize their legitimacy is being questioned in ways that had not been questioned in the past," he continued.

AOC did, however, make headlines shortly after the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling, after she suggested the high court isn't serious about its "ludicrous ‘colorblindness’ claims" or else it would have "abolished" legacy admissions.

Ocasio-Cortez shared her thoughts on the ruling on Twitter, noting that "70% of Harvard’s legacy applicants are white" and that the Supreme Court "didn’t touch that – which would have impacted them and their patrons."

Many social media users were quick to call the congresswoman out, saying that the issue of legacy admissions – the practice of giving preference to children of alumni. - was not before the court.

Fox News' Brianna Herlihy and Kyle Morris contributed to this report. 

GOP presidential candidates spar over calls to impeach Biden for alleged meddling in Hunter investigation

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley faced criticism from a fellow GOP presidential candidate after calling for the impeachment of President Biden over whistleblower claims there was intentional federal interference in the probe targeting his son Hunter.

"Somebody needs to do it," Haley told Fox News' Greg Gutfeld when asked about Congress potentially seeking to impeach Biden over the allegations as he ramps up his campaign for re-election next cycle. "If the Justice Department’s not going to do it, Congress should do it. But somebody needs to do it. It smells bad all day long.

"You’re not talking about just some guy that showed up and decided to say something," Haley added, suggesting the whistleblower was a credible source.

While the presidential candidate believes immediate action should be taken against Biden, GOP candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, also in the running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, said "impeachment should not be used as a political weapon."

IRS WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS ‘MOST SUBSTANTIVE FELONY CHARGES WERE LEFT OFF THE TABLE’ IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE

IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley Jr., supervisor of the Hunter Biden investigation at the IRS, revealed that during the investigation into the president's son, "we weren’t allowed to ask about ‘the big guy,'" referring to a prohibition on asking witnesses questions. 

Numerous reports suggest Hunter Biden referred to his father as "the big guy" in communications.

Shapley also conveyed the information in testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee, where he noted Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors purposely chose not to obtain search warrants related to Hunter Biden.

NIKKI HALEY: BIDEN'S LOVE FOR HUNTER APPEARS TO BE GREATER THAN HIS LOVE FOR AMERICA

"While the whistleblower allegations are serious and must be investigated, impeachment should not be an option until the investigation shows corrupt action by the president," Hutchinson said in a press release Friday reacting to Haley's statement. 

The Republican argued a "thorough investigation" should be conducted before there are calls for impeachment.

"Impeachment should not be used as a political weapon but reserved for serious wrongdoing," Hutchinson said. "The facts should determine what action, if any, Congress should take, and impeachment should not precede a thorough investigation." 

A spokesman for Haley's campaign reiterated the former U.N. ambassador's position. 

"Nikki believes Congress needs to get to the bottom of whether Joe Biden committed crimes or other impeachable offenses since the Justice Department refuses to do it. That process starts with a congressional oversight investigation," said Haley spokesman Ken Farnaso.

Wyn Hornbuckle, deputy director of the Justice Department Office of Public Affairs, immediately denied Shapley's shocking claims regarding the investigation.

"As both the attorney general and U.S. Attorney David Weiss have said, U.S. Attorney Weiss has full authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when and whether to file charges as he deems appropriate," Hornbuckle said in a statement. "He needs no further approval to do so." 

The whistleblower came out after Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and a separate charge for possessing a firearm while acting as an unlawful user and addict of a controlled substance.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Impeachment once again looms large in Congress

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., don’t get along.

But if House Republicans try to impeach President Biden or a roster of other Biden cabinet officials in the coming months, a look at how Pelosi handled impeachment questions deserves attention.

Rewind the calendar to 2007. Democrats flipped control of the House in the 2006 midterms. Pelosi faced a wall of pressure from liberal Democrats to impeach President George W. Bush over the war in Iraq.

Pelosi resisted those calls. "Impeachment is off the table," Pelosi said at the time.

TED CRUZ CALLS ON HOUSE TO INVESTIGATE IMPEACHING BIDEN OVER HUNTER ALLEGATIONS: ‘DIRECT EVIDENCE’

But Pelosi had a plan to wind down the U.S. commitment overseas. Pelosi instructed then-Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wisc., to start diminishing spending available for the war effort. Control of the purse strings is the ultimate power in Congress. Pelosi and Obey didn’t want to cut off troops in the field. But the plan was to dial back funding so the U.S. would leave Iraq sooner rather than later. 

Fast forward to the summer of 2019.

BIDEN DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN SON HUNTER'S CHINESE BUSINESS DEALINGS AFTER NEW MESSAGE EMERGES

Pelosi had resisted calls to impeach former President Donald Trump for years over a host of transgressions. Pelosi often reminded House Democrats and her members she supported an investigation of alleged misdeeds and would "follow the facts" wherever they may lead.

Democrats were disappointed in information provided at a summer 2019 hearing with former Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller was coy during his testimony and failed to produce a smoking gun. But some lawmakers observed that Mueller may have left a breadcrumb of clues in his report investigating Trump: impeachment may be an option.

Still, Democrats were reluctant to go there — even though many wanted to do so.

In fact, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, regularly launched efforts to try to impeach former President Trump. While many Democrats admired Green’s gusto, they viewed his effort as an unserious sideshow.

Pelosi wouldn’t let the House be a part of such a carnival.

That was until word came of the phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Information surfaced that Mr. Trump may have delayed sending previously-approved assistance to Ukraine. But he first pressured Zelenskyy to launch investigations of President Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

No love was lost between the former president and Pelosi. But Pelosi was often a master of understanding where the votes might be on a given issue. She was also mindful of protecting her members from taking a tough vote. Pelosi didn’t appear ready for impeachment yet. Certainly after Mueller’s appearance. But the Trump/Zelenskyy phone call was another matter.

In mid-September 2019, a coalition of seven Democratic freshmen House members penned an op-ed in The Washington Post. They wrote that if the allegations against Trump were true, they would consider it "an impeachable offense."

WHAT A BIDEN IMPEACHMENT FIGHT WOULD DO TO REPUBLICANS, AND THE COUNTRY

All seven authors flipped districts from Republican to Democratic control in the 2018 midterms. The seven had serious national security credentials. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., served in the Army. Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., worked for the CIA. Three served in the Navy: Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., along with former Reps. Elaine Luria, D-Va., and Gil Cisneros, D-Calif. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., was in the Air Force.

The op-ed signaled to Pelosi that centrist, Democratic freshmen from battleground districts were willing to potentially impeach the president. The speaker had protected them and others from what could become a career-defining vote. Pelosi greenlighted a formal impeachment inquiry a few days after the op-ed. The House voted on Halloween to design the ground rules for an impeachment inquiry. And just before Christmas, the House voted to impeach Trump again.

The Pelosi-led House moved to impeach Trump just hours after the Capitol riot in January, 2021.

The measure went to the floor swiftly — lacking the weeks and months of hearings which were a feature of the former president's first impeachment. In fact, the House impeached Trump days before his term expired.

Pelosi didn’t hold back on impeaching Trump that time because she had the votes. She also wanted to impeach him while he was still in office.

What is past is prologue.

McCarthy may have temporarily circumvented an immediate push by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., to impeach President Biden before the House abandoned Washington for the July Fourth recess. But this is far from the last time we will see or hear about this debate.

A ROAD TO IMPEACHMENT: HOUSE REPUBLICANS MAY YET IMPEACH BIDEN

And the stark reality is that it may very well wind up in an eventual impeachment of President Biden.

Here are several scenarios which could unfold over the next few months:

The Judiciary and Homeland Security committees are already probing alleged misdeeds of Biden. Boebert’s resolution specifically calls for impeachment of the president because of how he’s dealt with the border. The House voted to send Boebert’s resolution to those panels, preventing an immediate up/down vote on impeachment on the floor. 

Watch to see how these committees move. If they amp things up, the House could be headed toward a true impeachment inquiry. That ultimately could result in an impeachment vote later this year. However, it is unclear if the House actually has the votes to impeach Biden.

By contrast, the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees could do nothing with the referral of Boebert’s impeachment resolution. Boebert indicated she’d force the issue on the floor again. This is a little like Al Green’s repeated efforts to impeach Trump. But if Boebert presses the issue, McCarthy could lack the ammo to again sidestep a direct confrontation over impeachment. 

That likely means Boebert reintroduces her special resolution to impeach Biden. Either the House votes on that or tables it. A straight vote on impeachment causes big problems among Republicans. Some conservatives truly want to impeach the president. Others like to talk about impeachment but don’t really want to tangle with it. Still, other GOPers see impeachment as political kryptonite and want to stay as far away from it as possible. Forcing a vote actually on an issue as explosive as impeachment ignites a GOP firestorm. Of course, voting to table it triggers a political maelstrom among a different set of GOP factions.

Here's another possibility: The committees actually shelve the impeachment effort. The committees might address the impeachment question and conduct investigations. But some Republicans already view the move to send the Boebert plan to committee as an effort to euthanize the enterprise. Some Republicans will breathe a sigh of relief. Others will go nuclear — perhaps against the speaker.

The bottom line: While not yet a formal "impeachment inquiry," the committees have wide latitude to truly investigate allegations which could be potentially worthy of impeachment. The vote to send the Boebert impeachment resolution to committee may have been a fig leaf. But chances are that the House must address impeachment for President of the United States in some form later this year.

As we speak, there are various Republicans who hope to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves.

In an interview with Fox about impeaching Garland, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., noted that "Kevin McCarthy is not against impeachment at all." Greene observed that "if we’re going to do it, it needs to be successful."

In other words, just don’t deposit a privileged impeachment resolution on the floor and expect members to vote on it, al a Boebert or Al Green.

"The speaker of the House, whether it’s Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy or anyone … they want to make sure that they have the votes to pass it," said Greene.

That’s a calculus McCarthy may need to figure in the coming months — be it for Biden or the host of other figures listed above.

Pelosi moved the impeachments for Trump once she was confident she had the votes. But McCarthy only has a four-seat majority. It’s far from clear how he’ll handle similar impeachment calls on his watch.

Texas lawmakers focus on property taxes in second special legislative session

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called state lawmakers into a second special legislative session Tuesday with no talks of border security and immigration on the agenda, just hours after the first one wrapped up with the Republican-led Legislature in a stalemate over property taxes.

Abbott’s first special session agenda focused on property taxes and border security. It ended Tuesday afternoon with no deals on either issue and bitter disagreement among the chambers on how to cut property taxes and by how much.

The third legislative session of 2023 continues a series of rough patches for the GOP in America’s most populous red state, most notably with the impeachment of Republican Attorney General, Ken Paxton. Paxton is to be tried in the Texas Senate in September.

TEXAS POSTAL WORKER DIES WHILE DELIVERING MAIL IN 'DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT' WITH RECORD-HIGH TEMPS

Abbott further tightened the agenda for the second round to only property taxes, adding that he'll keep calling lawmakers to the Capitol "until property tax cut legislation reaches my desk."

Although the governor can add agenda items later in the 30-day special session, the second session's agenda marks at least a temporary pivot away from immigration and border security issues that have flared again nationally ahead of the 2024 election.

SAN ANTONIO MIGRANT DEATHS: FOUR MORE ARRESTED IN ALLEGED HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATION THAT LEFT 53 DEAD

On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the Texas-Mexico border to unveil an immigration policy proposal — his first as a 2024 presidential contender — that included ending birthright citizenship and completing a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, among other GOP immigration priorities. He also echoed Abbott's claims of an "invasion" along the southern border.

"I think the state of Texas has the right to declare an invasion," DeSantis, a Republican, told an audience member at an event in Eagle Pass on Monday.

During the state's regular biennial session, which ended May 29, Texas lawmakers allocated over $5 billion for border security. Days later, Abbott unveiled a new initiative — floating marine barriers that will be deployed at "hotspots along the Rio Grande River."

According to a June announcement from Abbott's office, the first 1,000 of the water-based border security device will be deployed near Eagle Pass — the same region where nine migrants died while attempting to cross the river in September.