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WATCH: Republicans rally behind Trump, continue to support Musk amid ‘big, beautiful’ brawl

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A "big, beautiful" brawl erupted on social media Thursday as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk aired their grievances for all to see after months of working together to cut government waste. 

House Republicans rallied behind the president and continued to support Musk when discussing the fallout with Fox News Digital.

"Obviously, I have President Trump's back. I don't think that he should be impeached. Do I think that he was on the Jeffrey Epstein island? I don't think so," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said, referring to Musk calling for Trump's impeachment and suggestiong Trump was "in the Epstein files."

Despite her defense, Luna admitted Musk is not a "terrible person," and both men have made "great contributions" to the Republican Party. 

FETTERMAN DISSES DEMS FOR SUDDENLY EMBRACING MUSK AMID TRUMP FALLOUT

"I assure you he crossed the line on what he said about the sitting president of the United States today," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said of Musk's allegations about Trump. 

'GONE TOO FAR': GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP AFTER MUSK RAISES EPSTEIN ALLEGATIONS

But Roy joined Luna in defending Musk's contribution to cutting government waste through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

"The bottom line is, we have a job to do. Elon is doing a great job in terms of the rescissions in terms of the DOGE cuts they identified, and I don't disagree with him about our need to go find more spending cuts. I don't. But you know, guys, keep it in the lines," Roy added. 

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., praised Trump Thursday for saving the country. 

"What's broken apart can be put back together, but you've got two strong personalities," Norman said of Trump and Musk. 

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn, dismissed the men's social media brawl, telling Fox News Digital, "They're the two biggest dogs in the pound. They're going to fight."

"It's going to settle down at some point," Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, added. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Musk's tirade to Trump's bill, which is focused on working- and middle-class tax relief and not benefiting Musk and his companies enough.

"This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again," Leavitt said.

In the first of several posts targeting the bill, and then Trump directly, Musk said, "I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

Fetterman disses Dems for suddenly embracing Musk amid Trump fallout

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Maverick Democratic Sen. John Fetterman dissed members of his own party Thursday for suddenly backing Elon Musk during his feud with President Donald Trump. 

Democrats have found an unlikely ally in Musk this week, given his public rejection of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" and a subsequent call for Trump's impeachment. 

The president has championed the legislation as fulfilling his key campaign promises, including border security, American energy production and tax cuts. 

The megabill is under consideration by both a Republican-led White House and Congress. But it has faced hiccups in the Senate this week as Republicans, including some who helped pass the bill through the House, have indicated they do not support the bill in its current form. Every House Democrat voted against the bill. 

ELON MUSK WARPATH AGAINST TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' RATTLES HOUSE GOP

The national debt is at $36,214,501,400,213.64 as of June 5, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department.

GOP SENATORS EXPRESS 'CONCERNS,' 'SKEPTICISM' OVER TRUMP'S SPENDING BILL AFTER MUSK RANT

Amid the setbacks, Musk has thrown a wrench into the Republican's reconciliation process through a series of fiery posts on X, the platform he bought in 2022. And Democrats were quick to coalesce behind Musk's rejection of the bill, seizing on the GOP's intraparty conflict despite their outright rejection of Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) this year. 

In the first of several posts targeting the bill, and then Trump directly, Musk said, "I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

Fetterman, who has built a reputation for bucking his own party on issues like immigration and support for Israel, was quick to call out the inconsistency of his fellow Democrats Thursday. 

"The Dems, we've been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him," Fetterman said. 

Democrats began staging protests at Tesla dealerships early into Trump's second term. Tesla vehicles and dealerships have also been targeted this year in a string of violent attacks against the company, another business owned by Musk. Trump's Justice Department labeled the attacks "domestic terrorism."

And while the Pennsylvania Democrat said Musk is right for rejecting Trump's megabill, Fetterman said Thursday Democrats have to decide what they think of Musk and stick with it. 

"It wasn't that long ago that Tesla was like the virtue-signaling kind of accessory for Dems," Fetterman said. "I would never want to vandalize Teslas, and the ‘big, beautiful bill’ is wrong for America. So, from my perspective, I've just tried to be consistent through that."

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., was one Democrat who acknowledged this week that Democrats should work with Musk on their shared objective to stop Trump's "big, beautiful bill."

And GOP Rep. Tim Burchett piled on the criticism of Democrats' inconsistencies, telling Fox News Digital, "It's kind of ironic to me that, a week ago, the Democrats hated Elon Musk's guts … and now they're basing everything they have on him."

Fox News Channel's Chad Pergram and Fox News Media's Dan Scully contributed to this report. 

‘Gone too far’: GOP lawmakers rally around Trump after Musk raises Epstein allegations

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

House GOP lawmakers are accusing Elon Musk of going "too far" after he suggested President Donald Trump was "in the Epstein files."

"Hopefully we never have to answer questions about tweets like that from Elon again," said Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, calling Musk's comments "not helpful."

"Elon crossed the line today," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital,

Musk referenced late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in relation to Trump Thursday as part of a larger tirade against the president and Republican leaders over their budget reconciliation bill.

HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT

The tech billionaire accused Republicans of adding to the national debt — currently nearing $37 trillion — with legislation they've called Trump's "big, beautiful bill."

"Time to drop the really big bomb. [Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" Musk wrote on X. "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out."

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said Musk had "gone too far."

NATIONAL DEBT TRACKER: AMERICAN TAXPAYERS (YOU) ARE NOW ON THE HOOK FOR $36,214,501,400,213.64 AS OF 6/5/25

"There's just no need for this," Nehls said. "Those conversations should be taking place behind closed doors."

Some Republicans argued that any damning information about Trump and Epstein would have already been revealed if it existed.

"What I would say is, if Joe Biden had Donald Trump in the Epstein logs, there's no question it would have come out during the campaign," Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. "So, I don't know what's prompting it. I think it's all unfortunate."

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., questioned why Musk would let his young son, nicknamed "X," around Trump if he believed he was closely associated with a pedophile.

"The Biden administration would have put it out. There's nobody that Democrats hate more than Donald J. Trump, and he's handing them their lunch every day. So, I don't put much faith into it," Burchett said.

"Why would he let his kid hang out with the president if that was true? That just doesn't make any sense. And now he's calling for his impeachment. I mean, it's just going off to the deep end."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.,  who is leading a task force on declassifying federal investigations, including Epstein's, told reporters she did not think Musk's suggestion held water.

"Speaking to Jeffrey Epstein, I will be very specific that I do believe that if President Trump was in the Epstein files, they would have released it during the primary, and they didn't," Luna said.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

"So, the fact is, is that I do not believe that President Trump is in the Epstein files, the way that it's being implied, but either which way, this is why we continue to push for transparency."

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., however, stood apart in his answer in calling for more transparency into the Epstein files.

"Facts will bear out whatever they will," Norman said. "The Epstein files are bound to come out, and let it come out. We ought to see it. America has a right to know, just like they do with the John F. Kennedy files, the Bobby Kennedy files."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Musk's tirade to Trump's bill, which is focused on working- and middle-class tax relief and not benefiting Musk and his companies enough.

"This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again," Leavitt said.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital, "I could not tell you what Elon Musk's motivations are, but I can tell you what we're going to do, which is avoid a $4 trillion tax increase on the American people.

And while it's well-known the two men were acquainted, a source familiar with the matter pointed out that Trump had kicked Epstein out of his Palm Beach Golf Club.

Trump had permanently banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for hitting on a teenage daughter of a club member, according to a book, "The Grifter's Club." 

"The administration itself released Epstein files with the President’s name included. This is not a new surprise Elon is uncovering. Everyone already knew this," the source said. "If Elon truly thought the President was more deeply involved with Epstein, why did he hang out with him for six months and say he ‘loves him as much as a straight man can love a straight man?'"

Fox News Digital has also reached out to Musk for comment via his office at Tesla.

Migrant deported to third country returned to US after Trump admin yields to judge’s order

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A Guatemalan man who was deported to Mexico by the Trump administration was returned to the U.S. this week, his lawyers confirmed to Fox News on Thursday, marking the first known instance of the Trump administration complying with a judge’s orders to return an individual removed from the U.S. based on erroneous information.

The individual, identified only as O.C.G, was returned to the U.S. via commercial flight, lawyers confirmed, after being deported to Mexico in March.

The news comes one week after lawyers for the Justice Department told U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy that they were working to charter a plane to secure the return of the individual, identified only as O.C.G., to U.S. soil. 

Murphy had ruled that O.C.G., a Guatemalan migrant, had been deported to Mexico earlier this year without due process and despite his stated fears of persecution, and ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return. 

TRUMP FOE JUDGE BOASBERG RULES DEPORTED MIGRANTS CAN CHALLENGE REMOVALS, IN BLOW TO ADMIN

Additionally, Murphy told laywers for the administration that O.C.G. had not been given the chance to contest his removal to a country where he could face threats of torture, a right afforded under U.S. and international law.

O.C.G. was previously held for ransom and raped in Mexico but was not afforded the chance to assert those fears prior to his removal, Murphy noted in his order, citing submissions from O.C.G.'s attorneys.

"In general, this case presents no special facts or legal circumstances, only the banal horror of a man being wrongfully loaded onto a bus and sent back to a country where he was allegedly just raped and kidnapped," Murphy said earlier this month, noting that the removal process "lacked any semblance of due process."

US JUDGE ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF ‘MANUFACTURING CHAOS’ IN SOUTH SUDAN DEPORTATIONS, ESCALATING FEUD 

"The return of O.C.G. poses a vanishingly small cost to make sure we can still claim to live up to that ideal," Murphy said in his order.

Lawyers for the Trump administration told the court last week that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Phoenix Field Office made contact over the weekend with O.C.G.’s attorneys and are "currently working with ICE Air to bring O.C.G. back to the United States on an Air Charter Operations (ACO) flight return leg."

That appears to have happened, and O.C.G. was flown via commercial airline to the U.S. on Wednesday.

The news comes amid a broader court fight centered on Trump's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act – an 18th-century wartime law it invoked earlier this year to deport certain migrants more quickly. Many were sent to CECOT, El Salvador's maximum-security prison.

To date, the Trump administration has not complied with federal court orders to facilitate the return of those individuals to the U.S., even individuals who were deported in what the administration has acknowledged was an administrative error. 

Unlike the migrants at CECOT, however, O.C.G. had not been detained in Mexico.

The Trump administration did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. They did not immediately respond to questions about whether the administration plans to follow suit in other cases in which a federal judge ordered the administration to return an individual deemed to have been wrongfully deported.

The news comes just hours after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to provide all migrants removed to CECOT under the Alien Enemies Act an opportunity to seek habeas relief to contest their removal, as well as the opportunity to challenge their alleged gang status, which was the basis for their removal under the law.

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP'S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

Judge Boasberg also gave the Trump administration one week to submit to the court information explaining how it plans to facilitate the habeas relief to migrants currently being held at CECOT.

That ruling is almost certain to provoke a high-stakes legal standoff with the administration, and comes as Trump officials have railed against Judge Boasberg and others who have ruled in ways seen as unfavorable to the administration as so-called "activist judges."

Trump called for Boasberg's impeachment earlier this year, prompting Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare public statement of rebuke. 

"America’s asylum system was never intended to be used as a de facto amnesty program or a catch-all, get-out-of-deportation-free card," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement over the weekend.

Here are Biden’s most controversial pardons, with most signed using AutoPen

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The Justice Department is reviewing the list of people that were granted pardons by former President Joe Biden, amid new concerns about his use of an AutoPen to automatically sign documents, as well as concerns about his state of mind and mental acuity in his final months in office. 

TRUMP DOJ INVESTIGATING BIDEN-ERA PARDONS AMID CONCERNS OVER STATE OF MIND

Biden used his final weeks as commander-in-chief to grant clemency and pardon more than 1,500 individuals, in what his White House described as the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president. 

But critics blasted Biden for some of the pardons and preemptive pardons for members of his family, inner circle, and some allies, amid concerns that the Trump administration would investigate and attempt to punish their actions. 

WHAT IS AN AUTOPEN? THE SIGNING DEVICE AT THE HEART OF TRUMP'S ATTACKS ON BIDEN PARDONS

Biden signed the pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, by hand. But the others appear to have been signed by AutoPen. 

Here is a list of the former president’s most controversial pardons: 

Former President Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden in December 2024—after vowing to the American people for months that he would not do so. 

Hunter Biden was found guilty of three felony firearm offenses stemming from Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation. The first son was also charged with federal tax crimes regarding the failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. Before his trial, Hunter Biden entered a surprise guilty plea. 

Biden, in December, announced a blanket pardon that applies to any offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden "has committed or may have committed" from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024. 

HUNTER BIDEN: A LOOK AT HOW THE SAGA SPANNING OVER SIX YEARS UNFOLDED

"From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," Biden said. "There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough."

Biden added, "I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision." 

Just a day before leaving office on Jan. 20, 2025, Biden signed an Executive Grant of Clemency for his brother James Biden and his wife Sarah Jones Biden; his sister Valerie Biden Owens and her husband John T. Owens; and his brother Francis W. Biden. 

The "full and unconditional" preemptive pardon for his family members covered "any nonviolent offenses against the United States which they may have committed or taken part in during the period from Jan. 1, 2014, through the date of this pardon," which was signed on Jan. 19, 2025. 

The pardon appears to have been signed with AutoPen. 

Members of the Biden family had fallen at the center of the congressional investigation into their business dealings. 

The House of Representatives launched an impeachment inquiry against Biden, finding that Biden committed "impeachable conduct" during his time as vice president and "defrauded the United States to enrich his family." 

PRESIDENT BIDEN PARDONS HIS SIBLINGS JUST MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE

During the inquiry, congressional investigators heard testimony from James Biden, who ultimately was referred to the Justice Department for prosecution for making false statements to Congress about "key aspects" of the impeachment inquiry. 

The House of Representatives found that the Biden family and its associates received more than $27 million from foreign individuals or entities since 2014.

They also alleged that the Biden family leveraged Biden’s position as vice president to obtain more than $8 million in loans from Democrat benefactors. The loans "have not been repaid and the paperwork supporting many of the loans does not exist and has not been produced to the committees."

The Republicans said the alleged conspiracy took place while Biden was serving as vice president.

Biden, on Jan. 19, 2025, pardoned Milley, after an administration marred by the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. 

Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has admitted the withdrawal where 13 U.S. troops lost their lives was a "strategic failure."  

BIDEN COMMITTED ‘IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,’ ‘DEFRAUDED UNITED STATES TO ENRICH HIS FAMILY’: HOUSE GOP REPORT

"My family and I are deeply grateful for the President’s action today," Milley said in a statement, accepting the pardon. "After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights." 

The pardon appears to have been signed with AutoPen. 

Biden, also on Jan. 19, 2025, pardoned former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci also served as Biden’s chief medical advisor and oversaw the U.S. public health response and research on the COVID-19 virus and vaccine development. 

Fauci accepted the pardon in a statement shortly after Biden announced the move, claiming he was subject to "politically motivated threats of investigation and prosecution."

DR. FAUCI SAYS HE APPRECIATES PRESIDENT BIDEN'S PARDON BUT INSISTS 'NO CRIME' WAS COMMITTED

"Let me be perfectly clear: I have committed no crime and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me. The fact is, however, that the mere articulation of these baseless threats, and the potential that they will be acted upon, create immeasurable and intolerable distress for me and my family. For these reasons, I acknowledge and appreciate the action that President Biden has taken today on my behalf," Fauci said. 

Fauci’s pardon also appears to have been signed with AutoPen. 

Biden, also on Jan. 19, 2025, used AutoPen to sign a pardon for members of Congress who served on the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. 

BIDEN PARDONS MARK MILLEY, ANTHONY FAUCI, J6 COMMITTEE MEMBERS

The pardon also covered committee staff and the police officers from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police who testified before the committee. 

New Jersey gubernatorial candidates gear up for competitive primary in early test of Trump’s 2nd term

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

New Jersey voters will choose their Democrat and Republican nominees for governor on June 10, closing out competitive primary contests that could have major implications for the Garden State. 

It's a crowded field on both sides of the aisle as six Democrats and five Republicans are vying for the chance to replace Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited this year. 

Democratic candidates include Newark mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association president Sean Spiller, former New Jersey Senate president Steve Sweeney and U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherill.

2021 Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, radio personality Bill Spadea, New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and political outsider Justin Barbera are among the Republican candidates. 

DEM LAWMAKER FUNDRAISES OFF FEDERAL ASSAULT CHARGES AFTER ICE FACILITY CONFRONTATION: 'DOING MY JOB'

Democrat and Republican candidates have evoked President Donald Trump's name during their gubernatorial campaigns, as Democrats position themselves as the most anti-Trump and Republicans try to be the most pro-Trump. 

REP. MIKIE SHERRILL SUGGESTS THIRD TRUMP IMPEACHMENT AS SHE CAMPAIGNS TO BE NEXT NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR

New Jersey is one of just two gubernatorial elections in 2025, along with Virginia. Both races will be used by politicians and pundits to gauge how Americans are responding to Trump's second term ahead of the midterm elections next year. 

Trump outperformed in the Garden State in 2024, according to Fox News Voter Analysis. 

While Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey in 2024 as expected, Trump gained a nearly five-point improvement from his 2020 vote share and Harris' support dropped by about five points. He gained across New Jersey, with his largest swings in the northeast corner of the state. Hudson and Passaic counties lead the pack.

Trump held a large "Make America Great Again" rally on the Jersey Shore during his 2024 presidential campaign as he told the crowd that New Jersey was in play, despite its reputation as a reliable blue state. 

Republican gubernatorial candidates have been eager to play up their relationships with Trump and cast their campaigns as the most aligned with Trump. But the president endorsed Ciattarelli on Truth Social earlier this month – a blow to Ciatarelli's closest competitor, Spadea.

Ciattarelli is leading the pack of Republican candidates with 42% of New Jersey registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independent voters, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel poll conducted from April 1 to April 10. Spadea comes in a distant second, with 12%. Four percent of Republicans said they preferred Bramnick, 3% chose Barbera, and no one chose Kranjac. Four percent say they don't prefer any of the candidates.

This is the leading Republican's third consecutive gubernatorial bid. Ciattarelli lost by a hair to Murphy in 2021 and has framed his candidacy as a referendum on the Democrat policies that have driven New Jersey for the past eight years. 

Meanwhile, the Democrat candidates have walked a fine line between building on Murphy's legacy and promising to change the status quo in Trenton. Like Murphy, Democrat candidates have rejected Trump's executive orders, crackdown on illegal immigration and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts. 

The same poll found Democrats were more split about their leading candidate. 17% of registered Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents said they prefer Sherrill and 12% said they support Fulop, which is within the margin of error. Spiller picked up 10%, Baraka had 9% and Sweeney landed 7% of the vote. Four percent didn't prefer any of the candidates. 

Democratic candidates threw their support behind Baraka this month when he was arrested for trespassing at an ICE facility in Newark. The Department of Homeland Security called it a "beyond bizarre political stunt," but Baraka has maintained that he did nothing wrong. 

As the New Jersey primary comes to a head next month, the Garden State has dominated national headlines this year. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has experienced multiple FAA system outages, prompting concern among fliers and air traffic controllers. 

And a New Jersey transit strike created more travel mayhem when railways closed last week. Not to mention the large sinkhole that shut down Interstate 80, redirecting even more New Jersey travelers and commuters. 

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In-person early voting runs Tuesday, June 3, to Sunday, June 8. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, and received by the county Board of Elections on or before the sixth day after the close of the polls. In-person voting on election day, Tuesday, June 10, will be from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

GOP Georgia Senate candidate targets vulnerable Jon Ossoff in ad depicting transgender ‘fan’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: House Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is taking aim at Georgia's senior senator in a new ad highlighting the vulnerable Democrat's stance on transgender student athletes.

Carter, who is running for Senate, is releasing a 30-second advertisement titled, "Ossoff Fan," which features a purported transgender woman complaining about Carter's own Republican stances. It opens by showing a transgender woman, played by a stubble-chinned biological male wearing a wig and a dress, sitting in a living room beside a dumbbell watching Carter on Fox News.

"He's been MAGA from the beginning," the person says on the phone. "He's been loyal to Trump, defended him during impeachment."

The person on the other line says, "And Buddy helped Trump at the border with deportations."

HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT

The transgender person picks up a trophy and says, "And preventing people like me from competing in women's sports. Buddy Carter even believes there's only two genders." 

"Now Buddy wants to help Trump in the Senate and beat Jon Ossoff," the individual says. "It's just not fair." Meanwhile, the voice on the phone quips, "After all Ossoff has done for us!"

The ad ends with the transgender person picking up a sign with pink lettering that says, "Ossoff for Senate," putting on a pair of wedge sandals, and stomping to their car.

The short but punchy advertisement signals that Republicans still believe the debate surrounding transgender inclusion is a potent issue for turning out voters in favor of the GOP. It proved to be a key issue in the 2024 general election, with moderate Democrats spending weeks after the fact decrying their own party's intolerance to differing views.

Ossoff is a first-term lawmaker who was the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the Peach State in roughly two decades. Republicans now view Ossoff’s seat as one of the most viable flip opportunities in the upcoming 2026 midterm cycle, when the GOP hopes to keep and expand upon its thin majority in the upper chamber. 

Carter was the first Republican to jump into the contest after Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was considered a heavy favorite to run against Ossoff, opted to forgo a Senate bid. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King is also running in the race as a Republican.

Ossoff joined with all other Democratic senators to filibuster the bill from Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt, both Alabama Republicans, in March, effectively killing the legislation after it advanced out of the House earlier this year. 

Their bill, called the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, is designed to bar transgender athletes from participating in federally funded school athletics at all levels, from elementary school to college.

It would amend Title IX to make it a violation for any school athletic program that receives federal funding to allow a biological male to participate in sports or activities that are meant for women or girls, and defines a person’s sex by their reproductive biology and genetics at birth. 

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

The measure is similar to an executive order from President Donald Trump in February that argued that the participation of biological men in women's and girls' sports was "demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports."

The Carter campaign’s ad is also not the first time in the early days of the looming midterm cycle that the vulnerable senator has been targeted for his vote against the measure. 

One Nation, a nonprofit advocacy group closely aligned with Senate Republican leadership, ran an ad last month that accused Ossoff of "running point for the radical left" with his vote to block the men in women’s sports bill. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Ossoff's campaign for comment on Carter's ad but did not hear back by press time.

Trump rips NBC reporter for asking about Qatari jet gift amid tense meeting on genocide: ‘You’re a disgrace’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Donald Trump ripped an NBC reporter for questions about the Department of Defense accepting a jumbo jet from Qatar to serve as Air Force One. 

"The Pentagon announced that it would be accepting a Qatari jet to be used as Air Force One," an NBC reporter asked Trump in a news conference during the South African president's visit Wednesday to the White House. 

"What are you talking about? You know, you ought to get out of here," Trump responded. 

The question regarding the Qatari jet was asked immediately after Trump directed his staff to lower the lights and show video footage of the treatment of White farmers in South Africa during his meeting with the African nation's president. 

ESPIONAGE, CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS ABOUND FROM TRUMP DETRACTORS, ALLIES OVER QATARI JET OFFER

The Trump administration began welcoming white Afrikaners from South Africa to the U.S. in the past week as they face "unjust racial discrimination" in their home country, according to the administration. 

"What does this have to do with the Qatari jet?" Trump shot back at the reporter, believed to be NBC News' Peter Alexander, before slamming NBC News for trying to divert the meeting's topic from genocide in South Africa. 

"They're giving the United States Air Force a jet. OK? And it's a great thing. We're talking about a lot of other things. It's NBC trying to get off the subject of what you just saw," Trump said. "You are a real … you know, you're a terrible reporter. No. 1, you don't have what it takes to be a reporter. You're not smart enough. But for you to go into a subject about a jet that was given to the United States Air Force, which is a very nice thing.

"They also gave $5.1 trillion worth of investment in addition to the jet. Go back, you ought to go back to your studio at NBC because Brian Roberts and the people that run that place, they ought to be investigated. They are so terrible the way you run that network. And you are a disgrace. No more questions from you," Trump continued. 

"His name is Peter something. He's a terrible reporter," Trump added as he began calling on other reporters for questions. 

FLASHBACK: DEM CRITICAL OF TRUMP'S QATARI JET GIFT RODE CAMEL IN EXPENSES-PAID 2021 TRIP TO GULF EMIRATE

Fox News Digital reached out to NBC News for comment on the matter but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News confirmed earlier Wednesday that the Department of Defense had formally accepted a 747 jetliner from Qatar.

Both Democrats and Republicans have criticized Trump after he announced the Department of Defense planned to accept a jumbo jet from the government of Qatar earlier in May, arguing the gift is riddled with both espionage concerns and constitutional questions. 

HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR 'IMMEDIATE' ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP

At the heart of Democrats' concern over the matter is the emoluments clause in the Constitution, which states, "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."

It's questionable if the emoluments clause even applies to the president, however, because the Constitution typically stipulates when a clause specifically affects a president and cites the title, such as in the impeachment clause, Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, previously told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP CLARIFIES OWNERSHIP OF AIRCRAFT IN DEFENSE OF QATAR'S GIFT

"The clause was specifically inserted because of concerns by the founders at the Constitutional Convention over corruption of our foreign diplomats, especially by the French government," von Spakovsky explained. 

"It is questionable whether the emoluments clause even applies to the president since he is not named, and the Constitution usually names the president when a provision applies to him. That is why the impeachment clause specifically provides that it applies to the ‘president, vice president and all civil officers of the United States.’ If ‘officers’ of the U.S. included the president, there would be no need for him to be separately listed." 

Von Spakovsky said if the plane is a government-to-government gift — meaning if Qatar gave the plane to the Department of Defense and not as a personal gift to the president — the Trump administration is likely in the legal clear to accept the gift. 

"If this gift is being considered as a gift to the government of the U.S., there is no legal issue to consider, since there is no constitutional or legal problem with such a gift. If this is a personal gift to the president, the Justice Department would be weighing the constitutional issue I have raised — whether the emoluments clause even applies to the president," he said. 

TRUMP DEFENDS QATAR JUMBO JET OFFER AS TROUBLED BOEING FAILS TO DELIVER NEW AIR FORCE ONE FLEET

Trump and his administration have previously and repeatedly said the jet would be given to the Department of Defense and used as a temporary Air Force One because Boeing has not yet delivered a new fleet of Air Force One aircraft. 

"We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One," Trump said during a press conference on drug prices Monday morning. "You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it's not even the same ballgame.

"When I first came in, I signed an order to get (the new Air Force One fleet) built," he added. "I took it over from the Obama administration, they had originally agreed. I got the price down much lower. And then, when the election didn't exactly work out the way that it should have, a lot of work was not done on the plane because a lot of people didn't know they made change orders. That was so stupid, so ridiculous. And it ended up being a total mess, a real mess." 

Soros-backed Philadelphia DA survives primary challenge, but potential GOP wrinkle ahead

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Philadelphia Democrat District Attorney Lawrence Krasner survived a primary challenge from Judge Pat Dugan in what was seen as a truly competitive race this year for top prosecutor in the six-to-one Democrat stronghold.

However, if it turns out that Dugan received enough Republican write-in votes in addition to his cache on the Democrat ballot, he will have the opportunity to have a November rematch against Krasner.

Republicans, largely out of power in the city since Mayor Bernard Samuel in the 1950s and two at-large city council seats reserved for minority parties, saw Dugan’s candidacy as an opportunity to oust Krasner whether he won or not on Tuesday.

The city’s Republican Party funded a website advising voters to write-in Dugan on the Republican line. By law, if Dugan receives 1,000 write-ins, he will be named the Republican general election nominee, unless he declines the opportunity. That would give more city voters a chance to turn out Krasner in the November general election.

2024: THE YEAR LAW AND ORDER WAS RESTORED BY VOTERS

"This is about making crime in Philadelphia illegal," PhillyGOP Chair Vince Fenerty told the South Philly Review.

Dugan had the support of several Democrat ward committees and Philadelphia political stalwarts like state Sen. Tina Tartaglione, plus a slew of union groups like IAFF and the Teamsters.

In his pitch to voters, Dugan drafted a "geographic prosecution plan" to crack down on crime in the city.

"This plan is about more than just fighting crime – it’s about rebuilding communities. [It] will hold criminals accountable, provide second chances when appropriate, and ensure every neighborhood feels the impact of a fair and just system they can trust and believe in again," Dugan said in a statement on his campaign site.

PHILADELPHIA DA KRASNER SLAMMED BY MURDER VICTIM'S SISTER: WE'RE FED UP

Krasner, seeking a third term, has been lambasted for his progressive criminal justice policies and faced impeachment proceedings from Republicans in the now-Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives.

In 2023, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled the GOP-controlled Senate cannot hold a trial because the House’s articles of impeachment didn’t meet the bench’s standards.

One top Republican, 2022 gubernatorial nominee Sen. Doug Mastriano, who notably opposed Krasner’s impeachment, quipped, "Philadelphia: They want Krasner – they like him. That’s a huge mandate."

While there was a drop in homicides year over year in 2023, Philadelphia saw a spike from 351 the year he took office in 2018 to 562 in 2021. Krasner also ceased charges for certain offenses like marijuana possession, eliminated cash bail for some offenders and has sought generally more lenient sentences than conservatives want.

In the city where then-Mayor James Kenney did a dance on social media to celebrate its inception as a sanctuary city, Krasner followed up by refusing to honor ICE detainer requests, saying that letting the feds tell him who to jail is unconstitutional. Krasner’s backing from about $1.45 million in political action committee support tied to Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros has also led to criticism.

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Last week, Dugan told PhillyVoice the city is feeling "Krasner fatigue" after eight years.

"Many people come up to me and tell stories about how upset they are with some of the policies with the DA's office," he said.

Soros-backed Philly DA could face uphill battle for re-election if GOP write-in scheme succeeds

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

In the six-to-one Democrat stronghold of Philadelphia, winning a seat as a Republican is tough to say the least.  There hasn’t been a Republican mayor since Bernard Samuel in the 1950s, for example. 

So it may not be that surprising that the local GOP has a plan it hopes will give a Democrat primary challenger to incumbent District Attorney Lawrence Krasner a crucial second round against the Soros-backed prosecutor should he get knocked out in Tuesday's primary election.

Krasner is facing fellow Democrat and former judge Pat Dugan, who also has the support of several Democrat ward committees and Philadelphia political stalwarts like state Sen. Tina Tartaglione, plus a slew of union groups like IAFF and the Teamsters.

In his pitch to voters, Dugan drafted a "geographic prosecution plan" to crack down on crime in the city.

2024: THE YEAR LAW AND ORDER WAS RESTORED BY VOTERS

"This plan is about more than just fighting crime—it’s about rebuilding communities. [It] will hold criminals accountable, provide second chances when appropriate, and ensure every neighborhood feels the impact of a fair and just system they can trust and believe in again," Dugan said in a statement on his campaign site.

Krasner, seeking a third term, has been lambasted for his progressive criminal justice policies and faced impeachment proceedings from Republicans in the now-Democrat-controlled State House of Representatives.

In 2023, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled the GOP-controlled Senate cannot hold a trial because the House’s articles of impeachment didn’t meet the bench’s standards.

One top Republican, 2022 gubernatorial nominee Sen. Doug Mastriano, notably opposed Krasner’s impeachment, quipping, "Philadelphia: They want Krasner – they like him. That’s a huge mandate."

While there was a drop in homicides year-over-year in 2023, Philadelphia saw a spike from 351 the year he took office in 2018 to 562 in 2021. Krasner also ceased charges for certain offenses like marijuana possession, eliminated cash bail for some offenders and has sought generally more lenient sentences than conservatives want.

In the city where then-Mayor James Kenney did a dance on social media to celebrate its inception as a sanctuary city, Krasner has followed up by refusing to honor ICE detainer requests, saying that letting the feds tell him who to jail is unconstitutional.

PHILADELPHIA DA KRASNER SLAMMED BY MURDER VICTIM'S SISTER: WE'RE FED UP

Krasner’s backing from about $1.45 million in political action committee support tied to Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros has also led to criticism.

Last week, Dugan told PhillyVoice the city is feeling "Krasner fatigue" after eight years.

"Many people come up to me and tell stories about how upset they are with some of the policies with the DA's office," he said.

Republicans, largely out of power in the city for decades outside of two at-large city council seats that they – or independents – must statutorily be elected to, see Dugan’s candidacy as an opportunity to oust Krasner and have a way to give him a second chance should he fail in Tuesday's primary.

The city’s Republican Party funded a website advising voters to write-in Dugan on the Republican line. By law, if Dugan receives 1,000 write-ins, he will be named the Republican general election nominee unless he declines the opportunity. That would give more city voters a chance to turn out Krasner in the November general election.

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"This is about making crime in Philadelphia illegal," PhillyGOP chair Vince Fenerty told the South Philly Review.

Fox News Digital reached out to both Krasner and Dugan via their campaigns for comment but did not hear back by the publication deadline.