NPR’s Michel Martin speaks with Democratic Senator-elect Adam Schiff of California about Trump’s election victory and what Democrats should do before he takes office.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia says with Trump’s election, ‘we’ve got a friend in the White House’
MARCO ISLAND, FL – EXCLUSIVE – After some high-profile battles with President Biden’s administration the past three years, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin says that President-elect Trump’s decisive election victory earlier this month means he now has “a friend in the White House.”
Youngkin, the popular Virginia governor who’s entering his final year in office, argued in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview that “as a governor who’s been driving pro-business and strong education and safe communities and lower tax rates, we now have someone in the White House who believes in all of that.”
“I look forward to us having the wind at our backs as opposed to in our face,” Youngkin said as he spoke Tuesday on the sidelines of the Republican Governors Association annual winter meeting, which is being held this year at a southwestern Florida waterfront resort.
And pointing to his final year steering Virginia, Youngkin said “I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do having the wind at our back from the Trump administration.”
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Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin during a rally at Greenbrier Farms on June 28, 2024 in Chesapeake, Virginia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
There was plenty of speculation regarding Youngkin potentially serving in a top position in the second Trump administration, but the governor in a recent call with the president-elect made it clear he intends to finish out his term.
But he doesn’t sound like he’s ruling out serving in the Trump administration after he finishes up in Richmond in a year.
“I told the president when I called him and told him that I wanted to finish my term, that I would be available to help him at any time while I’m governor and afterwards,” Youngkin said.
TRUMP FAR AHEAD OF HIS FIRST TERM PACE IN NAMING HIS CABINET
Youngkin energized Republicans nationwide three years ago, as the first-time candidate who hailed from the party’s business wing edged out former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to become the first GOP candidate in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election in the one-time swing state that had trended towards the Democrats over the previous decade.
The governor instantly became a Republican rock star and speculation stirred about a possible 2024 White House run.
But Youngkin and his party suffered a setback a year ago in legislative elections that grabbed outsized national attention, as Democrats retained control of the Virginia state Senate and flipped the House of Delegates.
While Youngkin wasn’t on the ballot, he had plenty riding on the results, after investing plenty of political capital on behalf of Republican legislative candidates. The results also meant Youngkin wouldn’t have a free hand during his final two years in office to push through a conservative agenda.
Youngkin returned to the campaign trail this year in Virginia and a couple of key battleground states, to help campaign on behalf of Republicans up and down the ballot.
And he spoke at a large rally Trump held in conservative southwest Virginia the weekend before Election Day.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Salem Va., Saturday, Nov 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
While Vice President Kamala Harris carried the Commonwealth in the White House race, her margin over Trump was 4.5 points narrower than President Biden’s victory in the state four years earlier, as Trump and Republicans over performed expectations.
The results appear to have given Youngkin more clout ahead of his final legislative session. Democrats who over the past year were united in opposition to the governor’s proposed tax cuts, may now be receptive to negotiating.
Asked if the Democrats are now ready to play ball, Youngkin said “I’m hoping they are. I think that the recognition that Virginians want to keep more of their hard-earned money has really engaged everyone in a dialogue on how to provide tax relief.”
He argued the election results “demonstrated record job growth which has created surplus after surplus after surplus is driven by pro-business standards.”
And he emphasized that “we’re going to come back with a big tax package again, and we’re going to make sure we’re standing strong for education and strong for public safety.”
“I’m optimistic,” he added, but acknowledged that “it will be a normal legislative process. We have a legislative – we’re a one seat minority in the House and the Senate – so we have to go to work to get things done.”
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia rallies on behalf of GOP legislative candidates ahead of the state’s closely watched elections, in Norfolk, Virginia on Nov. 2, 2023 (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
All political eyes will be on Virginia in 2025, as the Commonwealth and New Jersey are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections in the year after a presidential election.
But Virginia governors, by law, are prevented from running for re-election to a second straight term.
That doesn’t mean Youngkin will disappear from the campaign trail in 2025. He says it’s just the opposite.
VIRGINIA’S YOUNGKIN ENDORSES HIS LT. GOVERNOR TO SUCCEED HIM
“You’re going to see me a lot,” he touted. “We’ve got a very aggressive agenda for being governor in the last 14 months. But part of that agenda that I have is to make sure that we have [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears as our next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares back as our attorney general and a super lieutenant governor who we will pick at our primaries.”
Youngkin predicted that “Virginians are going to make clear that they want to keep doing more of what we’re doing that’s proving record job growth and opportunity and great outcomes in schools and safe communities.”
The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial showdown is shaping up as a contest between Sears and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer. The winner will make history as the state’s first ever female governor. And Sears, if she wins, will also make history as the nation’s first Black female elected governor.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears speaks to the crowd during a rally held to announce she will seek her party’s nomination for Virginia governor in 2025 at Chick’s Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach, Va., on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (Kristen Zeis/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Youngkin pushed back when asked if Sears, who served in the Marine Corps and made history as the first woman in Virginia to hold statewide office, is too conservative for voters.
“Not at all,” the governor quickly responded. “And Winsome is a commonsense conservative leader. We have been partners literally from day one. We campaigned together. We were elected together. We have governed together. And I look forward to seeing Virginians embrace her as the next governor of Virginia.”
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As for his own political future, Youngkin was less revealing about any future runs for elective office.
Asked about a possible but unlikely run for the Senate in 2026 against longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Waner, or a future White House campaign, Youngkin quickly pivoted to his day job as governor.
“I have a huge year and a few months ahead of me and that’s where my focus is, and I need to finish strong, so Virginia can really continue to soar. And that’s what I’m going to spend my time on.”
After that, he said “we’ll see what’s next.”
Facing a follow-up question, Youngkin stayed on script, saying “we’ll see what happens down the road, but right now my sights are set on finishing strong.”
Greg Gutfeld: Constant demonization backfired and made Trump appear appealingly dangerous
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It’s been 14 days since the Democrats have had to face the truth.
They stink worse than the Capitol’s men’s room after Jerry Nadler’s lunch of curry clam soup. Poor Jerry.
We’ve talked about what the winners can do now. What about the losers? And there are losers. But it’s not the ones having public meltdowns. They’re victims, too.
They’re no different than a hypochondriac being told that their pimple is a tumor. I’m talking about the party elites like Jamie Raskin, Adam Schiff or David Muir, the idiots who fueled all those lies.
CNN HOST SAYS LIBERAL MEDIA’S ‘CONSTANT BROWBEATING’ ABOUT TRUMP IS A TOP REASON FOR HIS BIG WIN
So, normally, we don’t give advice to people who hate us, but we’re only doing this because we want them to be as happy as we are, or at least as bubbly as Brit Hume.
So Dems, you need to ask yourself, where did you get your information from? The people that gave you Trump hoaxes and phony fact checks also gave you the polls that had Kamala fans wasting money on champagne when they should have been buying Prozac in bulk.
The people you trust to give you the news steered you wrong. Why were you allowing yourself to be fooled? It’s like when I tell Kilmeade to meet me for lunch, then when he leaves the building, I take a crap in his office drawer.
If you feel deceived, that’s not our fault. Blame the media that you relied on. You know those lying sacks of poop that looked you in the eyes each night for the last eight years or so and filled your heads with more poison than an unvented space heater.
So maybe find alternatives. You’re off to a great start by watching this show. I’ve now gained all of Lawrence O’Donnell’s former viewers, and I welcome all 12 of you.
Because if you really want to correct your course, you can’t do that with a faulty GPS. Take NBC News, who’s claiming Trump won due to the diploma divide. In other words, people who voted for Kamala were just more educated and smarter. Well, if that’s true, explain this:
CARDI B: One second, guys — one second. | So, I don’t take lightly the call — sorry, guys, I’m a little nervous. | She’s passionate — she’s compassionate. She shows empathy, and most of all, she is not delusional. Yeah. Yeah.
OK, so saying you lost because you were smarter than us is a denial of reality. It’s like saying the sky isn’t blue, the earth isn’t round, or Joy Behar doesn’t have a face that would knock a buzzard off a —-wagon.
It’s killing your party faster than inviting Chris Wallace to an orgy. When you lose, maybe just admit the winners knew something you didn’t. It had nothing to do with credentials or degrees.
Right now, your worldview is upside-down, and really, who wants to look up Hillary’s skirt?
So why did Trump win, and even more, why is he surrounded by a rogue’s gallery of rebel thinkers? It’s because something turned him into a cross between George Washington and Genghis Khan with a splash of Arthur Fonzarelli.
It was you.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 06: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Americans cast their ballots today in the presidential race between Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as multiple state elections that will determine the balance of power in Congress. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Your constant demonization backfired and made him appear appealingly dangerous, so more people began to wonder what the fuss was about and they took a look. And you know what? They really liked it.
Trump has the same effect punk rock did in the ’70s: upsetting the bores and attracting the rebels. Suddenly, my Air Supply shirt wasn’t getting the ladies.
So maybe try doing something you’d never done: Assume we’re acting on our best intentions, not our worst. Stop calling us garbage just because we don’t think biology is a social construct.
We aren’t trying to hurt anyone. We just want the best for our families. The problem is, you’ve made your family less relevant than politics, and those muscles of familial concern have atrophied.
Maybe, just maybe, ask what’s best for your family, even if you hate them. As an experiment, present their side of the argument to yourself. It’s called steelmanning, and it’s the opposite of strawmanning, but not quite Peyton Manning.
Finally, start kicking the tires of identity politics. Look at what it actually means, who it really helps and for how long.
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Like a line of cocaine at a funeral, you’ll see it’s a temporary high.
Instead of uniting people, identity politics pits them against each other. It’s more divisive than wearing a leopard print thong on safari — I know, I learned that the hard way.
It’s a strategy, though, to keep us from focusing together on the real problems and the real culprits. People make money off our conflict.
Those are the people who need an ass-kicking. And on that point, we can join together.
So come on in. The melting pot is warm — I made sure of that.
New York City police officer shot by career criminal on lifetime parole
A New York City police officer and an innocent bystander were both shot after a suspect allegedly robbed multiple stores on Tuesday, according to city officials.
The suspect, Gary Worthy, 57, is on lifetime parole for firearms possession and has 17 priors that include murder, robbery, burglary and narcotics possession according to the NYPD.
His last arrest was six days ago for possession of felony narcotics and resisting arrest.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN VICIOUS TIMES SQUARE ATTACK ON NYPD COPS WILL SPEND YEAR IN JAIL WITH PLEA DEAL
Mayor Eric Adams announced during a news conference Tuesday night that a New York City police officer was shot in Queens by a career criminal. (Mayor Eric Adams via X)
During a news conference, officials said that they responded to a 911 call at 5:35 p.m. about an armed robbery in progress inside the Village Market grocery store.
Victims told the responding officers that Worthy entered the store and announced the robbery, then demanded money while threatening the workers and customers inside with a black revolver. It was reported that he fired one shot during the robbery and that he fled southbound.
Shortly after officers obtained a description of Worthy and broadcast it over the radio, responding officers were flagged down by a witness who told them that a man robbed a smoke shop at gunpoint and fired one shot.
The officers were able to match the description to the previous robbery.
The gun recovered at the scene of the shooting Tuesday night. (NYPD News)
The officers then ordered Worthy to stop near the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 160th Street at around 6:30 p.m., but he fled while drawing his firearm, injuring NYPD Officer Rich Wong, according to police.
Wong returned a shot immobilizing Worthy, who was later pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital, police said.
A 26-year-old woman was also shot in the crossfire, but she and Wong are both expected to make full recoveries.
New York City police at the scene of an alleged robbery and shooting in Queens. (Peter Gerber)
Mayor Eric Adams took to social media to express his disgust in the criminal justice system following the shooting.
“While we are grateful that they will recover, we are also angry that a repeat offender who previously pled guilty to manslaughter and had 7 arrests since 2021 was free to commit two robberies tonight and ultimately shoot two people,” Adams said.
Police Benefit Association President Patrick Hendry also slammed the criminal justice system during the news conference and said NYPD officers are tired of being assaulted.
“He didn’t know when he ran out of the 103 station house when he heard a robbery in progress, he didn’t know he was gonna confront a brazen, dangerous career criminal that didn’t think twice about killing a New York City police officer,” Hendry said.
Mayor Eric Adams visiting shooting victims at Jamaica Hospital. (Mayor Eric Adams via X)
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“You can depend on New York City police officers to do our jobs. We will continue to take dangerous criminals off the streets. We have your back,” Hendry said while addressing New Yorkers.
“I can tell you who doesn’t have your back…our criminal justice system. It continues to let us down every single day. Seventeen arrests on lifetime parole, arrested 7 times while on lifetime parole. What does lifetime parole mean? I think we all would agree, you get arrested, you stay behind bars when you’re on lifetime parole, but it didn’t happen here. Our criminal justice system is broken from the top to the bottom. New York City police officers are sick and tired of being assaulted on the streets. We’re sick and tired of being shot at. It has to end. We need all New Yorkers to once and for all to demand change in our criminal justice system,” he continued.
The incident is still under investigation.
Haitian capital residents join police to repel gang attack : NPR
Police officers man a checkpoint checking for weapons, in the Petion-Ville of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday.
Odelyn Joseph/AP
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Odelyn Joseph/AP
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Gangs launched a new attack on Haiti’s capital early Tuesday, targeting an upscale community in Port-au-Prince where gunmen clashed with residents who fought side by side with police.
The attack on Petionville was led by the Viv Ansanm group, whose spokesman, Jimmy Chérizier, a gang leader and former elite police officer, had announced the plan in a video posted on social media.
At least 28 suspected gang members were killed and hundreds of munitions seized, according to Lionel Lazarre, deputy spokesman for Haiti’s National Police.
It wasn’t immediately clear if police had prepared for the attack or tried to preventively protect Petionville given that Chérizier, who is also known as Barbecue, had announced plans to attack it.
The turmoil in Port-au-Prince deepened late Tuesday, when Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending critical care across the capital as it accused police officers of violence and threats against its staff, including rape and death. The aid group will halt patient admissions and transfers to its five medical facilities starting on Wednesday, a blow to a country with extremely limited medical care.
“We have been in Haiti for more than 30 years, and this decision is taken with a heavy heart. Healthcare services have never been so limited for people in Haiti,” Christophe Garnier, the mission’s head in Haiti, said in a statement.
A police officer works to clear barricades of burning tires set on fire by residents to deter gang members from entering their neighborhood, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Tuesday.
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MSF said one of its ambulances was attacked by police last week, resulting in the killing of at least two patients and physical harm to its staff. The aid group reported four other recent violent incidents in one week alone, including one in which it accused an officer of saying that police would start executing and burning its staff, patients and ambulances.
Lazarre, the police deputy spokesman, did not return a message seeking comment.
The aid group’s decision comes as violence surges across the capital.
Witnesses told The Associated Press earlier Tuesday that residents were angered by the newest gang attack on their community. They said some of the suspected gunmen were decapitated or had their feet cut off, while bodies were placed in a pile and set on fire.
The predawn attack began when two trucks carrying suspected gang members entered Petionville. One of the trucks blocked the main entrance to the community.
Chérizier had threatened reprisals against the management and staff of any hotels in the area where politicians or “oligarchs” may have taken refuge. He also demanded the resignation of Haiti’s transitional presidential council and said the coalition would use “all its force” against it.
Gunmen also attacked the neighboring community of Canape Vert and other areas. Local resident Richard Derosier said that he heard gunfire and saw a man running around carrying a large machine gun.
“I asked God, ‘Are you going to let them save my life?'” Derosier recalled.
A resident carries tires to be added to a burning barricade to deter gang members from entering his neighborhood, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Tuesday.
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The attack comes days after gang violence forced Haiti’s main international airport to shut down for the second time this year as the country swore in a new prime minister following political infighting.
On Nov. 11, gunmen opened fire on a Spirit Airlines plane as it prepared to land, wounding a flight attendant. The shooting prompted the airport to close and several airlines to temporarily cancel flights to Port-au-Prince. However, the United Nations said it expects to resume its aid flights in Haiti on Wednesday.
Gang violence has forced more than 20,000 people to flee Port-au-Prince in recent days, according to the U.N. They join more than 700,000 people left homeless in recent years by the violence.
Viv Ansanm is also responsible for a series of coordinated attacks that began in late February targeting key government infrastructure. Gunmen attacked police stations, opened fire on the main international airport, forcing it to close for nearly three months, and raided Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.
Gangs control 85% of the capital and in recent weeks have launched attacks in previously peaceful communities to try and gain control of even more territory.
The attacks have escalated since police officers from Kenya, who are leading a U.N.-backed mission to quell violence in Haiti, arrived in late June. On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said through his spokesman that he was “alarmed by the escalating violence” as he urged financial and logistical support for the mission.
The U.S. government has been pushing for a U.N. peacekeeping force to replace the Kenyan-led mission because it lacks funds and personnel.
Italian village offering 1 Euro homes to Americans ‘worn out’ from election results
An Italian village is offering a special deal to Americans looking for a reprieve following President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory by offering homes for as little as 1 Euro.
Located in the countryside of Sardinia, Italy, the ancient town of Ollolai recently launched a “Live in Ollolai” initiative offering the special deal in a bid to attract Americans seeking refuge following Trump’s win against Vice President Kamala Harris.
The rural community released a statement on its website saying: “Are you worn out by global politics? Looking to embrace a more balanced lifestyle while securing new opportunities? It’s time to start building your European escape in the stunning paradise of Sardinia.”
“Ollolai is the perfect destination to reconnect, recharge, and embrace a new way of life,” the website said.
DEPRESSED MEDIA REACTS TO TRUMP VICTORY: HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY HAVE HAPPENED?
A small rural village in Italy is offering homes for as little as 1 Euro after President-elect Trump won the election, with the village promising a “perfect destination to reconnect.” (Colin McPherson/Corbis via Getty Images)
The village promises to be “surrounded by incredible cuisine” while being “immersed in a community with ancient traditions.”
When searching for their new home, Americans can either choose a space to renovate or spend a bit more to receive one that’s move-in-ready.
The website noted that move-in ready homes are priced at up to 100,000 euros while some homes in need of updates are being sold for a single euro.
This drone photograph captures the urban landscape of Pietrapertosa, a village carved into the rocky cliffs of the Lucanian Dolomites in Basilicata, Italy. (Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Mayor Francesco Columbo told CNN that the city created the bargain to “meet U.S. post-election relocation needs.”
“Of course, we can’t specifically mention the name of one U.S. president who just got elected, but we all know that he’s the one from whom many Americans want to get away from now and leave the country,” he said.
President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (AP)
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“We have specifically created this website now to meet U.S. post-election relocation needs,” he said.
Dolphins’ Jonnu Smith says teammate Calais Campbell is ‘like the LeBron James of the NFL’
The Miami Dolphins have battled their fair share of turbulence this season.
At one point, the Dolphins owned a 2-6 record. However, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s return from injury has stabilized the team’s offense and has helped Miami win its past two games.
During the offseason, former Miami Hurricanes star Calais Campbell decided to return to South Florida and signed with the Dolphins.
The six-time Pro Bowler is in the midst of his 17th NFL season, and the experienced veteran defensive tackle has made a profound impact on the 2024 Dolphins — if you ask one of his teammates. Tight end Jonnu Smith recently praised Campbell, 38, for continuing to showcase his ability to be a key contributor.
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Oct 27, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (9) enters the field before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
“Calais is one of my favorite teammates in all the sports that I’ve played,” Smith said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Campbell recorded his fourth sack of the year during Miami’s 34-19 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11. Campbell’s four sacks are the most by any player on the Dolphins roster this season. He now has 109.5 career sacks.
WHY COWBOYS SHOULD GO ALL-IN FOR DEION, SHEDEUR SANDERS DESPITE DAK PRESCOTT’S CONTRACT
The veteran defensive lineman has also played an important role in Miami’s run defense. But, Campbell’s impact extends beyond the football field. The 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year has brought more leadership to the Dolphins locker room.
Nov 11, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) leaves the field after the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
“He’s like the LeBron James of the NFL right now as far as his age and the production that he brings to the game, still playing at a high level. I mean, the guy is 1,000 years old and playing like he’s 21.”
Campbell is among the short list of NFL athletes who have played the defensive lineman position who have been able to continue playing — let alone make an impact — once they reached their late-30s.
Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) celebrates after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Smith, who was also teammates with Campbell in Atlanta with the Falcons last season, then described Campbell as the “best leader” he’s “been around.
If Campbell is able to log two more sacks over the course of the Dolphins’ seven remaining games, he will pass former Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald for 40th on the all-time list.
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The Dolphins will welcome the New England Patriots in Week 12 for an AFC East division showdown.
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Sean Hannity to emcee FOX Nation’s sixth annual Patriot Awards on December 5
Fox News host Sean Hannity, a Long Island native, will emcee the sixth annual Patriot Awards on Thursday, December 5 at the Tilles Center for Performing Arts in Brookville, New York.
The Patriot Awards honor and recognize America’s finest patriots, including military veterans, first responders and other inspirational everyday heroes. The Patriot Awards will be streamed live on FOX Nation beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Duffy, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt, Harris Faulkner, Bill Hemmer, Abby Hornacek, Lydia Hu, Laura Ingraham, Johnny Joey Jones, Lawrence Jones, Brian Kilmeade, Martha MacCallum, Dana Perino, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Jesse Watters and more FOX News Media stars will make appearances throughout the night and serve as presenters. Tickets for the annual event are available now.
FOX NATION PATRIOT AWARDS MOVES TO NEW YORK WITH TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Sean Hannity will emcee the sixth annual Patriot Awards on Thursday, December 5 at the Tilles Center for Performing Arts in Brookville, New York.
Recipients from nine different categories will join the stage to accept their trophies in recognition for their outstanding patriotism. The awards include the “T2T Stephen Siller Back the Blue Award,” “Young Patriot,” “Salute to Service,” “Fox Weather Award for Heroism,” “Service to Veterans,” “Culture Warrior,” “Bravery,” “Courage” and “Unsung Heroes.”
Although there are new awards, many are returning categories that celebrate Americans who have gone above and beyond in service to community and country. For example, the “Salute to Service” Patriot Award honors an individual who has shown outstanding efforts to honor the military men and women who served this country. The honoree in this category is deeply involved in philanthropic efforts that give back to veterans and strive to influence positive change in their lives.
The “Courage” award acknowledges the sacrifices made by Americans that have defended personal freedoms.
Leading up to the event, Fox News’ “The Five” and “FOX & Friends” will present live audience shows from the venue and attendees will have the opportunity to meet and greet the network’s top personalities.
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Sean Hannity’s eponymous program, “Hannity,” has dominated cable news in its timeslot for years. (FOX)
During last year’s Patriot Awards in Nashville, Tenn., notable award recipients included bestselling author James Patterson, World War II veteran Andy Negra and five officers from the Metro Nashville Police Department who responded to the Covenant School shooting last March.
In partnership with advertisers Tunnel 2 Towers, Patriot Mobile, Golden Corral and Belfor, the Patriot Awards will be streamed live on FOX Nation beginning at 8 p.m. ET with an encore presentation will air on FNC on Sunday, December 8 at 10 p.m. ET.
Hannity’s eponymous program, “Hannity,” has been No. 1 in its timeslot among total viewers and the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54 demographic for more than 15 consecutive years, dominating the cable news competition.
Fox Nation programs are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers. Go to Fox Nation to start a free trial and watch the extensive library from your favorite Fox Nation personalities.
Fox News Digital’s Madeline Coggins contributed to this report.
Trump picks Linda McMahon to lead the Education Department : NPR
Linda McMahon speaks during the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
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President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Linda McMahon, a former head of the U.S. Small Business Administration during his first term and a co-chair of his transition team, to lead the U.S. Department of Education.
McMahon is a professional wrestling magnate who ran two unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She was selected by Trump to lead the SBA during his first presidency. During her two years in that role, McMahon stayed out of the headlines, steering clear of the churn of controversies that were a feature of Trump’s first term in office. She stepped down in 2019 to run the Trump-aligned super PAC America First Action and has remained in Trump’s close orbit.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said, as secretary of education, McMahon “will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families.”
While McMahon has served on Trump’s cabinet before, her experience working with public schools has been limited. From 2009-2010, she served on the Connecticut State Board of Education, but resigned when she ran for Senate, citing a legal opinion that prevents board members from soliciting campaign contributions.
McMahon is chair of the America First Policy Institute — a think-tank, staffed by veterans of Trump’s first White House team, which has served as a kind of administration-in-waiting.
She appeared at the Republican National Convention earlier this year, and spoke emotionally about her first time working with Trump, saying, “Donald Trump is not only a fighter, ladies and gentlemen. He is a good man. He has the heart of a lion and the soul of a warrior. And I believe that, if necessary, he would stand at the gates of hell to defend our country.”
At the same time, McMahon did not shy away from criticizing Trump’s comments about women during his 2016 presidential run. In an interview with Yahoo News, McMahon said, “Those [comments] were just over the top; they were deplorable, objectionable absolutely.” She added, “He’s not helping, certainly, to put women in the best light. Maybe he regrets them, maybe he doesn’t. I realize he punches hard when he punches back, but that’s just over the top. I wish that no candidate would make those comments.”
McMahon is a former professional wrestling executive. Along with her husband Vince McMahon, she helped build World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) into a powerhouse.
She’s a longtime backer of the president-elect, and donated more than $7 million to two super-PACs that supported Trump in his first campaign for president, according to Open Secrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign finance.
McMahon’s nomination comes at a moment of great uncertainty for the U.S. Department of Education, with much of President Joe Biden’s student loan agenda still tied up in legal challenges and with Trump making repeated threats to close the department entirely.
What this pick could mean for the future of the Education Department
In an interview on X, Trump told Elon Musk that, if elected, “I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”
Could a Secretary McMahon make good on that promise?
No, not on her own. The U.S. Department of Education was created by Congress and “to formally abolish [it], there is no way around needing 60 votes in [the Senate],” says Max Eden, a senior fellow at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute.
How easy is it to find 60 senators willing to abolish the department? “It’s next to impossible to see how you get 60 votes on that anytime soon,” Eden says.
It’s also worth noting that, even if the department were somehow shut down, the many things the department does wouldn’t necessarily go with it. For example: The major K-12 funding streams the department administers – including billions of Title I dollars to public schools in low-wealth communities – were created by Congress well before the department even existed.
What’s more, there’s no sign of bipartisan support for scaling back Title I.
“Some of the schools who rely the most on Title I are schools in poor, rural, white areas,” says Rachel Perera, a fellow in governance studies at the non-partisan Brookings Institution. “And congressional Republicans have shown time and time again that they’re not interested in hurting their constituents in that way.“
That said, the next secretary of education will still have plenty of opportunities – and authority – to influence policy that would have a direct impact on millions of Americans.
The Title IX rollercoaster would continue
The Biden-Harris administration expanded protections against sex discrimination in schools to include sexual orientation and gender identity, a move cheered by advocates for gay and transgender students.
Donald Trump has railed against these protections, though, and vowed to unwind them – something that’s well within his education secretary’s power. That’s because Biden’s protections were not a change in the federal law known as Title IX, but a change in the government’s interpretation of the law, through the Education Department.
“So they could stop enforcing Title IX,” says Perera – or at least stop enforcing Biden’s expanded vision of it. In fact, the courts have already blocked the Education Department from enforcing the new regulations in much of the country after roughly half of all states sued in protest.
This is an old rollercoaster.
In 2016, the Obama administration issued its own Title IX guidance, telling schools that students should be allowed to use the bathroom facilities that correspond with their gender identity.
In early 2017, the nascent Trump administration quickly moved in the opposite direction, abandoning that interpretation of the law.
Now, Trump seems likely to roll back Biden’s expansion of Title IX, just as he did Obama’s.
What this pick could mean for student loan borrowers
The incoming education secretary will also have big choices to make with the federal student loan program. Biden’s second effort at broad loan forgiveness, initiated after the Supreme Court scuttled his first, is now being litigated in court.
This so-called Plan B was challenged by Republican state attorneys general and paused by the courts in September, before the rule could be finished, let alone rolled out. Estimated to cost roughly $150 billion, it would, among other things, cancel the debts of borrowers with older loans and erase accrued interest for the millions of people who owe more than they borrowed.
The courts have so far been skeptical of Biden’s efforts to broadly cancel student debt without Congressional approval. And with Plan B’s fate still being litigated, the next secretary could simply choose to stop defending it.
Also in limbo is Biden’s signature loan repayment plan, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which slashes borrowers’ payments (to as little as $0) while also preventing interest from growing. It even offers a fast-track to forgiveness for borrowers with lower balances.
But SAVE’s considerable price tag (roughly $455 billion over 10 years, by one estimate) – and the fact that Biden used the rulemaking process to essentially circumvent Congress – likewise opened SAVE to the same legal fight that upended Biden’s first big forgiveness pitch.
For months now, 8 million borrowers enrolled in SAVE have been on pause, not being asked to make payments while the courts slowly decide whether the repayment plan is legal.
If SAVE is eventually deemed legal, the new education secretary could still simply phase it out. And if the plan is struck down, again, only a sympathetic secretary would choose to appeal.
Scott Horsley and Deepa Shivaram contributed to this story.
Mayor of crime-ridden blue city blasts Trump as ‘threat to everything sensible’
Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called President-elect Trump a “threat to everything that is sensible,” while claiming Trump wants to dismantle public education and create a system of “upheaval and chaos.”
Johnson spoke to reporters Tuesday and took the opportunity to weigh in on his feelings about the incoming president, especially his stance on immigration and sanctuary cities.
The mayor acknowledged the country’s challenge with immigration policy, suggesting Trump pass laws instead of making threats.
“We’re still a welcoming city. That did not change on Nov. 5, and it doesn’t change based upon who’s in the White House and whether you are seeking refuge from Central South America or the continent of Africa,” Johnson said. “This country has to remain a welcoming space for new arrivals and for immigrants.”
CHICAGO MAYOR CALLED OUT FOR CLAIMING TRUMP IS A THREAT TO BLACK FAMILIES: ‘AMERICANS HAVE SPOKEN’
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson gives an update on migrant issues at City Hall. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Johnson said if Trump is committed to transforming the U.S., he will work with Congress to create “sensible” legislation that puts more border patrol and judges at the border for asylum cases. But, instead, Johnson claimed, the president and others have done the opposite and tried to create chaos.
“He wants to create a structure in a system where there is upheaval and chaos,” Johnson said before turning to public education. “He wants to dismantle public education, a system that was built by descendants of slaves, particularly in the south. He is a threat to everything that is sensible.”
Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, told Fox News Digital, “No policy should be deemed official unless it comes directly from President Trump.
“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail,” Leavitt added. “He will deliver.”
DEMOCRAT MAYOR NOT WELCOME AT FUNERAL FOR SLAIN CITY POLICE OFFICER
President Trump visits the U.S.-Mexico border fence in Otay Mesa, Calif. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)
Still, Johnson continued to pit Trump against the city of Chicago.
The mayor said he will not allow Trump to play games with the people of the city.
“If he wants to work with us, he’ll have a partner,” Johnson said. “But if he wants to come and threaten us, then he is … he has declared opposition to us.”
Johnson’s comments come a week after he claimed during another news conference that Trump is a threat to Black families.
TRUMP SUPPORTERS RIP CHICAGO MAYOR TO HIS FACE JUST BEFORE CITY COUNCIL REJECTS HIS TAX HIKE
Chicago residents have been angry with Mayor Johnson and other city officials, especially over policies allocating taxpayer money to benefit illegal immigrants. (Getty)
“His threat is not just towards new arrivals and undocumented families. His threats are also against Black families. … We’re going to protect undocumented individuals,” Johnson said at the time. “We’re going to protect Black folks, Brown folks, Asian folks. The City of Chicago will be better, stronger and safer despite who’s in the White House.”
Chicago residents have been angry with Johnson and other city officials for some time now, especially over policies allocating taxpayer money to benefit illegal immigrants who have flooded the city in recent years, while the city’s crime rate has been spiraling.
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Locals blistered the Chicago City Council at a meeting in February after city and state officials had approved hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to feed, clothe and house more than 35,000 migrants who were transported to Chicago and its suburbs in the previous year and a half.
The mayor’s office did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays and Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this report.