Republicans choose John Thune as next Senate majority leader : NPR

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November 13, 2024

Senate Republicans have elected Sen. John Thune, R-SD, as the next GOP leader in the chamber.

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Senate Republicans elected South Dakota Senator John Thune to serve as Senate Majority Leader when the new Congress convenes in January. He’ll be the point person shepherding President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda through the chamber with a 53-47 GOP majority.

“This Republican team is united. We are one team, we are excited to reclaim the majority and get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact president Trump’s agenda,” Thune told reporters after the closed-door election. “We have an mandate from American people —a mandate not only to clean up mess left by the Biden Harris Schumer agenda, but also to deliver on president trump’s priorities.”

Thune, 62, is currently the No. 2 GOP leader. He is generally popular among GOP conference members and was viewed as the frontrunner leading up to the closed-door election. He replaces current GOP leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has been the top ranking Republican in the Senate since 2007.

Confirming Trump’s Cabinet nominees will be the first order of business in January. Thune did not rule out the possibility of allowing full Congressional recesses so that Trump could temporarily appoint nominees without the need for Senate confirmation, however he said he expects Democrats will work with Republicans to ensure cabinet nominees are approved through the regular process.

“The Senate has an advise and consent role in the Constitution so we will do everything we can to process his [nominees] quickly and get them installed in their positions so they can begin to implement his agenda,” Thune said.

“We expect a level of cooperation from the Democrats to work with us to get these folks installed,” he said. “Obviously, we’re going to explore all options to make sure they get through and they approved quickly.”

Thune went on to say the Senate will continue to maintain the legislative filibuster and the Senate will continue to be a body where the minority party has a voice in the process.

“We will do the job the founders intended us to do in the United States Senate and the American people intend us to do,” he said. “And that, right now, after this mandate election coming out of the American people is to work with this president on an agenda that unwinds a lot of the damage of the Biden, Harris, Schumer agenda.”

Thune, who serves on the Senate Finance committee, has signaled that renewing Trump’s tax cuts that were enacted in 2017 are the top legislative priority. Congressional Republicans are planning to use a process known as budget reconciliation to approve a package that could renew those tax breaks that are expiring at the end of 2025 and further lower corporate tax rates. Top leaders are also planning to move energy and immigration bills.

Trump’s influence

While Trump did not have a vote in the election, he loomed large over the contest. Several of his allies weighed in to back Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who was otherwise seen as a less-serious candidate for the job.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Tucker Carlson, former Fox News anchor, endorsed Scott, and launched a public campaign to urge Republican senators to back him. Some Trump allies also questioned whether Thune’s past public criticism of the former president following Jan. 6, 2021, could be an impediment.

But the closed-door, secret-ballot contest revealed that Thune’s longtime relationships with colleagues and experience were the critical factor in elevating him.

The South Dakota Republican was elected to the House in 1996 and served three terms. After falling short in his first Senate bid in 2002 he ran again in 2004 and ousted then Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, the first time a top party leader was defeated in more than 50 years. Thune has held other posts in Senate GOP leadership since 2009 and chaired the Senate Commerce committee, a panel with a wide reaching portfolio including transportation, telecommunications, science and consumer protection issues.

McConnell announced in February he was stepping down from his leadership post, marking the end of his run as the longest serving GOP leader.

Democrats congratulate Thune

Thune has a genial relationship with members across the aisle, even as they’ve differed on policy.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the current Senate Majority Leader congratulated Thune during his opening remarks on the Senate floor and appealed to the very unlikely hope that Republicans would work across the aisle despite having control of the House, the Senate and the White House.

“I look forward to working with him. We’ve done many bipartisan things here in the Senate together and I hope that continues,” Schumer said. “I strongly believe that bipartisanship is the best and often the only way to get things done in the Senate.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee offered praise for Thune “He’s going to have a role as a partisan leader but I think he’s a very decent guy and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Autism risk could rise with air pollution, study suggests

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November 13, 2024

MELANIA TRUMP SAYS BARRON AUTISM RUMORS CAUSED ‘IRREPARABLE DAMAGE’

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders could be triggered by air pollution, including the type emitted in car exhaust, a new study suggested — though it had some limitations.

The review, led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem, analyzed multiple studies related to autism and cellular activity. The findings were published in the journal Brain Medicine.

The researchers focused on four specific types of particles that make up air pollution: fine particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3).

They also investigated four different ways in which these particles could impact the fetus.

Those four ways were neuroinflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress (an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants that causes cell damage), epigenetic modifications (chemical changes to DNA) and disruptions to certain neurotransmitters, according to the study.

Lead study author Haitham Amal, PhD (center) is an associate professor at The School of Pharmacy at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is pictured with his research team. (Igor Fabrov)

“Increasing air pollution may significantly raise the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly ASD, due to gene-environment interactions,” lead study author Haitham Amal, PhD, an associate professor at The School of Pharmacy at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital.

“Key air pollutants — such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and ozone — are implicated in triggering harmful processes in the brain, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and neurotransmitter imbalances,” he added.

UNIQUE THERAPY HELPS SOME YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AUTISM INTERACT BETTER WITH OTHERS

The risk is highest during times of accelerated development, such as prenatal and early childhood periods, according to Amal, who is also a visiting professor at Boston Children’s Hospital within Harvard Medical School.

“The brain starts developing at birth and continues to develop until the mid 20s,” Georges Ghacibeh, M.D., a neurologist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told Fox News Digital. He was not involved in the study.

The risk is highest during times of accelerated development, such as prenatal and early childhood periods, the researcher said. (iStock)

“During the early years, from conception until about age 5, the brain undergoes the most changes and therefore is more susceptible to the impact of external factors,” added Ghacibeh.

In a previous study published in 2023, the same research team found that nitric oxide (NO), which is one of the particles in air pollution, is a “key pathological factor in autism,” Amal noted.

The brain is most susceptible to external factors from conception until age 5, experts say.

Ghacibeh agreed that air pollution could increase autism risk.

“Chemicals inhaled by a pregnant mother or a young child, if they enter the bloodstream and make it to the brain of the fetus or developing child, can affect various metabolic pathways, either by interfering directly with certain chemical reactions inside the cells, or by reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain,” he told Fox News Digital.

In the U.S., autism affects one in 36 children, or about 2.3%, as of 2024, according to statistics from the CDC. (iStock)

This can interrupt the process of normal brain development, according to the doctor, causing brain cells to lose their normal function.

“The mechanism would be similar to the effect of certain medications ingested during pregnancy that can lead to developmental delay or autism in the child,” Ghacibeh said.

Study doesn’t prove cause

Amal acknowledged that the study had some limitations.

“The data is based on epidemiological studies,” he said. “Extensive experiments in our labs should be done to validate and prove this connection.”

OUTGROWING’ AUTISM? FOR SOME KIDS, THE DISORDER SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR BY AGE 6, ‘ENCOURAGING’ STUDY FINDS

Ghacibeh agreed, noting that epidemiological studies prove association but not causality.

“In other words, if two phenomena occur simultaneously, such as high levels of air pollution and a rise in autism, this does not necessarily prove that one caused the other — it just means that both phenomena occurred at the same time. It is possible that additional, unknown factors might have played a role as well,” he said.

Air pollution affects approximately 131.2 million people, or 39% of the U.S., as noted in the 2024 American Lung Association’s State of the Air report. (iStock)

Future research should aim to better understand pollution’s effects on “genetically susceptible individuals” and to find ways to protect those at greatest risk, according to Amal.

“This knowledge could inform public health policies aimed at minimizing ASD risk from environmental pollutants,” he added.

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In the U.S., autism affects one in 36 children, or about 2.3%, as of 2024, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This is an increase from one in 44 children two years ago.

“Chemicals inhaled by a pregnant mother or a young child, if they enter the bloodstream and make it to the brain of the fetus or developing child, can affect various metabolic pathways,” an expert warned. (iStock)

Air pollution is also on the rise, affecting approximately 131.2 million people, or 39% of the U.S., as noted in the 2024 American Lung Association’s State of the Air report.

This is an increase of 11.7 million people from 2023.

Living in areas with lower pollution levels — away from factories or airports, for example — could help to prevent potentially harmful effects of air pollution, Ghacibeh said.

“Increasing air pollution may significantly raise the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly ASD, due to gene-environment interactions,” the study researcher said. (iStock)

“Using good air filters, especially when you live in a higher-pollution environment, also helps mitigate those risks,” he added.

Good nutrition and limited exposure to smoking, alcohol and drugs also helps to promote optimal brain development and neurological health, according to Ghacibeh.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

The study was funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Eagles Autism Foundation, which raises funds for innovative research and care programs, according to its website, along with others.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Autism Foundation, Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation and Autism Society for comment on the study.

Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

Federal workers await Trump’s dismantling of bureaucracy and jobs : NPR

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November 13, 2024

President-elect Trump shakes hands with Elon Musk at a campaign stop in Butler, Pa., on October 5, 2024. Trump has named Musk and former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy co-leaders of a new commission called the “Department of Government Efficiency,” which will advise and guide Trump in his quest to “dismantle government bureaucracy.”

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President-elect Donald Trump has vowed once again to “drain the swamp”.

He’s tapped two billionaires, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to help him “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies” through a commission Trump is calling the “Department of Government Efficiency”.

In his failed run for president, Ramaswamy, who made his fortune in pharmaceuticals, spoke of cutting the federal workforce by 75%.

This combination of pictures shows entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (left) and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. President-elect Donald Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will lead a so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

Musk, who shrunk Twitter’s workforce by 80% after his purchase, vowed in a statement that the effort “will send shockwaves through the system.”

It remains unclear how much power the two businessmen, who Trump says will operate from outside of government, will wield.

One thing is clear: Unlike eight years ago, Trump now has knowledge and experience to inform how he could carry out his agenda.

Those realities, along with memories of his first time in office, have many federal workers on edge.

Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York in 2016.

“People are apprehensive and fearful,” says Nicole Cantello, an attorney with the Environmental Protection Agency who now serves as a union president representing EPA workers in the Upper Midwest.

A plan to go after “rogue bureaucrats”

Roughly 2 million civilians work for the federal government. All over the country, they protect national security and public health. They ensure food is safe and veterans are cared for.

Among these 2 million, Trump insists, are corrupt actors — “plenty of them” — whom he wants to root out.

At the tail end of his first term, Trump issued an executive order that created a new category of political appointees, called Schedule F. His plan was to move an unknown number of career civil servants into this category, making it easier to fire them and replace them with loyalists.

Two days after President Biden assumed office, he reversed course, rescinding Schedule F.

President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump has articulated ambitious plans for his first 100 days in office.

Donald Kettl, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, says he’s certain it will be back in the next Trump administration.

“This is something that they plan on doing — and plan on doing in relatively short order — because they see Schedule F… as a good idea that they waited too late to launch,” says Kettl, who cofounded a working group focused on protecting and reforming the civil service.

Earlier this year, the federal Office of Personnel Management issued a rule to make it harder to convert career federal employees into political appointees who can be fired at will.

But rules can be rescinded and replaced in just a matter of months.

“This is a speed bump at best,” Kettl says.

Scars from the first Trump term

Some federal workers recall how difficult it was to do their jobs during Trump’s first presidency, even without a commission hellbent on slashing regulations and jobs.

“Polluters knew that it was their administration,” says Cantello, the EPA attorney and union leader.

DREXEL HILL, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 29: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump (L) participates in a roundtable discussion with former Republican U.S. Representative from New York Lee Zeldin at the Drexelbrook Catering & Event Center on October 29, 2024 in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. With one week until Election Day, Trump is campaigning for re-election in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

She describes changes that hampered their work. For example, lawyers could no longer directly ask companies about the pollutants they were discharging. Such information requests had to go through headquarters instead of being issued by the regional offices.

“When you put an additional bureaucratic roadblock in, and you have to submit something like that to headquarters, they can sit on it for a really long time,” she says. “And then you’re not enforcing the law.”

Ron Fodo, a member of the Ohio EPA Emergency Response team, checks for chemicals that have settled at the bottom of a creek following a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio in February 2023.

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Trump also tried to move the EPA’s regional office overseeing the Great Lakes from Chicago to Kansas City, hundreds of miles from any of the lakes. The idea was dropped after an outcry, including from members of Congress.

This time around, Cantello fears a lot of people who lived through Trump’s first term will just retire.

“A lot of them feel they put their four years in,” she says. “And they’re just going to decline to do so this time around because it took so much out of them.”

A watchlist of “subversive, leftist bureaucrats”

There’s a chill descending over other parts of the federal government, too.

Last month, a conservative group called the American Accountability Foundation issued a watchlist of what it calls “subversive, leftist bureaucrats” who cannot be trusted to enforce immigration laws.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, DC, on June 29, 2022. (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Dozens of federal employees in the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and elsewhere are identified by name.

“That’s unnerving,” says Marcus Hill, president of the Senior Executives Association, which represents some 8,000 senior executives in the federal government. They are the highest-ranking civil servants, who help political appointees carry out their agendas in a lawful manner.

Hill, who spent 38 years in government including as a senior executive, says it’s concerning and offensive that there is doubt about the motives of people who have chosen to serve their country.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued a rule in April 2024 aimed at protecting civil servants from a reissuance of Schedule F, but that rule can be rescinded and replaced in fairly short order by the incoming Trump administration.

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“Whether it was a Democratic or Republican administration [that] came in, I understood clearly what my role and responsibilities were in terms of supporting that administration,” he says.

Hill notes that career civil servants swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and to faithfully execute their duties, not to swear allegiance to any party or president.

Doing even a little may have big results

Even with Trump’s unveiling of his “Department of Government Efficiency,” Kettl says it’s unlikely we’ll see federal employees fired en masse. Such a move would undermine Trump’s ability to get anything done, which would be disastrous for his administration.

“Who wants to read, if you’re on the inside of the new government, that unsafe drugs have been unleashed on the public, or that it’s not safe to buy Cheerios in the grocery store?” he says.

Routine childhood vaccination rates have been dropping across the U.S. and vaccine-preventable childhood diseases have been rising.

Instead, Kettl is expecting the new administration to swiftly oust a smaller number of individuals seen as particularly problematic for Trump.

It’s a strategy, he says, that brings to mind Henry VIII, known for beheading his enemies and putting their heads on spikes for everyone to see.

“If you succeed in getting your message across, then you don’t need to chop everybody’s head off,” says Kettl. “You just need to tell everybody that you’re serious about this.”

Spurs reveal Gregg Popovich suffered ‘mild stroke,’ expected to make full recovery

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November 13, 2024

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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has missed six straight games after suffering an undisclosed medical episode just hours before a game against Minnesota earlier this month, but on Wednesday the team revealed that the longtime coach had actually had a stroke.

Popovich, the oldest coach in league history at 75, suffered “a mild stroke” before the Spurs’ Nov. 2 game against the Timberwolves at Frost Bank Center.

San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul has a word with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)

The team provided an update on the coach’s condition, adding that while he is expected to make a full recovery, there is no timeline on his return.

“Popovich, who has already started a rehabilitation program, is expected to make a full recovery. At this point, a timeline for his return to the sidelines has not been determined,” the statement read. “During this time, the organization is grateful to the extended community for providing privacy and space to the Popovich family.”

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts after a call by the official, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)

SPURS’ GREGG POPOVICH OUT INDEFINITELY AFTER MISSING GAME WITH ILLNESS: REPORT

Assistant coach Mitch Johnson has taken over in Popovich’s absence. The Spurs have gone 3-3 under Johnson’s reign.

Last week, Johnson spoke about Popovich’s medical episode and provided a positive update without revealing that he had suffered a stroke.

“I would say that … he’s doing good,” he said at the time. “We’ve been talking. I’ve had my hands full with this, in trying to stay above water. So, have not talked details and I’m not sure, about anything.”

San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson gestures to his players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Popovich is the NBA’s career leader with 1,390 victories and another 170 postseason wins while winning five NBA titles. He is in his 29th season, all with San Antonio.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Biden and Xi will meet for likely the last time on Saturday : NPR

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November 13, 2024

President Biden Chinese President Xi Jinping last met on Nov. 15, 2023 in Woodside, Calif.

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LIMA, Peru — President Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, a senior U.S. administration official told reporters on Wednesday.

In this file photo from last year's G20 meeting in New Delhi on Sept. 9, 2023, President Biden speaks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi

This is the third meeting between the two leaders during Biden’s term in office, and likely to be the final one. Their last meeting was about a year ago in Woodside, Calif.

The official said there is “not a long list of outcomes or deliverables” expected from this final conversation.

Biden is expected to use the meeting to “take stock of efforts to responsibly manage competition” between the two countries, the official said, including the resumption of military-to-military talks over the past year, and joint efforts to curb illicit fentanyl trade, deal with the risks of AI, and climate issues.

Biden announces new agreements with China on fentanyl and resuming military talks

Biden is expected to express concern over China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as warn China against cyber attacks on U.S. networks, and express concern about Chinese trade practices.

The official declined comment on whether Biden planned to talk to President-elect Donald Trump during his Oval Office meeting on Wednesday about this upcoming meeting with Xi — or whether Biden would talk to Xi about Trump.

“This is a tough, complicated relationship between the U.S .and China, and so whatever the next administration decides, they’re going to need to find ways to manage that tough, complicated relationship,” the official said.

Biden had built on parts of Trump’s China policy during his term, elevating meetings of the informal grouping known as the Quad — the U.S., Japan, India and Australia — maintaining Trump’s tariffs on China, for the most part. Trump threatened during his campaign to hike those tariffs once again.

Biden kept Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. This is who pays the price

Biden could use his meeting with Xi to underscore that China needs to change its trade practices, not just threaten retaliation, said Danny Russel, a top State Department official in the Obama administration, in an interview.

“I would look to Biden to make some practical points, because the likelihood of the Trump administration imposing tariffs is real,” said Russel, now with the Asia Society. “And that should be a clarion call to the big offenders like China that they need to adjust their policies and their practices.”

Thune wins secret ballot to become new Senate GOP leader, succeeding McConnell

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November 13, 2024

REPUBLICANS TO HUDDLE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO ELECT MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR WEDNESDAY

Senate Minority Whip John Thune will be the new Republican Senate leader and the majority leader of the upper chamber in the new Congress.

In January, he will succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history.

Sources told Fox News Digital that no candidate reached a majority on the first secret ballot. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., received the least amount of votes and was knocked out of the race. The second secret ballot was between only Thune and Cornyn.

The senator received at least 27 votes from the 53-member conference during a secret ballot in the old Senate chamber on Wednesday morning.

The new Senate GOP leader was chosen on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Each of the candidates made a final pitch to their fellow Republican senators late Tuesday night during a forum held by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

Scott walked out of the meeting with two new public endorsements from both Lee and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Blackburn had asked multiple questions during the discussion, including “how they would give conservatives a more meaningful voice in the Senate and for specific details as to how they would immediately implement President Trump’s mass deportation operation.”

RICK SCOTT GAINS NEW SENATE ENDORSEMENTS OUT OF CANDIDATE FORUM ON EVE OF LEADER ELECTION

Marsha Blackburn speaks during Day 1 of the Republican National Convention

Blackburn backed Scott after the forum. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Despite this, one source with knowledge told Fox News Digital that Scott’s pitch didn’t convince everyone. “Scott’s remarks didn’t do much to impress or sway members,” they said. “He focused more on his time as a businessman instead of priorities for the Senate.”

JOHN THUNE SNAGS 2 MORE ENDORSEMENTS IN COMPETITIVE GOP LEADER RACE TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL

Scott has received a number of high-profile endorsements from external figures. (Reuters)

Prior to the elections, Thune had received public endorsements from Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., John Hoeven, R-N.D., and a source confirmed to Fox News Digital that National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont., was privately encouraging other senators to support Thune.

Scott had the most public support, with Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also backing him.

DEM REP RUBEN GALLEGO BEATS KARI LAKE IN BATTLE FOR ARIZONA SENATE SEAT

The new leader will succeed McConnell. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Cornyn had only received one public endorsement from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

The majority of GOP senators did not disclose ahead of time who they were casting their ballots for.

Rubio and Hagerty gave the two nominating speeches for Scott, while Daines and Rounds did so for Thune. It’s unclear who gave nominating speeches for Cornyn.

The new leader will assume the role in January.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

Workers in China Remove Flowers at Memorial for Car Attack Victims

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November 13, 2024

Flowers placed at the site of a deadly car attack in Zhuhai, China, were cleared as officials turned away bystanders and discouraged them from taking photos.

Ted Cruz gets behind Rick Scott for leader, in blow to fellow Texan John Cornyn

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November 13, 2024

REPUBLICANS TO HUDDLE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO ELECT MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR WEDNESDAY

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, announced his endorsement of Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on Wednesday morning ahead of the 9:30 a.m. leadership elections.

“This morning, I’ll be voting for Rick Scott for GOP Leader, as I did two years ago. In 2022, I helped lead the charge for Rick against McConnell & I’m proud to stand with him again.

For 12 yrs, I’ve been unequivocal that we need to change GOP Leadership—and now we finally will,” he wrote on X.

The last minute endorsement comes as a blow to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who is from Cruz’s home state and also running for leader.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) questions U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe, during a hearing about the attempted assassination of ex-President Donald Trump at a campaign rally, convened by the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees, Washington, DC, July 30, 2024. One person was killed and two critically injured, but the former President sustained only a minor flesh wound. (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Cornyn’s office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.

On Tuesday night, after a leader candidate forum led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Cruz told reporters, “We had a robust and very substantive conversation.”

However, he wouldn’t say whether he was decided on his vote or if he was planning to support Cornyn.

REPUBLICANS 2 SEATS AWAY FROM HOUSE MAJORITY, GIVING TRUMP LEEWAY TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

The new Senate GOP leader was chosen on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is also running for leader, alongside Cornyn and Scott.

Both Thune and Scott were endorsed by their home state counterparts, Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., respectively.

Scott is also publicly endorsed by Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.

Thune has the support of Rounds, Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Steve Daines, R-Mont.

US Senator John Thune questions US Trade Representative Katherine Tai as she testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, May 12, 2021. – Tai was before the committee to answer questions about President Bidens 2021 trade policy agenda. (Photo by Susan Walsh / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SUSAN WALSH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) (Susan Walsh)

Cornyn has been publicly backed by Sen. Josh Hawley.

With three candidates vying for a 27-vote majority in the 53 member conference, it’s possible that the secret ballot election could advance to a second ballot.

If one of the candidates is knocked out in the first ballot, it’s very likely that some candidates, even those who have endorsed others, will choose to back a different candidate.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

How quickly could the Trump administration shrink the federal workforce?

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November 13, 2024

The election has many federal workers on edge, as President-elect Trump has renewed his vows to rid Washington of “rogue bureaucrats” and to “dismantle the deep state.” How quickly could it happen?

Sunny Hostin was surprised by Kamala Harris flubbing her ‘layup’ question about differing from Biden

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November 13, 2024

MEGHAN MCCAIN RIPS ‘THE VIEW’ FOR LIBERAL BIAS AS CO-HOST LASHES OUT AT VOTERS OVER TRUMP VICTORY

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin said Tuesday she was surprised at Vice President Kamala Harris’ bungled answer to her question last month about what she would have done differently from President Biden in his only term.

Harris’ now-infamous response that there was “not a thing that comes to mind” that she’d have done differently from her boss stunned political observers, given her struggle to distance herself from the unpopular Biden administration on the campaign trail. Several pundits and reports have pointed to this moment as a turning point in Harris’ campaign.

Asked by “The View” producer Brian Teta during the show’s “Behind the Table” podcast about whether she “personally cost Kamala Harris the election with her question,” Hostin said she wished she had that much power, because she would have “flipped it” the other way.

“I followed up because I was surprised at the answer. Look, I think it wasn’t so much about the question, but it was really more about the answer,” Hostin said. “The reason I followed up was because that wasn’t a gotcha question. That was a layup, really.”

Kamala Harris couldn’t immediately think of something she’d do differently from Joe Biden’s first term when asked on “The View” on Oct. 8, 2024. (The View / ABC)

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Hostin, an avid Harris supporter who predicted she’d win in a “blowout,” said she gave Harris a chance to speak to the people who were concerned about the vice president being a “change agent.”

“I thought she would then say I would build on the wins we’ve had, and I had a laundry list of wins in my head, and she didn’t answer it that way, she said not a thing comes to mind,” Hostin said, noting that it showed how “loyal” she was to President Biden, who stepped aside from the race in July and endorsed his VP for the Democratic nomination.

Hostin said she wasn’t going to opine on whether Harris gave a right or wrong answer.

“I will just say I was surprised at the answer because it was a question that really could have inured to her benefit, it was a question that could have been a change maker,” she said.

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

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Democratic strategist James Carville said Harris’ failed campaign could be reduced to that moment on “The View.”

“I think if this campaign is reducible to one moment, we are in a 65% wrong-track country,” he said on “The Bulwark Podcast.” “The country wants something different. And she’s asked, as is so often the case, in a friendly audience, on ‘The View,’ ‘How would you be different than Biden?’ That’s the one question that you exist to answer, all right? That is it. That’s the money question. That’s the one you want. That’s the one that everybody wants to know the answer to. And you freeze!”

The Trump campaign was reportedly thrilled with Harris’ answer, and the clip swiftly became the subject of national advertisements.