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Ex-counterterrorism chief advocates for Trump to 'walk away from' Iran war, yank troops out of Middle East
Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who resigned in March due to his opposition to the Iran war, contends that President Donald Trump should remove U.S. combat troops from the Middle East. During an interview with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, he said Republicans and Democrats both support U.S. involvement in "endless foreign wars," but that he wants to help create another "political coalition."
Kent, a military veteran and gold star husband who personally grasps the grave consequences of war because his late wife Shannon was killed in Syria in 2019, said that the U.S. is "making our troops basically tripwires so that if the Iranians hit us, and we lose more troops, then we will have to double down" on the war.
"This war is not in our national security interest," he said. "Iran posed no imminent threat," the retired Green Beret asserted, reiterating the same view he voiced in his mid-March resignation letter to the president less than a month after the start of the Iran war. "This war was prompted by the pressure that the Israelis were able to exert on the Trump administration and the influence that the, the Israelis have over our government."
CLICK HERE TO WATCH FOX NEWS DIGITAL'S FULL INTERVIEW WITH JOE KENT
U.S. bases in the region have proven to be a liability, he said.
"The Iranians were able to hit them with their ballistic missiles, with their drones. We had to evacuate our bases. We couldn't even fight a war from our military bases. So the fundamental question is, what good is a military base that you can't fight a war from? So really our bases and our presence in the region simply give the Iranians the ability to reach us and strike us whenever they want," Kent asserted.
EX-COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL JOE KENT CONTINUES CALLING FOR US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM MIDDLE EAST
More than five months have passed since Trump launched the war against Iran in conjunction with Israel. The U.S. military is currently conducting a blockade against Iran and it remains unclear when the conflict will conclude.
"Right now, we're at a place where President Trump could walk away from it. We haven't recently taken any losses," Kent said, adding that the president could withdraw U.S. troops from the region. "And I think he has the political power to basically sell it as a win or at least kind of a draw to the American people."
Kent said he would encourage those who agree with him to "call their congressmen, call their senators, call the White House and" tell them "that we want out of war right now."
In a statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, White House spokesman Davis Ingle targeted Kent.
"President Trump has destroyed nearly all of Iran’s military capabilities and is crushing what’s left of its abysmal economy with the most powerful naval blockade in world history. In quitter Joe Kent’s twisted mind, that somehow means Iran is winning, which only proves he doesn’t know his ass from his elbow," Ingle said in the statement.
TRUMP CAN DECLARE IRAN VICTORY NOW AND WITHDRAW TROOPS, FORMER COUNTERTERROR OFFICIAL ARGUES
Asked whether he has any interest in running for political office again, Kent, who has run unsuccessfully for Congress twice, told Fox News Digital that he does not "have any political aspirations."
But he said that he wants to help construct a "political coalition" that conveys to Americans "that a reason why it seems like no matter who they vote for their, their quality of life is not improving," is because no matter who occupies the Oval Office, much of "their time and our money ... and our national will" is expended "on these foreign wars," and "propping up an empire that does not benefit the American people."
Both parties "agree that we should be engaged in ... endless foreign wars," he said.
When Americans choose between a Republican and Democrat, they end up with "the next war," "more deficit," "more debt," and have "their civil liberties ... encroached upon," he said.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN TALKS ARE DEAD, INSISTS STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS 'OPEN AND OPERATING'
Kent said the U.S. cannot afford to dole out foreign aid, given the national debt, inflation, and the condition of the economy — but if foreign aid is going to be distributed, he said that it should go "to partners that actually benefit our nation's security, not to countries that are gonna drag us further into more conflicts" which "actually end up costing America more in the long run."
He said the U.S. should not provide aid to nations "that are actively spying on us and running influence operations like the Israelis are."
DeSantis suggests ally appointed to Palm Beach post could face death penalty over child sex abuse charges
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week suggested that a former ally he appointed as Palm Beach County Clerk of Court could face the death penalty if convicted of child sex abuse charges.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, DeSantis said that Michael Caruso could be in for a "world of hurt" if convicted. Caruso, 67, who has been suspended from his clerk duties following his arrest on Tuesday, is accused of preying on a young boy more than half a dozen times since 2024.
He faces charges of kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury. The victim detailed the alleged abuse to investigators in Orange County, according to local media reports.
One of the more serious allegations involved a seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise in which Caruso allegedly separated the victim from his family and engaged in inappropriate acts.
DeSantis suspended him from his post following the arrest. During a news conference, DeSantis noted that Caruso could face the death penalty if found guilty.
"We’re the first state to reintroduce the death penalty for pedophiles," DeSantis told reporters. "I’m proud that I signed that into law, and I’m proud that we have very strong penalties for people that abuse children."
"If he is convicted, he’s going to be in for a world of hurt," the governor added.
DeSantis noted that Caruso was a "clean vet" and "was well regarded in the community" at the time he was appointed. He said the decision to "yank him from that position" was an easy one.
Florida lawmakers in April 2023 passed a law allowing prosecutors to seek the death penalty for those convicted of capital sexual battery of a child under the age of 12.
74-YEAR-OLD BECOMES FLORIDA'S OLDEST INMATE EXECUTED AFTER 1982 KILLING OF TEEN
However, it is unclear whether Caruso could face the ultimate punishment, as the charges against him do not appear to qualify as capital sexual battery.
"Based upon the current precedent, this law would pass constitutional muster," said Mark Schlakman, who reviewed death penalty cases while working under former Florida Gov. Lawton Childs as assistant general counsel and serves as the senior program director for the Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights.
Schlakman noted that one can't predict what the U.S. Supreme Court will do if the law comes before the high court.
"What would happen or will happen? Can't tell you," he said.
As of Wednesday, Florida has carried out 13 executions, leading all other states.
The most recent happened Tuesday when William Francis Silvia, 61, died by lethal injection for fatally shooting his estranged wife and wounding his mother-in-law.
Tourists cling to each other in desperate struggle as raging flood sweeps them down waterfall
Desperate tourists were caught on video clinging to one another for dear life as they were swept downstream by raging water during a flash flood at a waterfall in Thailand.
The incident happened at Mae Sa Waterfall in Chiang Mai on Aug. 15, when tourists ventured onto rocks in the water at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, according to Viral Press.
Video from the scene shows rushing water surrounding the group as the tourists struggled against the strong current and tried to help one another.
TOURIST BREACHES SAFETY BARRIER AT WORLD’S LARGEST WATERFALL SYSTEM TO RECOVER CELLPHONE
Several people can be seen holding onto each other and attempting to stay on their feet before some were swept downstream by the force of the water.
One tourist is seen struggling to make his way through the water as others scream for help.
Park rangers later helped bring the group to safety. The tourists reportedly suffered only minor scratches and were given first aid, according to Viral Press.
Witness Arttie Martin told Viral Press he had been preparing to enter the water himself to take a photo when he heard a park officer blow a whistle moments before the flash flood struck.
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"It was truly a matter of split seconds," Martin said.
"I was just about to take off my shoes and walk into the middle to follow the foreigners and take a photo of the waterfall," he added.
Martin said he shared footage of the frightening incident as a warning to other travelers about how quickly conditions can become dangerous around waterfalls during Thailand's rainy season.
"Especially during the rainy season, when visiting waterfalls, you should exercise extra caution, observe warning signs and instructions from staff, and continuously monitor the color, level and current speed of the water, as conditions can change extremely quickly," he said.
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Access to Mae Sa Waterfall remained restricted following the flash flood, according to Viral Press.
Fox News Digital previously reported on another dangerous encounter at a waterfall, when a tourist climbed over a safety barrier and entered the water above Iguazu Falls in Brazil to retrieve a cellphone.
Video of the incident showed the man lowering himself into the river just yards from the falls, where fast-moving water flows toward steep drops.
He recovered the phone and returned to the walkway without injury before being escorted from the site by firefighters, according to Jam Press.
The incident was one of several risky encounters reported at Iguazu Falls this year — including a tourist who crossed protective barriers to retrieve a hat and another visitor who was recorded lifting a baby over a safety barrier near a viewpoint.
Soros-linked prosecutor blasted after accused killer got passport, fled US
A Democratic prosecutor permitted a Tajik national held in a psychiatric hospital after his landlord's killing to travel to Washington to obtain a passport, which he later used to leave the U.S.
Abdulloi Doniyor Toshpulodzoda left the country after he was granted a second "community pass" in July from the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute (NVMHI) in Falls Church, went to nearby Dulles International Airport and flew to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, by way of Turkey, prompting renewed criticism of Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano over his prosecution of cases involving migrants.
Toshpulodzoda had been found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) in the killing of Mohammad Hemmatian but was still granted the equivalent of a day pass twice — once to travel 20 miles to Washington, D.C., to obtain a passport and again in July to stay at an apartment furnished through a Fairfax County program — despite being under county supervision.
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares criticized Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano for failing to recognize what Miyares described as the danger of allowing Toshpulodzoda to obtain a passport.
"A judge said no, Virginia authorities said yes anyway," Miyares said in a statement. Descano has faced criticism for years over his prosecution of cases involving illegal immigrants and foreign nationals.
"Fairfax’s Steve Descano supported a violent, committed man accused of killing his landlord to obtain a passport. The passport request should have been the five-alarm fire, but instead it was ignored and he was allowed to walk out of a mental facility and flee the country. This is an unconscionable level of incompetence," Miyares added.
Virginians for Safe Communities, an advocacy group that highlights crimes, including those involving foreign nationals and illegal immigrants, called Fairfax County’s justice system "a joke."
"You hear the one about the crazed killer who walked into Dulles and went to Tajikistan?" the group tweeted.
"If Descano policies were literally written by illegal immigrant confessed murderers in mental institutions, how would they be different?" asked conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham.
Descano’s office confirmed it "did not oppose" Toshpulodzoda taking an "escorted visit" outside the confines of NVMHI to obtain "updated documentation from the [Tajik] embassy."
"[B]ut, that is not indicative of our position on community release [itself]," a Descano spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said Descano’s prosecutors repeatedly opposed Toshpulodzoda’s release in annual court hearings, citing public safety concerns.
Descano’s prosecutor, Claiborne Richardson, and Toshpulodzoda’s attorney, Amy Jordan, jointly requested and received court permission for Toshpulodzoda to travel to Washington, D.C., with institute staff on May 29, 2024, according to court documents.
Descano’s office said prosecutors argued at a June hearing that Toshpulodzoda should remain in the institute’s custody, and the judge agreed.
Descano’s office deferred further questions about the issuance of day passes to the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health (VDBH).
Laura Cunningham, a spokesperson for VDBH, said federal and state privacy laws preclude public discussion of individual patients' cases.
She added that the "community pass" process utilized by Toshpulodzoda is available under Virginia law for clinical teams to request "graduated privileges" that are later reviewed by experts before "progress[ing] to the next level."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board for comment. The board furnished the Alexandria apartment where Toshpulodzoda stayed through its Fairfax Permanent Supportive Housing Program.
The Daily Wire reported that Toshpulodzoda told authorities he was "guilty" but was later found NGRI.
A DHS spokesperson said in a statement that Toshpulodzoda’s departure was the "ultimate compliance of his final removal order" placed on him after an immigration judge ordered him removed on June 24.
Conservative columnist and Fairfax resident Tim Carney similarly tweeted that "my local prosecutor Steve Descano has a unique deportation policy."
"He endorsed giving an accused murderer, who was deemed insane, permission to travel to DC to get a passport. The accused murderer, on weekend leave, then hopped on a plane and fled to Asia."
"Total system failure," former police officer turned conservative commentator Brandon Tatum tweeted.
Virginia authorities have issued a warrant for Toshpulodzoda’s arrest if he returns to the U.S.
Toshpulodzoda entered the U.S. during the Obama administration and later violated the terms of his admission, according to DHS.
According to several reports, Toshpulodzoda admitted to Fairfax authorities that he killed Hemmatian but was later found NGRI and institutionalized.
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Hungarian American billionaire George Soros contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Descano’s local races in the heavily Democratic Beltway county.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Tajik Embassy, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office and the State Department for comment.
Suspects at large after Tucson police recruit killed, Pima County corrections officer wounded in shooting
Arizona authorities are on the hunt for multiple suspects after an early morning shooting left a 23-year-old Tucson police recruit dead and his 23-year-old romantic partner, a Pima County corrections officer, hospitalized with a gunshot wound, according to investigators.
A spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff's Department told Fox News Digital that deputies are searching for multiple suspects. They were described as Hispanic males wearing all black clothes and ski masks and traveling in a gray Acura MDX. Police said the piece over the gas cap may be missing.
Authorities initially described the couple as husband and wife but later said they were engaged. Sheriff Chris Nanos said they do share a child.
"This is a pretty sad day for law enforcement today," he told reporters at a news briefing Wednesday.
The initial call came in at 6 a.m. regarding a home in the 7700 block of South Enchanted Spring Drive, about 17 miles southwest of Tucson.
Responding deputies found the male victim, later identified as TPD recruit Carlos Ramirez, dead and rushed the female to a hospital, where she was in stable condition, the sheriff said.
Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto is asking anyone with information to call 911.
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Prieto called it both a "tragic event and tremendous loss for ... our community, this city and our department."
Nanos said during a news briefing he expected to be briefed by detectives when more information is available.
A PCSD spokesperson said the shootings are not believed to be connected to the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, which took place on the other side of town at her home in Tucson's Catalina Foothills Feb. 1.
This is a developing story.
Walz defies Trump on key minerals as GOP warns China stands to benefit
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is catching heat for defying President Donald Trump on a key energy policy.
The progressive Midwestern leader issued an executive order Tuesday blocking mining permits and leases near a swath of land in northeast Minnesota called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a significant portion of which is under federal jurisdiction.
That's despite President Donald Trump signing legislation in April that reversed a Biden administration-era order blocking new mining leases near the Boundary Waters for a period of 20 years.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the highest-ranking Minnesotan in Congress, called Walz's move "stupid" and "dangerous."
TRUMP'S AMBITIOUS ENERGY BET COULD BE A WINNING HAND AS THE WORLD BURNS MORE OIL, GAS THAN EVER
"This lame duck loser is trying to make us more energy and mineral-dependent on our adversaries," Emmer told Fox News Digital.
MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL WILL HAUNT FLANAGAN IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE RACE, TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN WARNS
He said the order would "harm Minnesota (and) good union jobs in northern Minnesota," and "put our national defense more at risk with our enemies, adversaries like Communist China."
The legislation, which passed the House and Senate before getting to Trump's desk, was led by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn.
Walz's order focuses on the mining of metals like copper and nickel, which have a variety of uses, including boat components, electric vehicle components, military equipment and commercial electronics.
TRUMP GETS MAJOR WIN AGAINST CHINA IN AFRICAN RARE EARTH MINERALS RACE
Northeastern Minnesota is home to the largest known untapped source of nickel and copper in North America, the Duluth Complex.
Emmer argued that a failure to tap into those resources would put the U.S. at a disadvantage to China's metal mining industry.
Mining is already banned inside the Boundary Waters, but environmental groups who hailed Walz's order have warned that mining in the protected lands outside its buffer zone still risks harming that inner area, according to MPR News.
"The federal government sold out our canoe country earlier this year by stripping away protections that took hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans' voices and years of work to secure, all while ignoring science and the will of the public," Save The Boundary Waters Executive Director Ingrid Lyons said in a statement.
"Now, our governor is doing right by Minnesota by pulling out all of the stops to keep toxic copper mining out of the headwaters of the Boundary Waters, while also calling on our state's legislature to finish the job permanently. Thank you, Governor, for your actions that save the Boundary Waters today, and for building a foundation from which to protect it for generations to come."
When asked about environmental groups' support, Emmer dismissed it as a "false argument."
"Every one of us is an environmentalist. I make this point, so nobody gets to claim the high ground. It's like somebody saying, 'I'm a better conservative than you.' No, we all care about our environment. We all want clean water. We all want clean air," he said.
"What you're literally saying is, 'I'd rather have the Chinese and other adversaries mine in the old-fashioned ways and not care about leaving the world in a better condition, than allow us to do it right here in Minnesota, where we have one of the top precious metal mines in the world.' … And we have the most stringent environmental laws in the world, I would argue, that are going to ensure that it's done safely, and it protects not only the people doing the work, but it protects the environment."
Fox News Digital reached out to Walz's office for a response.
Karen Bass ripped after viral video lays out taxpayer-funded match of campaign donations
Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing scrutiny after an online ad revealed that campaign contributions from supporters of her re-election bid would be matched by taxpayer dollars.
"Your donation to our campaign right now is more critical than ever before," said Bass, speaking into a lapel microphone with upbeat music playing in the background of the ad, which was posted to her campaign's X account.
"Let me explain," she continued. "Thanks to LA's super match program, every qualified donation from Los Angeles residents is matched 6-to-1 by the city. But after the primary, we had to start over from scratch, so we need you to rush your matching donation right now to help fuel this campaign."
CALIFORNIA ELECTION RESULTS STILL UNDECIDED AS LOS ANGELES BEGINS COUNTING BALLOTS
Bass noted that chipping in $5 would equate to a $35 total donation, while $25 would become $175.
The explanation immediately raised eyebrows for those concerned that taxpayer dollars are being used as campaign contributions.
"It's a system they set up to enrich themselves and their friends and get themselves elected," Roxanne Hoge, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, told Fox News Digital in response to Bass' video.
"It's like when you're a kid, and the kid with the fancy ball gets to make all the rules of the game you're about to play. That's what this is."
But the system is perfectly legal.
"It's much like when people complain about election fraud in California. It's not fraud. Everything is codified just the way they like it," said Hoge.
"Almost none of the money that Los Angeles takes in is used for things that make sense," she continued. "Money goes to homelessness and it increases homelessness. Basically, nothing makes sense here, and this is another thing that doesn't make sense."
Bass' campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Still, critics raged online about a program that has been in use for mayoral candidates since the 1990s.
"This is grotesque," author and University of Austin professor Michael Shellenberger said in response to the video of Bass.
"Outrageous," quipped Richard Grenell, a Trump administration official.
"Hold your horses... The current Mayor of the City of LA, who is running for reelection, is allowed to take money from the city to fund her campaign at a 6 to 1 payout???" former Ronald Reagan official David McIntosh asked incredulously.
"That's so innovative, I'm sure this totally legit and not communist at all," Los Angeles activist Tony Moon said sarcastically.
SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN LIMIT ON PARTY CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN COORDINATION WITH CANDIDATES
The matching program has been in effect for qualified mayoral candidates since 1990.
Slowly over time, the match limit has increased, and, in 2019, the current 6-to-1 match took effect and has been in use since then.
Qualified candidates can choose to participate in the matching program and must fill out a statement of acceptance of matching funds, according to city campaign rules.
LA MAYORAL RACE HEADS TO NOVEMBER RUNOFF AS KAREN BASS FACES MAMDANI-STYLE SOCIALIST
To qualify, a candidate must have already raised 300 times the maximum matchable amount per contributor — $257 — have at least 100 donors who have contributed $5 or more and live in Los Angeles, have an opponent and hold at least one public town hall or debate.
All matched donations must come from Angelenos.
The maximum allowable qualifying donation is $257, which, after the taxpayer-funded 6-to-1 match becomes $1,799. The total cap on matched donations is just over $1.5 million in the general election.
Morning coffee could interfere with popular weight-loss pill, doctors warn
Those who take oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications, such as Wegovy tablets, are advised not to take the medication with morning coffee or tea.
According to FDA prescribing information, Wegovy tablets should be taken on an empty stomach with up to 4 ounces of water — and no other liquids. Patients should wait at least 30 minutes before consuming food, other beverages or oral medications.
As the first FDA-approved oral medication for chronic weight management, the pill has different guidelines than the original injectable options, particularly because absorption through the digestive system can be affected by food and drink.
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Dr. Michael Hall, a board-certified physician, longevity specialist and author of "Infinite Youth," confirmed that oral Wegovy should be taken on an empty stomach, only with water.
"Coffee, tea, juice or other drinks should not be taken with the pill because they can interfere with how the medicine is absorbed," the Miami Beach, Florida-based doctor told Fox News Digital.
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For oral GLP-1 users, Hall recommends the following morning routine.
"Food and beverages other than water, and other oral medicines, can affect absorption if taken too soon," Hall said. "The safest rule is 30 minutes of nothing by mouth except water after the tablet."
The expert added that GLP-1 medications can also slow stomach emptying, which can impact how other oral medications are absorbed.
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Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel agreed that a GLP-1 pill should not be taken with caffeine, but only on an empty stomach with water.
While drinking tea throughout the day generally does not interfere with oral GLP-1s or block their absorption, patients should consult their physicians, Siegel told Fox News Digital.
The doctor added that certain teas, like green, black and white teas, can help support digestion, while ginger and peppermint tea can help alleviate nausea.
Fox News Digital reached out to Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk for comment.
Scandals, socialists and Trump roil primaries, send incumbents packing at near-record pace
Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, facing a pair of controversies, is the latest in a growing list of congressional incumbents sent packing in party primaries this year.
Twelve House members and two senators have been ousted in the 2026 midterms as they bid for renomination, according to the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
"It’s one of the highest numbers in decades in a non-national redistricting year," Center for Politics Communications Director Kyle Kondik told Fox News Digital.
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Kondik noted that "the years that the number was higher are years that end in the number two, which are full national redistricting years. This was a partial redistricting year, but it’s a very high number historically."
While the rare but not unheard of redistricting push over the past year contributed to some of the losses by incumbents, there were plenty of other factors. Those include incumbents wounded by scandals, President Donald Trump's moves to oust some GOP lawmakers, the increasing push by Democrats for generational change and the successful movement by the far left to target more moderate, establishment-backed Democrats in nomination showdowns.
Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan was defeated earlier this month by a left-wing challenger, state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman of New York was ousted in the state's June primary by progressive challenger Brad Lander, a former New York City comptroller who was backed by socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York, a Democrat who serves as Congressional Hispanic Caucus chair, was defeated by community organizer and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, a DSA member who was also supported by Mamdani. Age was also a factor in the race, as the 32-year-old Chevalier ousted the 71-year-old Espaillat.
Ideology and age were also key ingredients in DSA member Melat Kiros' victory over more moderate Democratic Rep. Diana Degette of Colorado, who has served in the House for nearly three decades.
Age and the push for fresh faces fueled a victory by 38-year-old Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee, who won a special congressional election earlier this year, over Rep. Al Green, a fellow Democrat who turns 79 next month. The two incumbents faced off for a House seat redrawn through a Texas Republican redistricting push.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE MIDTERM RACES
Redistricting in Texas also forced Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson into a showdown in the state's 33rd Congressional District against her predecessor, former Rep. Colin Allred, which Allred won in a runoff election.
Generational change was the key factor as 47-year-old former Mayor Luke Bronin of Hartford, Connecticut, scored a victory in the Democratic primary over nearly 30-year congressional veteran Rep. John Larson, who is 78.
Trump played a key role in the ouster of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana earlier this year. Cassidy was one of a handful of Republicans who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial five years ago.
Meanwhile, longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn was defeated in the Texas GOP Senate nomination runoff election in late May by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a MAGA firebrand and major supporter of the president. Trump stayed neutral during the year-long bitter battle but endorsed Paxton at the last minute ahead of the runoff.
10 HOUSE INCUMBENT LAWMAKERS WHO SAW THEIR 2026 RE-ELECTION BIDS END IN PRIMARY DEFEAT
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a vocal Republican Trump critic, lost his renomination bid to former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who was backed by the president.
Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas went down in defeat to a more conservative challenger, state Rep. Steve Toth, who cast the incumbent as anti-Trump. While the president remained neutral in the race, Toth was supported by conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz.
Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee lost in his bid for renomination despite having Trump's endorsement.
Ogles, saddled by controversial comments and social media posts in recent years, was defeated by former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, who was backed by Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam and other prominent Republicans including former Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
In Florida, Mills was topped by Ryan Elijah, a former local television news and sports reporter, in a four-way GOP primary in the right-leaning 7th Congressional District.
Elijah repeatedly targeted Mills over a House Ethics Committee investigation into the congressman and the restraining order placed against Mills by a judge last year after a former girlfriend said the two-term lawmaker threatened to release sexually explicit videos of her.
Mills, an Army veteran and former military contractor, denied the allegations but faced bipartisan calls to resign. An endorsement earlier this year from President Donald Trump wasn't enough to save him in Tuesday's primary.
Earlier this year, GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who had advanced to a runoff election, quit his race after admitting to an affair with a former staffer who died by suicide.
Facing heavy pressure from House leaders, he resigned from Congress entirely weeks later.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
DSA’s growing grip on Dem Party hits new territory as establishment falls in line
The Democratic Socialists of America is expanding its influence inside the Democratic Party, as socialist-backed candidates rack up primary wins and establishment Democrats increasingly fall in line behind them.
That dynamic is now reaching Georgia, where Sen. Jon Ossoff backed Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed after his primary victory, even as Republicans seek to make El-Sayed's socialist support and political associations an issue in Ossoff's own race.
The victories are creating a new political vulnerability for Democrats, as party leaders increasingly close ranks behind candidates backed by the left while Republicans try to tie them to the socialist movement’s policies and allies.
"The primary is in the past and the nominee has my support," Ossoff said after El-Sayed emerged victorious from Michigan's Democratic primary.
BIDEN-WORLD VETERAN ISSUES STARK WARNING ABOUT ABDUL EL-SAYED AS HE CROSSES PARTY LINES
The Atlanta DSA chapter also opened its first independent office in August, giving the organization a permanent organizing base in Georgia.
Ossoff is not alone. Rep. Haley Stevens, who warned during the Michigan primary that Democrats embracing socialism were "missing" what was at stake, rallied behind El-Sayed after narrowly losing to him.
"That's called democracy," Stevens said of backing El-Sayed. "You don't sign up for a Democratic Party to be salty grapes and... just continue to hold a grudge."
The post-primary unity gives Republicans a chance to argue that Democrats who once distanced themselves from socialism are now supporting socialist-backed candidates.
"Jon Ossoff’s big plan is to abandon Georgia to run for president, but he can’t do that without the support of the communist wing of his party, which calls all the shots. To seek the blessing of the communists, Ossoff knew he had to endorse the Islamo-Marxist [Abdul El-Sayed] in Michigan," Georgia GOP Senate candidate Mike Collins’ campaign adviser Tim Murtaugh told Fox News Digital.
"But he must also know that he gets everything that comes along with that, including the dangerous anti-American, racist, anti-Jew, pro-Marxist junk. By wrapping his arms around the most radical elements of his party, Jon Ossoff has embraced the unembraceable," Murtaugh added.
Socialists see the same election results very differently. Hartzell Gray, a DSA member and former congressional candidate, called recent primary victories the movement's "scoreboard."
"We come with a movement. We cannot be stopped," Gray told Fox News Digital. "And no matter what one person or one personality that's gonna be targeted, there's a whole lot of personalities that are reclaiming our power."
Socialist streamer Hasan Piker’s continued association with El-Sayed has come under fire from Republicans and other critics, particularly as Piker faces renewed scrutiny over inflammatory remarks from his past.
Piker has faced widespread criticism for saying that "America deserved 9/11" and, in another resurfaced remark, calling to let the streets soak in "red capitalist blood."
Weeks before the primary, El-Sayed was pressed on Piker's remark during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"It was a dumb statement," El-Sayed said, while making clear that he did not believe America deserved the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but rejected the idea that Piker should be cast aside over it.
Piker endorsed and supported Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, and the two have since appeared together at events. Sanders, when previously asked about Piker's 9/11 remark, similarly called it "a dumb statement."
Gray also rejected the idea that Piker's rhetoric should make him politically untouchable.
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"I'll tell you right now, if given the chance to go back on, I go on again and again," Gray told Fox News Digital of appearing on Piker's podcast. "I'd be a weekly correspondent. I'll make my own theme song."
Gray argued that Piker is helping to "reclaim the American promise" as socialist candidates challenge Democratic establishment figures around the country.
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Gray said "billionaires should not exist," arguing that capitalism itself does not create wealth — working people do.
"It is working people who have been exploited along the way that have made our folks successful and whatever that is that that means," Gray said.
The socialist movement notched another major victory Tuesday, when DSA member Angie Nixon upset Alex Vindman in Florida's Democratic Senate primary, becoming the party's nominee to face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders, Piker and the DSA for comment.