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Kamala Harris urges Dems to 'be ruthless' with power after midterms, demands Trump accountability
After Democrats swept control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton offered their views about how the party should use its newfound power.
Harris called for Democrats to ruthlessly leverage their powers to provide "economic relief" and to hold President Donald Trump's "administration accountable for their deep-seated corruption." Hillary Clinton said that "The post-Trump era begins now," while her husband offered a more conciliatory message, and even called for reining in America's national debt.
"On Election Day, the American people spoke loud and clear: they are done with the corruption, incompetence, and callousness coming from the White House and the capitulation of Republican leaders," Harris declared in part of a Wednesday post on X.
KAMALA HARRIS BREAKS WITH LEFT FLANK, WARNS DEMS THAT IMPEACHING TRUMP IS 'NOT A GOOD IDEA'
"Now, the work begins to actually deliver results. The American people have elected Democrats across the country in federal, state, and local races who must be ruthless in using every lever of power to deliver economic relief for working families and hold this administration accountable for their deep-seated corruption," she asserted.
Hillary Clinton declared in a Wednesday post on X, "Last night, Americans made a clear call for accountability and affordability. A body politic cannot recover until its harms have been treated and its wounds have been healed. Crimes against our people and our Constitution must be answered for. The historic abuses of the last two years must be prevented from happening again."
She was the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate who lost to Republican Donald Trump.
DEMOCRATS' HISTORIC WINS IN TEXAS HIGHLIGHT TAKING CONTROL OF CONGRESS IN MIDTERM BLUE WAVE
"American families should be able to thrive, not just survive. Every child should have the chance to live up to his or her full potential. The American Dream must be more than a mirage. I am confident Democrats can deliver both, and much more. The post-Trump era begins now," Clinton wrote.
Bill Clinton, America's 42nd president, suggested that Democrats have been handed the chance to "rebuild trust."
"The American people have given us clear direction: to put their needs ahead of the chaos and corruption coming out of Washington. That means helping families with the cost of living and protecting their health care. It means ending senseless wars and tariffs that drive up prices. It means getting our national debt under control. And it means holding those in power accountable to the people they serve," he said in part of a statement issued on Wednesday.
HILLARY CLINTON WARNS DEMS MAY SQUANDER MIDTERM VICTORY IF THEY FAIL TO STAY FOCUSED AFTER ELECTION
"Last night’s victory gives us an opportunity and a responsibility to rebuild trust. We should do so with humility and determination, and an open hand, not a clenched fist, to those who didn’t vote for our candidates," Clinton said.
The White House and Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's comment requests on Thursday.
17 years after Fort Hood massacre, victims' families grapple with gunman's looming execution
Seventeen years have passed since an Army psychiatrist opened fire at Fort Hood killing 13 people in 2009. Since then, families of three of the fallen have learned to navigate life without their loved ones, finding strength in the values and lessons their father, daughter and spouse left behind.
"It builds character, kid," is a phrase Keely Cahill Vanacker remembers her father Michael Cahill saying, always with a playful punch to the arm, throughout her teenage years whenever she was upset.
Cahill served in the Army National Guard for 23 years as an infantryman before earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and training to become a physician assistant, providing medical care to soldiers.
"My dad really valued people, and he touched a lot of lives," Vanacker said.
TRUMP CLEARS WAY FOR FORT HOOD TERRORIST TO FACE ARMY FIRING SQUAD NEARLY 17 YEARS AFTER MASSACRE
Growing up in a military family, living all across the country, Vanacker saw Cahill demonstrate the value of treating others with humanity and fairness as he practiced medicine.
"If you were somebody living in a rural Texas post and struggling to even pay for your asthma medication, my dad would find places for you to get your medication," she said.
For Cahill, serving people was a calling; and it did not end when he hung up his helmet. After retiring from the military he continued to serve as a civilian PA at Fort Hood.
As for Amy Krueger, her call to serve came in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
"I’m going in."
Those are the words Amy told her mother Jeri Krueger on the afternoon of Sept. 11.
At the time, Amy was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus.
"Going in?" Krueger recalled asking her daughter.
"I'm joining the Army, mom."
Krueger was skeptical that her daughter could make a difference in the fight against terrorism.
"Oh, Amy, you can't take on bin Laden all by yourself," Krueger told her daughter.
"Watch me," Amy replied.
The next day, Amy sat in a recruiter's office and would go on to become Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger.
"When Amy said she was going to do something, she did it," Krueger said.
After Amy's first deployment to Afghanistan in 2003 at Bagram Airfield, she returned home and continued her education as a mental health specialist in the Army and completed Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) programs while continuing her education in psychology.
"She wanted to help people get through things," Krueger said. "Psychology was definitely something she would've been great at."
In 2008, Amy volunteered for another tour in Afghanistan. Between deployments, she was welcomed home by friends and family members.
Even while at home her commitment to service was still on the forefront of her mind.
Krueger had been at work when Amy texted her a picture of a new tattoo she had gotten, which took hours to complete.
"I said, ‘I don't like it,’" Krueger recalled.
Amy asked what her mother meant, thinking she was receiving the typical parental disapproval of new ink.
Krueger explained it wasn't necessarily the tattoo itself she disliked, but what it said.
"I feel like it's a bad omen," Krueger had told her daughter.
Amy brushed her mother's worries off with a chuckle.
The tattoo depicted the American flag, draped across her back, alongside a firearm and soldier’s hat. It read: "All gave some. Some gave all. Sacrifice."
Krueger knew her daughter was determined to continue serving. However, after seeing the new tattoo, Krueger said she couldn't shake the ominous feeling it gave her.
"I always thought she had a feeling that she might not come back," Krueger said. "That tattoo kind of says that. I think that she was prepared to fight, to do what she needed to do, and didn't know if she'd be coming back."
By October 2009, Amy was sent to Fort Hood to prepare for a deployment in December, a deployment she never made.
She was not alone in arriving at Fort Hood with plans for a deployment ahead. Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow was also preparing to deploy, this time to Iraq, when he reported to Fort Hood.
SON WHO LOST FATHER IN 9/11 ATTACKS SHARES POWERFUL LESSONS 25 YEARS LATER: ‘I’M STILL HERE’
From an early age, Justin knew he wanted to join the Army, being influenced by his father Daniel J. DeCrow, who served in the Vietnam war. He then went on to become a satellite communication instructor, where he was known for his work ethic and uplifting others.
"His positive attitude, and humor helped others get through tough times," said Justin's wife Marikay DeCrow.
When fellow soldiers struggled, Justin stayed to help, teach, support and encourage them. For him, failure was not an option.
That same warmth carried into his personal life. Justin and Marikay had known each other since childhood, as he was friends with her brother. It wasn’t until she asked him to her senior prom when they solidified feelings for one another and became inseparable.
"From that time on, we were together," said Marikay. "When he would look at me, all I saw was the love he had for me. I couldn't imagine my life without him."
When they had their daughter Kylah, Justin wasn’t able to return home and meet his daughter for the first time until she was six weeks old.
Justin had learned of his daughter Kylah’s birth 24 hours after the fact, when he was finally able to call Marikay at the hospital.
"He was ecstatic to have a daughter," she said. "We had maybe a phone call for five minutes once a day."
The phone calls were a beacon of hope, offering Marikay a few precious moments of connection with Justin while they were apart.
The hardship continued when Justin attended Advanced Individual Training, AIT, in South Carolina. Marikay recounted traveling back and forth every other weekend to keep the family in contact.
"Sometimes we only had a day, sometimes he was allowed to stay the night with us," said Marikay. "Every trip meant so much to him and us. He spent every minute he could holding Kylah. Leaving him each time was incredibly difficult."
As Kylah grew up, he was always there for her. To this day Kylah reflects the values of her father.
"I see so much of Justin in Kylah," said Marikay. "She is witty and funny, and cares so much about those around her."
Neither of them knew then how precious those days would become, the last they’d have before he headed to Fort Hood.
It was a Thursday at Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center when U.S. Army Major and psychiatrist Nidal Hasan opened fire, killing 13 people and leaving 31 wounded.
Hasan had been motivated by Islamic extremism and had negative views on America’s involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Among those 13 were Retired Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Cahill, Staff Sgt. Krueger and Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow, three people whose lives were defined by their service, values and families.
For the families, the attack was the start of a new struggle: trying to understand what happened to and how they spent their final moments.
After the shooting, piecing together the fragments of that day was difficult for Vanacker. Witnesses were hospitalized with injuries or scattered across the country, and many of Cahill’s colleagues had not seen what he did in his final moments.
Vanacker didn’t get a solid first description until a memorial, when she was approached by a soldier who had shared a cubicle with Cahill.
He described it as any other workday until he heard gunfire down the hall.
"And all of a sudden, your dad just got up, and then he was gone," she recalled him saying.
The uncertainty that followed stretched on for nearly a year as she waited to learn what had happened to her father.
"I was just trying to figure out what had happened and if he was shot trying to help somebody," she recalled. "Was it that sort of thing? It leaves things unanswered for a while, and you have this weird waiting game."
When the pretrial proceedings began, she learned that Cahill had emerged from the examination room before picking up a chair by its legs and charging at Hasan, an act of courage that reflected "character," what he'd spent a lifetime instilling in his children.
In August 2013, Hasan was convicted on all 42 counts by a military jury that then unanimously agreed to give Hasan the death penalty. For 13 years, Hasan has been on the military's death row.
In 2015, after Congress expanded eligibility for the Purple Heart, military victims of the massacre received Purple Hearts, while eligible civilian victims, including Cahill, received the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom.
On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump approved the sentence of Hasan, and acting Army Secretary Adam Telle directed that the execution be carried out by firing squad on Dec. 3.
Hasan's execution would be the U.S. military's first execution since 1961 and its first by firing squad since 1945.
"When I received the email that President Trump signed the execution order, I felt a kind of relief come over me, all I could do was cry," said Marikay. "I have been waiting for 17 years to hear this."
Although the execution method has been questioned by some, Marikay said the method does not matter as long as Hasan faces his end.
"He deserves the death penalty, this is justice," said Marikay. "This man destroyed our lives. Justin never got to watch Kylah grow up, graduate, walk her down the aisle, hold his beautiful granddaughters...We were supposed to grow old together."
Vanacker and Krueger said they did not need Hasan's execution for closure.
"He was already dead to me, and I did not think about him. So having an execution is not something I personally needed for my own closure," Vanacker said.
Krueger expressed a similar sentiment. "I do not give him any thought ever. He died a long time ago," she said.
Vanacker and Krueger also bring up another point being the execution may be giving into Hasan’s desires.
"He wanted to be a martyr, and that didn't happen," said Krueger. "So when this happens, does that fulfill his desires?"
9/11 SENT THEM TO WAR. 25 YEARS LATER, VETERANS GRAPPLE WITH WHAT FOLLOWED
"He did that shooting, and he did it in a way where he wanted that attention and he wanted to become a martyr, and we have just played right into his hands," said Vanacker.
The debate over Hasan’s execution took a turn when War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration planned to livestream the event.
"We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it in public because people need to understand that there are serious consequences for these types of things." Hegseth said.
The families said it was the first time hearing of the livestream plan.
"It feels a little bit like a slap in the face, disrespectful," said Krueger. "I'm sure he didn't intend it but…there should have been somebody that said, 'whoa, wait a minute. There are families that are going to be affected by this.'"
Before Trump announced the cancellation of the planned livestream via Truth Social, Vanacker expressed concern that the administration's handling of the execution could have jeopardized it.
"Hegseth's obsession with barbaric optics probably put this execution in danger," Vanacker said. "Our tragedy is not your entertainment."
She called on Congress to ban livestreamed executions in the military using the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
"I hope they put in the NDAA just banning it outright," she said. "That it can never be considered and not an option ever so it never comes up again. Livestreaming an execution should never be an option."
After the planned livestream was canceled, Krueger was relieved.
"I'm so, so grateful that President Trump took it down, so that's a good thing." Krueger said.
Victims’ families are allowed to witness Hasan’s execution and Marikay has no doubt what she will be doing on Dec. 3.
"The date it was announced, I knew I would be heading to Fort Hood one last time, " Marikay said. "This is closure. I'm ready for it to be over."
Nov. 5 remains a personal day to the families. For them, this day goes beyond Hasan, focusing on the ones they lost.
Krueger remembers her daughter as vivacious and strong, someone who had a way of passing that strength on to others. Today, that same strength continues to carry her mother and how she thinks about what happened.
"I hate the idealism that made him do what he did," Krueger said. "But do I hate him? He’s a human being that was swayed by the beliefs of his leaders and had the free will to carry out a devastating, destructive event."
To continue Amy’s legacy, they have an annual event to raise money for the scholarship in her honor at the local high school.
And just like her daughter, they raise money in a fun way: A bar crawl called Krueg’s Crawl.
"It's a bar crawl, and there's prizes, and so it's fun," said Krueger.
This year's event took place on Halloween and consisted of a costume contest, keeping the fun alive in her memory.
When Nov. 5 hits, the family remains intimate.
"We typically do the same thing," Krueger said. "We get together, we go to the cemetery, we talk about her, we remember her, and this year we're doing that as well."
Vanacker and her family revisit their traditions by visiting her father.
"We go, and we leave flowers, and we have a remembrance," she said.
What got her through the first anniversary was her father's four-word sentiment, the same words Cahill had comforted her with through childhood: "It builds character, kid."
"I think this year's a little bit different, Vanacker said. "I think with all the other distractions around, it honestly makes it a little harder. There's a lot more emotions pulling this year."
Although the media attention surrounding the case has brought back emotions for families, the tragedy and hardship these families faced has brought them together.
"We've become like a family," Krueger said. "There was one year and there was a 10-year anniversary to see them and to be with them, that's huge for me."
Three families whose lives are forever changed are now connected as they continue to find strength in the values their loved ones left behind.
Paris Jackson demands $600M from father Michael Jackson's estate in legal war with longtime executor
Paris Jackson accused John Branca, the sole executor of her late father Michael Jackson's multibillion-dollar estate, of financially retaliating against her and her siblings after she challenged his handling of the King of Pop's fortune.
Paris alleged in new court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, that she and her siblings experienced a multimillion-dollar reduction in payments while Branca maintained an "iron grip" over their inheritance.
She asked a Los Angeles court to order a $600 million distribution from her late father's estate into the family trust after accusing Branca of mismanaging the funds.
PARIS JACKSON SAYS DAD MICHAEL'S UNUSAL RULE HELPED PROTECT HER CHILDHOOD
Branca has been the sole executor of Jackson's estate since 2009. The pop star died that year from acute propofol and sedative intoxication leading to cardiac arrest.
Branca's alleged mismanagement of estate funds included non-contractual gifts to colleagues, aggressive litigation, public attacks and a multimillion-dollar reduction in payments to Jackson's children.
"Without belaboring the point, when Paris began challenging the administration of the Estate last year through her objection to Executor Branca’s non-contractual gifts to his colleagues, her challenges were met with scorched earth litigation, public attacks, and a multimillion reduction in monies provided to her and her siblings by the Estate," her legal team wrote. "This course of conduct and administration should not continue."
In a separate filing obtained by Fox News Digital, Paris accused Branca of using estate resources for personal travel on private jets, improperly charging personal expenses to the estate and concealing the spending from beneficiaries.
She claimed Branca acknowledged taking multiple personal trips and reimbursed certain expenses only after she investigated them. Her attorneys characterized the conduct as "outright theft" and a breach of his fiduciary duties.
"Where the travel is of a purely personal nature, or in service of Mr. Branca's other clients or business affairs, it constitutes outright theft," the court filing stated.
Paris also accused Branca of using estate funds for personal gifts, questioned more than $604,000 in credit card charges and reimbursements, and challenged $9.4 million in executor compensation, $1.4 million in payments to his law firm and roughly $835,000 in public relations expenses.
She further alleged that Branca mismanaged more than $440 million in estate cash while pursuing entertainment projects that benefited him financially, including the Michael Jackson biopic, which reportedly required tens of millions of dollars in reshoots and rewrites.
Her legal team urged the court to reject Branca's financial accounting and order him to provide a more detailed breakdown of the estate's spending.
"Once again, Ms. Jackson’s legal team raises the same hollow complaints and fails to acknowledge the unique structure of the Estate, which is operated as a dynamic business, with customary costs and expenses," a representative for the estate told Fox News Digital. "No rhetoric can hide the fact that the Executors have taken an Estate that was $500 million in debt when Michael died and turned it into the most successful Estate in history, producing $3 billion in revenue and the biggest biopic in movie history, with a box office exceeding $1 billion globally."
As for the $600 million distribution, Paris argued that her father's estate plan entitled his children — Prince, Paris and Bigi — to trust income beginning at age 21 and portions of their inheritance beginning at age 30. She claimed the executor had never funded the trust, despite Michael Jackson's death more than 17 years earlier.
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"Michael intended for his children to become the caretakers of his legacy," the petition read. "As each child reached certain ages, Executors were to increasingly provide for each child’s independence."
Paris' filing cited more than $2.5 billion in gross estate earnings and approximately $850 million in cash or cash equivalents as of December 2024. She argued that the estate could distribute $600 million while retaining enough money to cover outstanding liabilities.
"Ms. Jackson’s counsel is well aware that the Estate is prevented from fully funding the philanthropic giving and individual trusts for the beneficiaries until several legal hurdles have been removed, including in particular the ongoing IRS litigation where they sought $700 million in taxes and penalties from the Estate," a statement provided to Fox News Digital on behalf of Jackson's estate said. "The Estate was able to secure a ruling to significantly reduce that amount, but the matter has not been settled and could still change."
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"Further, the claim that the executor has withheld or ‘cut' payments is a complete fabrication," the statement added. "In fact, more than $200 million has already been distributed for the benefit of Paris and the other beneficiaries. Michael Jackson’s will is clear. None of his children receive a distribution until they are in their 30s. The Estate looks forward to the time when all issues are resolved so that their trusts can be fully funded as Michael wanted."
A court hearing on Paris' request to transfer $600 million into the family trust is scheduled for Dec. 4.
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Paris previously spoke about her childhood as the daughter of Michael Jackson. Behind the glitz of Jackson’s larger-than-life world, Paris said her father enforced strict rules to protect his children’s sense of normalcy.
The 28-year-old model recalled in an interview on "Call Her Daddy" that her father required his children to finish their homework and chores before enjoying weekend activities, limited their television and movie viewing, and had them wear masks in public to shield their identities from the intense spotlight surrounding his fame.
Paris said she understood that her father was famous. What she didn’t grasp was the sheer magnitude of his celebrity.
"I just didn't know how famous ... There was definitely part of me that, like when I looked out my hotel window, and it was one of the times where, like, the alias didn't work and there's just like a sea of people with signs and stuff — I'm not so naive to think, yeah, everyone experiences this, you know?" Paris said. "I just didn't understand the lengths."
Timeline of Learjet crash that killed Austin family traces final minutes from takeoff to Florida plunge
Air traffic control audio and flight tracking data are revealing the doomed Learjet's final minutes, tracing its path from takeoff in Austin, Texas, to its fatal plunge in Greenacres, Florida, where all nine people on board were killed.
Taken together, the records depict a flight crew contending with turbulence and icing before initiating a climb, only to experience an abrupt and violent descent almost immediately afterward, along with an overspeed warning and an in-flight breakup that investigators have yet to fully explain.
FLORIDA PLANE CRASH VICTIMS IDENTIFIED AFTER 9 PEOPLE KILLED IN FIERY WRECK
Austin tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson, 45, his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, along with the children's nanny, Anita Maria Cetina, and couple Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr departed from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on a Bombardier Learjet 60.
TEXAS FAMILY OF 4, 20-YEAR-OLD COPILOT AMONG 9 KILLED IN FIERY FLORIDA JET CRASH
The Learjet reaches cruise altitude at approximately 41,000 feet, according to flight data. No notable events occur for the next hour and a half.
While the Learjet is around 41,000 feet in the air, an air traffic controller advised the flight crew of moderate precipitation 5 miles away from them, and then said there were options to go to the left or right. The crew was then told to proceed to a waypoint near Naples, Florida.
NTSB FINDS 'NO EVIDENCE' OF MAR-A-LAGO CONNECTION AFTER FLORIDA JET CRASH KILLS NINE PEOPLE
The flight crew asked about proceeding directly toward the Bahamas, which would take them across Florida. Air Traffic Control approved that route, but warned about moderate-to-extreme precipitation along that route and said the turn toward the Bahamas looked poor from a weather standpoint.
The Learjet flight crew altered their plan, and indicated it would turn toward Naples, Florida and then head toward the Bahamas.
Air Traffic Control instructed the Learjet to descend to 35,000 feet.
Air Traffic Control authorized left or right deviations for weather, telling the flight crew they can proceed toward the Bahamas when able to. Tracking indicates the plane headed further north toward Palm Beach County.
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The flight crew indicated that weather conditions are deteriorating, reporting to Air Traffic Control that there is icing and turbulence, asking the controller if there's a "better ride" ahead.
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The crew also reported they are beginning to experience precipitation, and asked to climb to 37,000 feet.
'WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DIE': PASSENGERS THROWN INTO CEILING DURING TERRIFYING FLIGHT
The Learjet climbed to 35,450 feet versus the approved 37,000 feet before rapidly descending. A mayday call was made to Air Traffic Control, as the plane descended at a rate of about 10,000 feet per minute. The descent rate doubled a short period later, increasing to around 20,000 feet per minute.
The controller advised the crew that altitude is at their discretion, and asked what they needed. A short time later, the crew advised Air Traffic Control, "We’re going to crash into the ground."
MAYDAY CALL CAPTURES PILOT'S URGENT WARNING BEFORE AIRCRAFT GOES DOWN OFF COAST
"I'm here with you. Talk to me," the controller said.
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"Holy f–k, we're out of time!" the flight crew could be heard saying before the plane crashed in Greenacres, Florida.
Alan Diehl, a former NTSB investigator, said in an interview with Fox News Digital that once the Learjet lost controlled flight, the pilots likely had almost no meaningful capacity to bring it back under control.
"For all intents and purposes, they were passengers," he said.
"Once you’re caught into this trap, it’s like the proverbial situation of painting yourself in the corner. There are no really good options. There’s three potentially bad options," Diehl said. The key point here is that they did not have much time…You have literally seconds to respond, and at some point it may have been impossible."
Alligator sneaks into North Carolina bagel shop, sends owner scrambling in encounter caught on camera
A North Carolina bagel shop owner got an unexpected scare when a 3-foot alligator wandered into his business, turning an ordinary afternoon into a wildlife encounter caught on surveillance video.
The reptile entered Bagel Dock Express in Southport on Oct. 29, slipping through an open back door and making its way through the kitchen toward the front counter.
Surveillance video captured owner Jesse Driscoll's startled reaction when he spotted the alligator inside the shop. Driscoll quickly backed away from the animal before calling 911.
The business was closed to customers at the time, and Driscoll told WWAY News that he had been distracted by workers installing a new oven when the unexpected visitor appeared.
"It's just so far out of the ordinary for a bagel shop," Driscoll told the media outlet.
The shop owner said he was accustomed to seeing familiar faces stop by the business, but an alligator was something he never imagined encountering.
Southport police and Animal Protective Services responded to the business and removed the reptile.
HUGE BULL MOOSE STUCK IN MONTANA SKATE PARK HAD TO BE TRANQUILIZED IN ORDER TO BE RESCUED
The Southport Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, saying officers worked alongside Animal Protective Services Officer Ward to capture the alligator and relocate it.
Bagel Dock Express also made light of the encounter in a Facebook post, joking that its reputation had apparently reached beyond its usual customers.
FISHERMAN CAPTURES A CRAZY VIDEO OF AN ALLIGATOR CHASING A BEAR ACROSS A FLORIDA RIVER
"Apparently, word of our fresh bagels has made its way into the swamp!" the post's caption began. "Our surprise visitor was safely escorted out by local law enforcement. No injuries, no drama… just one VERY unusual customer! Fresh bagels. Wild experiences."
The encounter was not Southport's first unusual alligator sighting this year.
In April, officers helped remove a 12-foot alligator from a residential property, and another alligator was found beneath a car at a bank drive-through.
HUGH HEWITT: The GOP is wounded, not dead — but recovery has to start now
The GOP isn’t dead, but it sure does look and feel that way in the harsh light of the day after Tuesday’s walloping.
The myth of Rasputin is that a Russian monk who pretended to mysticism was poisoned, stabbed, shot, beaten and thrown in a river. He somehow climbed out of the drink and survived. He didn’t.
Miraculous recoveries only happen in the movies, as with "Boris the Bullet Dodger" in Guy Ritchie’s beloved "Snatch," which starred Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio del Toro and Dennis Farina.
If you are a Republican feeling low after Tuesday night’s nationwide wipeout, "Snatch" is a good viewing choice. If you or your boss lost, you need to have a laugh because there is no crying in baseball or politics. Wipeouts happen, and the GOP isn’t going to suddenly pull itself beaten and bruised out of the Potomac.
But the Republican Party isn’t dead. It’s just beaten badly, and it will take some years to mend. A lesson from the endless rebuild of the Cleveland Browns: There aren’t any shortcuts. You need patience, and you have to build through the draft.
THUNE PLANS TO RUN FOR REPUBLICAN MINORITY LEADER AFTER DEMS' MIDTERM TAKEOVER
The good news: There’s a best player or 10 within every state's political leadership, and it’s up to Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno to cheer up the Senate caucus and get to work recruiting and fielding a team of GOP Senate candidates for 2028. The same must go on within the much smaller House GOP conference.
It’s up to President Trump to make sure the Republican National Committee, in turn, makes sure that the process of selecting his successor nominee is wide-open and robust. Debates between would-be nominees beginning early in 2027 for an Iowa primary in January 2028, with a New Hampshire primary right behind it will be an excellent forum from which many would-be presidents can test messages and themes with the country as a whole.
LIZ PEEK: THERE MAY BE A SILVER LINING IN TRUMP'S BRUTAL MIDTERM DEFEAT
President Trump remains the leader of a badly banged-up party, and he’s often been a terrific cheerleader and needs to be so again.
Not like the "Black Knight" in 1975’s "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" — Tuesday night wasn’t a flesh wound. President Trump will study the ugly results carefully. Disasters have their own clarity about them. No need for an autopsy when the cause of death is, well, everything. President Trump’s State of the Union early in 2027 will provide an agenda around which would-be leaders-in-waiting can rally or reject. He and his team should start to work on that immediately. It will matter a great deal.
The greatness of the Republic is its wonderful resilience. The Constitution is terrifically strong, a work of genius that endures. Parties thought dead beyond recovery indeed do come back. That lesson is not ancient history. No need to recall the eclipse of the GOP after Barry Goldwater’s kamikaze presidential run in 1964, which left the GOP with just 32 senators and 140 members in the House. Really.
Republicans under President Reagan lost the Senate majority in 1986 and tumbled to 45 seats. It took eight years to climb back to a majority in the Upper Chamber.
The GOP lost that Senate majority again in 2006, and their hole got deeper during the financial crisis in 2008. When President Obama soared to his landslide and was sworn in in 2009, there were only 41 Republican senators in attendance and 178 GOP House members.
The silver lining — and it is going to need some polishing to gleam — is that the center-right and conservatives have three cycles before the post-2030 Census national redistricting gets underway. If the ongoing counting of election results in the states brings the worst, Democrats will have "trifectas"— where a party controls the governorship and both houses of the legislature— in 21 states, the GOP will have 19, and 10 will enjoy divided government. Expect redrawing of maps in the 40 states with trifectas that have not done so already, and then wait for the mandatory line drawing in 2032 after the Census. American politics is a dance that never ends.
Recovery after a political crash out can be painful, but it’s best undertaken with clear eyes about what ails the GOP body politic. Anyone with a quick remedy or a single villain isn’t comprehending the scale of the rebuke. It isn’t as bad as 2008’s, but that could follow if another Great Recession looms.
The only certainty for President Trump seems to be: Win the battle with Iran and do so quickly and in such a fashion that there are no doubters about who won and how. The Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait must obviously be open to all traffic passing through them unmolested by the remnants of the Iranian terrorist regime. No more ill-conceived MOUs.
President Trump is the only one who matters on the decision about whether or not to win the battle with Iran and win it quickly. If the new Democratic majorities to be seated in January arrive before the battle is over, they will do their best to interfere with President Trump’s constitutional authority as commander in chief.
So even as he helps his party stand back up, he should pursue the conflict to success. And Republicans smarting from Tuesday night’s beatdown should keep in mind that if you have to choose between running the Congress and having the Presidency, the latter is by far the better choice.
Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.
Fox, USVETS renew 'Make Camo Your Cause' campaign dedicated to ending veteran homelessness
Fox News Channel viewers can once again expect to see a lot of camouflage through Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
Fox Corporation is partnering with U.S.VETS for the "Make Camo Your Cause" campaign for the sixth straight year to help end veteran homelessness because too many American heroes who bravely served our country find themselves sleeping on the streets they swore to protect.
The "Make Camo Your Cause" campaign is dedicated to ending veteran homelessness in the United States because "veterans" and "homelessness" should never be uttered in the same sentence.
Fox News Channel hosts and anchors will wear camo to show appreciation and gratitude for veterans and their military service while raising awareness and funds to propel U.S.VETS' mission. Viewers can pick up Fox News-branded camo gear in the online store and wear it proudly on Veterans Day to show support for U.S. veterans.
DONATE TO ‘MAKE CAMO YOUR CAUSE’ HERE
FOX is the founding media sponsor of the campaign, which aims to bring visibility and awareness to the tragic issue in the United States while transforming what it means to wear camo here at home. The past five years have been wildly successful and resulted in significant donations to U.S.VETS and greater awareness of the critical work it does.
Viewers can make camo their cause by donating or shopping online here because veterans deserve every opportunity to live with dignity and independence, not on the streets.
The "Make Camo Your Cause" campaign offers a variety of camouflage products — from hats and T-shirts to mugs and duffel bags — designed to create awareness of the U.S.VETS mission.
Every purchase helps veterans and their families successfully transition to civilian life by providing housing, counseling, career development and other critical support.
DONATE TO ‘MAKE CAMO YOUR CAUSE’ HERE
"Make Camo Your Cause" will also appear in on-screen graphics and across Fox News social media platforms and Fox News Digital.
Founded in 1993, U.S.VETS is now the largest nonprofit with boots on the ground fighting America’s veteran homelessness crisis. It provides housing, counseling, supportive services and career programs, in addition to supportive services for veterans to rebuild and thrive.
Republicans turn on Trump after devastating midterm losses hand Democrats control of Congress
Seismic political change is coming to Washington, D.C., and as Republicans sift through the wreckage that was Election Night, fingers are pointing in several directions over who’s to blame.
The blue tsunami Tuesday tore the GOP’s coalition asunder, flipping the balance of power in both chambers heading into the final two years of the Trump administration. And as Republicans search for where things went awry, GOP operatives and insiders told Fox News Digital that it starts at the top with President Donald Trump.
"Look, first and foremost, this is a Trump loss," Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling chief executive officer and prominent Republican donor, told Fox News Digital. "He wanted to be — he wanted people to consider him on the ballot. And unfortunately, as a Republican, that's what we got."
LIZ PEEK: THERE MAY BE A SILVER LINING IN TRUMP'S BRUTAL MIDTERM DEFEAT
In the Senate, Democrats scored seven pickups on Election Night, with outstanding races in Alaska and Mississippi still waiting to be called. And in the House, Democrats roared back into power with 27 pickups and with several races still outstanding.
The Iran war, ignoring the economic hurt squeezing voters, attacking sitting Republicans and more are on the list of grievances from Republicans reeling in the days after.
The Senate map, in particular, was at one point favorable for Republicans and viewed as an uphill battle for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats to put a dent in the GOP’s thin, 53-seat majority.
But Trump’s decision to go on a "primary revenge tour and antagonizing senators," a GOP aide told Fox News Digital, among several other issues, opened up the field for Democrats to pounce.
Indeed, Trump’s handpicked candidates were pummeled in races that were once safe bets for Republicans.
DEM FLIPS KEY SENATE SEAT IN BATTLEGROUND NORTH CAROLINA AS COOPER DEFEATS TRUMP ALLY
His backing of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., and fight with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., last year that ultimately led to his retirement and created an opening for Democrats in the Tar Heel State, proved fatal for the GOP, coupled with stunning losses in Maine, Kansas, Ohio and Iowa, kneecapped any chances Republicans had of keeping power in the upper chamber.
"Trump ignored affordability completely," another Republican aide told Fox News Digital. "Ousted good members a la Cornyn, Tillis who knew how to win tough races, and poisoned the base’s opinion of our majority with his SAVE Act/filibuster bulls---."
"We had a great map, and he hijacked [it]," they continued.
In the House, where Democrats are on pace to potentially win upward of 250 seats, Fox News Power Rankings projected that Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran were significant drivers for voting blocs leaving the GOP.
TRUMP'S GAMBLE ON KEN PAXTON BACKFIRES AS DEMOCRAT PULLS OFF HISTORIC TEXAS SENATE UPSET
One House Republican complained that GOP leaders were too focused on "bluster" rather than "doing the job," though they did not mention Trump by name.
"All the name changes were so unnecessary — Gulf of America, Lake of America, Department of War," the GOP lawmaker said.
A second House Republican rattled off a lengthy list of shortcomings, including the quality and character of "certain candidates," Trump’s immigration enforcement, tariffs, general affordability issues, historic midterm headwinds, and "departure from traditional conservatism in favor of populism."
Meanwhile, people in Trump’s orbit blamed the candidates themselves.
Trump outside advisor Alex Bruesewitz posted on X that "most Republican candidates this cycle were uninspiring, lazy, and thoroughly ineffective communicators."
"I’m not all that surprised by some of these outcomes," he said.
Meanwhile, some are expecting a massive shift in Trump’s base of support in Congress as he heads toward a lame duck likely punctuated by investigations and stalled agendas.
"I think Trump being a lame duck starts today," Eberhart said. "You know, if I'm up in the [2028] cycle, I'm waking up today, I'm against the arch. I'm against the ballroom. I want space from Trump."
MEHEK COOKE: Republicans failed the affordability test. This is how to win voters back
Republicans lost Tuesday because we forgot the oldest lesson in politics: It is the economy, stupid. Americans did not suddenly embrace socialism or bigger government. Instead, they graded the GOP on a pocketbook scorecard of groceries, gasoline, housing and healthcare, then punished Republicans for failing to deliver financial relief they could feel.
Democrats captured both chambers of Congress, flipped governor’s offices and won statewide races across the country, including in Ohio, which President Donald Trump carried by double digits two years ago. Republicans must recognize that this election was a performance review and not simply the product of media bias, poor turnout or an ideological transformation of the country. The warning was clear before a single vote was counted. A Fox News poll found that 60% of voters considered the cost of living their greatest economic concern, 74% rated the economy negatively and only 18% said their families were better off than two years earlier.
Election Day was not a repudiation of every Republican principle. Voters still trusted the GOP more on crime, border security and immigration, but those advantages did not close the affordability gap.
TRUMP PLEDGES TO VETO 'INSANE' DEM BILLS, PINPOINTS ISSUE PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR REPUBLICAN LOSSES
Republicans won the White House and both chambers in 2024 by promising economic relief, and voters judged the delivery of that promise through their bank accounts. Abandoning conservative principles would deliver more victories to Democrats and dismissing the losses as nothing more than anti-Trump anger would ignore the financial plea voters made. President Trump delivered tax relief, but Republicans failed to make broader affordability gains arrive quickly enough for families to feel them.
Democrats respond to government failure by demanding more government. They point to unaffordable housing and medical bills, invoke affordability and then call for larger budgets, new programs and expanded federal authority. Republicans cannot respond with abstract defenses of limited government while existing institutions remain expensive and unreliable.
The next Republican revolution must be a competence revolution focused on lowering the cost of living and putting American interests first. That requires government to perform its essential duties, enforce the law and remove barriers preventing families and businesses from succeeding. While Democrats measure government by how much it spends, Republicans must measure it by what families save.
The clearest opportunity to close the delivery gap is healthcare. A post-election KFF analysis of the national voter poll found that voters trusted Democrats over Republicans by 19 points on the issue. More than half said Trump administration policies had made their own healthcare costs worse, while only 10% said those costs had improved. Healthcare is a major pocketbook issue, and voters judged Republicans by how much they are paying for their medical bills. More promises won’t change that sentiment, but a plan that enforces price transparency, exposes hidden middleman markups, increases competition and requires timely explanations of coverage denials would. That is competent government because it gives patients information and choices without creating a larger federal healthcare system.
Democratic control of both chambers of Congress still leaves President Trump with the power of the veto pen even as he pledges to work with Democrats. This gives him significant negotiating leverage because Democrats need his signature to enact legislation unless they secure two-thirds support in both chambers. President Trump’s power to say no allows him to reject legislation that makes life more expensive while demanding affordability provisions that provide measurable relief for families. Democrats are now on notice. They must show voters whether they really stand for affordability or just a larger spending agenda.
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Congressional Republicans face the same affordability mandate. Every spending bill, regulatory proposal and policy should be measured by whether it lowers healthcare costs, removes barriers to building housing, reduces government waste and allows families to keep more of what they earn. The Trump administration and Republican governors should publish scorecards that measure permit processing times, taxpayer dollars protected from fraud and whether government programs deliver what they promised. Before spending more money on a failing program, Republicans should also require an audit explaining what went wrong, where the existing money went and what taxpayers would receive from any additional spending. The test is not whether a proposal is red or blue, but whether it leaves more green in Americans’ wallets.
Democrats failed to offer a coherent governing strategy beyond blaming President Trump, and they are already mistaking Tuesday’s victory for an endorsement of socialism, permission to expand government and a blank check to spend two years investigating the president. That mistake gives Republicans a clear opportunity to prove that conservative principles can make life more affordable. Tuesday was a warning that principles without competent delivery will not earn another majority.
LEE CARTER: The biggest winner of this election is not who you think
Whether you’re celebrating this week's midterm elections or sniffling into your morning coffee, I have some good news.
And no, it has nothing to do with which party won.
For years, we’ve been told that America is hopelessly divided. That our politics are tribal. That our opinions are fixed, our loyalties inherited, and our minds about as open as a bank on Christmas.
AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI
Democrats vote for Democrats. Republicans vote for Republicans. Independents insist they’re independent while somehow managing to vote for the same party every November.
Persuasion? Forget it.
Why bother making an argument when everyone has already made up their mind?
LEE CARTER: THE SUMMER POLLS MISSED THE POINT: VOTERS ARE MOVING — AND THE MIDTERMS BEGIN
Well, guess what?
They haven’t.
And that may be the most encouraging thing to come out of this election.
I’m a researcher and strategist. I spend my life studying what people believe, why they believe it, and what, if anything, might change their minds. I even wrote a book called" Persuasion," which lately has been beginning to sound like a work of historical fiction.
JASON CHAFFETZ: FIVE TIMELESS POLITICAL LESSONS THAT GOT LOST IN 2026
But I’ll admit something. Watching our politics harden over the past decade, even I began to wonder just how persuadable America really was.
We seemed to have reached a point where facts were filtered through party affiliation, arguments were judged by who made them, and changing your mind was treated less like intellectual growth and more like treason.
We’ve stopped debating and started diagnosing. Anyone who disagrees with us must be stupid, evil, brainwashed or watching the wrong cable news channel.
Then voters did something wonderfully inconvenient.
They reminded us that they are human beings, not permanent members of political teams.
Look at Michigan. Look at Texas. Look at Kansas.
EVERYONE IS WATCHING TEXAS AND MICHIGAN. AS A POLLSTER, I KNOW WHERE THE REAL STORY IS
Different states. Different political traditions. Different electorates. But each offers a reason to question the assumption that political identity is destiny.
Candidates can still reach people who weren’t necessarily inclined to listen. An argument can still break through. A message that speaks to something voters genuinely care about can still make them reconsider what they thought they knew.
Of course, an election result alone doesn’t tell us precisely how many voters changed their minds and how many different voters simply showed up. As a researcher, I feel compelled to point that out, even at the risk of ruining a perfectly good argument.
But the larger lesson remains.
INDEPENDENT VOTERS AREN’T PICKING A POLITICAL TEAM, THEY JUST FEEL PICKED ON
Political coalitions are not permanent. And voters are not property.
That’s not a flaw in democracy. That’s democracy working.
We’ve spent so much time talking about polarization that we’ve started treating it as a permanent condition. As though Americans arrived at the voting booth with their opinions tattooed on their foreheads.
But Americans are more complicated than their party registrations.
They can be conservative about spending and liberal about healthcare. Frustrated with immigration and worried about government overreach. Loyal to a president and disappointed in his party. Angry at Washington and hopeful about their hometown.
They can hold two seemingly contradictory ideas at once.
Imagine that.
THE HISPANIC VOTE IS UP FOR GRABS IN 2026. CANDIDATES WHO IGNORE IT WILL LOSE
And most importantly, they can change their minds.
Not necessarily because someone shouted louder. Not because a campaign spent another $50 million telling them the other guy was terrible. And certainly not because a celebrity told them what to think.
But because someone made an argument that connected with their lives.
That is what persuasion actually is.
It’s not tricking people. It’s not manipulating them. It’s not finding the magic words that make people abandon their values.
It’s finding the truth in your argument that connects with the truth in someone else’s life.
And when that happens, something remarkable becomes possible.
A voter can cross a party line. A lifelong loyalist can reconsider. Someone who has tuned out politics altogether can decide that this time, something is worth paying attention to.
None of this means America is suddenly united. Far from it.
We still disagree, often fiercely. We still retreat into our corners. We still have a remarkable talent for assuming the worst about people who vote differently from us.
And Thanksgiving dinner is still going to require a seating chart and possibly a referee.
But disagreement is not the same thing as permanence.
And division is not the same thing as hopelessness.
The Founders didn’t build a country on the assumption that everyone would agree. They built one in which disagreement could be argued, debated, challenged and ultimately resolved, at least temporarily, by the people.
A country of ideas and ideals.
A country where arguments are supposed to matter.
Where leaders have to earn support rather than simply inherit it.
Where no party owns a voter forever.
And where the best ideas have a chance to win, provided someone can make the case for them.
That’s the part I hope we don’t miss in all the post-election analysis.
Because if minds can change, then our future isn’t predetermined by our divisions.
If voters can be persuaded, politicians have a reason to listen.
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If people are willing to reconsider what they believe, the rest of us have a reason to keep talking to one another.
And if an election can surprise us, perhaps our neighbors can, too.
So, whether your candidates won or lost, whether you’re popping champagne or reaching for the tissues, take a little comfort in this:
America isn’t as stuck as we thought.
People are still listening. Arguments still matter. Ideas can still change minds.
And in a country that has spent years being told it’s hopelessly divided, that might be the most hopeful election result of all.
As someone who wrote a book about persuasion, I have to admit I’m particularly relieved.
I really wasn’t looking forward to writing the sequel, "Nobody’s Listening."