Fox News Latest Headlines
Socialism’s rise inside the Democratic Party now threatens the American Dream
The latest wave of socialist victories in Democrat primaries in New York and elsewhere should be a wake-up call for Americans across the country. For years, many people dismissed socialism as a fringe movement within the Democrat Party. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.
The wins by self-described New York socialists Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Claire Valdez are the latest evidence that the socialist movement is no longer a fringe faction operating on the margins of the Democrat Party. Socialists are increasingly setting the direction of the Democrat Party — and many voters in progressive areas of the country are willing to embrace it. That should concern every American.
All three candidates were backed by fellow socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose rise has transformed him from a local elected official into a political kingmaker. The results stunned Democrat leaders. According to Axios, some House Democrats described the outcome as an "earthquake" and a "huge defeat" for party leadership. Even moderate Democrats will admit they no longer have control of their party, the socialists do.
THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS ARE NO LONGER ON THE FRINGE
The significance of these victories goes beyond New York. Mamdani's candidates didn't defeat Republicans. They defeated incumbent Democrats and establishment-backed candidates in districts where the primary effectively decides the election. The result will likely add more socialists to Congress and further pull the Democrat Party to the far left and even further away from the mainstream of American politics.
Voters shouldn’t just be concerned about the label but even more about the policies that come with it.
The policies championed by today's socialist movement would affect how Americans work, start businesses, save money and pursue economic opportunity. They would fundamentally and permanently change the American free enterprise system that has made our country the strongest and most prosperous in the world. As a former small-business owner, I find this to be especially alarming. We don’t help businesses by making government bigger, we help them by getting out of the way.
For example, Lander has supported policies that would dramatically restrict independent contracting, limiting opportunities for millions of Americans who value the flexibility and freedom that come with freelance and gig work. Avila Chevalier has advocated eliminating right-to-work protections and allowing unions to collect dues directly from workers' paychecks, including from employees who choose not to join a union. Valdez has called for using the full weight of the federal government to expand union power and push workers into union membership, regardless of whether they want to join.
This alarming trend extends well beyond New York. Seattle voters recently elected Katie Wilson, another socialist candidate aligned with many of the same ideological priorities. Across the country, activists are building organizations, recruiting candidates, and steadily expanding their influence within Democratic politics.
Now, we are seeing the trend reach far beyond deep-blue cities. In my home state of Wisconsin, a leading gubernatorial candidate, Francesca Hong, proudly identifies as a socialist. Her candidacy demonstrates that ideas once confined to a handful of urban districts are now being marketed to voters in battleground states that will help determine the nation's future. That is why it is so important that we elect Tom Tiffany as governor of Wisconsin in November and prevent someone like Hong from bringing socialism to our doorstep.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
For years, many Americans assumed socialism could gain traction only in a few areas like New York City or San Francisco. Recent elections suggest otherwise. The movement is producing candidates, winning primaries, and replacing establishment Democrats with candidates who embrace a far more expansive role for government in the economy.
I know voters in my district and across Wisconsin do not want to follow the same dangerous path we have seen in many coastal cities, and we must do everything we can to prevent that from happening here. If we do not put a stop to this radical-left ideology now, it will come to our neighborhoods next.
Americans who value economic opportunity, more choices for working Americans, and free enterprise should pay attention. What happened in New York was not an isolated event. It was another sign that socialism is becoming the defining direction of the future of the Democrat Party.
I've studied military strategy. Trump now faces Iran's oldest battlefield trick
War is not checkers. It is chess, a game that began in India and was refined and carried through Persia, where "shah" meant king and "shah mat" meant the king was helpless. The language matters because strategy, whether in chess or war, is not only about placing an opponent in check. It is about knowing how to finish the game.
President Donald Trump holds the stronger pieces, and Tehran knows it. That is why Iran is not trying to match America move for move. It is trying to widen the board before Washington decides how to close the game.
The pattern is now familiar. Trump strikes Iranian military targets. Iran pressures commercial shipping. Trump tightens the maritime noose. Iran threatens new energy routes. Each American move is answered not by matching American firepower, but by shifting the pressure somewhere else: at sea, in oil markets, across Gulf capitals and inside Washington's political debate.
U.S. Central Command has confirmed a fresh wave of strikes on Iranian coastal defense and missile sites, part of an effort to reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian ports and degrade Tehran's ability to threaten Hormuz shipping. Iran answered with strikes on U.S.-linked targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, and with cruise-missile strikes that killed and wounded mariners aboard tankers in the strait. Tehran is trying to make each American strike produce a wider problem.
That is not simple retaliation. It is a counter-move, and Iran has used this approach before.
During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), Tehran helped turn the Persian Gulf into a battlefield in what became known as the Tanker War. The U.S. Navy launched Operation Earnest Will to escort reflagged Kuwaiti tankers through the Gulf. In April 1988, the frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine while on that mission. Four days later, the Navy answered with Operation Praying Mantis, sinking or damaging a significant portion of Iran's operational navy in a single day.
Iran did not defeat the U.S. Navy. It learned something else: mines, tankers, shipping lanes and oil anxiety can force a far stronger power to defend much more than a single waterway. That habit has not changed.
TRUMP WON’T RULE OUT KHARG ISLAND TAKEOVER: WHAT A US ASSAULT COULD LOOK LIKE
The Strait of Hormuz remains the central square on today’s board. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that oil flow through Hormuz averaged roughly 20 million barrels a day in 2024, about a fifth of global petroleum consumption.
But Hormuz may no longer be the whole board. Reuters reports that Iran is signaling it could use its Houthi allies in Yemen to threaten the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea, putting a second vital energy artery at risk. Closing Bab el-Mandeb would force tankers around southern Africa, adding time and cost to global energy shipments.
A one-chokepoint crisis is dangerous. A two-chokepoint crisis becomes a test of American staying power.
Washington also handed Tehran an argument it did not deserve. Trump floated a 20% fee on shipping through Hormuz, then dropped the idea a day later, saying no one should be able to charge such a toll. The legal problem was obvious. The U.N.'s International Maritime Organization said there is no legal basis for mandatory tolls on an international strait under transit-passage rules.
America cannot credibly tell Iran it has no right to toll an international waterway while briefly weighing a toll of its own. Even withdrawn, the proposal was an unforced error.
The larger danger is that repetition becomes a substitute for strategy. Axios reports that Trump convened a Situation Room meeting to weigh an offensive wider than the current strikes near Hormuz, and Trump has said publicly that strikes on Iranian power plants and bridges could follow if Tehran does not return to the table.
TRUMP REVIVES HIS DECADES-OLD IRAN WARNING AS US RAMPS UP MILITARY PRESSURE: 'REMARKABLY CONSISTENT'
Force works when it narrows an enemy's options. It fails when it multiplies America's obligations. Tehran is betting that every American strike, threat and widened blockade will look like progress while adding another place Washington must defend.
Trump should refuse that bet. Three disciplines would help him do it.
First, stop making maritime policy in public. A major maritime policy should not reach a social media post before its legal basis, allied support and enforcement mechanisms are settled.
Second, name the war America is actually fighting. Is this limited retaliation, a maritime-security operation, coercive nuclear diplomacy or an effort to dismantle Iran's coercive infrastructure? Each answer requires different targets, different limits and a different explanation to the American people.
Third, use force to narrow the war, not expand it on Tehran's terms. American power should shrink Iran's options, not multiply Washington's burdens.
The Tanker War offers a caution. What began as a limited escort mission became a test of national will, alliance management and escalation discipline. Washington cannot afford timidity. It also cannot afford carelessness.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Iran cannot defeat the United States directly, and it does not have to. Its strategy is to widen the board, raise the cost and survive long enough to call endurance a kind of victory.
Trump holds the stronger pieces. He has put Iran in check more than once this year. But check is not checkmate. A regime under pressure can still escape, counterattack and drag the fight into a costlier configuration if its opponent mistakes movement for strategy.
Trump has the pieces to prevail. What he needs now is the discipline to prevent Tehran from choosing the next square.
Bernie, AOC to team up with El-Sayed as Dem civil war moves to Michigan
Progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will parachute into battleground Michigan's campaign trail this weekend to boost Abdul El-Sayed, the far-left candidate they're supporting in a crucial Democratic Senate primary.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez will make three campaign trail stops with El-Sayed, a former Wayne County Health Department director who is facing off for the party's nomination against Rep. Haley Stevens, a more moderate lawmaker backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the establishment.
After victories by far-left and socialist candidates over more moderate contenders in deep-blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado last month drew national attention, Michigan is now the latest battleground in the high-stakes fight between the left-wing and the center-left establishment for the future of the Democratic Party.
"What you’re seeing here are the two opposing forces of the Democratic Party. Both candidates offer very different visions of what the party and the country should look like," veteran Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo told Fox News Digital. "The stakes are monumentally high because Democrats have to hold this seat in November."
SWING STATE POLL SPELLS TROUBLE FOR FAR LEFT AS SCHUMER BACKED CANDIDATE SOARS
The winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary will take on former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination, in the key midterm Senate faceoff to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
The rare open Senate seat is a top Republican target in the midterms, as well as a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber with a slim 53-47 margin.
The showdown in Michigan became a two-way race a couple of weeks ago, after progressive state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, once the third major Democrat in the primary, suspended her campaign.
McMorrow, who has seen her national profile expand in recent years and was running as a progressive in an ideological space between El-Sayed and Stevens, exited the race after failing to keep pace with her two main rivals.
Stevens held a seven-point lead over El-Sayed earlier this week in a Detroit News/WDIV poll conducted after McMorrow dropped out and following a debate last week between the two candidates.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE
El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation's first Muslim senator, is an epidemiologist who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018. He has made support for Medicare-for-all a major component of his campaign.
The far-left candidate has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide" against Palestinians. And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations.
Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party's nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point.
Earlier this week, Peters, who to date had stayed neutral in the race to succeed him, endorsed Stevens.
SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER
The primary showdown has become combustible.
"If you want your politics dictated by AIPAC or Chuck Schumer, then I'm not your guy," El-Sayed said during last week's debate, arguing the Democratic Party would not change if it continued to elect leaders who take money from corporations.
Stevens countered by accusing El-Sayed of benefiting from Republican efforts to boost him in the primary. "What my opponent needs to answer is, why is the GOP spending thousands of dollars to prop up his campaign, saying that he will make Mike Rogers the next U.S. senator?" Stevens said.
DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB
The primary clash is also expensive, with outside groups spending big bucks to flood the campaign trail with ads.
The biggest spending is United Democracy Project, a political action committee aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The group reports spending nearly $15 million in support of Stevens and against El-Sayed.
"This race is not between Abdul and Haley Stevens. It is Abdul vs. AIPAC," Sanders argued in a social media post. "A billionaire-funded Super PAC shouldn't determine American elections or foreign policy. Let's support Abdul."
A victory by El-Sayed over Stevens in the primary would give the far left a major win on a statewide stage, and further boost their momentum in the battle for the Democratic Party's future.
But Matt Bennett, one of the leaders at the Third Way, a leading center-left Democratic organization, warned against placing too much emphasis on the results in Michigan, as he pointed to other factors in the race.
"I don't think that even if El-Sayed wins, that means the national party is moving dramatically to the left, as the left will insist if that happens," he told Fox News Digital. "Some of this is idiosyncratic. There's a huge Arab American population in Michigan. The Israel issue is more resonant there than it is in other places. And candidates matter."
Caiazzo, a veteran of Sanders' two presidential campaigns, also urged caution.
"I think it’s really important for Democrats not to read into these primaries as any sort of directional change within the party. Every single election happens under a different set of circumstances," he said.
The progressive education machine is collapsing. We should let it fall
The American education establishment is currently having a collective meltdown. If you watch the headlines closely, you can see the panic setting in across the country.
This is the unmistakable sound of a broken progressive machine collapsing under the weight of its own arrogance. The radical left has engineered our educational system to prioritize ideological compliance over human formation. Reality is finally catching up with them, and the collapse is starting where the crusade began. The war on merit.
A few years ago, the "prestigious" University of California system proudly eliminated standardized testing. They sacrificed the SAT and ACT on the altar of "equity," claiming that objective academic standards were inherently discriminatory. The administrators confidently claimed that removing the tests would level the playing field. They promised it would open the doors of elite academia to students with fewer resources, reshaping the demographic makeup of the incoming students.
CONFIDENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION SLIPS AFTER BRIEF RECOVERY, GALLUP POLL FINDS
This decision turned out to be a complete disaster.
The results are in and the failure is so undeniable that even the New York Times admitted that dropping test requirements was a terrible mistake. These universities are discovering the hard way that when you declare war on merit, you reward mediocrity. You rob intelligent, hard-working students of the ability to prove their worth, all to satisfy a progressive political checklist.
Standardized tests stood for generations as an equalizer. They were a reliable tool for intelligent hard-working students from a failing public school could use to prove they were just as capable as a wealthy student from a private prep school. A high SAT score cut through the noise of privilege. By eliminating that objective metric, the University of California did not fix inequality. They worsened the issue. Admissions offices were forced to rely on highly subjective metrics like inflated GPAs, heavily coached essays, and expensive extracurricular activities, things that favor the wealthy.
Without a standardized test to anchor the admissions process, they tried to engineer a utopian admissions process and ended up robbing working-class students of the ability to prove they are just as capable as those with limitless money and private tutors. The war on merit has led to the destruction of the higher education standard. Now, replacing it is a subjective system where ideological compliance and family wealth rule the day.
This spectacular failure in California should cause grave concern and serve as a warning for other higher education institutions in the country. We cannot build a prosperous, resilient nation by hiding from the truth or lowering the bar. If we want to truly help the next generation, we must stop lying to them about what it takes to succeed.
Real life does not operate on a test blind curve. In fact, we are already seeing elite institutions like MIT, Dartmouth, and Yale reinstating their test requirements because they realized the "equity" argument was entirely backward.
LIBERAL FACULTY STILL HUGELY OUTNUMBER CONSERVATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: REPORT
As a university president, I, for one, will not stand by and watch higher education lose its merit. We must restore objectivity to the application process, and demand genuine intellectual effort over artificial, progressive shortcuts.
But this fight is about much more than admission to college. This is about the survival of America. The defining promise of this country has always been that it does not matter where you come from, how much money your parents make, or your last name. If you work hard and achieve excellence, there is a place for you. When education abandons merit, they destroy that promise.
The war on standards has failed. It is time to reject the equity hustle and restore excellence.
Jerry Rice storms into gallery after heckler taunts NFL legend at celebrity golf tournament
Jerry Rice wasn't about to ignore a heckler Thursday, as the NFL Hall of Famer charged into the gallery during the American Century Championship after a fan taunted him at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe.
The San Francisco 49ers legend was competing alongside fellow sports stars and celebrities, including Aaron Rodgers, Charles Barkley and Tony Romo.
Rice, 63, was in the middle of his round before eventually finishing 42nd in the 90-player field.
JORDAN SPIETH SAYS GAMBLING IS FUELING ROWDY GOLF CROWDS AND WANTS THE SPORT TO ADDRESS IT SOON
Immediately after one of his tee shots, someone in the gallery mockingly yelled, "Fore!"
The NFL Hall of Famer turned toward the gallery, shouting, "Hey! Yo! Hey! Hey!"
WATCH:
Before anyone could react, Rice ducked under the ropes, club in hand, and bolted toward the crowd.
"Which one? Which one?!" Rice demanded as he charged toward the spectators.
Even in golf spikes, he closed the distance with the burst that made him one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history.
A nearby fan ratted out the suspected culprit, yelling, "Green and blue!" Rice closed in eventually and the heckler wasn't as cavalier.
FORMER COWBOYS QB TONY ROMO FALLS SHORT IN US OPEN GOLF QUALIFYING BID
The situation cooled, and Rice returned to the tee box to applause from spectators.
It wasn't Rice's first heated moment at Edgewood Tahoe. During last year's American Century Championship, Rice snapped at reporters after interpreting questions about the Kansas City Chiefs as digs at his beloved 49ers.
One fan on Thursday summed it up perfectly: "Don't poke the bear!"
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Adam Silver calls Caitlin Clark a 'political football' as the WNBA keeps dodging reality
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is taking a notably passive approach to the safety of the WNBA's biggest superstar.
Rather than directly addressing the repeated physical treatment of Clark, Silver seemed more interested in tamping down the controversy.
On Thursday, as Silver addressed Clark's treatment at a CNBC Sports Summit in New York, the commish had an opportunity to demand greater accountability but instead argued that the Clark controversy has been fueled more by politics than by what is happening on the court.
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS PRESS WNBA COMMISSIONER CATHY ENGELBERT TO PROTECT CAITLIN CLARK
"I've come to know Caitlin really well. She's an incredible player and also an incredible person. And she wants to focus on being the best player she can. She has become a bit of a political football in this country, and I think it's incredibly unfair to her. ... It's become political ping-pong with her."
To many Clark supporters, it's Silver missing the point.
Silver shifted attention away from the repeated hard fouls and physical confrontations that have fueled criticism of the league. Instead, Silver suggested the bigger problem is the controversy surrounding Clark, not the repeated physical play that created it.
"Ultimately, the issues around Caitlin Clark are not largely about officiating, and that particular incident is not about whether a foul should have been called at the time ..."
OLYMPIANS SPEAK OUT AGAINST WNBA FOR HANDLING OF CAITLIN CLARK
Clark's supporters have watched the Fever star absorb hard foul after hard foul this season, making Silver's explanation a tough sell.
But Silver's reported involvement raises even more questions. According to multiple reports, he consulted with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert before Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas was suspended following the controversial throat strike.
Asked point-blank about the report, Silver wouldn't confirm or deny it.
"I'm not going to comment on [the Engelbert report], because I don't think it's fair to Caitlin, and to Cathy Engelbert either."
While Silver did acknowledge one area that needs improvement, saying, "Do we need to improve WNBA officiating? No doubt about it," he quickly pivoted away from the larger questions surrounding Clark's treatment.
At a time when the WNBA needed action, Silver chose optics.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
ABC, NBC, CNN avoid airing Trump's primetime election security address live
ABC News, NBC News and CNN avoided airing President Donald Trump's primetime speech live on Thursday that addressed election security and apparent vulnerabilities during the 2020 election.
Trump alleged that "vital information" about the 2020 election had been "covered up and hidden" from the American people. He accused China of meddling in the 2020 election, claiming newly declassified documents include CIA reporting alleging the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sought to prevent his reelection, as well as intelligence from the FBI claiming China attempted to manufacture illegal ballots for Joe Biden in that election.
Leading up to the primetime address, the five liberal networks developed their own plans on how to handle Trump's remarks.
TRUMP RELEASES DECLASSIFIED ELECTION INTELLIGENCE, SAYS IT REVEALS 'SHOCKING VULNERABILITIES'
A CNN spokesperson earlier told Fox News Digital it planned to cover Trump's speech "as a news event, and monitor it for news developments" and provide on-air analysis and commentary. The network made the speech available on its website and on its streaming platform.
CNN anchor John King explained to viewers the network's decision, saying it's "because this president, sadly, has a history of misleading, and in some cases, simply false statements" on elections and election security, adding that CNN wanted to independently verify newly declassified documents released by the Trump administration.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ADDRESSES THE NATION ON ELECTION INTEGRITY IN PRIMETIME WHITE HOUSE SPEECH
ABC News carried Trump's speech on its streaming platform and ABC News Radio. A spokesperson for the network previously told Fox News Digital that regular ABC newscasts will cover the speech. NBC News similarly carried the address on its streaming platform and later aired a special report on the broadcast network.
Both networks aired special reports recapping Trump's remarks moments after he finished during their normally scheduled programming.
ABC and NBC stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting Group did preempt the networks and air the speech, however,
Trump took a moment of his address to slam ABC and NBC for their decisions, declaring them "fake news."
"They don't like the topic because they know how corrupt our system is, and they don't want to reveal it," Trump said. "They and others in the media are part of a plot. They want to continue this fraud for whatever reason. They want to keep it going. They want to protect the radical left. They can't have a great country — and that's true — you can't have a great country without free and fair elections."
He continued, "Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses. They use our public, multi-billion dollar in value airwaves for absolutely no money. They pay nothing. All we want is honesty in our elections and honesty in reporting. They pay nothing for multi-billion dollar assets."
ABC News and NBC News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
NEW YORK TIMES BLASTS 'ABUSIVE' TRUMP SUBPOENAS TARGETING REPORTERS' SOURCES
CBS News aired a special report that initially provided analysis before dipping into the speech minutes after Trump began speaking and cut away moments after Trump's attacks towards ABC and NBC. MS NOW carried the first 15 minutes of his speech live before dipping out to provide commentary. Fox News carried the speech in its entirety.
Networks skipping presidential primetime addresses is not unprecedented. ABC, CBS and NBC chose not to air President Barack Obama's 2014 primetime speech on immigration. The three broadcast networks similarly avoided President Joe Biden's speech outside Philadelphia's Independence Hall in 2022 that attacked MAGA Republicans.
'Shadow government': Trump claims intel community bragged about hiding Chinese meddling
President Donald Trump accused members of the U.S. intelligence community Thursday night of operating a "shadow government" to allegedly conceal evidence of China’s efforts to influence U.S. elections, seizing on newly declassified emails that he says reveal a bitter internal dispute about how Beijing’s activities should be characterized.
Trump did not claim China changed votes or altered election results. Instead, he argued Beijing engaged in an influence campaign aimed at shaping U.S. public perceptions.
Trump claimed intelligence officials kept significant reporting out of his presidential briefings and highlighted an email in which a National Security Agency analyst allegedly wrote, "We have deliberately massaged our one pending (presidential daily brief) to avoid any direct links to the election."
TRUMP RELEASES DECLASSIFIED ELECTION INTELLIGENCE, SAYS IT REVEALS 'SHOCKING VULNERABILITIES'
"Those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information secret and hidden," Trump claimed. "They did not disclose (it) to me as president or to anyone else."
Trump used the disclosures to press Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, casting the newly released intelligence as evidence that lawmakers must tighten federal election rules before the midterms.
"Most importantly, addressing this crisis of election security demands that Congress must pass the SAVE America Act," Trump said. "These reforms are urgently needed to stop the vulnerabilities that I’ve mentioned."
The SAVE America Act passed the House in February but stalled in the Senate in March, when a 53–47 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance it. Trump urged Americans to call their senators and representatives and demand its passage "without delay."
REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP'S TOP ELECTION PRIORITY 'DEAD' IN SENATE AS GOP FRACTURES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
The legislation would require documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections, photo identification to vote and ongoing state efforts to identify and remove noncitizens from voter rolls. Absentee voters would be required to submit a copy of an eligible photo ID when requesting a ballot and again when returning it.
Trump also called for eliminating mail-in voting except in cases of illness, disability, military deployment or travel. The current text of the SAVE America Act does not include that prohibition — it permits absentee voting subject to identification requirements.
Trump urged Americans to call their representatives and demand the bill’s passage "without delay."
The newly released emails show that analysts disagreed over whether any alleged Chinese influence operations and intelligence collection should be explicitly linked to elections. After the NSA analyst described "massaging" the President’s Daily Brief, other intelligence officials questioned the decision, with one writing that "the mind boggles" and another calling the approach "highly irregular."
One official alleged the intelligence community was "deliberately avoiding mentioning a connection to elections for non-substantive reasons," according to a November 2020 email. That official sought to reconnect the intelligence to the election-security assessment and prevent what another described as an "analytic objectivity mistake."
The documents, however, do not establish Trump’s broader allegation of a politically motivated conspiracy. Instead, they portray competing intelligence assessments over whether China’s actions amounted to an effort to influence the presidential contest or a broader campaign focused on U.S. policies, public opinion and issues important to Beijing.
Trump went further Thursday, claiming an FBI official wrote that she was running a "shadow government" to prevent the China intelligence from becoming public.
China denied any interference in U.S. elections.
"China has all along adhered to the principle of non-interference in other's internal affairs," Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Chang told Fox News Digital. "The U.S. election is an internal matter of the U.S. Its outcome is determined by the votes of the American people. China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the U.S."
Trump is still expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September, a senior White House official told Fox News.
Trump directed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Justice Department, FBI and CIA Thursday to investigate why the intelligence was withheld, fire anyone found to have participated in a cover-up and pursue criminal charges "if appropriate."
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in response to the address: "Americans heard the president once again repeat claims about our elections that have been investigated for years and repeatedly rejected by the Intelligence Community."
MLB announces earliest ever Opening Day for 2027, Wrigley Field All-Star Game amid labor uncertainty
Major League Baseball just wrapped up the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia, which means it's already time to look ahead to next year's game and schedule.
MLB announced the full 2027 season schedule on Thursday afternoon, with a few notable changes from past years. Instead of the traditional late March-early April timeframe, next season will open on March 24 with one single game between two yet-to-be-determined teams.
That's the earliest date, not including international games, in baseball history. And after Netflix hosted the recently completed Home Run Derby, it's set to host that exclusive Opening Night game as well, which may not be the best outcome if the league is trying to attract the largest audience, considering the mediocre ratings the derby brought in.
But perhaps most importantly, this new Opening Day schedule raises some serious questions and potential issues for the league, players and the owners. Namely, what happens if there's a lockout? Particularly one that isn't resolved quickly?
Nearly everyone on all sides agrees that baseball, finally, has momentum and growth on its side. Interest is up, ratings are up, attendance is up. The one thing that could jeopardize it? If baseball misses games. And with the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the owners and MLB Players Association on Dec. 1, that's a very real possibility.
The two sides, while seemingly not as far apart as originally feared, are nowhere close to an agreement. Owners have pushed a, frankly laughable, ad campaign out saying the sport needs to "level the field" with a salary cap, all while the $69 million dollar Marlins are 12 games ahead of the $370 million Mets. As just one example. Players, though, have long said they will never accept a cap system, as it limits their earning potential arbitrarily to protect ownership.
That's a fundamental disagreement about the future of the sport, and this early opening date compresses the number of days available for the two sides to find a compromise. Not just because it's March 24, but because players would need a spring training of some kind to be ready for the regular season. The last lockout delayed the start of the regular season a week, but that was from March 31 to April 7. In 2027 they'll have one less week to negotiate before delaying games or canceling them.
That may be a good thing, however, if it forces the two groups to come to the table more frequently. Just imagine, though, if owners tell the players the game is broken and small markets have no hope after the Milwaukee Brewers or Miami Marlins win the 2026 World Series. Competitive balance indeed.
Assuming that the two sides do come together and get a deal done quickly, the 2027 All-Star Game will return to one of baseball's cathedrals: Wrigley Field.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Historically one of the sport's best places for dramatic home runs, Wrigley will be a fantastic setting for the Home Run Derby. And the home Chicago crowd has already got a hometown star and fan favorite Pete Crow-Armstrong excited.
"It’s going to be crazy," he said, per MLB.com. "Wrigleyville is fun Monday through Sunday," he said to reporters at the media day event ahead of this year's All-Star Game. "I’m interested to see how packed it is, how hard it ends up being trying to get around. But knowing [Cubs chairman Tom] Ricketts and our front office and the people that will probably have a big hand in planning that, I’m sure it’ll be great. Wrigley’s a beautiful ballpark, and I’m glad that it’ll be on display for everybody to see."
Wrigley, as always, will make for a fantastic showcase for the sport and the game's stars. Assuming there is a 2027 MLB season, of course. And there better be, if the league doesn't want to cost itself millions, if not billions, by alienating fans permanently.
Trump releases declassified election intelligence, says it reveals 'shocking vulnerabilities'
President Donald Trump addressed the nation Thursday evening on "free and fair" elections, announcing the declassification of critical intelligence that reveals, as he said, "shocking vulnerabilities" related to "hacking, exploitation and foreign interference."
"This vital information is for many years been covered up and hidden from you," Trump said. "The American people are beautiful, our great American people. But that all changes right now."
Trump did not claim China changed votes or altered election results. Instead, he argued Beijing engaged in an influence campaign aimed at shaping U.S. public perceptions.
Documents were posted to the White House website during the president's speech.
TRUMP KEEPS 'REALLY BIG' ADDRESS UNDER WRAPS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘NOBODY KNOWS’ WHAT HE’LL REVEAL
The speech came as his administration has aggressively pushed policies, legislation and executive orders to secure U.S. elections.
"The documents we will release starting tonight have been gathered by the White House Government Transparency Taskforce, a great group of people, along with the staff of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, supported by our top intelligence agency chiefs, who have all personally reviewed the findings we are presenting this evening and fully confirmed their authenticity," Trump said Thursday.
Leading up to the address, Trump teased that his speech would be "big news." Trump touted his new Trump Accounts and spoke about how his administration has lowered drug prices, reduced crime and strengthened the border — with the main focus on securing American elections.
Trump said the disclosures underscore its push for stricter election security measures and renewed calls for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, while critics have disputed many of Trump's claims about the 2020 election and widespread voter fraud.
Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin were among the White House officials seated in the East Room.
The White House released four sections of documents focused on alleged vulnerabilities in electronic voting and ballot-counting systems, China’s acquisition and exploitation of American voter data, Michigan voter-registration investigation and noncitizens on state voter rolls.
Election law expert and senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom Hans von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital that Trump's allegations are shocking, especially given that they are from reports produced by the CIA, FBI, and other intelligence agencies.
"The president should be commended for declassifying and releasing the reports that support his claims so they can be reviewed in depth," said von Spakovsky.
Trump said China obtained information about American voters such as names, addresses, phone numbers, political affiliations and other personal information to form a dedicated unit to exploit the voter data it had acquired.
"China has all along adhered to the principle of non-interference in other's internal affairs. The U.S. election is an internal matter of the U.S. Its outcome is determined by the votes of the American people," Chinese Embassy spokesperson Mr. Liu Chang said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the U.S," Chang added.
Reports from the CIA and National Security Agency about China’s interference were kept out of Trump’s almost daily presidential briefings, Trump claimed. Trump also said Congress also was not notified.
TRUMP THREATENS TO EXPAND STRIKES ON IRAN, SAYS POWER PLANTS ARE NEXT TO GO: 'HIT THEM HARD'
Trump called on the director of national intelligence, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the CIA to launch an investigation and, if appropriate, fire and press criminal charges against those involved.
"To the extent that these intrusions into our election system were covered up, as the president alleges, and hidden from the public, Congress, state election officials, and leadership in the Executive Branch, Pres. Trump is right that everyone involved in that coverup should be investigated and prosecuted for any criminal violations of the law," said von Spakovsky.
Trump again highlighted the issue of noncitizens on voter rolls as he renewed his push for the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and photo identification to register and vote in federal elections.
"I've also ordered DHS to notify every state about noncitizens on their voter rolls and direct them to remove all ineligible voters from the lists immediately," said Trump.
The Department of Homeland Security told election officials in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania that a preliminary review identified more than 256,000 potential noncitizens on the states' voter rolls, according to letters obtained by Fox News Digital.
Trump has pushed to get the SAVE America Act passed, which includes the long-sought voter ID and citizenship verification — which Republicans say is key to ensuring elections are safe and secure.
Trump has tried to attach the stalled election legislation to defense spending, holding housing legislation hostage and playing Senate primary politics.
Republicans are running against the clock to pass the stalled elections bill before the party’s midterm window narrows.
Democratic lawmakers swiftly condemned Trump's remarks and criticized the SAVE Act.
"Not now. Not ever. The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the United States Senate," Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X reposting Trump’s speech.
"Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. And now he’s trying to rig this year’s election with the SAVE America Act to make it harder to vote for millions of women, veterans, rural folks, & voters of color," wrote Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
"Tonight seems to be the ceremonial kickoff of President Trump’s campaign to interfere in the November election. Trump has badly lost independent voters, even MAGA is disheartened; he is failing and unpopular, and he’s dragging his party down with him in the midterms," said Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.
Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.