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10 House incumbent lawmakers who saw their 2026 re-election bids end in primary defeat
So far during the 2026 election season, 10 incumbent House lawmakers have lost primaries, including three Republicans and seven Democrats.
The three Republican incumbents who fell short include Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Andy Ogles of Tennessee.
The seven incumbent House Democrats who lost include Al Green of Texas, Julie Johnson of Texas, Dan Goldman of New York, Adriano Espaillat of New York, Diana DeGette of Colorado, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, and John Larson of Connecticut.
The failed Texas and Tennessee U.S. House incumbents grappled with redistricting in their states that applied to this cycle.
Crenshaw, the only U.S. House Republican incumbent seeking re-election in Texas who did not get President Donald Trump's endorsement, lost the GOP primary for Texas' 2nd Congressional District to state Rep. Steve Toth.
While Trump did not endorse either of the men ahead of the primary, he has since endorsed Toth.
Crenshaw has served in the House since 2019.
MTG SAYS GOP'S FUTURE 'DESTROYED' AFTER TRUMP-BACKED PRIMARY CHALLENGER DEFEATS THOMAS MASSIE
Massie lost the Republican primary for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District to Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL.
The race made history as the most expensive U.S. House primary contest ever, reports indicate.
Massie has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since late 2012.
Despite having Trump's endorsement, Ogles lost the GOP primary for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District to former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher.
Ogles has served in the House since 2023.
Trump backed Hatcher last week after he defeated Ogles in the primary.
"Last night was another good night for Endorsements, 8-1, and the 1 was a person who I remained loyal to even though he had virtually no chance of winning, and was running against a Great 'Trump' Candidate, and former Agricultural Commissioner of Tennessee, named Charlie Hatcher. Good luck Charlie! Run tough and hard. You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!" Trump declared in a Truth Social post.
DSA-BACKED CANDIDATE TOPPLES MILLIONAIRE DEM INCUMBENT
Thanedar, who has served as a lawmaker in the lower congressional chamber since 2023, lost the Democratic U.S. House primary in Michigan's 13th Congressional District this year to state Rep. Donavan McKinney, a Democratic socialist.
Thanedar declared in October 2023 that he was renouncing Democratic Socialists of America membership, though then-Detroit DSA co-chair Mikal Goodman declared at the time in a post on X that Thanedar "was expelled as a member on September 17th, by 91% of vote the general membership. He no longer had a membership to renounce."
Goldman, who took office in 2023, lost the Democratic U.S. House primary in New York's 10th Congressional District to former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, had backed Lander ahead of the primary contest.
"He’ll bring principled leadership to Washington and make sure Congress works for the many, not just the few," Mamdani wrote in part of a post on X.
MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST WITH HISTORY OF ANTI-AMERICAN RHETORIC WINS VICIOUS DEM PRIMARY RACE
Espaillat lost the Democratic U.S. House primary for New York's 13th Congressional District to Democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who was also endorsed by Mamdani.
The congressman has served in the U.S. House chamber since 2017.
He is chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
DeGette lost the Democratic U.S. House primary for Colorado's 1st Congressional District to Democratic socialist Melat Kiros.
The congresswoman has served in the House for nearly two decades since taking office in 1997.
Green, who has served in the House since 2005, lost the Democratic U.S. House primary runoff for Texas' 18th Congressional District to U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee.
Johnson, who has only served in the House since last year, lost the Democratic U.S. House primary runoff for Texas' 33rd Congressional District to former Rep. Colin Allred.
LONGTIME ANTI-TRUMP DEM OUSTED AFTER TOUGH PRIMARY FROM UPSTART PROGRESSIVE MAYOR
Larson, who has served in the House since 1999, lost the Democratic U.S. House primary in Connecticut's 1st Congressional District to former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.
Matthew McConaughey prompts priceless reaction from Ella Langley after Oscar winner covers ‘Choosin’ Texas’
Matthew McConaughey is a Texas boy at heart.
During Wednesday's episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," the 56-year-old actor embraced his Southern roots by performing Ella Langley's hit song, "Choosin' Texas," alongside Fallon and indie folk band The Last Bison. The cover quickly drew attention on social media and even earned a response from Langley herself.
"I don't think I'll ever recover from this," Langley wrote on her Instagram Stories alongside a video of McConaughey and Fallon jamming to her hit song.
KOE WETZEL AND ELLA LANGLEY RELEASE NEW COUNTRY SONG 'JADED' AND IT'S ALREADY GOING VIRAL
Fans shared a similar sentiment.
"POV me driving singing this with my whole chest," one fan commented.
"The cover we didn’t know we needed," another wrote.
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The performance unfolded during a new installment of "Tonight Show Audience Suggestion Box," when Fallon read a submission that combined Langley’s hit with McConaughey’s latest movie, "The Rivals of Amziah King."
"I love that song ‘Choosin’ Texas’ by Ella Langley," Fallon read. "And I’m really excited to see Matthew McConaughey’s new movie ‘The Rivals of Amziah King,’ where he performs in a bluegrass band. If there was only a way to combine those things, that would be a dream come true."
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"This is ‘The Tonight Show,’ where dreams become reality," Fallon quipped.
Moments later, the curtain opened to reveal McConaughey with a mandolin in hand alongside The Last Bison, while Fallon joined in on the washboard. The group then launched into a bluegrass rendition of Langley's chart-topping hit.
McConaughey's cover comes as "Choosin' Texas" continues to make history for Langley.
ELLA LANGLEY'S 'CHOOSIN' TEXAS' SPENDS 15 WEEKS AT NUMBER ONE ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100
The country anthem recently scored its 17th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the longest-running non-holiday No. 1 by a solo female artist in the chart's history.
The milestone pushed Langley past Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together," which each spent 14 weeks at the top of the chart.
For McConaughey, the song choice was particularly fitting.
The Oscar-winning actor has long been outspoken about his love for the Lone Star State, where he was born and later returned to raise his family.
‘SOPRANOS’ STAR JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER FLED HOLLYWOOD FOR TEXAS WHERE SHE NO LONGER FEELS ‘WATCHED’
McConaughey left Malibu, California, for Austin, Texas, with his wife, Camila Alves McConaughey, and their three children in 2014. He previously explained that returning to Texas was always part of his plan once he started a family.
"This has always been home, there are multiple reasons for that," McConaughey previously said during an appearance on "Today."
The "Dallas Buyers Club" star said his mother and two older brothers were also in Texas and explained that he wanted his children to experience some of the same values he grew up around.
"I wanted them to have what I grew up around," he said, adding that there is a certain amount of "common sense" that comes with life in Texas.
Bride serves McDonald's customer in wedding dress while tying knot at restaurant: 'Handing out extra sauces'
A Northeast Ohio McDonald's restaurant was transformed into a wedding venue last Saturday as two co-workers said "I do" in front of friends, family, fellow employees and the occasional customer.
"We had people trying to come in the lobby the whole time," despite the dining room being closed to the public for the ceremony and reception, bride Jamie Callicoat, of Akron, Ohio, told Fox News Digital this week after marrying co-worker George Callicoat.
"I was handing out extra sauces to an actual customer in my wedding dress."
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Some customers made it to the kiosks inside to order, and the drive-thru remained open throughout the celebration. Everyone — including unsuspecting customers — "rolled with the punches," Jamie said.
"It's still work, if you're there off the clock, on the clock, whatever," she said. "We were there interrupting to have our personal wedding."
The intimate ceremony has since gone viral online.
"Social media content surrounding the wedding has already generated more than 20 million impressions across Instagram and Facebook, with the story continuing to spread," McDonald's of Northeast Ohio said in a news release.
MCDONALD'S NEWEST MENU ITEM HAS FANS BEGGING FOR ONE DISCONTINUED FAVORITE
"We kind of figured it would get some attention, but this is just unreal," Jamie said of the reaction.
The newlyweds were back at work on the Tuesday after their wedding as customers and others who frequent the restaurant began congratulating them.
"Our Brinks guys, who come and pick up our money, came in and they both walked right up to us and said, 'Oh my gosh, we've seen the video. Congratulations!'" Jamie said.
"It's wild. It's really fun, though."
Jamie is a manager at the McDonald's where she wed George, the restaurant's crew trainer.
The pair met through mutual friends at Cedar Point in Ohio in June 2025 and went on a few dates. When Jamie moved to Akron and began working at the McDonald's in October 2025, George trained her.
Jamie said George's personality drew her to him.
"We just get along very well," she said. "I love everything about George. He's a great guy."
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"I love everything about her," George told Fox News Digital. "She is a wonderful person, very caring, very kind."
The pair became engaged at Cedar Point and initially planned to get married there, too. Then a district manager jokingly suggested they tie the knot at the McDonald's where they both work.
"We thought about it for a day or so and went back and were like, 'Well, were you guys serious?'" Jamie recalled. "And one thing kind of led to another, and here we are."
The celebration became a team effort, McDonald's said in its news release.
"Crew members and managers came together to help make the couple's wedding day special, providing dinner, a wedding cake and other touches for the celebration," McDonald's said. "Even the officiant had a McDonald's connection: the husband of the restaurant's general manager performed the ceremony."
McDonald's provided the venue, and despite ultimately holding a larger celebration than the destination-style wedding they had originally envisioned, Jamie said the ceremony was "cost-effective."
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The couple handled some of the decorations and food themselves. Guests were served pulled barbecue chicken, buffalo chicken dip, homemade rigatoni and fried chicken, while the kids ate fresh McDonald's food.
Even the flower girl got a McDonald's touch, tossing petals from a Happy Meal box.
"That was my decision, mostly," Jamie said. "I mean, we work at McDonald's. I thought it was cute."
The official Instagram account for McDonald's commented on a video of the ceremony, writing, "A modern day love story."
"Congrats to them on their McMarriage!" wrote another well-wisher. "'Forever After All' and we're McLovin' it."
One commenter even joked about McDonald's notoriously finicky soft-serve machines, but George said theirs wasn't a problem.
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"Ours is always working, unless it's being cleaned," he said.
Tammy Snider, the location's general manager, said it was "so much more than a wedding at a McDonald's."
"It's a story about two people in love and a restaurant team that wanted to make sure they felt celebrated," Snider said. "Our restaurants are places where friendships are made, milestones are celebrated and communities come together. George and Jamie's wedding is such a beautiful example of that."
Jamie called it a "perfect" outcome.
"We had a great time," she said. "Our co-workers are amazing, our bosses are amazing and McDonald's is amazing for allowing us to do this."
Jack Story skipped his high school graduation to go bass fishing and walked away with $100K
Jack Story didn’t walk across the stage at his high school graduation. He was too busy winning $100,000.
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The 18-year-old Georgia angler made the decision earlier this year to skip his graduation ceremony and compete in the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American on Lake Murray. Looking back now, it doesn’t sound like he lost much sleep over it.
During a recent interview with OutKick Outdoors, Story said he originally qualified through a regional tournament and "never really expected" to make it to the All-American. But once he found out the tournament landed on the same day as graduation, the choice was pretty simple.
"I was going fishing, and they could either be accommodating or not," Story said. "Thankfully, they were very helpful with it."
His school wasn’t completely thrilled, though. Story said the headmaster and others at the school "handled it about as well as they could have," even if they would have preferred to see him in a cap and gown.
Still, some tried to make him reconsider.
"One of my teachers kind of hinted that I should be at graduation," Story said. "But it just wasn’t even an option."
Watch Jack Story's full interview with OutKick Outdoors here:
Story went on to win the All-American and the $100,000 prize that came with it. He also qualified for REDCREST 2027 and the Toyota Series Championship — a pretty strong consolation prize for missing a graduation ceremony.
Still, even weeks later, he said the whole thing feels surreal.
"It was so stressful during the tournament that I think it was a huge relief, but I also didn’t even know what to do," Story said. "The feeling of accomplishment doesn’t even register. Looking back on it, it doesn’t feel real."
The win also came with a little family bragging rights.
Story’s dad previously fished the All-American and finished 34th. So yes, beating him was somewhere on the checklist.
"I thought that was going to be pretty easy given the lake it was on," Story said.
But that wasn’t the only goal. Story said he wanted to beat the other two anglers from his regional and keep advancing. Instead, he ended up winning the whole thing.
His dad’s advice has always been simple: If you’re going to do something, go all in. That applied to fishing, too.
"If I wanted to skip school to go fish, I was at least going to actually fish," Story said. "His thing was, if you’re going to fish, you’re going to fish all day. Just dedicate yourself to it."
That mindset mattered at Lake Murray. Because Story’s victory was anything but smooth.
The final day came down to 10 ounces, and Story said he knew it was going to be close. What made it worse was the fact that he had already been hit with penalties after issues with his livewells and oxygen tank.
"I was really stressed out about the fact that I could lose because of penalties," Story said. "I’d rather lose by 10 pounds than lose by any sort of penalty."
In other words, this was not some easy stroll to a giant check.
"No, very far from," Story said.
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There was also the added pressure of chasing history. Now the tournament's youngest winner ever, Story broke a 15-year record previously held by Jacob Wheeler — one of the biggest names in the sport.
Unfortunately, Story found out about the record before the tournament was over.
"I honestly wish I would have figured that out after, rather than the night of day two," Story said. "Somebody texted me, and I was like, ‘Dude, that is not what I needed.’ It made it more stressful because instantly, that became my goal."
Since the win, Story said life has included more interviews, podcasts and attention. But mostly, it has included more fishing.
He had a rough finish in a high school tournament shortly after the All-American, and that did not sit well with him.
"I hate losing in fishing, especially when it’s to one of my friends," Story said. "I’ve got to get my get-back, if that makes sense. I want to go beat them again the next day. I just want to fish, and I want to win."
Story is headed to Carson-Newman, where he plans to fish in college. He is also considering fishing the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals if he can make the schedule work.
"Might as well," he said.
For other kids who want to get into competitive fishing, Story said persistence matters. So does helping parents understand that fishing can create real opportunities, including scholarships.
"I don’t think people really realize that you can get a scholarship for fishing," Story said. "If you dedicate yourself and put in the constructive work to get there, I think it’s easier than people make it seem. You just have to know how to do it."
More than that, Story said fishing gave him something positive to pour himself into.
"I’m out of trouble because I fish," he said. "It keeps you out of trouble. You’re doing something outdoors. It’s good."
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And even after winning $100,000 at 18 years old, Story is already thinking about helping more kids get on the water.
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"I really enjoy taking the younger generation fishing," Story said. "I think every kid deserves the opportunity to fish, and that’s that."
We couldn't agree more.
Love all things fishing and outdoors? Follow OutKick Outdoors on Instagram and TikTok!
Fox News AI Newsletter: One year until AI market busts, investor says
IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:
- We have one year until the AI market busts, Niles Investment Management founder says
- Zuckerberg lays out vision to put superintelligent AI in everyone's hands
- A Southern state just took the top spot in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries
ON THE CLOCK: Niles Investment Management founder Dan Niles discusses the future of the AI market on FOX Business' "Making Money."
NEW ERA: Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday outlined his vision for a world where personal superintelligence is available to everyone rather than only a select few.
NUMBER ONE, Y’ALL: North Texas has beaten some of the world’s biggest data center hubs to claim the No. 1 spot in a new global ranking, as Texas becomes an increasingly powerful player in the industry.
PROSPERITY PLAY: Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar said he’s seen significant progress since his Fox News op-ed imploring America to take advantage of both AI and the American worker, while sharing some observations on China’s use of AI.
'MUCH BIGGER RISK': David Bahnsen warns of circular credit risks as Nvidia launches a $500 billion AI financing program. The financial analyst tells Stuart Varney that partnering with Blackstone and BlackRock to fund earnings-poor tech customers dramatically heightens volatility. Bahnsen compares the massive scale of this sector's debt expansion to previous market corrections, urging caution for retail investors.
GRID BOOST: Base Power co-founder and CEO Zach Dell discusses the challenges facing America's electrical grid amid skyrocketing electricity demand. Dell explains how his company's home battery backup technology helps Texas homeowners manage rising utility bills and maintain power reliability. The discussion highlights how the artificial intelligence boom and data centers are accelerating the nation's power crunch.
POWER STRUGGLE: The artificial intelligence boom is fueling a data center rush in Texas and opening a rare divide between President Donald Trump and one of his closest political allies — Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
HARD HAT ECONOMY: The future of artificial intelligence may depend less on coders than on construction workers, electricians and factory technicians.
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Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future with Fox News here.
Lioness star Michael Kelly calls Taylor Sheridan 'one of the greatest storytellers' in entertainment
"Lioness" star Michael Kelly is a huge fan of Taylor Sheridan.
The third season of Sheridan's Paramount+ CIA/military series is currently airing, and as expected, it's absolutely awesome.
Of course, that's far from Sheridan's only monster hit. He's responsible for creating the "Yellowstone" universe, "Sicario," "Landman," "Wind River" and many other exceptional projects.
ZOE SALDAÑA SAYS TAYLOR SHERIDAN 'REALLY SEES WOMEN' AS LIONESS SEASON THREE HITS PARAMOUNT+
The man has no equal in entertainment.
Kelly is one of the major figures in "Lioness," and it sounds like he'll do literally any project Sheridan might cook up.
The talented actor told ScreenRant the following when discussing the creative visionary:
I've never thought about how the shows could cross over, but I have told Taylor, I'm like, 'Bro, anything you ever want me to do, I'll do. I love being in Texas. I love saying your words.' I think he's truly a standalone talent. There's nobody who's doing or has ever done what he's doing. It's incredible what he does. And he's just one of the smartest dudes you'll ever meet. He's fricking brilliant, man. Brilliant. And just one of the greatest storytellers.
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Kelly's comments about wanting to do any project Sheridan has is pretty on-point. The stars the "Yellowstone" creator attracts are outstanding.
He's worked with Kevin Costner, Sam Elliott, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Renner, Billy Bob Thornton and more.
Getting into a Sheridan project is about the biggest thing you can do in the entertainment world in 2026, and it all started with "Yellowstone."
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Now, there's no looking back, and his new deal with NBCUniversal is reportedly worth north of $1 billion. It pays well to be at the top of the mountain.
What's your favorite Sheridan movie or show? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Mark Consuelos confesses what would keep him in 'loveless marriage' with Kelly Ripa
Mark Consuelos revealed that he’d rather stay in a "loveless marriage" with Kelly Ripa than risk losing their dog Lena in a divorce.
"How do we fight over pets in a divorce?" Ripa asked in the opening segment of Tuesday's episode of "Live with Kelly and Mark," a prerecorded episode from before she was out for oral surgery.
"I mean, listen. Let’s just put it this way," Consuelos responded. "I would stay in a loveless marriage just to make sure I could be with Lena every day. That’s how much I love Lena."
KELLY RIPA'S PAINFUL SURGERY LEAVES HER UNABLE TO SPEAK
Ripa asked him sarcastically, "Is that all you’re asking for is a loveless marriage? Because that can be arranged."
Consuelos added that if he ever lost Lena in a divorce, he would "stay up at night, wondering what she is doing."
Ripa quipped that he would be "wondering if there was some other man petting her."
They were discussing a new bill in Pennsylvania that would change pets from being considered property to members of the family in a divorce, according to People.
The couple rescued Lena, a Maltese and Shih Tzu mix, in 2021 after she was featured in a pet adoption segment on the show.
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Ripa said her main worry when she adopted Lena was that she wouldn’t get along with Chewie, a Shih Tzu she adopted from a 2007 segment on the show.
Chewie died last year at 17 years old.
The two dogs got along right away, she said — but her children wanted Lena to be named after a "Star Wars" character.
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"My kids want her to be named Leia, as in Princess Leia, because we have Chewie," she said on the show soon after adopting the pup, according to People. "I don't know. I need guidance."
But the name Lena stuck.
Ripa talked about the importance of rescuing pets on the show in 2022.
"Adopt your dogs if you can, because they’re the best," she said to applause from the audience. "They’re like, ‘We’ve been in the system, we don’t want to go back. We’re going to be extra good. We’re hardly going to poop anywhere we’re not supposed to, and we’re rarely going to chew things that aren’t meant to be chewed.'"
Ripa and Consuelos have been married for 30 years and they share three children.
Joey Chestnut suffers shocking defeat at minor league baseball game but it comes with one giant asterisk
I've said it many times, unironically: Joey Chestnut is one of, if not the most dominant athletes of all time.
But even Michael Jordan took a couple of losses in his day, and the man they call "Jaws" just took a heartbreaking loss in a tater tot eating contest during his barnstorming tour of minor league baseball stadiums.
However, this loss will come with one big, fat asterisk.
Chestnut has been going around the country for special events and doing what he does best, eating copious amounts of food and obliterating the competition in the process.
However, when he rolled into a Lake Country DockHounds game just outside of Milwaukee, Chestnut met his match.
He lost the tater tot eating contest by just one tenth of an ounce.
Down goes Chestnut! Down goes Chestnut!
A stunner. I can't even wrap my head around how much tater tot is equal to a tenth of an ounce. I wish I had a bag of Ore-Ida's and a kitchen scale on me to figure it out (I checked the freezer; no tots, but there was a freezer-burned bag of Arby's curly fries in the back, so we were close).
It has to be like a sliver of a tot. You could accidentally inhale that much and not even notice.
A shocking defeat... or is it?
Reread that post: Chestnut took on pairs of fans.
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That means two guys tag-teamed trays of tots like a pair of hungry Napoleon Dynamites and still only won by less of a tater tot than is probably between your driver's seat and center console right now.
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So you know what? That's not a loss for Chestnut; that's a win in my book, and the record books should reflect that.
Give him the L, but let's make sure that there's an asterisk on stand-by to explain it.
I knew there was no way Jaws was going down mano-a-mano in a tot-off.
Justice Department slams 'politically motivated demands' of DC Council asking govs to remove National Guard
The Justice Department slammed the D.C. Council for its "politically motivated demands" and "impotent theatrics" after its members sent letters to governors asking them to recall their National Guard troops from the nation’s capital.
The development comes as FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital this week that "homicides in D.C. are down an incredible 44% from last year" when President Donald Trump’s administration launched the Safe and Beautiful initiative in Washington, D.C., which increased the federal law enforcement presence and deployed hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops to combat crime.
"I am not surprised that your recent letter to state governors regarding the National Guard feigns ignorance of the historic public safety strides made in our Nation's capital since August 11, 2025," Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald wrote in a letter addressed to the D.C. Council. "I am surprised and saddened, however, that you would show such callousness — instead of compassion and care — toward your constituents, who now live in a city with far less violence and fear thanks to the National Guard and the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force."
"Let me be clear, your council has no power to demand that governors remove their brave men and women from serving in uniform in our Nation's capital. Your politically-motivated letter is impotent theatrics not worth the paper it's written on, and D.C. is a much safer place no matter what you say," McDonald added. "Because you refuse to speak the truth about the life-preserving work of the Task Force, the truth will speak for itself."
FBI TOUTS 6,000 ARRESTS, 44% HOMICIDE DROP ONE YEAR INTO TRUMP'S DC CRIME CRACKDOWN
The Justice Department said in a message on X that "This Department of Justice will not stand for these politically motivated demands."
"We will continue standing with @POTUS and the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to deliver historic results for the community — and for visitors from across the country and around the world to enjoy," it added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives of D.C. Council members for comment.
The letters, co-signed by the D.C. Council members, were sent to the governors of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming in late July, according to the office of Councilmember At-Large Robert White.
Each letter opened the same, saying, "We write as elected officials representing the District of Columbia to respectfully request that you withdraw all troops currently deployed to the District by September 1, 2026."
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"There are approximately 5,148 Guard personnel currently deployed to the District under the premise that an extraordinary military presence was necessary to address public safety. Yet analysis of the deployment has found only a modest decrease in property crime and no measurable reduction in violent crime attributable to the Guard’s presence since August 2025," the letters continue.
"The deployment has, however, cost American taxpayers more than $3 million per day, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Continuing this deployment despite the absence of a demonstrated violent-crime benefit would misuse both taxpayer dollars — in the billions, if maintained for years at its expanded scale — and the service of the Guard member themselves," the letters add, claiming that at a time where families in each of the states "and across the country are struggling with the cost of groceries, housing, health care, and other necessities, wasting those resources on an ineffective, indefinite deployment that neither District residents nor officials asked for is disrespectful to American taxpayers."
The letters conclude by saying that: "We recognize that the America 250 events present significant public safety and logistical challenges for the District and have required coordination across multiple jurisdictions. We are grateful to the Guard members who have been present to support the nation’s capital during this exceptionally busy period. Once the principal event-related needs conclude on September 1, 2026, we respectfully ask that they be permitted to return home to their families, careers and communities, rather than remain indefinitely assigned to a costly mission that has not demonstrated a measurable impact on violent crime."
However, McDonald said in his letter "Thanks to courageous and steadfast support from National Guard units, Task Force members have conducted thousands of arrests, located lost and missing children, and taken substantial numbers of illegal firearms off the city's streets" and that the National Guard "has personally intervened in numerous assaults and provided medical aid on innumerable occasions, including repeatedly administering life-saving NARCAN to citizens in peril."
"While you slander these men and women as ‘outside military forces,’ I refer to them as true American heroes," he also said. "You should withdraw your letters and dedicate your remaining time in public service to correcting D.C.'s laws to ensure criminals are punished and the public is protected — not the other way around."
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Trump admin marks 15 straight months with zero border releases as apprehensions plunge 94%
President Donald Trump's administration says it has gone 15 straight months without a single release at the border as of Thursday.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's office says daily apprehensions at the border are down 94% compared to former President Joe Biden's administration and are at the lowest level seen in 30 years.
"Again this month, the results are clear: President Trump’s border security agenda is restoring order and putting the safety of the American people first," Mullin said in a statement.
"DHS remains focused on enforcing our immigration laws, securing the border, and ensuring those who enter our country illegally are removed swiftly. Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, we have the most secure border in history," he added.
'AMERICA FIRST' IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL BILL WOULD CODIFY TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN PROMISES ONCE AND FOR ALL
Meanwhile, seizures of contraband at the border in July were 26% higher than under Biden, with authorities seizing cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also helped enforce Trump's tariff policies, flagging $23 billion in duties identified for collection in July alone.
"Clear policy, strong enforcement, and dedicated frontline personnel are delivering results at our borders," CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement.
"With the support of President Trump and Secretary Mullin, CBP is securing our nation against illegal crossings, dangerous individuals, and illicit drugs while keeping lawful trade and travel moving. These results show what is possible when border security is treated as a national priority," he added.
The Trump administration is still moving to increase its immigration enforcement efforts. Last month, the House of Representatives moved toward codifying several of Trump's immigration orders.
The Permanent Trump Secure Border Act would criminalize visa overstays and increase penalties for unlawful entry, would effectively end "catch and release" policies by requiring most illegal migrants to be detained or returned while their cases are pending and tighten asylum eligibility and humanitarian parole, among other provisions.
The measure would also bolster the CBP by directing the DHS to modernize border facilities, expand staffing and workforce planning and deploy more surveillance technology, including drones, radar systems, biometric screening and DNA collection.
Fox News' Adam Pack contributed to this report.