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Ex-chief says Christa Pike was 'almost giddy' describing murder as governor weighs in after botched execution
A former Tennessee police chief who investigated the murder that sent Christa Pike to death row recalled the convicted killer being "ruthless" and "almost giddy" while describing the crime to investigators, as Gov. Bill Lee signaled her death sentence is unlikely to change after she survived a failed execution.
Pike, 50, survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her by lethal injection on Sept. 30 and has since returned to prison, raising questions about whether the state could attempt to put her to death again.
Lee addressed Pike's fate Wednesday, saying she remains incarcerated under Tennessee law.
CHRISTA PIKE IS BACK BEHIND BARS AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION, BUT HER ULTIMATE SENTENCE FACES A NEW TEST
"I suspect her sentence will be the same as it was before unless determined otherwise by the courts," Lee said.
The governor's comments come as Pike's attorneys have called on Lee to commute her death sentence to life without parole following the failed execution.
Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow participant in a federal Job Corps program in Knoxville.
Former Knoxville Police Chief Phil Keith, who was involved in the investigation, recently recalled Pike's demeanor while she was being questioned about the killing in the New York Post documentary "No Mercy: Christa Pike Unraveled."
"I heard somebody that was ruthless, without any remorse, almost giddy," Keith said. "You know, she was describing what took place, like, almost the sense that she was bragging about it."
Keith confirmed the comments to Fox News Digital, calling them "spot on." He described Pike in two words: "Pure evil."
Keith also recalled Pike openly talking about the killing after returning to the Job Corps.
LETHAL INJECTION SURVIVOR CHRISTA PIKE'S FORMER SATANIST BOYFRIEND COULD BE RELEASED IN 5 YEARS
"Pike, when she got back, you know, immediately had to express her joy with killing Colleen," Keith said in the documentary. "And then the very next day in class, she bragged again, talking about how she killed Colleen. She showed her shoes that had blood on them."
Pike was 18 when she, her 17-year-old boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, and 19-year-old Shadolla Peterson were charged in Slemmer's killing. All four were participating in the Job Corps at the time, court records show.
CHRISTA PIKE'S ATTORNEYS SAY SHE'S IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER BOTCHED LETHAL INJECTIONS
The three took Slemmer to a secluded area on the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus, where her throat was cut multiple times, she was struck in the head with a large piece of asphalt and a pentagram was carved into her chest.
Pike later confessed to her role in the killing, according to court records.
CHRISTA PIKE DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL, RETURNED TO PRISON AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION, ATTORNEYS SAY
Keith said the brutality of the crime scene shocked even veteran homicide investigators.
"I was accustomed to seeing that kind of gore, if you will. But the brutality was different," Keith said in the Post documentary.
CHRISTA PIKE NOW CONSCIOUS AND TALKING AFTER SURVIVING 2 DOSES OF LETHAL INJECTION DRUG
"You know, the visual scene of it, it was so shocking," he added.
Pike was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996, and the Tennessee Supreme Court later affirmed her convictions and sentence.
CHRISTA PIKE'S ATTORNEY SAYS SHE'S 'UP AND WALKING' MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION
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More than three decades later, Tennessee attempted to carry out that sentence on Sept. 30 after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a last-minute stay issued by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The execution attempt failed after Pike received two doses of pentobarbital, and she was taken to a hospital.
She remained unconscious for days, and her attorneys at one point believed she was brain-dead and expected her to be taken off life support. Pike later regained consciousness and was discharged from the hospital before being returned to prison.
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Her attorneys have since said she is able to walk and speak in full sentences.
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Following the execution attempt, Lee halted Tennessee's remaining executions for the year and ordered an independent review of what went wrong.
Pike's attorneys have argued she should not be subjected to another execution attempt.
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The push for commutation predates the failed execution.
In a 2021 filing with the Tennessee Supreme Court, Pike's attorneys sought a certificate of commutation, pointing to her age at the time of Slemmer's murder as well as her history of childhood trauma, mental illness and brain damage.
Fox News Digital reached out to Pike's attorneys and Lee's office for additional comment, and to Keith to confirm the context of his remarks.
Fox News Digital's Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Maine, Kansas Senate races neck and neck as Democrats lead in Texas, Michigan, poll shows
High-profile races that will determine which party controls the Senate for the next two years are extremely tight, according to a new CNN poll, as Maine and Kansas remain close and Democrats extended their leads in Texas and Michigan.
Democrats, who are widely projected to win a majority in the House of Representatives, need to flip four Senate seats from red to blue in order to gain a 51-seat majority, protecting their majority from the vice presidential tiebreaker.
In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is the only Republican incumbent running in a state that went for Kamala Harris in 2024.
FOX NEWS POLL: NAIL-BITER IN MAINE SENATE RACE
Collins' Democratic challenger is Troy Jackson, the former president of the state Senate who jumped into the race as a replacement for the previous nominee, scandal-plagued Graham Platner.
The race has no clear frontrunner, according to the CNN poll, though Jackson holds a marginal lead.
COLLINS INSISTS SOCIALIST RIVAL WON'T BEAT HER AS MAINE'S MONEY MACHINE: 'YOU'LL LOSE BIG TIME'
Forty-nine percent of respondents told the outlet's pollsters they favored Jackson, compared to 45% for Collins. While Jackson is slightly ahead, at least 12.5% of voters say they could still change their minds.
Respondents tied Collins to her party less than any other Republican running for Senate in the nation, with 46% of respondents saying they believe she would choose her constituents over the Republican Party.
DAVID MARCUS: THE FUTURE OF THE GOP IN NEW ENGLAND RIDES ON MAINE’S SENATE VOTE
Collins was one of seven Republicans to vote in favor of President Donald Trump's second impeachment in 2021, and she joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, as the only Republicans to vote against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation in 2025.
With Collins managing to distance herself from Trump, her race has largely become a referendum on her own career. Three-quarters of respondents from either party told CNN pollsters that their choice was motivated more by Collins than Jackson.
DAVID MARCUS: IN BLUE MAINE, NOBODY BELIEVES SUSAN COLLINS WILL LOSE UNTIL THEY SEE IT
In Michigan, despite warnings from some mainstream Democrats and the state's Jewish community, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is building a lead over former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich.
Respondents favored El-Sayed at 49% compared to the 42% who favored Rogers, according to the poll. CNN's previous poll, released in early September, showed El-Sayed with a 47% share compared to Rogers' 44%, showing the former public health director El-Sayed building on his lead.
FOX NEWS POLL: MICHIGAN VOTERS SPLIT BETWEEN EL-SAYED AND ROGERS
The Democrat has consolidated his party's support after a contentious primary with Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich. Ninty-five percent of likely Democrat voters say they'll punch the ticket for El-Sayed, up from 90% in the September poll.
Rogers voters, meanwhile, are motivated more by dislike for the Democratic candidate than faith in the Republican. 57% told CNN pollsters they were voting against El-Sayed, up from 41% in a previous poll.
DAVID MARCUS: THE 5 FACTORS THAT COULD DECIDE MICHIGAN'S TIGHT AND UGLY SENATE RACE
Rogers' favorability has also taken a hit, moving from 58% in September to 50% in October.
Texas State Rep. James Talarico also built upon a narrow lead over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, despite Talarico's extended absence from the campaign trail in early October.
FOX NEWS POLL: TEXAS SENATE RACE GALLOPING TOWARD A PHOTO FINISH
Forty-nine percent of likely voters told pollsters they'd vote for Talarico, while 43% said they would vote for Paxton, according to the poll.
Texas, a state that has voted for exactly one new Democratic Senate candidate into office since Lyndon B. Johnson vacated his seat to become vice president, also voted more strongly for Trump in 2024 than in either of his previous elections.
TRUMP WON THIS RELIABLY RED STATE BY DOUBLE DIGITS. NOW A DEADLOCKED RACE IS BRINGING HIM BACK
Despite the typically steadfast support for the GOP in the Lone Star State, Talarico is riding a wave of favorability and minority support to remain in pole position five days before polls close.
CNN's poll says 64% of likely voters of color support Talarico, including 22% of the cohort that voted for Trump in 2024.
Talarico is also leading Paxton in favorability within their own parties. 24% of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Paxton, according to the poll. Just 2% of Democrats, meanwhile, view Talarico unfavorably.
In Kansas, a state which Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2024, incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is falling behind Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton.
Forty-nine percent of likely voters say they support Hamilton, 45% say they support Marshall.
Hamilton, a relatively unknown candidate, is far outperforming his own party in a state where Democrats are broadly unfavorable. 57% of voters view the Democratic Party as unfavorable while only 38% of them feel the same about Hamilton.
Like Republicans in Michigan, likely voters in Kansas appear to be more highly motivated by a dislike for one candidate than strong positive feelings for another. 59% of Hamilton backers say they're motivated by opposition to Marshall.
Hamilton, a Christian pastor, is even drawing support from across the aisle. Roughly 12% of Republicans and Republican-leaning likely voters say they support Hamilton, according to the poll.
CNN conducted its polling via telephone between Oct. 20 and Oct. 27. Registered voters were randomly sampled, according to the outlet. 838 likely voters were considered in Kansas, 783 in Maine, 768 in Michigan and 923 in Texas. CNN tabulated its margins of sampling error at plus or minus 4.5% for Kansas and Maine, 4.7% in Michigan and 4.2% in Texas.
Fox News Digital contacted all eight campaigns for further comment.
Lindsay Clancy's lawyer denies she'll testify about homicidal thoughts in ex's suit against her doctors
Lindsay Clancy's lawyer disputed claims from Patrick Clancy's counsel that she would testify in a civil case against her healthcare providers, calling them false.
During a hearing Wednesday in Norfolk County Superior Court, attorney Howard Cooper said he expects Lindsay Clancy to testify in a lawsuit filed by her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, against her healthcare providers.
Patrick and Lindsay Clancy have each sued hospitals and healthcare providers, alleging that failures in her medical care contributed to the deaths of their three children, Callan, Cora and Dawson.
LINDSAY CLANCY'S LAWYER TORCHES CONSPIRACY THEORIES ACCUSING PATRICK CLANCY
"We believe that Lindsay Clancy, once her Fifth Amendment issues are resolved one way or the other, will testify that she told these defendants explicitly that she had homicidal ideation, that she was worried about something awful happening to her kids," Cooper said in court.
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In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Lindsay Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said his client has never said she'll testify, adding that she never told her healthcare providers that she had homicidal thoughts toward her children.
"It has come to my attention that counsel for Patrick Clancy represented to the court in his civil case that my client, Lindsay Clancy, will testify about statements she made to her healthcare providers," Reddington said. "Lindsay Clancy never told any of her healthcare providers that she harbored homicidal ideation toward her children. She never indicated that she intended to testify in Mr. Clancy's lawsuit, and no one acting for her ever represented that she would."
"Mr. Clancy's counsel does not speak for Lindsay Clancy," he added.
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Attorneys representing the hospitals and healthcare providers have asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuits, arguing that Lindsay Clancy never disclosed having homicidal thoughts to those treating her.
Clancy, 36, faced three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, Cora, Dawson and Callan, all under age 6, who were found strangled at the family's home in January 2023.
Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on Friday, Sept. 4, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, ending in an 11-1 divide.
Reddit users reveal 'rich people' habits they tried once and could never go back from
What's a spending habit rich people have that is totally worth it?
As the loyal readers know, I am a big fan of Reddit. When it comes to places on the internet where you can find yourself going down deep rabbit holes, there's probably no place that beats Reddit.
You simply never know what you're going to find. There are plenty of crazy stories, history lessons and really cool military content on Reddit.
REDDIT THREAD ON LIFE CHEAT CODES GOES VIRAL WITH ADVICE ON FITNESS, SLEEP AND COMPOUND INTEREST
There's also plenty of debates and discussions, and that's what leads us here today.
I was scrolling the r/askreddit subreddit early Thursday morning when I stumbled across and interesting thread title that caught my attention:
AMERICANS SAY THEY'RE BROKE. SO WHY CAN'T THEY STOP SPENDING SO MUCH?
What's a 'rich people' thing you tried once and immediately understood why they do it?
As someone interested in money (aren't we all, after all?), it was an instant click from me. The results didn't disappoint at all.
Let's check out some of the replies before breaking it down:
Now, as the readers also know, I'm a working class guy from rural Wisconsin. You grow up fast when you grow up in those harsh winters. Life doesn't have many luxuries and you learn to get by with what you have.
Having said that, I have tasted the high-life once or twice, and without question flying first class is the obvious answer to this viral Reddit question.
Are there much more expensive things rich people have access to? Sure, but flying first class is attainable for most people if they want it to be, and it makes the flying experience significantly better.
Not a little bit better.
Much better.
Taking a seat on a first class flight – I've always found Delta to be the best – and being immediately greeted with a snack and drink instantly makes the hellish airport experience better.
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It's almost impossible to go back once you've been in first class.
What's your splurge item that wealthy people enjoy? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Nearly 40 House Dems skip effort to end Ilhan Omar immigration probe
Nearly 40 House Democrats appear to have shunned an effort by their colleagues to end the federal probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.
House Democrats led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., sent a letter to the Trump administration earlier this week demanding a stop to the investigation into Omar's immigration paperwork, arguing it was a bid to sway her re-election campaign ahead of Tuesday's midterm Election Day.
The letter was backed by some 175 House Democrats, more than two-thirds of the caucus — though some notable names were left off.
Two of three of House Democrats' previous senior leadership did not sign the letter. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., did not sign on. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who previously served as House majority whip, was among the signatories, along with all three current members of House Democratic leadership.
Both Pelosi and Hoyer are retiring, but it's worth noting that nearing the exit did not stop other outgoing members like Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., from signing the letter.
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO WHY REMOVING ILHAN OMAR FROM CONGRESS COULD BE HARDER THAN TRUMP EXPECTS
Democrats running in tight races also kept their distance from the public condemnation of the probe. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., and Don Davis, D-N.C., are among the names left off the letter as well.
Fox News Digital reached out to each of them for comment but did not immediately hear back.
ILHAN OMAR BELIEVES TRUMP RAID ON HOME WAS MEANT TO 'INTIMIDATE AND SCARE PEOPLE' FROM VOTING
"Congresswoman Omar is seeking reelection in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district in just one week. News of the search warrant, whether properly predicated or not, could affect voters’ decisions, which is exactly why federal law enforcement should not engage in such conduct when voters are casting their ballots. This type of interference strips Minnesotans of their right to a free and fair election guaranteed to them under the Constitution," the letter said.
"We stand with Congresswoman Omar and condemn the weaponization of law enforcement against her. You have already disgraced the offices you hold, and we demand you refrain from taking any further actions that could affect the outcome of the upcoming election."
ILHAN OMAR SHOULD BE JAILED, DEPORTED IF CITIZENSHIP FRAUD PROVEN, TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS
Omar is under federal investigation over allegations she or her father lied about her birth year on immigration paperwork to obtain her citizenship when her family fled Somalia in the late 1990s. If she was 17 when her father obtained citizenship, as previously thought, she would have automatically qualified along with him. If she was 18 or older, which federal officials now suspect, she would have had to make her own application.
Her fellow House Democrats recounted the allegations in their letter, saying, "Your probe into the congresswoman reportedly concerns her late father’s filing of immigration paperwork after she fled Somalia’s civil war at age eight, making her a U.S. citizen at age seventeen."
But they argued it does not justify "a pre-dawn raid on her home for paperwork her father filed when she was a minor."
Federal agents executed a judicially authorized search warrant on Omar's home on Oct. 12, seizing multiple phones and notebooks, among other items.
Omar has dismissed the investigation as a political attack against one of President Donald Trump's staunchest critics.
Panthers vs Packers Thursday Night Football Week 8 preview points to a low-scoring affair
Football is back for Week 8, and it is hard to believe we are almost halfway through the regular season. I still feel like we don't really know all that much about these teams. Are some of these teams that have good records actually bad (the Chiefs), or are some of the bad-record teams actually good (the Cowboys)? Maybe those two teams aren't even the best examples of those situations. There are two teams on Thursday Night Football that are a bit hard to judge, as the Panthers and Packers take each other on.
The Carolina Panthers are 3-3 for the season and 2-1 on the road. Bryce Young is searching for a contract extension, or maybe at this point a new home. The good news for him is that he has looked fantastic in his fourth year under center. He is on pace to have the best season of his career. The running game has been solid for the team, even if they don't really use it as much as they probably need to. Chuba Hubbard is averaging about 4.5 yards per carry, but the team has attempted roughly 100 more passes than runs.
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Defensively, this team has struggled against the run, but has been very good against the pass. They have the worst defense in football when it comes to stopping the run. However, against the pass, they are ranked sixth. That might be a good thing against a Packers team that has struggled to run the ball this season. What is interesting to me is that, if you look at the schedule, the Panthers have won games against Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley. They lost to the Bears, Browns and Buccaneers. No knock on those three, but I don't think their team's running backs would be as feared as the ones they beat.
The Green Bay Packers are 4-3 for the season and have done a good job of protecting their home field, entering with a 2-1 record. Jordan Love is having a really strong season and is arguably being asked to do more than ever before. The team was missing starting running back Josh Jacobs, who was away from the team due to legal issues. Without Jacobs, the Packers really struggled to find any traction on the ground this season. His return last week wasn't transformational; Jacobs only had 36 yards on 11 carries.
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The Packers will continue to rely on Love's arm to get the job done. He's already thrown the ball 270 times this season, which is almost double the number of times they've called a run play. That does make the offense a bit one-dimensional, and against the Panthers' defense, they could struggle.
The Packers, in general, don't score all that many points. They are averaging 20.6 points per game, 25th in the NFL, putting them in the same company as the Cardinals and Broncos.
It would be really hard to imagine that the Panthers and Packers play in a shootout tonight. Despite both of these teams excelling in the passing game, they aren't exactly elite offenses. Both are pretty good at stopping the pass. I think this game is likely to be a slow-starting game with both trying to figure things out. I'd be surprised if it goes over 47.5 for the game, but I think the under in the first half is even more likely. Neither team is a fast-starting team. Give me the under 23.5 for the 1st half.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
DHS told '60 Minutes' weeks before segment aired that deported Malian national had once claimed to be gay
"60 Minutes" was told weeks before the segment aired that a deported Malian husband and father, who was the subject of a sympathetic report on Sunday, claimed to have been gay in his asylum application, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Fox News previously obtained records showing Moussa Diawara alleged in his 2009 asylum application that he would face persecution if he were sent back to Mali due to his sexuality.
The "60 Minutes" segment depicted an anguished father deported to Africa with his wife and two children still living in the U.S. and noted that a U.S. judge said Diawara could be persecuted, pointing to fears over converting to Christianity. However, the show did not mention that Diawara’s application contradicted his family man narrative and the reason why he claimed he couldn’t return to his native country was because of his sexual orientation.
Fox News Digital has since obtained a copy of an email sent to CBS News by the Department of Homeland Security informing the network about Diawara's claim, which was first reported by The New York Post.
The email was sent Oct. 6, nearly three weeks before Sunday's segment aired.
A spokesperson for CBS News declined to comment.
FROM THE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP TO KAMALA HARRIS EDITS: THE LONG HISTORY OF '60 MINUTES' CONTROVERSIES
On his 2009 asylum application, Diawara said he feared for his life as a gay man if he was forced to return to Mali.
"My asylum application is based upon ground of well-founded past persecution and an undisputable fear of life-threatening [sic] to my person if I were to return to my country Mali. In fact, I had experienced extreme punishment and persecution based on the ground of my sexual orientation," Diawara wrote in his asylum application.
"Since I came to the USA I had the possibilities [sic] to express my feelings to men without any embarrassment no reserve. Indeed, my tribal group and community as a whole had reported my sexual orientation to my family back home because such behavior is unwelcome in my society," he continued. "My life is hence worth threatened if I have to go back to my country because I could be executed either by the Islamic group or the community."
CBS SHOOTS DOWN 'POLITICAL INTERFERENCE' CLAIMS IN AFTERMATH OF '60 MINUTES' FIRINGS
DHS General Counsel James Percival, who was interviewed in the "60 Minutes" segment, took to social media after it aired, saying the newsmagazine made Diawara the "poster child for what it claims are wrongful deportations."
"His claimed reason for fearing Mali was that he is ‘gay,’ just in case you’re wondering how bad the immigration fraud problem is," Percival wrote.
The segment put a spotlight on Diawara, who was living in the U.S. for 25 years without a criminal record, overstaying his tourist visa and getting nabbed by ICE and sent to Ghana, which ultimately sent him to his home country of Mali. According to the report, Diawara has since fled to an undisclosed African country.
During the segment, Percival noted there is "a lot of fraud" in the immigration system and many "fear claims" are untrue.
A "60 Minutes" insider previously defended the integrity of the report, pointing to how Diawara's claim that "part of the reason he didn't feel safe" was for religious reasons did make the broadcast. According to the report, he had converted to Christianity, and Mali is a Muslim-majority nation.
"The broadcast acknowledged DHS questioned the credibility of Moussa Diawara's fear of persecution, which they're claiming now on social media," the insider told Fox News Digital.
Fox News' Brian Flood and Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.
Speaker Johnson rejects 'nonsense narrative' that GOP will refuse to seat Dem winners
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected a question from CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju about seating newly elected Democrats as a "nonsense narrative."
While campaigning in Iowa for Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, whose seat is among those that Democrats are targeting ahead of next week's midterm elections, Johnson fielded questions from Raju about President Donald Trump and the GOP's political strategy during the elections and beyond.
"Will you vow to seat every Democrat who wins on Jan. 3?" Raju asked, referring to the day elected members will be sworn in.
"Of course, this is a nonsense narrative," Johnson replied. "We are going to follow the law."
THUNE WEIGHS NIGHTMARE SCENARIO FOR GOP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO FLIP HOUSE
"What if Trump says ‘it's a rigged election’?" Raju asked.
"Look, I'm a constitutional attorney. I've always been steady and consistent about this. This is going to be a no-drama swearing-in ceremony, but we're going to hold the majority, and I'm going to be the speaker of the House," Johnson said. "And when I administer the oath, there will be one on Jan. 3. We'll administer the oath to everybody."
Raju pressed Johnson, "If Trump says 'Don't seat them,' you'll resist, then?"
"I'll do my job as the speaker of the House," Johnson replied. "The president has vowed, of course, he wants to follow the law as well. That's what's going to happen."
Johnson also defended Trump’s involvement in midterm races, saying he is having "no drag at all" on Republicans’ chances.
NEWSOM SPARS WITH TRUMP-APPOINTED PROSECUTOR OVER 20,000 SUSPECTED NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS
SPEAKER JOHNSON PREDICTS DEMOCRATS' FAR-LEFT SHIFT WILL ‘JUICE ENTHUSIASM’ FOR GOP IN MIDTERMS
"I’ve seen the voters on the ground, and I’m telling you the polls are wrong, they are inaccurate, they’re underrepresenting Republicans and many of the pollsters have admitted that," he said. "The polling isn’t accurate, the Republicans aren’t responding anymore."
Raju challenged that assessment, questioning why Republicans were spending heavily in traditionally Republican districts.
"You're spending millions in deep Republican districts," Raju said.
Johnson responded that Iowa is a state where Republicans "always win, but it's close" and said battleground districts exist across the country, particularly following recent redistricting efforts.
"We have to win in the districts that are presented, and we’re leaving everything on the field to get it done," he said.
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Mary Marslender, a GOP consultant and former senior advisor to the U.S. Senate, criticized Raju's questioning in comments to Fox News Digital.
"CNN is once again pushing a fake narrative — color me shocked. Instead of chasing a nonexistent 'Trump won’t seat Democrats' story, Manu Raju should focus on reporting the news that matters," Marslender said. "Americans are concerned about costs, wages, the border, and crime. If reporters covered those real issues, perhaps their audiences wouldn’t keep shrinking. Speaker Johnson’s answers were consistent with both the law and standard House procedure. Raju’s repeated hypotheticals reveal more about the story CNN wants to tell than any actual plan to block lawmakers."
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's office and CNN for additional comment but did not immediately receive responses.
'Lioness' star Jill Wagner raises daughters in Tennessee town of 800, where horses and buggies still roam
From the high-stakes action of "Lioness" to the holiday adventure of "A Very Arctic Christmas," Jill Wagner is taking on two very different worlds.
But off camera, the actress has traded Hollywood's hustle for a quieter life raising her two daughters on a Tennessee farm in a town of just 800 people — where horses and buggies are still a familiar sight.
"First of all, I love Tennessee … I'm from the South. I'm from North Carolina," she told Fox News Digital. "I love the people here but especially love the small-town mentality."
Life in her Tennessee town offers a glimpse of a world that can feel far removed from Hollywood.
"I was at the post office this morning and one of the Mennonites was in front of me … I got to look at their horse and buggy," she said.
Wagner said the small-town atmosphere has become an important part of the childhood she and her husband want to give their girls.
The actress explained why she hopes her daughters will eventually appreciate the slower pace, even if they someday follow in her footsteps and move to bigger cities.
WATCH: JILL WAGNER TRADES HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE FOR TENNESSEE FAMILY LIFE
"In some ways, going back to a simpler, slower pace … I think as we get older, or at least I know I can speak for myself, as I get older, I really value that," she added.
Wagner knows the pull of Hollywood firsthand. She left home at 17 to pursue a career in entertainment and suspects her daughters may one day be eager to spread their own wings.
But she hopes they'll always remember what their upbringing gave them.
‘SOPRANOS’ STAR JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER FLED HOLLYWOOD FOR TEXAS WHERE SHE NO LONGER FEELS ‘WATCHED’
"And I'm sure they'll do the same, but I hope what it does is bring them back to the simple-ness of life and what it can be … That's a gift that my husband and I gave them, and they probably don't even know it yet," she said.
Away from the action of "Lioness," Wagner is embracing the holiday spirit in "A Very Arctic Christmas," reuniting with Cameron Mathison for a festive adventure.
Wagner plays Jane, a wildlife conservationist who helps a father and daughter navigate an unexpected Arctic adventure after their holiday cruise goes off course.
The actress said working with Mathison brings plenty of laughs to "A Very Arctic Christmas" set.
"There's never any dull moment when you have Cameron Mathison and I on set together. In fact, it's hard for us to get through a scene without laughing, I'm sure. Robin Dunne, the director, is always rolling his eyes, like, ‘Oh, guys, guys, guys, guys, bring it in,'" she laughed.
WATCH: JILL WAGNER DISHES ON THE ON-SET CHAOS WITH CO-STAR CAMERON MATHISON
For Wagner, the holiday films also have a personal connection.
The actress has found ways to include her daughters in her Christmas-movie tradition.
When Wagner's daughters were younger, she included them in one of her films as extras, giving them a chance to sit on Santa's lap.
Now that they're older, Wagner said they understand that Christmas movies are a genre of their own — and she hopes the experience becomes a lasting family tradition.
"And I just hope that one day when I'm long and gone, that is a tradition with each other's families is that they get on Christmas, and they get to watch that movie and just kind of laugh at the fact that we're all in a movie together at Christmas," she added.
While Wagner's career continues to take her between intense action roles and feel-good holiday projects, she values sharing those experiences with her daughters while giving them a childhood rooted in small-town life.
When Fox News Digital asked whether her daughters were becoming the Tennessee farm girls she had envisioned, Wagner admitted there's still some work to do.
"So, I don't know about farm girl. I know that … they love outdoors. They don't necessarily like doing farm work. So, we're trying to still work on that," she laughed.
"They do love running around barefooted in the dirt, and they can play outside all day long, which I love for them," Wagner said.
The family hopes to add chickens and goats when Wagner's work schedule allows more time at home.
"Maybe one day we'll get a horse or a pony for them," she added.
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But for Wagner, the biggest perk of small-town life isn't just the farm — it's the neighbors who show up when it matters.
Her family owns Scott Mansion Farms, where they host charitable events benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Dolly Parton's Children's Hospital. Wagner said the community's support has been especially meaningful.
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"But the fact that people just show up at the gate and say, ‘What can we do to help?’ I think it just reminds me of how amazing humanity is … and how very special it is to have good neighbors," she said.
Wagner also hopes her daughters inherit her love of local festivals and community traditions.
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"It's woven into my fabric. So, I'm going to pass that on to my girls. Hopefully they'll have the love for that like I do," she said.
"A Very Arctic Christmas" premieres Oct. 29 on Great American Pure Flix. The film will air on Great American Family and GFAM+ on Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. ET.
Netanyahu falls short of majority as Israel faces three possible paths to a new government
TEL AVIV, Israel - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition remained well short of a parliamentary majority Thursday as newly counted ballots showed a dramatic surge in support for Arab parties, potentially giving the opposition enough votes to challenge his control of parliament.
With 93.8% of ballots counted as of 4 a.m. ET Thursday (10 a.m. local time in Israel), including votes from the double-envelope count, Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc was projected to win 53 seats in Israel's 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. The two predominantly Arab parties were projected to secure a combined 19 seats, bringing the potential anti-Netanyahu parliamentary majority to 67.
The updated figures showed Netanyahu's Likud remaining the largest individual party with 26 seats, followed by Eisenkot's Yashar party with 21 and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's Beyachad party with 12. The figures remain preliminary.
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The results leave neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot with the 61 seats required to form a government independently, raising the prospect of difficult coalition negotiations or another election.
The biggest shift came from Israel's Arab voters, whose turnout surged compared with previous elections, potentially reshaping the country's political balance.
Arab voter participation reached approximately 80%, compared with 53.2% in the 2022 election, according to the Israel Democracy Institute. The 2026 figure remains preliminary.
The Joint List was projected to win 11 seats, while Ra'am was projected to secure eight. Together, their 19 seats would nearly double the Arab parties' representation from the 10 seats they won in 2022.
Overall voter turnout reached 77.7% by the official 10 p.m. closing time on election night, the highest level at that hour since 1999, according to Israel's Central Elections Committee.
The increased Arab participation could prove decisive in determining the next government's composition. Although Eisenkot and several other opposition leaders ruled out including Arab parties in their governing coalition during the campaign, their parliamentary support could allow the opposition to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Netanyahu ally, and gain greater control over the legislative agenda even before a new government is formed.
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The political stakes intensified Thursday following a Channel 12 report alleging that substantial sums originating in Qatar may have been transferred to influence voter participation in Arab communities.
According to N12, some of the funds allegedly traveled through financial channels previously used to transfer money to terrorist organizations, including currency exchanges.
The allegations have not been independently substantiated, and investigators have yet to establish whether foreign financing occurred or whether election-related crimes were committed.
Channel 12 reported that Shin Bet Director David Zini presented intelligence concerning suspected foreign interference to Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg, prompting the judge to order an investigation.
In a letter published by N12, Sohlberg instructed the domestic security agency to investigate the allegations and identify evidence that could either substantiate or disprove them. He requested findings within one week, citing the limited time available during the election count.
The judge's letter did not publicly identify Qatar as the suspected foreign actor. That identification came from N12's reporting.
Qatar strongly denied the allegations Thursday, accusing Israeli politicians of attempting to drag the Gulf nation into Israel's domestic political disputes following the election.
"We categorically deny allegations that Qatar has interfered in Israeli elections or funded any activities intended to influence their outcome," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr. Majed Al-Ansari wrote on X.
Al-Ansari accused Israeli politicians and their allies in the media of launching a "disinformation campaign," saying Qatar had been accused of financing Netanyahu, the Israeli left and now Arab voters.
"If these claims were to be believed, Qatar would apparently own all of Israel," he wrote. "Qatar should not be used as a scapegoat for the political failures of certain Israeli politicians," Al-Ansari added, insisting that Qatar had no involvement in Israel's electoral process and would continue its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in the region.
Acting Central Elections Committee director general Dean Livne also rejected the allegations in a letter to Yesh Atid MK Vladimir Beliak, who sits on the committee. "The Knesset elections were conducted lawfully. The integrity of the elections at polling stations was rigorously safeguarded, and to the best of our knowledge, there is no basis for allegations of systematic violations of election integrity."
But the allegations quickly became part of the political confrontation over whether opposition parties should cooperate with Arab lawmakers.
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Netanyahu and Likud had already challenged the legitimacy of the Arab parties' electoral gains. On Wednesday, before the latest Qatari allegations emerged, Likud accused Arab parties of stealing the election through alleged voter fraud, accusations that had not been substantiated.
In a statement Thursday, Likud argued that the suspected foreign interference made cooperation with the Arab parties unacceptable.
"After it became clear that foreign actors attempted to take control of the Knesset, it is obvious that no Zionist party must cooperate with Ra'am and the Joint List, replace the Knesset speaker using votes bought with cash, or establish a government dangerous to Israel," the party said.
The assertion that parliamentary seats were obtained through purchased votes has not been established by the investigation.
Hauser Tov, a political reporter for Israel's Haaretz newspaper, argued on X that the statement revealed Likud's immediate political objective: preventing the opposition from using its potential parliamentary majority to replace the Knesset speaker.
Israeli journalist Amir Tibon wrote on X, "The main reason they want to prevent this is so that the Knesset won't vote to establish a state commission of inquiry into October 7." He argued that such an investigation could examine Qatari involvement in Gaza and Israel.
Eisenkot responded to the allegations Thursday, after meeting with Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director David Zini. "Foreign involvement in Israel is unacceptable and profoundly serious, particularly when it involves a country that funds and supports Hamas," Eisenkot said. "It is serious when it occurs in the Prime Minister’s Office, and it is serious if it occurs in the electoral process."
He called on the Shin Bet to investigate the allegations thoroughly and take the strongest possible action against anyone found to have attempted to compromise the election's integrity.
Eisenkot also accused Netanyahu and his allies of conducting "an illegitimate influence operation targeting the Israeli public," claiming its purpose was to delay the publication of the results and undermine the legitimacy of the newly elected Knesset.
Israeli political commentator Amit Segal also cautioned against assuming the allegations would lead to the cancellation of election results.
"The likelihood of the entire election being invalidated is extremely slim, given the time constraints," Segal wrote on X. He suggested the developments could instead intensify discussions about a unity government or another election.
Meanwhile, Democrats party leader Yair Golan urged opposition leaders to move quickly toward forming a new government.
"The people have spoken. Sixty-seven seats demanded change," Golan wrote Thursday on X, adding that he intended to spend the day meeting with political partners and coalition negotiators. "I intend to leave no stone unturned, act in every possible way and do everything necessary to fulfill the voters' will," he added.
The comments underscored the central question emerging from the election: whether parties united in their opposition to Netanyahu can overcome their differences, particularly over cooperation with Arab lawmakers.
Another possibility is a national unity coalition involving Netanyahu's Likud and Eisenkot's Yashar party, potentially excluding the Arab parties and Netanyahu's far-right allies.
Such an arrangement could also align with the preferences of figures close to President Donald Trump, who publicly endorsed Netanyahu ahead of the election.
According to Ynet diplomatic correspondent Itamar Eichner, sources close to Trump said the president wants to ensure that far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is excluded from the next Israeli government, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich potentially excluded as well.
A separate Ynet report said Trump associates had contacted Israeli political figures to assess the prospects for a unity government and expressed a preference for a stable coalition without Ben-Gvir.
Trump himself has not publicly endorsed a specific unity arrangement.
Asked Wednesday by Axios whether he would become involved in efforts to establish a Netanyahu-led unity government, Trump said, "I will take a look."
A unity government involving Netanyahu and Eisenkot would face substantial obstacles. Eisenkot repeatedly pledged during the campaign not to join a Netanyahu-led government, while Netanyahu's far-right partners have warned against efforts to exclude them.
The ultra-Orthodox parties present another potential route to a parliamentary majority. Netanyahu's projected 53 seats include 14 held by Shas and United Torah Judaism, which have traditionally aligned with him.
Those 14 seats, combined with Eisenkot's projected 48-seat opposition bloc, would mathematically produce a 62-seat majority. But such an arrangement would face major disagreements over military conscription, as Eisenkot has pledged to expand mandatory service to ultra-Orthodox men, while the religious parties have sought to preserve exemptions for yeshiva students.
Political divisions within Eisenkot's own bloc would present additional obstacles to such a coalition.
For now, the foreign interference allegations remain under investigation, while the election results continue to show Netanyahu's existing coalition without the parliamentary majority required to govern on its own.
Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed, a process that could take weeks or longer.