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San Francisco lawmaker criticizes players 'cherry-picking' Bible quotes amid Giants controversy
A San Francisco lawmaker criticized Giants players for writing Bible verses on their cap during the organization’s Pride Night as MLB warned the team about the messages on Monday.
Matt Dorsey, a Democrat who represents District 6 and sits on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, wrote on social media the event was "disappointing in several respects." He authored a lengthy thread on X about the ordeal.
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"First, as a sports fan, it struck me as problematically undisciplined," he began. "When you’re a highly paid professional athlete, your uniform isn’t a canvas for individual self-expression — especially about politics — and it has been my observation over the years that championship-caliber teams never tolerate distractions like this.
"Second, as a person of faith, I’ll be the first to defend Bible verses and prayer as sources of inspiration and strength for many athletes — I have no problem with that. But I am bothered to see Biblical cherry-picking used to score political points, on a single occasion, and it’s hard to argue this was anything other than that."
Dorsey added that, as a gay man, he was "disappointed" that a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community was still seen as "controversial."
"Major cities with major-league sports teams are inherently diverse, and if you’re uncomfortable celebrating the wide array of heritage and pride nights for communities that make up the city on your uniform, maybe the major leagues aren’t for you."
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Still, Dorsey didn’t think the players who wrote the Bible verses on their Pride Night cap were "bigoted."
"All that being said, I refuse to call what these athletes did bigoted or hateful — and I would urge all those offended or hurt by this episode to show them grace. The LGBTQ+ equality movement succeeds when we commit to winning hearts and minds, rather than shaming them," he added.
MLB warned Giants players about the Bible verses.
"The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations," MLB’s chief communications officer Pat Courtney said in a statement, via The Athletic.
San Francisco pitcher Landen Roupp wrote "Gen 9:12-16" on his cap over the weekend and was asked about the decision.
"It's just about God's covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy," Roupp said to reporters. "That's just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I'm thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want ... and express what we want.
"There's no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for, and what I stand in. I believe in God."
Giants manager Tony Vitello also seemed to brush off the issue.
"Not really. I mean, just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals have the freedom to do what they think is best," Vitello said. "But I do think it’s been apparent from day one, actually, even some of the exhibition games, it’s pretty impressive how the Giants, as an organization, try and embrace the entire community."
Fox News’ Ian Miller contributed to this report.
Karmelo Anthony supporter reportedly fired as other backers face backlash over verdict remarks
Karmelo Anthony supporters continue to voice their concerns and frustrations following his conviction and sentencing for murder.
Anthony was found guilty and sentenced to 35 years behind bars on Tuesday, June 9, after he stabbed and killed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco, Texas, high school track meet last year.
His supporters maintain the convicted killer was acting in self-defense when he stabbed Metcalf.
One of them is Donna Robinson, a parole supervisor within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Dallas Morning News reported she made a comment on Facebook that cost her her job.
Addressing comments about the sentencing, she wrote "that Anthony would be protected in prison, adding she didn't care about the victim's family's loss," according to the outlet.
Fox News Digital also reported Howard University professor Stacey Patton wrote an opinion article on her Substack "Dear Jeff Metcalf: Your Son Is Dead Because You Failed to Teach Him That Black Boys Have Boundaries," which essentially blames the victim for the killing.
Another supporter, W. Burlette Carter, who is a professor emerita of law at George Washington University, made her concerns with the trial public following the verdict.
She made a post on X that said, "Karmelo Anthony was entitled to a jury of his peers. He did not get that. On that ground alone, he is entitled to a new trial. Minorities are not interchangeable. The prosecutor’s reported proffered reasons for striking all black jurors —that they were teachers—appears to be pretext. Anthony needs a new lawyer on appeal and in a new trial."
Anthony's trial was made up of jurors who are fellow U.S. citizens — also known as a "jury of one's peers." In all criminal prosecutions, the U.S. Constitution says the accused has "the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Howard University, TDCJ, and Burlette Carter for comment.
UFO investigator says Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' captures truth behind whistleblower testimony
As Steven Spielberg's new sci-fi thriller "Disclosure Day" dominates the box office, one longtime UFO investigator says the film mirrors reality more than fiction.
Joshua Golembeske, a documentary filmmaker and former MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) field investigator, told Fox News Digital that the film’s deep-state cover-up premise directly echoes actual Capitol Hill whistleblower testimony on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs).
For Golembeske, the host of "Cosmic Disclosure" on Gaia.com, the long-standing stigma surrounding UFOs is finally lifting. He was pleasantly surprised to see Spielberg's film reflect real whistleblower accounts and praised the filmmaker for portraying extraterrestrials as benevolent rather than threatening.
"[He] did the right thing, because what he did was based it off the real events, the real information, not that fear that's propagated by the media," he said.
STEVEN SPIELBERG ADMITS HE'S BEEN CONVERTED ON UFOS, SAYS HE BELIEVES THE BELIEVERS
He noted scenes in the film that show childhood encounters as they are documented in UFO literature, where extraterrestrials use "screen memories" to disguise themselves as ordinary animals like owls or deer.
"So if a kid remembers a really weird experience, they're going to remember, 'Why was there owls in my room and deer?' And then, 'I was brought out to the woods and into a house that seemed like a fairy tale with lights everywhere,'" Golembeske said. "Well, what's actually going on is it was ETs in your room escorting you out to a UFO or spacecraft somewhere in the forest. This sounds so unbelievable, but it's been reported for decades and decades, and this film is trying to shine a light on it."
Spielberg revealed in a recent interview that he has been "converted" on the topic of UFOs and now believes "the believers." His inspiration for "Disclosure Day" reportedly stems from a deep dive into documentaries and recent congressional testimonies, where high-ranking military and intelligence officials have come forward.
The film's release comes at a time when UAPs and allegations of a government cover-up are making real-world headlines. Last week, Golembeske traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a high-profile press conference on Capitol Hill regarding the phenomenon.
At that event, UAP whistleblower and former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch accused intelligence agencies of hiding billions of dollars in secret government spending from Congress to conceal their knowledge of UAPs and diverse alien species.
Golembeske said the main takeaway from Grusch's testimony is that UAPs are "real," "the government has been covering them up for a long time," whistleblowers are being "threatened," and multiple types of alien species exist.
"I thought that was unbelievably shocking that David Grusch in front of the world, with Congress behind him, admitted that the U.S. government knows that non-human intelligence is real, and there's a range of them, and we're dealing with what has been a long-standing cover-up," Golembeske said.
The hearing drew a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, including Reps. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who called for greater transparency, accountability, and legal immunity for whistleblowers.
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Burlison said lawmakers have continued pressing agencies and defense contractors for records they believe remain classified despite recent disclosure efforts.
Last September, Burlison made headlines after releasing video of MQ-9 drone footage from an alleged October 2024 UAP incident off the coast of Yemen, which he said was delivered to his office through a "Tom Clancy-style dead drop."
The June briefing comes weeks after the Trump administration released a major tranche of previously classified UAP records, including military reports, sensor data, and witness accounts that had long remained hidden from public view. Lawmakers and disclosure advocates have pointed to those releases as evidence the government is becoming more transparent about UAP investigations, while arguing that significant amounts of information remain highly classified.
For Golembeske, a real "disclosure day" — where the government admits to the public that humanity is not alone in the universe — would be earth-shattering.
According to Golembeske, whistleblowers allege the government has hidden reverse-engineered extraterrestrial technology that could change the world forever, including free energy devices with limitless energy and breakthrough medical systems. He argued this knowledge remains classified because it would disrupt socio-economics across the globe.
"Obviously, the oil industries and energy industries aren't going to like a free energy device coming out, plus it could be weaponized," he claimed.
However, he believes true disclosure would expand human consciousness, an idea he says is hinted at in Spielberg's film.
"They seem to [be] pulling us along with sightings and contact experiences to expand our awareness," Golembeske said, pointing to literature by the late Harvard psychiatrist Dr. John Mack, who argues that regular contact with ETs is the quickest way to "enlightenment."
Golembeske said that ultimately, this knowledge would force people to question human origins and the nature of the universe.
"A simple UFO sighting will change someone's life forever," he said.
Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Crowded airport lounges force airlines to rethink future of travel perks for fliers
Airport lounges may have finally hit their breaking point.
After years of offering credit card perks, day passes and premium travel upgrades, airlines are now leaning into a new solution: grab-and-go lounge concepts.
The idea is simple. Travelers can still pick up complimentary food and drinks — but without camping out in a lounge or having to hunt for a seat.
20,000 BAGS STRANDED AFTER TECHNICAL ISSUE AT MAJOR AIRPORT LEAVES TRAVELERS SCRAMBLING
The shift makes sense for passengers and airlines alike, travel expert and influencer Jordi Lippe-McGraw of New York City told Fox News Digital.
"If I'm traveling with a kid and get to the airport early, the sit-down lounge is absolutely worth it," she said.
"But if I'm running late or have a tight connection, the grab-and-go is a no-brainer," said Lippe-McGraw.
"You still get the perk of free food and drinks without needing to find a seat or stay a while."
Airlines appear to be betting on that.
MYSTERIOUS AIRPORT TUNNELS TO OPEN BENEATH HUB LONG TIED TO CONSPIRACY THEORIES
On its website, United Airlines said its Houston location includes fresh-squeezed orange juice, warmed pastries, wraps, salads, sandwiches, barista-made coffee drinks and a self-service beverage counter.
American Airlines is also getting in on the trend.
The airline opened Provisions by Admirals Club at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2025, calling it "a first-of-its-kind" lounge concept for the company, according to a press release.
The space was designed for "speed, simplicity and convenience," according to the company.
It offers grab-and-go food and beverage options, plus personalized customer support, with a "streamlined" layout built for quick visits and high-volume traffic, the airline said.
Access follows the same policies as traditional Admirals Club locations.
Customers can also purchase a one-day pass for $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles.
As part of a broader pilot aimed at giving rushed travelers a faster option, Delta Air Lines opened quick serve areas at Sky Clubs in Atlanta and New York, The Points Guy reported.
Delta’s current Sky Club rules reference a Grab and Go feature, saying existing Sky Club access policies and eligibility rules apply to all Grab and Go entries.
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But Delta’s setup is inside Sky Club lobbies, rather than in a separately branded mini-lounge.
Lippe-McGraw, who travels about once a month, said lounges are useful but not essential.
When time is tight, she said, the grab-and-go model offers the best part of the lounge perk — complimentary food and drinks.
Grab-and-go lounges are also far less expensive to maintain.
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"The overcrowding got bad enough that lounges stopped feeling premium — which forced airlines to act," Lippe-McGraw said.
"But the grab-and-go model is also cheaper to operate. [There is] less staffing, no hot kitchens, smaller footprint. … So airlines get to frame it as a customer service improvement while quietly cutting costs. Smart move."
The move could also help airlines protect their most exclusive spaces.
"Offloading everyday crowds to grab-and-go spots frees flagship lounges to be genuinely special again," she added.
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Reddit users online recently debated the grab-and-go concept.
"So long as they're not trying to largely replace the traditional lounges with this, I think it's ultimately a welcome addition for those shorter connections when you maybe just want to grab a coffee and a bite to eat for the next leg," one user said.
"I used this when I had a very tight connection. I grabbed some food to go for the next flight. It worked well," another said.
A third Reddit user wasn't so sure — joking that the concept was "sponsored by 7-11."
Fox News Digital reached out to United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines for comment.
Pentagon files reveal agents' reports of 'orbs launching orbs' near sensitive US security site
Newly released Pentagon and FBI records describe a series of orb sightings reported from the same area of the northeastern United States between at least October 2024 and June 2025, including one incident in which two witnesses reported seeing a glowing red sphere containing what appeared to be a basketball-sized "white plasma sun."
The sightings are among dozens of records published through the Trump administration's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Encounters, or PURSUE, a government-wide effort to declassify files related to UAPs.
According to records released Thursday, an eyewitness in October 2024 reported observing a "plasma-like sphere" hovering above a pond at an estimated distance of roughly 2,700 feet. Investigators said the luminous object intermittently changed shape and brightness, at times appearing to separate into smaller points of light. A second luminous point hovered above the water and did not appear consistent with a surface reflection. The object remained generally stationary for approximately 45 minutes before disappearing.
The video was captured on an iPhone and later analyzed and authenticated by the U.S. government, according to the records. The FBI assessed the eyewitness as highly credible.
The release is the latest installment of the Trump administration's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, or PURSUE, a transparency initiative launched after President Donald Trump directed federal agencies in February to review and declassify records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena. The program has produced a steady stream of files ranging from cases investigators believe may have conventional explanations to incidents that remain unresolved years later.
Fox News Digital attended a briefing with senior administration officials ahead of the release.
A second incident from the same general area occurred in July 2025, when a witness arrived home and noticed an intense bright light hovering below the tree line behind a residence. According to FBI interviews, the witness described the object as a red sphere roughly one meter in diameter containing a bright white center resembling a basketball-sized "plasma sun."
A second witness separately came outside and reported seeing the same object. FBI records indicate the objects were estimated to be about 30 yards away and 20 feet to 30 feet above the ground.
Both witnesses said a second identical orb later appeared nearby. The objects moved together above the trees, changed altitude and direction, traveled in tandem and eventually appeared to merge into a single object before disappearing from view. The witnesses captured video footage of the sighting, and FBI agents later obtained photographs associated with the investigation.
According to the FBI, multiple reports and videos released through the latest tranche originated from the same general area in the northeastern United States. Law enforcement officials.
Among the most significant cases included in the latest tranche was an unresolved 2023 incident near a sensitive national security site in the western United States involving six federal law enforcement agents who reported observing what they described as glowing orange "mother orbs" releasing smaller red objects into the night sky.
In a newly released assessment, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office said roughly 40% of the reported activity remains unexplained after analysts compared witness accounts against commercial and military flight logs, radar data, spatial estimates and ADS-B records while examining a range of possible explanations, including military aircraft, drones, U.S. government programs, foreign intelligence activity and environmental phenomena.
Analysts concluded military flare activity could plausibly account for a significant portion of the reported observations and assessed foreign adversary technology as highly unlikely, but determined that no single explanation fully accounted for all the reported activity. Investigators said "unrecognized technology" remained a provisional hypothesis for the unexplained portion of the case, while cautioning that the assessment was based primarily on witness testimony rather than technical or physical evidence.
The newly released files include five witness narratives, sketches and a notional map depicting four related incidents investigators grouped under the "Western U.S. Event," including what they labeled "Orbs Launching Orbs," a "Fiery Orb," a "Dark Kite" and a "Translucent Kite." The case is among the most extensively documented unresolved incidents included in the latest tranche.
Among the most unusual incidents in the latest PURSUE tranche was a February 2022 sighting near Colorado Springs, Colorado, in which five U.S. Army personnel reported seeing a shimmering object hovering above Cheyenne Mountain for up to three minutes.
According to witness accounts, the object appeared roughly the size of a large jet and resembled an angular, nonsymmetrical "potato" composed of irregular panels that slowly shifted and changed shape while remaining stationary above the mountain.
PENTAGON’S NEW UFO FILE RELEASE LOGS NEAR-MISS AS ‘SUPER-HEATED’ ORBS APPROACH US HELICOPTER
In a separate FBI interview conducted in 2024, a former Army intelligence officer who witnessed the event described the object as a creamy white, opalescent shape made up of what appeared to be articulating fish-scale-like panels. The witness told investigators the object remained perfectly still while the individual panels appeared to move in slow waves before the object suddenly vanished.
Witnesses estimated the object hovered 300 feet to 500 feet above Cheyenne Mountain before disappearing while they were actively observing it. Pentagon investigators ultimately concluded the sighting may have been caused by sunlight reflecting off snow-covered terrain and illuminating clouds near the mountain, though AARO described that assessment as low confidence because of uncertainty surrounding witness viewing angles, cloud cover and environmental conditions.
Taken together, the Colorado, western and northeastern incidents offer a snapshot of the diverse reports now being published through the Pentagon's PURSUE program, ranging from cases investigators believe may have conventional explanations to incidents that remain unresolved after years of analysis.
The effort has drawn mixed reactions. Transparency advocates have welcomed the publication of records that were previously difficult for the public to access, while some researchers and former officials argue that many of the releases rely heavily on witness testimony and contain limited technical data that would allow independent analysts to verify government conclusions.
Former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick has argued that unresolved cases often remain unresolved because investigators lack sufficient information to reach high-confidence conclusions.
At the same time, neither the Department of War nor AARO has concluded that any of the incidents released through PURSUE constitute evidence of extraterrestrial life, nonhuman intelligence or alien technology.
Government officials have repeatedly emphasized that an unresolved case simply means investigators lack sufficient information to determine a definitive cause. The records released to date document observations, investigations and assessments, but do not establish evidence of extraterrestrial origins.
FBI disrupts alleged explosive-drone plot targeting White House UFC event, officials say
FIRST ON FOX: The FBI and its law enforcement partners disrupted an alleged plot targeting this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., officials told Fox News Digital.
Five people were in custody as of Monday, and investigators identified 23 people as part of a potential network of plotters. The alleged plan involved using explosive-laden drones to hit buildings near the event, force a mass evacuation and steer crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team, officials said.
A "second wave" was then allegedly planned to storm the White House gate, according to officials.
The FBI first learned of the threat on June 10 and worked with partners to secure probable cause for an arrest in Cincinnati, where one suspect was taken into custody.
FROM RALLY GUNFIRE TO WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING, THREATS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE TO MOUNT
Investigators later uncovered Signal chats in which multiple people allegedly discussed attacking the UFC event. An initial review of one suspect’s iPhone identified at least 23 Signal users discussing pre-operational activity, officials said.
Some of those involved allegedly planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 to prepare for the attack.
One suspect allegedly told investigators the goal was to target "capitalist elites," "billionaires" or politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
The investigation stretched across at least 12 FBI field offices.
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FROM RALLY GUNFIRE TO WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING, THREATS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE TO MOUNT
FBI Director Kash Patel credited the FBI, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and law enforcement partners with acting quickly across multiple states to prevent the alleged attack.
"Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold," Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Patel said the operation showed the FBI’s ability to respond quickly when threats emerge.
"While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team," Patel said. "We are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens — particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight. That’s exactly what we did here."
"I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing, and we will continue to update the public as permitted," Patel added.
The alleged plot targeted UFC Freedom 250, a high-profile White House event held on the South Lawn as part of President Donald Trump's 80th birthday weekend.
The event drew an estimated 4,300 attendees, including about 1,200 active-duty service members, as 14 fighters from around the world competed inside a wire-mesh cage Sunday night.
The alleged plot comes amid a growing series of threats and security incidents involving Trump and senior administration officials, fueling heightened concerns about political violence.
Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
Dakota Meyer talks service, blasts controversial design for Global War on Terror Memorial
In an exclusive interview with the Ruthless Podcast, Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer discussed the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House, his personal story of heroism, and blasted the controversial design of a proposed memorial for the Global War on Terrorism.
"If I could sum up the entire night, it was about service," Meyer told the Fellas in an interview released Tuesday morning. "And it was every foundation of this country and what it was founded on. Every fighter in there gave thanks to all the men and women who served. You just saw uniforms everywhere, everybody with American flags," Meyer said of the event.
As a part of the UFC Freedom 250 Heavyweight on Sunday evening, Meyer walked out with fighter Justin Gaethje. The emotional moment of patriotism preceded a technical knockout win for Gaethje over Ilia Topuria for an undisputed lightweight title. The fight, an underdog win for the American Gaethje against a European Topuria, was the main event on the patriotic night.
UFC RING ANNOUNCER BRUCE BUFFER EXPECTS WHITE HOUSE FIGHTS TO BE 'A SPECTACLE' AS EVENT APPROACHES
Sargent Meyer served in the Marines from 2006 to 2010. He received the Medal of Honor for entering an area under enemy fire to rescue wounded soldiers and the bodies of fallen service members. His efforts saved 36 lives, including 13 Americans.
"Here's the reason why I think that story is so important," podcast co-host John Ashbrook said of Meyer’s story. "Because people listen to the show, some of them served, but a lot of them read about it on the news, or they hear a politician say, 'Oh, freedom isn't free,’ or some other like speech that sounds good, and it is good. But, until you hear those words, you don't really understand the sacrifice, and even hearing those words, you don't understand the sacrifices unless you were actually there and doing it."
AS AN ARMY WIDOW, I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW ORDINARY AMERICANS HONORED MY HUSBAND
In the interview, Meyer criticized the design of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial. The circular structure with grass on top is planned to appear on the National Mall in Washington, DC, close to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the proposed spot of the Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
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"All service is the same, but not all sacrifice is the same," Meyer said. "And that looks like some shit that Bernie Sanders would have come up with."
Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) criticized the memorial. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) has said he’s formed a bipartisan and bicameral coalition to prevent the design.
"That was not designed by a veteran," Meyer said. "And if it was designed by a veteran, it was not designed by a veteran, whoever had to sacrifice in the way of being shot at. And I'm not trying to degrade anybody who wasn't shot at, but what I am saying is that. If you set on a fob. And we appreciate everybody's job, but this should represent a sacrifice."
Trump's endorsement power faces crucial tests in closely watched Georgia and Alabama GOP runoff elections
While he isn't on the ballot, President Donald Trump's immense clout over the GOP faces more key tests on Tuesday in high-stakes Republican runoffs in Georgia and Alabama.
Trump-endorsed candidates are fighting in competitive showdowns against Republican rivals for the GOP gubernatorial and Senate nominations in battleground Georgia and for the Senate in solidly red Alabama.
Tuesday's contests in Georgia and Alabama come as Oklahoma and the District of Columbia hold primary elections, and voters in California's 14th Congressional District will vote in a special election to narrow the field of nearly a dozen candidates hoping to fill the seat left vacant when scandal-plagued Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned.
But the biggest spotlight is on Georgia, where Trump made an 11th-hour endorsement this past weekend in the Senate race in Georgia, which is one of a handful of midterm election contests across the country that will decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber.
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Trump endorsed Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion and strong supporter of the president, who is facing off against former college football coach Derek Dooley, who has the support of popular conservative Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
"It's an honor to have that endorsement. It just shows that he has confidence that we know how to win this race, we know we're in the lead in this thing," Collins told Fox News Digital on Sunday, hours after landing Trump's endorsement.
Asked if Trump's endorsement in Georgia came too late to make a difference, Collins said, "I don't think President Trump ever is too late. He has this impeccable ability of putting his thumb right on the scale at the right time with whatever he wants to do."
Dooley, who's running as an outsider, said in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the runoff that the president's backing of his rival "doesn't change how I feel."
THESE MIDTERM RACES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER REPUBLICANS HOLD THEIR SENATE MAJORITY
"I'm honored to have Governor Kemp's endorsement. I certainly would have been honored to have the President's endorsement. But the most important endorsement that I'm fighting for is the people of Georgia," he emphasized.
Collins, who represents Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which is located between Atlanta and Augusta, is the son of the late Rep. Mac Collins, and is the founder and co-owner, along with his wife, of a trucking company.
Dooley, a lawyer, a former University of Tennessee football coach and the son of legendary University of Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley, is strongly backed by Kemp, who is a lifelong friend. The governor and his wife, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, have regularly appeared with Dooley on the campaign trail, and the governor's top political advisor is a senior consultant for Dooley's Senate bid.
Collins and Dooley were the top two finishers in a crowded field of candidates in last month's primary that also included Rep. Buddy Carter. Since no one topped 50%, Collins and Dooley advanced to Tuesday's runoff election.
The winner of the GOP Senate nomination in Georgia will face off in the midterms against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Republicans view Ossoff as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat seeking re-election and are heavily targeting the first-term senator. But while Republicans have been battling for their party's nomination over the past year, Ossoff's built a powerful war chest that will give him a major fundraising advantage as the general election gets underway.
The power of a Trump endorsement is also facing a key test in Georgia's gubernatorial nomination runoff, where Trump last year backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the race to succeed the term-limited Kemp. Jones is battling billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who has dished out over $100 million of his own money on his campaign, in the runoff.
The winner will take on former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served in the Biden administration, in this autumn's general election. Bottoms avoided a runoff by winning a majority of the vote as she topped six other candidates in last month's Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Jones and Jackson were the top two finishers in last month's crowded and competitive GOP gubernatorial primary, which also included state Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Because no candidate topped 50%, Jones and Jackson advanced to the runoff.
Pointing to a tele-rally Trump headlined for him last week, Jones told Fox News Digital: "The president's endorsement carries a lot of weight here in Georgia."
Kemp made a last-minute endorsement on Sunday, backing Jones. And at an event Monday morning, Kemp explained that his mission is "to make sure that we have the best folks at the top of the ticket that can win in November and you know that's why I'm supporting Burt Jones for governor."
"When you think about the direction of the state, the great things that we've been able to do, I think he's best suited to move the state forward," Kemp said. And he warned of the "consequences of not winning, like we'll be going the way of Virginia, New York, California, we just cannot afford to do that."
Jones, a former captain of the University of Georgia football team, an oil executive and heir to the Jones Petroleum Company, served as a state senator before winning election in 2022 as lieutenant governor.
Jackson was unknown to Georgia voters before launching his gubernatorial campaign in February, but thanks to an avalanche of ads, his story of building a business empire despite growing up in foster care and not being able to afford college became well known in the Peach State.
And he's repeatedly highlighted that, like Trump, he's an outsider and businessman. "I'm going to be Trump's favorite governor because we're just alike on the way that we handle business and handle problems, and I want to do exactly in Georgia what he's doing at the federal government," he reiterated in a Fox News Digital interview Sunday.
And on the eve of the runoff, he predicted, "I think people are ready for an outsider. That's what they want, and that's what they're going to vote for. And that's why we're going to win tomorrow."
Jackson also landed a last-minute endorsement, as conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz backed Jackson on Friday and joined him on the campaign trail for a runoff eve rally.
"Rick has an extraordinary record, an extraordinary life story. And I also think he's positioned to win. And the stakes are too high. This election is a battleground all across the country. We can't afford to lose Georgia," Cruz told Fox News.
When Cruz endorsed Jackson on Friday, he also supported South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is facing off in a week against Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.
Asked if he's trying to put some daylight between himself and the president on the campaign trail, Cruz quickly responded, "No. Not remotely....The president and I agree on the vast majority of races. What I try to do in every race is endorse the strongest conservative who can win. And typically I get in races late in the race at a time where my support might be able to make a difference and be helpful."
Jones, on the eve of the Cruz visit, took aim at Jackson.
"He keeps on bringing in these out-of-state senators, and I would much rather have the president's endorsement," he said. "He's having to go out of state to get his support. We're keeping all our stuff in state."
In neighboring Alabama, Trump is supporting Rep. Barry Moore, who is facing off with former Navy SEAL sniper Jared Hudson in the GOP Senate runoff, in the race to succeed Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor this year rather than seeking re-election.
Moore, who founded a waste hauling company and later served as a state lawmaker before first winning election to the U.S. House in 2020, and was one of the first politicians to endorse Trump in 2015 when the president first ran for the White House, is also endorsed by Vice President JD Vance and Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune.
Moore, who represents Alabama's 1st Congressional District, in the southern portion of the state, is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Hudson, running as an outsider, edged out state Attorney General Steve Marshall to advance to the runoff with Moore.
Besides being a combat veteran, Hudson has served as a sheriff’s deputy, firefighter, small business owner and current head of a nonprofit that trains law enforcement in taking out human traffickers.
Hudson was endorsed by then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who is now Trump's Department of Homeland Security secretary, as well as Sen. Tim Sheehy, the National Association for Gun Rights PAC, and conservative activist and media star Riley Gaines.
Moore or Hudson will be considered the clear front-runner in November against the winner of the Democratic runoff between small business owner Dakarai Larriett and attorney and former judge Everett Wess.
In Oklahoma, Trump is backing Mike Mazzei, a former state senator and Oklahoma budget secretary, in the GOP gubernatorial primary in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt.
The president is also supporting minister Jackson Lahmeyer, who founded the group Pastors for Trump, in the Republican primary in the state's 1st Congressional District, in the race to succeed Rep. Kevin Hern, who is running for the Senate.
And in deep blue Washington D.C., the Democratic primary between seven candidates trying to succeed outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser will effectively decide her successor in the District of Columbia.
The brute force of the president's endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month and a half, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.
But Trump's endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped two weeks ago when his 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn't enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.
Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
Trump rebounded last week, as the candidate he endorsed in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination.
Meanwhile, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff.
Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.
America didn’t give Elon Musk a trillion dollars. He earned every penny
When SpaceX went public on June 12 and Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire on paper, the predictable reactions arrived almost immediately. Some viewed the milestone as a symbol of everything wrong with modern capitalism. Others celebrated it as the ultimate entrepreneurial success story.
Both sides are missing the bigger picture.
The most important aspect of Elon Musk becoming the first trillionaire is not the size of his fortune. It is the fact that his journey could only have happened in a country that continues to reward innovation, risk-taking and the freedom to pursue ideas that most people initially dismiss as impossible.
In 1992, Musk arrived in the United States as a young immigrant pursuing educational and entrepreneurial opportunities. Few could have imagined that three decades later he would build a collection of companies that would transform industries ranging from payments and transportation to aerospace, communications and artificial intelligence.
LAURA INGRAHAM HAILS ELON MUSK'S SPACEX IPO AS AMERICAN INGENUITY CHANGING THE WORLD
That achievement deserves closer examination because history is filled with wealthy individuals. What makes Musk different is not simply the amount of money he has accumulated. It is the breadth of what he has built.
Many entrepreneurs spend their entire careers attempting to create a single successful company. Musk helped build PayPal, which fundamentally changed digital payments. He then used much of his fortune to pursue ventures that many investors considered reckless. Tesla challenged a century-old automotive industry and accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles worldwide.
SpaceX dramatically lowered the cost of launching payloads into space while accomplishing feats that many believed only governments could achieve. Starlink is bringing internet connectivity to remote regions around the globe. Neuralink and his artificial intelligence initiatives continue to push the boundaries of what many thought possible.
WARREN, SANDERS CRITICIZE ELON MUSK'S TRILLIONAIRE STATUS
Whether one agrees with Musk politically is beside the point. The remarkable aspect of his story is that he repeatedly identified opportunities where others saw obstacles. He consistently pursued industries that incumbents considered untouchable and entered arenas where failure seemed far more likely than success.
That is where America enters the story.
The United States remains one of the few places in the world where an entrepreneur with a compelling vision can access capital, recruit talent, challenge established competitors and attempt to build something revolutionary. Our system is far from perfect, but it continues to provide a level of economic freedom that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.
TO THE MARKET MOON: SPACEX MAKES HISTORY
Musk's success is not evidence that capitalism is broken. It is evidence that capitalism continues to reward individuals who create extraordinary value.
Critics often focus exclusively on the outcome. They see a trillion-dollar net worth and immediately ask whether anyone should possess that much wealth. A more productive question is how that wealth was created in the first place.
Musk did not become a trillionaire by inheriting a dominant corporation or benefiting from a protected monopoly. His fortune is largely tied to companies that investors voluntarily assigned value because they believe those businesses have changed the world and will continue doing so in the future. How many people has Musk employed along the way? How much payroll tax has he paid into our system? And how many millionaires has Musk made just by their being employed by his companies?
SPACEX EMPLOYEES REACT TO COMPANY'S IPO
The reality is that wealth on this scale is generally the byproduct of solving significant problems. Tesla forced legacy automakers to accelerate innovation. SpaceX transformed commercial spaceflight and strengthened America's leadership in space exploration. Starlink has provided communications infrastructure in places where traditional networks could not reach.
None of those achievements were guaranteed. In fact, several came perilously close to failure. Musk has spoken openly about periods when both Tesla and SpaceX were on the brink of collapse. Most entrepreneurs would have retreated. He doubled down.
That willingness to endure failure, criticism and uncertainty may be the most important lesson in his story.
THE AMERICAN DREAM ISN’T DEAD, BUT EACH ONE OF US NEEDS TO HELP IT TO THRIVE
At a time when many Americans question whether the American Dream still exists, Musk's rise offers a compelling reminder of what the dream was always meant to represent. It was never a promise of wealth. It was never a guarantee of success. It was the freedom to pursue ambitious goals, the opportunity to take risks and the ability to build something meaningful regardless of where you started.
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Elon Musk's trillion-dollar milestone will generate headlines around the world. Yet the more enduring story is not about a net worth figure. It is about a country that still allows exceptional individuals to pursue exceptional ideas.
For all of America's imperfections, it remains one of the few places on earth where a young immigrant can arrive in this country with talent, ambition and an unconventional vision and eventually build companies that reshape the future.
That is not merely Elon Musk's story.
It is America's story as well.
LIZ PEEK: Elon Musk’s well-deserved win causes the zero-sum left to freak out
Americans are cheering the extraordinary achievements of Elon Musk, who through sheer grit and brilliance has powered the United States to the forefront of the space race. Musk’s revolutionary vision of reusable rockets has created a company that dominates global satellite communications and leads space exploration, putting within reach the ability to put data centers into orbit and create a human colony on the moon or perhaps eventually on Mars. In the process, Musk has become the world’s first trillionaire.
As Musk said the day he sold a stake in SpaceX to the public: "That’s what SpaceX is all about – it’s to take the fiction out of science fiction and create an exciting, inspiring future for everyone."
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are not excited or inspired. The multi-millionaire senators and their leftist collaborators are seething, offended beyond comprehension that a single individual has become so rich. They view Musk’s record-setting sale of equity in SpaceX and accumulation of wealth as an indictment of our capitalist society, though they have yet to explain how anyone has been injured by the entrepreneur’s success.
Indeed, they ignore the fabulous wealth that Musk has created for SpaceX employees: with the company’s initial public offering last week, some 4,400 workers at the company reportedly became millionaires overnight, and some 400 are now each worth more than $100 million. Those institutions that invested early on, including the University of North Carolina system, the University of Virginia and Washington University in St. Louis, have also benefited from early investments in SpaceX. While the investment committees at universities like Harvard and Columbia were focused on divesting companies producing fossil fuels or businesses with ties to Israel, some schools made a ton of money betting on Musk.
The Warren-Sanders crowd also ignores the gigantic benefit of providing cheap internet access to hundreds of millions of people around the world, which Musk’s Starlink has done. As Bill Ackman posted on X: "Access to low-cost, high speed communications everywhere will allow children around the world to be educated, families to build businesses, and life-saving medical knowledge and care to be available everywhere."
Ackman’s post was in response to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the perpetually angry scold of U.S. exceptionalism, who claimed on X (ironically, another Musk-owned firm) that Musk’s wealth is a "call to action to take on the unprecedented income and wealth inequality that now exists and the greed and power of a ruling class that is destroying the social fabric of America." That’s the same Bernie Sanders who has accumulated millions of dollars while in public service and travels around the country via private jet spouting socialism.
If anyone is rending our social fabric, it is those destroying accountability through dumbing down law enforcement and border protections, encouraging antisemitism with bogus campaigns against Israel and undermining our public schools, denying (especially) minority kids of sharing in the American Dream. The Left has much to account for.
Democrats live in a zero-sum world. If someone becomes wealthy, they imagine it comes at the expense of someone else. California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on X: "Americans are struggling to pay for groceries and gas while Elon Musk becomes a TRILLIONAIRE." Did Musk drive up the cost of bread? Was he behind the massive welfare fraud and out-of-control spending that threatens California’s economy and helps make it one of the most expensive places on earth to live?
The fact that Elon Musk has created tens of thousands of jobs, put electric cars on the map, and developed Neuralink, which uses advanced technology to allow people to control computers and robotic arms with their thoughts, allowing hope for those with spinal injuries, for instance, is irrelevant.
Socialists don’t celebrate success and innovation, they celebrate mediocrity. Their policies do not aim to build wealth, but to redistribute it from producers to non-producers. Giving the government more control over the economy breeds inefficiency and corruption, and removed the incentives for individuals to innovate and create.
In all of world history, there is not a single socialist country that has succeeded. Venezuela and Mexico are excellent examples of once-prosperous countries that have been plundered by leftists taking over the economy, countries where poverty is rampant and innovation nowhere to be seen. European countries that adopted socialist taxation and embraced big government solutions to healthcare and climate change have changed direction as voters tired of their stagnant economies and limited opportunities.
Sweden, long championed by the Bernie Sanders crowd for its collectivist approach, ditched socialism in 1976 when Astrid Lindgren, beloved author of the Pippi Longstocking books, discovered that her country's tax code was forcing her to pay a marginal tax of more than 100 percent on her income. For every extra hundred dollars she earned, she had to pay the state $102. In response, Lindgren wrote a scorching satirical fairytale, "Pomperipossa in Monismania," about an author forced to pay exorbitant taxes. It ignited a furious debate over Sweden's tax policies and resulted in the ouster of the Social Democratic party for the first time in more than 40 years. Last year, in Bolivia, the ruling leftwing party Movimiento al Socialismo was voted out of office for the first time in 20 years, with voters rebelling against inflation at 40-year-highs of 25%, depleted foreign currency reserves and shortages of fuel and medicine.
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Note to Bernie: socialism doesn’t work. Capitalism does. It’s that simple. As reported in the New York Sun, "At a 2019 CBS town hall, Mr. Sanders was pressed about joining the "millionaire class" that he long railed against. "I wrote a best-selling book," he said of his newfound wealth. "If you write a best-selling book, you can be a millionaire, too." Wasn’t this "the definition of capitalism" and "the American Dream," he was asked in a subsequent town hall on Fox News.
"What we want," Mr. Sanders said, "is a country where everybody has opportunity."
That "everybody" includes Elon Musk. Thank God he chose America for that very reason.