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Ravens acquire Jacoby Brissett from Cardinals after injuries to both Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley: report
The Baltimore Ravens have help on the way.
After superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler "Snoop" Huntley suffered injuries in the team’s 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Ravens are acquiring quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the Arizona Cardinals, according to ESPN. Because the Ravens play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, the trade will not be finalized until the weekend, according to the report.
The Ravens will start undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano on Thursday night against the Jaguars, but even he isn’t fully healthy. Fagnano suffered an ankle injury and was listed as limited on Monday’s estimated practice report but was upgraded to a full participant on Tuesday.
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While Fagnano will start on Thursday, Brissett is expected to make his Ravens debut when they play the Los Angeles Chargers on "Monday Night Football" in Week 10. In place of Jackson and Huntley, Fagnano completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards and an interception.
Brissett started all eight games for the Cardinals before being benched for Gardner Minshew II with Arizona trailing 17-3 in the third quarter of its 33-30 comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys in overtime.
With Brissett at the helm, the Cardinals were 2-5 this season. He completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,719 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
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The Ravens will be the seventh team he has played for, and Baltimore hopes Brissett can keep the team in the playoff race.
With their loss to the Bills on Sunday, the Ravens dropped to 4-4 and fell to last place in the AFC North. Jackson suffered a thumb injury that may potentially require season-ending surgery, while Huntley has a turf toe injury.
The Ravens head into their matchup against the 5-2 Jaguars as massive underdogs with Fagnano as the starting quarterback. Baltimore hosts Jacksonville at 8:15 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday.
Fox News/NORC Study: Voters look to 2028 focused on the economy
After the midterm elections, attention will turn to the 2028 race for the White House. What is on voters’ minds as they look ahead to the next presidential election?
Most Republicans want the next president to follow President Donald Trump’s policies, if not his style. Nearly 4 in 10 MAGA Republicans want Trump’s successor to emulate both, and about half want the next president to follow his policies alone. Non-MAGA Republicans are less enthusiastic: 45% want his policies to continue, but only about 15% of non-MAGA Republicans want a president with the same style.
Independents prefer something entirely different: 6 in 10 want the next president to break with both Trump’s policies and his style. Likewise, few Democrats want to see either his style or his policies repeated.
Even as the Democrats have won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and Trump finds his approval rating at 39%, a bloc of voters remains loyal to the president and is likely to influence the 2028 campaign. While half of voters want a successor who does not emulate his style or follow his policies, 26% want a president who will carry on his policies, and another 12% want the next president to copy his policies and his style.
Looking ahead, voters across party lines say improving economic conditions is the most important issue for the country to address over the next five years. Six in 10 voters feel they are holding steady financially while about 3 in 10 feel they are falling behind. Few, about 1 in 10 voters, feel they are getting ahead financially. Voters who describe their own financial situation as less than satisfactory, or say they are falling behind, are more likely to name the economy as the top issue.
What should tonight’s winners prioritize once sworn into office? When asked which of the following is most important for newly elected officials to work on first in 2027, 3 in 10 voters want elected officials to address grocery costs. About 2 in 10 want action on gas prices, and a similar share say they should work on healthcare and prescription drug costs.
Slightly fewer are concerned about housing costs, while about 1 in 10 want officials to address electricity and other utility costs.
Voters are closely divided on whether the country can look forward to better days or if the good days are behind us. And it’s linked to how they’re feeling financially. About two-thirds of those who say they are getting ahead financially are optimistic about the future. However, about two-thirds of voters who are falling behind financially think the country’s best days are in the past.
Beyond the economy, priorities diverge. About 1 in 5 Democrats point to access to affordable healthcare, while about a similar share of Republicans say protecting individuals from government overreach is the top issue. About 1 in 10 independents say the country should address the affordability of healthcare, and about the same share say government overreach.
Voters are divided over AI’s effect on the U.S. economy during the next 10 years. About 4 in 10 say it will be harmful, while 3 in 10 expect benefits. About 1 in 10 expect AI to make no difference while slightly more, about 2 in 10, are unsure. About 4 in 10 expect AI to negatively affect the environment and the arts and entertainment industry.
About half of voters want substantial changes in how the country is run. Party identification shapes how much change voters want and which branches of government they think most need reform. Democrats are about three times as likely as Republicans to want complete and total upheaval of how the country is run. Half of democratic socialists favor complete and total upheaval, compared with about 1 in 10 MAGA Republicans.
In the 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis conducted for the presidential election, most Republican voters said they wanted substantial change or total upheaval. Now, with a Republican in the White House and their party controlling both houses of Congress, they are less eager for major change.
FOX NEWS VOTER POLL: HOW DEMOCRATS TOOK CONTROL OF THE SENATE
Overall, 4 in 10 voters think Congress should be substantially reformed, including three-quarters of MAGA Republicans and half of non-MAGA Republicans. Democrats are less likely to say Congress needs reform, but half say the executive branch should be improved. Few voters in either party want changes to the Constitution. Democrats are more likely than Republicans or independents to say the Supreme Court needs reform.
Voters across party lines support term limits for Congress and Supreme Court justices. Democrats favor abolishing the Electoral College, but Republicans and independents are less enthusiastic. Most Republicans support limiting mail voting to people physically unable to vote in person. MAGA Republicans are more supportive of limiting mail voting than non-MAGA Republicans (63% vs 40%). Democrats oppose the idea, regardless of whether they support the Democratic Socialists of America.
AMERICANS CLASH OVER SUPREME COURT EXPANSION AS FIGHT OVER 9 JUSTICES HEATS UP: ‘LET’S PACK IT NOW’
The expansion of artificial intelligence has triggered some public backlash against AI data centers. Voters are divided on whether AI will help or hurt during the next 10 years. More Democrats say the technology will be harmful while more Republicans expect benefits.
Among Republican voters, MAGA Republicans are more enthusiastic about AI than non-MAGA Republicans. Forty-five percent of MAGA Republicans believe AI will help the U.S. to compete with other countries and another 4 in 10 feel AI will do more to help the economy.
Among Democrat voters, supporters of democratic socialism and those who do not support the movement are similarly likely to feel AI will help aspects of American society. However, supporters of democratic socialism are more likely than other Democrats to feel AI will do more to hurt than help.
Overall, 6 in 10 voters are extremely or very concerned about the effect of data centers on the price of utilities in the communities where they are being built. About half are concerned about the effect of data centers on pollution of natural resources, land development, or the health of the local population, regardless of whether they live near a data center. Democrats are more concerned about the effects of data centers than Republican voters, again regardless of their proximity to the facilities.
Voters across party lines support requiring companies to pay for electric grid upgrades needed for their data centers, increasing government regulation of AI, and limiting AI in schools. Most Democrats and independents oppose building a data center in their community. Most voters also oppose local construction, whether their county already has a data center.
AMERICA’S MULTI-BILLION TECH BOOM COMES INTO FOCUS AS 7 KEY STATES PUT IT TO A MIDTERM TEST
The economy is a top issue for most voters, yet 4 in 10 say they could support a candidate whose economic views differ from their own.
After the economy and jobs, nearly 6 in 10 voters see healthcare as an important issue, and about 6 in 10 would not support a candidate who disagrees with them on healthcare policy. About half could not back a candidate whose views on Israel and the Palestinians differ from theirs. Overall, about 6 in 10 say they could never support a candidate they disagree with on abortion, guns, or immigration.
Explore the results here: https://civichealth.norc.org/crosstabs.html
The NORC Civic Health & Elections Project (CH&EP) is a national survey of registered voters conducted October 26 through November 3, 2026 with 113,020 interviews. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The margin of sampling error for the national sample, including the design effect, was ±0.5 percentage points for voters and ±1.2 percentage points for nonvoters. Margins of sampling error for individual states and subgroups vary based on sample size.
Whoopi Goldberg warns Democrats to 'take care of business' after midterm wins
"The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg warned Democrats on Wednesday after they regained control of both chambers of Congress that they need to "take care of business."
"A note to the Democrats, we put you in to take care of business. We don’t want to know what your back-biting fighting is, we don’t want to hear it. You can kvetch at each other after you take care of the people’s business," Goldberg said.
Democrats recaptured majorities in the House and Senate in Tuesday's midterm elections, riding a massive blue wave that will give them control of both chambers in January 2027.
STATE OF PLAY: BLUE WAVE SWEEPS DEMOCRATS INTO POWER, WITH KEY RACES STILL HANGING IN BALANCE
The co-hosts also interviewed Democratic Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico during the show, after he flipped a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat.
Talarico told the co-hosts that he wanted to work with President Donald Trump to provide some "affordability crisis relief" to Texans, suggesting a suspension of federal gasoline and diesel taxes.
"I want to work with both parties, I want to work with President Trump to try to provide some relief to working Texans in the middle of this affordability crisis," he said. "I think we could suspend the federal gas tax and the federal diesel tax. That would provide some immediate relief at the pump for working families. Everybody, when you fill up your tank, you are paying a hidden tax, and this federal gas tax, if we suspend it, it could drop the price of gas by 18 cents a gallon immediately."
"And I know that’s not everything, we’re not going to be able to get the prices lower until we end this disastrous war in Iran, but it could provide necessary relief in the short term for the hard-working families in our state," Talarico added.
TRUMP'S GAMBLE ON KEN PAXTON BACKFIRES AS DEMOCRAT PULLS OFF HISTORIC TEXAS SENATE UPSET
At the end of the interview, Goldberg told Talarico, "Senator-elect, congratulations, man. We were thrilled with your win, you are where you should be."
"Whoopi let her excitement get the better of her. It’s another instance of ABC’s purported ‘bona fide news program’ boldly saying the quiet part out loud and admitting that the show is 100 percent meant to be [a] vector to push Democratic Party propaganda to the American people to influence elections," the Media Research Center's NewsBusters associate editor Nicholas Fondacaro told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"In the months and weeks leading up to the midterms, 'The View' was actively telling people to not only vote for Democrats but also vote for specific candidates like James Talarico. The use of the public broadcast spectrum to electioneer for a party or candidate by a licensee is a violation of federal regulations," he continued. "The View and ABC were already under intense scrutiny from the FCC before Whoopi’s comments and they’re likely to be used against the network in any potential action by the commission."
ABC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Talarico also expressed a willingness to work with Trump during an interview on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast, released Monday.
"I would love, as the next U.S. senator from Texas, to work with Donald Trump to actually fulfill some of the promise of his political project," Talarico told host Steven Bartlett.
"The promise of MAGA was that we were going to transform this government so that it delivered for the people who have been left behind, the people who have been forgotten in this country. And there's still time to do that," Talarico continued.
The co-hosts of "The View" agreed with comments from former Vice President Kamala Harris during a podcast appearance last month, saying that Democrats should not pursue impeachment proceedings against Trump if they won control of Congress.
"In terms of Trump, no, I don't think that's what should be on the agenda," co-host Sunny Hostin said. "Hakeem Jeffries — who I believe will be the next speaker of the House, after November — he has a plan for 100 days, which includes tax credits, taking care of the tax credits, limiting ICE and also stock trades."
"And then he's got a plan for the first 100 hours, which would include, you know, just undoing a lot of unpopular Trump policies. So, I think there is a plan in place that Democrats have, and it may not include impeaching Trump," she added.
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Co-host Ana Navarro agreed, arguing that Democrats would be limited in what they could accomplish with Trump in the White House, saying that she was "completely against impeachment."
Eagles bench Tanner McKee for Joe Milton two days after giving him vote of confidence: report
The Philadelphia Eagles hope Joe Milton can help make things sunny again.
The Eagles are making a quarterback change, as they have benched struggling backup Tanner McKee in favor of Milton, according to ESPN. McKee has started the last three games for the Eagles after Jalen Hurts was ruled out for the season with blood clots, and Philadelphia has lost all three.
The quarterback change is relatively surprising because head coach Nick Sirianni gave McKee a vote of confidence on Monday.
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"Tanner’s our guy. We’re not making any changes there," Sirianni told reporters on Monday.
He said the team was committed to finding solutions, as the Eagles have lost their last six games after beginning the season 2-0. Sirianni said whether the issue is scheme, execution or a mental error, responsibility falls on the coaches.
Just two days after those comments, the Eagles made the switch to Milton. Philadelphia signed Milton off the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad on Oct. 16, and Sirianni has praised his work ethic.
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"Yeah, I think he's worked really hard. Him and (quarterback coach Parks Frazier) have spent a ton of time together, getting him caught up to speed. I know the developmental periods, those always help to be able to run our plays. He works extremely hard, he’s always in the building doing the extra things and yeah, I like his progression."
Milton began his career with the New England Patriots after being selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. He spent one season with the Patriots before being traded to the Cowboys, where he served as Dak Prescott's backup in 2025.
Milton has appeared in five games, with his only full-game appearance coming in a meaningless contest for the Patriots in 2024. Against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18, he completed 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.
In four games with the Cowboys last season, he completed 15 of 24 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Milton will be the fourth quarterback to throw a pass for the Eagles this season alongside Hurts, McKee and Andy Dalton. The Eagles released Dalton after he threw an interception on his lone pass during the team's loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Eagles hope he can provide a spark when they play the New York Giants (4-2-1) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Former NFL QB Duck Hodges says marrying country star gave friends 'false hope' about landing Ella Langley date
Who could forget when the news broke that legendary backup quarterback Devlin "Duck" Hodges was dating Lainey Wilson, who at the time was labeled as having country music's biggest butt.
That's an honor that has since passed her by. It was more than three years ago now that the months of speculation had finally come to an end. The retired football player and the country star have since married.
Duck is now the supportive husband of one of the biggest stars in country music and an inspiration to his buddies who want him to set them up with his wife's friend Ella Langley.
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During a recent appearance on the "Game Runs Deep" podcast, he shared how he's given some of his friends false hope when it comes to their chances of landing a date with Ella Langley.
ELLA LANGLEY GOES VIRAL AFTER SHUTTING DOWN FAN WHO ASKED HER ON A DATE
"Some of my friends, they'll get with me, and they'll be like, 'Dude, set me up with Ella, or set me up with somebody,'" Duck said. "And I felt bad because I gave all these guys false hope that if I did it, they can do it."
Who are these friends of his? Ella is on top of country music right now and unless any of these guys had a run like he had with the Steelers during "Duck Mania," do they really think they have a shot?
Not to discourage love or shooting your shot from full court. Hey, sometimes those shots go in. I get you think it's worth a shot if you're boys with Duck to at least throw it out there.
I say go for it, but don't expect to land a date with one of the singers on top of country music by hitting up Duck Hodges. He's got his own thing going right now. Not everyone is able to land a Lainey Wilson through mutual friends.
Hegseth's future draws ominous predictions from insiders after GOP losses, but Trump isn't budging yet
President Donald Trump stood by War Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday, saying he was doing "a very good job" even as current and former administration figures continued to question how long the Pentagon chief could remain in his post after Republicans’ bruising midterm losses.
"I think he’s doing a very good job," Trump said Wednesday when asked by the media whether he was considering replacing Hegseth.
The public support came a day after Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, setting the stage for a shift in power on Capitol Hill in January.
The Iran war and its economic fallout loomed large in the election, with Hegseth among the administration's most vocal advocates for the campaign. His future remains the subject of speculation among current and former administration figures despite Trump's public backing.
TRUMP PLEDGES TO VETO 'INSANE' DEM BILLS, PINPOINTS ISSUE PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR REPUBLICAN LOSSES
A White House official told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the election results "would have looked very different without the Iran War." The official predicted Trump would ultimately hold Hegseth, a former Fox News host, accountable, saying, "That will play out in the lame duck."
"Hegseth is on the chopping block," a former White House staffer told Fox News Digital later Tuesday of Hegseth's future.
An administration official said there were "signs" Hegseth could be ousted but added that "Trump can turn on a dime." The official said the possibility had been discussed for some time, though "only Trump knows what he’s gonna do."
"It was clear Bessent became the go-to after Pete couldn't deliver an Iran victory," the source said, referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the sanctions campaign against Iran known as Operation Economic Outcast.
Beyond the Iran war, Hegseth also championed a plan to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major who killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009. The proposal drew bipartisan backlash before Trump ultimately scrapped the livestream, while leaving Hasan's execution in place.
A foreign policy source with ties to Hegseth expressed doubt to Fox News Digital that the secretary will remain in the job through the end of the year. The source said Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment push could force Republicans eyeing 2028 re-election bids to "saddle themselves with a pro-Hegseth vote."
GOP SEN THOM TILLIS URGES TRUMP TO REPLACE PETE HEGSETH, BLASTS PENTAGON LEADERSHIP
Hegseth has faced criticism over his prominent role in the Iran war, which has continued to generate political and economic fallout long after the White House's initial three- to four-week timeline. He was among the administration's most vocal defenders of the campaign, declaring in March that the U.S. was carrying out "our retribution" against Iran.
Although sustained U.S. strikes have ended, tensions with Tehran remain unresolved with lingering concerns about Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities and the possibility of renewed military action.
Renewed U.S. military strikes against Iran remain under serious consideration by the White House, sources told Fox News Digital.
That possibility could weigh against an immediate change at the Pentagon. Installing new leadership as the administration considers renewed military operations would create uncertainty at a critical moment, while Hegseth has already demonstrated a willingness to move quickly in carrying out Trump's military directives.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital Hegseth remains "100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office."
"Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists," Parnell said.
"The Department of War has followed the law, and our secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops and protect America. We will continue to drive President Trump’s agenda at the Department of War despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats."
Democrats have signaled that Hegseth will be a focus of the incoming Congress. Before the election, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would "run Pete Hegseth out of town" if they won the House. Democrats have also discussed investigations into the Iran war and Pentagon leadership, with impeachment among the options.
Scrutiny from Democrats could keep Hegseth and the war he has championed at the center of the administration’s political troubles.
Massie, R-Ky., has separately vowed to force a vote on his impeachment resolution during the lame-duck session if Hegseth remains in office.
DEM FLIPS KEY SENATE SEAT IN BATTLEGROUND NORTH CAROLINA AS COOPER DEFEATS TRUMP ALLY
As war secretary, Hegseth pushed sweeping changes to military culture, including banning transgender service members; eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs; and imposing uniform combat fitness standards for men and women. He also sought to overhaul the Pentagon bureaucracy by consolidating Army commands, cutting senior military leadership and expanding the use of artificial intelligence and advanced weapons technology.
His tenure has also been marked by controversy, including the sharing of sensitive details about planned strikes against Houthi militants in Signal chats that inadvertently included a journalist. Internal infighting, leak investigations and the dismissal of several top aides have fueled scrutiny, though Trump has repeatedly defended his leadership.
The political pressure on Hegseth echoes a past moment when midterm losses and an unpopular war put a defense secretary’s future in question.
On Nov. 8, 2006, President George W. Bush announced Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation, one day after Republicans suffered major midterm election losses amid growing criticism of the Iraq War.
JUSTIN HASKINS: 3 huge reasons Republicans lost. Here’s what they need to win in 2028
The 2026 midterm elections are over, and Republicans have some serious questions to answer. Political strategists and pundits will undoubtedly spend weeks debating what went wrong, who deserves the blame and what the results mean for the 2028 presidential election. But the biggest lessons of this election should already be clear.
Three major failures have left Republicans vulnerable, and unless conservatives address them soon, the political consequences could extend far beyond this election.
JASON CHAFFETZ: FIVE TIMELESS POLITICAL LESSONS THAT GOT LOST IN 2026
The first and perhaps most important problem is that Republicans have failed to offer Americans an exciting, ambitious vision for the future.
Whatever you think about socialists and their radical proposals, there’s no denying that they have a grand vision for transforming society. They promise to fundamentally remake the economy, restructure major institutions and create an entirely different kind of America.
THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE. YOUNG AMERICANS ARE FALLING IN LOVE … WITH SOCIALISM
Where is the conservative alternative?
Ask the average Republican politician what America would look like if conservatives achieved all their political goals and you’ll probably hear something about lowering taxes and securing the border.
Those are certainly important objectives, but they hardly constitute the kind of sweeping, transformative vision that can inspire millions of Americans, especially younger voters.
MORE AMERICANS THAN EVER NOW HAVE A POSITIVE VIEW OF SOCIALISM, NEW POLL SAYS
Conservatives desperately need their own version of a political utopia, a radical vision of a better future that goes far beyond simply opposing whatever new proposal Democrats introduce.
Imagine an America in which small businesses and families, rather than politically connected corporations, are the primary beneficiaries of tax and regulatory policy.
Imagine a country where taxes are low and flat, where federal spending has been dramatically reduced, where innovation and entrepreneurship flourish, and where ordinary Americans have far greater control over their economic futures.
AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI
Perhaps most importantly, imagine a society in which the federal government has relinquished enormous amounts of power to state and local governments, allowing Americans with vastly different political and cultural values to live in communities that reflect their own priorities.
Such a transformation would allow Americans to pursue dramatically different visions of the good life without constantly fighting over which ideology should control the federal government.
DOUG SCHOEN: THE BIGGEST WINNER AND THE BIGGEST LOSER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS
This is the kind of ambitious, exciting vision that conservatism should be advancing. Unfortunately, far too many Republican politicians seem more interested in tinkering around the edges of an increasingly dysfunctional federal government than fundamentally transforming it.
The second major problem is that Republicans failed to solve the affordability crisis that helped propel President Donald Trump back into the White House in 2024.
For millions of Americans, the most important political issue has been the rising cost of housing, food, energy and other necessities. Prices skyrocketed during the Biden administration, leaving families struggling to maintain their standard of living.
BILLIONS SPENT BY KEY FEDERAL AGENCY HASN'T MADE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP ANY EASIER: REPORT
Trump and Republicans promised to fix these problems, and although they have made some progress, the affordability crisis remains largely unresolved.
Consider housing.
According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s seasonally adjusted Purchase-Only House Price Index, home prices increased 54% between January 2020 and December 2024.
From January 2025 through August 2026, the most recent month for which data are available, home prices increased another 2.8%.
That’s a significant improvement over the previous administration, but it’s a far cry from returning prices to their pre-pandemic levels.
And home prices are only part of the affordability equation. Mortgage interest rates remain high, dramatically increasing the cost of financing a home purchase. The combination of historically elevated home prices and expensive mortgages has made homeownership increasingly difficult for millions of Americans, especially younger families trying to purchase their first home.
The same basic problem exists throughout much of the economy. The rate of inflation might be lower than it was during the Biden administration, but that does little to help families who are still paying dramatically more for everyday necessities than they were just a few years ago.
To their credit, Trump and congressional Republicans have implemented important reforms that should help improve the economy over time, including substantial deregulation, pro-energy policies and legislation making major provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.
Unfortunately, they have also wasted valuable time pursuing or considering big-government policies, including additional corporate subsidies and federal ownership stakes in private companies.
Even more troubling, Republicans have continued running enormous federal budget deficits.
Excessive deficit-financed government spending can contribute to inflation by increasing demand without producing a corresponding increase in the supply of goods and services. When demand grows faster than supply, prices tend to rise.
With the help of billionaire Elon Musk, the Trump administration attempted to impose steep spending cuts through its new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). But Democrats and countless media outlets successfully and dishonestly undermined that effort, and congressional Republicans took the bait. Rather than cut spending, Republicans continued to add to America’s ballooning national debt. In fiscal year 2026, the deficit hit $1.99 trillion, and it will likely be even worse next year.
The solution requires a much more aggressive approach: dramatically reducing federal spending, pursuing policies that sustainably lower borrowing costs and interest rates, and eliminating regulatory barriers that prevent businesses from expanding the supply of important goods and services, especially housing and energy.
The third major problem is the Trump administration’s handling of the war in Iran.
Regardless of whether you support the war, there’s little question that Trump failed to convince large numbers of Americans that the conflict should be among the nation’s highest priorities.
That failure was particularly damaging because the war created significant divisions within Trump’s own political coalition.
Some conservatives strongly supported military action against Iran, believing it was necessary to protect American interests and prevent future threats. Others questioned whether another prolonged Middle Eastern conflict was consistent with the priorities Trump campaigned on.
These disagreements were always going to create political challenges. But during an election year, when Republicans desperately needed a unified political coalition, they were especially costly.
The situation was made even worse by the economic consequences of the conflict.
Higher gasoline and energy prices placed additional pressure on Americans already struggling with the affordability crisis. Meanwhile, the fighting continued far longer than the administration initially suggested it would.
For voters who supported Trump because they wanted Washington to focus on the problems facing Americans at home, the prolonged conflict undoubtedly raised difficult questions about the administration’s priorities.
None of this necessarily means the war was unjustified or that military action was the wrong decision. There are serious arguments on both sides of that debate.
But when a president commits the country to a major military conflict, especially one with significant economic consequences, he must convince Americans that the sacrifices are necessary and that the objectives are worth pursuing.
Ultimately, the lessons of the 2026 midterms extend far beyond the question of which political party controls Congress.
America is approaching another consequential presidential election, and the ideological battles that will shape the country’s future are only becoming more important.
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If conservatives don’t want socialist and progressive policies to dominate the 2028 election, they need to begin making sweeping changes to their messaging and policymaking immediately.
That means developing an inspiring vision for America’s future, delivering meaningful improvements in affordability and ensuring that government priorities reflect the concerns of ordinary Americans.
Progressives fume at Hakeem Jeffries for saying Democrats won't 'get even' with Trump
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., drew progressive criticism Wednesday after saying Democrats should focus on lowering costs following their midterm victories instead of getting "even" with the Trump administration.
"The American people don't want us to get even; they want us to get things done on their behalf because life is way too expensive," Jeffries said on MS NOW's "Morning Joe." "We ran on affordability. We won on affordability, and now it's our job to govern on affordability."
Many progressives want Democrats, now that they will have majorities in the House and Senate, to launch investigations into President Donald Trump, his family and government officials.
Princeton historian Kevin Kruse criticized Jeffries, who is poised to become the next speaker of the House, while sharing a separate House Oversight Democrats post warning, "Lawyer up."
HILLARY CLINTON WARNS DEMS MAY SQUANDER MIDTERM VICTORY IF THEY FAIL TO STAY FOCUSED AFTER ELECTION
"As disheartening as Jeffries' comments were, remember that other House Democrats actually understand the moment and are ready to meet it," Kruse said in a Bluesky post.
University of Michigan education professor Ebony Elizabeth Thomas also rejected Jeffries' framing, describing accountability as a matter of justice.
"I say this with all love, Brother Leader Jeffries: No," Thomas said in a post responding to the clip. "And it's not (just) retribution. It's restorative justice."
The Oversight Committee is expected to be chaired by Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who was featured in the video put out by the committee's Democrats.
Progressive commentator Brian Tyler Cohen said delivering for voters and investigating abuses of power should work together.
"As content creators, we hear from huge, diverse audiences, and they all want the same thing: a government that works for them, lower costs, leaders who listen and accountability when people abuse their power," he said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Delivering results and pursuing accountability go hand in hand, provided investigations follow the evidence and serve the public.
"Creators helped people get involved in this election, and we're going to keep those conversations going, helping audiences stay informed and judge whether their elected leaders are delivering."
‘LAWYER UP’: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS WASTE NO TIME IN SETTING SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE AFTER MIDTERM SWEEP
The discussion followed Democrats' early warnings about using their anticipated investigative powers.
Jeffries also addressed accountability during Wednesday's interview, saying Democrats should pursue facts, apply the law and follow the Constitution while holding wrongdoers responsible.
In an August CNN interview, he identified the Judiciary and Oversight committees as taking the lead on accountability. He declined to rule impeachment in or out.
"As we’ve done in the past, whenever there have been moments of accountability that we’ve had to lead on, we are guided by three principles: follow the facts, apply the law and be guided by the United States Constitution," Jeffries said.
The White House said Trump remained willing to work with Democrats while criticizing the prospect of investigations targeting his administration.
"As the president has said, he's willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans. If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people," White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.
NEW YORK TIMES GLEEFUL OVER DEMOCRATS' HUGE MIDTERM VICTORIES, SAYS IT'S TIME TO ‘FEEL PRIDE’
A White House official separately warned that the administration retained federal powers as Democrats prepared to pursue investigations and subpoenas.
"If crazed Democrats want to abuse their power and politicize their process of investigations, subpoenas and destroying lives, they should be reminded that we still control the federal government and all of its powers," the official said.
Media Research Center President David Bozell separately criticized Democrats' campaign message and accused news organizations of shielding the party from scrutiny.
"People want to talk about Trump defying norms? I think Democrats just defied a norm: They ran and won on … nothing," Bozell said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"The media aided and abetted. They were relentlessly negative. They refused to cover any good news. They buried every wart within Democrats' ranks. And today they will be right back at it."
Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Newsom breaks with socialists over billionaire tax, and California voters appear poised to reject it
In the lead-up to the November midterms, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) put its support behind California’s Proposition 40, a measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state.
Although the secretary of state's election results show it on the path to defeat as of Wednesday afternoon, the DSA’s support for the policy has created a flashpoint for larger discussions about socialism's redistributive aims and the capital flight critics say could follow.
"In their mind, every tax they do is some attempt to get money from people who create wealth and move it to the state," Richard Stern, an economics scholar with Advancing American Freedom (AAF), said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The DSA's stance on Proposition 40 has also brought it into conflict with other Democratic figures, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who opposed it.
The proposition would have applied a 5% tax on assets like businesses, securities, art, collectibles and intellectual property while excluding select pensions, real estate and retirement accounts.
To prevent billionaires from simply leaving the state, Proposition 40 was designed to retroactively apply to billionaires who were residents of California on Jan. 1, 2026.
On the website for its California chapter, the group offered a PowerPoint slideshow supporters could use to argue its merits.
"We have the money in California to pay for the quality schools and healthcare that we need. It just needs to be transferred from the wrong pockets to the right ones. We can do that by taxing the rich," the slideshow reads.
The DSA argued the policy would help cover up to a projected $100 billion shortfall in federal funding for the state’s Medi-Cal program that provides health insurance for low-income individuals, seniors and people with disabilities. The proposition also outlined that 90% of the generated revenue would go to healthcare, while the remaining 10% would be set aside for education, food assistance and administration of the tax.
As part of its argument in favor of the policy, the DSA framed it as a scaled-up version of something that already exists: a progressive tax, a kind of tax that scales relative to income.
"It calls for a temporary 5% wealth tax on just 250 Californians — the very richest people in the state — who together own $2 trillion in wealth," its materials explain.
"Let’s be clear: if the Billionaire Tax passes, none of the billionaires will actually lose money. They have been averaging a growth rate of 7 or 8 percent per year in their wealth. Thus, a 5% hit doesn’t even cut into what they have; it just slightly slows down the growth of that wealth."
But to experts like Stern, the AAF economist, the policy reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of wealth.
"The left looks at a billionaire, and they assume that they’re sitting on $10 billion, $100 billion in cash. I hate to break it to them: There’s no cash," Stern said.
"They have no idea that we’re talking about a trillion-dollar company, we’re talking about a trillion dollars’ worth of factories and warehouses and delivery trucks and machinery."
LET SOCIALISTS ROB FROM THE RICH 100%, AND YOU STILL WON’T BE ABLE TO PAY THE BILLS
Notably, Newsom has said he is opposed to the measure, arguing it would put California at a competitive disadvantage.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Newsom cited opposition from a number of different groups.
"The firefighters opposed it. The teachers opposed it. Planned Parenthood opposed it. The vast majority of labor opposes it. I think the majority of Californians oppose it. So, we all have our reasons why," Newsom said ahead of the election.
"I don’t think it’s a good idea to do [it] at a state level. It’s a badly written initiative. It focuses just on one part of the state’s budget. It’s one-time money and the impact is already being felt. People have left the state."
Instead, Newsom called on voters to adopt a poison pill countermeasure. Proposition 42 was designed to prohibit new state taxes on personal property and restrict certain retroactive taxes. That measure looks to be on track to succeed.
Even so, Newsom noted that his views on a 5% tax might change if implemented at the federal level.
"Looking at that from a national prism, very different conversation than a state-by-state prism. That’s been the debate in California. I think the majority of Californians see that distinction even though they absolutely believe that we need a new tax bracket in this country," Newsom said.
Stern noted that Newsom’s openness to considering such a policy nationally comes with many of the same difficulties, but on an international scale.
'CASTRO'S PLAYBOOK': EX-AG WARNS DOZENS OF CONGRESSIONAL BILLS ARE PUSHING SOCIALIST IDEAS
"You can more easily leave California, but you could give up American citizenship and move abroad," Stern said.
"[It] gets back to the old half-joke about communism and the wall in Berlin, which is, as Reagan said, they build walls that keep people in where normally we build walls to keep people out."
When asked what distinguishes Proposition 40 from a simple tax increase, Stern pointed back to the policy’s implications for businesses, in his view, the main source of most billionaires’ wealth.
"We're taking the means of production out of the hands of people that built those businesses, that manage those businesses, and giving them to Bernie Sanders and AOC and politicians to run them," Stern said, referring to two of the country’s most well-known congressional figures who have received backing from the DSA in the past.
"That’s socialism."
Hakeem Jeffries declares bid for House speaker after GOP's midterm massacre
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is officially running to be Speaker of the House in the next Congress.
It comes after Democrats made historic gains in Tuesday night's midterm elections, taking back both the House and Senate for the remainder of President Donald Trump's term.
Jeffries sent a letter to fellow House Democrats on Wednesday afternoon congratulating them on their victories and adding, "I write to humbly request your support in connection with my candidacy to serve as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives."
Jeffries told reporters that he intended to run for the top job in the House during a press conference with his top deputies on Wednesday, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
DEMOCRAT SEIZE HOUSE CONTROL IN STUNNING BLUE TSUNAMI, VOW RETRIBUTION AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN
Clark and Aguilar also signaled they would run for the No. 2 and No. 3 positions in the House.
And despite a small group of far-left socialists elected to Congress who are expected to pose a headache for Jeffries and other establishment Democrats, he will likely have little trouble winning the speaker's gavel given the wide majority his party won on Tuesday.
At the time of writing this story, Democrats were projected to win 237 seats compared to 139 for the GOP.
But 59 races are still too close to call, and Jeffries told reporters earlier that he anticipated a total of 255 or more Democrats in the House next year.
In his lengthy letter to colleagues on Wednesday, Jeffries touted past victories and outlined his vision for the next two years.
He pledged to "try to find bipartisan common ground whenever and wherever possible" on the issue of affordability while also criticizing the right's handling of high cost-of-living.
"Donald Trump and House Republicans promised to lower costs on Day One. They failed. Instead, toxic GOP policies like the Trump tariffs and war in Iran have done the exact opposite," he wrote.
AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI
Jeffries also vowed "accountability" for the Trump administration, writing the House "will assume its place as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch."
He suggested Democrats would seek to undo Republicans' Medicaid cuts, extend enhanced Obamacare tax credits that expired at the beginning of this year, and end Trump's war in Iran.
"Finally, we must restore classic American values like liberty and justice for all, equal protection under the law, the unfettered right to vote in a representative democracy and our heritage as a nation of immigrants. To that end, I look forward to drawing upon the insights and perspectives of every single part of the Caucus in the days and weeks ahead. House Democrats must deliver dramatic change," Jeffries wrote.
House Democrats are slated to hold their leadership elections in mid-December.
Meanwhile on the right, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., will be vying for the role of minority leader in the next Congress.