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Maine voters are in a negative mood this election season. Only 12% say their family is better off financially compared to two years ago, and more than 6 in 10 disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, including 2 in 10 Republicans.
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A Fox News survey of Maine likely voters finds that mood weighs on Republican Sen. Susan Collins, as 53% are concerned she votes with Trump too much. By contrast, 46% are concerned Democratic challenger Troy Jackson is too liberal.
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Despite those views, the horse race shows the candidates tied, with Jackson and Collins at 49% apiece. All survey interviews were completed after the candidates’ Oct. 15 debate.
Collins, who first won her seat about three decades ago, is seeking a sixth term. She’s the only GOP senator running for re-election this year from a state Trump lost in 2024 (by 7 points). In 2020, Collins won by nearly 9 points.
Democrats view Maine as a must-win seat in their effort to take control of the Senate. When voters are asked about control of the U.S. Senate, 53% prefer a Democratic-led Senate vs. 45% who want the Republicans to remain in charge. While almost all Jackson supporters want Democratic control (96%), Collins supporters are more divided: 89% want a GOP-led chamber, but 9% prefer Democratic leadership.
Collins will need to overcome the energy on the left, as far more Democrats (79%) than Republicans (61%) say they are extremely interested in the election, which explains why Jackson is ahead by 16 points among that group. He’s up by 4 points among those who say they are "certain" to vote, and also carries the one in five Mainers who have already cast a ballot by a decisive 40 points. On the other hand, a slim majority plans to vote on Election Day, and they favor Collins by 12 points.
"Collins is no stranger to outrunning her party, but Democrats hold an 18-point enthusiasm advantage," says Mikaela Linder of Beacon Research, a Democratic polling firm that conducts the Fox News Poll with Republican Daron Shaw. "Trump’s job rating is 25 points underwater, and a majority strongly disapproves of him. Jackson has an opening if he can carry that momentum beyond his base and across the finish line."
Views of the president’s performance are a problem for GOP candidates in Maine. Currently, 37% of voters approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 62% disapprove, including 54% who strongly disapprove.
The candidates’ personal favorability ratings are both underwater. Views of Jackson are negative by 2 points (47% favorable, 49% unfavorable), and by 4 points for Collins (47%-51%).
Partisan vote choice varies distinctly across key groups. Voters under 45 favor Collins by 6 points, while those ages 45 and older prefer Jackson by 3. Women support Jackson by 5 points, while men back Collins by 4.
The sharpest divide is education: Mainers with a college degree pick Jackson by 23 points, while Collins leads among those without a degree by 16.
Collins is ahead among those living in rural areas by 7 points, while Jackson is the pick of the smaller number of suburban voters by 18 points.
For comparison, in 2020, Collins won both the voters living in rural areas and those without a college degree by 18 points each.
"Republicans appear to be struggling with White rural voters this cycle, and Maine is no exception," Shaw said. "GOP candidates desperately need these voters to show up, and need something like a 65-35 vote to overcome Democratic strength in urban areas."
Party loyalty is roughly even as 9 in 10 of each candidate’s party faithful back them, and the small subgroup of independents favors Collins by 13 points. Both Jackson (92%) and Collins (90%) supporters have a high degree of vote certainty.
In Maine’s gubernatorial race, Democrat Hannah Pingree leads Republican Bobby Charles by 10 points, 49% to 39%, while independent candidate Rick Bennett takes 9%.
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Unlike Jackson, whose coalition backs Pingree almost unanimously (only 8% defect), nearly one in five Collins supporters (19%) peel off to either Bennett (11%) or Pingree (8%).
Conducted October 16-20, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,689 Maine registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (226) and cellphones (1,035) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (428). Results based on the registered voter sample have a margin of sampling error of ±2 percentage points and for the subsample of 1,514 likely voters it is ±2.5 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Likely voters are based on a probabilistic statistical model that relies on past vote history, interest in the current election, intention to vote, age, education, race, ethnicity, and marital status. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.
Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
PM pledges commitment to address climate crisis, saying in Guardian article that his ‘determination is unwavering’
Andy Burnham has said he will not “abandon the responsibility” of fighting the climate crisis after the government approved the Jackdaw gasfield, pledging to block new North Sea licences and keep Britain on track for net zero by 2050.
The comments are the prime minister’s most forthright yet on net zero, after many MPs have privately cast doubt on the authenticity of his commitment to tackling the climate crisis.
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© Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
© Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
President Donald Trump's rally in South Carolina Wednesday revealed mixed feelings among his supporters as frustrations over the economy, immigration and the war with Iran collide with the stakes of November's midterm elections.
While some rallygoers urged fellow Republicans to look past their frustrations and turn out in November, one Clemson University student who once proudly wore a Trump hat said he was considering voting Democratic.
"I was a big Trump supporter," Grant Frady explained. "But, recently, I didn't support him for the 2024 election. I feel like there's too many special interests involved. I feel like what he said to the public was that he was anti-war. He was wanting to boost the economy. He said that he was just going to put America first, and I just feel like we haven't."
Trump traveled to South Carolina to rally support for Republican Sen. Darline Graham, who faces an unexpectedly competitive challenge from Democrat Annie Andrews in a state that has long favored Republicans.
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"And he also, he said he was going to deport all the illegal immigrants. We haven't seen enough to really say that. I feel like he's just overstating. I feel he's causing too many problems for what he's really benefiting. We haven't gotten that many illegal immigrants out, and look how much problems we have with ICE."
The economic concerns come as Americans continue to grapple with the cost of living, while the conflict with Iran has added pressure to energy markets and heightened uncertainty about the economy.
A recent Fox News survey found that six in 10 voters say the cost of living is their top economic concern, followed by government spending (15%), jobs and income inequality (7% each), tariffs (6%) and taxes (5%).
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Frady wasn't the only Clemson student who arrived at the rally with mixed feelings about the president's record.
James, another Clemson student, said he had supported Trump in the past but was frustrated with aspects of the administration's foreign and immigration policies.
"I've supported him [Trump] in the past, but some things have went off the edge," James stated. "I definitely think foreign policy should be enforced a little better than we've just been letting it go. And, also, I feel like he hasn't been doing enough for illegal immigrants getting in this country. So, that's also a standpoint I like.
"I think you should be more aggressive than not joining in with these [foreign] countries," he continued. "'Cause I don't think that's America first, and it's causing us to have a lot of debt."
Frady said doubts about Graham's conservative credentials have prompted him to consider voting for Andrews, a Democratic pediatrician, while other rallygoers argued that frustrations with Trump's record were not enough to justify sitting out November's election.
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"You may not be thrilled with Trump, but you'll get the alternative," Mike Korb of Greenville told Fox News Digital, warning that Democrats would also reverse the administration's immigration-enforcement policies if they regained power.
Korb argued that Trump's rally could help energize Republican voters, though he expressed doubts about the GOP's prospects of retaining the House.
Summer Frost of Aiken argued that Americans should be willing to endure higher energy prices tied to the conflict with Iran, describing the economic burden as "short-term pain for long term gain."
She wasn’t alone in viewing Iran as a long-term threat to America that had to finally be dealt with.
Scott Hines, a military veteran from Greenwood, recalled serving during the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, an attack that shaped his views on confronting Iran.
"I was in the military when they bombed the Marine barracks. And we should have already hit Iran," Hines told Fox News Digital.
Hines and wife Margaret live not far from the Georgia line, where student Laken Riley was murdered by an illegal immigrant while jogging in February 2024.
"Nobody wanted a young girl ... who couldn't jog on her own college campus to end up like that. I mean, that's for any college campus, just not for someplace close to home," Margaret said about the tragedy, which occurred in nearby Athens, Georgia.
The president's rally also faced repeated disruptions from protesters, several of whom were escorted from the venue.
During one disturbance, an attendee reportedly punched a protester, drawing praise from Trump, who compared the person who threw the blow to former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield.
The local sheriff's office said Thursday that an assault report had been filed after the altercation. A deputy observed minor bruising on the person who reported being assaulted, according to the report. The case remained under investigation, with no suspect publicly identified.
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The disruptions underscored the tensions surrounding Trump's visit just 13 days before the midterm elections, when Republicans will be looking to mobilize voters in a state where a Senate seat once considered safely Republican has become more competitive.
For Republican voters interviewed at the rally, the question was whether frustrations over Trump's record would ultimately change their votes or whether the prospect of Democratic victories would be enough to keep them behind the GOP.
Two nonprofits linked to Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham have rejected a congressional ultimatum to turn over financial records, accusing lawmakers of using a foreign-influence investigation to target their political views and violate their First Amendment rights.
The People's Forum Inc., a New York City-based activist hub, and BreakThrough News, a far-left nonprofit media outlet, fired back in letters to Tuesday the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which threatened to depose their leaders — and Singham personally — if the organizations failed to comply with earlier subpoenas for financial records.
The People's Forum blasted the latest congressional crackdown as a "MAGA-led witch hunt."
BreakThrough News and its supporters accuse the committee of targeting the outlet over its coverage of Israel and immigration enforcement, while lawmakers maintain the probe concerns the organizations' finances and structure.
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The showdown comes as the Republican-led committee, headed by Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., investigates whether millions of dollars flowing through Singham's network of tax-exempt nonprofits are being used to advance Chinese Communist Party interests in the United States.
"This approach is tantamount to holding the staff of BreakThrough News hostage," attorneys for BreakThrough News wrote in their Oct. 20 response, accusing the committee of threatening seven newsroom employees with depositions unless the outlet abandons its constitutional objections.
The attorneys also challenged the committee's foreign influence allegations, pointing to its reference to Singham, who lives in Shanghai, alongside foreign principals.
"Mr. Singham is a U.S. citizen," the attorneys wrote.
The standoff raises the prospect of Singham being personally deposed by congressional investigators after the committee identified him among 21 potential witnesses, including nonprofit executives, activists and journalists associated with the two organizations and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, a Massachusetts-based Marxist think tank that has not publicly released a response to the latest demands.
The People's Forum similarly condemned the committee's latest demands in its Oct. 20 response, accusing lawmakers of using the threat of depositions against eight staff members as retaliation for asserting its First Amendment rights.
The committee did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
On their websites, BreakThrough News and The People's Forum also urged supporters to donate to help fund their legal defenses against the probe.
"This is an escalation of the same MAGA-led witch-hunt," The People's Forum wrote in an Oct. 21 statement beneath a black graphic declaring, "We won't surrender our First Amendment rights."
Both organizations also accused the committee of repeatedly changing its rationale and ignoring their legal objections but said they remained open to narrower requests.
The responses come as BreakThrough News has also been accused of sympathetically amplifying recent protests and unrest across Europe, including demonstrations in France that descended into violent riots, with protesters torching cars and clashing with police.
The Singham-funded outlet advertised an online discussion, "Europe's Youth Uprising," declaring that "a rebellion is sweeping Europe" and portraying the demonstrations as a youth uprising against rising living costs, austerity and military spending, according to a Fox News Digital report.
Ten press freedom and civil liberties organizations, including PEN America, the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Society of Professional Journalists, have also backed BreakThrough News, accusing the committee of targeting its political views and warning that forcing journalists to testify could threaten press freedom.
"Rep. Smith's shameless targeting of BreakThrough News for editorial viewpoints that he dislikes shows a complete disregard of the First Amendment," Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement published by BreakThrough News.
In their Oct. 20 letter, the groups called on the committee to abandon its investigation into the outlet and refrain from issuing further subpoenas.
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The committee alleges that Singham routed money through shell companies and donor-advised funds, obscuring the original source of contributions to the three nonprofits. Singham, an American-born Marxist tech tycoon who now lives in Shanghai, sold his software company, ThoughtWorks, for an estimated $785 million in 2017.
A previous Fox News Digital investigation traced at least $278 million from Singham into six core U.S. nonprofits that served as funding hubs within a broader international network of activist groups, media organizations and think tanks promoting socialist, communist and pro-China causes.
Of that funding, $22.44 million flowed to The People's Forum, $16.76 million to Tricontinental and $1.098 million to BreakThrough BT Media Inc., the parent organization of BreakThrough News.
The three received approximately $40.3 million combined, according to Fox News Digital's investigation, which the committee cited in its earlier correspondence.
The committee said it is examining whether existing tax laws adequately protect against foreign influence in the nonprofit sector and whether Congress should strengthen those laws.
"Shanghai Singham has poured millions of dollars into these groups to take advantage of America's nonprofit sector and promote Chinese Communist Party propaganda. That much is public. What these groups are fighting to keep hidden is even more concerning," Smith said in an Oct. 13 statement.
"Either these organizations turn over the documents, or their leaders will answer the Committee's questions under oath."
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The committee has not publicly identified evidence showing the organizations are concealing information related to foreign influence. Fox News Digital sought an update from the committee following the Oct. 20 deadline but had not received a response as of publication.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth put weapons manufacturers on notice Thursday as the Trump administration pushes to cut Pentagon red tape, expand competition and accelerate American weapons production as part of its "Arsenal of Freedom" initiative.
In a video shared on X, Hegseth highlighted Washington's drive to overhaul defense procurement, expand private-sector competition and speed up production of advanced weapons systems.
"The Arsenal of Freedom has been UNLEASHED," Hegseth posted.
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The video features missile launches, naval weapons systems firing, ammunition production lines and workers signing munitions for U.S. forces.
Hegseth also stressed that performance, not a contractor's name, should determine which companies supply America's military.
"I don’t care what company is on the side of the rocket. Don't care. The only thing we ask ourselves is, is it the best?" Hegseth said in the video.
"The technology that you build for our missiles, interceptors and hypersonic weapons is what allows the War Department to achieve peace through strength," Hegseth continued. "And that mission comes with a non-negotiable mandate straight from the Resolute Desk and President Trump: build more and build faster."
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Hegseth framed the manufacturing push as central to strengthening American military readiness and deterring foreign adversaries.
"When we unleash industry—when we at long last unleash the raw, competitive, and patriotic spirit—the United States of America always wins," he said.
"When we compete, we win. When we innovate, we win. When we go fast, we win. We're equipping our warriors for the future right here and right now, made in the United States of America, and we're doing it at light speed."
The "Arsenal of Freedom" campaign echoes America's World War II-era "Arsenal of Democracy," when U.S. factories dramatically expanded weapons production to supply American and Allied forces.
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The administration's defense industrial strategy is to streamline Pentagon procurement, reduce bureaucratic barriers and bring more private companies and technology startups into the military supply chain.
The effort emphasizes commercial technology, faster production and greater competition among defense contractors and manufacturers.
Hegseth launched the nationwide tour earlier this year with a stop at a shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, and has since visited defense manufacturing facilities across the country.
On Oct. 20, Hegseth toured Riverside Machine and Engineering in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, alongside Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler and local lawmakers.
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There, he touted what he called a "golden age of American manufacturing," highlighting domestic supply chains and defense industry jobs.
The manufacturing push comes as the Pentagon seeks to strengthen U.S. weapons stockpiles and sustain military readiness amid threats from adversaries, including the almost eight-month war with Iran.
Following visits to U.S. Central Command operations in the Middle East, Hegseth emphasized the importance of expanding production of precision missiles, air defense interceptors and other critical weapons systems.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for further comment.
FOX News Media announced Thursday that it will offer expanded coverage of the 2026 midterm elections across television, digital, audio and podcasts, bringing the latest results and analysis straight to viewers, wherever they are.
Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier, chief political anchor and executive editor of "Special Report," and Martha MacCallum, anchor and executive editor of "The Story," are set to co-anchor the network’s midterm election coverage with Fox News' "Democracy 26."
Coverage will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with Fox News Channel's Dana Perino, Brit Hume, Harold Ford Jr., Bill Hemmer, Sandra Smith, Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, Trace Gallagher, Harris Faulkner, Kayleigh McEnany and Jessica Tarlov set to appear alongside Baier and MacCallum throughout the night.
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Programming will continue into the evening and will bring the latest calls on the nationwide House, Senate and gubernatorial races straight to viewers along with projections on the balance of power in both the Senate and House as predicted by the Fox News Decision Desk.
Democrats are trying to take back majorities in the House and Senate from Republicans, who have controlled both chambers since the 2024 election.
Fox Business Network will also simulcast coverage starting at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday until 6 a.m. ET the following day.
Viewers can expect a special early edition of "Fox & Friends First" starting at 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Throughout the broadcast, Fox News Channel will expand its use of augmented reality and data-driven graphics to provide real-time context for viewers as election results are tabulated.
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The network will utilize enhanced visualizations to show how counties throughout the country voted differently from past elections, follow the balance of power in Congress and add context to key races.
In addition to Fox News Media’s coverage in New York City, senior White House correspondents Jacqui Heinrich and Peter Doocy and White House correspondent Aishah Hasnie will contribute to programming from Washington, D.C.
More than 20 Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network correspondents are also set to provide additional coverage throughout election night from across the country.
"Ruthless Podcast" hosts Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook and Shashank Tripathi, known as "Comfortably Smug," will air the "Ruthless Live! Midterm Election Show," broadcast from Washington. It will stream from 8-11 p.m. ET on Fox News Digital and Fox Nation.
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In the week before the election, "Fox & Friends" co-host Steve Doocy will take his "Breakfast with Friends" segment on the road again, talking with voters at diners in swing states.
He will start Oct. 26 at JC’s Restaurant in Burton, Ohio, before heading to Four Corners Diner in Romeo, Michigan, Oct. 27. Doocy will broadcast from Keys Café & Bakery in Roseville, Minnesota on Oct. 28, and from Bubba’s Cooks Country in Dallas, Texas, Oct. 29.
His final stop will be Big Doug’s Place in Hiram, Georgia, on Oct. 30.
"Fox & Friends First" co-host Todd Piro will continue the tour on Oct. 31 from Stacks Pancake House in Scarborough, Maine. On Election Day morning, "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-hosts Charles Hurt and Griff Jenkins will close out the series at a diner.
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Fox News Digital will also bring comprehensive election coverage to America’s fingertips, including a live blog and Fox News Power Rankings, which will provide real-time updates regarding race results as polls close.
Fox News Digital’s coverage comes on the heels of the platform topping all news brands and broadcast networks in both multiplatform views and minutes in the third quarter of 2026, according to Comscore.
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The Fox News app is launching a "Midterms 2026" tab with an interactive county-level map and an "Election HQ" feature, which includes an AI chatbot that answers questions about races and results using Fox News reporting. Signed-in users can also join "The Room," a live commentary feature in which users can discuss results in an interactive setting.
In the days leading up to the midterms, Fox News Audio will provide coverage across Fox News Radio (FNR) affiliates and through the Fox News App "Listen" button.
Listeners can also expect live programming hosted by co-anchors Jared Halpern and Jessica Rosenthal starting at 7 p.m. ET on Election Day, in which they will present expert political analysis and field reports from network correspondents throughout the country.
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Listeners can also catch up on the results the morning after Election Day with a one-hour Fox News Audio special at 8 a.m. ET, available on Fox News Radio and in the Fox News app.
Before Election Day, Fox News Audio will offer midterm and gubernatorial race updates every 15 minutes on "Fox News Headlines 24/7" featured on SiriusXM.
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"The Fox News Rundown" will also present a five-part series from Oct. 26 to 30 profiling high-stakes states ahead of the midterms. Fox News Podcasts will release special episodes of "Perino on Politics," "The Bret Baier Podcast" and "The Untold Story with Martha MacCallum," along with a "Democracy '26" landing page that will be available on Fox News Audio’s platforms.
Fox News Digital's Brian Flood contributed to this report.
Two Minnesota federal judges who took the unusual step of publicly criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown to the New York Times are now fighting the administration’s efforts to disqualify them from cases involving immigration enforcement.
One of those judges, Patrick Schiltz, is overseeing the Justice Department’s effort to strip U. S. citizenship from Salah Osman Ahmed, a Somali-born man who pleaded guilty in 2009 to providing material support to terrorists after joining al- Shabaab. The other, John Tunheim, is presiding over the prosecution of a South African national accused of falsely claiming U. S. citizenship and illegally voting in the 2024 election. The Justice Department filed separate motions asking Schiltz and Tunheim to recuse themselves, arguing that their participation in the New York Times report criticizing President Donald Trump's Operation Metro Surge has raised questions about whether they can fairly preside over the cases.
"Impartiality is imperative to ensuring public trust in our Nation’s judiciary," the Justice Department said in a statement posted to X this week. "Judge Schiltz’s and Judge Tunheim’s on-the-record participation in a recent highly partisan New York Times Article, along with Judge Schiltz’s subsequent public comments, unquestionably calls into doubt whether they can be impartial in these cases."
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The Justice Department's formal recusal demand follows reporting by Fox News Digital last month detailing unusual behind-the-scenes coordination among Minnesota's federal bench as judges confronted a massive influx of immigration cases stemming from the administration's enforcement operation. The report came after Schiltz and Tunheim were among seven Minnesota federal judges who spoke with the Times in September about Operation Metro Surge. Schiltz sat for a roughly 90- minute interview during which he described the administration's handling of the operation as having created a "grave threat to the rule of law," while Tunheim suggested to the Times that agents carrying out the administration's immigration crackdown were not primarily apprehending dangerous criminals.
DOJ had already raised the prospect that judges who publicly discussed the administration's immigration cases might need to step aside when the Times report was released in September. Last month, DOJ filed a judicial misconduct complaint against Schiltz, Tunheim and other Minnesota judges who participated in the Times report, accusing them of violating judicial ethics rules and asking the Eighth Circuit to investigate. Attorney General Todd Blanche said their conduct had "undermined public confidence in an impartial judiciary in Minnesota."
"It is remarkable that sitting federal judges are giving on-the-record interviews attacking this Administration's policies rather than ruling from the bench," a Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in September. "Judges who have made public comments on pending or related matters should consider whether recusal is warranted going forward."
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The Times report in question revealed that Schiltz, Tunheim and the other Minnesota judges handling the flood of Operation Metro Surge cases regularly met, communicated through running email threads and used an informal spreadsheet created by court clerks to identify judges to consult about recurring legal questions. Chief Judge Eric Tostrud previously told Fox News Digital that the judges nevertheless independently decided every case assigned to them.
"The bottom line is that each of us made an independent decision with respect to the merits of each and every petition we were assigned," Tostrud said at the time.
The Justice Department, however, has accused Schiltz and the other judges of "publicly" taking sides in the ongoing battle over Trump's deportation agenda.
"A judge who has publicly taken sides on the political issue of immigration enforcement cannot then preside over a case concerning one of the Justice Department’s key immigration initiatives: pursuing the largest denaturalization effort in Department history to restore trust and integrity in U.S. citizenship," Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward wrote.
Schiltz declined to comment on the Justice Department's new effort to disqualify him when reached by Fox News Digital this week. But when Fox News Digital asked him about the possibility of recusal in September, Schiltz argued there was no basis for him to step aside — and pointed to the fact that DOJ had not asked him to do so.
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"I have seen suggestions from the Administration that I might have to recuse in immigration cases, but no one has yet identified any basis for my recusal, which is presumably why the Justice Department has not asked me to recuse," Schiltz said at the time.
"Neither in the New York Times article nor anywhere else have I commented on the merits of a particular case," he continued. "Instead, I have spoken in defense of the rule of law, a component of which is compliance with court orders. That is not a cause for recusal."
Tunheim did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Charles "Cully" Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation who previously served as a federal prosecutor and military judge, told Fox News Digital that judges ordinarily avoid publicly commenting on matters that could intersect with cases before them.
"These judges did something extraordinarily imprudent, and that is to talk to any newspaper, much less the New York Times," Stimson said. "That was a big no-no."
Asked what he would do if the New York Times interviews were the only facts at issue, Stimson said he would step aside.
"If we were to just go off of the New York Times interview ... I would recuse myself," Stimson said, noting the recusal would only be from the particular case at issue as opposed to all future cases adjudicating the same principles.
Stimson cautioned, however, that recusal motions put judges in the unusual position of effectively judging their own impartiality and said it would be inappropriate to predict how either motion should ultimately be resolved without the complete record.
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If either judge denies DOJ's request, Stimson said the government could seek review from the Eighth Circuit, where a three-judge panel would determine whether the government has met the legal standard for recusal.
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DOJ declined to comment further Thursday beyond its public statement. A DOJ spokesperson also did not answer Fox News Digital's question about whether the department would appeal if Schiltz or Tunheim denies the recusal motions.
Ilhan Omar is not the "real name" of the Minnesota congresswoman, Fox News Digital has learned.
Her real name is Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, according to two people familiar with the ongoing investigation into the Somali-born congresswoman, including a law enforcement source.
And if proven in court that Omar has lived her "entire life under an alias," a former Minnesota federal immigration judge tells Fox News Digital that every single form she ever filled out could be "called into question."
On Wednesday, U.S. District Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro filed a motion seeking to prevent the federal search warrant for the congresswoman’s home from being unsealed, which was requested by several media outlets. The motion says the federal government is not yet finished executing the search warrant, and that it shouldn’t be unsealed yet.
"Before the Court are three Applications to unseal ex parte materials and proceedings related to a federal search warrant for the personal residence in the District of Columbia of Congresswoman Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Abdullahi Omar…" the motion begins.
"That's not her real name," one source said when asked why the motion used the "a/k/a Ilhan Adbullahi Omar" language.
After publication, a spokesperson from Omar's office provided a statement to Fox News Digital disputing the report.
"This is completely false. Ilhan Omar is her real name," the spokesperson said, followed by an attack on Fox News.
In a second statement, Omar's spokesperson referenced Wednesday night's interview on MS NOW, where Omar answered questions about whether she ever married her brother.
"Rep. Omar has repeatedly and unequivocally denied this baseless, disgusting conspiracy theory. She denied it again on MS NOW—and when pressed yet again, responded sarcastically." the spokesperson said. She called those questions a "desperate smear to distract from designed to distract from Trump’s failed presidency and two years of Republican failure in Congress."
The spokesperson said it's "disgraceful that the media continues to give this lie oxygen."
Fox News Digital first reported in the midst of the search of the lawmaker's Washington, D.C. residence that federal investigators are probing whether she or her father committed fraud when filling out her immigration paperwork.
Investigators obtained the elected official’s DNA and seized her personal phone and passport during the Oct. 12 pre-dawn raid.
FEDERAL AGENTS SEIZE PHONE OF REP ILHAN OMAR IN RAID TIED TO IMMIGRATION FRAUD PROBE
Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor, was questioned by federal investigators last week in relation to the probe, Fox News Digital exclusively reported.
Conservative personality Will Chamberlain first posted the motion on X speculating that the "DOJ believes [Omar] is present in the United States under a false identity."
Fox News Digital has now learned from multiple sources familiar with the investigation that Omar is not the congresswoman’s birth name.
REP ILHAN OMAR'S IMMIGRATION HISTORY FACES NEW SCRUTINY AS FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SUBPOENA RELATIVES
Omar has publicly confirmed that she does not have a birth certificate.
In an official U.S. House biography, her birthday is listed as Oct. 14, 1982, and states that she was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. She says she came to the U.S. with her family as refugees fleeing war-torn Somalia in 1995, when she was a minor.
Omar has not been charged with a crime, and materials presented by prosecutors are only allegations.
Attorneys for the embattled congresswoman did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Nathan Hansen, a former federal immigration judge from Minnesota, listed the extent to which the supposed name change could impact the case against the congresswoman.
"You think of all the types of documents somebody like her might have filled out," he said. "There'd be federal student loan and student aid applications, maybe federal housing related applications, maybe public assistance applications, passport applications, passport information and driver's license information, Real I.D. information [and] voting information."
He said if someone has lived their entire lives under an alias, there are many criminal charges that could be levied.
"Sometimes they might say that that would be a wire fraud charge, they always add that one," said Hansen. "And that's pretty broad. But, you know, a lot of these documents are sworn under penalty of perjury."
"If this is not, like, a real legal name, it's got some legal backing to it that every type of government form she's filled out in her entire existence might be called into question," Hansen said.
ILHAN OMAR SHOULD BE JAILED, DEPORTED IF CITIZENSHIP FRAUD PROVEN, TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS
The representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House, has long faced allegations that she married her brother for immigration purposes.
In 2009, she legally married a man named Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. The pair split in 2017. The following year, she was elected to Congress. In 2020, she married her third husband, political consultant Tim Mynett.
In Omar's first public interview since the raid on her home, she sat down with MS NOW’s Chris Hayes. During that interview, she once again denied those allegations, calling them "insane."
ILHAN OMAR BELIEVES TRUMP RAID ON HOME WAS MEANT TO 'INTIMIDATE AND SCARE PEOPLE' FROM VOTING
"You’re not related to him at all?" Hayes asked. "There’s not some weird kernel of truth…?"
"Not to my knowledge," she replied.
In the wake of the raid, Omar has accused President Donald Trump and his administration of targeting her politically.
"This raid by Trump’s DHS is an outrageous abuse of power and an unprecedented escalation in the weaponization of federal law enforcement to target political enemies," she said in a statement on X.
HOMAN SAYS ILHAN OMAR COULD BE STRIPPED OF NATURALIZATION, DEPORTED IF IMMIGRATION FRAUD IS PROVEN
"For a decade, Donald Trump has relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar with inflammatory rhetoric, repeatedly putting a target on her back," the post continued. "Now, those attacks have escalated to a pointless federal raid. The Congresswoman has done nothing wrong. No president should be able to use the power of the federal government to intimidate his political enemies."
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Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for Omar, but did not hear back at time of publication.
File image.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian units have expanded the zone of control west of the city, taking Moskovka and Malaya Shapkovka and approaching Palamarevka, while fighting continues inside Kupyansk itself and in the area of Kupyansk-Uzlovoy. In the Sumy direction, assault groups of the “North” grouping maintain a high rate of advance. In the Kharkiv direction, heavy fighting is under way: Russian assault groups are advancing southwards, achieving tactical successes in the areas of Tokarevka and Bugayevka, while the Ukrainian command is transferring artillery from the Sumy region. In the Zaporozhye direction, guardsmen of the 37th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the “East” grouping have broken the resistance of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and expanded control over an area of more than ten square kilometers, while units of the “Dnepr” grouping have taken Yulyevka and forced the Konka River. Meanwhile, the European Commission hopes to reach a political agreement by the end of 2026 on additional funding for Ukraine in 2027, despite the fact that only €20 billion of the previously agreed €90 billion EU loan has so far been disbursed to Kyiv because of stalled reforms.
Kupyansk direction
Russian units continue to expand control of territory west of Kupyansk. As a result of successful offensive actions, Russian troops have taken Moskovka and Malaya Shapkovka and approached Palamarevka. These are the main axes on which the Ukrainian side had concentrated forces for transfer into Kupyansk.
Fighting for the city continues inside Kupyansk itself. In the area of Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, battles are also under way near the Foundry and near Kovsharovka. Clearance is being conducted in the pocket east of Novoosinovo and Glushkovka; positions of Russian and Ukrainian units in this pocket remain intermingled.
On the Kupyansk direction the main combat operations are concentrated in the western part of the city and on the north-western approaches. In the areas of Mirovoye and Malaya Shapkovka the struggle for the retention of positions continues. Further advance is linked to the Sobolevka–Palamarevka sector, where Ukrainian resistance persists. Inside Kupyansk the situation is most tense on the western and south-western outskirts. Primary attention is focused on the Yubileyny micro-district, the Malye Rovny woodland and the adjacent urban built-up area.
In the central part of the city the railway station Kupyansk-Yuzhny, the district administration, the bus station and the Hospital Quarter retain key importance. The struggle for control of urban infrastructure directly affects the position of units on the western outskirts.
Sumy direction
Assault units of the “North” grouping maintain a high rate of advance in the Sumy region. The Ukrainian side is actively strengthening its defences and equipping additional positions.
In the Sumy border area fighting is predominantly positional. Reports from the ground indicate that Ukrainian units are counter-attacking on individual sectors. The “North” grouping maintains its pace. Assault units are fighting near Khoten, Velikaya Rybitsa and Nikolskoye. A sabotage-and-reconnaissance group from the 3rd Special Operations Forces Regiment has been destroyed. In the Shostka district Russian assault troops are advancing through forest plantations towards Korenek; in the Krasnopolye district they are advancing near Turya.
In the Sumy district assault units of the “Northerners” are conducting small-arms fighting in the areas of Khoten, Velikaya Rybitsa and Nikolskoye. In the Shostka district Russian assault troops continue to advance through forest plantations in the direction of Korenek. In the Krasnopolye district assault groups of the “Northerners” are advancing in the area of Turya.
Kharkiv direction
Heavy fighting continues on all sectors of the front in the Kharkiv region. Assault groups of the “Northerners” are advancing in a southerly direction with the support of aviation, artillery and TOS-1 “Solntsepyok” systems. The Ukrainian command is increasing the amount of artillery on the Kharkiv direction, having transferred batteries of the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade of the 8th Air Assault Corps from the Sumy region.
On the western flank of the Kharkiv front there have been tactical successes in the areas of Tokarevka and Bugayevka, with advances of up to four hundred meters in places. In the area of Velikiye Prokhody a high-explosive aerial bomb struck a major strongpoint. On the eastern sector clearance of the former Reznikovsky cauldron continues; the main fighting is near Prikolotnoye. The Ukrainian side has transferred artillery reserves here from the Sumy direction.
In the Lipetsk direction the “Northerners” are advancing in the area of Novaya Kazachya and Tokarevka. Over the past day overall progress amounted to 400 meters. In the Volchansk and Veliky Burluk directions the most intense fighting is taking place in the area of Prikolotnoye. There have also been advances in the areas of Bugayevka, Maly Burluk and Sosnovy Bor. Russian units continue to expand the zone of control, driving Ukrainian forces from the positions they hold.
Zaporozhye direction
Persistent work is under way around Orekhov. Guardsmen of the 37th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the “East” grouping have broken the resistance of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The area brought under control exceeds ten square kilometres. Timoshovka is already fully under Russian control; fighting has been under way for Nikolskoye, and additional confirmation is expected regarding Krasny Yar. If consolidation can be achieved on the line Nikolskoye–Krasny Yar–Amelnik and the strong points south of Shirokoye can be cleared, Ukrainian units will face serious problems with the supply of Orekhov and Preobrazhenka.
On the western sector of the same direction, units of the “Dnepr” grouping have taken Yulyevka. Paratroopers forced the Konka River and reached the left bank. Four kilometers remain to the H-08 highway. Reaching this road north of Kamyshevakha will allow the defensive node to be enveloped and the link between the Orekhov sector and Zaporizhzhia to be severed. Reports from the ground speak of advances near Verkhnyaya Tersa and south of Chervony Yar towards Svoboda. Fighting continues in the area of Omelnyk. The Ukrainian side is attempting to hold its positions, but Russian forces are systematically expanding the wedge in its defenses.
Conclusion
In the Kupyansk direction the capture of Moskovka and Malaya Shapkovka and the approach to Palamarevka create a threat to the transfer of Ukrainian reserves into Kupyansk, where fighting is under way in the central part of the city. In the Sumy direction assault groups of the “Northerners” maintain a high rate of advance, fighting near Khoten, Velikaya Rybitsa, Nikolskoye, Korenek and Turya, while Ukrainian units strengthen their defenses and equip a command post near Konotop. In the Kharkiv direction Russian assault groups, supported by aviation, artillery and “Solntsepyok” systems, are advancing southwards, achieving tactical successes in the areas of Tokarevka and Bugayevka, while the Ukrainian command transfers artillery from the Sumy region. In the Zaporozhye direction guardsmen of the 37th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the 36th Combined Arms Army of the “East” grouping have broken the resistance of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment and expanded control over more than ten square kilometers, while units of the “Dnepr” grouping have taken Yulyevka and forced the Konka River, approaching the H-08 highway.
Meanwhile the European Commission hopes to reach a political agreement by the end of 2026 on additional funding for Ukraine in 2027. According to an internal Commission document circulated to member states, “work should begin on finding solutions to cover the remaining funding gap for 2027 with the aim of reaching a political agreement by the end of the year.” Earlier Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine would require €155 billion in financial support in 2027, with the shortfall estimated at €70 billion. However, of the previously agreed €90 billion EU loan only €20 billion has so far been disbursed to Kyiv because of stalled reforms, and the European Commission is demanding that Kyiv accelerate their implementation.
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The post Russian Army Expands Control West of Kupyansk appeared first on South Front.
Todd Blanche suggests the Justice Department could intervene in a ‘doomsday’ scenario as federal agents ramp up investigations and prosecutions while voting is already underway
© AP
Todd Blanche suggests the Justice Department could intervene in a ‘doomsday’ scenario as federal agents ramp up investigations and prosecutions while voting is already underway
© AP
Todd Blanche suggests the Justice Department could intervene in a ‘doomsday’ scenario as federal agents ramp up investigations and prosecutions while voting is already underway
© AP
‘Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate,’ Trump wrote
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‘Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate,’ Trump wrote
© Getty
‘Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate,’ Trump wrote
© Getty
‘I know this movement is just getting started,’ Calley Means wrote in his resignation post
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‘I know this movement is just getting started,’ Calley Means wrote in his resignation post
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