Texas has sent a 10th bus with migrants to Los Angeles on Saturday, days after its mayor harshly criticized the southern state for sending migrants.

According to FOX Los Angeles, the bus had a total of 39 migrants, which included 12 families and 21 children.

The 10th bus was sent five days after the previous bus, according to the outlet.

Los Angeles Governor Karen Bass criticized Texas Governor Greg Abbott when the ninth bus was sent when Tropical Storm Hillary was impacting the city, saying ‘LA has not extended an invitation asking for people to come. This is a political act.’

The Los Angeles City Council voted in June to make the city a sanctuary city for immigrants.

On Tuesday, Bass again condemned Abbott for sending the buses.

‘This evening, Los Angeles received another bus from Texas. That means that while we were urging Angelenos to stay safe, the Governor of Texas was sending a bus with families and toddlers straight towards us KNOWING they’d have to drive right into an unprecedented storm,’ Bass tweeted on X. ‘Evil.’

Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, previously told Fox News Digital the migrants all signed a voluntary consent waiver before boarding.

‘Bus drivers receive updated weather conditions along their routes and for their destination ahead of and while en route to the sanctuary cities,’ Mahaleris said. ‘Yesterday’s bus rerouted out of an abundance of caution and took a cautious path to Los Angeles to keep all on board safe. Migrants willingly chose to go to Los Angeles, having signed a voluntary consent waiver available in multiple languages upon boarding that they agreed on the destination. And they were processed and released by the federal government, who are dumping them at historic levels in Texas border towns because of the Biden-made crisis.’ 

‘Each bus is stocked with food and water and makes stops along the trip to refuel and switch drivers,’ Mahaleris continued. ‘Migrants are allowed to purchase any needed provisions or disembark at any of these stops. Instead of complaining about Texas providing much-needed relief to our overrun and overwhelmed border communities, Mayor Bass needs to call on President Biden to step up and do his job to secure the border—something he continues failing to do.’

To date, Texas has bused over 30,000 migrants to Democratic-led cities across the United States.

The campaign for President in 2024 won’t all play out in New Hampshire diners and corn fields in Iowa. That’s to say nothing of steel towns in Pennsylvania and dairy farms in Wisconsin.

Let’s presume that President Biden and former President Trump face each other in a 2020 rematch. The battle for the presidency may emerge in two forms. For Democrats who oppose former President Trump: various courtrooms in New York, Miami, Washington, DC and Atlanta. For Republicans who disapprove of President Biden, the venues are closed-door depositions, committee hearings and maybe even articles of impeachment on the House floor.

Democrats think they have the goods on former President Trump on a variety of charges in court – ranging from allegedly stealing secret documents to potentially trying to steal the election. 

Republicans think they have the goods on President Biden as they probe Hunter Biden, Biden family businesses and potential links to Mr. Biden himself.

It’s unclear if either of these strategies – or hopes of each side – pays dividends with the electorate. But it’s something which party loyalists on both sides watch closely. And Republicans and Democrats alike are agog that the other side isn’t as outraged at the purported transgressions as they are.

Much has been written about the legal woes facing former President Trump and what it means for the 2024 campaign. Let’s explore the Biden family investigations and consequences for next year.

Most Congressional Republicans are determined to link President Biden to some of the legal issues surrounding the president’s son. The torpedoed plea deal for Hunter Biden coupled with testimony from IRS whistleblowers, a closed-door transcript by former Hunter Biden business associate Devon Archer and empaneling of Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss fuels the outrage.

Most Republicans demanded a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden. But they were aghast when Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss – architect of the now nullified plea agreement.

Weiss offered House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a series of four dates to testify about his inquiry of Hunter Biden and the plea arrangement this fall. But it’s now far from clear if Weiss will ever appear after becoming special counsel. Most special counsels speak to Congress after their inquiries are complete. As special counsel, Weiss has complete authority to decide whether to testify to Congress.

Democrats continue to stand by Weiss. They applaud his independence and argue they have no reservations with his ability to serve. They also remind people that former President Trump nominated Weiss for his post as Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney for Delaware.

‘It’s just the judicial process taking place,’ said Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., on Fox.

However, Bera conceded that such allegations and an inquiry wasn’t good for the country.

‘Let the legal process take place if there was wrongdoing,’ said Bera.

But Congressional Republicans won’t do that. They see an opportunity to go for the jugular with President Biden. And if nothing else, their anti-Biden Republican base compels them to move in that direction.

AUGUST IS OFTEN THE STRANGEST MONTH IN POLITICS, AND THIS YEAR IS NO DIFFERENT

‘They’ve made it an industry as a family of monetizing access to high people in government,’ said Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y. ‘The evidence just continues to pile up. But it’s a web of lies and deceit as the President continues to deny this involvement.’

So what shall we look for?

There’s always the possibility of Weiss’s testimony – although unlikely. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., wants Archer to testify in public soon. There’s also the possibility that Weiss’s investigation doesn’t take that long since he already probed Hunter Biden. That said, some Republicans believe the creation of a special counsel – be it Weiss or someone else – could serve as a way to stymie Congress from investigating further. And Jordan and Comer would like to hear from Garland to explain what went into the decision to appoint Weiss – especially if Weiss won’t appear.

That brings us to the push by some Republicans to begin an impeachment inquiry.

On FOX Business recently, Comer said he intended to subpoena the Biden family. That may be problematic amid Weiss’s inquest. But a House vote to launch a formal impeachment inquiry – and thus call witnesses like the Bidens – could give the House more even footing.

To wit:

Republicans want to know more about the cryptic firms tied to the Biden family.

There are more than 20 shell firms associated with the Bidens.

The cryptic names sometimes echo one another.

Rosemont Seneca Partners. Rosemont Seneca Bohai. Rosemont Seneca Thornton.

Fox asked forensic accountant Bruce Dubinsky to review the Biden family bank records released by the House Oversight panel.

Dubinsky initially focused on the sheer number of shell firms in which the Bidens were involved.

‘A shell company is just that. Just a shell. It doesn’t have typically an operating business,’ said Dubinsky. ‘They’re used in nefarious ways to either launder money or hide a transaction.’

In other words, the mere existence of these firms presents a red flag.

‘$20 million flows through these accounts, these fake businesses,’ alleged Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on Fox.

Republicans have focused in particular on Yelena Baturina, one of the wealthiest women in Russia. Records from the Oversight panel show Baturina wired Rosemont Seneca Thornton $3.5 million in 2014. $2.5 million of that then appears to have gone to Rosemont Seneca Bohai. Baturina then dined with Mr. Biden in Washington when he was vice president in 2014.

‘You see $3.5 million moving, coming inbound from Russia. And then it moves in two transactions to Devon Archer and one of Hunter Biden’s companies. That dollar for dollar – that is the signature of a problem,’ said Dubinsky.

It’s also unclear whether these firms provided a good or service. Republicans believe the linchpin is to demonstrate the commodity was access to the President when he served as Vice President.

Of course, drawing a straight line between all of this and alleged corruption by President Biden is hard to do – even if it’s true.

But from a political standpoint, it doesn’t necessarily have to be true or go back to the president to inflict damage.

Republicans know this encourages their base and makes good on various political promises.

Moreover, this is not necessarily a winning political strategy heading into 2024 for the GOP. It’s far from clear if the public is buying into the Republican arguments. And regardless, the ultra high-profile legal travails of former President Trump could overshadow anything House Republicans do in their investigation of the current president.

Republican lawmakers took to social media Saturday to honor the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives in a tragic suicide bombing during the Biden administration’s ‘disastrous’ and ‘botched’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, demanding accountability for those who were responsible for the attack.

Highlighting the two-year anniversary of the suicide bomb attack outside the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport during the military’s evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021, the lawmakers paid their respects to the 13 brave men and women for their ‘selfless’ service to the nation.

The deadly blast, which also resulted in the injuries of nearly two dozen others, killed 10 Marines, two Army soldiers and a Navy corpsman.

The suicide bomb attack was followed up by a firefight by Islamic State gunmen at the gate, where the night before there had been 5,000 Afghans and potentially some Americans seeking access to the airport to flee. Crowds had gathered for days seeking to escape the country, and there had been multiple warnings of a terror threat to the area — particularly from the Islamic State.

‘Two years ago today, we witnessed the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in over a decade when a suicide bomber entered the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, taking the lives of 13 selfless United States servicemembers,’ Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

‘To this day, not one member of the Biden administration has been held accountable for their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan,’ Wittman added in a separate post about the tragedy. ‘It’s time for all of those who have served our nation over the past two decades, and their loved ones, to get the answers they deserve.’

In a statement, House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., honored the 13 men and women who lost their lives that day to the ‘deadliest attack on Americans in Afghanistan since 2011.’

‘Two years ago today, our nation was devastated by the deaths of 13 brave Servicemembers in the deadliest attack on Americans in Afghanistan since 2011, which was a direct result of President Biden‘s catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal,’ Stefanik said. ‘We will never forget their courageous service and sacrifice on behalf of our great nation. That day, House Republicans vowed that we would hold President Biden and his administration accountable for their disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.’

‘Since retaking control of the house, we have delivered on that promise despite the Biden administration’s efforts to stonewall our investigations. House Republicans remain committed to delivering justice for those 13 brave Servicemembers and all of our Afghanistan veterans,’ she added.

Paying his respects to the fallen heroes through X, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., wrote, ‘On August 26, 2021, 13 U.S. servicemembers were killed in a suicide bombing during President Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. May we forever honor these courageous men and women who sacrificed their lives for our nation.’

In a statement, House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said it is ‘unfathomable’ that no one in the Biden administration had been held accountable for the ‘botched’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.

‘U.S. Servicemembers have never hesitated to answer the call to defend freedom in the face of evil. Two years ago, an ISIS-K terrorist killed 13 U.S. servicemembers who were protecting civilians fleeing Afghanistan. These young men and women embodied the very best of our nation – we must never forget their selfless bravery,’ he said. ‘It is unfathomable that two years after this horrific attack no one in the Biden administration has been held accountable for the botched withdrawal that led to the deaths of 13 Americans.’

‘I will continue to investigate the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and seek the accountability the American people deserve,’ Rogers added.

‘[Two] years ago today, 13 brave servicemembers lost their lives in the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. Please join me in praying for the families of these heroes who paid the ultimate price,’ Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., wrote in a post to X. ‘@HouseGOP has vowed and executed on holding Biden accountable. #NeverForget’

‘Today marks two years since we lost 13 US service members during the ISIS bombing of the Kabul Airport,’ Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy noted in a post to social media.

‘It is a somber reminder that lives were lost because of Biden’s botched withdrawal and that once more Afghanistan has become a terrorist hotbed,’ he added.

‘Two years ago, thirteen brave Americans lost their lives during a suicide-bomb attack at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan. May their lives and dedication to defending America’s freedoms never be forgotten,’ Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., stated on X.

‘It’s been two years since the tragic terrorist attack at Abbey Gate in Kabul that led to the loss of life of 13 brave US Service Members. I have not forgotten Biden’s botched withdrawal, and will continue to work with my colleagues to pursue accountability,’ Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., wrote in a post.

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., also weighed in on the two-year anniversary of the bombing, calling for Americans to ‘stand with the Gold Star families’ and demand ‘full accountability and transparency’ from the Biden administration as it relates to what took place that day.

‘On this day, we remember and honor the lives lost two years ago in the tragic attack in Kabul, including 13 brave American servicemembers,’ Mills wrote on X. ‘In the aftermath, we’ve revealed glaring mistakes and the Biden administration’s dereliction of duty. Let’s stand with the Gold Star families, demanding full accountability and transparency.’

In a statement, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., wrote, ‘Two years ago today, a suicide bomber detonated at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as it was being evacuated- taking the lives of 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians.’

‘We must never forget the men and women in uniform who gave their lives in Afghanistan or our Afghan allies who served alongside them and are now in fear for their lives from the Taliban and other terrorist groups,’ he added.

The Kabul airport bomb attack marked the deadliest day for U.S. troops in the war-torn country since insurgents in Afghanistan shot down a U.S. Chinook helicopter in August 2011 – which killed 38 people, including 31 U.S. troops.

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

MILWAUKEE—Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she understands what ‘real national security is’ – something she says makes her the most prepared to take on the Oval Office and strengthen America’s standing on the world stage.

Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, told Fox News Digital that she knows the ‘dangers’ of the ‘new axis of evil.’

‘At the United Nations, I didn’t deal with one country – I dealt with 193,’ she said. ‘I’ve sat across the table and negotiated with China and Russia. I know the dangers of Iran and North Korea.’

Haley told Fox News Digital that, if elected president, she will bring a foreign policy with ‘moral clarity on who our friends are and who our enemies are.’

‘We need to know the difference between good and evil,’ she said. ‘And that doesn’t mean you allow Ukraine to get eaten up by Russia. It doesn’t mean you give Taiwan to China. It doesn’t mean that you stop funding Israel.’

She added: ‘It means that you have an American president that understands you can’t be narcissistic and think you’re going to survive on your own.’ 

Haley stressed the importance of relationships with U.S. allies.

‘In order to have allies, we’ve got to make sure we’re taking on those enemies so that we can keep Americans safe,’ Haley said, while stressing she has already fostered those relationships.

‘The greatest threat facing the United States, number one, is China,’ she said. ‘But let’s understand there is a new axis of evil. It is Russia, it is Iran, and it is North Korea.’

‘They want to destroy America. They want to destroy our friends,’ she said. ‘We need to be smart, we need to be strategic, and we need to understand what real national security is.’ 

With regard to China’s ambitions to take Taiwan, Haley told Fox News Digital that her ‘biggest fear’ is ‘the time we have to wait until the next president takes office.’ 

‘But until that time, America has never looked as weak as we do right now,’ she said. ‘Joe Biden has been trying to appease Putin, he has been trying to appease Xi Jinping – we are watching that and that is why China thinks they can invade Taiwan.’

Haley said that point is ‘why it is so important that Ukraine win this because if Ukraine wins, it will send the biggest message to China on invading Taiwan.’ 

Current and former officials familiar with U.S. and allied intelligence tell Fox News that China could invade Taiwan before the next U.S. presidential election, while others say Beijing could attempt to take Taiwan by 2027. 

‘If Ukraine loses, Russia is going to do exactly what they said they’re going to do – they are going to go into Poland and the Baltics – which is a world war – and that will give a green light to China with Taiwan.’ 

She added: ‘We can never let that happen.’

Haley said during her time as ambassador to the United Nations, the Trump administration let adversaries know there would ‘be hell to pay.’ Haley said former President Trump was ‘strong in D.C.’ and said she was ‘strong at the United Nations.’ 

‘We let them know there would be hell to pay – these enemies of ours need to understand if they do anything that jeopardizes America or our friends, there will be hell to pay and there will be a price to pay,’ she said. 

‘When they think we’re weak, they’re going to have a free for all,’ she warned. ‘And that’s what they’re doing under President Biden.’

But beyond her experience on the world stage, Haley highlighted her tenure as governor of South Carolina. 

‘I’ve been a two-term governor that took a double-digit unemployment state and turned it into an economic powerhouse,’ she told Fox News Digital. ‘When you talk about the economy and inflation, you look at the fact that Biden didn’t just do this to us, Republicans did this to us, too.’ 

‘I mean, you saw on the stage, you’ve got Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, they all voted to raise the debt ceiling. You’ve got Donald Trump, who basically spent like a drunken sailor, with $8 trillion that went toward our debt,’ she continued. ‘I think it’s time for an accountant in the White House. We have to make sure that we stop the spending, we stop the borrowing, we eliminate the earmarks.’ 

She added: ‘I’ll veto any spending bill that doesn’t take us back to pre-COVID levels.’

Fox News’ Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

A codefendant in the Georgia election fraud case facing former President Donald Trump is being held without bail. 

Black Voices for Trump leader Harrison Floyd is being held at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, after turning himself in on Thursday. 

‘I do find that based on the open charge against you there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point,’ Judge Emily Richardson said. 

She continued, ‘So I’m going to go ahead and find that you are at risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction.’

Richardson made the decision on the grounds that Floyd was deemed a flight risk. 

Floyd is facing charges of influencing witnesses, conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings and violating the Georgia RICO Act. 

Among the 19 co-defendants, Floyd is the only individual not to strike a bond agreement ahead of surrendering to authorities. 

He represented himself in court, saying that legal counsel was too expensive.

Trump turned himself on Thursday night after being charged with 13 counts stemming from the state probe into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.

The court had set Trump’s bail at $200,000. He was quickly processed and released.

Trump told Fox News Digital that officials had insisted on the picture, which assumed iconic status almost immediately among his detractors and supporters.

He added: ‘It is not a comfortable feeling — especially when you’ve done nothing wrong.’

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley spoke about the U.S.’ reliance on Israel following her fiery spat with GOP rival Vivek Ramaswamy at the first Republican presidential debate. 

‘You saw on the debate stage, there was a lot of narcissism up there. I mean, there was a lot of arrogance,’ Haley told Fox News Digital in an interview. ‘You can’t assume that America is just going to be fine all on our own. We need allies, and we have not had a better ally than Israel.’

Haley lambasted Ramaswamy on Wednesday over his stance on rolling back foreign aid to Israel in favor of strengthening the Jewish state’s business partnerships with more Arab nations. She accused him of wanting to stop funding Israel, something he firmly denied. 

‘He doesn’t understand America needs Israel. It’s not just that Israel needs America,’ Haley said in the interview. ‘They are the front line of defense when it comes to taking on Islamic terrorism. They’re the front line of defense when it comes to taking on Iran. They’ve been an amazing partner with us. And as president, I will absolutely have the backs of Israel so that they can have the back of America.’

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ramaswamy said ‘By the end of my first term, the US-Israel relationship will be deeper and stronger than ever because it won’t be a client relationship, it will be a true friendship. The centerpiece of my Middle East policy in Year 1 will be to lead ‘Abraham Accords 2.0′ which will fully integrate Israel into the Middle East economy. A brighter future of Israel and good for the US.’

The Ramaswamy campaign’s communications director Tricia McLaughin added: ‘She is intentionally misleading people and it should be called out for what it is.’

One of the biggest highlights of the first Republican presidential debate was when Haley confronted Ramaswamy over his foreign policy positions, specially on Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel.

‘Under your watch, you will make America less safe. You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows. It shows,’ Haley told Ramaswamy. 

Ramaswamy pushed back, saying America’s relationship with Israel ‘will never be stronger than by the end of my first term’ and that it should be a ‘friendship’ instead of a ‘client relationship.’

‘And you know what friends do? Friends help each other stand on their own two feet. So I will lead Abraham Accords 2.0. I will partner with Israel to make sure Iran never is nuclear armed,’ Ramaswamy said. 

He continued, ‘But you know what I love that Israel — and I’ve been there probably in the last ten years more than most people on this stage — you know what I love about them? I love their border policies. I love their tough-on-crime policies. I love that they have a national identity and an Iron Dome to protect their homeland. And so, yes, I want to learn from the friends that we’re supporting.’

‘No, you want to cut the aid off,’ Haley interjected. ‘And let me tell you, it’s not that Israel needs America. America needs Israel. They are the front line defense to Iran.’

Haley and Ramaswamy generated plenty of buzz at the debate, but only time will tell if their performances will impact their polling. According to the RealClearPolitics average, the entrepreneur is polling third in the GOP primary with just over seven percent support, while the former U.N. ambassador is placing in fifth with 3.7%.

However, former President Trump continues to dominate the race, averaging a whopping 55% support among likely primary voters. 

With Friday’s announcement that the 2028 GOP presidential nominating convention will be held in Houston, Texas, longtime Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel appears to be building on her legacy.

The announcement on the 2028 convention came as the RNC held its annual summer meeting, which this year was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, site of the 2024 Republican National Convention.

McDaniel is nearing the middle of her fourth – and what she says is her final – two-year term as RNC chair. Her longevity in steering the national party committee is unprecedented in modern times.

The meeting of the RNC’s 167 committee members came as the party held its first 2024 Republican presidential nomination debate, a Fox News hosted showdown. Pointing to the White House candidates taking part in the debate, McDaniel highlighted in a recent Fox News Channel interview that it was ‘the most diverse debate stage we’ve ever had as a party. But that’s what we’re seeing in our party as well. We’re growing. We’re expanding our reach with Hispanic voters, Black voters, Asian voters. And they’re coming to our party.’

As Fox News Digital first reported, McDaniel also used this week’s debate and RNC gathering to spotlight her push to encourage Republican voters to turn in ballots early. The recently launched ‘Bank Your Vote’ campaign seeks to motivate pre-Election Day balloting among Republicans ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The RNC effort aims to educate GOP voters on absentee voting, ballot collection and early in-person voting.

‘When Republicans vote early, we win,’ McDaniel emphasized in an RNC ad released this week to publicize the effort.

While McDaniel – who’s known as an effective fundraiser – can count many successes as she steers the RNC through the end of next year, plenty in the GOP are still fuming following last year’s less than stellar performance by the party in the midterm elections. And McDaniel’s job is now tougher than ever, courtesy of the party’s first competitive GOP presidential nomination race in eight years. 

The primary battle is dominated by former President Donald Trump, the commanding front-runner right now for the nomination. Despite McDaniel’s best efforts, Trump decided to skip last week’s initial debate.

McDaniel, who as Michigan GOP chair was Trump’s handpicked choice to steer the committee after he won the White House in 2016, was re-elected to the post in 2019 and 2021. In January, she faced off against multiple rivals in the party’s first hotly contested chair race in a dozen years, which became a contentious family feud as the GOP decided its leadership. McDaniel ended up easily winning re-election and told this reporter minutes after her victory that ‘this is my last term as chair. I’m saying it on Fox News. It’s done.’

Fox News reached out to nearly a dozen national party committee members – all of whom asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely – about the job McDaniel’s doing steering the RNC.

‘I think Ronna’s been doing a good job. These are tough waters to navigate, and she has experience now. I trust her and like what she’s trying to do,’ one committee member said.

Another RNC member said that ‘in terms of administration of the RNC and setting up a well-run convention next summer, I think she and her team are doing a pretty good job.’

Pointing to Trump, the member highlighted that ‘you can only do so much with a presidential candidate who doesn’t want to participate.’

Another committee member shared, ‘I think she’s doing a good job in an organization that generally isn’t hierarchal. States do what they want to do. Candidates do what they want to do and trying to manage that is difficult. You’ve got very strong personalities and unlike Democrats, we’re not as collaborative. We have a lot of personalities that want to do what they want to do.’

The committee member – who noted he didn’t vote for McDaniel’s re-election – stressed that ‘once Ronna won, we had to rally around our leader. I think she’s done a good job in a tough situation.’

Another RNC member, who did back McDaniel in January, emphasized that ‘there’s one way we keep score in politics – do we win elections? That’s the only barometer that matters – are we going to win in ’24? That’s the bottom line.’

While the member noted that the chair’s role is important, ‘ultimately, it’s going to be up to the presidential nominee, not the chair. The nominee is going to have to unite the party and the nominee’s going to have to go out and beat Joe Biden or whoever the Democrat nominee is.’

Former New Hampshire GOP Chair Steve Duprey, who served for years as an influential committee member at the RNC, told Fox News that McDaniel’s ‘been a terrific fundraiser and someone who’s tried to bring different factions together.’

Noting that ‘this is a particularly difficult time for the party in the presidential primary season,’ Duprey said, ‘She’s done a good job doing a very difficult job and she’s had a longer run than most party chairs do.’

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on Friday pushed back against some left-wing critics of singer Oliver Anthony’s viral sensation ‘Rich Men North of Richmond.’ 

In a Substack post, Murphy observed that conservatives have celebrated Anthony as a working-class hero while many progressives have mocked him as another ‘right-wing zealot.’ The senator remarked that both sides have politicized Anthony and his music, with the ‘political establishment’ treating him as either ‘with us’ or ‘against us.’ 

‘I saw it somewhat differently, and I think so did many people outside of the political establishment,’ wrote Murphy, a progressive Democrat. ‘For instance, probe the positive replies on social media to the song, and you won’t just find rural white conservatives, but urban young black men too. Anthony’s lyrics don’t add much color to what he considers this ‘new world’ to be, but the viral reaction to the song suggests most people have a pretty good idea what he’s referencing.’

Anthony’s song is a lament for the working class he characterizes as kicked around too long. He sings in ‘Rich Men’ about working ‘overtime hours for bulls— pay,’ high taxation, substance abuse, the suicide epidemic and other social ills. 

‘There is a growing spiritual emptiness in American life, in which profit matters more than character, virtual connection has replaced real connection, everything not nailed down has been turned into a commodity, and the personal meaning that comes from true economic agency has been stolen from millions of families,’ Murphy wrote. 

But while Murphy identified several themes of Anthony’s song he agreed with, the Democratic lawmaker said he was frustrated by how Anthony ‘carelessly and incorrectly labels boilerplate conservative complaints, like food stamps and taxes, as the culprits for his economic and spiritual malaise.’

‘And it is likely that some of those cheering Anthony’s critique are angry at a ‘new world’ where women and immigrants have more power,’ he added. ‘But the truth is, if Anthony and his friends are having trouble making ends meet, that’s because political and economic elites have deliberately created an economy that is rigged to incentivize low wages and high shareholder returns – not because some other poor people are getting nutritional assistance for themselves or their children.’

Murphy goes on to blame ‘neoliberal economic policies’ for creating a life that feels ’empty and devoid of meaning,’ while defending ‘gender equality’ and ‘continued immigration’as positive goods that are ‘nothing to fear.’ And he urges Democrats not to mock Anthony but rather to consider how they might reach the ‘white, conservative working-class men’ who resonate with his song. 

‘The question then becomes: should Anthony’s misplaced blame be a reason to ridicule and dismiss him and his song’s enthusiasts outright, a route eagerly taken by many of his critics?’ Murphy asks of the left. ‘Why not instead view the reaction to his song as an opportunity to engage with his followers on the song’s critique of modern life and force a real conversation about whether it is the politics of the right or the left that are the best antidote to the social ills that Anthony laments (and through his own scapegoating, exposes)? Why not see the reaction to his song as a chance not to simply deepen the existing trenches between right and left, but instead engage in a conversion exercise in order to grow our coalition?’

Anthony, speaking for himself in an emotional video on Friday, rejected Republicans and conservative media who have tried to ‘act like we’re buddies’ and criticized the left for mischaracterizing his message.

‘The one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up into this,’ he said in the 10-minute video. ‘It’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me like I’m one of them. It’s aggravating seeing certain musicians and politicians act like we’re buddies and act like we’re fighting the same struggle here, like that we’re trying to present the same message.’ 

He said it was funny that his song was featured at Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate on Fox News when moderator Martha MacCallum asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis why ‘Rich Men’ was resonating so strongly with people. 

‘It was funny seeing my song in the presidential debate, because I wrote that song about those people, so for them to have to sit there and listen to that, that cracks me up,’ he said, laughing. ‘It was funny kind of seeing the response to it, like that song has nothing to do with Joe Biden, you know? It’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden. That song is written about the people on that stage and a lot more too, not just them.’

Anthony said the left had also mischaracterized some of his lyrics as an attack on the poor, pointing to some of his other music that showed he defends those in poverty. Some liberal sites took exception to his line about welfare and paying for overweight people’s ‘fudge rounds,’ interpreting it as punching down. ABC News said that critics heard ‘racially tinged dog whistles’ in parts of the song.

‘It references the inefficiencies of the government because of the politicians within it that are engulfed in bribes and extortion,’ Anthony said. ‘If we can fuel a proxy war in a foreign land, but we can’t take care of our own, that’s all the song’s trying to say.’

‘This isn’t a Republican and Democrat thing,’ he added. ‘This isn’t even a United States thing. This has been a global response, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. It’s my belief that divine intervention has put me in this position and this point in time to get a message across, and that’s all there is to it. I’m nobody special.’

Fox News’ David Rutz contributed to this report. 

The U.S. Department of Justice is weighing potential charges against Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., following a yearslong federal criminal probe into his dealings with foreign regulators, according to a new report.

Detailed by people familiar with the matter, prosecutors are likely to meet with the senator’s lawyers in the coming weeks ahead of a final decision, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Menendez, who serves as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a position he held from 2013 to 2015 and again has been in since 2021, has been under investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

The probe, which involves several federal organizations, investigated lavish gifts Menendez’s wife, Nadine Arslanian, allegedly received from a New Jersey food producer that obtained an exclusive contract with the Egyptian government to certify halal food exports across the globe.

Egyptian officials and the New Jersey businessman who secured the contract were hosted by Menendez in his office in 2018, according to the Journal. A year later, the businessman became the ‘sole certifier of halal meat exported from the U.S. to Egypt,’ the outlet noted.

‘Details about any potential criminal charges couldn’t be learned. It also couldn’t be determined whether other individuals under scrutiny, including Arslanian, are in jeopardy of being prosecuted,’ the outlet added.

The inquiry considered whether Menendez may have improperly used his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to influence the deal. The committee controls roughly $2 billion in U.S. aid to Egypt, according to an NBC report earlier this year.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Jennifer Morrill, a spokeswoman for the senator, said, ‘As stated previously, the senator remains confident this matter will be successfully resolved.’

Federal investigators opened the probe into Menendez last October and gave no indication of how long it was expected to continue.

The Journal noted that the current probe dates back to at least 2019, when the New Jersey home of Wael Hana, an associate of Menendez’s wife who worked to establish the halal business that won the contract with Egypt, was searched by federal investigators.

‘Any allegations about cars, apartments, cash, and jewelry being provided by anyone associated with ISEG Halal to Senator Menendez or his wife at all, let alone in exchange for any kind of favorable treatment, are totally without basis,’ a spokeswoman for Hana said in a previous statement.

During an April appearance on CNN, Menendez insisted the investigation wouldn’t amount to anything.

‘If anyone looks at my history on Egypt, they would know that by both denying aid to Egypt, denying arms sales to Egypt, criticizing its human-rights record, I am not in a position to be helpful to anyone as it relates to Egypt,’ he said in relation to the contract between the two parties.

In April, Menendez established a legal defense fund to help pay for tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees relating to the federal criminal probe.

If charged, Menendez, a former member of the House who has served in the Senate since 2006, could continue to serve in the upper chamber. He is up for re-election in 2024.

Menendez was previously indicted on federal bribery charges in 2016. That case related to a wealthy Florida eye doctor and longtime friend who gave generous donations to Menedez and allegedly received benefits in return.

The Department of Justice dropped those charges in 2018, however, and the new probe was unrelated to that case.

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy directed to have the flags at the U.S. Capitol lowered to half-staff on Saturday to honor the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives in a tragic suicide bombing during the ‘botched’ withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 under the Biden administration.

Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of the attack outside the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport during the military’s evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021.

‘Two years ago today, we tragically lost 13 brave service men and women in Afghanistan,’ McCarthy said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. ‘I have directed the flags at the U.S. Capitol be lowered to half-staff in honor of these American heroes.’

The speaker then listed the names of the fallen  –  Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25; Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23; Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31; Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22; Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23; Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22; Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20; Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20; Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20; Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20; Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20; Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22; Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23 – along with their pictures.

Biden’s pullout of U.S. troops in Afghanistan faced widespread global backlash after Taliban insurgents retook the country in a matter of days on Aug. 15, 2021, essentially winning the war 20 years after their ouster by U.S.-led forces. Just a month earlier, Biden had told Americans that the likelihood of a Taliban takeover was ‘highly unlikely.’

On Aug. 26, 2021, during the U.S. military’s mass evacuation at the Kabul airport, suicide bombers killed at least 183 people, including 13 U.S. service members. 

The evacuation required significant cooperation from the Taliban to complete and ended a day ahead of the deadline on Aug. 30, leaving behind thousands of U.S. citizens and tens of thousands of Afghan allies, despite Biden’s promise days earlier to ‘get them all out.’

Several lawmakers turned to social media on the two-year anniversary of the tragedy, including Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va.

‘Two years ago today, we witnessed the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in over a decade when a suicide bomber entered the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, taking the lives of 13 selfless United States service members,’ Wittman wrote in a post on X.

‘To this day, not one member of the Biden administration has been held accountable for their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan,’ he added in a separate post about the tragedy. ‘It’s time for all of those who have served our nation over the past two decades, and their loved ones, to get the answers they deserve.’

Kyle Morris of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.