California, already struggling with an exodus of residents fleeing the state, will have about the same population in 2060 as it does now and fewer people than it had just three years ago, according to new government projections.

The forecasts released by the California Department of Finance show the Golden State’s population in 2060 is estimated to be 39.51 million people, which is lower than the 39.52 residents who lived there in 2020. Just under 39 million people live today in California, the country’s most populated state.

Just three years ago, forecasters estimated California’s population in 2060 would be 45 million. A few years earlier, the projection was over 50 million, indicating an expected population boom. 

Meanwhile, the latest projections show the Golden State having 40 million residents in 2050, a shocking drop from the 59.5 million residents predicted in the Department of Finance’s forecasts in 2007. The difference between the two figures — 19.5 million people — is equivalent to the total population of New York state.

California saw its first-ever population decline in 2020, when the state imposed rigid lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Californians continue to leave in droves, moving their homes and businesses to other parts of the country and creating problems for their former state.

From January 2020 to July 2022, the state lost well over half a million people, with the number of residents leaving surpassing those moving in by almost 700,000. The U-Haul Growth Index, which measured more than 2 million one-way trips last year, found that California ranked last on the index as demand for trucks out of the Golden State spiked.

Demographers note such an exodus can have compounding effects into the future as people who move take not only themselves but their children.

California’s population decline is having real consequences. In 2021, the state lost a House seat for the first time since achieving statehood in 1850. If the population continues to decline, another House seat could be at risk.

Another effect of fewer people could be an erosion of California’s tax base, already one of the country’s most taxed populations with the nation’s highest top income tax rate at 13.3% among other onerous taxes.

In May, Newsom announced the state’s budget deficit had grown to nearly $32 billion, which is about $10 billion more than he anticipated in January when he offered his first budget proposal. One reason for the higher figure was lower than expected tax revenue.

The 10 states with the highest taxes lost nearly 1 in 100 residents in net domestic migration between July 2021 and July 2022, while the 10 states with the lowest taxes gained almost 1 in 100, according to a recent analysis by James Doti, president emeritus and economics professor at Chapman University. 

‘The latest census has shown that the highest tax states — California, New York and Illinois — have all seen massive population exodus,’ Nicholas Robinson, director of accountancy at Illinois University, recently told WalletHub. ‘The states that have grown the most, Florida and Texas, do not have an income tax. The benefits or detriments of being in a high-tax state versus a low-tax state could be assessed by the population voting with its feet.’

Still, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, defended his state and expressed optimism about the future despite a declining population.

‘I love this state,’ Newsom said recently during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. ‘Don’t count us out.’

Newsom added that, per capita, ‘more Floridians move to California than California is moving to Florida.’

Last year, however, Florida saw the biggest rush of new residents migrating from predominantly blue states with steep taxes, with about 319,000 Americans making the move there, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. That amounts to a population increase of nearly 2%, well above the 0.4% national growth rate in the U.S. from July 2021 to July 2022.

Texas, the second most populated state and another popular destination beyond Florida for moving Californians, is projected to expand from 30 million people to 36.7 million by 2060, according to its latest forecast from last year.

According to Census data, Florida and Texas easily had the highest net migration of people moving there in 2021, while California by far had the lowest as twice as many people left as moved in.

As for California, the state is expected to return to its 2020 population level in the 2030s, regaining its population decline from the pandemic, and hit its peak in 2044 before declining. The forecasts are based on both net migration and a natural increase in population, which means births minus deaths. The number of deaths in California will exceed births by 2035, according to the data.

California’s total fertility rate, which has been below replacement level of 2.1 births per woman since 2009, is projected to decline to 1.5. This will be supplemented by an expected surge in the number of deaths over the next three decades as so-called baby boomers grow older.

Experts warn to be wary of long-term projections, noting many factors can change, and the calculations can’t be full-proof. However, in the near term, at least, many signs indicate California’s exodus will continue.

More than 40% of Californians are considering leaving the Golden State, according to a new poll from a consortium of California nonprofits. Almost a third of residents said their urge to leave was fueled by California’s liberal politics.

A high cost of living is another major factor for many. Some have also cited other social and cultural factors, such as the homeless crisis that is devastating major cities such as Los Angeles. 

LA has seen a growing number of homeless encampments popping up along the streets of the city, coinciding with rising crime rates and creating scenes of trash, needles and even human feces and urine in public areas. Many business owners have complained, expressing outrage about such encampments being close to their establishments and potentially driving away customers.

According to Department of Finance data, the County of Los Angeles is expected to shrink by 1.7 million people from 2020 to 2060. 

The Supreme Court this fall will decide whether to take up a case that challenges a New York law that says ‘sidewalk counselors’ outside abortion clinics can be arrested if they approach women to discuss alternatives to abortion. 

Should at least four justices agree to take up the case, the court could potentially undo decades of precedent that some justices have already said ‘distort[s] First Amendment Doctrines.’ 

The case, Vitagliano v. County of Westchester, stems from a challenge to a law put in place by Westchester County, New York, last year in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson – which overturned Roe v. Wade and sent the question of abortion accessibility back to the states to decide. 

The county’s law made it illegal to approach within eight feet of another person in public near abortion clinics for the purpose of engaging in oral protest, education or counseling, unless the other person gives explicit consent. 

Debra Vitagliano, a Catholic sidewalk counselor who says she feels ‘called to be a compassionate voice to abortion-vulnerable women, letting them know that they are loved, supported, and can choose life for their babies,’ sued the county last year. 

Vitagliano is as an occupational therapist with special-needs children, a profession she says has led her ‘to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of all people, no matter their level of functioning.’ Consistent with her Catholic faith, she opposes abortion, believing it is the deliberate taking of innocent human life, her petition to the Supreme Court says.

She also volunteers as ‘life consultant’ at a local pregnancy resource center, meeting with women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and discussing options and available resources. 

So far, Vitagliano has lost in lower courts because judges have cited a 1973 Supreme Court case, Hill v. Colorado, that essentially upheld the same type of law with the reasoning that citizens should be protected from ‘unwanted speech.’ 

But Vitagliano’s lawyers are arguing that case should be overturned, and have presented the high court with an opportunity to do just that. 

‘On the day it was decided, members of this Court recognized that Hill stands ‘in stark contradiction of the constitutional principles [the Court] appl[ies] in all other contexts’ outside abortion,’ the court document states, quoting a dissent from the late Justice Antonin Scaila. 

The document also notes now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy’s dissent that said Hill ‘contradicts more than a half century of well-established First Amendment principles.’

‘Three Justices have since recognized that intervening precedents have ‘all but interred’ Hill’s analysis, leaving it ‘an aberration in [the Court’s] case law,’’ the document continues. 

The document also cites most recently in the Dobbs majority opinion, which stated that ‘Hill was a ‘distort[ion]’ of ‘First Amendment doctrines.’’ 

Mark Rienzi, president and CEO at Becket, the firm representing Vitagliano, says the high court ‘should fix the mistake of Hill and make clear that the First Amendment protects these offers of help and information to women in need.’

Rienzi says critics who support the law because it’s aimed at stopping obstruction or violence are in error, because laws that protect against such actions are already on the books.

‘These laws are only about stopping peaceful speech. In fact, if I approached someone with a baseball bat instead of a leaflet, I wouldn’t violate this law. I only violate this law by approaching to speak. 

The law targets the exchange of information on public sidewalks and government shouldn’t do that. The only reason it ever happened was we had a court that was twisting things to protect abortion. We should be out of that business, and we should let people speak freely. It’s bad for the law to have this situation where these women don’t get offered to help because the government is micromanaging who can engage peacefully on public sidewalks.’

The petition cites a number of legal scholars who have also criticized the Hill decision, including liberal Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe, who said, ‘I don’t think [Hill] was a difficult case. I think it was slam-dunk simple and slam-dunk wrong.’ 

The earliest the Supreme Court could decide to take up the Vitagliano case is Monday, Oct. 2, when the tribunal begins its 2023-24 term.

Maine is poised to launch an offshore wind program that would meet clean energy goals and produce enough power for about 900,000 homes from floating wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine.

The legislation, which was endorsed by lawmakers Tuesday, calls for requests for proposals to be issued for 3,000 megawatts of electricity from offshore wind turbines by 2040. That’s enough electricity to power about half of Maine’s electricity load.

‘This bill means jobs. It means lower, more stable energy prices, while at the same time addressing climate change. We need to pass this bill now,’ said Democratic Sen. Mark Lawrence, the bill’s sponsor.

Legislation was revised, combined with another bill and reintroduced to address Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ concerns about labor agreements, causing her to veto an earlier bill. The offshore wind bill passed both chambers of the Legislature in initial votes Tuesday.

Approval puts Maine on a path to catch up with other states that already have offshore wind projects. The catch, however, is that the wind turbines would be farther offshore than those projects, and would involve floating turbines. It also includes incentives aimed at ensuring wind power developers steer clear of lucrative lobster fishing grounds.

Lawrence, of York, said previously that he believes the compromise proposal has necessary ‘guardrails in place to make sure this is done right and truly benefits Mainers.’

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management already approved projects that are now under construction off Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, and it gave the green light earlier this month for New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm to begin construction. Next month, it will hold an auction for leases in the Gulf of Mexico.

In Maine, the timeline calls for the federal lease sales to be completed next year and for the state to release request for proposals to operate the offshore wind turbines in early 2026.

The Gulf of Maine is considered a prize when it comes to consistent, powerful winds, but the water is too deep for traditional wind turbines that are anchored to the ocean floor. Maine officials hope companies will license technology from the University of Maine, which has been pioneering precast floating turbines that can be built on land and towed to sea.

‘This is the bill that will jumpstart the offshore wind industry in Maine,’ said Jack Shapiro, climate and clean energy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

A decade ago, the state was poised to host a $120 million wind project led by Norwegian company Statoil, but Statoil backed out after the state reopened bidding to provide an opportunity to the University of Maine.

The U.S. could need roughly 2,000 of the most powerful turbines to meet its goals to ramp up offshore wind. Doing so would dramatically cut its use of fossil fuels, protect the atmosphere and reduce climate change.

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Three witnesses who are set to appear Wednesday morning before the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs are expected to testify that the United States government should share information and intelligence it has with the American people concerning unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), previously known as unidentified flying objects (UFO).

The witnesses include David Grusch, an intelligence officer for 14 years in the U.S. Air Force at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; Ryan ‘FOBS’ Graves, a former F-18 pilot with over a decade of service in the U.S. Navy; and David Fravor, a retired commander in the U.S. Navy who was also the commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 41, the world-famous Black Aces.

Grusch and Graves are expected to testify about how the government keeps its knowledge of UAPs secret, even to lawmakers, while Fravor is expected to talk about the advanced technologies — which are potentially extraterrestrial — that intelligence services have witnessed in recent years.

The committee hearing titled ‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency’ is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 26.  

Grusch is expected to testify before Chairman Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., Ranking Member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and the Republican-majority members that the U.S. government is ‘operating with secrecy’ and ‘above Congressional oversight’ in its handling of UAPs.

‘I became a Whistleblower, through a PPD-19 Urgent Concern filing with the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG), following concerning reports from multiple esteemed and credentialed current and former military and Intelligence Community individuals that the US Government is operating with secrecy — above Congressional oversight — with regards to UAPs,’ Grusch will say according to an opening statement provided to Fox News Digital. ‘My testimony is based on information I have been given by individuals with a longstanding track record of legitimacy and service to this country – many of whom also shared compelling evidence in the form of photography, official documentation, and classified oral testimony.’  

Graves is expected to express to the committee that ‘advanced UAP are a national security and an aviation safety problem’ that demands ‘immediate attention and concerted action.’

‘As we convene here, UAP are in our airspace, but they are grossly underreported,’ Graves will say Wednesday morning. ‘These sightings are not rare or isolated; they are routine. Military aircrews and commercial pilots, trained observers whose lives depend on accurate identification, are frequently witnessing these phenomena.’

‘The stigma attached to UAP is real and powerful and challenges national security,’ his statement continues, arguing that those who speak out about the dangers of UAPs fear repercussions. ‘It silences commercial pilots who fear professional repercussions, discourages witnesses, and is only compounded by recent government claims questioning the credibility of eyewitness testimony.’

He adds,’The government knows more about UAP than shared publicly, and excessive classification practices keep crucial information hidden. There’s a lack of transparency around UAP that’s unsettling. Since 2021, all UAP videos are classified as secret or above. This level of secrecy not only impedes our understanding but fuels speculation and mistrust.’

Fravor’s opening statement strikes a different tone pushing for more oversight from elected officials and ensuring ‘our system of checks and balances works across all work done in our government using taxpayer funds.’

‘What concerns me is that there is no ‘oversight’ from our elected officials on anything associated with our government possessing or working on craft that we believe are not from this world,’ he will say. ‘This issue is not about full public disclosure that could undermine national security, but it is about ensuring that our system of checks and balances works across all work done in our government using taxpayer funds.’

His statement also highlights the ‘Tic Tac Object’ that the U.S. Navy engaged with in Nov 2004. The object was ‘far superior to anything that we had at the time, have today, or are looking to develop in the next 10+ years,’ his statement reads.

It adds, ‘If we in fact have programs that possess this technology, it needs to have oversight from those people that the citizens of this great country elected to office to represent what is best for the United States and in the best interest of its citizens.’

Other GOP members of the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs include Reps. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; Virginia Foxx, R-NC.; Clay Higgins, R-Louisiana; Pete Sessions, R-Texas; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Nancy Mace, R-SC; Jake Laturner, R-KS; Pat Fallon, R-Texas; Kelly Armstrong, R-ND; and, Scott Perry, R-Penn.

Its Democratic members are Reps. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass.; Dan Goldman, D-NY; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Katie Porter, D-Calif.; Cori Bush, D-Missouri; and Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.

Fox News’ Kelly Phares contributed to this report.

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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., considered one of 2024’s most vulnerable Democrats up for re-election, served as the president of a Las Vegas area synagogue that invited a drag queen to preside over services and discuss transgender ideology with children.

Congregation Ner Tamid, which touts being the largest Reform Synagogue in Nevada, held a ‘Rainbow Shabbat – Don’t Be A Drag, Just Be A Queen/Torah Study,’ as well as an LGBTQ Shabbat targeted toward children in March. 

The Rainbow Shabbat included drag queen Miss Livinya Karr, a biological male named Raymond Zachary, discussing drag and transgender ideology and claiming historical figures in the Torah and Bible wore drag, while at the LGBTQ Shabbat for children, those in attendance wore rainbow clothing and were read to from the book, ‘You Are Loved,’ which introduces readers to families with two moms and two dads.

During the Rainbow Shabbat, Karr boasted of being a ‘big old queen standing where the Rabbi normally goes,’ and claimed ‘drag is an art form’ that usually involves a male wearing makeup and clothing to ‘exaggerate female gender signifiers for entertainment purposes. The technical term is a gender illusionist.’

‘We are all drag queens. As our lord and savior RuPaul once said we are all born naked and everything else is drag,’ Karr said, referencing celebrity drag performer RuPaul, before claiming, ‘The Torah has many examples of drag whether we even notice them. Aside from the fact that every single one of our Bible stories centers around a man wearing a dress.’

Karr also claimed the story of Joseph in the Torah and Bible was the ‘first actual example of drag,’ and that it compared to the feeling he ‘felt the night they handed me my rehearsal [stiletto] shoes.’

It’s unclear whether Karr, who is based out of Huntington Beach, California, was paid for his appearance at the events, although he advertises on his website that he has ‘reliable transportation’ for ‘gigs and bookings.’

Rosen served as president of Congregation Ner Tamid from 2013 to 2016, prior to her 2017 election to Congress, and has maintained an active role in the synagogue according to numerous posts on social media.

In April 2021, the synagogue honored Rosen for her ‘years of dedication as our synagogue President and the significant service to our great state and community,’ and Rosen appeared in multiple photos posted on the synagogue’s Facebook page in April and May 2022.

In another Facebook post in November, the synagogue touted its connection to Rosen and noted her service as its president.

Fox News Digital reached out to Rosen’s Senate office, her re-election campaign and Congregation Ner Tamid for comment but did not receive responses.

Rosen faces what is expected to be a tough challenge from Republican Sam Brown, a former U.S. Army captain and veteran of the Afghanistan War.

Gov. Kim Reynolds can proceed with an appeal on a temporary block on the state’s new, restrictive abortion law, the Iowa Supreme Court said Tuesday.

Reynolds announced her intentions to appeal last week and said it was ‘just a matter of time’ before lawyers for the state filed the request, which they did Friday. The Iowa Supreme Court had to say whether the request could move forward.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the measure to ban most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy during a July 11 special session, and the law went into effect days later, immediately after Reynolds signed it. The ACLU of Iowa, Planned Parenthood North Central States and the Emma Goldman Clinic launched a legal challenge and Judge Joseph Seidlin on July 17 granted their request to pause the law as the courts assess its constitutionality.

Abortion remains legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy while the new law is on hold.

Reynolds is asking the state Supreme Court to override the lower court’s ruling and allow the law to go back into effect. The full court considered Reynolds’ application for appeal, but a spokesperson declined to say whether all the justices will also consider the appeal itself.

A justice’s recusal led to a rare 3-3 decision in June and left the block intact on the nearly identical 2018 law, prompting Reynolds to call the special session. The 2018 law was passed despite state and federal court decisions at the time, including Roe, that affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. Both courts reversed those decisions last year.

The state Supreme Court can rule on the temporary injunction alone, or it can decide to fast-forward a decision on merits of the law itself.

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The yearslong legal fight over former President Donald Trump’s decision to divert billions of dollars to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall formally ended on Tuesday.

Wisconsin became the last of 20 states to drop out of the two lawsuits, which were rendered all but moot when President Joe Biden issued an executive order in 2021 that halted wall construction using up to $6.7 billion intended for National Guard units, military construction projects and police.

Wisconsin stood to lose $8 million that was supposed to cover a new National Guard firing range. The federal government has since restored the money for the firing range, according to the Wisconsin Legislature’s attorneys and the state Justice Department.

The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals had ruled in favor of the states in October 2020, prompting the federal government to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the cases. After Biden’s executive order, the justices sent the cases back to a lower court.

A federal judge in Oakland, California, dismissed the other states, including California, New York, Colorado, Hawaii and Minnesota, from the lawsuits on July 17.

The Wisconsin Legislature’s finance committee granted the state Justice Department permission to drop out of the lawsuit Tuesday. The Republican-controlled committee voted unanimously and without debate.

The state Justice Department made its formal request to exit the lawsuits on July 18, triggering Tuesday’s meeting.

The department needed permission from legislators to get out of the cases because of a 2018 law that requires the agency to seek permission from the finance committee before settling lawsuits. Wisconsin Republicans passed the law to give themselves more oversight of Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul’s activities after he defeated his Republican predecessor in the November 2018 elections.

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Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo was escorted out of a D.C. event that was interrupted by rowdy climate change protestors on Tuesday.

Raimondo was speaking at a Wilson Center event entitled ‘A Conversation on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework’ on Tuesday afternoon. She was onstage with economist Sadek Wahba when protestors barged in.

‘We have to be present. And so for the five years before President Biden took office, the United States was not present economically in these regions,’ Raimondo said to Wahba. ‘We didn’t even, you know, have a framework for engagement, I would say…’

Environmental protestors promptly interrupted the event and began chanting ‘We need clean air, not another billionaire’ and ‘End fossil fuels, Gina’ while the dumbfounded speakers looked on.

Footage shows Raimondo laughing and saying something to Wahba during the awkward interruption. The protestors wore t-shirts that read ‘END FOSSIL FUELS’ and linked arms with each other.

The demonstrators obstinately chanted ‘Clean air, not another billionaire’ for around three minutes. They were confronted by security guards before Raimondo was eventually taken off the stage.

One protestor’s arm was yanked by a security guard in a minute-long attempt to get him out of the think tank’s auditorium.

The talk, which was described as a ‘fireside chat,’ was about economic stability and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the Wilson Center’s website, the intention of the event was to ‘focus on the path forward for IPEF [Indo-Pacific Economic Framework] and Secretary Raimondo’s efforts to enhance American economic security and spur private sector investment in areas of strategic economic importance.’

Wilson Center Chief of Staff Eddy Acevedo told Fox News Digital that it was unfortunate that the protestors, who were later arrested, interrupted the event.

‘We were honored to host Secretary Raimondo and our event continued after a short delay as we examined the importance of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework,’ Acevedo said. ‘The Wilson Center values our public discussions on US strategic competition and the importance of American economic security.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Commerce for a statement, but has not heard back.

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is holding a screening of the film ‘Sound of Freedom’ for members of Congress on Tuesday evening, he told reporters.

‘Tonight, I’m going to have another movie night, we’re going to show the ‘Sound of Freedom,’’ McCarthy said at the top of an impromptu press conference. He added that the low-budget film’s star, Jim Caviezel, and Tim Ballard, whom the film is based on, would also be in attendance. 

‘Hopefully Republicans and Democrats can come together, see a movie about human trafficking, and actually find ways to stop the human trafficking that’s continuing to move throughout the world,’ the speaker added.

It’s not immediately clear how many lawmakers are slated to attend, but the dramatic thriller has become a hit among conservatives. Critics of the movie on the left have accused it of promoting QAnon conspiracy theories. 

McCarthy’s announcement comes after news that former President Donald screened it last week at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club. Afterwards, he announced that if re-elected he would impose the death penalty on human traffickers.  

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a staunch ally of both McCarthy and Trump, posted on Twitter about seeing the movie Tuesday evening. Her office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Greene will be at the Congressional screening. 

‘America is number 1 in the world in consuming child pornography and child sex trafficking and the Biden Administration has lost over 85,000 migrant children,’ Greene said. 

‘These are the most appalling statistics. Tonight I’m looking forward to watching Sound of Freedom and stopping evil.’

‘Sound of Freedom’ tells the story of a U.S. federal agent who quits his job to launch a rescue effort of child sex trafficking victims. 

As of this week the movie has brought in over $100 million in box office revenue. 

The Obamas’ personal chef who drowned Sunday while paddleboarding near the former president’s home on Martha’s Vineyard was not wearing a life vest and no foul play is suspected in his death, Massachusetts State Police said.  

The body of Tafari Campbell, 45, of Dumfries, Virginia, was recovered Monday morning from Edgartown Great Pond after an extensive search. 

A paddleboarder who was with Campbell told investigators they’d seen him standing on his paddleboard and lose his balance before falling into the water. The paddleboarder said Campbell struggled to stay afloat before submerging. Investigators were told Campbell was not wearing a personal flotation device.  

The fellow paddleboarder told investigators they tried to swim to Campbell’s location but couldn’t reach him in time. The paddleboarder swam to shore and asked someone to call 911. The Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications Center initiated an immediate emergency search and rescue response by multiple public safety agencies. 

The search was paused late Sunday but on Monday state police said sonar from a boat located the body about 100 feet from shore at a depth of about 8 feet.

The on-scene observation of the victim by State Police personnel and the post-mortem examination by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed no external trauma or injuries.  

Though a 911 call came from the Obamas’ home, the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, were not present at the time of the accident. Fox News Digital has requested an audio recording of the 911 call. 

The Daily Mail on Tuesday published photos of Malia and Sasha Obama leaving Martha’s Vineyard. 

In a statement, the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, called Campbell a ‘beloved part of our family.’

‘When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House – creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together,’ the couple said. ‘In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter.’

‘That’s why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed. He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone.’

The Obamas said Campbell is survived by his wife and their twin boys.

Campbell is not the first former White House chef to drown. In June 2015, Walter Scheib, an executive chef at the White House who served former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, drowned while hiking a trail in Taos, New Mexico. 

Fox News’ Bryan Llenas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.