Are there any Democrats out there who aren’t running for president? Sure doesn’t seem that way.
Back in the day, potential candidates would deny even thinking about it.
I remember interviewing Marco Rubio in a Senate hallway about whether he might run in 2016. He denied even contemplating it. I knew it was bull. He knew it was bull. And, of course, he ran–and lost to Donald Trump.
It’s like when candidates or officeholders say they never look at polls, or offer some bromide on how the only poll that counts is Election Day. Hogwash. They all look at polls, erratic as they may be, or talk to consultants who look at the surveys for them.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is telling reporters he "would consider" a White House run. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says if he’s "asked to serve" – by whom? – he will do "whatever it takes" to run. Excuse me, how does Walz’s big flop as Kamala’s running mate qualify him for the top spot?
Arizona’s Ruben Gallego, who’s been a senator for about 12 minutes, said he’s awaiting the birth of his third child but added: "Babies get older."
Many of these White House wannabes have little name recognition, which means they have nothing to lose by running, which can at least lead to a cable news contract.
Pete Buttigieg, having been bitten once by the bug, is obviously running again, but the former Transportation secretary is playing coy–"Right now I’m not running for anything" – right – but it’s nice to hear from people who backed him.
My favorite quote is from Gallego, who told NBC: "Has it ever crossed my mind? Of course," adding an expletive. "I’m an elected official. It crosses my mind."
The prognosticators have counted at least 19 potential contenders. Many of them won’t make it to Iowa. Or won’t make it to the debate stage because their polls are too low. Or are forced out of the race when their fundraising dries up.
The Great Mentioner was openly replaced by the media, which in turn yielded to social media and podcasters. But the good old legacy media – now deemed a grievous insult – still have the chance to do the most original reporting.
It’s expensive to cover campaigns. Media organizations are charged for riding on Air Force One or private charters. Their bosses must pay for their food and lodging for days on end. Some expense account dinners are legendary.
But it’s fun, largely a young person’s game. They’re not sitting in some air-conditioned studio. Which is why you’re reading about this now, over 3½ years before the next presidential election.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer, a Democrat, signed a bill Tuesday legalizing physician-assisted suicide for certain terminally ill patients, arguing that the measure is about "compassion, dignity, and respect for personal choice."
The End-of-Life Options Act, which takes effect next year, allows mentally capable adults who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given six months or less to live to request a prescription to self-administer and end their lives.
"We're acknowledging today that even in the last moments of life, compassion matters," Meyer said at the bill signing. "Every Delawarean should have the right to face their final chapter with peace, dignity and control."
"This signing today is about relieving suffering and giving families the comfort of knowing that their loved one was able to pass on their own terms, without unnecessary pain, and surrounded by the people they love most," he continued.
Delaware is now the 11th state to allow medical aid in dying, joining California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Washington, D.C., also permits physician-assisted suicide.
"Today, Delaware joins a growing number of states in recognizing that end-of-life decisions belong to patients—not politicians," Meyer said. "This law is about compassion, dignity, and respect. It gives people facing unimaginable suffering the ability to choose peace and comfort, surrounded by those they love. After years of debate, I am proud to sign HB 140 into law."
Several other countries, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, have also legalized so-called death with dignity.
The Delaware Legislature narrowly rejected the measure last year, but Meyer pushed for it this session and it passed last month. The governor's signature now ends nearly a decade of debate on the issue.
Under the new law, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Eric Morrison, patients considering assisted suicide in the state must be presented with other options for end-of-life care, including comfort care, palliative care, hospice and pain control. The bill requires two waiting periods and a second medical opinion on a patient's prognoses before they can obtain a prescription for lethal medication.
State Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, a Democrat, said the law "is about honoring the autonomy and humanity of those facing unimaginable suffering from terminal illness."
"This legislation exists due to the courage of patients, family members, and advocates who have shared deeply personal stories of love, loss and suffering," he said in a statement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has reached a tentative deal with blue state Republican lawmakers to boost the cap on state and local tax deductions, or "SALT," to $40,000 in President Donald Trump’s so-called "big, beautiful bill," Republican sources confirmed to Fox News late Tuesday.
The proposed cap – which is up from $30,000 – would be per household for taxpayers making less than $500,000 per year.
It remains unclear whether GOP hardliners who oppose raising the SALT cap deductions will sign off on the measure.
The tentative agreement, first reported by Politico and confirmed by Fox News, comes as House GOP factions have been engaged in high-stakes debates on taxes, Medicaid, and green energy subsidies while crafting the president’s "big, beautiful bill."
SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and their surrounding areas.
Republicans representing those areas have framed raising the SALT deduction cap as an existential issue, arguing that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms.
Meanwhile, Republicans representing lower-tax states are largely wary of raising the deduction cap, believing that it incentivizes blue states’ high-tax policies.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
There are stipulations in the new bill: an employee with compensation exceeding $160,000 in the prior tax year would not be eligible to claim the new tax deduction for tips.
The bill is limited to cash tips received by occupations that are customarily tipped.
"Tipped occupations" are jobs where tips are common in the U.S., such as waiters, waitresses and professionals providing beauty services like barbering, hair care, nail care, esthetics, body and spa treatments.
The Budget Lab at Yale say they estimate there will be approximately 4 million workers in tipped occupations in 2023.
They must also be reported by the employee to the employer for withholding payroll taxes. Under the current law, only tips exceeding $20 per month are required to be reported.
According to the report by Budget Lab, a non-tipped worker in 2023 was a minimum of approximately 10 years older than the typical tipped worker. They also say one-third of the number of tipped workers were below 25, with 13% being teenagers.
This new bill, if passed, would cost $110 billion in federal revenues over 10 years, according to estimates by the center-right Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, pointed out during her floor speech that this bill was one of President Donald Trump's key campaign promises.
"I am not afraid to embrace a good idea, wherever it comes from. So I agreed we need to get this done," she said.
The passing of this bill through the Senate occurs as congressional Republicans attempt to seek advancement of a massive tax cut and spending package that will create a tax break on tips for the next four years.
The next step is the House of Representatives before it becomes law.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey was ousted Tuesday in a stiff Democratic primary challenge from Corey O'Connor, the son of a former city leader who had the support of the party's "old guard" and some Republicans.
Mayor Ed Gainey, seen as the progressive in the race, began the contest on roughly even footing in terms of campaign funding, but O'Connor, son of the late former Mayor Bob O'Connor, had outraised and outspent the incumbent by April – ultimately putting up a fight in a city that has not been competitive on a partisan level since the 1930s.
O’Connor received support from some Republican donors, as well as the "old guard" Democratic base, according to The New York Times.
"This is an election about Pittsburgh, about how we get our city back on the right track. It’s laughable to make arguments about progressive/not progressive. The outside groups that are meddling, I guarantee you – they haven’t looked at the records of either one of us," O’Connor told the paper.
O’Connor’s campaign has also shown support for the resourcing of the police and his own plan to revitalize the downtown area. He has also received large outside contributions from groups like Common Sense Change Action and Democracy Wins, according to the Post-Gazette.
Gainey took office as the Steel City's first Black mayor after defeating incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto in 2021. He has cast himself on the national stage as a critic of President Donald Trump and his agenda, while also working to attract new business to Pittsburgh — including the 2026 NFL Draft, which is estimated to bring a $200 million economic boost to the area, according to a source familiar.
Gainey also previously pledged not to cooperate with federal ICE operations and has called Trump’s budget cuts a "direct attack on working families" and the economy of Western Pennsylvania.
"ICE is not going to end the situation of a failed immigration policy. What it’s going to do is create more situations where people feel scared, where people don’t feel safe," Gainey said in January – a sentiment which earned the rebuke of another Pittsburgh politician, Republican U.S. Sen. David McCormick.
"Gainey needs to follow the law and the lead of some other Democratic mayors working to keep our cities safe," McCormick said, according to WTAE.
Gainey’s campaign has highlighted the mayor’s efforts to increase community policing and mental health professionals to assist in police response, while O’Connor also claims the mantle of the pro-police candidate.
Under Gainey, the city ranks first in state population growth and has increased its affordable housing by 1,600 units.
Working with Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Gainey secured $600 million for downtown revitalization and improvements to the city's iconic Point State Park.
"Thanks to our people-powered movement, our campaign has all of the momentum in this race. We’ve proven again and again since 2021 that when we come together — across race, across class, religion, age, across every line that’s ever been used to divide us — we are unstoppable," Gainey said in a statement.
On the Republican side, retired Police Det. Tony Moreno – who lost to Gainey last cycle – is running in the GOP primary against clothier Thomas West.
On the other side of the commonwealth, George Soros-backed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner won his primary, and in the state's third-largest city, Allentown, progressive incumbent Matt Tuerk is facing off against another "old guard" Democrat in Councilman Ed Zucal.
Philadelphia Democrat District Attorney Lawrence Krasner survived a primary challenge from Judge Pat Dugan in what was seen as a truly competitive race this year for top prosecutor in the six-to-one Democrat stronghold.
However, if it turns out that Dugan received enough Republican write-in votes in addition to his cache on the Democrat ballot, he will have the opportunity to have a November rematch against Krasner.
Republicans, largely out of power in the city since Mayor Bernard Samuel in the 1950s and two at-large city council seats reserved for minority parties, saw Dugan’s candidacy as an opportunity to oust Krasner whether he won or not on Tuesday.
The city’s Republican Party funded a website advising voters to write-in Dugan on the Republican line. By law, if Dugan receives 1,000 write-ins, he will be named the Republican general election nominee, unless he declines the opportunity. That would give more city voters a chance to turn out Krasner in the November general election.
"This is about making crime in Philadelphia illegal," PhillyGOP Chair Vince Fenerty told the South Philly Review.
Dugan had the support of several Democrat ward committees and Philadelphia political stalwarts like state Sen. Tina Tartaglione, plus a slew of union groups like IAFF and the Teamsters.
In his pitch to voters, Dugan drafted a "geographic prosecution plan" to crack down on crime in the city.
"This plan is about more than just fighting crime – it’s about rebuilding communities. [It] will hold criminals accountable, provide second chances when appropriate, and ensure every neighborhood feels the impact of a fair and just system they can trust and believe in again," Dugan said in a statement on his campaign site.
Krasner, seeking a third term, has been lambasted for his progressive criminal justice policies and faced impeachment proceedings from Republicans in the now-Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives.
In 2023, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled the GOP-controlled Senate cannot hold a trial because the House’s articles of impeachment didn’t meet the bench’s standards.
One top Republican, 2022 gubernatorial nominee Sen. Doug Mastriano, who notably opposed Krasner’s impeachment, quipped, "Philadelphia: They want Krasner – they like him. That’s a huge mandate."
While there was a drop in homicides year over year in 2023, Philadelphia saw a spike from 351 the year he took office in 2018 to 562 in 2021. Krasner also ceased charges for certain offenses like marijuana possession, eliminated cash bail for some offenders and has sought generally more lenient sentences than conservatives want.
In the city where then-Mayor James Kenney did a dance on social media to celebrate its inception as a sanctuary city, Krasner followed up by refusing to honor ICE detainer requests, saying that letting the feds tell him who to jail is unconstitutional. Krasner’s backing from about $1.45 million in political action committee support tied to Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros has also led to criticism.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at dismantling the multimillion-dollar birth tourism industry that allows foreign nationals to use America’s immigration system to secure automatic citizenship for their children.
The Ban Birth Tourism Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare inadmissible any foreign national seeking a tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States.
Those births automatically trigger U.S. citizenship for the child, a long-criticized loophole that opens the door to future family-sponsored migration.
Blackburn’s bill, which was read twice and referred to committee, includes a provision to protect legitimate medical travelers. If the primary reason for entry is medical treatment rather than citizenship acquisition, those cases would not be blocked.
"For too long, foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States solely to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children," Blackburn said in a press release.
"The Ban Birth Tourism Act would prevent foreign nationals, including those from adversaries like Communist China and Russia, from buying American citizenship for their children. As President Trump works to end birthright citizenship, we need to get this bill to his desk."
The push comes as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on restoring immigration integrity in the president’s second term. During his first term, President Trump repeatedly vowed to end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and tourists.
In 2020, the State Department under his administration began denying visas to suspected birth tourists, a move hailed by immigration enforcement advocates.
Birth tourism is far from a fringe phenomenon. According to conservative immigration policy analysts, the industry accounts for at least 33,000 births annually to women on temporary visas. These children, upon turning 21, can legally sponsor their parents for green cards, offering a backdoor into the U.S. immigration system.
A 2015 report by the Center for Immigration Studies estimated the practice generates millions of dollars for companies that specialize in bringing pregnant foreigners, primarily from Russia and China, to the U.S. These firms often charge tens of thousands of dollars for packages that include visa coaching, hospital stays, and luxury accommodations.
In one of the largest federal crackdowns to date, the former Trump administration's Department of Justice in 2019 charged nearly 20 individuals in Southern California for operating extensive birth tourism networks targeting Chinese nationals.
Prosecutors accused the businesses of coaching clients to lie to immigration officials about the purpose of their travel, a tactic common among such operations.
Blackburn’s bill would codify into law the inadmissibility of any traveler seeking to exploit this loophole, ensuring that birthright citizenship cannot be used as a ticket to game the system.
Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., refused to answer Fox News' questions over whether her motivations for storming a federal immigration detention center earlier this month was to increase her public image, after it was uncovered McIver had been fundraising off the incident that has led to federal charges for the New Jersey Democrat.
The Department of Justice publicly outlined federal charges against McIver on Tuesday, accusing her of allegedly "assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement" earlier this month at a Newark-area immigrant detention facility known as Delaney Hall. McIver was there with two other members of Congress to conduct what they claimed were their congressionally mandated oversight duties, as well as the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Ras Baraka, who was subsequently arrested following the incident but later had his charges dropped.
"Congresswoman, would you be able to tell us what made you decide to fundraise off the incident, the charges?" McIver was asked.
"No comment," McIver said as she laughed off the reporter asking the question. "Have a wonderful day."
"How do you respond to people who might think that's why you went to the ICE facility? That you wanted to fundraise off of it?"
But the follow-up question went unanswered as the congresswoman repeatedly ignored the reporter's questions and instead focused her attention on a discussion with her staff that were accompanying McIver at the time.
"Any comment, congresswoman, on the fundraising? Anything you could have done different to avoid the charges?"
On Tuesday, Fox News Digital uncovered McIver was fundraising off her charges shortly after they came down from the Justice Department. Investigators accused McIver of assaulting two federal agents at Delaney Hall, according to the charging documents.
Law enforcement says McIver assaulted the agents when she "slammed her forearm into the body of a uniformed" immigration official while trying to "restrain the agent by forcibly grabbing him." McIver also allegedly tried to block agents from arresting Baraka and, after he was put in handcuffs, allegedly "pushed an ICE officer and used her forearms to forcibly strike the agent."
"As you know, Trump is using his Department of Justice to target political opponents. Less than two weeks ago, I was doing my job and conducting oversight at an ICE facility in my city," a fundraising text obtained by Fox News Digital stated.
"Now, the Trump admin has filed charges against me. This is a first-and it's a flashing red light for our democracy," it continues. "I'm sounding the alarm and asking you to donate now so we can fight these charges and keep speaking truth to power."
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the U.S. will soon begin construction of a "Golden Dome" missile defense system they say will be a next-generation "game changer" protecting the American homeland from outside adversaries.
A similar system, the Iron Dome, has already been developed in Israel with U.S. assistance and has proven effective in repelling missile attacks. Now. Trump says a bigger, more technologically advanced, multi-layered dome system will soon be installed in America.
The president announced the "one big beautiful" budget bill being discussed in Congress will include $25 billion in initial funding for the project, which he expects will cost $175 billion overall. He said he expects a major phase of the dome will be complete in under three years and that it will be "fully operational before the end of my term."
He noted there is significant support for the project in Congress, quipping, "It's amazing how easy this one is to fund."
"In the campaign, I promised the American people that I would build a cutting-edge missile defense shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack. And that's what we're doing today," he said, adding that the Golden Dome "will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other side of the world and even if they are launched from space."
Trump also announced he is placing Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein in charge of the project, saying, "No one is more qualified for this job."
Hegseth called the Golden Dome a "bold initiative" and another addition to Trump’s "long and growing list of promises made and promises kept."
He said investing in the new system is essential to respond to growing threats from countries like Russia and China.
"Ultimately, this right here, the Golden Dome for America, is a game changer," said Hegseth. "It's a generational investment in the security of America and Americans."
Addressing Trump, Hegseth said, "Mr. President, you said we’re going to secure our southern border and get 100% operational control after the previous administration allowed an invasion of people into our country. President Reagan 40 years ago cast the vision for it. The technology wasn't there. Now it is, and you're following through to say we will protect the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they're conventional or nuclear."
Guetlein indicated the Golden Dome is necessary to preserve the safety, security and the quality of life Americans are used to.
"We owe it to our children and our children's children to protect them and afford them a quality of life that we have all grown up enjoying. Golden dome will afford that," said Guetlein.
The general said "our adversaries have become very capable and very intent on holding the homeland at risk."
"While we have been focused on keeping the peace overseas, our adversaries have been quickly modernizing their nuclear forces, building up ballistic missiles capable of hosting multiple warheads, building out hypersonic missiles capable of attacking the United States within an hour and traveling at 6,000 miles an hour, building cruise missiles that can navigate around our radar and our defenses, building submarines that can sneak up on our shores and, worse yet, building space weapons," Guetlein said.
"It is time that we change that equation and start doubling down on the protection of the homeland."
Senate Republicans indicated that they intend to vote this week on whether to nix California's emissions waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has allowed the blue state to adopt stricter vehicle emissions standards than those imposed at the federal level, including a mandate that all vehicles sold in the state must be electric by 2035.
The planned vote sets up a battle between Republicans and Democrats over whether the waiver is a government "rule" subject to the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to get rid of regulations with just a simple majority, as opposed to the typical 60-votes required to pass a bill. Democrats have described the GOP maneuvering as a "nuclear option" aimed at upending formal Senate rules.
"The administration says it's a rule. The GAO has said it's not. The United States Senate is going to be heard from on this issue tomorrow and do something that will avoid, again, what I think and what a lot of people across this country think, would be a catastrophic outcome – and that is an EV mandate that would be imposed, across the United States," Senate Majority Leader Thune said during a press conference from the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon.
The waiver, which gives California officials latitude to make their vehicle emissions standards stricter than those at the federal level, also allows other states to choose whether they want to follow federal standards or California's stricter ones.
"Obviously, the Democrats are going to make a lot of noise," Thune added during the Tuesday afternoon press conference, referring to the party's criticism of Republicans' procedural maneuvering.
"But the truth of the matter is, this has nothing to do with the legislative filibuster," Thune continued. "This is the Congress and the United States Senate submitting to the body the question of whether or not the Government Accountability Office, the GAO, ought to be able to determine for us what it is and isn't a rule."
Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian who interprets and advises on the congressional rules officials must follow, agreed with the Government Accountability Office's determination that California's EPA waiver is not considered a "rule." The discrepancy has led Democrats to claim Republicans are attempting to upend the Senate filibuster, an important tool for the minority party to gain leverage in the legislative process.
However, during Tuesday's short press conference, Thune slammed Democrats for complaining about the GOP's maneuvering around the filibuster, pointing out they have tried to knock it down themselves in the past when convenient for their party's priorities.
"The only people that have attempted to get rid of a legislative filibuster, the Democrats, every single one of them up there that's popping off and spouting off, has voted, voted literally to get rid of the legislative filibuster," Thune said in response to a reporter's question about Democrats' criticism.
"This is a novel and narrow issue that deals with the Government Accountability Office and whether, or not, they ought to be able to determine what is a rule and what isn't, or whether the administration and the Congress ought to be able to make that decision."
The U.S. is awaiting a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin that may lead to a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Secretary Marco Rubio announced Tuesday.
"He says he's going, they're going to submit a proposal that would lead to a ceasefire, that would then lead to a broader negotiation," Rubio told lawmakers during a Senate appropriations subcommittee hearing. "I think we will know from the context of that proposal where their mindset is and where they stand."
Asked if he believed Russia was ready to cut a deal, the secretary and interim national security advisor said, "I think Putin will always cut a deal he thinks is in the best interest for the country, for Russia and for his view of the world."
President Donald Trump and Putin spoke by phone for two hours Monday, though the discussion did not yield an immediate breakthrough. Trump told reporters he believes Putin wants peace and said he trusts him.
"I think he's had enough. I think he's had enough. It's been a long time. This has been going on for more than three years. When you think, it's been going on for a long time," Trump said.
Asked whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was doing enough to move the peace process along, Trump said, "I'd rather tell you in about two weeks from now, because I can't say yes or no."
"Look, he's a strong person, Zelenskyy, a strong guy, and he's not the easiest person to deal with," said Trump. "But I think that he wants to stop, and it's a very bad thing that's happening over there. I think he wants to stop. But I could answer that question better in two weeks or four weeks from now. I hope the answer is that he wants to get it solved."
The European Union on Tuesday passed a set of new sanctions against Russia, and Republicans on Capitol Hill have said they are waiting for the go-ahead from the White House to pass a new sanctions package.
Trump said Monday he was not yet ready to impose new sanctions but could in the future.
"I think there’s a chance of getting something done," Trump said. "And if you do that, you can also make it much worse. But there could be a time when that’s going to happen."
He also said Moscow and Kyiv would continue direct peace negotiations, adding the Vatican was ready to host peace talks.
Latest Political News and Updates from BBC
Latest Political News on Fox News
