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Iowa's Republican caucuses tonight will show the strength of Trump's grip on the GOP

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Iowa's Republican caucuses tonight will show the strength of Trump's grip on the GOP

Barring an immense polling error, former President Trump will win Monday night’s Iowa caucuses.

But the results will offer clues about whether Trump still has an iron grip on his party.

Will Trump win by an overwhelming margin, as polling has suggested he will? Or will he win more narrowly than expected, failing to meet the high bar he has set for himself?

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Who will come in second? Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are battling for the silver medal. Whoever comes in second will have bragging rights — and attract more attention from journalists and donors — ahead of next week’s New Hampshire primary.

DeSantis and Haley have each argued that they are the true GOP alternative to the former president. A strong showing here could buttress one of their cases. Conversely, a poor showing could force one or the other to end their bid. DeSantis, who has invested heavily in Iowa, visiting all 99 of the state’s counties, is particularly at risk if he loses badly.

In a Des Moines Register poll released Saturday, Trump had the support of 48% of likely caucus-goers, while Haley had 20%, DeSantis 16% and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy 8%.

At one point, GOP leaders predicted turnout for Monday’s caucuses could exceed the record-breaking 187,000 people who participated in the 2016 Republican caucuses.

But the bitterly cold weather and nearly two feet of snow that has blanketed the state could suppress turnout. Even in metropolitan areas like Des Moines, some roads remained icy on Monday; conditions are much worse in more rural parts of the state. The high on Monday is minus-2, and the temperature is expected to feel like minus-32 Monday night once the wind chill is factored in.

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Republicans argued that Iowans are hearty and know how to deal with the unprecedented caucus weather.

“This is truly one of the worst that we’ve ever had,” said six-term former Gov. Terry Branstad, who also served as Trump’s ambassador to China. “But we have the equipment, and they’ll clear the roads. It’s going to be very cold, but Iowans know how to handle that.”

Unlike a primary, in which voters cast ballots throughout the day or even in advance, caucuses take place in person and at a set time. Iowans will gather at 7 p.m. at 1,657 precincts around the state, listen to speeches from the candidates’ supporters and then cast their votes for their choice.

(Democrats are not holding a presidential caucus Monday night after so badly flubbing the process in 2020 that no official winner was ever formally determined.)

The top three GOP candidates have been setting expectations and on Monday were all trying to lower them.

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Trump’s strong showing in the polls and crowing about his popularity in the state could come back to bite him if he doesn’t break 50% in the caucuses.

On Sunday, the former president urged his voters not to be complacent and said he was worried that “it’s nasty out there.”

“You can’t sit home,” he said in Indianola, adding jokingly, “If you’re sick as a dog … even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it.”

Iowa is the foundation of DeSantis’ campaign, and his supporters have boasted of a strong on-the-ground organization to prod voters to the caucuses.

He was defiant in the lead-up to the caucuses.

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“They can throw a blizzard at us, and we are going to fight,” he told supporters in West Des Moines on Saturday. “They can throw windchill at us and we are going to fight. They can throw media narratives at us, and we are going to fight. They can throw fake polls at us, and we are going to fight.”

Haley’s campaign is stronger in New Hampshire, but her Iowa numbers have risen in recent polls. She lagged in building a ground game here, but she received the backing of a group linked to the Koch brothers that claims to have a strong on-the-ground organization.

“[M]y expectation for myself is to come out strong in Iowa, to come out strong in New Hampshire, and to come out strong in South Carolina,” Haley told Fox News after rallying supporters in Ankeny last week. “… we’re not going to know what strong looks like until we see what the results are.”

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Arizona school board member gets backlash after mocking board president with Nazi salute

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Arizona school board member gets backlash after mocking board president with Nazi salute

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An Arizona school board member is facing calls to resign after appearing to make a Nazi salute during a contentious public meeting before later comparing the board president to a dictator and saying, “All I could think of tonight was Hitler.”

Video from a May 26 Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board meeting appears to show board member Kimberly Fisher raising her right arm and saying, “Heil, heil” during a dispute with board President Paul Carver Jr.

The exchange occurred near the end of the meeting during a disagreement over scheduling a community study session related to district boundary discussions.

According to video of the meeting, Fisher objected to holding the session during the afternoon, arguing that community members would have difficulty attending.

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A still image from a Deer Valley Unified School District board meeting shows board member Kimberly Fisher during a contentious exchange with board President Paul Carver Jr. over meeting procedures. (DVUSD)

“The whole point of having a study session with our community is that we can get their input and they can hear our discussions,” Fisher said during the meeting.

Carver later said he moved to adjourn the meeting because the discussion involved an item that was not on the posted agenda and could have raised concerns under Arizona’s Open Meeting Law.

“The reason for calling for the adjournment was simply that, as the question turned into discussion concerning an item that was not on the agenda, the board was moving into an area that could have been considered a violation of Arizona’s Open Meeting Law,” Carver said in a Facebook video posted after the meeting.

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Carver said Fisher made the gesture and comment after the motion to adjourn.

“The point behind this post is that there’s a lot of noise being made that she may have been justified in making that statement because she felt like I was being a dictator,” Carver said. “I was simply following the rules of the state of Arizona.”

He added that “it is never okay to make those gestures and make that statement with those gestures in any environment.”

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The incident prompted condemnation from district officials, who said Fisher was acting independently and did not represent the views of the district.

“The District does not condone, support, or endorse gestures or language associated with hate, discrimination, intimidation or violence in any form,” Deer Valley Unified School District said in a statement. “Such actions do not reflect the mission or vision of Deer Valley Unified School District.”

Kim Fisher took to Facebook hours after the board meeting to explain her side of the story. (Facebook/@kim.fisher.233417)

The district added that Fisher’s “views and actions do not reflect and should not be attributed to other board members, staff, other members of the school community or the District.”

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The Deer Valley Educators Association also condemned Fisher’s conduct and called for her resignation.

“DVEA was horrified and disgusted to see DVUSD Governing Board Member Kimberly Fisher deliver a Nazi salute during the Tuesday, May 26, 2026, board meeting,” association president Kelley Fisher said in a statement.

“Any leader who uses a Nazi salute during a School Board meeting is unfit for public service. There is no justification for this behavior. Kimberly Fisher should resign before she does more harm to our students and the community at large.”

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Hours after the meeting, Fisher posted a Facebook livestream in which she doubled down on her criticism of Carver, repeatedly describing his leadership as dictatorial.

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“We have been living or operating under virtually a dictatorship for a long time,” Fisher said.

She also accused Carver of acting like “a dictator” and urged voters not to support him in future elections.

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Near the end of the livestream, Fisher appeared to connect her thinking during the meeting to historical dictators.

“What was it? Pol Pot, you know, was the most egregious dictator I’ve heard of,” Fisher said. “All I could think of tonight was Hitler.”

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Fisher did not directly address the gesture or comment from the meeting during the livestream.

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In a separate video posted to social media, Carver said community members had asked why the board was not taking action against Fisher. He argued Arizona law limits the ability of school boards to discipline elected members.

Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board President Paul Carver Jr. addresses community questions in a Facebook video after a May 26 board meeting during which board member Kimberly Fisher appeared to make a Nazi salute and say “heil, heil.” (Facebook/@paul.carver.264650)

“I need the community to understand that in the state of Arizona, the school district and the board do not have the ability to discipline board members,” Carver said.

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Carver called Fisher’s behavior “rampant and repetitive” and said her actions were “totally unacceptable and unprofessional.”

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Deer Valley Unified School District serves more than 33,000 students across northern Maricopa County, including communities in north Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Cave Creek and New River, according to the district.

Fox News Digital reached out to Fisher for comment.

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Commentary: In Washington, the knives are out for Xavier Becerra. Most anonymously, of course

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Commentary: In Washington, the knives are out for Xavier Becerra. Most anonymously, of course

Xavier Becerra has spent nearly four decades in elected office. To some that speaks of extensive experience and a deep grounding in policy. To others, it smacks of political careerism and a long-term investment in the failed status quo.

Wired or tired?

It all depends on your perspective.

Becerra, a California native, emerged from the hothouse of Latino politics on Los Angeles’ Eastside. He was elected to the state Assembly in 1990, served 12 terms in Congress, was California attorney general and then, for nearly four years, ran the Department of Health and Human Services under President Biden.

It’s that latter stint that’s become a particular focus in the final days of California’s long and winding gubernatorial primary.

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As Becerra surged from inconsequence to front-runner, opponents — led by chief Democratic rival Tom Steyer — have hammered Becerra’s performance in the Biden administration, suggesting he was AWOL during the COVID-19 pandemic and inept in his handling of unaccompanied migrant children, 85,000 of whom were supposedly “lost” on Becerra’s watch.

Politics is about persuasion and emotion, not rocket telemetry, so it’s not hard to figure out what’s going on.

“You look at Xavier and he seems to be perceived as a thoughtful, credible, trustworthy choice. That’s what I hear when I talk to regular people who aren’t political insiders,” said Darry Sragow, a Democrat strategist who’s spent decades running California campaigns. “So you see the people who want to take him out going after one of the words I just used here, which is ‘trustworthy’ and, to some extent, ‘credible.’”

A recent Steyer mail piece — which, naturally, features a grim-faced portrait of Becerra — accuses him of “mismanagement,” “scandal” and “incompetence,” and cites a 2024 quote from Susan Rice, a former Biden domestic policy advisor, describing the ex-Cabinet member as an “idiot.” (Apparently “bitch-a—,” another Rice epithet from the same Axios news report, was deemed unsuitable.)

The mail piece also quotes Xochitl Hinojosa, a Justice Department spokesperson in the Biden administration, saying Becerra “was not effective in government,” though several people who worked in the White House could not think of any occasion, or any reason, Hinojosa would have meaningfully interacted with Becerra.

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Pretty weak sauce. But at least Hinojosa, who delivered her gibe on one of CNN’s talking-head shows, was willing to publicly attach herself to the criticism.

Six former Biden administration officials were quoted by Politico “reacting with a mix of incredulity, mockery and resignation” to Becerra’s sudden ascendance in the governor’s race. Critics also unloaded to NBC News and other outlets. All of them spoke anonymously.

Therefore, it’s impossible to discern their motivations. Jealousy? Ego? An attempt to stay politically relevant?

Or maybe Becerra was, indeed, a feckless, flailing and thoroughly awful Cabinet member, deserving of scorn and shame.

Ron Klain, who was Biden’s chief of staff during the first two years of his presidency, doesn’t believe so.

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I think he did an excellent job as HHS secretary and I think the record shows that,” Klain said, citing, among other accomplishments, Becerra’s work helping negotiate a drop in the price of prescription drugs and expanding healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

On COVID-19, Becerra wasn’t confirmed until several months into the Biden administration. Dr. [Anthony] Fauci had been on the job and was quite a well-known figure to Americans. So, of course, he became more the face of the COVID response.”

“On immigration,” Klain went on. “Xavier’s part was small and discreet. He wasn’t the secretary of Homeland Security. He didn’t run the border. He oversaw an office called the Office of Refugee Resettlement” responsible for processing children who crossed the border alone. “I was in meetings where he was a passionate and forceful advocate for these minors,” Klain said.

Still, there are legitimate questions, notwithstanding Becerra’s deflections — Trump! MAGA! Trump! — about his handling of the migrant children, some of whom died, suffered horrible abuse or were catastrophically injured, according to revelatory reporting by the New York Times. It’s worth noting, however, that Becerra inherited a plan to deal with unaccompanied minors that was drafted and phased in by Rice and her Domestic Policy Council.

There is an unhappy history between the two; apparently Becerra was not alone in drawing Rice’s ire. In 2022, an article in the American Prospect accused her of creating an “abusive and dehumanizing workplace,” in which Rice routinely berated others, including the Health and Human Services secretary.

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On social media, Rice has made no secret of her continued contempt for Becerra, a display that carries no small whiff of ax-grinding and score-settling. She highlighted the refusal of Biden’s Homeland Security chief, Alejandro Mayorkas, to endorse Becerra in the governor’s race, though it would be surprising if Mayorkas, Biden, Kamala Harris or any high-level Democrat picked a favorite in such a fiercely contested primary.

Becerra “had big things to do and he got them done,” said Neera Tanden, who succeeded Rice as head of Biden’s Domestic Policy Council and has vigorously defended Becerra against attacks on social media.

“I am not on or coordinating with the Becerra campaign,” Tanden said. “I just know these attacks are ridiculous.”

If Becerra makes it past Tuesday’s primary to the November runoff, his career merits careful scrutiny — and not just those years spent in the Biden Cabinet. Many voters are still getting to know Becerra, who is the likeliest candidate to be California’s next governor. Anonymous quotes, drive-by commentary and incendiary mailers may be standard campaign fare. But voters deserve better.

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Trump floats replacing 250th anniversary concert with massive MAGA rally after artists pull out

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Trump floats replacing 250th anniversary concert with massive MAGA rally after artists pull out

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President Donald Trump on Saturday floated the idea of hosting a massive MAGA rally to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary after numerous artists pulled out of a planned concert this summer.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump suggested scrapping the Great American State Fair’s Freedom 250 concerts. He also took aim at a federal judge who on Friday ordered that his name be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” Trump wrote.

“Cancel it, just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center, because a Highly Conflicted, Crooked Federal Judge, said that I should not be allowed to spend my time and money in order to MAKE THE CENTER GREAT AGAIN, actually, far greater than it ever was before!” he continued.

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President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 3, 2025. (Alex Brandon/AP)

The comments came as several artists backed out of performing at the Great American State Fair, a large-scale national celebration planned on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument.

The event is scheduled to run from June 25 through July 10, 2026, as part of the nation’s America 250 celebration.

Earlier this week, Freedom 250 organizers released a list of performers slated to appear at the event, but several artists later withdrew, including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, and C+C Music Factory.

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President Trump floats hosting a massive MAGA rally for the nation’s 250th anniversary after several artists pulled out of planned Freedom 250 concert events. (Doug Mills/Getty Images/Pool)

Other performers, including rapper Vanilla Ice, have said they are “honored” to participate.

In a separate social media post Saturday, Trump suggested he could replace the concert with a major speech after several artists got “the yips.”

“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday, so I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!” Trump wrote.

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Vanilla Ice is “honored” to get to play during the Great American State Fair in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of independence. (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

Trump said he was considering delivering the speech and holding a rally June 24 to kick off the festivities.

“I don’t want so-called ‘Artists’ that get paid far too much money, who aren’t happy,” he wrote. “I only want to be surrounded by Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN.”

Freedom 250 later announced that Trump would, in fact, deliver a speech ahead of the Great American State Fair.

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“As the visionary behind the Great American State Fair, we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 in an opening ceremony celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez wrote on X.

Fox News Digital’s Lori A Bashian and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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