Politics
Texas politicos launch full-court press against Harris ahead of her border state campaign rally: 'Apologize'
FIRST ON FOX: More than a dozen Texas Republicans, from the governor to members of the U.S. House, slammed Vice President Kamala Harris’ planned visit to the border state Friday, telling Fox News Digital the visit is “one of the dumbest political decisions” they’ve seen.
“‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris can come all the way to Houston where Jocelyn Nungaray was killed by Tren de Aragua gang members that she let into the country, yet she can’t be bothered to visit Jocelyn’s family or even say her name. Kamala Harris and her open border policies have allowed over 11 million illegal immigrants and dangerous criminals like TdA into our country, putting every American’s life at risk,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told Fox News Digital.
“President Donald Trump has shown real leadership on the border, with successful border policies that decreased illegal immigration to the lowest level in decades. While Kamala Harris refuses to take real action on this crisis, Texas will continue to step up with our historic border mission until we have a partner in the White House to make America secure again.”
Harris will travel to the red state just 10 days ahead of Election Day, and she is expected to speak about the state’s abortion policies after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Abortion is a hallmark of the Harris campaign, including Harris saying she supports eliminating the filibuster in an effort to pass a law restoring abortion access nationwide.
HARRIS STUMBLES ON THE BORDER WHEN PRESSED ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ‘IS A BORDER WALL STUPID?’
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick slammed Harris’ trip to Texas as “one of the dumbest political decisions I’ve ever seen.”
“Kamala Harris coming to Texas for a rally is one of the dumbest political decisions I’ve ever seen. She and Colin Allred are not going to win in Texas. I’m glad she is spending the day in Texas instead of campaigning in a swing state with only a few days left in the election. I hope she stays longer. Donald Trump is going to be the next president because the voters are fed up with the Harris-Biden regime and the chaos they’ve created,” Patrick said.
Harris will be joined by Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred, who is making a long shot run to unseat longtime Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
Cruz slammed his Senate opponent in comments to Fox Digital, saying Allred and Harris share the same “radical policies.”
“Colin Allred is Kamala Harris. They have spent the last four years working hand-in-hand against Texans and the American people with their radical policies, whether those be pushing to allow boys in girls’ sports, allowing dangerous illegal aliens to come into our country or trying to destroy the oil and gas industry in Texas,” Cruz said.
TEXAS AG SUES BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN FOR NOT VERIFYING CITIZENSHIP OF 450K ‘POTENTIALLY INELIGIBLE’ VOTERS
“Colin and Kamala share an agenda, and now they’ll share a stage for all Texans to see.”
“I’m glad she is spending the day in Texas instead of campaigning in a swing state with only a few days left in the election. I hope she stays longer.” — Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
As illegal immigration spiraled in 2021, the Biden-Harris administration’s first year in office, President Biden announced Harris would lead the effort to determine the “root causes” of immigration. The administration pointed to issues such as climate change, poverty and violence driving migrants to the U.S.
The media and Republicans dubbed Harris the “border czar” shortly after, with the White House rejecting the title. The title, however, has continued years later, including Texas Republicans this week using the title to slam Harris ahead of her visit.
“Millions of migrants have illegally entered our country on Border Czar Kamala Harris’ watch, so it’s no surprise that she’d rather talk about anything but her abysmal track record on the border. If she can’t control the border, how can she run the country? We’ve never had a more secure border than under President Trump, and he will put a stop to this when he takes office. Nov. 5 can’t come soon enough,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said.
OBAMA CLAIMS TRUMP ‘DID NOT SOLVE’ IMMIGRATION ‘PROBLEM.’ THE NUMBERS TELL A DIFFERENT STORY
This aerial picture taken Dec. 8, 2023, shows the US-Mexico border wall in Sasabe, Ariz. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images))
“Harris’ last-ditch effort to appear serious on border security is more than laughable, it’s dangerous. If she were serious, she would’ve acted as a legitimate ‘Border Czar.’ Instead, she imported over 20 million illegals into our communities where they’re rewarded with government benefits, leaving U.S. citizens to be raped and murdered by violent illegal criminals,” Rep. Ronny Jackson said.
“Harris admitted that she’s pro-mass amnesty and has gone so far as to support taxpayer-funded transition surgeries for detained illegals. She is the ultimate panderer, and, if elected, will continue her open-border policies. Texans, including our incredible Latino community, do not trust her, which is why they’re projected to turn out in record numbers to vote for Trump.”
‘UTTER BETRAYAL’: NEW REPORT REVEALS DHS OFFICIAL USED SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Texas politicians respond to Kamala Harris’ Texas visit. (Getty Images)
Nineteen Texas leaders submitted comments to Fox News Digital slamming Harris’ planned visit, with a handful citing girls and women who have been murdered in recent years, allegedly at the hands of illegal immigrants.
“Harris should visit Houston, but not to campaign. She should come to apologize for purposefully allowing Texas border counties to be overrun and allowing young Houstonians like Jocelyn Nungaray to be murdered by the people she allowed in,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw said.
Twelve-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was sexually assaulted and murdered by strangulation when two illegal immigrants in their 20s allegedly lured the young girl under a bridge before killing her in June.
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found strangled to death in a Houston creek. (Fox Houston courtesy of the Nungaray family)
“Instead of coming to Texas to ask for our votes, Kamala should be asking for our forgiveness. Especially from the family of Jocelyn Nungaray and the countless others devastated by her administration’s open border policies. For four years, she has ignored Texans and the deadly crisis she has created at our southern border,” Rep. Roger Williams said.
“Her negligence as Border Czar contributed to the tragic deaths of Americans, including Jocelyn Nungaray, who was killed by two illegal aliens from Venezuela. Young women like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin would be alive today if Kamala Harris had taken her responsibilities seriously,” Rep. Wesley Hunt added.
Harris’ event will kick off Friday evening in Houston, with reports surfacing that she will be joined by musician Beyoncé, who is originally from Houston.
“If she wanted a secure border, why did I have to sue her administration dozens of times to force them to follow federal immigration laws?” — Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the Texas Republicans’ comments on her upcoming visit. The campaign also did not respond to a request for confirmation regarding whether Beyoncé will join the rally.
Harris joined a CNN town hall Wednesday evening outside Philadelphia, where moderator Anderson Cooper pressed the vice president about her border policies, including whether she supports a border wall after calling the wall “stupid” when it was championed by Trump during his administration.
MIGRANTS CAUGHT AT BORDER BUSED, FLOWN OUT OF SAN DIEGO IN POSSIBLE ‘COVER UP’ BEFORE ELECTION: OFFICIAL
“Let’s talk about this compromise bill that you want to pass if you are elected. You said that’s going to be a priority. It includes $650 million in funding for the border wall. That’s something Republicans wanted, that was part of the compromise. Under Donald Trump, you criticized the wall more than 50 times. You called it ‘stupid, useless, and a medieval vanity project.’ Is a border wall stupid?,” Cooper asked Harris.
“Let’s talk about Donald Trump and that border wall,” Harris said while laughing. “So, remember, Donald Trump said Mexico would pay for it. Come on, they didn’t. How much of that wall did he build? I think the last number I saw was about 2%. And then when it came time for him to do a photo op, you know where he did it? In the part of the wall that President Obama built.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, speaks as CNN moderator Anderson Cooper looks on during a presidential town hall at Sun Center Studios Oct. 23, 2024, in Aston, Pa. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“But you agreed to a bill that would earmark $650 million to continue building that wall,” Cooper pressed.
“I pledge that I am going to bring forward that bipartisan bill to further strengthen and secure our border. Yes, I am, and I’m going to work across the aisle to pass a comprehensive bill that deals with a broken immigration system,” Harris responded.
“So you don’t think it’s stupid anymore?” Cooper continued.
“I think what he did and how he did it was … did not make much sense because he actually didn’t do much of anything. I just talked about that wall, right? We just talked about it. He didn’t actually do much of anything,” she responded.
“Young women like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray and Rachel Morin would be alive today if Kamala Harris had taken her responsibilities seriously.” — Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton railed against Harris in comments to Fox Digital ahead of her visit, saying she and Biden “intentionally dismantled every successful Trump border policy to let in as many aliens as possible” starting on their first day in office.
“Now, Kamala wants to come to Texas and talk about border security after four years of destroying American communities. If she wanted a secure border, why did I have to sue her administration dozens of times to force them to follow federal immigration laws? We’re fighting Kamala’s destructive open borders doctrine in the courts because she has unlawfully weaponized power to make our country more dangerous instead of keeping Americans safe,” Paxton said.
Since moving back in, President Trump has significantly altered the “People’s House.” East Wing: gone. Oval Office: maximalized. Rose Garden: Mar-a-lago-ified. And the art? Lots of Trump.
Over the last year, The New York Times has captured at least nine paintings, posters, memes, and even a mugshot outside the Oval Office, that Mr. Trump added throughout the historic space.
Many of the selections are gifts from his supporters that highlight his political stature and reinforce the idea that Mr. Trump is invincible.
All presidents or first ladies add to and shuffle the art in the White House.
Barack Obama brought in abstract paintings.
George W. Bush decorated with images from his Texas roots.
In Mr. Trump’s first term, Melania Trump added a sculpture by Isamu Noguchi to the Rose Garden.
But never before has a sitting president displayed so much of his own image on the White House walls.
There is an “assertion of symbolic power that he wants to be on view essentially everywhere in that space,” said Cara Finnegan, a communication professor at the University of Illinois and author of “Photographic Presidents: Making History from Daguerreotype to Digital.”
Even outside his current residence, Mr. Trump’s visage has proliferated in unexpected places — on banners hanging from government buildings, on National Parks passes and on social media, where he has been likened to a king. There has also been talk of a U.S. Treasury-minted coin with Mr. Trump on both sides.
Break with tradition
In recent decades, each president’s official White House portrait has been unveiled in a ceremony hosted by his successor.
The Carters hosted the Fords:
The Clintons hosted the Bushes:
And the Bushes hosted the Clintons:
The mood has often been lighthearted, with political party tensions melting away.
“I am pleased that my portrait brings an interesting symmetry to the White House collection,” George W. Bush joked in a ceremony hosted by the Obamas. “It now starts and ends with a George W.”
In a break with tradition, Mr. Trump did not schedule a ceremony for the unveiling of the Obamas’ portraits during his first term. Joe Biden later did, in a ceremony with a “Welcome Home!” vibe.
Typically, the latest available presidential portrait — often a realistic oil painting — hangs in the main entrance hall, where heads of state are welcomed.
The Obama portrait was in the spot until April …
… when Mr. Trump replaced it with this painting by Marc Lipp, a Florida pop artist, last April.
It depicts a striking moment in 2024 when a bloodied Mr. Trump pumped his fist in defiance, soon after being shot at by a would-be assassin during a campaign event.
Presidential historians have criticized the departure from convention.
Though Mr. Trump had a portrait commissioned for the Smithsonian’s American Presidents collection after his first term, none was confirmed for the permanent White House collection, and the White House said that this is where that portrait would have hung.
It is not totally unprecedented for a president to hang a painting of himself in the White House during his term. Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Grover Cleveland all did, according to the White House Historical Association. But more often than not, paintings of presidents and first ladies are hung after they have left office, historians said.
Flags, fists and faith from fans
In what has become something of a muse for many of the president’s artistic supporters, there are at least three other depictions of the fist-pumping scene in the White House.
The image “is in people’s garages when I walk around my neighborhood,” said Leslie Hahner, a Texas resident and communication professor at Baylor University, who studies visual political culture. “People love that image.”
Behind the Oval Office, one is in a small room that houses Trump merchandise:
Another was seen in the West Wing next to a “Still Life with Fruit” painting from 1850:
A statue form was spotted in the Oval Office:
The sculptor, Stan Watts, told a Utah TV station last year that he believes the president was saved by God that day. Many of Mr. Trump’s Christian supporters have echoed that sentiment.
At least two works by a self-described “Christian worship artist,” Vanessa Horabuena, are among Mr. Trump’s White House collection. He has called Ms. Horabuena, who often paints live in front of an audience, “one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world.”
In 2022, she painted a portrait of Mr. Trump at a booth at the Conservative Political Action Conference. When he saw it, he asked to meet her, Ms. Horabuena’s representative said. She most recently painted Mr. Trump live at a New Year’s Eve party at Mar-A-Lago.
One of her portraits was spotted in the Cabinet room in January.
It shows Mr. Trump, his eyes closed, in front of a mountain with a small cross on the top:
Ms. Horabuena hand-delivered it to the White House, according to her website.
Her other painting shows the president walking through a phalanx of flags. It was seen hanging prominently in a hallway leading to the Cabinet Room and the Oval Office:
“He’s positioned as this embattled warrior in a lot of these images,” Dr. Hahner said.
Historical figures Mr. Trump adulates are co-stars in some of the art he has chosen.
In an image created by the team of White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, Mr. Trump is pictured with William McKinley and Henry Clay, who, like the president, championed the use of tariffs:
Here, Mr. Trump is with two other Republican presidents, Abraham Lincoln (to whom he has compared himself) and Ronald Reagan (whom he is a fan of):
Titled “Great American Patriots,” the piece was painted by Dick Bobnick, an illustrator and Trump supporter from Minnesota. He said he mailed several prints to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but he had no idea his work was on the White House walls until a USA Today reporter called him about it.
“I could hardly believe it,” said Mr. Bobnick. (He said the print is now his best-seller.)
If not in portraits, Mr. Trump’s image is reflected on mirrors that he has added to the White House complex.
Two are in the Oval Office …
… making his image visible from the Resolute Desk.
The mirrors, the portraits and the gilding mimic the look of his properties, like Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate.
“Trump is obsessed with his image,” Dr. Hahner said. “And he is so controlling of his image.”
Trump everywhere, all the time
One portrait seen in the White House has become a communication tool between Mr. Trump and his supporters in the real world.
This is his social media profile picture.
It was seen last October hanging between former first ladies Laura Bush and Barbara Bush in the now-demolished East Wing:
The portrait was painted by Lena Ruseva, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, who goes by the name MAGALANGELO. Mr. Trump invited her to his Bedminster golf club in 2022, and she gave it to him as a birthday gift.
“Every time social media or the news quotes the president and I see my artwork alongside it, I feel proud and grateful,” she said.
For a time, the same portrait hung next to Hillary Clinton, his political rival and a former first lady.
Supporters at that time lauded the placement on social media:
This example of a positive feedback loop demonstrates how Mr. Trump has used social media to redefine the presidency and presidential communication. Ms. Ruseva’s portrait was used on social media, hung up in the real world, then photographed and put back on social media by supporters who praised the president.
When Mr. Trump was elected to his first term in 2016, Dr. Hahner said that scholars referred to him as the first “meme president.”
Mr. Trump and his internet fans are used to a meme culture based on irony, and rehashing, repurposing and remixing existing images. The collection of White House artwork — much of it originating from his supporters — sits in an uncanny valley between realism and meme-ism, Dr. Hahner said.
Like memes that multiply, Mr. Trump’s image has been reproduced in other ways, outside the White House.
Last month, a huge banner with Mr. Trump’s face was draped outside the Justice Department headquarters …
Last year, similar signage was strung over the Labor Department building …
… and the Agriculture Department building (this one, alongside Lincoln).
At his request, Mr. Trump’s portrait was recently updated at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery:
Still, Mr. Trump wants more. The White House has suggested that the National Portrait Gallery add a separate section for Trump-related art.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump on Monday sent an official notification to Congress about the U.S. strikes against Iran, in which he attempted to justify the military action in the now expanding conflict in the Middle East.
In a letter obtained by FOX News, Trump told Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that “no U.S. ground forces were used in these strikes” and that the mission “was planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties, deter future attacks, and neutralize Iran’s malign activities.”
This comes after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on Saturday as part of Operation Epic Fury, triggering a response from Tehran and a wider conflict in the region. The strikes killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other military leaders.
President Donald Trump on Monday sent an official notification to Congress about the U.S. strikes against Iran. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump wrote that it is not yet possible to know the full scope of military operations against Iran and that U.S. forces are prepared to take potential further action.
“Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,” Trump wrote. “As such, United States forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners, and ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States, its allies, and the international community.”
“I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests,” he added. “I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct United States foreign relations.”
A general view of Tehran with smoke visible in the distance after explosions were reported in the city, on March 2, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Trump said he was “providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution,” as some Republican and Democrat lawmakers attempt to restrain the president’s military action, which they affirm is unconstitutional without congressional approval.
The president also accused Iran of being among the largest state sponsors of terrorism in the world and purported that the “Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons,” even after the White House said in June that precision strikes at the time “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.
US SURGES FORCES TO MIDDLE EAST AS PENTAGON WARNS IRAN FIGHT ‘WILL TAKE SOME TIME’
A person holds an image of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Iranian demonstrators protest against the U.S.-Israeli strikes, in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 28, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“As I previously communicated to the Congress, Iran remains one of the largest, if not the largest, state-sponsors of terrorism in the world,” Trump said in the letter on Monday. “Despite the success of Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER, the Iranian regime continues to seek the means to possess and employ nuclear weapons. Its array of ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, and other missiles pose a direct threat to and are attacking United States forces, commercial vessels, and civilians, as well as those of our allies and partners.”
“Despite my Administration’s repeated efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran’s malign behavior, the threat to the United States and its allies and partners became untenable,” he continued.
Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
Related Article
Northern California Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin), whose congressional district was carved up in the redistricting ballot measures approved by voters last year, announced Monday that he would not challenge fellow Republican Rep. Tom McClintock of Elk Grove. Instead, he plans to run in the Democratic-leaning district where he resides.
“It’s true that I was fully prepared to run in [McClintock’s district], having tested the waters and with polls showing a favorable outlook in a ‘safe’ district. But doing what’s easy and what’s right are often not the same,” Kiley posted on the social media site X. “And at the end of the day, as much as I love the communities in [that] District that I represent now – and as excited as I was about the new ones – seeking office in a district that doesn’t include my hometown didn’t feel right.”
Kiley, 41, currently represents a congressional district that spans Lake Tahoe to Sacramento. He did not respond to requests for comment.
But after California voters in November passed Proposition 50 — a ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional districts in an effort to counter Trump’s moves to increase the numbers of Republicans in Congress — Kiley’s district was sliced up into other districts.
As the filing deadline approaches, Kiley pondered his path forward in a decision that was compared by political insiders to the reality television show “The Bachelor.” Who would receive the final rose? McClintock’s new sprawling congressional district includes swaths of gold country, the Central Valley and Death Valley. The district Kiley opted to run in includes the city of Sacramento and the suburbs of Roseville and Rocklin in Placer County.
Kiley was facing headwinds because of the Republican institutional support that lined up behind McClintock, 69, who has been in Congress since 2009 and served in the state Legislature for 26 years previously. President Trump, the California Republican Party and the Club for Growth’s political action committee are among the people and groups who have endorsed McClintock.
Conservative strategist Jon Fleischman, a former executive director of the state GOP, said he was thrilled by Kiley’s decision, which avoids a divisive intraparty battle.
“If you open up the dictionary and look for the word conservative, it’s a photo of Tom McClintock. He is the ideological leader of conservatives, not only in California but in Congress for many, many years,” Fleischman said, adding that the endorsements for McClintock purposefully came because Kiley was considering challenging him.
Kiley, who grew up near Sacramento, attended Harvard University and Yale Law School. A former Teach for America member, he served in the state Assembly for six years before being elected to Congress in 2022 with Trump’s backing. But he has bucked the president, notably on tariffs. He also unsuccessfully ran to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom during the 2021 recall, and has been a constant critic of the governor.
Kiley is now running in a Sacramento-area district represented by Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove). Democrats in the newly drawn district had a nearly 9-point voter registration edge in 2024. Bera is now running in the new version of Kiley’s district.
In Kiley’s new race, his top rival is Dr. Richard Pan of Sacramento, a former state senator and staunch supporter of vaccinations.
“Kevin Kiley can try to rebrand himself, but voters know his extreme record,” Pan said in a statement. “He has stood with Donald Trump 98% of the time and was named a ‘MAGA Champion.’ The people of this district deserve better than political opportunism disguised as moderation. This race is about who will actually fight for healthcare, public health, and working families. I’ve done that my entire career. Kevin Kiley has not.”
Alaska’s voter roll transfer: Republicans bash hearing questioning if lieutenant governor broke the law
No. 2 Arizona tops Iowa State to win outright Big 12 title
Arkansas Library Board approves funding for public libraries after initially declining to do so | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Supreme Court blocks California law limiting schools from telling parents about trans students
Weiss keeps focus on job as Colorado AHL assistant, not historic promotion | NHL.com
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Trump sends official notification to Congress on strikes against Iran
Unexpected birth brings hope to near-extinct Amazon tribe
Supreme Court blocks redrawing of New York congressional map, dealing a win for GOP
Map: Earthquake Shakes Central California
Gas prices could jump as Middle East tensions threaten global oil supply
-
World5 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts6 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Oregon4 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling