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Kamala Harris returns to campaign trail in Trump country to back ‘AOC of Tennessee’

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Kamala Harris returns to campaign trail in Trump country to back ‘AOC of Tennessee’

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For the first time since losing the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris returned to the campaign trail on Tuesday, this time in a surprise appearance with Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn.

Fox News confirmed that Harris headlined a canvassing kickoff event for the Tennessee state representative after visiting Fisk University, a historically Black college, and before hosting a book tour event for her memoir “107 Days” at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tuesday’s canvass kickoff marked the first time Harris has campaigned for a candidate since losing the White House to President Donald Trump a year ago, and her appearance comes as Democrats are energized from their gubernatorial wins in Virginia and New Jersey earlier this month. While a Democrat hasn’t won in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District in decades, Democrats have been all in for the ruby-red district.

“Kamala Harris must’ve fallen out of the coconut tree if she thinks the AOC of Tennessee stands a chance. This is Trump country and Republicans will win Dec. 2,” Republican National Committee spokeswoman Delanie Bomar told Fox News Digital in a statement.

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Former Vice President Kamala Harris attends a Yes on Proposition 50 rally at the Los Angeles Convention Center Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The former vice president told the crowd at Nashville’s Hadley Park, “Why am I in Tennessee? Because I know the power is in the South,” according to The New York Times. 

The outlet noted that Harris did not mention Behn by name but urged the crowd to get out the vote.

Harris first returned to the campaign trail earlier this month for a rally supporting her home state’s redistricting efforts. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a special election this year to level the playing field against Trump-backed efforts to redraw congressional maps in Texas and across the U.S. ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. “Prop 50” passed on Election Day, handing Democrats up to five more likely blue congressional districts.

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DEMOCRAT AFTYN BEHN ADVANCES TO SPECIAL ELECTION IN BATTLE FOR VACANT CONGRESSIONAL SEAT IN DEEP-RED DISTRICT

Former Democratic National Committee vice chair and progressive firebrand David Hogg also campaigned in Nashville last weekend for Behn, the rising liberal star dubbed the “AOC of Tennessee.”

U.S. 7th Congressional District candidate Aftyn Behn speaks during a political forum Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Dickson, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“Hey, young Democrats, I am incredibly excited to be here supporting Aftyn in her run for Congress,” Hogg said in an Instagram video while flanked by two young Democrats. “This seat is super, super youth-centric. If young people turn out and vote here, we can flip this seat and send a clear message to Donald Trump and Republicans across the country that we are done with their bulls— and the rest of the country is.

On Saturday, Hogg joined Behn in Nashville for a “Young Gets It Done” rally and canvass launch at the Metro Courthouse Public Square, encouraging young voters to get out and support Behn.

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According to her campaign website, Behn is a “p—ed off social worker” who decided to run for Congress after Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year — a megabill that included tax cuts and Medicaid reform.

Behn described the bill as “a giveaway to the wealthy that codified the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the rich in American history.”

She is a state representative in the Tennessee House and a longtime community organizer and activist. Like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the fellow millennial is active on social media. She also authors a Substack page that is linked to the “Issues” tab on her campaign website.

Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tenn, (right) endorsed Matt Van Epps to represent Tennessee’s seventh congressional district. (Matt Van Epps Campaign)

DNC Chair Ken Martin also campaigned in Tennessee for Behn last week as early voting kicked off across the state, highlighting her agenda to lower “healthcare and grocery costs, vote to release the Epstein files, and stand up to Trump and his acolytes like Van Epps.”

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Behn is vying to replace former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., in Congress. A Democrat hasn’t been elected to represent Tennessee’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives in decades.

Republican Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services who has worked for several state agencies, defeated an 11-candidate field to secure the Republican nomination last month.

While Behn has the support of both the Democratic establishment and its progressive wing, Van Epps has secured endorsements from President Donald Trump, Republican Gov. Bill Lee and Green, who retired from Congress after the “big, beautiful bill” passed this year.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris released a book, “107 Days,” on Sept. 23, 2025, recounting her time on the unprecedented 2024 campaign trail after then-President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Trump held a tele-rally for Van Epps last week in the district the president won by roughly 22 points last year. Tennessee’s 7th District includes parts of Nashville and its large suburban and rural surrounding areas.

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The top outside political group that supported Trump’s successful 2024 run, MAGA Inc., also launched ads to support Van Epps on Wednesday, Fox News Digital was the first to report.

The ads, which MAGA Inc. says will run on broadcast TV and digital and are backed by a seven-figure buy that also includes investments in get-out-the-vote efforts, are the first by the group since last year’s presidential election.

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Meanwhile, the RNC has staff on the ground in Tennessee and is making a six-figure investment into the race, according to a spokesperson.

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office for a response to the RNC’s comment but did not immediately hear back. 

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Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Fox News’ Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

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Southeast

Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’

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Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’

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An Atlanta-area police department issued a blunt notice to parents after officers claimed a child brought a vodka-based beverage to school — tucked beside Doritos in a packed lunch.

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The City of South Fulton Police Department sounded off about the incident in a now-viral Facebook post, warning parents to “CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX.”

“Say Twin… Before you send them babies off to school… CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX. Because why are we getting reports of juice boxes sitting next to… Cutwater margaritas??” the department wrote.

Officials also shared a photo of the alleged lunchbox, containing what appears to be a child’s lunch, Doritos and a Cutwater Lemon Drop Martini.

The police department shared a photo of a Cutwater canned cocktail in a lunchbox. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)

“That is NOT Capri Sun. That is NOT Apple Juice. That is a whole ‘Parent had a long night’ starter pack,” the department wrote. “Now little Johnny done pulled up to 3rd period talking about: ‘Who want fruit snacks?’ knowing good and well he got a Lemon Drop Martini in the zipper pocket.”

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Cutwater Lemon Drop Martinis, as found in the lunchbox, are 11% ABV ready-to-drink cocktails made with vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and natural flavors.

They come in 12-ounce cans, similar in appearance to a soda can.

The City of South Fulton Police Department issued a statement after the apparent mishap. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)

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The department said it understands mornings can be hectic, but issued a stern notice to parents to “TIGHTEN UP.”

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“Your child shouldn’t be the only one in the cafeteria with a beverage that requires an ID,” authorities wrote. “If it says 12% ABV… it does NOT belong next to a PB&J.”

Officials also provided a “quick parent checklist,” with items including: “Homework,” “Lunch packed,” and “Alcoholic beverages.”

Boxes of Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Strawberry Margarita canned cocktails. (Gado/Getty Images)

“Check the lunchbox before the Fulton County Schools Police resource officers gotta do inventory at recess,” the department added.

It is unclear if any parents or students were disciplined in relation to the mix-up.

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Fulton County Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The City of South Fulton, Georgia, is a rapidly growing municipality located about 20 minutes from Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

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Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges

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Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges

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A federal prosecutor acknowledged Thursday that the decision to charge Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia two years after a routine traffic stop was “extraordinary” while defending the human smuggling case as legally justified.

Abrego Garcia, 31, has become a flash point in the national immigration debate since last March, when he was deported to El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order in what Trump administration officials acknowledged was an “administrative error.” 

The Supreme Court later ruled that the administration had to work to bring him back to the U.S.

After returning in June, Abrego Garcia was taken into federal custody in Nashville and detained on human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee.

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He has pleaded not guilty and is seeking dismissal of the charges on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura, left, are accompanied by Lydia Walther-Rodriguez, right, of We Are Casa, as they leave the federal courthouse, Thursday, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A 2019 court order prevents Abrego Garcia from being deported to El Salvador after an immigration judge determined he faced danger from a gang that had threatened his family. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager and has been under the supervision of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Abrego Garcia was accused in court records of repeated domestic violence against his wife, who alleged multiple incidents of physical abuse in protective order filings. She later withdrew the protective order request and has defended her husband publicly. 

The Department of Homeland Security has also said he was living in the U.S. illegally and has alleged ties to MS-13, disputing portrayals of him as simply a “Maryland man.” His attorneys have denied the gang allegations.

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Tennessee Highway Patrol body camera footage from when Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding shows a calm exchange with officers. While officers discussed suspicions of smuggling among themselves — noting there were nine passengers in the vehicle — Abrego Garcia was issued only a warning.

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A woman holds a sign in support of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in front of the U.S. District Court in Nashville. (Getty Images )

First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire, who was acting U.S. attorney in April 2025, testified Thursday that his decision to charge Abrego Garcia was based on the evidence.

“I had previously prosecuted several human smuggling cases,” McGuire said, noting that after seeing video of the traffic stop, “I was immediately struck by how similar what was being depicted in the body cam was to those investigations.”

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McGuire said Abrego Garcia’s vehicle belonged to someone with “a human smuggling background” and added that the route was “suspicious.”

“It was a large number of individuals traveling in one SUV with a driver who spoke for the group. No one had luggage… the car had Texas plates… the route was suspicious,” McGuire said.

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrived at the federal courthouse, Thursday, for a hearing on whether the charges against him should be dismissed. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

During cross-examination, McGuire acknowledged that the timing of the charges, coming so long after the traffic stop, was “extraordinary.”

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He said he had not previously been aware of the traffic stop but reiterated that nobody in the Trump administration, including the White House or the Department of Justice, pressured him to seek the indictment.

When asked about whether he might have felt pressure to prosecute the case, McGuire said, “I’m not going to do something that is wrong to keep my job.”

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia, right, and his brother Cesar Abrego Garcia, center, arrive at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Baltimore, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

McGuire also said timing factored into charging Abrego Garcia since he was being held in El Salvador, and he did not want the indictment to go public before all senior officials were briefed on the matter.

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“I knew from the get-go that this was going to be a controversial matter,” McGuire said.

U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw did not make a ruling Thursday and said he would wait to receive post-hearing briefs from attorneys by March 5 before determining whether another hearing is necessary.

Crenshaw previously found some evidence that the prosecution “may be vindictive” and that prior statements by Trump administration officials “raise cause for concern.”

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Thursday’s court appearance came after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from re-arresting Abrego Garcia into federal immigration custody on Feb. 17.

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Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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GOP Rep Nancy Mace introduces ‘Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act’

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GOP Rep Nancy Mace introduces ‘Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act’

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced a bill to authorize the death penalty as a potential punishment for the sexual abuse of children.

“We have zero mercy for child rapists. Those who prey on our most vulnerable deserve the harshest consequence we can deliver,” Mace said in a statement.

The proposal is aptly called the “Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announces she will run for South Carolina governor during a press conference at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, on Aug. 4, 2025. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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“No predator should be allowed to walk away from the most unthinkable crimes against children,” Mace noted. 

“This bill is simple. Rape a child and you don’t get a second chance, you get the death penalty. We will never apologize for protecting America’s children,” Mace added.

The bill would put capital punishment on the table as an option to punish those who sexually abuse children.

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Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., attends the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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“INTRODUCING: The Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act to amend Title 18 to authorize the death penalty for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact offenses against children. It will also amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to authorize the death penalty for the rape of a child,” she said in a post on X.

“We’ve spent months fighting to expose Jeffrey Epstein’s network of powerful predators. We’ve demanded accountability and pushed for transparency. Now we’re making sure anyone who rapes a child faces the ultimate consequence,” she noted.

Mace has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021. 

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She is one of the candidates currently running in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary.

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