Author: NOVA Corp

Democratic incumbents and candidates in the House and Senate are facing calls from Republicans to return money they received from disgraced Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, and many of them have rushed to do so in light of the allegations of sexual assault that caused him to drop out of the California governor race and resign from Congress. 

Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign was derailed on Friday evening after several allegations of sexual misconduct against him were published around the same time, prompting several high-profile Democrats, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Adam Schiff, to denounce his campaign.

More than a dozen Democrats have returned money received from Swalwell, Politico reported on Monday, including many running in critical battleground races in the House and Senate. Some of the names who have returned money include North Carolina Senate candidate Roy Cooper, Minnesota Senate candidate Angie Craig and incumbent House Reps. Dan Goldman and Dave Min.

Swalwell’s Remedy PAC has given over $20,000 to Democratic candidates in the 2024 cycle and over $170,000 to current Democrats in Congress, and it appears most, if not all, of that money will ultimately be returned, with many announcing the funds will be donated to charities benefiting sexual assault victims.

CALIFORNIA REPORTER CLAIMS ERIC SWALWELL’S CONDUCT ‘WAS KNOWN,’ RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT LOCAL SUPPORT

Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., considered one of the more vulnerable Democrat incumbents running in November, is returning the $3,000 he received from Swalwell by donating $1,000 to three different local charitable organizations that support women, survivors and their families, a spokesperson from his office told Fox News Digital Tuesday morning, adding that the checks were sent on Monday.

Republicans have taken issue with the Democrats who have yet to return the money from Swalwell.

“If Democrats had any standards left, this would be an easy call,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital. “But when it’s one of their own, accountability gets buried faster than the story. Every single vulnerable House Democrat must return the filthy creep cash or own the rot they’re protecting.”

Additionally, some Republicans have pointed to the amount of time it took for the money to be returned, given rumors that have been circulating around the disgraced congressman for weeks.

“I find it appalling that Rebecca Cooke would wait to renounce the endorsement from the disgraced Rep. Eric Swalwell until she received tremendous heat from the media,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a Republican running in a hotly contested primary, told Politico in reference to his Democratic opponent. “This is not leadership, this is political convenience for her.”

Democrats have pushed back, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), who in recent weeks has been calling out Republicans who took money from Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who on Monday announced his intention to resign from Congress after he admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

SWALWELL’S FORMER FEMALE STAFFER DROPS BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, EXPOSING HIMSELF: REPORT

“The hacks at the NRCC who are currently defending Cory Mills and spent six-figures just last month to protect Tony Gonzales should sit this one out,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton told Fox News Digital in a statement. “It’s Democrats who are actually standing up and calling for accountability in Congress — consistently and independent of party.”

Fox News Digital reached out to several Democrats who, as of Tuesday morning, did not appear to have publicly commented on receiving Swalwell money, including Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., who received a total of $2,000 from Swalwell’s Remedy PAC since 2023. Suozzi is currently running for re-election in one of the most closely watched House races in the country in New York’s 3rd District which Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean D.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Suozzi’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Alaska’s Mary Peltola, who is running for Senate as a Democrat in a race the Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean R,” which could end up deciding the balance of power in the Senate, received a total of $8,000 from Remedy PAC in the past: $2,000 in October 2023, another $2,000 reported in her 2023 year-end filing and $4,000 more in her amended 2024 post-general report.

‘THE VIEW’ HOST SAYS ERIC SWALWELL’S REPUTATION WITH WOMEN WAS ‘OPEN SECRET’ EXPLOITABLE BY ENEMIES

“Peltola has been absolutely SILENT,” Senate Leadership Fund, the top super PAC supporting Republican incumbents and candidates in the Senate, posted on X on Monday. “When will she call for his resignation and return the money?”

On Tuesday morning, a Peltola spokesperson said she has not accepted money from Swalwell during the current cycle and that she will return the money she received from previous campaign cycles in the form of a donation to a charity benefitting victims of domestic violence.

“Alaskans for Mary has not accepted any contributions or endorsement from Swalwell this cycle, and will be donating $8,000 – equivalent to contributions from previous cycles – to the Tundra Women’s Coalition,” the spokesperson said. “Mary was disturbed to learn of these allegations and takes all reports of sexual assault and harassment very seriously. She believes these claims should be thoroughly investigated, and the legal system should hold responsible parties accountable.”

An up-and-coming progressive candidate in the Democratic Party, Ammar Campa-Najjar, is running for Congress in California’s 48th Congressional District, and records show he has taken $6,000 from Remedy PAC since 2020. Campa-Najjar disavowed Swalwell’s endorsement but did not appear to have publicly commented on the funds until Tuesday morning when a spokesperson said the campaign intends to donate the funds to a charitable cause.

Swalwell announced Monday he will officially resign from office after his sexual misconduct allegations triggered a surge of lawmakers calling for his expulsion over the weekend. 

The California lawmaker said he is still firmly denying the serious allegations against him as “false,” but added that his resignation reflects him taking “responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

The House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating Swalwell amid “allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi denied having any knowledge of sexual misconduct and rape accusations against Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., after four women came forward.

Swalwell announced on Monday his plans to resign from the House amid a looming expulsion vote threat.

When asked by journalist Frank Sesno whether she knew about the allegations before bombshell stories came out from CNN and The San Francisco Chronicle over the weekend, Pelosi replied: “I had none whatsoever.”

DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR ‘SMEAR’ OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL’S ACCUSERS: ‘VERY BAD LOOK’

Pelosi, a longtime ally of Swalwell’s who pushed for his ascension up party ranks, distanced herself from the fellow Bay Area Democrat during an event at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

She admitted Swalwell’s resignation announcement Monday was a “smart decision” and the “right thing to do” after a wave of sexual harassment allegations threatened to force his ouster in Congress.

Four women have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, including one former staffer who alleges the congressman raped her when she was too intoxicated to consent. 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., planned to introduce an expulsion resolution against Swalwell on Tuesday prior to his resignation announcement. The measure would have needed a two-thirds majority to pass and some Democrats had already pledged to support it.

Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign on Sunday after major labor unions and congressional endorsers pulled their support, citing the accusations against him.

Pelosi, who still wields considerable influence among California Democrats, dodged when asked if she personally advised Swalwell to resign from Congress.

SWALWELL’S ‘BEST FRIEND’ IN CONGRESS TURNS ON HIM AFTER BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS TORPEDO HIS POLITICAL CAREER

“Oh, I think that was his decision,” she replied. “That’s the right thing to do …  not to subject members to have to take a vote on something like that, and not to subject your family.”

“If you have a challenge that you have to address, it’s best addressed not as a candidate for governor and not as a member of Congress,” Pelosi added.

She called on him to exit the race following the wave of sexual harassment allegations, and had not yet endorsed his campaign to be next governor of California.

Pelosi is not the only Democratic lawmaker to profess ignorance about the accusations against Swalwell.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Monday accused his close congressional ally and longtime friend of living a double life.

“I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell,” Gallego said in a statement.

Gallego’s statement came after Swalwell had dropped out of California’s 2026 gubernatorial race amid the wave of sexual harassment allegations.

In 2025, Pelosi announced her plans to not run for reelection after a decades-long career in the House.

A spokesperson for Swalwell did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The billionaire founder of Diamond Resorts, Stephen Cloobeck, is cutting ties with Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and forcing him out of his California mansion after sexual misconduct allegations derailed Swalwell’s bid to become the next governor of California.

Cloobeck, who has backed Swalwell since 2017, broke dramatically with Swalwell in interviews with the New York Post and Fox 11 Los Angeles just hours after Swalwell announced he would abandon his campaign.

“I am no longer supporting Eric. F—ing tell everyone I’m a libertarian. F— you, Democrat Party. I’m a libertarian now,” Cloobeck told the Post. 

“I am now a Republican,” he added to Fox 11 LA.

He confirmed Swalwell would no longer be welcome at his California residence.

SWALWELL FACES HOUSE ETHICS PROBE OVER ALLEGED SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AS EXPULSION THREAT LOOMS

“I have a lot of people who stay at my house. I built a gorgeous place, my dream home, I relish it, and I’m a very generous man. I’m very thoughtful and I’m very kind,” Cloobeck said.

Cloobeck has donated to Swalwell’s primary and general campaigns, contributing $23,400 from 2017 to 2023. He has also given the Democratic congressman gifts, including a $39,900 flight to Nice, France, according to congressional disclosures.

The billionaire hinted that he would cut ties with more of the party than just Swalwell.

SWALWELL CALLS SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS ‘FLAT OUT FALSE,’ SAYS HE WILL FIGHT THEM ‘WITH EVERYTHING’

“I’m going to change my Godd— party affiliation, because I cannot stand this Democratic Party at all,” he said. “I am done. Finito.”

Cloobeck did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital if he would consider backing a Republican candidate in the California race for governor.

His about-face toward Swalwell follows a bombshell report on Friday from the San Francisco Chronicle, detailing alleged accounts of Swalwell’s pursuit of intoxicated women, pressuring employees into intimate situations and asking for explicit images from female contacts.

DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR ‘SMEAR’ OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL’S ACCUSERS: ‘VERY BAD LOOK’

Rumblings of misconduct from Swalwell first emerged earlier this month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a political media personality, began circulating testimony from women who said they had been sexually assaulted by the congressman.

“The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media.

Swalwell announced his decision to step down after a series of Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., demanded that Swalwell exit the race.

“I am suspending my campaign for governor. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not the campaign’s,” Swalwell said in a post to X.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced plans to open the city’s first government-run supermarket in East Harlem next year, a move critics warn could cost taxpayers millions and undercut nearby private grocers.

Mamdani vowed during an address celebrating his first 100 days in office Sunday that the city will have five government-run grocery stores by the end of his first term on Jan. 1, 2030, falling in line with promises made during his campaign.

“I was elected as a Democratic Socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic Socialist,” Mamdani said.

But Daniel Di Martino, a Venezuelan-born fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said Mamdani’s plans for government-run grocery stores will fail “like every other socialist experiment” does.

MAMDANI MOVES TO SIDELINE NYC POLICE WITH NEW SAFETY OFFICE UNDER SWEEPING OVERHAUL

“The city is going to spend a very large amount of money, and they are not going to cater to the needs of the local consumers, because they have no profit incentive,” Di Martino said. “Why does the grocery store have the items you want? Because they can make money from things you want. The government grocery store does not care about what you want because they don’t care about profits.”

In February, Mamdani pushed for $70 million in funding for the Economic Development Corporation to select sites and build five city-run grocery stores — one in each borough. Construction costs for the city’s first government grocery store at La Marqueta are estimated at $30 million — half of the project’s proposed budget.

“Mamdani says the city is not going to have to pay rent because the place is already owned by the city,” Di Martino said. “But there is a cost. It’s called an opportunity cost. The city could have rented or sold that location to a private actor, and instead we’re going to miss that revenue.”

MAMDANI TOUTS LANDMARK COURT VICTORY AGAINST REPEAT OFFENDER LANDLORD IN HOUSING ENFORCEMENT PUSH

Di Martino noted that in a mile radius of La Marqueta there is an Aldi and a Costco Wholesale. In addition, there are at least three other grocery stores located within a mile of the proposed grocery store’s location.

“If they actually open, they’re going to take business away from private businesses,” Di Martino said. “So the real cost to the city is going to be even higher.”

While government-run grocery stores are new to New York City, they’ve been introduced in other cities such as Atlanta, which opened in September 2025.

But months earlier, a city-run grocery store in Kansas City folded. The store first opened in 2018 but closed after struggling to keep food on shelves amid crime, according to NPR.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment but did not receive a response.

China may not need to launch a military invasion of Taiwan to trigger a global economic crisis, according to a new analysis that draws lessons from recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

As Iran showed earlier in 2026, even limited interference with a key shipping choke point can rattle global markets: spiking prices, disrupting supply chains and shaking investor confidence. 

Analysts warn Beijing could apply a similar strategy to Taiwan, the world’s most critical hub for advanced semiconductors.

If China moved to choke off Taiwan tomorrow, “Americans with 401(k)s would feel it right away,” Stanford Hoover Institution fellow Eyck Freymann told Fox News Digital. 

TAIWAN OPPOSITION LEADER MEETS XI IN BEIJING AS TAIWAN DEFENSE FIGHT INTENSIFIES

A disruption to Taiwan’s semiconductor supply could trigger a sharp sell-off in global markets, hitting major U.S. technology stocks that make up a significant share of retirement portfolios.

While much of Washington’s focus has long centered on deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Freymann argues the greater risk may be a more ambiguous strategy — using economic pressure, military signaling and market panic to isolate the island without triggering a full-scale war.

He expands on that argument in his new book, “Defending Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War with China,“ published Tuesday, warning Beijing could “squeeze, isolate, and coerce Taiwan into submission without firing a shot.”

China significantly has increased military activity around Taiwan in recent years, conducting large-scale exercises that simulate encirclement and blockade scenarios. Analysts say those drills reflect a growing emphasis on options short of invasion.

That analysis comes as a new Annual Threat Assessment released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found that Chinese leaders “do not currently plan to execute an invasion of Taiwan” and “do not have a fixed timeline for achieving unification.”

The finding has fueled debate in Washington over whether the United States is too focused on deterring a traditional amphibious assault while overlooking more gradual forms of coercion.

Chinese military doctrine has long included what it calls a “joint blockade campaign,” and analysts note Beijing has increasingly signaled its ability to isolate Taiwan through a combination of naval, air and coast guard operations.

China has significantly increased military activity around Taiwan in recent years, conducting large-scale exercises that simulate encirclement and blockade scenarios. Analysts say those drills reflect a growing emphasis on options short of invasion.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War and the American Enterprise Institute have similarly warned that China is actively rehearsing elements of a blockade, with recent exercises simulating efforts to cut off Taiwan’s major ports and restrict access to energy and trade routes.

Freymann said the intelligence assessment aligns with his view that Beijing’s preferred strategy may fall short of outright war.

“China’s Plan A is to take Taiwan without a fight,” he said.

US LAWMAKERS WARN TAIWAN TO ‘MEET THE MOMENT’ AS CHINA STAGES INVASION-STYLE DRILLS

Analysts say China would not necessarily need to impose a full blockade. Instead, Beijing could rely on military drills, maritime inspections and restricted zones to raise the risk of operating in the Taiwan Strait. 

That uncertainty alone could be enough to drive insurers and shipping companies out of the region, effectively cutting off Taiwan’s trade. With roughly half of the world’s container ships passing through the strait, even limited disruption could ripple across global supply chains.

A recent Center for Strategic and International Studies report, based on 26 war game simulations, examined scenarios in which Chinese forces board and interdict commercial ships bound for Taiwan, triggering widespread disruption to global trade and raising the risk of escalation.

The same analysis found that while China could inflict serious economic harm, a blockade would not be a low-risk option and could quickly spiral into a broader military conflict involving the United States and its allies.

Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz temporarily disrupted roughly 20% of global oil supply, triggering immediate volatility in energy and financial markets. A similar disruption in Taiwan, he argued, would have even broader consequences.

Taiwan produces roughly 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, including the cutting-edge chips that power artificial intelligence systems, consumer electronics and U.S. military technology.

CHINA SAYS IT WILL RESUME SOME TIES WITH TAIWAN AFTER VISIT BY OPPOSITION LEADER

The stakes extend far beyond Taiwan itself. 

A disruption in semiconductor supply could ripple across the global economy, affecting everything from artificial intelligence development and U.S. defense systems to consumer electronics and automotive manufacturing. Analysts warn that even a temporary shutdown of Taiwan’s chip industry could trigger widespread economic disruption, given the lack of viable alternatives at the most advanced level.

That concentration has long been referred to as Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” the idea that the island’s central role in the global economy helps deter conflict by raising the stakes for any disruption.

But that same dominance also creates a vulnerability. Unlike oil, there is no strategic reserve to offset a sudden semiconductor supply shock.

“If you take away the United States’ access to advanced compute, there goes the whole AI trade,” Freymann said. “It risks the possibility of a Lehman Brothers-style cascading event.”

Such a shock could ripple through financial markets, hit major U.S. technology companies and push the global economy toward recession, he said.

Freymann also warned that China may not even need to impose a full blockade to achieve its goals, instead relying on incremental “gray zone” tactics already in use.

CHINESE FISHING ‘MILITIA’ FORMATIONS SIGNAL RISING GRAY-ZONE PRESSURE ON TAIWAN

“The danger is that they’re already doing it,” he said.

Those tactics could include harassment of commercial shipping and air traffic, regulatory pressure on companies operating in the region, and other measures designed to increase risk without triggering a direct military response. Over time, he argued, such pressure could force private companies, particularly insurers, shipping firms and airlines, to scale back operations around Taiwan.

That dynamic could allow Beijing to effectively isolate the island without firing a shot, as market actors move to avoid risk.

Still, analysts caution that the Taiwan Strait presents a more complex and heavily militarized environment than the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. naval operations and regional dynamics differ significantly.

Taiwan is also taking the threat seriously. 

Officials have begun planning exercises aimed at maintaining access to critical supplies, including energy, in the event of a blockade scenario, underscoring growing concern that such a disruption is plausible.

Freymann said the United States must adapt its strategy to account for these risks, warning that traditional military deterrence alone may not be sufficient as tensions with China continue to play out at the highest levels of diplomacy.

The issue is expected to loom over a high-stakes meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping  scheduled for May in Beijing, where Taiwan, trade tensions and U.S. arms sales to the island are likely to be key points of discussion.

At the same time, he cautioned that any shift in strategy must be paired with a steady diplomatic posture to avoid signaling weakness or escalation.

Freymann urged U.S. leaders to maintain a consistent and measured approach, warning that even subtle shifts in language or policy could be interpreted as weakness. 

“We have a long-standing one-China policy. It shows that we are resolved if our principal position is tested, but that we’re also restrained,” he said.

“We want China and Taiwan to resolve their disputes through negotiation without force or coercion.”

The Chinese embassy and Taiwan foreign ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Republicans are escalating attacks on Iowa Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott by pointing to her past op-eds — including her defense of a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer in which she argued “Jesus engaged with pagans” — in a high-stakes race for a GOP-held district.

Democratic congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister who is vying for the battleground seat held by Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, penned an op-ed in The Des Moines Register in 2015 criticizing Christian lawmakers who boycotted a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer. This writing and others, including another op-ed in which she shared how the 9/11 terrorist attacks made her “more aware of the rising anti-Muslim bigotry and its harm,” have become the target of GOP attacks as the Republicans ramp up efforts to defend their House majority.

“Sarah Trone Garriott is once again wagging her finger at Iowans for not being woke enough and embracing her coastal elite Harvard values,” RNC spokesman Zachary Kraft said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Trone Garriott better hope those spells and potions work if her campaign strategy is to oppose men in women’s sports and embrace neopagan witchcraft.” 

Garriott’s 2015 opinion piece titled, ‘Look closely at scripture before acting in faith,’ blasted Iowa lawmakers for skipping the prayer led by a self-described “cabot witch,” saying they didn’t “look closely and honestly” at Christian Holy Scriptures when deciding to boycott.

CBS NEWS’ MARGARET BRENNAN ACCUSED OF MOCKING PEOPLE OF FAITH AFTER PETE HEGSETH’S PRAYER REMARKS

A spokesperson for Garriott shared in a statement to Fox News Digital that the message behind her opinion piece was to call on her fellow Christians to love everyone, including pagans.

“As Sarah said, her faith in God calls her to follow Jesus’ example of loving one’s neighbor and spreading His grace to everyone, including those whose belief systems are fundamentally different from her own Christianity,” a spokesperson for Garriott said. “Scripture teaches Jesus’ unconditional grace, and that’s the belief that grounds Sarah’s life and ministry.” 

Wicca is a modern pagan tradition in which members worship a Goddess and God and engage in witchcraft and rituals. One Iowa House member who boycotted told The Des Moines Register at the time that he felt uncomfortable “seeking guidance from the occult.”

Another lawmaker told The Des Moines Register he attended the invocation but turned his back in protest, saying he asked himself what Jesus would do and felt compelled to act in that way.

“Clearly, Christian elected officials should be asking, ‘What would Jesus do?’ when it comes to matters of budget and public safety,” Garriott wrote. “But at the least, as a Christian, I would appreciate it if they would actually consult the recorded witness of Jesus’ life and teaching before claiming to act in his name.”

WARNOCK LIKENS PRO-TRUMP CHRISTIAN LEADERS TO THOSE WHO USED SCRIPTURE TO DEFEND SLAVERY

Garriott wrote that “Christians specifically” should be aware that Jesus interacted with pagans throughout the New Testament, noting that Jesus always acted from “a place of kindness and compassion,” and that he “did not turn his back” on the pagans he met.

She listed Mark 7:24-30, Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 15:21-28 and John 4:5-38 as examples of Jesus interacting with pagans. In those passages, Jesus is depicted interacting with non-Jews but not participating in their religious practices.

Garriott next suggested that Jesus Christ was more concerned with the behavior of Christians than with pagans.

“Instead, it was the hypocrisy of those of his own religious community that Jesus protested — and not silently,” Garriott wrote.

TEXAS DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINEE JAMES TALARICO DOUBLES DOWN ON GOD BEING “BEYOND GENDER” COMMENTS

Nunn’s spokesperson Mark Matava weighed in, arguing the opinion piece is just another example of Garriott’s “preachy” radical views.

“Sarah Trone Garriott has been lecturing Iowans for over a decade,” Matava said. “Choose a Christian school for your kids and she calls it segregation. Stand up for your daughter in sports and she calls it sexism. Walk out of a witchcraft invocation and she calls it bigotry.”

Garriott has previously criticized the display of Christian symbols in political spaces, arguing America is “not a Christian nation,” but “it’s a nation for all of us,” in remarks before her congregation.

In early April, RNC Research posted on X a clip of Garriott speaking in which she shared the “uncomfortable ways” in which Christianity was showing up in politics. She argued that the conflation of the American flag and cross is an example of how Christianity has become “threatening.”

In another clip posted by RNC Research, Garriott talked about how Iowa has “a long way to go” to ensure that Iowans are truly represented.

“It’s mostly white, mostly Christian, mostly older men,” Garriott said. “We have tremendous opportunities to get different kinds of people who represent our community into those leadership positions.”

Each year, roughly 20 million Americans file for tax extensions, but many may not realize that any taxes owed are still due to the IRS by April 15.

While an extension gives taxpayers until October to file, it does not delay their obligation to pay what they owe — and missing the deadline this week can trigger penalties and interest.

“The federal tax extension and most state extensions that piggyback on that simply give you six months to finalize your paperwork,” Mark Steber, chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, told Fox News Digital.

TAX DAY IS THIS WEEK: AVOID THESE 5 COMMON MISTAKES THAT CAN COST YOU MONEY

“It in no way extends the amount of time that you have to pay the tax that you owe. Those are due on April 15 by midnight,” he said.

The IRS offers several ways for taxpayers to pay what they owe or set up payment plans, including short-term options and longer-term installment agreements. Missing the deadline altogether, however, can increase penalties and interest.

THE SIMPLE TAX HABIT THAT COULD SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OVER YOUR LIFETIME

Experts say taxpayers who can’t pay their full bill should still file and pay as much as they can by the deadline to limit added costs.

The agency can impose multiple penalties, including a failure-to-pay penalty and interest that compounds daily, which can cause balances to grow over time.

Even taxpayers who can’t pay in full are generally better off filing on time or requesting an extension, as the penalty for failing to file is typically higher than the penalty for failing to pay.

“The worst thing you can do is ignore the deadline,” Steber said. “Many people think they’ll deal with it later, but that can lead to multiple penalties and interest that quickly add up.”

Democrats are ramping up their battle against President Donald Trump’s planned installation of the Memorial Circle arch, pairing heated attacks with a legal push to stop the project in court.

“Democrats are opposed to anything that celebrates the greatness of our Country because they are America last losers,” said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday. “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world.”

Democratic lawmakers are ramping up opposition to President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch, questioning its cost and symbolism after the design’s unveiling Friday, as legal challenges to presidential authority continue to play out. 

“While you worry about healthcare and the price of gas [because] of Trump’s war, he’s busy designing a 250-foot arch he’s calling the ‘Arc d’Trump’ #allabouthim,” Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed posted on X.

WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS CALLING TRUMP’S MASSIVE ARCH ‘TOO BIG’

“Your taxes might be going up. But don’t worry — at least $15 million of it is going toward Trump’s arch project,” posted California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Press Office on X. 

Meanwhile, California’s long-troubled high-speed rail project was approved in 2008 at an initial $33 billion price tag before ballooning to $126 billion in expected costs this year. The Department of Transportation canceled billions of dollars in federal grants for the project in the summer of 2025, citing it did not have a viable path forward for completion. 

“A gold inscription reading ‘One Nation Under God’? That phrase came from Cold War propaganda, not our Founders,” California representative Jared Huffman wrote on X. “They built this country on freedom FROM religious tyranny. They wrote the First Amendment to keep religion out of the government.”

He added, “Trump stamping it in gold on his vanity arch tells you everything about what this project is: a Christian Nationalist monument, paid for with your tax dollars.”

FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

Huffman, along with other Democrat lawmakers, filed a court brief challenging the project last month, arguing that the president cannot erect the monument on federal land without congressional approval. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Huffman’s office for comment.

“Permitting that Arch to be built without appropriate congressional authorization and review could lead to the unchecked proliferation of monuments, the erosion of public space, and serious constraints on future generations’ ability to memorialize their own losses and achievements,” the amicus brief reads.

TRUMP SAYS IT ‘IS TOO LATE’ TO STOP THE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION AMID LAWSUIT

President Trump has been on a mission to fulfill last year’s Executive Order titled, “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.”

“I will take care of our cherished Capital, and we will make it, truly, GREAT AGAIN! Before the tents, squalor, filth, and crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the world. It will soon be that again,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in August.

The released designs show a golden, winged Lady Liberty-style figure atop the arch flanked by two bald eagles crowning the monument. Underneath the sculptures across the top of the arch, “ONE NATION UNDER GOD
 is written in gold. The back of the arch has a matching emblem, saying “LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.”

The arch is proposed to sit near the Lincoln Memorial at a roundabout between Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue near the Arlington Cemetery Metro Stop.

“It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen, and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250 year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today,” Ingle continued in his comment to Fox News Digital.  

The legal threats and fiery rhetoric aimed at the upcoming arch echos a broader wave of Democratic backlash to recent Trump-linked cultural and construction moves.

In December, Democrats erupted in outrage over the renaming of the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

Ohio representative Joyce Beatty, along with other plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit to reverse the rebranding of “The Trump-Kennedy Center” and prevent the planned two-year closure.

The $400 million White House ballroom is navigating a legal battle after the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued in December claiming Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the dated East Wing. 

An appeals court ruled on Saturday that the renovation can continue until Friday, giving the President time to seek a Supreme Court review.

FIRST ON FOX: On the eve of the deadline for Americans to file their taxes, House Republicans are taking aim at Democrats for voting against the tax cuts the GOP passed and President Donald Trump signed into law last summer.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP’s campaign arm, on Tuesday launched ads targeting 28 potentially vulnerable Democrats in this year’s midterms for “voting for the largest tax hike since World War II and making working families’ lives harder.”

The digital ads, released on the eve of Tax Day 2026, come as the GOP works to protect its fragile House majority in the midterms, when the party in power faces traditional political headwinds and usually loses congressional seats. Republicans for weeks have been spotlighting the cuts, which they insist will give them a political bounce with voters.

“This Tax Day, remember who made it worse,” the narrator in the ads says.

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The narrator touted that “Republicans fought to protect your hard-earned paychecks,” and argued that the Democrats targeted in the spot “sided with Bernie and AOC to vote against critical tax relief for you. Higher costs, less freedom, more pressure on you…. This Tax Day, don’t forget.”

The tax cuts were a key component of the Republicans‘ massive domestic policy measure, which was passed nearly entirely along party lines by the GOP-controlled House and Senate.

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The law is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. 

“Vulnerable Democrats made a choice: higher taxes, tighter budgets, and more pain for working families. Voters will make theirs,” NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella argued in a statement.

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But the rival Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) charges that the GOP’s tax policies are unpopular.

“The American people overwhelmingly hate the Republican Tax Scam,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton told Fox News Digital. “No amount of political Tax Day spin will change the reality that hardworking families are getting more and more pissed at House Republicans for jacking up the price of gas, groceries, and health care while billionaires get to cash in on massive tax breaks.”

A record 70% of voters questioned in a Fox News national poll conducted late last month said the taxes they pay are “too high,” marking an 11-point increase from a year earlier, and the highest level of dissatisfaction since the question was first asked in 2004.

The NRCC digital ads, backed by a modest buy, take aim at Democratic Reps. Adam Gray, Derek Tran and Dave Min of California, Darren Soto and Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Frank Mrvan of Indiana, Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, Don Davis of North Carolina, Nellie Pou of New Jersey, Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico, and Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford of Nevada.

Also targeted are Reps. Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen, and Josh Riley of New York, Greg Landsman, Marcy Kaptur, and Emilia Sykes of Ohio, Henry Cuellar and Vicente González of Texas, Eugene Vindman of Virginia and Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez of Washington State.

The ads will also run in Democratic-controlled open seats in Maine’s 2nd District, New Hampshire’s 1st District, New Jersey’s 11th District, and the 9th District and 35th District in Texas.

A government watchdog is accusing the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of pre-determining the legal basis for its climate framework.

In an amicus filing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Government Accountability and Oversight (GAO), a nonpartisan nonprofit, unearthed communications from inside the EPA in 2009. 

Those communications, the GAO argued, show that climate-minded officials treated Obama’s Endangerment Finding as a foregone conclusion and later used it as the foundation for vehicle emission standards, power plant regulations and permitting restrictions. In particular, GAO pointed to communications from Lisa Heinzerling, who served as the climate policy counsel at the EPA at the time.

In a 2009 email, she claimed the right findings would create a legal mandate for regulation.

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“We expect to be able to issue a proposed finding of endangerment for greenhouse gases within the next 100 days,” Heinzerling wrote on Feb. 8. “Within the same document, we expect to find that certain major categories of greenhouse gases — in particular motor vehicles — cause or contribute to air pollution which endangers public health and welfare.”

“An endangerment finding … will trigger regulatory obligations under the Clean Air Act,” Heinzerling added.

Her email was sent just two weeks after President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Michael Chamberlain, the director of Protect the Public’s Trust, another government accountability group, said the communications appear to telegraph a pre-determined outcome.

“The records from that time period merely confirm what many had suspected. The Obama administration’s Endangerment Finding was flawed from the start. It is clear that the new EPA appointees entered office determined to enact this massive bureaucratic overreach,” Chamberlain said.

The unearthed communications come as the Trump administration has made moves to end Obama-era energy regulations.

In February, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency would be rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding.

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“[It] has been the source of 16 years of consumer choice restrictions and trillions of dollars in hidden costs for Americans,” Zeldin said in a February press release.

However, the Trump administration’s effort ran into legal challenges from a handful of organizations, including the American Public Health Association, the American Lung Association and the Environmental Law & Policy Center. 

They argued that Trump is arbitrarily trying to suspend scientific findings. The matter is currently before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Despite the ongoing debate over the Trump administration’s efforts, the GAO believes the origins of the Endangerment Finding itself should be enough to decide the matter.

In its amicus brief, GAO continued to highlight what it saw as a process inconsistent with deliberative requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

GAO highlighted another memo from Heinzerling — this time to President Obama.

“We have a political fraught but scientifically and legally straightforward decision ready to go: that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare and that mobile sources contribute to the pollution that is dangerous,” Heinzerling wrote in March 2009.

In a separate memo to the White House, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson urged the president to issue the Endangerment Finding for political reasons.

“If Earth Day passed without a finding, the domestic and foreign criticism would begin immediately and mount steadily. When, eventually, your administration [makes] the finding — something that, I will be so bold to say, is a near-certainty — it would be described as more the result of criticism than of leadership,” Jackson wrote.

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The GAO’s filing blasted the phrasing.

“There is no evidence that at any time it was an open question whether the Endangerment Finding would be issued,” the GAO wrote.

Neither Heinzerling nor Jackson responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.