An ally of Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is receiving blowback for painting Ed Gallrein, Massie’s challenger, as a veteran potentially abusing disability benefits.

“Ed Gallrein has received government benefits for claiming to be 100% physically disabled, while also claiming to do demanding full-time farm work on his family’s operation,” Andrew Cooperrider, a radio and podcast host, said in a post to Facebook.

“This raises serious questions about consistency, transparency and accountability,” he continued.

The post drew criticisms from experts in the veterans’ community for what they called a mischaracterization of the Veterans Affairs (VA) disability rating system. It also highlights the sensitivity of a race that pits a Trump-endorsed candidate against one of the president’s most frequent critics.

SCOOP: TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE

“I think it’s disgraceful that any type of campaign would try to use a VA disability rating against somebody,” Mark Lucas, founder and president of Veteran Action, an advocacy group, said of Cooperrider’s post.

“Just because a veteran has a disability, it does not mean that they can’t work,” Lucas added.

Gallrein, a former longtime Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer, has positioned himself as a pro-Trump candidate looking to unseat the biggest thorn in the side of the GOP. He contends that Massie’s decision to vote against Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, his push to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act and constant criticisms of overseas conflicts in Iran and Venezuela all go against the grain of the party.

Gallrein received Trump’s endorsement earlier this year.

Tim Murtaugh, an advisor to his campaign, blasted Cooperrider’s Facebook post, calling the criticism an “offensive attack.”

“This is a ridiculous and offensive attack on a veteran, a potentially illegal invasion of privacy and it proves Massie and his allies truly have no shame and no honor,” Murtaugh said.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NAVY SEAL EDDIE GALLAGHER AS TRUMP POISED TO INTERVENE IN CASE

Prior to his political aspirations, Gallrein served as a member of SEAL Team Six, deploying to conflict zones in Panama and the Persian Gulf among others, before returning to work on his family’s farm, according to his online biography.

It’s unclear what kind of injuries led the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to give Gallrein the 100% disability rating.

Darin Selnick, former VA Affairs advisor for the White House Domestic Policy Council and a senior advisor for Veteran Action, explained that a disability rating is a multi-factor assessment of injuries sustained in service-related activity that then serves as a basis for federal assistance.

He stressed that veterans have little say in the rating they ultimately receive.

ARMY OFFICER-TURNED-CREATOR ‘MANDATORYFUNDAY’ RISES ABOVE VETERANS DAY BACKLASH: ‘I CHOOSE TO LAUGH’

“When you file for the claim, the VA has an independent medical examiner that looks at your medical records. They do additional medical examinations to confirm what’s in the medical records. That report goes to the ratings examiner,” Selnick said.

“VA then says, okay, based on this rating, you then get X amount of compensation per month for the service-connected injuries that happened to you.”

Cooperrider did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., floated the prospect of more U.S. attacks against Iran, suggesting that a large, but brief effort to target the Islamic Republic’s “war machine” would be justified.

In a Monday Truth Social post, President Donald Trump declared, “Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission! We’ve shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, ‘fast’ Boats. It’s all they have left. Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait.”

Sharing a screenshot of Trump’s post, Graham agreed in a Monday post on X.

“Spot on, Mr. President. The combination of Iran’s attack against UAE’s vital infrastructure and continued attacks on international shipping, including a South Korean cargo ship, more than justifies a big, strong and short response to inflict further damage on Iran’s war machine,” Graham asserted in his post on X.

TRUMP OPENS HORMUZ UNDER FIRE WITH ‘PROJECT FREEDOM’ AS IRAN WARNS OF ATTACKS

“The UAE has been a champion ally in this fight, doing everything that’s being asked of them and beyond. Iran’s recent brazen attack against the UAE tells me a lot about who’s in charge in Iran and the chance of a diplomatic solution any time soon. A forceful response on behalf of our ally, UAE, will reinforce that America is back as a reliable ally, helping to further wash away the damage caused by the Biden administration on this front,” the senator added.

Helicopters were utilized “just this morning to eliminate six Iranian small boats,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper noted on Monday.

MIKE WALTZ PUSHES UN RESOLUTION TO STOP IRAN MINING KEY GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTE

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared in a post on X, “Events in Hormuz make clear that there’s no military solution to a political crisis. As talks are making progress with Pakistan’s gracious effort, the U.S. should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE. Project Freedom is Project Deadlock.”

The AAA national average price for regular gas has surged to $4.483 as of Tuesday.

“To the American people: I know gas prices are high, and I know we’re suffering right now. But you pay now, or you pay later against thugs like Iran. They tried to get a nuclear weapon, and if you don’t believe that you shouldn’t be allowed to drive in your hometown,” Graham said during a Monday night appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity.”

‘KILLING OFF THE COUNTRY’: IRAN EXECUTES DOZENS, ARRESTS 4,000-PLUS IN WAR CRACKDOWN

Graham is seeking re-election this year. President Trump endorsed the senator for re-election last year.

In two back-to-back arrests, Border Patrol agents arrested a pair of illegal aliens convicted of child sex offenses last week.

Agents near San Diego arrested an unnamed Mexican native last Monday who had been convicted in Jan. 2024 of contacting a minor with intent to commit a sex offense.

On Tuesday, CBP agents from the San Clemente Border Patrol Station detained a Guatemalan national convicted of assault and battery, as well as molesting a child.

‘AMERICANS FIRST’: ICE SWEEPS UP CHILD PREDATORS, RAPISTS ACROSS US AS MULLIN TAKES HELM OF DHS

“These arrests are a direct result of the proactive work our agents do every day to identify and remove these predators from our neighborhoods,” Justin De La Torre, San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent, said.

Agency officials praised the arrests, calling them demonstrative of the agency’s continued effectiveness under the new leadership of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, noting that the agency has arrested and removed thousands of criminal aliens from the country — including gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers—to make our communities safer.

BORDER AGENTS UNCOVER RPG LAUNCHER, CACHE OF RIFLES HIDDEN IN VEHICLE HEADING TO MEXICO

Mullin was appointed by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate last month. In March, CBP apprehended 8,200 illegal aliens, according to DHS.

“Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority, and the San Diego Sector will actively go after dangerous criminals, especially those guilty of heinous crimes against children,” De La Torre said.

CBP SEIZES MASSIVE METH HAUL WORTH MILLIONS STASHED IN SECRET TILE SHIPMENT

The two illegal aliens are being processed for removal from the U.S., according to CBP officials.

It’s primary day in Republican-dominated Indiana, where President Donald Trump’s immense sway over the GOP is on the line, as his endorsements in key races will be tested.

In neighboring Ohio, another right-leaning state, some of Tuesday’s top primaries will tee up crucial general election showdowns in November’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities.

Two congressional incumbents in Indiana — Republican Rep. Jim Baird and Democratic Rep. Andre Carson — face serious primary challenges.

And in Ohio, Republicans will pick from a crowded primary field in the race to face off with vulnerable Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur.

TRUMP VS. HISTORY: HOW PRESIDENT’S POLL NUMBERS COMPARE TO BIDEN, OBAMA, BUSH AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

Five months ago, Republicans in the GOP-dominated Indiana state Senate withstood immense pressure from Trump and his allies and voted down congressional redistricting, which would have given solidly red Indiana two more right-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms.

Fast-forward to today, and eight of those state senators are facing GOP primary challenges. Seeking retribution, the president endorsed challengers to seven of the eight Republican lawmakers who voted against the redistricting bill.

The president’s allies have shelled out more than $6 million to try to oust the state senators, according to the national ad tracking firm AdImpact. Among those in the political fight on behalf of the president are two national groups: Turning Point USA’s political wing and the Club for Growth. Also leading the charge are Hoosier Leadership for America and American Leadership PAC, which are aligned with GOP Sen. Jim Banks, a top Senate ally of the president. Groups allied with Republican Gov. Mike Braun are also part of the full court press.

The intra-party battle is seen not just as a test of fealty to Trump but rather a fight between MAGA forces and more traditional conservatives for the future of the GOP.

SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY

“We’ve got to change those old-style Republicans, put in people who will fight, fight against the Democrat gerrymandering,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital.

McIntosh, a former congressman from Indiana, said, “I want to see my state do the right thing.”

But the besieged incumbents have significantly outraised their challengers, and have also been boosted by the Indiana Senate GOP caucus.

In an interesting side note, one of the races pits Trump versus his former Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump is backing challenger Tracey Powell, who is trying to take out state Sen. Jim Buck, who’s backed by Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman.

A pro-Trump source involved in the Indiana showdowns told Fox News Digital that a victory would be considered winning half the seats, and anything beyond that would be a major win.

In western Indiana’s 4th Congressional District, the Trump-backed Baird is being challenged by state Rep. Craig Haggard. And in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District, Carson is facing three primary challenges, including Georgie Hornedo, a veteran of former President Barack Obama’s administration.

Vivek Ramaswamy grabbed national attention when he ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out and becoming a top Trump surrogate.

DEMOCRATS BUILD MIDTERM MOMENTUM BUT REPUBLICANS STILL IN DRIVER’S SEAT IN SENATE MAJORITY BATTLE

Now, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader is all but certain to capture the Republican gubernatorial nomination in his home state of Ohio.

Ramaswamy, who is backed by Trump, will face off in November against Dr. Amy Acton, a doctor and researcher who served as director of the state Department of Health from 2019 to 2020. Acton is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The winner will succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.

It’s a similar story in Ohio’s Senate primary, where appointed Republican Sen. Jon Husted, a former lieutenant governor, is unopposed in the GOP primary.

Former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is expected to cruise to his party’s nomination.

The winner will serve the final two years of the term of Vice President JD Vance, who stepped down from the Senate after the Trump-Vance ticket won the 2024 presidential election.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Once a top general election battleground state, Ohio has shifted to the right over the past decade, with Trump carrying the state by 11 points in the 2024 election. But this year’s races for the Senate and governor are expected to be very competitive. And the Senate race is one of a handful across the country that may determine if the GOP holds the majority or if the Democrats flip the chamber.

In northwest Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, the 79-year-old Kaptur, who is already the longest serving woman in U.S. House history, is running for a 23rd two-year term.

But Kaptur, who barely won re-election in 2024, is now running in a district that’s even redder than it was two years ago, thanks to Republican-steered mid-decade redistricting.

Top non-partisan political handicappers The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball give the GOP a slight edge in the general election showdown.

The packed field of GOP contenders fighting to take on Kaptur in November include former state Rep. Derek Merrin, who lost to the congresswoman by a razor-thin margin two years ago, former state Rep. Josh Williams, Air Force veteran Alea Nadeem, and former ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan.

Republicans will also choose a nominee in the Cincinnati-based 1st District, where Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman is running for re-election.

Democrats will nominate a candidate in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, south and west of Columbus, where they hope to take out Republican Rep. Mike Carey in November.

The U.S. operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is unfolding under fire, with American forces intercepting Iranian missiles and drones and destroying attack boats targeting commercial shipping as they begin moving vessels through one of the world’s most critical waterways.

U.S. Central Command said two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited the strait under the effort, dubbed “Project Freedom,” even as Iranian officials rejected the claim as “baseless” and warned that any foreign military presence would be attacked.

President Donald Trump warned that any Iranian strike on U.S. vessels would be met with overwhelming force, saying Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth,” while a senior Iranian commander said American forces would be targeted if they “approach and enter” the strait.

The operation quickly has turned into a direct test of control over the strait, with U.S. forces moving ships under fire while Iran threatens to strike any foreign presence — a clash that could pull the two sides deeper into open conflict.

TRUMP’S APOCALYPTIC IRAN WARNING RAISES STAKES FOR SWEEPING US STRIKE THREAT

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran had taken “shots at unrelated Nations” during the operation, including a South Korean cargo ship, and suggested allies could join the effort. 

“Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” he wrote.

U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters that Iranian forces launched cruise missiles, drones and small boats at vessels under U.S. protection as the operation began, targeting primarily commercial shipping as well as some U.S. Navy ships.

U.S. forces responded by intercepting the attacks and destroying six Iranian small boats, Cooper said, adding that American forces “defeated each and every one of those threats.”

He said the two U.S.-flagged ships transited the strait “uneventfully” and that additional vessels are expected to begin moving to take advantage of the passage.

The operation involves a large U.S. military presence, including guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 aircraft, unmanned systems and roughly 15,000 service members.

Cooper said the U.S. is not escorting ships individually but instead providing a layered “defensive umbrella” across the strait, combining naval, air and electronic warfare capabilities.

U.S. forces also spent weeks using advanced technology to clear and validate a transit pathway, which was tested by sending U.S.-flagged ships through first, he said.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade, making any disruption a major concern for global markets.

Iran has sharply rejected the U.S. operation, with Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military’s unified command, warning that any foreign forces entering the strait “will be attacked.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps also has denied that any commercial ships successfully transited the waterway, calling U.S. claims “baseless.”

The developments leave the strait effectively contested, with the U.S. asserting it has opened a secure transit route while Iran denies that ships are moving and threatens further attacks.

Trump has framed “Project Freedom” as a humanitarian effort to help “neutral and innocent bystanders,” saying many ships are running low on supplies and need assistance to resume normal operations.

But he has also warned that any interference would be met with overwhelming force.

The operation is unfolding as the fragile ceasefire shows signs of fraying, with the United Arab Emirates saying its air defenses engaged ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones launched from Iran.

While the U.S. has demonstrated it can move ships through the strait under heavy military protection, it remains unclear whether the effort can scale to normal commercial traffic levels or sustain safe passage if Iranian attacks intensify.

Retired Marine Corps Col. Ray Gerber said there is limited independent evidence so far that commercial shipping has resumed at scale, noting that maritime tracking data and industry signals have yet to clearly reflect increased traffic.

“We’re not really seeing a lot of evidence of it,” Gerber said. “Most of the industry is saying they’re still waiting.” 

He also questioned whether the U.S. has fully mitigated one of the most significant threats in the waterway: naval mines.

“If they’ve cleared a corridor, my first question is going to be, ‘So you’ve swept it for mines?’” he said.

Gerber added that even if initial transits succeed, sustaining the operation could become more dangerous over time as Iran responds to what it sees as a loss of leverage.

“The Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s primary leverage point. Any changes to that status quo raise the possibility of returning to more active conflict,” he said.

The next phase of the operation — whether more ships follow and whether attacks escalate — will likely determine whether the strait can be fully reopened or remains effectively contested.

A coalition of civil rights groups filed a new lawsuit on Monday seeking to halt parts of a Texas law that would allow police officers in the Lone Star State to arrest migrants suspected of crossing into the U.S. across the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

The law is set to take effect next week after a federal appeals court vacated a lower court ruling last week that had prevented its enforcement since 2024. In that ruling, he appeals court vacated an injunction that had blocked the law, finding that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue.

Senate Bill 4 established a state-level crime for entering the country illegally and authorized state magistrates to order certain individuals to leave the country if they are convicted.

Courts have long maintained that immigration enforcement has historically been treated as the responsibility of the federal government, but Texas Republicans attempted to challenge that precedent when they approved S.B. 4.

TEXAS BILL REQUIRING SHERIFFS TO COLLABORATE WITH ICE GIVEN INITIAL APPROVAL BY STATE HOUSE

The Texas Civil Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Texas argued that the law is unconstitutional, noting that immigration law is exclusively the responsibility of the federal government and that federal law should preempt the state law.

The groups are attempting to block four provisions of S.B. 4 — the creation of a crime for re-entering the country illegally, even if a person has since obtained legal status such as a green card; granting state magistrates authority to issue deportation orders; the creation of a crime for failing to comply with a magistrate’s deportation orders; and the requirement that magistrates continue a prosecution even if a person has a pending immigration case under federal law, such as an asylum claim.

“Our fight against S.B. 4 isn’t over until justice wins,” Kate Gibson Kumar, an attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said in a statement. “S.B. 4 is not only unconstitutional, but a vile law that uses our Texas resources to harm communities across our state. The Texas Civil Rights Project will keep fighting to protect Texas communities from the wrath of S.B. 4.”

Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, argued that S.B. 4 is “cruel and illegal,” adding that the groups “will keep fighting it until it is permanently struck down.”

“Every court to have reached the merits of laws like S.B. 4 has found them to be unconstitutional,” he said.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The law is scheduled to go into effect on May 15 unless another court takes action.

“S.B. 4 would transform our police and judges into immigration agents — threatening neighbors who have families here, who have lived here for years, even those who have legal status,” said Adriana Piñon, legal director at the ACLU of Texas. “Immigration enforcement is exclusively the federal government’s arena, and no state has ever claimed the power Texas threatens to wield here. We are taking this back to court to defend our Texas communities.”

TRUMP DOJ DROPS BIDEN-ERA CHALLENGE TO TEXAS BORDER SECURITY LAW

Monday’s lawsuit is the latest legal challenge to the Texas law, which was passed by state lawmakers amid an uptick in migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden administration.

Another lawsuit had been led by some of the same advocacy groups that filed Monday’s challenge. The Biden administration also initially sought to halt the law in 2024 before the Trump administration terminated the Department of Justice’s involvement in the lawsuit last year as part of the president’s mass deportation agenda.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is breathing on his own after being taken off a ventilator, his doctor said, adding he has “9 lives” following a dramatic turnaround from a dire condition.

Dr. Maria Ryan told Fox News correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that Giuliani began feeling ill after returning from a trip to Paris, with his breathing deteriorating to the point that he required hospitalization and was placed on a ventilator.

Ryan said his condition turned critical, prompting a priest to be called to his bedside to perform last rites.

By Tuesday, however, his condition had improved enough for doctors to remove him from the ventilator. He is now breathing independently and able to speak, though he remains in critical but stable condition.

RUDY GIULIANI HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT IN 2020 ELECTION DEFAMATION CASE 

“He’s a fighter — the way he was yesterday in such a critical condition, he did have a priest come anoint him,” Ryan told Fox News. “And all the prayers from around — it’s like a miracle. This guy’s got 9 lives, today he’s doing much better.”

Ryan said she expects Giuliani to make a full recovery.

A spokesperson for Giuliani also pointed to his health history following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when he was exposed to debris while responding at Ground Zero, later leading to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease.

BERNARD KERIK, FORMER NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER AND 9/11 FIGURE, DIES AT 69

In a video shared on X, Ted Goodman said Giuliani is now “breathing on his own” and remains in “critical but stable condition.”

“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the ultimate fighter,” Goodman said.

The update comes after Giuliani was hospitalized with severe breathing issues, prompting concern about his condition. His team had previously said he was in critical but stable condition.

RUDY GIULIANI HOSPITALIZED IN CRITICAL BUT STABLE CONDITION: “HE’S FIGHTING”

Giuliani, 81, has faced a number of health challenges in recent years but has remained active in public life.

He previously made headlines after being seriously injured in a car crash in New Hampshire in August 2025. Authorities said the vehicle he was riding in was struck from behind on Interstate 93 in Manchester, leaving him with a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and other injuries.

Despite those setbacks, Giuliani returned to work and continued to appear publicly in the months that followed.

Ryan said the latest improvement marks a turning point in his recovery, though doctors will continue to monitor his condition closely in the coming days.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

New Jersey Democratic congressional candidate Rebecca Bennett walked away from questions about political violence against President Donald Trump in a video circulating online, as a person with her repeatedly told the questioner to “get a life.”

The video was shared by the Libs of TikTok account and shows a man approaching Bennett and asking whether she condemns attempts to harm the president. Bennett does not respond and continues walking as a woman accompanying her addresses the questioner.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Bennett, do you think that people should stop trying to kill the president?” the man is heard asking.

As he continues, the woman accompanying Bennett can be heard attempting to drown him out by singing.

REPUBLICANS CRITICIZE DEM CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE’S ’86 47′ POST AS CALL FOR ‘POLITICAL VIOLENCE’

“Oh my God. Dude, get a life. Get a life, dude,” the person says in the video.

Bennett is then seen walking away and heading toward a vehicle, partially obscured at times by a blue sign, as the questioning continues.

Bennett’s campaign told Fox News Digital that she “has and always will condemn political violence against President Trump.”

PATRICIA HEATON URGES ‘FRIENDS ON THE LEFT’ TO TONE DOWN EXTREME RHETORIC AFTER WHCD SHOOTING

The campaign also pointed to a post Bennett shared on X on April 26.

“Last night’s attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was an act of political violence, and I condemn it unequivocally,” Bennett wrote. “Political violence has no place in our democracy.”

“I’m grateful to the Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers who responded with extraordinary courage, who acted immediately to neutralize the threat,” she added. “Their bravery kept hundreds of people safe last night, and I’m relieved that everyone went home to their families.”

DEM IN TRUMP DISTRICT RACE SCRUBS SOCIAL MEDIA OF POSTS PRAISING PROGRESSIVES: ‘SCAM ARTIST’

“My thoughts are with everyone who was at the dinner last night.”

The Navy veteran and current member of the Air National Guard made news last year as a Democrat running for Congress who positioned herself as a moderate in a bid to unseat sitting Republican Thomas Kean Jr. in a pro-Trump district.

A Fox News Digital review of Bennett’s X account — created in July 2011 and converted from @BigRedBecks to @RebeccaForNJ07 — shows several deleted posts that appear to diverge from that “moderate” label, including praise for progressive Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

“Love her,” Bennett wrote in a now-deleted post about Warren in 2019.

Bennett also deleted posts praising former Vice President Kamala Harris after she was announced as then-former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020.

During the civil unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in 2020, Bennett wrote in a now-deleted post that she agreed with a comment from former Obama campaign strategist David Plouffe calling for investigations into law enforcement responses.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Scott Singer, the former Republican mayor of Boca Raton and a candidate for Congress in Florida, is touting a significant campaign fundraising haul while outlining to Fox News Digital the reasons why he believes there is reason for optimism for the GOP in November. 

Singer’s first-quarter fundraising numbers in the 2026 cycle showed him significantly outraising incumbent Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., by a nearly 3-to-1 margin, along with slightly more cash on hand, despite being a first-time candidate.

As a result of Florida’s new redistricting push, Singer recently announced he will be running in the redrawn 25th congressional district, and it is unclear which district Moskowitz will decide to run in, but Singer tells Fox News Digital he is “very pleased” with the financial support he’s gotten from almost 3,600 contributors

“We’re very pleased that we had an amazing fundraising quarter, one of the best of any Republican challenger in the nation,” Singer said. “I think it’s going well because people are really enthused about our candidacy. I think people are ready for change. They’re upset with the progress of Congress.”

GOP LAWMAKER RALLIES AROUND TRUMP’S TAX-CUT CAMPAIGN AS COMPETITIVE 2026 HOUSE RACE LOOMS: ‘BIG ISSUE’

With most pundits predicting a tough time for Republicans in the upcoming midterms as they attempt to hold a razor-thin majority in the House and tight majority in the Senate along with historical headwinds, Singer says he sees “great reason for optimism” as he campaigns in his race.

 “We have a strong economy, the strongest we’ve had in years, record growth in GDP inflation before the latest blip, which is temporary because of the Iran conflict,” Singer explained. “Inflation was at the lowest level we had for years and voters understand that it was the one unchecked runaway inflation under President Biden that put us in this situation.”

VOTERS SAY REPUBLICANS OUTDO DEMOCRATS ON THESE KEY ISSUES: FOX NEWS POLL

Singer continued, “President Trump and the administration have done so much to bring prices down across the board, and cutting regulations will continue to do that. The biggest tax cut in American history is reaching American taxpayers right now, with huge refunds going to individuals and the average refund for 12 million small businesses of $7,000 and that was done with every Democrat in Congress voting against it.”

Singer told Fox News Digital the GOP is now the “party of the middle” class thanks to tax-cutting policies for tips and overtime, and said he believes those “real benefits” will continue to take effect over the next year. 

“I think people are going to be more optimistic,” Singer said. “If you look at so many objective indicators and not the panic that some media outlets put out there, things are great and when you interview voters and ask them about policies, they lean more to the right. They support the Republican agenda. That’s why I feel very optimistic, and I think other candidates, if we focus on the agenda and less on what the media would have us buy into comments about personality, it really affects what we’re doing on paychecks and what we are doing on the border.”

Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives heading into the 2026 midterms, one of the narrowest controlling margins in nearly a century, with Democrats widely believed to be holding an edge, especially given the party in power historically sees losses in midterm elections.

Aggressive redistricting by both parties in states across the country has complicated the situation even further.

Democrats have been hammering President Trump and the Republican Party on high gas prices and the economy, and a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pushed back on the Republican agenda in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Florida Republicans knew they couldn’t win on their cost-raising, billionaire-first, wildly unpopular agenda that’s crushing working families and small businesses, which is why they’re desperate to gerrymander the maps and rig the midterms,” DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said. “Any Republican who claims the GOP’s price-spiking policies are popular only proves the fact they have no idea what voters are feeling right now.” 

Joe Kaufman knows what it’s like to lose a close race in a historically Democratic District. In fact, in the 2024 election cycle, Kaufman ran in the closest congressional race in the state, narrowly losing in the 23rd district to incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., a two-term congressman who has sought to build a moderate profile.

Florida has just completed its redistricting process, and this time around, Kaufman is confident that he can win, despite the Republicans facing headwinds.

Kaufman confirmed to Fox News Digital that in 2026, he will be running in the new 25th district.

Moskowitz said on Monday that if he runs, it will be in the 25th District, while it appears that incumbent Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who would be seeking her 12th term in Congress, is also weighing running in the same district.

DEMOCRAT PRAISES STEVE SCALISE FOR QUICK ACTION DURING WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER SHOOTING

Kaufman brings a battle-tested strategy and message to the race, on the heels of his near-victory in 2024:

“Yes, we had 48% of the vote. It was the closest race in all of Florida and the highest percentage of any Republican to ever run for that seat. But back then, I got in very late in the game and this time around our numbers are much better, and we’ve been able to form those coalitions that we needed to last time. We’ve done that now, and I will win this seat this time.”

Kaufman bills himself as a “terrorist hunter” and brings strong foreign policy credentials to the table.

“I do counter-terrorism research, writing and lectures.” He says he’s been involved in “the shutdown of terrorist charities and the imprisonment of terror-related individuals. Recently, I led the shutdown of a pro-Hamas conference that was to take place in Coral Springs, and the organizers, including CAIR and the South Florida Muslim Federation, they were upset, so they sued me and the Marriott Corporation in federal court. They sued us not once, but twice and I’m proud to say that we won not once, but twice.”

“He says in regard to foreign policy, “I’ve been very involved these past few years in what’s been taking place. 17 years ago, I was honored to co-found a group called Cyrus Force with his majesty, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who we believe is going to be soon to be a future leader of Iran.”

Despite being a foreign policy hawk, Kaufman is opposed to putting troops on the ground in Iran.

“No, I don’t support ground troops, at least not from the United States. I don’t want to see what took place in wars past happen here with seeing Americans come back in body bags. I feel the same way about our friends in Israel. 

“But there are third parties that want to get involved, and I say, give them the green light to do so. So, if there’s any ground troops…they shouldn’t be from America or Israel. It should be from these third parties.”

Kaufman is a strong advocate for vocational training in high school, and a critic of the Affordable Care Act.

“Well, for one thing, I support putting vocational training in all of the high schools in America. And it’s a project I want to initiate as a congressman. Too many kids today are staying home with their parents after they graduate high school. They need to have real job skills so they could make money, get out of their parents’ homes, be able to have their own families, and eventually, purchase their own house of their own. 

“Also, I don’t like the Affordable Care Act. It was never affordable. It’s been taking hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies, thanks to the Democrats. And I think we need a new health care system that costs the American government less and costs the American taxpayer less and better quality. And I think we could have that without Obamacare.”

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Historically, the party of the incumbent president loses seats in midterm elections the vast majority of the time. In what is widely believed to be a difficult year ahead for Republicans, Kaufman acknowledges the current engagement in Iran and the lingering effects of Biden-era inflation as challenges.

“Well, a lot of it has to do with the war overseas, but I believe that that’s going to be short term. I think that’s, that’s going to end soon. Also, with regards to inflation, we’re still dealing with the Biden years where Joe Biden initiated very heavy inflation for our country.

“And thank you, President Trump, for doing the things that would bring inflation down. So I’m looking forward to low inflation, better affordability and very soon an end to the war, and results overseas that allow us to have peace in the Middle East and more peace in world.”

Kaufman says the Democratic Party is fundamentally broken, and Republicans can win on messaging in 2026.

“Well, the Democrats, they’ve allowed people, an untold amount of people, to cross our borders, some of which have been terrorists and members of terror cells. They’ve hurt the values in the United States. They’ve destroyed our healthcare system with an Affordable Care Act that was never affordable. They’ve done everything possible to destroy our nation, and we need to make that change.”