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Federal government shutdown sparks blame game in crucial race for governor
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MADISON, N.J. – EXCLUSIVE: The nation’s capital isn’t the only battlefield in the blame game between Democrats and Republicans over the first federal government shutdown in seven years.
The verbal crossfire is also playing out on the campaign trail in New Jersey, which is home to one of only two elections for governor across the nation this year.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, in an exclusive national interview with Fox News Digital, pointed fingers at his Democratic rival, Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
After Sherrill, a four-term congresswoman, charged in a statement that «Washington Republicans have once again shown they’re willing to turn their backs on the American people in order to blindly follow Donald Trump’s demands,» Ciattarelli criticized his opponent in the combustible, competitive, and high-profile ballot box showdown.
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Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor in New Jersey, takes part at a candidate forum at Fairleigh Dickinson University, on Oct. 1, 2025 in Madison, N.J. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News)
«There’s nothing my opponent won’t blame on President Trump. As I like to say, if you get a flat [tire] today, it’s President Trump’s fault,» Ciattarelli argued, in a sit-down interview after taking part in a candidate forum hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson University.
With neither Trump and the Republican majority in Congress, nor congressional Democrats willing to lower the temperature, the government shut down early Wednesday morning.
BLAME GAME OVER SHUTDOWN INTENSIFIES
Democrats insisted that any agreement to prevent a government shutdown, or now to end the shutdown, must extend tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) beyond the end of this year. Those credits, which millions of Americans rely on to reduce the costs of health care plans under the ACA, which was once known as Obamacare, are set to expire unless Congress acts.
But most Republicans oppose the extension of the credits and argue that the Democrats’ demands would lead to a huge increase in taxpayer-funded healthcare for immigrants who entered the country illegally.
Sherrill, along with every other House Democrat except Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, voted against a GOP stopgap measure that would have temporarily averted the shutdown.
A closed sign stands in front of the National Archives on the first day of a government shutdown, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson – AP Photo)
Ciattarelli, pointing to his rival’s vote in Congress, said, «I do know that there’s a bipartisan group of congresspeople that are trying to keep the government open. My opponent has decided not to be part of that bipartisan group, and she voted no. And so here we are.»
Sherrill, who has repeatedly linked Ciattarrelli to Trump, placed the shutdown blame squarely on Trump’s shoulders, writing in a social media post, «This is precisely the extreme MAGA agenda that @Jack4NJ wants to bring to NJ.»
TRUMP LOOMS LARGE OVER THIS CRUCIAL RACE FOR GOVERNOR
And taking aim at congressional Republicans in a statement from her House office, Sherrill argued that «instead of working with Democrats to lower costs, protect health care, and support working people, Washington Republicans bent the knee to Donald Trump, shutting down the government in the process.»
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey responds to questions during the first general election debate with Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli. Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Lawrenceville, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
With just over one month to go until Election Day in New Jersey — and early voting taking place Oct. 25-Nov. 2 — a new Fox News poll indicated Sherrill holding an upper single-digit lead over Ciattarelli.
But Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics, touted that «the energy is off the charts, and the fact that I’m being endorsed by Democratic mayors around the state says a whole lot about people wanting change here in the state of New Jersey.»
Hours into the shutdown, the Trump administration announced the freezing of billions of dollars in federal funding for two infrastructure projects, including the Gateway Project, which would build a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York.
Sherrill quickly slammed the move and pointed fingers at Ciattarelli. She pledged to «fight tooth and nail to complete this essential infrastructure project for New Jersey. Jack Ciattarelli will not. He’s refused to name a single area where he disagrees with Trump.»
But Ciattarelli campaign senior strategist Chris Russell shot back in a statement, saying, «Make no mistake, Mikie Sherrill owns this shutdown and is responsible for any negative impacts on [the] Gateway tunnel project and other NJ priorities.»
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The two candidates will face off next week in their second and final debate before voters head to the polls in the election to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Asked about his debate game plan, Ciattarelli said he would «be very, very specific with policy proposals that fix our problems here in New Jersey, and point out every single time she doesn’t answer the questions.»
Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, left, shakes hands with Democratic candidate for governor Mikie Sherrill, right, before a debate on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Lawrenceville, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey run on a party ticket and Democrats on Wednesday were spotlighting a comment by the GOP lieutenant governor nominee Jim Gannon, the Morris County Sheriff, in a debate earlier this week that «taxes are on the table.»
Asked about his running mate’s comment, Ciattarelli emphasized that «there will be no tax increases under Governor Ciattarelli. And I would put forth a very specific plan on how to decrease the income tax and the property tax here in New Jersey.»
The race was rocked last week after a New Jersey Globe report revealed that Sherrill’s military records indicated that the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid the cheating scandal.
Sherrill claims that Ciattarelli is going on a «witch hunt» over her improperly released military records, which raised questions about her possible involvement in a cheating scandal that rocked the U.S. Naval Academy three decades ago.
«He has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, if you will. He’s now trying to divert from that,» Sherrill told reporters on Tuesday following a campaign event in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey.
Ciattarelli and his campaign are calling on Sherrill, who went on to pilot helicopters during her military career after graduating from the Naval Academy, to release her military records to explain why she was prevented from attending her graduation ceremony.
But a separate report from CBS News revealed that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, mistakenly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information like her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally.
«To have a guy I’m running against, it will stop at nothing, it will stop at nothing, who will illegally obtain records. It’s just beyond the pale,» Sherrill, who served as a federal prosecutor before winning election to Congress, charged last week.
The National Archives, in a letter last week, apologized to Sherrill, saying the improper release was due to a government worker’s error over a legal records request.
Following the breach of the records, Sherrill’s campaign sent cease-and-desist letters to the National Archives and to Ciattarelli’s campaign, as well as to Ciattarelli’s top strategist, Chris Russell and Nicholas De Gregorio, who is described by Sherrill’s team as «an agent of the campaign working at the direction of» Russell.
The Sherrill campaign on Monday launched a digital ad taking aim at Ciattarelli.
«They broke the law to attack a veteran,» the narrator in the spot charged.
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Asked about the ad, Ciattarelli charged in his Fox News Digital interview that Sherrill «did something at the Naval Academy that caused them to punish her. She wasn’t allowed to participate in the graduation. Her name is not listed in the commencement exercise program. She was, in fact, punished. She needs to come clean on what she did to be punished by the Naval Academy.»
And asked about the release of her military files and criticism from Democrats of possible dirty tricks, Ciattarelli said «somebody filed a Freedom of Information Act request, and it was fulfilled by the National Archives. And so it’s all a smokescreen. The information that came out of there is what the National Archives provided, but this is a smokescreen and spin on what really took place at the Naval Academy, and that’s her punishment.»
government shutdown,governors,gubernatorial,elections,2025 2026 elections coverage,new jersey,donald trump,campaigning
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The U.K.’s right and left-wing parties have reached an uncommon consensus: they oppose British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s latest attempt to curb illegal immigration through mandatory digital ID cards.
The plan, announced last week and which will be fully rolled out by August 2029, revived a decades-old debate across the U.K. over whether digital IDs will be overly intrusive or even effective in combating illegal migration.
«You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It’s as simple as that,» Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, said in announcing the compulsory plan.
TRUMP SCOLDS EUROPEAN NATIONS OVER IMMIGRATION POLICIES DURING MAJOR UN ADDRESS
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech during the Labour Party conference at ACC Liverpool on Sept. 30, 2025, in Liverpool, England. ( Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
But while illegal immigration has become an increasing concern across both sides of the aisle in the U.K., Starmer’s approach has been met with open opposition.
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who left the party in 2024 to stand as an Independent, said he «firmly oppose[s] the government’s plans for compulsory digital ID cards.»
«This is an affront to our civil liberties, and will make the lives of minorities even more difficult and dangerous,» he said. «It is excessive state interference — and must be resisted.»
Corbyn, who this week launched his own political movement called «Your Party» as an alternative to what he called the «control freaks» of Labour, echoed similar criticism once voiced by right-wing leader Nigel Farage, who founded Reform UK in opposition to the Conservatives.
REFORM UK PROPOSES DEPORTING 600,000 ASYLUM SEEKERS IN SWEEPING NEW IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks to striking hotel workers on the picket line outside the Village Hotel on Aug. 22, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Farage, in a post on X, said he was also «firmly opposed» to the mandatory digital ID cards and argued, «It will make no difference to illegal immigration, but it will be used to control and penalize the rest of us.»
«The state should never have this much power,» he added.
While Starmer’s plan has drawn fire from both the left and right, albeit for very different reasons, polls suggest the public mood is also shifting.
The Independent reported that more than half of Brits backed digital IDs in June, with fewer than 20% opposed.
But that support appears to have drastically shifted, with nearly half of all Brits now saying they oppose the measure, according to the news outlet.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a press conference in Westminster, United Kingdom on June 10, 2025. ( Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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The digital ID card, which can be kept on a smartphone, would include a holder’s name, residency status, date of birth and nationality. British reports said it would initially be used only for employment verification, though its scope could be expanded.
The plan faces resistance: more than 2.4 million Brits have signed a petition on Parliament’s website opposing it, the BBC reported. Any petition with over 100,000 signatures must be considered for debate.
The prime minister’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.
united kingdom,world,immigration,tech,privacy
AOC mulls Senate, presidential run: Report
Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss what’s next for AOC’s political career and Jasmine Crockett’s remarks doubling down on her decision against a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk.
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Rumors have swirled about «Squad» Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political future since she joined Sen. Bernie Sanders’ high-profile «Fighting Oligarchy» tour earlier this year.
The youngest woman ever elected to Congress has become a leading progressive voice in the Democratic Party, amassing millions of social media followers and sparking speculation about a potential U.S. Senate run or White House bid in 2028. Her rise to the national stage comes as Democrats look for fresh leadership after losing up and down the ballot last year.
Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff and campaign manager are both alumni of the Sanders campaign. Mike Casca, her chief of staff, was formerly Sanders’ deputy chief of staff and a fixture of Sanders’ political operation, both on the presidential campaign trail and back on Capitol Hill.
Her campaign manager, Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben, has worked in politics for over a decade. Prior to joining Ocasio-Cortez’s team in 2023, Hidalgo-Wohlleben was the political director of Sanders’ super PAC, Friends of Bernie Sanders, according to his LinkedIn.
AOC STARS IN NEWSOM REDISTRICTING AD, URGING CALIFORNIANS TO ‘FIGHT’ TRUMP FOR DEMOCRACY
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., arrives at a «Fighting Oligarchy» tour event at Arizona State University, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Tempe, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Hidalgo-Wohlleben also worked on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign before joining former President Joe Biden’s campaign in Iowa, Hidalgo-Wohlleben’s LinkedIn profile revealed.
AOC ALLEGEDLY EYEING 2028 RUN AS DNC VICE CHAIR RALLIES PARTY NEEDS MAMDANI TO OCASIO-CORTEZ AS LEADERS
«AOC is a pretty savvy politician with a strong operation,» Democratic strategist Mike Nellis told Fox News Digital. «No matter what she decides to do, they’re setting her up for the future.»
A Sanders alumnus himself, Nellis cautioned against placing too much weight on what it means for former Sanders staffers to lead Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign.
«I think that’s just who she knows and who she trusts,» Nellis, a former adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, said, adding that Ocasio-Cortez has a «really good team around her.»
«It’s strategic in the sense that they have a lot of relationships already,» Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff said, while emphasizing that it can be a «mistake to keep the old guard» when you are trying to build something new.
«I don’t know that somebody is going to inherit the legacy of Bernie Sanders,» Shroff added.
Axios recently reported that, according to people familiar with Ocasio-Cortez’s political operation, her team is positioning her to run for president or the U.S. Senate in 2028.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during a rally in New York City on May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Schumer is up for re-election in 2028. By then, he will have served 47 years in Congress.
«AOC doesn’t need the Senate,» Republican strategist Matt Gorman told Fox News Digital. «The Senate, at this point, is too small for her. I would expect her to run for president 2028.»
Whether she chooses to run for president or the Senate, Nellis said Ocasio-Cortez has the potential to attract voters who don’t typically engage in the political process, much like the coalition President Donald Trump has built.
«When you are an unconventional candidate outside the mainstream, outside the establishment, you can get a lot of people who will tune in and engage that maybe otherwise wouldn’t because you’re giving voice to them in a meaningful way,» Nellis said.
But Shroff said that Ocasio-Cortez isn’t ready for a presidential campaign.
«She absolutely should not run for president,» Shroff said. «It would be way too soon. I don’t think she’s really achieved enough to justify that.»
«For the Senate, I see that as more realistic, especially in a state like New York, that’s obviously more liberal,» Shroff added, arguing that «some very loyal base Democrats have lost their patience» with Schumer, so his vulnerability could boost Ocasio-Cortez’s chances of securing the Senate seat.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., greeted the crowd together during a «Fighting Oligarchy» tour event at Arizona State University, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Tempe, Arizona. (Ross D. Franklin)
Shroff said Ocasio-Cortez’s «media profile and personality and charisma» aren’t enough to win the presidency, especially when running against figures like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, long considered to harbor presidential aspirations.
The New Yorker sparked more campaign buzz this month for participating in an advertisement directly challenging Trump and advocating in favor of California redistricting.
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders have both endorsed and campaigned this year for New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist.
If Mamdani wins the mayoral election in November, Shroff said it could be a litmus test for the modern progressive branch of the Democratic Party.
«It will be challenging for him because I don’t think he can do a lot of the things that he said, and so how soon will that leftist ideology be debunked on a national level? The sooner that happens, the worse it is for AOC,» Shroff said.
In April, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign account posted a video on X that drove rumors she could be mulling a presidential run as the four-term Democrat from New York City and the progressive leader proclaimed, «We are one.»
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When asked later that month if she was harboring any presidential ambitions, the young Democrat did not rule out 2028 presidential aspirations to Fox News Digital.
«Bernie and AOC, one thing they understand is that Democrats need to be more than just anti-Trump,» Gorman said, before adding, «I certainly disagree with Bernie and AOC’s strategy of how to lead the party and where to take America, but at least they have one. That’s more than just, ‘I hate Trump.’»
The Republican strategist said the Democratic Party’s «establishment is not going to be able to stop a united, far-left wing of the party this time,» Gorman said.
Ocasio-Cortez’s and Schumer’s campaigns did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
alexandria ocasio cortez,democratic party,presidential,senate elections,new york city
INTERNACIONAL
Rusia y Ucrania intercambiaron 370 prisioneros de guerra en un nuevo canje tras el pacto de Estambul
Las fuerzas de Rusia y Ucrania han vuelto a intercambiar un total de 370 prisioneros de guerra en un canje que se enmarca en el acuerdo alcanzado por las partes durante las conversaciones que tuvieron lugar el pasado mes de julio en la localidad de Estambul, en Turquía.
Así, cada parte entregará a la contraria 185 prisioneros, según ha informado el Ministerio de Defensa ruso en un comunicado difundido a través de Telegram en el que ha matizado que, además, una veintena de civiles también serán liberados.
Todos ellos se encuentran ya en territorio de Bielorrusia, donde “están recibiendo la asistencia médica y psicológica necesaria de forma previo a su siguiente traslado”, recoge el texto.
“Los prisioneros de guerra y civiles serán enviados posteriormente a Rusia para recibir tratamiento o ser ingresados en centros de rehabilitación en caso de que sea necesario”, ha zanjado.
Ucrania perdió en septiembre a manos de Rusia un 44 % menos de territorio que el mes anterior, según un informe publicado esta semana por la plataforma ucraniana de seguimiento de la guerra DeepState.
El informe de DeepState muestra que Rusia conquistó en septiembre 259 kilómetros cuadrados de nuevo territorio, frente a los 464 tomados en agosto y los 564 con los que se hizo en julio.
Las cifras presentadas por la plataforma confirman la tendencia adelantada días antes por el presidente Volodímir Zelensky, que había informado el lunes de la recuperación en las semanas anteriores por parte de las tropas ucranianas de 174 kilómetros cuadrados que habían sido conquistados por Rusia.
Según explicó Zelensky, Ucrania recuperó ese territorio en los frente de Pokrovsk y Dobropilia, ambos situados en la región oriental de Donetsk.
Esta mejora de la situación para Ucrania de la situación en el frente se produce cuando Kiev espera recibir armamento adicional de EE.UU. que se sume al que ya recibió el mes pasado -en la que había misiles para sistemas Patriot y cohetes para sistemas HIMARS- en el marco del programa de adquisiciones sufragadas por países europeos acordado con la administración del presidente Donald Trump.
En una rueda de prensa celebrada el sábado, Zelensky dijo que su administración está trabajando con la de Trump en la posible firma de un “mega acuerdo” para la compra de más armas sobre las que el presidente ucraniano ya habló con su homólogo estadounidense en la reunión que mantuvieron la semana pasada en Nueva York.
Zelensky también dijo que ambas partes podrían llegar a acuerdos por separado para que EE.UU. transfiera a Ucrania armas de largo alcance.
Según ha declarado el vicepresidente de EE.UU., JD Vance, Washington se plantea por primera vez desde el comienzo de la guerra autorizar el envío a Ucrania de misiles de precisión Tomahawk, que tienen un alcance de 2.500 kilómetros y pondrían a tiro del Ejército ucraniano numerosos objetivos clave situados en territorio ruso.
Mientras la administración de Trump toma una decisión al respecto, Ucrania sigue reuniendo dinero de sus aliados europeos para proceder lo antes posible a las compras que vaya autorizando Washington y prosigue su campaña de ataques contra refinerías y otras instalaciones energéticas de la Federación Rusa.
Según ha explicado Zelensky, Kiev ya ha juntado unos 2.000 millones de dólares de Países Bajos, Dinamarca, Noruega, Suecia, Alemania y Canadá con los que se han pagado los primeros envíos de armas aprobados por Trump.
Ucrania se ha marcado como objetivo movilizar mil millones de dólares adicionales cada mes comenzado por este octubre de países que han mostrado disponibilidad de sumarse al programa como los bálticos, Luxemburgo, Bélgica e Islandia.
(Con información de Europa Press y EFE)
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