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Key Trump ally jumps into New York governor’s race days after shocking Mamdani mayoral victory
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Rep. Elise Stefanik will officially launch her long-anticipated campaign for New York governor on Friday, entering the 2026 race as a Republican challenger to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, multiple sources confirmed to Fox News on Thursday.
Stefanik, a top House Republican and one of former President Donald Trump’s closest allies, represents a conservative-leaning district in upstate New York and has been weighing a gubernatorial run for months.
«It will be very, very soon and people are very excited,» Stefanik said Thursday in an interview on Fox News’ «The Story with Martha MacCallum.»
«There’s been an outpouring of support from Republicans, Democrats, independents, all across our great state,» Stefanik touted. «Many Democrats who previously supported Kathy Hochul are lining up in support.»
STEFANIK WRITING NEW BOOK AMID GUBERNATORIAL RUN BUZZ
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York headlines a Staten Island GOP fundraising dinner in New York City on June 2, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )
Stefanik, a member of the House Republican leadership, for months has repeatedly charged that Hochul is «the worst governor in America.»
And Stefanik has blasted Hochul over the governor’s endorsement earlier this autumn of Zohran Mamdani, who this week was elected mayor of New York City.
REPUBLICANS AIM TO LINK VULERNABLE DEMOCRATS TO MAMDANI
«People are looking for strong, commonsense leadership to be a check on this radical insanity that we’re seeing play out in New York City with Zohran Mamdani as a tax-hiking, defund the police, antisemite socialist,» Stefanik said in her Fox News interview, again linking Hochul to the progressive mayor-elect.
Stefanik, who once criticized Trump, has since become one of his staunchest defenders in Congress.
Rep. Elise Stefanik with then-former President Donald Trump, during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race. (Getty Images)
After Trump’s White House victory last year, he briefly considered naming Stefanik U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but ultimately backed off amid concerns that her departure would shrink the GOP’s razor-thin House majority.
It has been more than two decades since a Republican last won a New York gubernatorial race. The last was former Gov. George Pataki’s re-election in 2002.
COULD THIS TRUMP ALLY BREAK THE GOP’S 20-YEAR LOSING STREAK IN THIS KEY STATE?
Hochul, meanwhile, could face a tough re-election fight.
A former lieutenant governor, Hochul took office in 2021 after Democrat Andrew Cuomo resigned amid multiple scandals.
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is running for re-election in 2026. (Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo)
She defeated then-Rep. Lee Zeldin by just over six points in 2022 to win a full four-year term. But Zeldin’s showing was the best by a Republican gubernatorial nominee since Pataki won re-election to a third term in 2002.
Meanwhile, Trump, who lost New York by 23 points in the 2020 presidential election, trimmed his deficit by 10 points last November.
Hochul, a moderate Democrat from Buffalo, is facing a primary challenge from New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, in a very rare move by a lieutenant governor to primary challenge a sitting incumbent.
Stefanik is expected to hammer Hochul as she focuses her campaign on the issue of affordability.
«People are very concerned about affordability and I have a strong record of delivering for families,» she highlighted in her Fox News interview.
And she charged that Hochul had made New York «the most unaffordable state in the nation. We have the highest taxes, the highest energy prices, the highest utility prices, the highest grocery prices, and rent that continues to skyrocket.»
Democrats notched double-digit victories this week in New Jersey and Virginia, emphasizing affordability as a top issue. Stefanik said those results show Republicans must put forward a clear economic vision.
«You have to have a vision, and you have to put forth policies to make your state affordable again,» she said. «We are going to win the affordability message because her [Hochul] record is making it the most unaffordable state in the nation.»
But New York State Democratic Party Spokesperson Addison Dick charged that «Elise Stefanik is a rubber stamp in Washington for Trump’s deeply unpopular agenda that is raising costs, gutting health care, and defunding New York schools, hospitals, and police.»
And Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Kevin Donohoe charged that «from gutting health care to backing cost-raising tariffs, Stefanik’s record as Trump’s cheerleader in chief could not be more toxic with New York voters.»
Earlier this year, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York seriously mulled a run for governor. But Lawler announced in July that he would seek re-election and forgo a gubernatorial run.
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Stefanik, however, has already begun assembling a seasoned campaign team that includes veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who served as chief pollster for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
But Stefanik may not have the Republican nomination to herself.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Trump ally who was re-elected this week, may be eyeing a run for governor, GOP sources in New York confirmed to Fox News.
donald trump,kathy hochul,elections,nyc mayoral elections coverage,zohran mamdani,gubernatorial,new york,republicans elections
INTERNACIONAL
Cómo es el Metropolitan Detention Center, la cárcel en la que Nicolás Maduro quedó detenido en Nueva York
La Agencia Federal de Prisiones (BOP, por sus siglas en inglés) es la que administra los penales federales de los EE. UU. Foto AP/Yuki Iwamura El muerto del escándalo y los presos ilustres
Luigi Mangione, acusado del asesinato del CEO de UnitedHealthcare. Foto EFE
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At least one House Democrat is praising President Donald Trump’s capture of Nicolás Maduro after the U.S. conducted surprise strikes in Venezuela overnight Saturday night.
«The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela’s people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule. However, cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows,» Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., wrote on X.
«Venezuelans deserve the promise of democracy and the rule of law, not a state of endless violence and spiraling disorder. My hope is it offers a passage to true democracy and liberation. This action offers beleaguered Venezuelans a chance to seat their true, democratically elected president, Edmundo González.»
She criticized the GOP administration for apparently failing to notify Congress beforehand, however.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz speaks during a press conference on new legislation to support Holocaust education nationwide at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
«I’ll demand answers as to why Congress and the American people were bypassed in this effort. The absence of congressional involvement prior to this action risks the continuation of the illegitimate Venezuelan regime. Congress must be properly informed and hold hearings on this invasion. As always, I will work to bring about the promise of a liberated Venezuela,» she wrote.
Wasserman Schultz’s home state of Florida is notably home to a significant number of Venezuelan refugees, as well as refugees from other communist Latin American dictatorships like Cuba.
Her response to the U.S. operation is far different from the majority of her colleagues on the left, however.
Congressional Democrats are largely accusing Trump of green-lighting illegal actions in Venezuela after the U.S. carried out multiple strikes and captured Maduro and his wife.
While some responses were more muted than others, the majority of Democratic lawmakers argued that the Trump administration undermined U.S. law with the operation.
«The Trump administration launched a large-scale military attack on a sovereign nation and kidnapped its sitting president, without congressional approval and without consideration of any of the consequences their illegal actions may bring,» Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., wrote on X. «This act of aggression is unconstitutional, un-American, and a direct threat to our democracy.»
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Iraq War, echoed a similar line.
LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP CONFIRMS OVERNIGHT STRIKES IN VENEZUELA, SAYS US HAS ‘CAPTURED’ MADURO
Democrats, like Sen. Ruben Gallego and Rep. Eric Swalwell, are accusing President Donald Trump of waging an illegal war with Venezuela. (Andrew Harnik via Getty Images; Joe Raedle via Getty Images; John Lamparski via Getty Images)
«There is no justification for the United States to be at war with Venezuela. I lived through the consequences of an illegal war sold to the American people with lies. We swore we would never repeat those mistakes. Yet here we are again,» Gallego said in his own statement.
Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., another military veteran, accused Trump of running afoul of the Constitution.
«Let there be no mistake, President Trump has started a war in Venezuela, without any congressional approval, and in violation of the Constitution. Over the past 2 decades, we have learned the hard way that wars are easy to start and hard to finish,» Vindman wrote on X.
«A plan rarely survives first contact. Having served in Iraq, I’ve seen this firsthand. Trump is wrong to start a war in Venezuela. It is not what the American people want, it is not putting America first, and it is not worth American blood and treasure.»
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was more blunt in his assessment.
«When I talk to Californians, you know what ranks lowest on their priorities? Illegally going to war with Venezuela. Just lower the damn prices,» Swalwell wrote on X.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., wrote, «Trump’s illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution. These are the actions of a rogue state.»
Other Democrats were more muted in their criticism, instead focusing on calling for more information from the White House.
VENEZUELA ARRESTS MORE AMERICANS AS TRUMP RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON MADURO: REPORT
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro addresses supporters during a rally marking the anniversary of the 19th-century Battle of Santa Ines in Caracas, Dec. 10, 2025. (Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«While I strongly oppose the illegitimate regime of Nicolás Maduro, President Trump’s military action was a serious constitutional violation,» said Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y. «The Trump administration does not have sole authority to commit such acts, and I reaffirm my position that Congress must be fully informed before the U.S. engages in hostilities towards another nation. I urge for an immediate and full briefing for Members of Congress following ongoing developments in Venezuela and the subsequent long-term consequences in the region.»
The top two Democrats in Congress were similarly critical but cautious.
«Far too many questions remain unanswered, including with respect to whether further military actions are planned. First, how many American troops remain on the ground in Venezuela? Second, what does America is going to run Venezuela until a judicious transition takes place mean?» House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote in a statement.
«Third, were these military strikes about seizing foreign oil to benefit friends of the Trump administration? Fourth, why did Donald Trump pardon the former Honduran President, a narco-trafficker convicted in an American court of law, but is willing to take us to war in Venezuela in connection with similar allegations.»
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Maduro an «illegitimate leader» but added, «The idea that Trump plans to now run Venezuela should strike fear in the hearts of all Americans. The American people have seen this before and paid the devastating price.»
«To distract from skyrocketing costs Americans face and the historic cover-up of the Epstein files, Donald Trump is attempting to throw Americans into more international chaos and uncertainty,» Schumer said.
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It comes after Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. had «successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela» and its leader.
He said Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.
Attorney General Pam Bondi subsequently said both were indicted in the Southern District of New York, one of the largest federal prosecutorial offices in the U.S.
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What is Delta Force and what does it do? Inside the elite US Army unit that captured Maduro
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President Donald Trump confirmed that Delta Force — the U.S. Army’s most elite counterterrorism and direct-action unit — carried out the daring overnight operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta, specializes in high-risk missions involving the capture or killing of high-value targets, as well as other sensitive operations that require speed, secrecy and precision.
The unit operates under U.S. Special Operations Command and is typically deployed when missions carry significant political or strategic stakes.
According to Military.com, Delta Force is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the hub of U.S. Army special operations training. The unit has previously been involved in some of the most consequential U.S. military operations, including the 2003 capture of Saddam Hussein. The secretive unit also conducted numerous counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East, targeting senior al-Qaeda figures.
FROM BUS DRIVER TO DICTATOR: NICOLÁS MADURO’S RISE AND FALL IN VENEZUELA
U.S. military personnel stand aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima while docked at Rafael Cordero Santiago Port of the Americas in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 16, 2025. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images)
Delta Force is commanded by a senior Army officer, but the identity of the unit’s leader is also kept classified, as is the exact size of the unit.
It is unclear how many members took part in the Venezuela operation.
During the raid, U.S. Army helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the «Night Stalkers,» flew the special operations forces into Venezuela, officials said.
At least seven explosions were heard in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and low-flying aircraft were seen over the city at about 2 a.m. local time, according to reports.
The CIA provided intelligence to the Department of War that helped guide Delta Force to Maduro and his wife, whom President Donald Trump said were apprehended during the U.S. military operation.
Officials emphasized that while the CIA played a critical role in tracking and locating Maduro, U.S. military special operations forces carried out the physical capture.
MARIA CORINA MACHADO EMERGES AS TOP POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR AFTER MADURO’S FALL
Smoke rises from Fort Tiuna, the main military garrison in Caracas, Venezuela, after multiple explosions were heard and aircraft swept through the area, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Trump told «FOX & Friends Weekend» early Saturday that U.S. military personnel involved in the operation «did an incredible job.»
«They rehearsed and practiced like nobody’s ever seen,» Trump said. «And I was told by real military people that there’s no other country on earth that could do such a maneuver.»
Trump said he watched the operation unfold in real time.
«The whole maneuver of the landings, the number of aircraft — which were massive — the number of helicopters, different types of helicopters, different types of fighter jets,» Trump said. «We had a fighter jet for every possible situation.»
«They just broke in and they broke into places that were not really able to be broken into,» he added. «I’ve never seen anything like it.»
Trump said Maduro was inside a fortified residence but was captured before he could reach a secure area.
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Maduro and his wife were taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima and are expected to be transported to the United States. (Getty Images)
Trump also said there were injuries during the operation but no U.S. fatalities and no aircraft losses.
Maduro and his wife were taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima and are expected to be transported to the United States, where they could appear in federal court in New York City as soon as Monday, Fox News has learned.
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, David Spunt, Jennifer Griffin and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
world,military,south america,donald trump,wars,politics,world politics
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🔴URGENTE – Trump aseguró que «Nicolás Maduro y su esposa han sido capturados y sacados de Venezuela»
