INTERNACIONAL
Tlaib-backed Senate candidate in the hot seat after deleting ‘defund the police’ social media posts
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Michigan Senate candidate backed by «Squad» Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and other far-left politicians quietly deleted old social media posts he made online espousing support for the «defund the police» movement between 2020 and 2021.
This anti-law enforcement rhetoric became a flashpoint for Democrats during the summer of 2020 and during the Biden years. The anti-police rhetoric was also a major issue during the New York City mayoral race as Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani faced immense backlash for his past anti-police rhetoric, compelling the candidate to go on Fox News at one point to apologize for what he once said.
«Most major US cities spend WAY TOO MUCH on police departments to police poverty & WAY TOO LITTLE on public schools, health departments, recreation departments, & housing to eliminate poverty,» El-Sayed wrote in a June 2020 post on X, then-Twitter, just several weeks after the death of George Floyd. «Fixing that is what the #Defund movement is about.»
«The police have become standing armies we deploy against our own people,» El-Sayed said in a separate post on social media from around the same time.
REPUBLICANS TARGET 2 KEY DEMOCRATIC RACES WITH MAMDANI CONNECTION STRATEGY
Bernie Sanders-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has also campaigned with other radical far-left politicians, such as «Squad» member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (\Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
El-Sayed’s past social media posts, which were first reported by CNN, include about a dozen posts that espoused support for the «defund the police» movement.
«When we make a choice to invest in policing in a majority black community, rather than to invest in public schools, that choice is influenced by systemic racism,» El-Sayed said during an interview for Michigan Online that was posted to YouTube around the same time as his social media posts that have now been deleted. «When we talk about the question of quote-unquote defunding the police,» he continued, «it’s a question of asking how do we right-size government away from the racist ideologies that have led us to investing in war material for policing rather than public health for children.»
El-Sayed, a former executive director of Detroit’s health department, is running in a crowded primary to win Michigan’s Senate seat against state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., and many others. On the Republican side, former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., is considered the frontrunner after he narrowly lost a bid for the seat in 2024.
«I’m proud to endorse Abdul El-Sayed to be our next Senator,» Tlaib said earlier this month during a town hall tour featuring El-Sayed. «As a health equity champion and Medicare for All advocate, Abdul leads with a grassroots vision for change centered on inclusion and dignity for Michigan families. He has long been a fighter — we were arrested together in 2018 while protesting for a $15 minimum wage — and he is fighting now to kick money out of politics, tackle our affordability crisis, and build a stronger, healthier Michigan.»
DEMOCRATS’ ‘UNITY’ DINNER DRAWS BACKLASH OVER ANTI-TRUMP ‘86 47’ SIGN LINKING MAGA TO NAZIS
Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a coronavirus public health roundtable with Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2020. (Erin Kirkland/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the CNN probe, a campaign spokesperson for El-Sayed shared a statement about how the former health director has worked to support law enforcement. The statement also touted El-Sayed’s endorsements from individuals in the law enforcement community.
«On his third week as Wayne County’s Health Officer, Dr. El-Sayed declared a public health emergency at the Juvenile Detention Facility, working alongside law enforcement to fully rebuild it from the studs, raising officers’ wages by 35% and funding a safer, more humane system,» the statement said. «He learned and grew through the process—and has earned endorsements from a sitting Sheriff, a former Sheriff, and a Detroit Police Commissioner.»
The campaign statement also slammed President Donald Trump’s «militarizing» of agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and argued that «rather than defund Police» El-Sayed is «challenging» the government to reconsider the way it allocates its money.
«Rather than defund Police, Dr. El-Sayed is challenging government choices that defund food, healthcare, and social services while militarizing agencies like ICE in sharp contrast to Donald Trump’s presidency because real safety comes from investing in people—not in tanks and tear gas,» the campaign statement concluded.
In addition to Tlaib, self-proclaimed democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and far-left Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison endorsed his campaign.
El-Sayed, who has been compared to Mamdani, has embraced the comparison between him and New York City’s mayor-elect, a self-described socialist with connections to the broader socialist movement. «Like Zohran, I’m running a people-powered campaign because I know we deserve better,» El-Sayed reportedly said in a campaign advertisement that now appears to be deleted, according to the Washington Examiner.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 2024. (Getty)
But it isn’t just their policies that are similar; so are their opinions about the police.
Prior to Mamdani’s election victory last week, he was compelled to go on Fox News and apologize for his past anti-police comments calling the New York Police Department (NYPD) «racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety.» Mamdani’s past comments, which also included support for the «defund the police» movement, came around the same time as El-Sayed’s social media posts that followed the death of George Floyd.
Mamdani told Fox News Digital at the time that he had apologized to rank-and-file NYPD officers behind closed doors and when pressed on whether he would offer a broad, public apology, Mamdani said, «Absolutely.»
FROM COMBAT BOOTS TO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: ARMY VETERAN MARCHES INTO MICHIGAN CONGRESSIONAL RACE
«I apologize because of the fact that I’m looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day,» Mamdani added.
U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan Abdul El-Sayed has embraced comparisons, likening him to New York City Mayor-elect and self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani. (Bill Pugliano and Alexi J. Rosenfeld via Getty Images)
But, despite the apology, Mamdani’s negative comments about the police may have already spurred damage. In October, the same month as his Fox News apology and just weeks before Mamdani’s widely expected victory, the NYPD reportedly saw a 35% hike in cops of all ranks leaving the department, according to the New York Post’s analysis of Police Pension Fund data.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«Morale is down because everyone is concerned about the policies Mamdani wants to put in place,» Scott Munro, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, said.
Other police departments around the country appear to be taking advantage of this exodus too, with one, in Houston, Texas, offering «disgusted» NYPD officers the opportunity to come work for them.
«We believe socialism is going to be bad for law enforcement in New York City,» Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, told Fox News. Griffith added that he believes Mamdani’s poor view of police officers will serve to «demoralize the officers of the NYPD» and result in them leaving.
«Zohran won. Abdul is next,» El-Sayed reportedly stated in a July campaign ad. «His win is proof that bold, progressive politics are what Americans want.»
Fox News Digital’s Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.
senate elections,elections,democrats senate,democratic party,police and law enforcement
INTERNACIONAL
La mega cárcel a la que fue trasladado Jorge Glas tiene un avance de construcción del 30 por ciento
Daniel Noboa reconoció públicamente que la llamada “Cárcel del Encuentro”, el nuevo penal de máxima seguridad al que fue trasladado el ex vicepresidente Jorge Glas y varios cabecillas del crimen organizado, aún no está terminada. En una entrevista radial, el presidente detalló que el complejo carcelario está “entre el 35% y el 40%” de avance, pero defendió la decisión de adelantar el traslado de los reclusos más peligrosos por razones de seguridad y prometió que la obra se completará en las próximas semanas.
En diálogo con Radio Sucre, Noboa respondió a las críticas sobre el envío de presos a una cárcel cuya construcción sigue en marcha. “La cárcel no está al 100%, no está al 100%, pero ya está al 35–40%. En dos semanas estará al 80% y se finalizará el último pabellón y las últimas cosas en un mes”, aseguró. Con esa descripción, el mandatario trazó por primera vez un cronograma público de la obra, que el Gobierno ha presentado como emblema de su ofensiva contra el narcotráfico y las bandas criminales.
El anuncio llega después del traslado de Jorge Glas y de otros presos de alto perfil al nuevo penal, lo que encendió el debate sobre las condiciones de la infraestructura y la legalidad de las decisiones penitenciarias. Mientras organizaciones y voces críticas cuestionan que se use un centro “en obra gris” para alojar a personas privadas de libertad, el Gobierno sostiene que la prioridad es neutralizar la capacidad de mando de los líderes criminales desde las cárceles tradicionales. Noboa reiteró que los primeros en ser trasladados fueron “los más malos, los que ya desde la cárcel se pasaban organizando asesinatos y secuestros”.
El presidente vinculó directamente la premura por habilitar la Cárcel del Encuentro con el clima político previo al referéndum y consulta popular del 16 de noviembre. Según su versión, grupos delictivos estarían buscando desestabilizar al país ante la posibilidad de una victoria del “sí” en las preguntas impulsadas por el Ejecutivo. “Era urgente viendo lo alterados que están, porque está ganando el sí y quieren hacer relajo y quieren matar la mayor cantidad de gente para decir que este gobierno fracasa”, afirmó. No presentó pruebas concretas durante la entrevista, pero insistió en que la lectura de inteligencia del Gobierno justificaba adelantar el uso parcial del complejo penitenciario.
Más allá de esa coyuntura, Noboa enmarcó la Cárcel del Encuentro en un rediseño más amplio del sistema penitenciario. El mandatario sostuvo que no se trata de una obra aislada, sino del primer paso de un plan que incluye la construcción de otro gran centro carcelario de mediana seguridad, también en la Costa, con capacidad para unas 15.000 personas privadas de libertad. “Se va a construir otra cerca, grande, no de máxima seguridad, sino de mediana seguridad, para aproximadamente 15.000 personas”, adelantó. Según su diagnóstico, en el sistema actual hay entre 6.000 y 7.000 presos en hacinamiento y varias cárceles que “nunca se arreglaron” y hoy son inseguras tanto para los funcionarios como para los internos.
Noboa describió problemas estructurales en las prisiones tradicionales: puertas e infraestructura que no funcionan, flujos internos que no permiten reaccionar ante emergencias y pabellones donde el Estado ha perdido el control frente a las bandas. Argumentó que el nuevo complejo y la futura cárcel de mediana seguridad buscan justamente revertir ese escenario, concentrando a los internos de mayor peligrosidad en espacios controlados y tecnológicamente monitoreados, y reordenando el resto de la población penitenciaria.
La Cárcel del Encuentro se ha convertido en un símbolo del enfoque de Noboa en seguridad: una mezcla de infraestructura penitenciaria de alta seguridad, discurso de mano dura y comunicación directa en redes sociales. Días antes, el presidente difundió en X (antes Twitter) una imagen en la que aparecían Glas y otros procesados y condenados por delitos graves, acompañada de un mensaje en el que advertía que “pronto llegarán otros criminales” al nuevo penal. El gesto fue leído por sus críticos como una utilización política de los expedientes judiciales, al calor de la campaña por el referéndum.
En la entrevista radial, el mandatario buscó presentar la cárcel no solo como un símbolo, sino como una respuesta funcional a la violencia que ha sacudido al país en los últimos años. Su narrativa conecta la construcción acelerada del penal con otros elementos de política pública, como los decretos de estado de excepción, las operaciones contra la minería ilegal y la cooperación internacional en seguridad. A la vez, insiste en que la actual Constitución —que él pretende reformar a través de una Asamblea Constituyente si triunfa el “sí”— “beneficia a los criminales” y limita la acción de las fuerzas del orden.
INTERNACIONAL
¿Paquetes al espacio?: Viajar en cohete y dormir en una estación espacial privada, ida y vuelta por 100 millones de dólares
«Voluntad política»
Astronautas en la Estación Espacial Internacional. Foto: EFEModelo económico
La cápsula Crew Dragon. Foto: Reuters
La estación EEI, y la Tierra de fondo. Foto: AP
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James are aiming to convince a federal judge on Thursday that Lindsey Halligan, who brought criminal charges against both of them, is an unlawful U.S. attorney.
Lawyers for Comey and James plan to make their arguments during a hearing in Virginia to Judge Cameron Currie, a Clinton appointee tasked with deciding Halligan’s fate.
President Donald Trump installed Halligan in September as the top prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia days after ousting Erik Siebert, who opposed charging Comey and James, two of the president’s top political nemeses. Amid the change, Trump posted a remarkable message to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Truth Social, indicating that he wanted revenge for his own prior prosecutions and that Bondi needed to act fast.
Halligan, a former insurance lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, brought the indictments almost immediately. Her name was the lone signature on each of them, and no Virginia prosecutors joined the case.
TRUMP’S US ATTORNEYS IN BLUE STATES FACE LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT COULD UPEND KEY PROSECUTIONS
President Donald Trump named lawyer Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Virginia in September. (Marco Bello/AFP via Getty Images)
In court briefs, Comey’s and James’ lawyers have said Halligan’s appointment was defective because Bondi improperly designated her as an interim U.S. attorney after Siebert had already served in that position, which had a 120-day term limit that had expired.
Because Halligan was the lone prosecutor to sign the grand jury indictments, legal experts have said that could be their fatal flaw if the courts deem her invalid.
Bondi has since said she retroactively ratified the indictments and designated Halligan a «special attorney» for the «avoidance of doubt,» according to court filings.
«In all events, the government has endorsed the prosecutions, and the Attorney General has personally ratified the indictments to obviate any question as to their validity,» DOJ lawyers wrote.
COMEY SEEKS TO TOSS CRIMINAL CASE CALLING TRUMP PROSECUTOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ APPOINTEE
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks alongside President Donald Trump on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Halligan’s appointment came as part of a series of maneuvers the Trump administration has made to bypass the Senate confirmation process and keep in place his preferred appointees in temporary capacities using loopholes in federal vacancy laws. Federal judges in New Jersey, California and Nevada have disqualified appointees in those states, and the New Jersey case is now pending before an appellate court. The issue could be bound for the Supreme Court.
Comey’s lawyers argued in court papers that Currie, the judge presiding over the issue, «should reject the government’s machinations.»
Comey is facing a charge that he made a false statement to Congress and James is facing a bank fraud allegation.
DOJ DEFENDS TRUMP TRUTH SOCIAL POST AS COMEY SEEKS TO HAVE CASE DISMISSED
Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee about his interactions with President Donald Trump and the Russia investigation on June 8, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Both have pleaded not guilty and have argued their indictments should be tossed out on the grounds that Halligan was improperly appointed and that they were selectively and vindictively prosecuted.
If Comey’s and James’ charges were to be thrown out, it is unclear what would happen. The DOJ could appeal or attempt to bring them again, depending on how the courts rule.
Fox News’ Bill Mears and David Spunt contributed to this report.
justice department,pam bondi,judiciary,virginia,donald trump
Milei viaja a Corrientes para exponer sobre economía ante un auditorio afín
La mega cárcel a la que fue trasladado Jorge Glas tiene un avance de construcción del 30 por ciento
La verdadera razón de la terrible pelea entre La Joaqui y la China Suárez: quién es el famoso futbolista que las enfrentó
Proyecto anti Shein: Pichetto propuso aplicar un 30% de arancel a las compras en plataformas extranjeras
El gesto de la presidenta de Palmeiras con los jugadores de la selección de Brasil que deben volver para jugar el Brasileirao
El CBC de Menem para los nuevos libertarios: Sharif con los despachos, los “high profile” y las “espadas”
Promociones en YPF, Shell, Axion y Puma: cómo aprovechar los descuentos en combustible
Wada Nara se despidió de sus hijas con un desgarrador mensaje al entregárselas a Mauro Icardi: «Que la pasen hermoso»
Viene un nuevo esquema para el dólar: qué anticipa el mercado tras sorpresiva «confesión» de Caputo
Axel Kicillof prometió no subir impuestos, pero montó un mecanismo de recaudación con Ingresos Brutos
CHIMENTOS2 días agoWada Nara se despidió de sus hijas con un desgarrador mensaje al entregárselas a Mauro Icardi: «Que la pasen hermoso»
- POLITICA2 días ago
Axel Kicillof prometió no subir impuestos, pero montó un mecanismo de recaudación con Ingresos Brutos
- POLITICA2 días ago
En Formosa cobran un impuesto a los camiones para poder circular: piden que el gobierno nacional intervenga
