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Virginia Dem admits redistricting push aims to ‘stop Trump’, not about ‘fairness’
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A top Virginia Democrat appeared to admit that state Democratic lawmakers’ effort to redraw the commonwealth’s congressional map is more about stopping President Donald Trump and his agenda than about ensuring fairness for voters in the Old Dominion.
A referendum drafted by Richmond’s Democratic majority and set to go before voters in April would allow the assembly to redraw Virginia’s congressional map in a way that Richmond Democrats signaled would draw out four of five Republican congressmen and draw the populations of most new districts from dense, left-wing Fairfax County.
In comments to NBC News, Rep. Donald Beyer, an Alexandria-Fairfax Democrat, appeared to admit redistricting’s true purpose while commenting on early voting figures that appeared to lean in the GOP’s favor.
Beyer said the redistricting effort is «not a done deal by any means» and that Democrats need to «effectively make the case that even though this seems unfair in Virginia, it’s totally fair for America, for those of us who believe that taking back the House is the most significant thing we can do to stop Donald Trump.»
NEW DEM STAR’S QUICK HARD-LEFT TURN AFTER ‘MODERATE’ CAMPAIGN WON HER COVETED RESPONSE TO TRUMP: LAWMAKER
Rep. Donald Beyer Jr., D-Va., attends a protest in Washington. (Tom Williams/Getty Images)
«Don said the quiet part out loud,» Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, told Fox News Digital on Monday.
«This is manifestly unfair for the Commonwealth of Virginia. We’re a 51-49 state, not a 90-10 state. If they’re willing to silence nearly half the Commonwealth’s voters in the name of ‘fairness,’ what else are they willing to do?» Kilgore said. His legislative seat in the far southwest would sit in the sole Republican-favored congressional district under the new map.
«Last November, Democrats sold Virginians a fake ‘affordability’ agenda that is false, a total hoax, and a con job,» Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, said.
«Now they are back at it, trying to shove another partisan power grab down our throats, this time wrapped in the phony label of ‘fairness,’» he told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to Beyer for further comment and to Gov. Abigail Spanberger for her take on his admission.
5 VIRGINIA CONGRESSMEN: DEMOCRATS ARE REJECTING VOTERS TO GERRYMANDER OUR STATE
Representative Don Beyer, a Democrat from Virginia, speaks during a campaign event for Terry McAuliffe, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Virginia, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., on Friday, July 23, 2021. McAuliffe is bringing President Biden to the vote-rich suburbs as he works to keep a national focus in the race and tie his Republican opponent to former President Trump. Photographer: Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The text of the amendment facing voters next month asks whether the Constitution of Virginia should be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections.
The tagline «restore fairness» has become a clarion call for critics who claim exactly what Beyer appeared to admit: that the definition of «fairness» used is questionable at best.
«Representative Beyer said the quiet part out loud. This isn’t about fairness, transparency, or representing Virginians,» Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., said. His Shenandoah Valley district stands to be chopped into several Fairfax-connected pieces under the new map.
«It’s about political power and Democrats’ determination to rig the map to ‘take back the House.’ When Democrats admit they’re willing to defend an unfair process in Virginia for the sake of national political power, it exposes exactly what’s driving this effort, and it has nothing to do with the people they’re supposed to represent,» Cline told Fox News Digital.
Five of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts would originate in Arlington or Fairfax counties and encompass meticulously drawn swaths of the state’s conservative interior, including one district ridiculed for resembling a lobster or scorpion, as it begins at the Potomac River and winds southwest through Democratic suburbs before splitting into two halves. One half includes rural Greene, Rockingham, and Augusta counties closer to West Virginia, while the other stretches down the Zachary Taylor Highway into Goochland and Powhatan counties west of Richmond.
In turn, a likely Democrat-majority district would form, narrowly connecting the independent cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro within Rockingham and Augusta counties and linking them via conservative areas like Nelson County with Lynchburg and Roanoke far to the south.
Beyer’s current district would likely become the new 8th and stretch down the west bank of the Potomac River through current Rep. Rob Wittman’s, R-Va., rural 1st District in the Northern Neck, collecting nearly a dozen small red counties in the state’s oyster country anchored by the deep-blue city.
The only Republican deemed safe under the map would be Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., in the far southwest, which would become an overwhelmingly Republican seat.
Rep. Jennifer Kiggans’ evenly split Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads district would draw in just enough urban and suburban population to potentially turn blue.
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Since early voting began this month, yard signs emblazoned with «VOTE NO» have begun popping up in several red counties threatened by the new map, including Culpeper, Shenandoah, Highland, Orange, and Page, home to Luray Caverns.
«VOTE YES» signs were, in turn, observed in rural Clarke and suburban Prince William counties over the weekend.
democrats elections, republicans, abigail spanberger, virginia, house of representatives
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Top House Dem dismisses probe into Jasmine Crockett’s security guard killed in SWAT standoff
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A top House Democrat is pushing back on calls for a probe into Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, hiring a wanted fugitive as a security guard before he was fatally shot in a standoff with SWAT officers.
«I don’t know if that’s the House’s place to investigate,» Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Diamon-Mazairre Robinson, 39, who used the alias «Mike King» while employed by Crockett, was shot and killed by Dallas SWAT officers earlier in March after a standoff in a hospital parking garage. Police were responding to an active warrant for him after allegedly impersonating law enforcement and recovered 11 firearms during the operation, some of which were stolen.
«It depends if she was using campaign money or House resources, but that’s something for House Administration [Committee] to deal with if that’s the case,» Aguilar added.
CROCKETT WARNS OF NATIONWIDE PROTESTS OVER ICE SHOOTING: ‘STATE-SANCTIONED EXECUTION’
Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said he’s unsure if its «the House’s place» to investigate how Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, hired a convicted criminal to provide security services. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Revolt TV ; Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Crockett’s office paid King at least $6,300 for security services in 2025, according to a Fox News Digital review of Crockett’s members representational allowance (MRA). The congresswoman’s House campaign account also doled out $340 to King for security services in March 2025, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
The MRA funding bucket — made up of taxpayer dollars — is effectively an operating budget for each lawmaker to pay staff, cover security expenses, and handle other operational costs.
Fox News Digital reached out to the House Administration Committee for comment.
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Crockett has denied any wrongdoing and said her office followed every House protocol while employing Robinson, who she claimed did not raise any suspicions while a member of her security detail.
«There was never any reason to suspect that he wasn’t who he held himself out to be,» Crockett said in a statement released by her office.
Rather, Crockett has blamed «shortcomings» in the vetting process that failed to verify Robinson’s identity or catch his lengthy rap sheet, including multiple arrests for theft and violating probation.
«We are fortunate that this is someone who used those loopholes without malice,» Crockett said, adding that a preliminary review showed that Robinson had not committed any violent crimes.
Crockett dismissed questions about whether she knew about Robinson’s criminal history before hiring him during a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
«I’m going to refer you to my page,» the Texas Democrat said, referring to her social media post. «I made a statement and I said there would be no additional statements. You need someone to read it for you? I can find someone to do that.»
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, declined to provide additional comment regarding her fugitive bodyguard when pressed by Fox News Digital. (Fox News Digital Hired/Nicholas Ballasy)
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House GOP leadership has voiced openness to a probe, but cautioned that lawmakers are still learning details about the incident.
«I need to get the facts on did he have a background check … but there are processes in place,» House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital. «We’ll look at the possible need to tighten that up.»
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, did not answer definitively when asked by Fox News Digital whether Republicans planned to investigate the incident, saying he was still reviewing the matter.
Aguilar said he did not expect Republicans to launch a formal investigation, citing Crockett’s loss in the Texas Senate primary against state legislator James Talarico, D-Texas.
«Jasmine didn’t win, so I assume that they’re probably not going to be focused on her as much,» Aguilar said, referring to House Republicans.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., signaled openness to a House probe, but said he needs to review the incident further. (Getty Images)
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Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., said the incident is likely to spark conversations among lawmakers about scrutinizing the vetting process lawmakers use for security personnel.
«We need to tighten up the processes around members hiring security,» Walkinshaw told Fox News Digital.
Crockett’s office did not respond to a request for comment about how Robinson was vetted before being hired as a member of her security detail.
dallas shooting, crime world, steve scalise, investigations, democrats
INTERNACIONAL
Donald Trump revela conversaciones “productivas” con Irán y suspende la ofensiva militar por cinco días, pero el régimen de Teherán lo niega
INTERNACIONAL
Iran conflict tests Pakistan amid own border clashes as Islamabad touted as venue for US-Tehran talks
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Pakistan is walking a tightrope as the Iran war intensifies, with that balance growing more precarious with each passing day.
Islamabad has so far pursued cautious diplomacy, condemning the strikes on Iran, while simultaneously urging de-escalation. But analysts warn it cannot remain insulated from competing pressures.
«Pakistan is putting itself forward as a mediator between the U.S. and Iran, but unconvincingly,» Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital. «Its own record of staying out of military entanglements is unimpressive.»
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At the forefront of the tensions is a new defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, which states that aggression against one will be treated as a threat to both. Widely seen as one of Pakistan’s most consequential defense agreements, it commits the country to Riyadh, while risking confrontation with Iran.
Shia Muslims holding portraits of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei take part in an anti US-Israel protest in Islamabad on March 6, 2026. (Aamir Qureshi/ AFP via Getty Images)
Pakistan, the only nuclear-armed Muslim state, already has troops stationed in Saudi Arabia for training and defense support and has said there is «no question» of coming to the kingdom’s aid.
«Remember, Pakistan is geographically part of both South Asia and Central Asia, as well as the wider Gulf/MENA region too. Pakistan has always pursued peace, dialogue and order because we know what war does to our region,» Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for foreign media to the Pakistani prime minister, told Fox News Digital.
Within days of the war’s outbreak, the country’s army chief, General Asim Munir, made an «emergency» visit to Saudi Arabia, where top officials discussed joint responses to Iranian strikes. It was the first true test of the pact.
Relations are strong between the two nations, and Riyadh remains a key economic lifeline for Islamabad. Saudi Arabia has already been making arrangements to support energy supplies, as war-driven fuel disruptions hit import-dependent Pakistan.
SHADOW FLEET UNDER FIRE: IRAN’S STRAIT SHUTDOWN COULD SQUEEZE RUSSIA’S WAR CHEST, CHINA’S OIL LIFELINE
Yet Pakistan’s relationship with Iran is equally critical.
The two share a 565-mile border along with deep trade ties and significant religious connections.
Pakistan is home to the world’s second-largest Shiite community after Iran. Pro-Iran regime protests in the wake of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s assassination turned deadly, forcing military intervention and curfews.
Maintaining ties with Tehran is crucial for containing domestic tensions and staving off an insurgency from the minority Baloch community there.
Iran is also an important economic partner to Pakistan, which has been facing a severe economic crisis. The two conduct significant trade, with a new goal of $10 billion by 2028.
Pakistan’s foreign minister has held «constant conversations» with his Iranian counterpart throughout the conflict. And last week, a Pakistani oil tanker transited the essentially blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Analysts noted it was the first non-Iranian cargo ship to do so since tensions escalated, suggesting that safe passage may have been negotiated. Officials add that more Pakistan-bound oil tankers are likely to cross the strait in the coming days.
A screenshot of a marine traffic terminal showing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on March 4, 2026. (Kpler/Marine Traffic)
Most of Pakistan’s crude and LNG imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. But as the war grinds on, analysts warn Pakistan’s room for neutrality is shrinking.
Pakistan recently went against Iran, backing a Gulf-led resolution at the United Nations condemning regional aggression. Russia and China abstained.
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister just called for regional coordination in separate calls with Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt.
Shia Muslims holding portraits of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei take part in an anti US-Israel protest in Islamabad on March 6, 2026. (Aamir Qureshi/ AFP via Getty Images)
At the same time, Islamabad must also navigate relations with Washington, yet another key partner.
Under President Donald Trump’s second term, Pakistan has sought closer relations with the U.S., even floating his name for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Questions are also emerging in Washington. During a White House briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was coordinating with the Pentagon to assess whether Pakistan is supporting Iran, while describing India as a «good actor.»
India’s positioning has added further pressure, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu in New Delhi, India on Feb. 25, 2026. (Photo by Press Information Bureau (PIB)/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«There is no contradiction in being absolutely committed to peace, dialogue and order. The strong relationships Pakistan has with the United States, with Saudi Arabia, with Iran and with China are a testament to Pakistan’s commitment,» the Pakistani prime minister’s spokesperson, Zaidi said.
So far, Pakistan has effectively positioned itself at the forefront of mediation efforts to end the ongoing conflict, leveraging its ties with all three powerhouses.
Reports indicate that high-level talks between the U.S. and Iran are set for Islamabad as early as this weekend.
«Pakistan wants to matter to the U.S. and to be a better partner than India. Because the Afghan Taliban have alienated Islamabad since 2021, there are few remaining sore points between the U.S. and Pakistan, with the latter able to present as an ally against terrorism,» Fitton-Brown said. «And most regional parties want to see the crisis end sooner rather than later. But nobody wants to see the Islamic Republic strengthened in Iran.»
The spiraling war comes at a critical time for Pakistan’s already stretched military. Tensions with India remain elevated, while border clashes, airstrikes, drone attacks and rising civilian casualties have become the norm with once friendly neighbor Afghanistan.
The nations nosedived into an «all-out war,» just days before the Iran conflict broke out, and the violence shows no signs of easing after fresh Pakistani strikes recently hit the Afghan capital city of Kabul.
Afghan Taliban fighters patrol near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Spin Boldak, Kandahar Province, following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces. (REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo)
«This geography and the region’s history is why Pakistan steadfastly rejects India’s efforts at regional hegemony, it is why Pakistan is pursuing a termination of the Afghan Taliban regime’s support for terrorist groups,» Zaidi said. «We seek a complete cessation of terrorism emanating from territory currently controlled by the Afghan Taliban.»
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With Pakistan already managing tensions on both its eastern border with India and its western frontier with Afghanistan, a destabilized Iran could push that strain further.
«If Islamabad is destabilized, it will be extremely bad news regionally and globally,» Edmund Fitton-Brown told Fox. «The idea of a nuclear power under jihadi rule doesn’t bear thinking about.»
middle east, pakistan, war with iran, afghanistan
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