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‘Pagan’ outreach, Wiccan prayer defense could haunt Dem in battleground race
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Republicans are escalating attacks on Iowa Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott by pointing to her past op-eds — including her defense of a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer in which she argued «Jesus engaged with pagans» — in a high-stakes race for a GOP-held district.
Democratic congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister who is vying for the battleground seat held by Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, penned an op-ed in The Des Moines Register in 2015 criticizing Christian lawmakers who boycotted a Wiccan-led statehouse prayer. This writing and others, including another op-ed in which she shared how the 9/11 terrorist attacks made her «more aware of the rising anti-Muslim bigotry and its harm,» have become the target of GOP attacks as the Republicans ramp up efforts to defend their House majority.
«Sarah Trone Garriott is once again wagging her finger at Iowans for not being woke enough and embracing her coastal elite Harvard values,» RNC spokesman Zachary Kraft said in a statement to Fox News Digital. «Trone Garriott better hope those spells and potions work if her campaign strategy is to oppose men in women’s sports and embrace neopagan witchcraft.»
Garriott’s 2015 opinion piece titled, ‘Look closely at scripture before acting in faith,’ blasted Iowa lawmakers for skipping the prayer led by a self-described «cabot witch,» saying they didn’t «look closely and honestly» at Christian Holy Scriptures when deciding to boycott.
CBS NEWS’ MARGARET BRENNAN ACCUSED OF MOCKING PEOPLE OF FAITH AFTER PETE HEGSETH’S PRAYER REMARKS
State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, speaks during debate on a bill in the Iowa Senate at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 14, 2023. (Charlie Neibergall / AP)
A spokesperson for Garriott shared in a statement to Fox News Digital that the message behind her opinion piece was to call on her fellow Christians to love everyone, including pagans.
«As Sarah said, her faith in God calls her to follow Jesus’ example of loving one’s neighbor and spreading His grace to everyone, including those whose belief systems are fundamentally different from her own Christianity,» a spokesperson for Garriott said. «Scripture teaches Jesus’ unconditional grace, and that’s the belief that grounds Sarah’s life and ministry.»
Wicca is a modern pagan tradition in which members worship a Goddess and God and engage in witchcraft and rituals. One Iowa House member who boycotted told The Des Moines Register at the time that he felt uncomfortable «seeking guidance from the occult.»
Another lawmaker told The Des Moines Register he attended the invocation but turned his back in protest, saying he asked himself what Jesus would do and felt compelled to act in that way.
«Clearly, Christian elected officials should be asking, ‘What would Jesus do?’ when it comes to matters of budget and public safety,» Garriott wrote. «But at the least, as a Christian, I would appreciate it if they would actually consult the recorded witness of Jesus’ life and teaching before claiming to act in his name.»
WARNOCK LIKENS PRO-TRUMP CHRISTIAN LEADERS TO THOSE WHO USED SCRIPTURE TO DEFEND SLAVERY
Rudy Alderette’s altar in his Fresno, California home includes a cauldron with a pentagram, a wand, chalice, statues of the Wiccan god and goddess, and incense holder. (Darrell Wong / Fresno Bee / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Garriott wrote that «Christians specifically» should be aware that Jesus interacted with pagans throughout the New Testament, noting that Jesus always acted from «a place of kindness and compassion,» and that he «did not turn his back» on the pagans he met.
She listed Mark 7:24-30, Luke 8:26-39, Matthew 15:21-28 and John 4:5-38 as examples of Jesus interacting with pagans. In those passages, Jesus is depicted interacting with non-Jews but not participating in their religious practices.
Garriott next suggested that Jesus Christ was more concerned with the behavior of Christians than with pagans.
«Instead, it was the hypocrisy of those of his own religious community that Jesus protested — and not silently,» Garriott wrote.
TEXAS DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINEE JAMES TALARICO DOUBLES DOWN ON GOD BEING «BEYOND GENDER» COMMENTS
Congressman-elect Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) attends orientation for newly elected members of the 118th U.S. Congress, following the 2022 midterm elections, at the Hyatt Hotel in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2022. (REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy)
Nunn’s spokesperson Mark Matava weighed in, arguing the opinion piece is just another example of Garriott’s «preachy» radical views.
«Sarah Trone Garriott has been lecturing Iowans for over a decade,» Matava said. «Choose a Christian school for your kids and she calls it segregation. Stand up for your daughter in sports and she calls it sexism. Walk out of a witchcraft invocation and she calls it bigotry.»
Garriott has previously criticized the display of Christian symbols in political spaces, arguing America is «not a Christian nation,» but «it’s a nation for all of us,» in remarks before her congregation.
In early April, RNC Research posted on X a clip of Garriott speaking in which she shared the «uncomfortable ways» in which Christianity was showing up in politics. She argued that the conflation of the American flag and cross is an example of how Christianity has become «threatening.»
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In another clip posted by RNC Research, Garriott talked about how Iowa has «a long way to go» to ensure that Iowans are truly represented.
«It’s mostly white, mostly Christian, mostly older men,» Garriott said. «We have tremendous opportunities to get different kinds of people who represent our community into those leadership positions.»
midterm elections, iowa, faith values, democrats, republicans, controversies
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Amid President Donald Trump’s Monday announcement that a deal with Iran’s clerical regime is imminent to re-open the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate an end to Tehran’s illicit nuclear weapons program, Iranians who hoped U.S. pressure would force a decisive outcome now fear it may survive while ordinary people absorb the costs.
«Inside Iran, the mood has shifted from early-war optimism to a kind of exhausted resignation, but there is still some hope that this is the moment President Trump will use his leverage to do the right thing. The Iranian people understand this unusually narrow but strategic window,» Lisa Daftari, editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk who keeps in contact with Iranians on the ground, told Fox News Digital.
She continued that ,»The regime is fiscally strained and politically brittle, while the broader population has been disillusioned by years of repression and economic collapse. Iranians do see this as a one‑time opportunity for Washington — and President Trump in particular — to translate military and economic leverage into the potential collapse of an irrefromable regime. If the outcome is a shallow agreement that props up the system without changing its trajectory, that window will likely close for years.»
TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES ‘RARE OPPORTUNITY’ FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS
An Iranian flag is placed amid rubble next to a destroyed residential building near Ferdowsi Square in Tehran on March 3, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
She continued, «If instead, the U.S. holds firm on sanctions and nuclear red lines, it can weaken the regime’s hand without punishing the Iranian people, who have already paid the highest price.»
Daftari, the Iran expert, shared recent correspondence from two Iranians from Tabriz and Tehran.
The resident from Tabriz said, «From my perspective, decades of political tension between Iran and the United States have had their greatest impact on ordinary people rather than those in power. Many families feel their voices are not being heard in international discussions about Iran.» Adding, «I respectfully ask whether you might consider sharing or highlighting the human side of this situation, so that the experiences of ordinary Iranian families are not overlooked in political discussions and media coverage.»
The Tehran resident said, «Today, the people of Iran believe in the future. On days when economic pressure makes the faces of the Iranian people sad, the word ‘unity’ brings a smile to their lips. Our situation is not good, but we are motivated.»
Fox News Digital surveyed a few Iranians and agreed to use only their first names because the clerical regime has declared the use of Starlink to bypass the censor a criminal act. A sophisticated clandestine network has managed to smuggle some satellite internet technology into Iran to allow people to communicate with the world outside the Islamist state.
Two armed members of Iran’s police special forces stand behind a country flag placed on an armored military vehicle during a pro-Government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Hassan, who lives in Tehran, pleaded with President Trump to keep strong in his dealings with the regime, saying that «Things have gotten so bad that even if you wanted to give up and leave Iran and just focus on your own life and work, it feels like there’s nowhere left to turn. Mr. Trump, through these deals and arrangements, has left people feeling trapped, with no road left open.»
Mehdi, who resides in Tehran, expressed confusion about the existence of an agreement. He said, «So what exactly are they agreeing on? Are they saying they’re close to a deal or are there other discussions too? Every minute there is a new piece of news, everyone has a new analysis, everything changes every minute. It’s strange. This war achieved nothing. We’re the only ones left paying the price,» he complained.
THE WAR HITS HOME: WHY FINANCIAL PAIN AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THREATEN TRUMP’S DRIVE TO TOPPLE IRAN’S REGIME
Hassan from Tehran said that «Mr. Trump, if until yesterday most Iranians thought they were on the same path as America, you caused them all to become disappointed. «Mr. Trump, if you wanted this government to remain in power, why did you blow up factories? Now workers are being laid off, and inflation is out of control. Even with a salary of 18 million tomans, you cannot feed yourself.»
Mahsa, from the Caspian Sea city of Rasht, told Fox News Digital that the system [Islamic Republic of Iran] is still fully intact. They don’t care how many people died. If anything, they seem more emboldened now and even take pride in martyrdom. Yesterday I argued with a regime supporter [who] said: «Our leader didn’t give away a single meter of land, didn’t take a step backward, unlike previous kings who gave away Bahrain, Baku, Nakhchivan, and others.»
Protesters block a street as a crowd gathers during a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (Mahsa/Middle East Images/AFP)
The concerns among many Iranians revolve around the proposed memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran’s regime. The MOU does not address the overthrow of the clerical regime or human rights violations, according to media reports. Large numbers of Iranians within Iran and among the Iranian diaspora want the Trump administration to topple the Islamist dictatorship in Tehran.
The MOU reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension. Israel and the U.S. launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28. The MOU would also see the reopening the Strait of Hormuz and new talks over Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program.
The leaked elements of the MOU have not been confirmed by the Trump administration.
When asked about the concern among Iranians about a deal with the Islamic Republic, Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the White House, told Fox News Digital that «For 47 years, American Presidents and countless other world leaders talked about the threat posed by Iran, but no one had the courage to address it. President Trump took decisive action to ensure that Iran could never harm our homeland, our troops, or our allies again. Once Iran’s nuclear threat is removed for good, the entire region and its people will be safer and more stable.»
IRAN REGIME ESCALATES REPRESSION TOWARD ‘NORTH KOREA-STYLE MODEL OF ISOLATION AND CONTROL’
Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 29, 2025. (Fars News Agency/AP)
However, Trump said last week during his cabinet meeting, «We didn’t set out for regime change,» adding, «But by the fact that we’re dealing with a totally different group of people than we were at the beginning … This is regime change.»
Reza Farnood, an Iranian American who supports the Trump administration and is a researcher, writer and activist, urged that President Trump continue with his maximum pressure campaign against Tehran.
Farnood told Fox News Digital, «We welcome the bombing and attacking the regime because we are aiming to overthrow the regime.» He urged that Trump continue the blockade of Iran’s vessels and deny money to the regime. He said sanctions relief will be used by Iran «against the U.S. and Israel and their allies and innocent Iranians.»
Farnood stressed that the clerical regime is holding the Iranian people «hostage.»
Kianoosh, who lives in the northern city of Karaj, the capital of Alborz province, said about Trump’s proposed deal: «You threw six months of our lives into hell. What answer are «you going to give to the mothers of all those children who were killed? Why did you give people false hope? Why did you hand down a death sentence to everything so many people believed in?»
Leading U.S. Senators well-versed in foreign policy have praised Trump’s approach to the Islamic Republic. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC., recently told Fox News’ Sean Hannity «On Trump’s watch, they’re [Iran’s regime] becoming poorer and weaker. That’s the difference.»
TRUMP’S ‘ECONOMIC FURY’ SQUEEZES IRAN — BUT CAN TEHRAN OUTLAST THE PRESSURE?
Graham juxtaposed Trump’s Iran policy with his predecessors. «Obama and Biden screwed Iran up, and Donald Trump is fixing it. On Obama and Biden’s watch, Iran became rich and lethal,» he said. «On Trump’s watch, they’re becoming poorer and weaker. That’s the difference.»
Iran is running dangerously low on oil storage capacity and could face a severe economic breaking point if forced to halt production, former U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette recently told Fox News.
Trump has said that Iran’s regime murdered as many as 45,000 Iranian demonstrators in January 2026. He urged just days after the mass murder that protesters keep going and promised them that «help is on its way.»
Lawdan Bazargan, a prominent Iranian-American activist who the regime imprisoned in its infamous Evin Prison in Tehran in the 1980s for political dissent, told Fox News Digital that the Iranians she’s spoken with are discouraged by Trump’s dealings. «He was one of the few world leaders who repeatedly spoke about the thousands of Iranians killed in January 2026 and expressed disgust at the sheer brutality of the Islamic Republic. He had promised support for the Iranian people and raised expectations that meaningful change might finally come.»
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
She continued: «Now, 88 days later, many people feel they are left facing the same regime, one that appears more emboldened, more ideological, and still willing to repress, execute, and arrest people. The economy has been devastated, and many feel trapped between a government with no mercy and a future with no clear path forward.
For years, 90 million Iranians have lived as hostages of the Islamic Republic. Now, many fear that the consequences no longer stop at Iran’s borders, through threats to global energy routes, regional stability, and even digital infrastructure.»
According to Bazargan, «The question many ordinary Iranians are asking is simple: How are people expected to fight a system that feels victorious, controls the weapons, controls the narrative through a massive propaganda machine, and possesses countless tools of repression?»
A billboard in Tehran displays Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed supreme leader on March 9, 2026. (AFP/Via Getty Images)
Ali, who is also from the sprawling capital city of Tehran, complained about the spiraling prices and inflation and disappointment that the regime is still in place.
«For a government with state-provided housing and billions in patronage and privileges, what difference did any of this make for its supporters?»
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Ali added: «We’re the ones who are paying the price and getting crushed. How are our children ever supposed to afford these housing and car prices, and how are they supposed to get married?»
The U.S. State Department referred Fox News Digital to the White House for a comment.
war with iran, iran, sanctions, terrorism, national security
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Banca privada incrementa un 33.9% los créditos al sector construcción en El Salvador durante abril de 2026
Al cierre de abril de 2026, la banca privada concedió créditos por USD 1,564 millones al sector construcción, una cifra que marca un crecimiento interanual de 33.9% y consolida el papel central de esta industria en la economía salvadoreña.
El impulso financiero se refleja en la generación sostenida de más de 187,000 empleos en todo el país, posicionando a la construcción como la actividad productiva más dinámica y de mayor liquidez.
El efecto multiplicador de la industria alcanza a ramas como la importación de materiales, servicios logísticos, arquitectura y comercialización de insumos, fortaleciendo el tejido económico nacional.
El director ejecutivo de la Oficina de Planificación del Área Metropolitana de San Salvador (Opamss), Luis Rodríguez, explicó que la información consolidada por la Superintendencia del Sistema Financiero y el Banco Central de Reserva (BCR) confirma la solidez del sector.
En declaraciones recogidas por Diario El Salvador, Rodríguez afirmó que “el crecimiento del crédito de la construcción es una señal clara de alta actividad constructiva, inversión sostenida y confianza empresarial”.
El volumen de préstamos otorgados involucra a bancos comerciales, sociedades de ahorro y crédito y bancos cooperativos. Rodríguez atribuyó estos resultados a la coordinación de esfuerzos entre los sectores público y privado, así como a la participación de la Opamss en la planificación y ejecución de proyectos que han modificado zonas urbanas, la logística nacional y el turismo.
La expansión del sector ha provocado un incremento del 50% en los servicios relacionados con la construcción, lo que se traduce en mayor demanda de materias primas, cadenas de abastecimiento, servicios legales, arquitectura, comercialización y distribución de materiales, además de la gestión de bodegas. Esta dinámica sostiene el crecimiento del crédito productivo y genera efectos positivos en diversas áreas económicas.
El sector ha registrado un crecimiento superior al 9% sobre el “boom” reportado al cierre de 2025, evidenciando que la estrategia conjunta entre el sector privado —a través de la Cámara Salvadoreña de la Construcción (Casalco)— y entidades estatales ha mantenido el flujo de inversiones y la confianza empresarial. Rodríguez remarcó que la continuidad de la inversión y la transformación urbana son resultado de esa colaboración.
Durante el primer cuatrimestre de 2026, la liquidez del sector se reflejó en importaciones por USD 535 millones en materiales y maquinaria, de los cuales USD 437 millones correspondieron a materiales y USD 127 millones a maquinaria y equipo especializado para la construcción.
La construcción mantiene una posición relevante en la economía salvadoreña, apoyada por condiciones de seguridad jurídica y física, así como por la creación constante de empleo.
Durante el primer cuatrimestre de 2026, la construcción registró un aumento significativo en el otorgamiento de créditos, la generación de empleo y el volumen de importaciones de insumos y maquinaria.
Estos resultados se relacionan con la confianza de los inversionistas y con la implementación de estrategias conjuntas entre el sector público y privado.
Rodríguez señaló que la colaboración entre distintas entidades, incluida la Opamss, ha contribuido al desarrollo de proyectos urbanos y a la evolución del sector, que se consolida como un actor relevante en el panorama económico de El Salvador.
construcción,banca privada,créditos,El Salvador,economía,desarrollo,empleo,inversión,infraestructura,crecimiento
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WATCH: Chuck Schumer sidesteps Platner scandals, confirms support for controversial Dem
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ignored persistent questions about controversies surrounding Democrat Graham Platner and reaffirmed his support for the embattled Senate candidate.
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer, has faced a series of controversies in recent weeks, including criticism over a tattoo with links to Nazi imagery, resurfaced Reddit posts where he made inflammatory comments about veterans and reports about sexually explicit messages exchanged with other women during his marriage.
Speaking with journalists in the Capitol on Tuesday, Schumer was pressed on whether he, as the top Senate Democrat, is satisfied with Platner’s explanations of the scandals dogging his campaign. In response, he said, «I met with Graham Platner today, we’re going to beat [Sen.] Susan Collins and take back the Senate.»
PLATNER CONTROVERSIES FUEL SPECULATION ABOUT LITTLE-KNOWN MAINE BALLOT REPLACEMENT PROVISION
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., confirmed his support for Maine Democratic candidate Graham Platner on Tuesday amid mounting controversy. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Schumer was asked several more times whether he still supports Platner in the face of the scandals considering his endorsement came before all the controversy. He was also asked whether Democrats’ backing of Platner undermines the party’s credibility in criticizing Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who has faced some similar scandals.
The New York senator did not respond to these questions directly. Instead, he repeated: «We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate.»
Schumer attempted to prompt reporters to ask about other topics.
«Any other subjects you got?» he said. But reporters continued to zero-in on his support for Platner.
After being asked about the candidate for a fifth time, Schumer finally responded, «As I said, I endorsed Graham Platner.»
«We’re going to beat Susan Collins and take back the Senate,» he reiterated before walking away.
SUNNY HOSTIN SUPPORTS GRAHAM PLATNER DESPITE CALLING HIM ‘A LIAR, A RACIST, AN ANTISEMITE’
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner stand together during a «Fighting Oligarchy» tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Platner has run a deeply controversial campaign, in addition to being the subject of various scandals, he faced scrutiny for having a «Totenkopf» Nazi SS tattoo, which he then covered-up with a different tattoo.
The far-left Senate hopeful has most notably ignited backlash after his vulgar messages on a since-deleted Reddit account were uncovered. Under the moniker «P-hustle,» Platner joked about masturbating in public portable toilets, among other crude posts.
Platner also called himself a communist, denigrated rural White people as «racist» and «stupid» and singled out Black people for not tipping.
GRAHAM PLATNER PULLED OUT OF MS NOW INTERVIEW IN WAKE OF SCANDAL, HOST CLAIMS
Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, points to a covered tattoo that was previously recognized as a Nazi symbol during an interview in Portland, Maine, on Oct. 22, 2025. (WGME via AP)
It was also recently uncovered that Platner has an active account on Kik, an anonymous chatting platform notorious for lax identification methods that have enabled the proliferation of child sexual abuse material.
The profile, reviewed by Fox News Digital, contains a sexually suggestive picture of Platner only wearing a towel around his waist. It is unclear when the image was taken, but Platner created the account in 2016.
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Schumer previously endorsed Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to challenge Collins. Mills dropped out of the race in April, citing failure to garner the necessary financial backing for her campaign.
Her departure left Platner the frontrunner in the Democratic primary.
democratic party, democrats senate, chuck schumer, senate elections, elections, midterm elections, politics
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