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Dem hopeful who co-founded Joe Rogan’s favorite jeans under fire for ‘Made in America’ claim
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A Democrat running for Congress in Michigan is campaigning on a ‘Made in America’ platform, but has a history of outsourcing jobs and products at his own companies.
Matt Maasdam is under scrutiny for expressing a desire to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. from overseas while relying on offshore production during his time at Under Armour and at two other companies he helped found — one of which is credited with making ‘Joe Rogan’s favorite jeans.’
The Navy SEAL-turned-businessman is running in a crowded primary to take on Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., who flipped the seat in 2024 after Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., vacated to run for Senate.
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Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 7th district is under scrutiny for claiming to want to bring back manufacturing to America, but working for and founding a company that sourced and manufactured products oversees (Matt Maasdam campaign )
Maasdam’s campaign website says one of his top priorities if elected to Congress would be «making more essential goods here in America, ensuring jobs pay fair wages, and keeping our manufacturing and food supply chains strong so we’re not dependent on countries like China.»
PECOS Outdoor — a portable work table company where Maasdam is CEO — sought to use products from a Chinese vendor, according to a 2022 shipping record obtained by Fox News Digital. The record denoted that PECOS received a container of samples from the Nanjing Tuchun Import and Export Co. in 2022.
Additionally, both Under Armour and Revtown, which he co-founded, outsourced production of their clothing to foreign countries.
Emma Grundhauser, Maasdam’s campaign manager, argued in a statement to Fox News Digital that he took the opportunity to build a company that makes things in America, «because it’s the right thing to do, not because it’s easy.»
DEM SENATE CANDIDATE TAKES SWIPE AT JOE ROGAN AFTER REFUSING TO DISAVOW HASAN PIKER’S PAST COMMENTS
Tom Barrett speaks at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Nov. 4, 2024, before former President Donald Trump holds his final campaign rally ahead of election day. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP)
«A one-off shipment of samples doesn’t change that record,» Grundhauser said. «Matt has been clear since day one: as a congressman, he’ll fight to keep the Michigan dream alive by making more things here in America so we’re not dependent on countries like China.»
«Michigan’s labor unions are standing with Matt because they know he’ll fight to bring jobs home — unlike Tom Barrett, who voted for Trump’s reckless tariffs that have killed nearly 100,000 American manufacturing jobs,» she continued.
During a candidate forum in Michigan earlier this month, an audience member asked Maasdam about his private sector record after he highlighted endorsements from local labor unions. He insisted it was impossible to manufacture jeans in America as an excuse for why the apparel companies found work outside the U.S.
«I worked for Under Armour. They made a lot of their stuff overseas. I wasn’t in charge of Under Armour, right? As much as I would like to make that stuff here, we didn’t,» Maasdam admitted.
After serving as a military aide to former President Barack Obama — often spotted carrying the nuclear football during his administration — Maasdam entered the private sector and worked for sportswear company Under Armour. He later started his own apparel company, Revtown, best known for producing jeans branded as podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan’s favorite.
GOP SENATE HOPEFUL MICHELE TAFOYA ACCUSES WALZ, ELLISON OF IGNORING MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., right, listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Friday in which he blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)
Under Armour relies heavily on outsourcing, and similarly Revtown sourced denim from Italy and manufactured its clothing in Guatemala.
«There were two good denim mills in the world — one is in Italy, one is in Japan. There are none in America. So when you talk about how to get denim to America, we don’t make it,» Maasdam saidat the forum. «We don’t actually make the material, right? And so we would bring that to Guatemala, then it got cut and sewn, and we brought it here to sell it.»
Maasdam later co-founded PECOS Outdoor, a Texas-based outdoor table company that touts its commitment to making and sourcing products in the U.S.
«I got poached from that company to start another company, and everything in that company was made in America and assembled in America,» Maasdam said. «And so from the perspective of like where is my heart and mind in terms of that stuff, it’s here, in the United States. So, that’s what we did.»
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But the 2022 shipping record obtained by Fox News Digital shows PECOS received a shipment of sample materials from a Chinese vendor, meaning none of the companies Maasdam has helped lead are free from foreign outsourcing.
PECOS Outdoor and Revtown did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republicans are hoping to maintain control of the Michigan seat to preserve their narrow majority in the upper chamber. Meanwhile, Democrats are eyeing the district — which has proved flippable before — as a pickup opportunity in their bid to regain a majority in the House.
«Millionaire Matt Maasdam lined his own pockets by shipping jobs overseas,» National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon told Fox News Digital when asked about the revelations. «Maasdam has proven he will put his own bank account ahead of hardworking Michiganders.»
democrats elections, republicans, manufacturing, jobs, michigan
INTERNACIONAL
Ecuador y Estados Unidos firmaron un nuevo acuerdo para fortalecer investigaciones contra el crimen organizado
Ecuador y Estados Unidos suscribieron un nuevo acuerdo de cooperación en materia de seguridad que busca fortalecer las investigaciones conjuntas contra el crimen organizado transnacional, en un contexto marcado por el incremento de la violencia y la expansión de economías ilícitas en el país andino. El memorando de entendimiento fue firmado el 20 de abril de 2026 entre la Oficina de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (HSI, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Ministerio del Interior de Ecuador, con el objetivo de ampliar el intercambio de información, la asistencia técnica y los procesos de capacitación dirigidos a la Policía Nacional.
El acuerdo contempla un esquema de cooperación operativa que prioriza delitos considerados de alto impacto en la región, como el lavado de activos, el tráfico ilícito de armas, la trata de personas, el tráfico de migrantes y los delitos vinculados a la explotación sexual infantil. Según informaron las autoridades, el eje central del memorando es el fortalecimiento de las capacidades investigativas mediante el acceso oportuno a inteligencia compartida y el desarrollo de herramientas técnicas que permitan desarticular estructuras criminales con alcance internacional.
La firma se realizó en la residencia de la misión diplomática de Estados Unidos en Quito y contó con la participación de autoridades de ambos países, entre estas los representantes de la embajada estadounidense, mandos policiales ecuatorianos y funcionarios responsables de las unidades de investigación involucradas. El encargado de Negocios de Estados Unidos en Ecuador, Lawrence J. Petroni, sostuvo que el acuerdo apunta a “desarticular estructuras criminales y llevarlas ante la justicia”, mientras que el agregado de HSI, Héctor Quintana, señaló que el compromiso refleja las prioridades estratégicas compartidas por ambos gobiernos en materia de seguridad.
Desde el Gobierno ecuatoriano, el ministro del Interior, John Reimberg, afirmó que la cooperación se sustenta en un enfoque de corresponsabilidad y articulación institucional, orientado a generar resultados concretos frente a las amenazas del crimen organizado. En esa línea, destacó que el intercambio seguro y oportuno de información constituye un componente clave para mejorar la eficacia de las investigaciones y la coordinación entre agencias. En un mensaje público, Reimberg subrayó que la relación bilateral con Estados Unidos se basa en la confianza mutua y en intereses compartidos en materia de seguridad y desarrollo.
El memorando se enmarca en una estrategia más amplia de cooperación internacional impulsada por Ecuador, que incluye su participación en iniciativas regionales como el “Escudo de las Américas”, para enfrentar redes criminales que operan a escala transnacional. La canciller ecuatoriana, Gabriela Sommerfeld, señaló que este tipo de acuerdos refuerzan el compromiso del país con mecanismos multilaterales y bilaterales para combatir amenazas comunes, según recogió Ecuavisa.
El fortalecimiento de esta cooperación ocurre en un momento en que Ecuador enfrenta una crisis de seguridad caracterizada por el aumento de homicidios, la presencia de organizaciones criminales locales con conexiones internacionales y la consolidación de rutas de narcotráfico que utilizan el territorio ecuatoriano como punto estratégico de salida hacia mercados internacionales. En este contexto, la articulación con agencias estadounidenses busca no solo mejorar la capacidad operativa interna, sino también integrar al país en redes de inteligencia que permitan anticipar y neutralizar amenazas.
El acuerdo no implica la instalación de bases extranjeras ni la cesión de competencias soberanas, sino que se centra en mecanismos de cooperación técnica, intercambio de información y formación especializada. Las autoridades han señalado que su implementación se realizará bajo los marcos legales vigentes en Ecuador, con énfasis en el respeto a los derechos humanos y las normativas nacionales.
La suscripción de este memorando consolida una línea de política exterior orientada al fortalecimiento de alianzas estratégicas en materia de seguridad, en un escenario regional donde el crimen organizado ha diversificado sus operaciones y ha incrementado su capacidad de penetración institucional.
South America / Central America,QUITO
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A gunman who fatally shot a Canadian tourist and wounded more than a dozen others atop a historic pyramid in Mexico on Monday has been identified, according to officials.
Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national, according to a state official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Jasso later died by suicide after turning the gun on himself, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. Authorities said he acted alone, with the State of Mexico government confirming he was the sole assailant on Monday night.
Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.
EX-TV REPORTER ALLEGEDLY TURNED ROADSIDE GUNMAN, GRILLED VICTIMS ON ETHNICITY BEFORE OPENING FIRE
The Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on March 19, 2020. A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and injured several other before taking his own life at the popular site, authorities said Monday. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Those hospitalized included tourists from several countries, among them the United States, Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Canada, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 61.
Footage circulating in local media appears to show the suspect positioned atop the structure as visitors rushed for safety below, with gunfire echoing across the site.
Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
The Teotihuacan complex, located just outside Mexico City, is one of the country’s most visited archaeological landmarks, drawing millions of international visitors each year to its towering pre-Hispanic structures.
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The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.
Security measures at the site have changed in recent years, with routine entry screenings no longer consistently in place, according to a local guide.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.
SUSPECTED BLUE CITY GUNMEN KILL INNOCENT GIRL IN REVENGE SHOOTING AT HOME: SHERIFF
«What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,» she wrote.
Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a «result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán» and that her «thoughts are with their family and loved ones.»
People visit the Pyramid of the Sun in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico, on March 21, 2024, following the spring equinox. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
Later in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed «deep concern» and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said in a post on X that the U.S. is «ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation.»
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The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
travel safety, location mexico, mexico, historic sites, assassinations murders
Virginia voters to decide on redistricting plan that could shift power
Virginia voters are poised to vote on a redistricting plan this week, a decision President Trump warns carries national implications. Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., argues the proposal is an ‘unconstitutional power grab’ by Democrats aiming to secure more congressional seats. He highlights the impact on Virginia’s 50-50 voter split and calls for a ‘no’ vote.
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President Donald Trump is urging Virginians going to the polls Tuesday to reject a redistricting ballot measure that could hand Democrats as many as four House seats in November, a large haul with House Republicans hanging onto a slim majority.
«This referendum is a blatant partisan power grab that nobody’s really ever seen anything like it,» Trump told a telerally call with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Monday night, The Hill reported.
Just say «no» to Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s push, he added.
«It’s the liberal extremist Gov. Abigail Spanberger, too bad, and the far-left Democrats in Richmond after Spanberger promised Virginia voters that she would never do this,» he told the call. «And if it passes, Virginia Democrats will eliminate four out of five congressional seats, so you’re going to get just wiped out in terms of representation in Washington.
DEMS FACE SCRUTINY OVER CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION GAPS IN BLUE STATES: ‘DON’T HAVE CLEAN HANDS’
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, is being criticized for signing a bill that critics say hand the state’s electoral votes away. (Steve Helber/AP Photo; Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«That’s what it’s all about. Please get out and vote and vote no. It’s very simple,» the president added. «Just vote no.»
Virginia has moved to push through a new map before the 2026 midterms, something that would not otherwise happen before the 2030 census.
Democrats currently hold six of the 11 House seats in Virginia, a state that narrowly went for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, but the new map would hand the Democrats a huge 10-1 advantage.
SPANBERGER ONCE BLASTED GERRYMANDERING AND NOW BACKS AMENDMENT CRITICS SAY COULD ERASE VIRGINIA GOP
Among the nearly 6 million registered voters in the state of Virginia, Democrats do have an edge, but not one that wide. The state is majority Democrat (51.24%), but Republicans (30.56%) and independents (18.2%) are both well represented, according to Independent Voter Project data.
«We have to stand up for fair maps and we have to vote no,» Johnson told the call.
«As your speaker of the House, I see firsthand every single day how all five of those members are leading the fight on things like lowering costs and securing our borders and making Virginia and America great again,» he said. «And we need to return all five of them to Congress this November.»
GOP-LED COUNTIES PUSH BACK AGAINST DEMOCRAT’S REDISTRICTING CHARGE, TESTING VIRGINIA’S CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITS
Johnson was referring to the vulnerable seats of Virginia GOP Reps. Rob Wittman, Jen Kiggans, John McGuire, Ben Cline, and Morgan Griffith.
The new map would leave only Griffith’s 9th Congressional District with a Republican edge, but it would pit him against Cline in a difficult primary. Kiggans’ seat would remain a swing district, but one trending further into the favor of Democrats.
«They definitely want to turn us into New England,» Cline told the Ruthless Podcast last week. «Massachusetts used to have Republican members of Congress, a much more balanced delegation. Now it’s 9-0. But Republicans vote, what, 40% of the population there. They do it in Illinois. Most of the states where they control, they’re trying to just draw Republicans completely out.»
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Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, right, and former state Attorney General Jason Miyares lead a chant of «no» as they lead Republican efforts to defeat a Democrat-backed congressional redistricting referendum, on April 20, 2026 in Leesburg, Virginia. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
It is not just about gaining house seats either. The map difficulty moves future candidates further left even on the right, according to Cline.
«Their goal is the long game,» Cline added. «It is the short game of the next election, but it’s also the long game of trying to turn rural Virginia into either a non-impact on politics or convert. You either assimilate or you’re destroyed.»
Griffith is planning a legal challenge on the structure of Tuesday’s special election ballot question for its «compactness, other arguments about the process, and the question on the ballot,» he told WJHL.
«These maps are horrible, and they do not work for good government, or good representation by any of the congressmen or women of Virginia,» he added.
JD VANCE CALLS ON REPUBLICANS TO TAKE ‘DECISIVE ACTION’ TO COUNTER DEMOCRATIC GERRYMANDERING
Notably, the ballot asks a generic question about a desire to «restore fairness,» suggesting the previously democratically approved map might be unfair.
«Question: Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?»
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, is calling out the disenfranchisement of voters in the state.
«It’s a measure to silence and disenfranchize the voices of millions of Virginians,» he told «Fox & Friends» on Tuesday morning. «And you’re exactly right when even The Washington Post calls the ‘yes’ campaign brazenly dishonest, that says something: They’re definitely not a friend to conservatives.»
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«But what this is is nothing but a left-wing power grab» Miyares continued. «Virginians have already spoken on this in 2020 by a 30-point landslide. They said, ‘Hey, we don’t want politicians of either party drawing these lines,’ but Democrats, as soon as they got in power — remember Abigail Spanberger promised in August of 2025 that she wasn’t going to gerrymander Virginia — yet that was the very first bill she signed in office and is one of the reasons why she’s the least popular governor in the entire history of modern Virginia politics.«
While Spanberger has argued Virginia has to retaliate for other states efforts to redrawn favorable districts in their states for this midterm election, Miyares argued this one is the last and most blatantly lopsided.
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«It’s been called the most gerrymandered map in the entire country,» he told Fox News. «And now it’s why rural Virginians are standing up saying, ‘No, do not disenfranchise our voices,’ because 56 counties in Virginia, if this passes, will effectively not have a voice in Congress.
«That’s wrong. That’s not fair. That’s not democracy. Virginians need to go vote now, today.»
virginia, mike johnson, abigail spanberger, republicans elections
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