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‘Flip flop’: Democrat firefighter in tight House race blasts popular Trump policy his national union supports
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A swing-district Democrat disparaged Trump’s landmark overtime tax break despite his national firefighters union’s support, prompting his GOP opponent to accuse him of a «flip flop.»
Nazareth, Pennsylvania’s Bob Brooks — running against Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., in a toss-up seat — is the president of the commonwealth’s firefighters union, setting up an apparent discrepancy with the national council, though the Democrat’s campaign says his concerns about the cuts are more nuanced and that it is the Republican who is harming first responders on the issue.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) provides a maximum annual deduction of $12,500 on qualified overtime compensation, phasing out after $150,000 of gross income or $300,000 for joint filers, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Professional Firefighters Association — which is a subsidiary of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) — criticized the OBBB’s provisions during an appearance on the progressive «Meidas Touch» podcast in May.
«Donald Trump just did it here [in Pennsylvania]. He was up at the [Mount Airy] casino. But literally, he brought a guy up on stage and claimed he was a fireman and profiting from the no-tax-on-overtime, which 90 percent of our guys didn’t get the benefit from anyways, but the guy wasn’t a paid fireman,» Brooks said, referring to a Stroudsburg-area first responder whom Trump introduced at a Mount Pocono rally in December.
FIREFIGHTERS UNION BOSS WINS HOTLY-CONTESTED DEM PRIMARY IN A KEY PENNSYLVANIA SWING DISTRICT
«I just don’t understand how they keep spewing the garbage,» added Brooks, a former Bethlehem firefighter of many years who notably served in top union roles.
The man Trump introduced was indeed a volunteer firefighter but also a paid police officer in Monroe County who would therefore qualify for the no tax on overtime provision in his other first responder role.
Conversely, the IAFF came out in support of Republicans’ tax policies that included the elimination of levies on qualified overtime pay.
«Firefighters and emergency medical workers shouldn’t be penalized for choosing a career in public service,» IAFF president Edward Kelly previously told the New York Post.
Kelly called the new overtime rule a «needed fix» for his 350,000 members whose jobs demand «long hours.»
REPUBLICANS RIP 4 BLUE STATES FOR KEEPING TAXES ON TIPS, OVERTIME AFTER TRUMP REPRIEVE
«President Trump respects the contributions lAFF members make to our country and recognizes the importance of ensuring these brave men and women can keep more of their hard-earned money,» Kelly told the paper.
Meanwhile, the Fraternal Order of Police also wrote an April letter to Reps. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., and Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, expressing support for House legislation ending taxes on overtime, noting it positively affects law enforcement officers nationwide.
President Donald Trump dances at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta on Oct. 15, 2024. (John Bazemore/AP)
In response, a spokesperson for Brooks said the Democrat «ran into burning buildings for 20 years [and] knows what hard work is, and he knows that first responders deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money.»
The spokesperson said Brooks does support «no tax on overtime» and «no tax on tips,» saying that instead it is Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa.; his opponent; who doesn’t understand the issue.
«Ryan Mackenzie is a life-long politician who wouldn’t know a hard day’s work if it hit him in the face,» Brooks’ spokesperson said.
A source familiar with the matter said that, despite the IAFF’s endorsement of Trump’s policy, Brooks’ comments to Meidas Touch reflect how some firefighters do not qualify for the benefit, adding that Brooks supports fixing that discrepancy.
They added that Brooks would however not actually support any effort to repeal such no-tax-on-overtime benefits.
In a statement on his website about rural Carbon County being hurt by Washington policies, Brooks said that he would «work to repeal» the OBBB to restore higher SNAP funding, which also included the overtime policy.
The source also accused Mackenzie of voting to cut funding for first responder support through Community Project Funding Grants (CFP) – a contention Mackenzie’s camp denies.
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Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Allentown, speaks at a Trump rally at Mount Airy Casino near Mount Pocono. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
The grants plan preceded Mackenzie’s entering office in 2025, and there was later bipartisan agreement to forgo the spending bill that included the grants in favor of a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded rather than adopt a new framework. The Republican voted in favor of it along with several Democrats.
«No CPF funding was allocated in FY 2025 as a result of the decision by congressional leaders on both sides to support a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution,» Mackenzie said in a statement, noting that Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., supported the same CR.
«Bob Brooks is a proven conman who was found by a court to have stolen over $100,000 from his own family,» Mackenzie said in response to the attacks.
«His latest flip-flop proves once again that this fraudster is only in it for himself.»
«Instead of standing with firefighters and the over 29 million Americans who saw record refunds from tax relief on overtime, Bob Brooks supported repealing these tax cuts and advocating for massive tax increases on everyone. Now he is now trying to trick voters by changing his unpopular position and thinking no one will notice.
The House Republicans’ campaign arm told Fox News Digital that voters can proverbially see the truth through the controversy.
Bob Brooks campaigns in Allentown, left; President Donald Trump campaigns in front of a No Tax on Overtime sign in Georgia, right. (Joe Lamberti/Getty Images; John Bazemore/Associated Press)
«Bernie Bro Bob Brooks’ radical high-tax agenda would devastate working-class Pennsylvanians. Voters know Brooks wants them to keep less of their hard-earned money.» National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Reilly Richardson said.
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Brooks’ website indicated the IAFF has also endorsed Brooks — who enjoys support from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Fox News Digital reached out to IAFF for comment.
midterm elections, taxes, bills, republicans, elections, pennsylvania, politics
INTERNACIONAL
La muerte de la princesa Bajrakitiyabha genera incertidumbre sobre la sucesión de la monarquía de Tailandia
La muerte de la princesa Bajrakitiyabha, anunciada este viernes por la Casa Real tailandesa, reconfigura el mapa sucesorio de la monarquía en un momento de escasa popularidad para la Corona. La primogénita del rey Vajiralongkorn, de 47 años y también conocido como Rama X, falleció tras más de tres años hospitalizada por un severo cuadro cardíaco que la mantuvo inconsciente desde diciembre de 2022.
En el comunicado oficial emitido, la Casa Real detalló: “A pesar de la atención minuciosa y constante del equipo médico, su estado empeoró progresivamente hasta el jueves 11 de junio, a las 19:48 (12:48 GMT), cuando falleció”.
Tras este desenlace, la línea de sucesión directa se concentra en el príncipe Dipangkorn, de 21 años, y la princesa Sirivannavari, de 39. Los cuatro hijos que el monarca repudió en su adolescencia permanecen excluidos del orden sucesorio.
Desde que la princesa fue ingresada de urgencia en un hospital de Bangkok el 15 de diciembre de 2022, la institución mantuvo un estricto hermetismo. Solo se conoció que la causa inicial fue la “inflamación del corazón” por una bacteria micoplasma. En agosto de 2025 y mayo pasado, se reveló que también sufría una “infección abdominal”.
La muerte de Bajrakitiyabha deja vacante la figura considerada más apta y moderna para suceder al actual monarca, cuya imagen pública se vio deteriorada desde su ascenso en 2016. La princesa era vista como una posible vía para restaurar parte del prestigio perdido por la monarquía tras la muerte de Bhumibol, quien reinó durante siete décadas.
El proceso sucesorio en Tailandia enfrenta ahora una mayor incertidumbre. El príncipe Dipangkorn, primero en la línea, es el hijo más joven del rey y, según círculos cercanos a la Casa Real, podría padecer problemas cognitivos, aunque la institución no lo ha confirmado. Sirivannavari, la única hija residente en Tailandia del segundo matrimonio del monarca, demostró una inclinación por la moda y asiste ocasionalmente a eventos oficiales.
En la historia reciente de la familia real, los hijos nacidos de la relación del rey con Sujarinee Vivacharawongse permanecen distanciados. Tras su destierro en 1996, hicieron escasas apariciones públicas en el país. Vacharaesorn, de 45 años y el tercero de esos hijos, regresó sorpresivamente a Tailandia unos meses después de la hospitalización de Bajrakitiyabha y participó en actos oficiales, lo que alimentó las especulaciones sobre la sucesión.
No obstante, en 2025 los cuatro hermanos (Vacharaesorn, Juthavachara, Chakriwat y Vatchrawee) denunciaron haber sido impedidos de ingresar a Tailandia por las autoridades migratorias. El allegado al rey de 45 años volvió a abandonar el país en junio de ese año, según relataron sus hermanos, tras ser presionado para ello.
La situación genera preguntas sobre si estos hijos conservan algún estatus real, ya que no figuran en las imágenes oficiales de la Casa Real.
La posibilidad de que el trono pase a alguna de las hermanas del rey es considerada remota. Sirindhorn, de 71 años, no tiene descendencia, y Chulabhorn, de 68, enfrenta problemas de salud. Ubolratana, la mayor, perdió sus títulos por casarse con un ciudadano estadounidense.
En ocasiones anteriores, la monarquía tailandesa recurrió al cambio de linaje para resolver vacíos sucesorios, como ocurrió en 1935 tras la abdicación del rey Prajadhipok. Si ninguna de las opciones mencionadas resulta viable, la historia podría repetirse con la elección de un familiar indirecto.
(Con información de EFE)
Politics,Asia
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EXCLUSIVE — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is being asked to strip the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) of its tax-exempt status, after a Republican congressman alleged their funding of extremist groups is «an act of fraud.»
The plea from Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., makes the case that while raking in millions under the guise of fighting hate, the SPLC showed a clear pattern of targeting conservatives on its infamous «Hate Map» while funding the activities of actual extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, as alleged in a Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment.
«The SPLC has reached a point where it’s become extremely obvious that they are certainly not the organization anymore that they were maybe even founded to be, but they’ve become a strong left-wing political organization that is really just funding groups that most Americans are absolutely and would be absolutely appalled to know,» Harris told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday interview.
Rep. Mark Harris questions Special Counsel Jack Smith during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2026. Smith testified on his team’s federal criminal investigations into President Donald Trump, including 2020 election interference and classified documents. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
The lawmaker’s letter to Bessent establishes that a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization «must be organized and operated primarily for charitable, educational, or similar purposes and cannot engage in political activity,» and explains why he thinks the SPLC is bucking that law.
CHIEF OF INDICTED SPLCE FACES HOUSE GRILLING OVER ALLEGED SECRET PAYMENTS TO KKK MEMBERS
«[T]he SPLC has consistently engaged in the partisan targeting of conservative groups by placing them on its so-called ‘hate map,’ alongside organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Brotherhood,» the letter notes.
«Meanwhile, violent left-wing groups such as Antifa and Jane’s Revenge have been widely ignored by the self-described civil rights organization.»
Harris, a pastor, referenced a major Biden-era scandal — the DOJ’s monitoring of what it called «radical traditionalist Catholics.» — in a House Judiciary hearing in the spring. The Biden administration allegedly used the SPLC’s guidance to justify the monitoring.
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its 2022 map showing hate and anti-government groups across the United States. (Southern Poverty Law Center)
HAWLEY PRESSES FBI TO PROBE ALLEGED BIDEN-ERA TARGETING OF CHRISTIANS
The Alabama-based nonprofit also lumped mainstream Christian groups, like the Family Research Council and Alliance Defending Freedom, into its «Hate Map.»
And in 2012, crazed gunman Floyd Lee Corkins II attacked the Family Research Council office in Washington, D.C., and shot a security guard after he found out they were designated as an anti-LGBT organization on the SPLC’s website.
«I mean, we could go on and on and list those groups, but they all have in common that they happen to be just conservative groups in this country that stand on conservative principles,» Harris told Fox News Digital.
The North Carolina representative also tore into the SPLC over allegations the group funneled $4 million donor dollars into shell companies to fund the KKK and other extremist organizations, all while claiming to fight hate.
Harris claimed in his letter to Bessent this was «an act of fraud» rather than charity, and needs to be addressed as such.
«It’s all in the hands of the it’s all up on Capitol Hill. At Treasury we prepare things in advance. We have prepared in advance that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law,» explained Bessent. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
NEO-NAZIS, ‘SADISTIC’ BIKERS AND CHARLOTTESVILLE ORGANIZER: 5 OF THE MOST SHOCKING SPLC INFORMANTS
«Through what we’re learning in this indictment by the Department of Justice that even points out how this $4 million has been misused or used, that one example was that they actually funded a Ku Klux Klan rally and funded the cross burning and paid for the gas to burn the cross,» he said.
He accused the SPLC of creating the racism it claimed to fight.
Harris referenced claims from this week’s congressional hearing that the SPLC saw a spike in contributions after the deadly 2017 «Unite the Right» rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The group is accused of paying an informant to help plan the rally.
«That’s the way these groups work because, again, it becomes a money-making machine,» said Harris. «If they can keep things stirred up, if they keep things with people fighting, if they could keep people divided … then they accomplish what they want to accomplish, which at the end of the day, is all about the almighty dollar.»
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) building seen in March 2020 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Barry Lewis/InPictures via Getty Images)
DOJ SAYS SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER FUNNELED $3M+ TO WHITE SUPREMACIST AND EXTREMIST GROUPS
Harris’ letter concluded: «The evidence is clear: the SPLC does not operate as a charitable organization and should therefore lose its tax-exempt status. I respectfully ask that you direct the IRS to examine the SPLC’s Section 501(c)(3) status and take appropriate action to revoke their tax-exempt status.»
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The SPLC has denied the DOJ’s allegations.
The group did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
congress, republicans, scott bessent, hate crime, issues, investigations, politics
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Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sentenced to 30 years over North Korea drone flights
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A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison Friday in a case that accused him of ordering drone flights over North Korea in an effort to justify his declaration of martial law.
Yoon, 65, was sentenced alongside former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun by the Seoul Central District Court.
The ousted president was previously sentenced to life in prison for leading an insurrection following his declaration of martial law in December 2024.
North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets on three occasions in October 2024.
SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKERS SUPPORT SUSPENDING PRESIDENT’S POWERS AFTER SHORT-LIVED MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Feb. 11, 2025. (Lee Jin-man/AP)
Then-Defense Minister Kim initially issued a vague denial before South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it could neither confirm nor deny the allegations.
Although tensions between the two Koreas escalated following the incident, the drone flights did not lead to any military clashes.
Prosecutors accused Yoon of attempting to create a crisis with North Korea while plotting an authoritarian power grab aimed at removing political opponents and consolidating control.
SOUTH KOREAN COURT RULES EX‑PRESIDENT YOON SUK YEOL GUILTY IN INSURRECTION TRIAL
Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally outside the Seoul High Court in Seoul on April 29, 2026. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)
Before declaring martial law, Yoon delivered a televised address accusing liberal lawmakers of sympathizing with North Korea.
Yoon has argued that he possessed the constitutional authority to declare martial law and said the move was intended to draw attention to what he viewed as obstruction by opposition parties.
His attempt to impose martial law lasted roughly six hours before lawmakers voted to overturn it amid mass public protests.
Yoon was arrested in July 2025 and continues to face multiple criminal proceedings.
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South Korea’s ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at Seoul Central District Court in Seoul to attend his trial on charges related to declaring martial law on Dec. 3, 2025. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)
The insurrection verdict has been appealed by both Yoon and prosecutors, who had sought the death penalty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
north korea, law, trials, treason, south korea, crime world, world, politics
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