Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., clashed with Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram on Capitol Hill while being pressed on whether Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates who won New York primaries this week could threaten Democratic unity and complicate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ path to the speakership.

The exchange came after several socialist candidates won Democratic nominations in New York City this week, fueling questions about whether the party’s left flank could complicate Democrats’ messaging and create new headaches for Jeffries if Democrats win back control of the House. 

Larson defended New York voters’ right to choose their nominees and repeatedly expressed confidence that Jeffries, D-N.Y., could manage any new ideological tension inside the House Democratic Caucus, while also saying he opposes antisemitism and agreeing that some DSA positions are not very American.

«Isn’t it going to create hassles here on Capitol Hill? For Jeffries?» Larson was asked.

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«The voters of New York make up their own mind. We don’t control voters of New York. In America, in a free Democratic-Republic, people get to choose their elective representatives,» Larson shot back. «The people of New York have made a decision. The people in Wyoming make decisions too, the people in other states make decisions. That’s the way democracy works.»

Pressed on whether DSA-affiliated candidates coming to Capitol Hill would create division and dissension inside the House Democratic Caucus, Larson said Jeffries will «bring everybody together,» arguing he has been able to adequately handle numerous challenges thus far and will do so again with anymore that come his way.

«Hakeem Jeffries is the greatest leader that we can have, because he will bring everybody together, as he has with the 11 separate, different caucuses and more in the Democratic caucus already,» Larson responded.

Larson was then pressed on whether the DSA-backed candidates could present a new kind of challenge for Jeffries, particularly as he tries to become Speaker.

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«There was some argument out there that, you know, if this was Nancy Pelosi some years ago at the height of her powers, she’d be able to finesse this — he’s never been Speaker,» Pergram posited to Larson.

«Well, she wasn’t Speaker for a long time either, but she became Speaker and she did an outstanding job. Jeffries is going to be an outstanding Speaker because of his ability to bring people together,» Larson said back.

«Is there any backlash in the caucus about — and again, these are folks from New York, [Jeffries] is from New York, right? Schumer’s from New York — that this could undercut some of them. If others in the party think that these folks are going to drag them too far to the left?» Pergram continued to press.

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Rep. John Larson-D, Conn, and House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, greet fans as they walk to their seats at RFK stadium during the annual congressional baseball game one year in D.C. (Philip Scott Andrews/Roll Call/Getty Images)

«Hakeem Jeffries will be the Speaker of the House, plain and simple,» Larson shot back. «And why? Because he’s demonstrated his leadership and he’s held the most diverse caucus ever assembled in the history of the world together. And that’s what he’s great at, and that’s what it’ll continue to do.»

Larson was also pressed on whether Democrats would distance themselves from candidates or groups accused of holding antisemitic views.

«Will you stand by people if they have antisemitic views?» Pergram asked.

«The people in New York chose the candidates they did,» Larson replied.

When pressed again, Larson said, «Am I against antisemitism? If that’s your question,» making clear he opposed antisemitism while continuing to argue that voters had the right to choose their nominees.

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Congressional candidate Claire Valdez, Congressional candidate Brad Lander, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier raise their hands during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at King’s Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The exchange continued as Larson was grilled on the DSA statement that he said called for eliminating the Senate and having the House choose the president and the Supreme Court.

«That’s the DSA,» Larson said. «The people of New York decide who their elected officials are. The people of Connecticut decide who their elected officials are.»

Asked whether that sounded radical, Larson said, «A lot of people sound radical to me. Radical on the left. Radical on the right. What’s your point?»

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«Should you stand out and argue against saying, ‘Hey, we shouldn’t have people, you know, throw out the Senate. Eliminate the Senate? That’s not very American,» Pergram proposed back.

«I don’t think that’s very American either,» Larson said before he disengaged and took questions from another reporter.

El presidente estadounidense Donald Trump amenazó este viernes con imponer aranceles del 100% a las importaciones provenientes de los países europeos que establezcan un impuesto sobre los servicios digitales de grandes empresas tecnológicas de EE.UU., una iniciativa que actualmente se encuentra en debate dentro del bloque comunitario.

El anuncio fue realizado a través de Truth Social, la red social del mandatario, pocas horas después de que en el Parlamento Europeo volviera a discutirse la posibilidad de crear un gravamen común para compañías como Google, Apple, Amazon, Meta y Microsoft, con el objetivo de aumentar la recaudación del presupuesto europeo.

“Numerosos países europeos han estado debatiendo la inminente implementación de un impuesto a los servicios digitales aplicable a empresas estadounidenses. Algunos de estos países están a punto de llevarlo a cabo“, escribió Trump.

En ese mismo mensaje lanzó una advertencia que elevó la tensión entre ambas potencias comerciales. “Que esta declaración sirva para advertir que cualquier país que imponga dicho impuesto se enfrentará inmediatamente a un arancel del 100% sobre todos y cada uno de los productos enviados a los Estados Unidos de América“, afirmó.

El mandatario también sostuvo que esa medida prevalecería sobre cualquier entendimiento comercial vigente. “Este arancel prevalecerá sobre los acuerdos comerciales establecidos con dicho país, independientemente de si han sido implementados, firmados o no“, aseguró, al tiempo que remarcó que la sanción comercial ”se impondrá de inmediato“.

La amenaza llega apenas un día después de que los países de la Unión Europea aprobaran el acuerdo comercial negociado con Washington durante el último año. Ese entendimiento contempla que los productos industriales estadounidenses ingresen al mercado europeo sin pagar aranceles, mientras que las exportaciones del bloque hacia Estados Unidos queden sujetas a un gravamen máximo del 15%.

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Sin embargo, el conflicto entre ambas partes está lejos de resolverse. Para la administración Trump, además de los aranceles existen las denominadas “barreras no arancelarias”, entre las que incluye regulaciones ambientales, normas digitales y políticas impositivas que, según Washington, perjudican especialmente a las empresas estadounidenses.

En ese escenario aparece el llamado Impuesto sobre los Servicios Digitales (Digital Service Tax), un tributo que varios gobiernos europeos impulsan bajo el argumento de que las grandes plataformas tecnológicas generan miles de millones de dólares en ingresos dentro de sus mercados, pero terminan tributando una proporción mucho menor al declarar sus ganancias en países con una carga fiscal reducida.

Desde la Casa Blanca consideran que ese impuesto discrimina a las empresas estadounidenses porque, en la práctica, alcanza principalmente a gigantes tecnológicos con sede en ese país.

En rigor, la respuesta de Bruselas no tardó en llegar. Un portavoz de la Comisión Europea rechazó la amenaza y sostuvo que el bloque responderá si Estados Unidos concreta la medida.

«Las medidas unilaterales contra políticas legítimas son injustificadas“, afirmó el funcionario europeo. Además, aseguró que la Unión Europea reaccionará ”rápidamente y con determinación» si Washington decide imponer nuevos aranceles.

El nuevo cruce se produce en un momento especialmente sensible para la industria tecnológica. Las tensiones comerciales con China y las dificultades en las cadenas globales de suministro derivadas de los conflictos en Medio Oriente ya afectaron la disponibilidad de componentes electrónicos y minerales estratégicos para el sector.

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Las principales empresas tecnológicas estadounidenses mantienen además una estrecha relación con Trump. Sus máximos ejecutivos respaldaron públicamente al mandatario durante su regreso a la Casa Blanca y realizaron importantes aportes económicos a su campaña, aunque algunas de las políticas comerciales impulsadas por el propio gobierno también terminaron impactando sobre sus costos de producción.

Ahora, la posibilidad de que Europa avance con un impuesto común a las multinacionales digitales amenaza con abrir un nuevo frente en la disputa comercial transatlántica, en momentos en que ambos bloques intentaban estabilizar su relación tras meses de negociaciones. Si ninguna de las partes cede, la pulseada podría derivar en una nueva escalada arancelaria con consecuencias para el comercio internacional y para sectores productivos a ambos lados del Atlántico.

Video emerged Friday showing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of heroin, methamphetamine and other confiscated illegal drugs being set on fire in Burma .

More than 50 combined tons of those drugs, as well as opium, ketamine, marijuana and crystal meth – estimated to be worth $600 million – were set ablaze in the southeast Asian country to mark the United Nations’ International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, according to The Associated Press.

This year, the street value of drugs destroyed was more than double last year’s total, said Police Lt. Col. Aung Myat Soe of Yangon’s Anti-Narcotics Police Force. In Yangon alone, some $321 million worth of 31 different types of drugs were set ablaze, Aung Myat Soe added.

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Footage taken in Yangon showed a massive array of drugs engulfed in a raging inferno, with thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

Burma has been a major source of illegal drugs destined for East and Southeast Asia, despite repeated efforts to crack down, and has long been one of the world’s largest producers of heroin and methamphetamine.

More than 50 tons of heroin, opium, ketamine, methamphetamine, marijuana and crystal meth were burned on Friday, June 26, 2026, in Burma, to mark the U.N.’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. (AP)

Violent political unrest in Burma following the military takeover in 2021 — which has led into a civil war between the military government and its pro-democracy opponents, as well as ethnic armed groups — has caused an increase in drug production, experts told the AP.

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A police officer stands in front of seized illegal narcotics during a destruction ceremony marking the U.N.’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on the outskirts of Yangon, Burma, on Friday, June 26, 2026. (Thein Zaw/AP)

In January, the military government claimed the country’s largest-ever seizures of illicit drugs and drug-manufacturing equipment, taken from a total of 12 drug production sites during a series of raids in the northern part of Shan state.

The U.N. says its June 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is «an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.»

«Supported each year by individuals, communities, and various organizations all over the world, this global observance aims to raise awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society,» the U.N. added.

Firefighters spray water in front of illegal narcotics being burnt during a destruction ceremony in Burma on Friday, June 26, 2026. (Thein Zaw/AP)

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«Global drug use and the number of drugs on the market have been increasing in the past decades. The century-long dominance of heroin in illicit global opioid markets is increasingly being challenged by changes in the illegal supply of opioids,» it added. «Production, seizures and use of cocaine continue to rise, while low costs of manufacture and reduced risks of detection of synthetic drugs are contributing to their increase on illicit drug markets.»

The Associated Press contributed to this report.