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GOP zeros in on South Texas Dem who urged Trump to ‘allow people to cross freely’
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FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic congressman representing a South Texas district that Donald Trump carried by double digits is emerging as a top Republican target, with the GOP arguing Rep. Vicente Gonzalez’s shifting border record has left him politically exposed at home.
Though traditionally a Democratic stronghold, heavily Hispanic South Texas has trended sharply Republican in recent election cycles. Gonzalez narrowly won his 2023 election over former Rep. Mayra Flores by less than three percentage points. Additionally, the Texas redistricting push last year made Gonzalez’s district seven points more Republican. The race is widely considered a toss-up leaning Republican — one of the few pickup opportunities for the GOP in an unfavorable political climate.
Republican National Committee spokesperson Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital that Gonzalez’s record on border security and former President Joe Biden has come back to bite him, leaving him «like a fish out of water» in his district.
Gonzalez, however, dismissed these criticisms as Republicans «grasping at straws.» He emphasized that «If you look at my record, you’ll see I was one of the toughest Democrats in the country on President Biden’s approach to our southern border, and I continue working to fix our broken immigration system, support CBP and Border Patrol, and rid our streets of criminals.»
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Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (left), D-Texas, is facing a difficult reelection race against Republican challenger Eric Flores (right). (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Eric Flores campaign)
Under the redrawn Texas congressional map, Gonzalez’s district in the Rio Grande Valley is one that President Donald Trump won by 10 points in 2024, according to the Texas Tribune.
Highly optimistic about the GOP’s chances, Kraft said that South Texans «do not want to go back to the Biden days where cartels controlled the border and endangered the lives of farmers, families, and Border Patrol agents.»
Gonzalez opposed construction of a border wall in 2019, calling it a «4th-century solution to a 21st-century problem,» according to CBS News.
The outlet also quoted Gonzalez denying there was a crisis at the border in 2019, saying, «When people talk about violence streaming across the border, it’s just nonsense.»
During the Biden administration, Gonzalez took a mixed approach to border policy, at times urging the White House to curb «disorderly» crossings while also pushing for expanded asylum pathways and a more «humane process» for migrants. In 2023 he was critical of Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to secure the border, accusing him of «grandstanding … about the way he is treating brown people,» according to the Rio Grande Guardian.
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An aerial image shows migrants waiting along the border wall to surrender to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande river into the United Staes on the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 2023. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Image; Mandel Ngan – Pool/Getty Images)
At the same time, Gonzalez said that by adding additional penalties to crossing illegally after the end of Title 42, Biden and then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas «positively impacted our border,» adding, «and that’s a fact.»
«People could point fingers and say things, but the reality is, undocumented crossings are down by 70 percent,» he said.
Border crossings briefly dropped by roughly 65% to 70% after the end of Title 42, a COVID-era public health order that allowed authorities to quickly expel illegal border crossers. However, crossings climbed to record highs later that year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Approximately 11 million border encounters occurred over the course of Biden’s four years in office, according to DHS.
In Biden’s final year in office, Gonzalez voted for a House resolution condemning the «national security and public safety crisis» at the southern border, warning that migrants were arriving in «historic numbers.» He has also said the border was «out of control» under the Biden administration.
Since Trump returned to the Oval Office, Gonzalez has also gone on the record, saying, «I’m happy to see that the border is under control,» according to the Rio Grande Guardian.
In an unearthed interview last year, Gonzalez urged Trump to «lighten up» enforcement and «allow people to cross freely» if vetted, arguing such migrants are «a very important part of our economy.»
DEM CANDIDATE’S UNEARTHED ‘WINTER TEXAN’ COMMENT COULD HAUNT CAMPAIGN
A Border Patrol agent apprehends illegal immigrants shortly after they crossed the border from Mexico into the United States on Monday, March 26, 2018 in the Rio Grande Valley Sector near McAllen, Texas. (Loren Elliott/AFP via Getty Images)
During the same interview, Gonzalez asserted, «We need to find a pathway» for illegal immigrants who have been in the country for decades to «be here legally, pay taxes, pay social security and really get them out of the shadows.»
Gonzalez’s Republican opponent, Eric Flores, an Army veteran and former prosecutor, told Fox News Digital that «South Texas has paid the price for his total failure.»
«Vicente Gonzalez built his record on policies that opened the border and tied the hands of the very federal agents sworn to protect us,» he went on. «I’ve worked alongside Border Patrol and law enforcement on the front lines, both as a Soldier and as a federal prosecutor. I will always stand with them.»
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In response, Gonzalez told Fox News Digital that «Eric Flores and the NRCC [National Republican Congressional Committee] are drowning and grasping at straws.»
«If you look at my record, you’ll see I was one of the toughest Democrats in the country on President Biden’s approach to our southern border, and I continue working to fix our broken immigration system, support CBP and Border Patrol, and rid our streets of criminals — something this Administration claims it is doing, but instead let DHS shutdown and fixates on targeting law-abiding individuals and their families,» he said.
«The truth is, Republican voters in South Texas are turning away from the extreme mass deportation policies Rubber Stamp Eric will support. The same ones that have led to American citizens being murdered on our streets and labor shortages that are making housing and other essentials more expensive.»
Fox News Digital also reached out to a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for comment.
elections, texas, democrats elections, immigration, republicans elections, border security, greg abbott
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JD Vance reveals what drew him back to God after seeing Christians had life ‘figured out’
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EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance said years spent chasing academic, professional and financial success ultimately left him searching for something deeper, leading him back to Christianity and eventually to the Catholic faith he practices today.
«I was really worried about where I went to school and what kind of job I had and what kind of money that I made. But I felt like that wasn’t making me a good person, whereas the Christians in my life seem to have it figured out,» Vance told Fox News Digital in an interview as his new memoir, «Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,» hit bookshelves.
Whether they were rich or poor, whatever their background or education was. They were just much better people; they were much more gracious and much more kind.»
Vance’s book debuted on Tuesday, recounting the path that took him from a Protestant childhood to atheism — and ultimately to the Catholic faith he embraces today. Vance’s reflections come as he is increasingly regarded as one of the Republican Party’s strongest potential presidential candidates for 2028.
JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM
Vice President JD Vance and his family, including wife Usha Vance and their three children, pose for a photo outside the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, on April 23, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool/Reuters)
«There have been so many people who have been very good to me, but I just felt at home in the churches that I was going to with my Catholic friends and that’s a big part of why I converted,» Vance told Fox News Digital.
He came to believe that the joy, kindness and character he saw in the Christians around him stemmed from their faith.
«Some of those people call the Catholic Church their home. So I’d go to church with them or I’d talk to them about various things that were on my mind… sometimes God puts people in front of you,» said Vance.
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Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance attend the Commander-in-Chief Ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He shared that he loves how American Christianity is «dynamic» with the various denominations.
Vance drew headlines in October when he spoke out about his wife’s Hindu faith, sharing his desire for her to convert.
«Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that,» Vance said at the time.
In his book, the vice president points out that it is his wife who helps usher the children off to Sunday Mass even though she does not practice Catholicism.
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In his new book ‘Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,’ VP JD Vance recounts his spiritual journey and how his wife supports his Catholic faith life. (Fox News Digital)
«Usha and I talk about everything. She really is my best friend, and she’s the most interesting person,» said Vance.
The Vances have three children, Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 4, and are expecting a fourth child in July.
Vance said he was surprised by the backlash to his comments last year, arguing that it is «common sense» to want the people you love to share your faith.
Illinois Democratic representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is Indian-American himself, took aim at the vice president.
«At a time when Hindu and Indian-American communities are confronting a climate of rising prejudice, talk of mass deportations, and growing anti-Hindu sentiment—even against members of his own party—it’s deeply disappointing that the Vice President would add to that climate through his recent comments while remaining silent in the face of hate,» the congressman wrote on X.
Vance shared that their family life is still centered around faith no matter what faith it is.
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«She definitely participates in the rituals of the church with us, and I really love that. That’s part of our family life that is very good. Whether we do church at home or whether we go out to a church, she’s the person who’s helping me get the kids ready, and the kids are always late, and it takes forever to get their shoes on.
«Even though she’s not a Christian, she’s been very much a part of my faith journey in ways big and small,» said Vance.
family personal freedoms, republicans elections, faith personal freedoms, usha vance, jd vance
INTERNACIONAL
Balotaje en Colombia: Iván Cepeda y Abelardo de la Espriella se disputan la presidencia con proyectos antagónicos
Rivales ideológicos y con estilos políticos antagónicos, Iván Cepeda y Abelardo de la Espriella buscarán este domingo llegar a la presidencia de Colombia en un balotaje que elegirá al sucesor de Gustavo Petro.
En juego están dos modelos contrapuestos. Por un lado, la continuidad representada por Cepeda, del izquierdista Pacto Histórico y heredero político del presidente Petro; y por el otro, la ruptura total que irrumpe de un “outsider” con un discurso de “mano dura” como el del postulante del partido derechista Defensores de la Patria.
Más de 41 millones de colombianos están habilitados para votar este domingo.
En la primera vuelta celebrada el 31 de mayo, De la Espriella se impuso por alrededor de tres puntos de ventaja (43% a 40%) sobre Cepeda. Hoy, el candidato de una derecha radical es el favorito, según coinciden la mayoría de las encuestas.
El ganador asumirá el poder el 7 de agosto.
Iván Cepeda, el heredero de Gustavo Petro
El senador Iván Cepeda tiene 63 años. Es el candidato de la continuidad del gobierno de izquierda de Petro, quien no puede ser reelecto en forma consecutiva, según lo prohibe la Constitución.
Sin embargo, sus estilos difieren.
“Cepeda tiene una visión más sopesada y un estilo sobrio. Petro es más extremista y propenso a discursos incendiarios. Pero ideológicamente son muy similares”, dijo a TN el analista político colombiano Carlos Moreno, profesor de la Universidad Javieriana de Bogotá.
El candidato del Pacto Histórico es hijo del histórico dirigente comunista Manuel Cepeda Vargas, asesinado por agentes del Estado el 9 de agosto de 1994 con la complicidad de paramilitares. El candidato presidencial oficialista Ivan Cepeda (Foto: REUTERS/Sergio Acero)
En Colombia es reconocido por su extensa trayectoria en el campo de la defensa de los derechos humanos.
Así, lideró el Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes del Estado (Movice) e impulsó los acuerdos de paz firmado con los movimientos guerrilleros en los últimos años.
También fue facilitador del Acuerdo de Paz entre el gobierno y las irregulares Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) en 2016 y participó en el diálogo con el Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN).
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“Gran parte de su vida giró alrededor de su lucha por los derechos humanos. Recién en los últimos años se convirtió en congresista. Es una de las figuras sobresalientes de la izquierda colombiana”, dijo Moreno.
Su paso a la política se produjo en los últimos años. Fue diputado entre 2010 y 2014 y en las elecciones de 2021 fue electo senador.
Cepeda ha enfrentado graves problemas de salud en los últimos años. Así, enfrentó con cirugías y tratamientos de quimioterapia un diagnóstico de cáncer de colon y una lesión cancerígena en el hígado.
Desde la campaña de su rival llegaron a afirmar que no podía caminar.
“Mi estado de salud es óptimo en este momento. Estoy plenamente facultado, capacitado, estoy en las mejores condiciones para ejercer no solamente lo que queda de esta campaña, sino en el futuro la Presidencia de la República”, afirmó Cepeda en una declaración en la última semana.
Abelardo de la Espriella, un “outsider” admirador de Nayib Bukele
En la vereda de enfrenta se encuentra el mediático abogado Abelardo de la Espriella, de 47 años.
Con un discurso de ruptura, este abogado, empresario y creador digital es el representante de la derecha dura de la región y un profundo admirador de Nayib Bukele, el presidente de El Salvador.
No solo promete la misma “mano dura” que practica Bukele en su país. También imita su estilo: la misma barba, el mismo corte de pelo.
Liberal en lo económico, apostó en campaña por un discurso contra la ola de violencia desatada por la guerrillera y organizaciones criminales. Así dijo que, de ganar, dejará de lado el diálogo impulsado por Petro y bombardeará a estos grupos ilegales.
Abelardo De La Espriella buscará este domingo la presidencia de Colombia. (Foto: REUTERS/Cesar Quiroz)
“Tiene una postura fuerte en materia de seguridad. Busca imitar a Bukele. Pero en términos económicos no es muy distinto a los programas de la derecha tradicional”, dijo Moreno.
Para el analista, De la Espriella impulsará un ajuste del Estado de llegar a la presidencia como hizo Javier Milei en Argentina, pero con una salvedad que lo aleja del modelo libertario argentino.
“La derecha colombiana tienene en mente programas sociales para reducir la pobreza y eso él lo ha men cionado”, indicó.
De la Espriella irrumpió en la casa de los colombianos a través de los medios cuando ejercía de abogado en algunos de los casos judiciales más polémicos del país. Fue asesor de las paramilitares Autodefensas Unidas en el último proceso de paz y abogado de Alex Saab, el operador financiero colombiano-venezolano considerado testaferro de Nicolás Maduro.
Pero no solo eso. También defendió a David Murcia Guzmán, el creador de DMG, una estafa piramidal que afectó a más de 200.000 ahorristas colombianos con un esquema Ponzi, según las denuncias.
En 2017, cuando aún era abogado de Saab, hoy detenido en Estados Unidos, traspasó todos los límires al pedir asesinar a Maduro en un artículo de opinión publicado en El Heraldo de Barranquilla.
“Los venezolanos de bien y la comunidad internacional en pleno deben entender que la muerte de Nicolás Maduro se hace necesaria para garantizar la supervivencia de la República. No se trataría de un asesinato común, sino de un acto patriótico que está amparado por la constitución venezolana y que resulta, por demás, moralmente irreprochable”, escribió entonces.
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Tuvo que renunciar al periódico en medio de un escándalo. Pero no se arrepintió de nada. Al poco tiempo publicó el libro “Muerte al tirano”.
“Aparece como una persona bastante liberal, pero desde el año pasado comenzó a presentar posiciones muy conservadores”, dijo Moreno.
Como admirador de Bukele, promete replicar en el país el modelo salvadoreño, que acabó con la violencia de las pandillas pero en medio de fuertes denuncias de violaciones a los derechos humanos y de retroceso democrático.
“En Colombia no podrá hacer lo mismo que Bukele. Aquí están más consolidados los contrapesos democráticos”, afirmó el analista.
Colombia, Iván Cepeda, Abelardo de la Espriella
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