Former President Barack Obama had blunt words for Democratic Party donors, telling them at a Friday fundraiser to «toughen up» and «stop looking for a quick fix» after the Democratic Party became locked out of power following the 2024 election cycle.

«I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,» Obama said at the fundraiser, according to excerpts obtained by CNN. «Don’t tell me you’re a Democrat, but you’re kind of disappointed right now, so you’re not doing anything. No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something.»

Obama is not alone in urging his fellow Democratic colleagues to take a more aggressive approach following the GOP’s momentum in 2024. The former president articulated that his view of becoming more aggressive and toughening up means standing up for policies and candidates that are unpopular, or that may make lawmakers feel uncomfortable, but in the end have the best chance to deliver. 

FORMER OBAMA SPEECHWRITER ADMITS SHUNNING CONSERVATIVE IN HIS FAMILY WAS A MISTAKE

«Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech, and then you’re quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it’s hard. When somebody says something that you don’t like, but you still say, ‘You know what? That person has the right to speak.’ … What’s needed now is courage,» Obama added in his remarks at the fundraiser, which drew in $2.5 million and was hosted by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy Murphy, at their home. 

«Stop looking for the quick fix,» he added. «Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.» 

The former president pointed particularly at the upcoming elections in New Jersey and Virginia. Later this year, Virginia will face a major gubernatorial battle between incumbent GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former long-time Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va.

In New Jersey, Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who was reportedly in attendance at the Friday fundraiser, is running for her state’s open gubernatorial seat against GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli.

RAHM EMANUEL WARNS DEMS HAVE BECOME PARTY OF ‘PUNKS’ WHO ‘TALK DOWN TO PEOPLE’ AND FRET OVER IDENTITY POLITICS

Rep. Mikie Sherrill spoke with reporters after voting at Hillside Elementary School in Montclair, New Jersey, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.  (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

Both states will also hold new state House elections and a slate of other local elections. In Virginia, there will also be a special election this year to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. 

Amid his remarks, Obama described Spanberger and Sherrill as «powerful spokespersons for a pragmatic, commonsense desire to help people and who both have remarkable track records of service.» 

«Stop looking for the quick fix. Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.» – former President Barack Obama

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«The most important thing you can do right now is to help the team, our candidate to win,» he said. «And we’ve got to start building up our coffers in the DNC.»

Obama acknowledged the party’s increasing propensity to nominate progressive, far-left candidates, such as the recent choice of Zohran Mamdani over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race, but argued that what they are promoting and what centrist Democrats are pushing are not mutually exclusive.

Member of the New York House of Representatives, Zohran Mamdani attends an event at the National Action Network House of Justice in Harlem, Manhattan, New York, United States on June 28, 2025.  (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu)

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«There’s been, I gather, some argument between the left of the party and people who are promoting the quote-unquote abundance agenda. Listen, those things are not contradictory. You want to deliver for people and make their lives better? You got to figure out how to do it,» Obama said Friday.

«I don’t care how much you love working people. They can’t afford a house because all the rules in your state make it prohibitive to build. And zoning prevents multifamily structures because of NIMBY,» he added, referring to «not in my backyard» views by residents who oppose development in their neighborhoods. «I don’t want to know your ideology, because you can’t build anything. It does not matter.»

Obama said that what was being asked of his fellow Democratic Party leaders was to «make some effort to stand up» for what they believe is right, even if it makes them a «little bit uncomfortable.»

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Las autoridades sirias y representantes de la comunidad drusa comenzaron negociaciones la noche del lunes para detener los enfrentamientos armados que causaron cerca de un centenar de muertes en el sur de Siria, según informó el portavoz del Movimiento Hombres de la Dignidad, Basem Fakhr, a la agencia AFP. El proceso de diálogo involucra a notables de la ciudad de Sweida, donde estalló la violencia el domingo entre combatientes drusos y beduinos, así como a funcionarios del Ministerio de Defensa y de las fuerzas de seguridad general sirias.

Los contactos se realizan en medio del avance de fuerzas gubernamentales hacia la ciudad de mayoría drusa. El nuevo gobierno sirio, encabezado desde diciembre por Ahmad al Sharaa, enfrenta estos desafíos en un contexto posterior a la caída de Bashar al Assad tras casi 14 años de guerra civil.

Las fuerzas gubernamentales sirias desplegaron importantes refuerzos en la provincia de Sweida y avanzaron hacia la ciudad homónima tras la escalada de violencia registrada desde el domingo, según reportó un corresponsal de AFP. Durante la tarde del lunes, las tropas lograron tomar control del pueblo druso de Al Mazraah, situado en las afueras de Sweida, y sus unidades se aproximaron al centro de la ciudad, conforme confirmó el Ministerio de Defensa.

El comandante Ezzedin al Chamayer señaló que las fuerzas del Ministerio de Defensa se dirigían directamente hacia Sweida, intensificando la presión en medio de los enfrentamientos entre combatientes drusos y beduinos. Además, el Ministerio del Interior informó que tanto el ejército como las fuerzas de seguridad interior estuvieron movilizándose a las zonas críticas para intentar restablecer la calma.

El portavoz del Movimiento Hombres de la Dignidad, Basem Fakhr, explicó a AFP que existe un diálogo activo entre los notables de Sweida y representantes del Ministerio de Defensa y de las fuerzas de seguridad general para lograr una solución negociada al conflicto intercomunitario.

El ministro del Interior, Anas Khatab, atribuyó en una publicación en la red social X la persistencia de las tensiones en Sweida a “la ausencia de instituciones estatales, militares y de seguridad”, que según él genera condiciones para el desorden y nuevos brotes de enfrentamientos.

En paralelo, las autoridades religiosas drusas han exhortado a los residentes a mantener la calma. El jeque Hikmat al-Hejri, una de las figuras más influyentes entre los drusos, exigió protección internacional inmediata para su comunidad y expresó su negativa a permitir la entrada de las fuerzas gubernamentales en las áreas bajo control druso.

El Observatorio Sirio de Derechos Humanos (OSDH) actualizó el lunes el saldo de víctimas de los enfrentamientos ocurridos en la ciudad de Sweida y otras localidades de la provincia, contabilizando 99 muertos y decenas de heridos tras los combates y ataques de artillería. Según el balance del OSDH, entre los fallecidos se encuentran 60 drusos, en su mayoría combatientes, así como dos mujeres y dos niños. Además, se registró la muerte de 18 beduinos, 14 integrantes de las fuerzas de seguridad y siete personas no identificadas.

El Ministerio de Defensa sirio confirmó por su parte que 18 miembros de las fuerzas armadas perdieron la vida en el transcurso de estos hechos violentos.

La provincia de Sweida acoge a la mayor comunidad drusa de Siria, con una población estimada de 700.000 personas, según cifras presentadas en la cobertura. Los drusos constituyen una minoría derivada del chiismo, aunque se consideran parte de una corriente esotérica. Fuera de Siria, las comunidades drusas también se localizan en Líbano e Israel.

La región ha experimentado tensiones previas entre drusos y fuerzas de seguridad sirias, así como con las tribus beduinas suníes, cuya rivalidad se remonta a largo tiempo y ha provocado brotes recurrentes de violencia. El Observatorio Sirio de Derechos Humanos detalló que en abril ocurrieron enfrentamientos similares cerca de Damasco y en el propio Sweida, con un saldo superior a 100 muertos. Posteriormente, tribus beduinas apoyaron a las fuerzas de seguridad durante esos incidentes.

Con el objetivo de evitar una escalada, los líderes locales y religiosos promovieron acuerdos para facilitar la integración de combatientes drusos en las instituciones del nuevo poder. Sin embargo, la convivencia entre distintas minorías representa un desafío considerable para el gobierno interino, especialmente tras la ola de ataques contra la comunidad alauita en marzo, que resultó en más de 1.700 víctimas, y los mortales ataques sufridos por los drusos a finales de abril.

(Con información de AFP)

The Democratic, Republican and independent candidates for New York City mayor don’t often agree on much, but they appear to be in lock-step over the view that New Yorkers want someone different than former Governor Andrew Cuomo to run the Big Apple.

Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa, the Democratic and Republican nominees for New York City mayor, were quick to respond to Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that he will stay in the race as an independent after the former governor of New York lost his Democratic primary a few weeks ago. While blasting Cuomo, the pair also used the opportunity to slam incumbent independent mayoral candidate Eric Adams, who, on Monday, said Cuomo «had his opportunity» already, but New Yorkers no longer buy his message.

«Andrew is a double-digit loser in the primary. He lost by 12 points. He had his opportunity. He spent $25 million to get his message out. New York has heard it. He did not sell it,» Adams said at a Monday press conference. The comments followed a separate press release his campaign put out Sunday amid rumors Cuomo would be re-joining the race as an Independent, saying that Cuomo’s «political double-dealing» was the reason why New Yorkers have «lost trust» in him.

MAMDANI LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP CUOMO BACKER IN NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY

«I welcome everyone to this race, and I am as confident as I have been since three weeks ago on primary night when we faced Andrew Cuomo,» Democratic Party nominee Mamdani said at a Monday press conference following Cuomo’s announcement. «We did so because of the fact that while Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams trip over themselves to make deals in back rooms with billionaires, we are focused on fighting for working New Yorkers. I think he’s struggling to come to terms with what [Cuomo’s primary loss] meant.»

Mamdani added that while Cuomo may have envisioned himself as becoming the next mayor, the Democratic primary results showed NYC’s «hunger for a new kind of politics.» 

«I understand that it is difficult for the former governor to come to terms with [his loss] because it is a repudiation of the politics that he has practiced that he has known for so many years, and it is that same politics that we are turning the page on.»

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in New York City, June 12, 2025.   (Vincent Alban/Reuters)

MAMDANI’S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’

Sliwa, the GOP’s nominee in the NYC mayoral race, also took the opportunity Monday following Cuomo’s announcement he would be re-entering the race to slam not just Cuomo, but Adams as well, telling Fox News Digital the two are working eagerly to «cling to relevance.»

«Andrew Cuomo lost his primary and hides in the Hamptons. Eric Adams skipped his and fled to Fort Lauderdale. Now they’re both running as independents to cling to relevance,» Sliwa said Monday. «I’m the only candidate with a major party nomination, a 50-year record of serving New Yorkers, and a real path to victory. While they play musical chairs on a sinking ship, I’m out campaigning in NYC, listening, leading, and fighting to win it for the people. Let the voters decide this November.»

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa speaks during an anti-migrant rally and protest outside of Gracie Mansion on August 27, 2023, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

In response to the criticism, a campaign representative for Cuomo zeroed in on Adams’ comments.

«This is a primary that the mayor didn’t participate in because he knew he’d lose,» Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital. «The governor got 36,000 more votes three weeks ago than the mayor got four years ago, when he was at the height of his popularity and people actually wanted to give him a chance.»

Azzopardi also pointed to an email Cuomo sent to supporters Monday noting he «made mistakes in the primary,» such as being too comfortable with polling that showed he was the front-runner. The email also spoke to Mamdani, but did not directly address Sliwa.   

«I do not believe that New York City voters affirmatively voted for a socialist form of government that is hostile to business and economic growth, and I do believe that Zohran Mamdani poses a serious threat to the future of the city we love. I will give it my all to stop him,» the email from Cuomo stated.

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«I also believe that all of us who love New York City must be united in running the strongest possible candidate against Zohran Mamdani in the November general election for mayor.  Our common goal must be to run the strongest candidate against Mr. Mamdani. That is why I have accepted the proposal put forth by former Governor David Paterson and candidate Jim Walden that, in mid-September, we will determine which candidate is strongest against Mamdani and all other candidates will stand down, rather than act as spoilers and guarantee Mamdani’s election.»

On Monday, incumbent mayor Adams slammed the proposal mentioned by Cuomo in his email to supporters, which seeks to get the rest of the campaign field to pledge to consolidate around the strongest non-Mamdani candidate.

«This proposal that was put out. It was Andrew’s proposal. He uses people to put things out that he really would like to come later and say, ‘OK, I endorse what an independent person is doing,’» Adams said Monday.