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GOP rising star reveals how Trump’s agenda will be crucial to keeping Senate seat red, lands key endorsements
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EXCLUSIVE: Hours before Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa kicks off a statewide campaign swing as she runs to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, she landed the backing of the top Senate Republican.
«We need conservative fighters in the Senate — and that’s exactly what we’ll get with Ashley Hinson,» Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote early Friday as he endorsed Hinson.
And Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, wrote, «Having traveled Iowa with Ashley, I know she is the fighter the Hawkeye State needs to deliver President Trump’s agenda in 2026 and beyond,» as he and the NRSC backed her.
On the eve of the endorsements and Hinson’s campaign event in West Des Moines, where she was born and raised, she highlighted in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview that she’s «proud to stand» with President Donald Trump.
HINSON LAUNCHES SENATE BID IN RACE TO SUCCEED IOWA’S ERNST
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa on Tuesday launched a 2026 campaign in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst. (Getty Images)
«We have a common sense approach in Iowa, and I don’t want to see Iowa look like California. I think we need to see the country look more like Iowa,» she said.
«Iowa does things right,» she added.
Iowa was once a top battleground state that former President Barack Obama carried in his 2008 and 2012 White House victories. But the state has shifted to the right in recent election cycles with Trump carrying the state by nine points in 2016, eight points in 2020, and by 13 points last November.
Republicans currently hold both of the state’s Senate seats – Ernst and longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley – and all four of Iowa’s congressional districts, as well as all statewide offices except for state auditor.
And while Democrats in Iowa are energized after flipping two GOP-held state Senate seats in special elections so far this year, Hinson sees her support for the president as a plus as she runs for the Senate.
TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS
«When I look at what message we’re out selling, it’s what exactly they voted for in the last election. Iowans overwhelmingly sent President Trump to the White House,» Hinson noted.
Hinson, who highlighted that she won her own House re-election by 15 points last November, said «we’re executing on what I heard on the campaign trail, which was that they wanted lower taxes.»
«So what did we do? We delivered,» as she pointed to the sweeping GOP domestic policy bill that the president signed into law on July 4, which extends the 2017 tax cuts and includes no tax on tips and overtime for many workers.
President Donald Trump signs sweeping spending and tax legislation, known as the «One Big Beautiful Bill Act,» during a picnic with military families to mark Independence Day, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)
Hinson said she is looking «forward to the campaign and showing Iowans again why conservative, solid leadership, being a strong ally of President Trump, and making sure we’re going to continue to deliver on those promises, so he has a full four years to do that.»
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) took aim at Hinson after she declared her candidacy.
DSCC communications director Maeve Coyle argued that Hinson «has repeatedly voted to raise costs and make life harder for Iowans by voting to slash Medicaid, cheering on the chaotic tariffs that threaten Iowa’s economy, voting against measures to lower the cost of insulin, and threatening Social Security. In 2026, Iowans will reject Republicans’ efforts to rip away health care and spike costs for hardworking families.»
«I think they’re misinformed at best,» Hinson said in response.
FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS
And she charged that «when I hear the lies and the fearmongering coming out of the left, it’s to only cover up for the fact that they have no message and no real leader other than Bernie and AOC and now Mamdani in New York,» as she referred to Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.
«If that’s the direction they want to take our country, I think Iowans are going to reject that wholeheartedly,» she predicted.
Hinson also highlighted that she’s «been out doing public town halls. I just finished my 46th and 47th public town hall in the district, and talking about what 47 [Trump] is doing to make our country better, cleaning up the mess of 46 [former President Joe Biden].»
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa, who is running in the 2026 race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, sits for a Fox News Digital interview on Sept. 4, 2025 in Washington D.C. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )
During some of her town hall meetings in Iowa this spring and summer, Hinson grabbed national attention as she faced disruptions, including jeers, boos, and heated questions from constituents. The backlash was directed at her support for the GOP’s tax and spend bill, which Trump at the time called his One Big Beautiful Bill.
«I think that it is really important to be transparent and accessible, and I will go out and defend our agenda anytime, anywhere, and talk with Iowans,» she said.
But she lamented that «unfortunately, what we’ve seen is, like in my town halls last week, people just wanted to stand there, yell and have a camera in my face to try to get a viral clip. I don’t think that’s productive. That’s why I answered their questions in a cool, calm and collected way, because I’m trying to change that by getting out and answering those questions.»
SENATE DEMOCRATS RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES IN PUSH TO WIN BACK MAJORITY
Hinson doesn’t have the GOP primary field to herself. Former state Sen. Jim Carlin and veteran Joshua Smith had already entered the primary ahead of Ernst’s announcement.
And five Democrats are already running for Senate in Iowa. Among them are state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian wheelchair basketball player, state Sen. Zach Wahls, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce executive director Nathan Sage and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris.
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa announced on Tuesday that she wouldn’t seek re-election in the 2026 midterms. (Reuters)
Ernst, who announced on Tuesday that she wouldn’t seek a third six-year term when she’s up for re-election in 2026, first grabbed national attention in 2014 with her «make ‘em squeal» ads as she won the high-profile Senate election in Iowa in the race to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin.
«11 years ago, Iowans elected me as the first female combat veteran to the U.S. Senate, and they did so with a mission in mind – to make Washington squeal. And I’m proud to say we have delivered. We’ve cut waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government.»
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Hinson told Fox News that «Sen. Ernst is my friend. I look up to her, and you know, her efforts in the Senate. I think every Iowan is proud, and Iowa is so much better as a result of her leadership.»
And looking ahead, she said «I absolutely would love to campaign side by side with with Joni.»
donald trump,senate,republicans elections,iowa,elections,midterm elections,politics
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US embassies in Bahrain, Egypt issue warnings as Iran threatens universities across Middle East
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The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain told American citizens in the country to shelter in place on Tuesday, as the embassy in Egypt issued its own caution to Americans amid threats that Iran and its terror proxies may try to target American universities across the Middle East.
The embassy in Manama directed all U.S. government employees, along with all other Americans in the country, to shelter in a secure structure and stay away from windows until further notice.
«Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target American universities in Bahrain,» the embassy said. «Iran has specifically threatened American universities across the Middle East.»
The embassy provided instructions to those Americans who wish to leave the Middle East.
TRUMP WARNS ‘WHOLE CIVILIZATION WILL DIE TONIGHT,’ AS IRANIAN OFFICIAL URGES HUMAN CHAINS AROUND POWER PLANTS
People crowd the Central Market for shopping during the final days of Ramadan in Manama, Bahrain, on March 18, 2026. (Ayman Yaqoob/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«If you want to leave the Middle East, the U.S. government is ready to assist by providing you the latest information about the departure options available,» it said.
A view of damage in Manama, Bahrain, after a kamikaze drone strike during Iran’s retaliatory attack on March 1, 2026. (Stringer/Anadolu/via Getty Images)
For those who wish to remain and shelter in place, the embassy reminded them to have a supply of food, water, medications and other essential items.
VANCE SAYS IRAN HAS ‘2 PATHWAYS’ AS 12-HOUR DEADLINE LOOMS, PRAYS US ON ‘GOD’S SIDE’ IN NIXING NUCLEAR THREAT
«We urge all Americans to remain vigilant, follow local authorities’ instructions, and review the latest guidance from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate,» the embassy said.
The headquarters of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Adelola Tinubu/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet )
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo advised U.S. citizens to closely monitor the news for regional developments.
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«Egyptian authorities generally offer effective security protection,» the embassy said. «However, extremists and Iranian-aligned actors have expressed interest in planning and carrying out attacks in the region. Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend to target universities in the Middle East. Iran has specifically threatened American universities across the Middle East.»
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middle east, war with iran, iran, world
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Top White House officials encouraged potential Bondi replacement to make case to Trump for AG job: Sources
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FIRST ON FOX: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche huddled with President Donald Trump in the hours after Pam Bondi was forced out last week to make his pitch for the job full-time, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Blanche was encouraged by top White House officials to speak with the president while other names, like Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, briefly circulated as possible contenders, two sources familiar told Fox News Digital. During that conversation, Blanche made his case for why he should be the next attorney general.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to Fox News Digital that the president and his then-deputy attorney general spoke on Thursday, as did a source familiar with Blanche’s movements that day.
Trump announced Bondi’s departure from the Justice Department and in the same social media post last Thursday said that Blanche would be taking over the role in an acting capacity, as Fox News and Fox News Digital previously reported.
HOMAN VOWS IMMIGRATION MISSION ‘WON’T SKIP A BEAT’ AS BONDI EXITS DOJ
Todd Blanche will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney General after his former boss Pam Bondi was fired last week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The next moves could prove crucial for Blanche if he wants to clinch the president’s nomination – and with the countdown ticking to the midterm elections, he only has a few months to convince the president he can lead the roughly 120,000-employee DOJ before a potential party power change in Congress.
«It’s really Todd’s role to lose at this point,» one of the sources who spoke with Fox News Digital said.
A 30-year department veteran, however, speculated that Blanche won’t get the nomination and will continue to run the DOJ in an acting capacity.
PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES
«The safest thing for Trump to do is just to keep Blanche, the ultimate loyalist, in place as Acting, at least through the midterms, and avoid a confirmation fight,» former DOJ prosecutor Kevin Flynn told Fox News Digital. «In terms of advancing Trump’s retribution agenda, I think Blanche could do pretty much everything as Acting [Attorney General] as a confirmed AG could do.»
Trump fired Bondi on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during an Oval Office meeting ahead of his speech to the nation on the war in Iran, Fox News Digital first reported a day after her ouster.
Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social at 1:17 pm, roughly 45 minutes after the report became public.
Todd Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump during trials between his first and second terms. Here the two appear before the media after the conclusion of Trump’s hush money trial in New York City on Thursday, May 30, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool Photo via AP)
In the hours after Bondi was dismissed and before Trump made his official DOJ personnel announcement, Blanche allegedly had a consequential conversation with the president where he was informed he would be acting attorney general. Blanche lobbied to get the full-time position in a following discussion, one source familiar said.
They also said that Blanche went to the White House a few times for various reasons in the days after he became acting AG.
The other source said it was this follow-up conversation that provided the president with the confidence to give Blanche the nod – at least for now.
Trump told his one-time personal attorney, «Here’s your audition,» the source paraphrased.
Blanche «got a call from POTUS after leaving a podcast taping on Thursday following the report on Fox,» a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital.
When Leavitt was asked if the two chatted on Thursday, the president’s spokesperson replied, «Yes they spoke.»
President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi in a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Neither the DOJ nor White House would comment on what the two discussed last week and whether Blanche made his case for a promotion.
Either way, now it’s up to Blanche to prove he’s up for the job full-time.
His first test was a Tuesday afternoon press conference focused on Trump’s push to crack down on fraud.
Blanche likely passed the pulse test as he showered praise on the president and said there would be no love lost if he wasn’t selected to be the next attorney general. «I love working for President Trump,» he said. «It’s the greatest honor of a lifetime. And if President Trump chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, I love you, sir.’»
He got to work right away shaping the DOJ.
On Thursday, Blanche announced his appointment of Trent McCotter as the principal associate deputy attorney general. He also stood up the new DOJ fraud division at Tuesday’s press conference and put Colin McDonald in charge as assistant attorney general for the Fraud Division.
Additionally, he took two trusted advisers with him to the attorney general’s office, Shane Hedges and James McHenry.
Blanche will likely need to differentiate himself from Bondi and distance himself from her failures – namely the Jeffrey Epstein files debacle – if he wants longevity in the role, one of the sources familiar told Fox News Digital.
US INTERIM ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE CALLS SPECULATION SURROUNDING BONDI’S FIRING ‘SIMPLY NOT TRUE’
Many reports claim that Pam Bondi was fired, in part, for her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. (Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images)
In February 2025, Bondi said she had the Epstein files on her desk. A trickle of releases over the next year would yield no new investigations or prosecutions related to the sex trafficker’s crimes and left Americans unsatisfied.
The source familiar said every move Bondi made after that was an effort to «clean up» her broken promise to release the Epstein client list.
Convincing Trump he’s the right guy for the job is only the first hurdle. Blanche would also need to get past Congress and a confirmation process that is sure to be grueling.
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Bondi passed with a Senate vote of 54–46, with all 53 Republicans and lone Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., voting for her to be attorney general. Every other Democrat voted against her confirmation.
Blanche, with the legacy of Bondi tied to his tenure in the Trump administration, could face an uphill battle even with some Republicans who have grown critical of the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files.
justice department, pam bondi, republicans, donald trump, white house
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Lluvias de fin de semana podrían dejar acumulados de hasta 125 milímetros de agua en República Dominicana
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Las autoridades meteorológicas de República Dominicana han advertido sobre un escenario de lluvias intensas para este fin de semana, con acumulados que podrían oscilar entre 100 y 125 milímetros en las próximas horas. Esta situación ha llevado a que 10 provincias del país amanezcan bajo alerta meteorológica, ante la amenaza de precipitaciones persistentes y la posibilidad de eventos extremos como crecidas de ríos, inundaciones urbanas y rurales, y deslizamientos de tierra.
La directora del Instituto Dominicano de Meteorología (Indomet), Gloria Ceballos, informó en rueda de prensa desde el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias (COE) que un sistema frontal activo, asociado a una vaguada, es el responsable de este patrón meteorológico inestable. Según Ceballos, los acumulados de lluvia podrían alcanzar valores superiores en algunas zonas del territorio nacional, debido a la combinación de la vaguada, la humedad aportada por los vientos del este-noreste y la persistencia de nubosidad sobre el país.
El pronóstico oficial del tiempo, presentado por Saddan Font-Frías, encargado del Centro Nacional de Pronóstico, advierte que los aguaceros serán de moderados a fuertes y podrán alcanzar intensidad torrencial en varias regiones. Las precipitaciones estarán acompañadas de tormentas eléctricas, ráfagas de viento y, de forma aislada, posibles granizadas. Este fenómeno se extenderá durante todo el fin de semana y podría mantenerse al inicio de la próxima semana laboral, con condiciones húmedas y lluvias frecuentes entre lunes y martes.
Las precipitaciones tendrán un impacto especialmente significativo en ciertas regiones. El informe del Indomet señala que las áreas más vulnerables corresponden a la cordillera Central, el suroeste y la franja fronteriza. Entre las localidades bajo mayor vigilancia se encuentran San Juan, Santiago, La Vega, Monte Plata y Elías Piña, así como municipios y comunidades de Hato Mayor, Sánchez Ramírez, Duarte, San José de Ocoa, Monseñor Nouel, Santiago Rodríguez, Dajabón, Puerto Plata, Espaillat y Valverde.
Un grupo de rescatistas y civiles unen fuerzas para evacuar a una persona en una camilla improvisada a través de calles completamente anegadas por el agua./Defensa Civil Dominicana
En estas zonas, el riesgo de inundaciones urbanas y rurales es elevado, así como el de crecidas de ríos, arroyos y cañadas. Además, la posibilidad de deslizamientos de tierra se incrementa en laderas y suelos inestables, especialmente debido a que las precipitaciones de los días anteriores ya han provocado una saturación significativa de los suelos.
El Indomet mantiene los niveles de alerta y aviso meteorológico en distintas demarcaciones, en coordinación con el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencias (COE) y los organismos de protección civil.
El incremento en la nubosidad y las lluvias inició desde la madrugada en la costa caribeña, incluyendo el Gran Santo Domingo, para luego intensificarse en horas de la tarde. Para el domingo y lunes, el sistema frontal continuará casi estacionario al norte del país, mientras los vientos del este-noreste seguirán aportando humedad. Por ello, se esperan episodios de lluvias dispersas durante la mañana, que se intensificarán en la tarde con aguaceros fuertes, tormentas eléctricas y la posibilidad de granizadas en zonas localizadas.
Llamado a la población
Ante este panorama, las autoridades han emitido un llamado enfático a la ciudadanía para que se mantenga atenta a los boletines oficiales y siga las recomendaciones de los organismos de protección civil. Entre las sugerencias principales destacan evitar cruzar ríos o cañadas con altos niveles de agua y tomar medidas preventivas para proteger vidas y propiedades.
El Indomet ha reiterado que continuará proporcionando actualizaciones oportunas sobre la evolución de este sistema atmosférico, para que la población y las entidades responsables puedan actuar con antelación ante cualquier eventualidad. Se recomienda a los residentes en zonas de riesgo permanecer informados y acatar las indicaciones, dada la vulnerabilidad incrementada por la saturación de los suelos y la persistencia de lluvias en los próximos días.
Impacto en la infraestructura y la vida cotidiana
El pronóstico de intensas lluvias y el estado de alerta en 10 provincias podrían afectar la movilidad, la actividad comercial y la prestación de servicios básicos en varias regiones del país. Las autoridades han dispuesto operativos de vigilancia y respuesta rápida ante posibles emergencias, con especial atención en las zonas rurales y urbanas identificadas como puntos críticos.
El llamado de las instituciones es a priorizar la seguridad y a no subestimar los riesgos asociados a las lluvias intensas, en un contexto donde la saturación de los suelos y la inestabilidad atmosférica aumentan la exposición de la población a desastres naturales.
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US embassies in Bahrain, Egypt issue warnings as Iran threatens universities across Middle East
Top White House officials encouraged potential Bondi replacement to make case to Trump for AG job: Sources
Lluvias de fin de semana podrían dejar acumulados de hasta 125 milímetros de agua en República Dominicana
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