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Obama once urged Black men to back Harris — then he, Democrats reversed race rhetoric legacy in 2025
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Democrats historically have touted race and identity politics in the lead-up to high-profile elections, including former President Barack Obama chastising Black men for not supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris for president just one year ago.
On the 2025 gubernatorial campaign trail in Virginia, however, race was dropped from the common talking points as Obama and other Democrats rallied around former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a White woman, in her battle against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Jamaican immigrant and Marine veteran. Earle-Sears would have been the state’s first Black female governor if she had been victorious Tuesday.
Former Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is in the midst of his 2026 Senate campaign to replace outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell, advocated that identity politics should be dropped from public discourse and replaced with discussions on merit, while noting Democrats employ race rhetoric when it’s most advantageous.
Democrats «certainly pick and choose when they want to highlight a candidate’s race and use that for political expediency,» Cameron said. «But the Republican Party has been consistent that we’re a party about merit.»
FOX NEWS POLL: HOW SPANBERGER WON VIRGINIA GOVERNOR
A split of Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger. (Getty Images; Getty Images)
Obama campaigned in the Old Dominion state to drum up support for Spanberger, who is the first woman elected governor in the state, just roughly a year after he chastised Black male voters in Pennsylvania for not offering an outpouring of support to then-Vice President Harris’ campaign.
«We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,» Obama said of support for Harris’ race.
«Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So if you don’t mind — just for a second, I’ve got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean: When on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you, understands the struggles (and the) pain and joy that comes from those experiences,» Obama said, continuing that Trump «has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person — and you are thinking about sitting out?»
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger joins former President Barack Obama, during a campaign event in Norfolk, Virginia. (Steve Helber/The Associated Press)
A year later, Obama called on Virginia voters to snub the Black female candidate in favor of Spanberger.
OBAMA INSISTED BLACK MEN VOTE FOR HARRIS BUT NOW STUMPS AGAINST VIRGINIA’S BLACK LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
«There is absolutely no evidence Republican policies have made life better for you, the people of Virginia,» Obama said in his speech from the Virginia campaign trail Saturday. «I mean, they’ve they’ve devoted enormous energy to trying to entrench themselves in power and punishing their enemies and enriching their friends and silencing their critics. They they put on a big show of deporting people and targeting transgender folks. They never missed a chance to scapegoat minorities and DEI for every problem under the sun.»
Obama, specifically, has a lengthy list of invoking identity politics while on the campaign trail or in public settings, while Democrats since his presidency have amplified their promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the highest echelons of government down to school classrooms until Trump signed executive orders barring such programs from government.
«I will consider it a personal insult, an insult to my legacy if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election,» Obama said in 2016 of the Black community supporting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential run. «You want to give me a good send-off, go vote.»
Former President Barack Obama in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press)
Former President Joe Biden also focused on identity politics during his lengthy tenure in the nation’s captial, including vowing he would nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court as he went through the merits of candidates. Biden ultimately nominated now-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court in 2022.
OBAMA ENDORSES SPANBERGER, ATTACKS REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE ADS
«While I’ve been studying candidates’ backgrounds and writings, I’ve made no decision except one: the person I nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity — and that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court. It’s long overdue, in my view,» Biden said before announcing Jackson’s nomination.
Race, however, was left out of the 2025 gubernatorial race in Virginia as Earle-Sears faced off against Spanberger, with Cameron saying Democrats «played it down» as it did not benefit their party.
«The leadership in the Democratic Party certainly discounts race when it’s not somebody from their campaign or not somebody on their side of the aisle that is in the election. And that is what you saw here, is that they discounted it and they played it down, it didn’t have much significance,» Cameron told Fox Digital in a Thursday Zoom interview.
Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Democrats «played … down» race in the 2025 gubernatorial race in Virginia as it did not benefit their party. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
«I do think the Democratic Party historically has focused on the identity of candidates. And that’s why I tell folks that we don’t need a country that’s built on diversity, equity, inclusion. We need a county that’s built on merit, excellence, intelligence and integrity. And that should be the case … not only in the corporate space or in industry, but in politics as well. Does a candidate connect with people? Does a candidate have the values of a particular community? That should be the focus,» he said, adding that Republicans are all-in for supporting candidates with merit over identity.
Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office for comment regarding his previous remarks on race and identity politics compared to the 2025 election but did not immediately receive a reply. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Winsome-Sears campaign for any post-election comment Thursday.
UNDERCOVER VIDEO EXPOSES WHAT SPANBERGER’S CAMPAIGN ORGANIZER REALLY THINKS OF HER: ‘WHAT THE F—‘
Spanberger’s campaign was rocked by an undercover video showing a campaign organizer lamenting the race pitted a «White woman who was in the CIA» against «a Black woman.»
Virginia Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears addressing the Virginia FREE Leadership Luncheon in McLean, Virginia. (Cliff Owen/AP Photo-File)
«CIA agent, literally, which is crazy, like yeah, vote for the CIA agent, guys, like what the f—,» a campaign organizer for Spanberger said in a video with an undercover journalist in September that was first reported by Fox News Digital.
«I don’t know what happened. We’re in, like, the darkest timeline,» she continued. «Our only choices are between a Black woman, which ordinarily all for, but this time you think we should bring back slavery, Winsome.… Even with that, it’s like either vote for the Black woman who thinks that slavery should be brought back or vote for the White woman who was in the CIA.»
Only two states across the country held gubernatorial elections this off-season election in 2025: New Jersey and Virginia. Earle-Sears was the only Black candidate to run for governor out of the four major-party candidates running in either state.
Former President Barack Obama backed former Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the 2025 gubernatorial election. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Cameron said that his tenure as Kentucky attorney general, as well as his run for the Senate, focus on his merit and policies, while encouraging that example be used by all politicians going forward.
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» I want folks to focus on my values when I was the attorney general, certainly,» he said. «I won, I think, 113 of 120 counties, and people didn’t care what I looked like. They cared about my values. And so I’m optimistic that when it comes to the future of this country, people, here in Kentucky, and I think in Virginia, and a lot of places is: Do you stand with the America first agenda? Are you focused on standing with president Trump? And that’s certainly something that I’m focused on in my race here for the Senate here in Kentucky.»
gubernatorial,2020 presidential election,governors,virginia,elections
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Iran’s new supreme leader linked to properties with ‘line of sight’ into Israeli UK Embassy
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Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been linked to two luxury apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy in London, a location that security experts said could provide «permanent surveillance,» according to multiple reports.
The multimillion-dollar Kensington properties sit next to the high-profile embassy compound and were identified by UK media, drawing on findings from a yearlong probe into Khamenei’s potential overseas assets.
The Times of London reported on March 5 that the one building «sits next to the Israeli Embassy on Palace Green,» placing the residences in exceptional proximity to one of Israel’s most sensitive diplomatic sites.
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Media investigations linked Mojtaba Khamenei to London apartments near the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, with experts warning the location could enable Iranian surveillance of the site. (Michael Crabtree/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The revelations stem from a Bloomberg investigation that alleged that the Khamenei portfolio could span multiple countries and include high-value real estate in London, totaling around $138M as well as assets in Europe and the Gulf.
The two London apartments were reportedly acquired in 2014 and 2016 via intermediaries and occupy upper floors of the building, offering a direct vantage point toward the rear of the Israeli embassy compound, UK media reported.
A terrorism specialist quoted in reports said the positioning effectively means «Iran owns the view into the back of the Israeli Embassy from less than 50 meters away,» describing the situation as a potential «serious security breach.»
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In this picture obtained from Iran’s ISNA news agency, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, looks on in Tehran on October 13, 2024. (Hamed JAFARNEJAD / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images)
Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at the Iranian dissident satellite channel Iran International, also said the two apartments had «a direct line of sight, held through Mojtaba Khamenei. That’s not a property portfolio — it’s a permanent surveillance platform.»
«This is a serious security breach,» he added.
Further details from Bloomberg’s investigation indicated that a businessman acted as a financial conduit, buying up high-end properties on Khamenei’s behalf and channeling funds through a network of investments.
TRUMP SAYS HE’S ‘NOT HAPPY’ WITH IRAN’S CHOICE OF NEW SUPREME LEADER
Mojtaba Khamenei has been linked to two London apartments overlooking the Israeli Embassy, which a security expert says form a permanent surveillance platform, reports say. (Vudi Xhymshiti/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The investigation also found that 11 mansions on London’s «Billionaire’s Row» were purchased using an Isle of Man shell company.
The Financial Times has also similarly reported on links between Khamenei’s associates and luxury assets across Europe.
Khamenei, 56, has been viewed as a powerful figure within Iran’s ruling establishment, ultimately becoming the leading successor to his father, who was killed in a Tehran compound strike on Feb. 28.
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So far, since he was selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts, he has not been seen in public.
war with iran,iran,mojtaba khamenei,ali khamenei,investigations,israel,united kingdom
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Duffy mocks Newsom’s ‘bridges to nowhere’ as California wildlife crossing overruns by $21M
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy bashed Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom over an unfinished wildlife crossing bridge in the Golden State that is running $21 million over budget.
Duffy shared a post from the X account End Wokeness showing video of the unfinished project stretching across 10 lanes of the 101 Freeway in Southern California. The video shows the incomplete bridge, which is intended to provide safe passage for animals such as cougars to cross over the highway.
«Bridges to nowhere. Trains to nowhere. Leave the building to us @GavinNewsom,» Duffy wrote on X.
Construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing (WAWC) was supposed to be wrapped up by 2025, with the total cost of the project estimated at $92 million. That cost estimate has since jumped to $114 million. A press release from the governor’s office states the project should be completed by fall 2026.
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In an aerial view, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the world’s largest wildlife bridge, crosses 10 lanes of U.S. Route 101 in Agoura Hills, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
At the groundbreaking ceremony held in April 2022, Newsom pledged $54 million of state funding to build the crossing and later added another $10 million. However, in February, the California Transportation Commission announced it was allocating an additional $18.8 million to complete construction.
Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation, the namesake of the bridge, provided $25 million for its construction in 2021. Beth Pratt, director of the National Wildlife Federation and part of the leadership team overseeing the project, attributed delays in the project’s construction to rising costs in a video posted to X.
Pratt said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the crossing project «experienced significant increases in costs» related to «tariffs, inflation and other factors» that were responsible for delayed construction.
Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, arrives at BlackRock’s 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. ( Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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She added that these increased costs were consistent with other construction projects, citing the FHWA National Highway Construction Cost Index, which shows highway construction costs have increased by 67% since 2021. Pratt said the project team took steps to reduce costs as part of a «rigorous redesign process» funded by private donations, not public funds.
Newsom’s press office rejected criticism of the project’s ballooning costs, also pointing to tariffs from the Trump administration as the culprit.
«The cost estimate held until last year when inflation — in part driven by TRUMP’s TARIFFS — increased construction costs. The increase is vastly LOWER than the 67% national average increase in highway construction costs,» Newsom’s team wrote on X.
The governor also said the delay was due to «severe weather.»
«The timeline shifted by just ONE YEAR largely due to severe weather last year — five years of work is far from a ‘boondoggle,» Newsom’s press office wrote on X.
Governor of California Gavin Newsom speaks during the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Groundbreaking Celebration on April 22, 2022, in Agoura Hills, California. (Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images)
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Heightened attention on the construction of the wildlife crossing bridge comes as the state faces continued scrutiny over other failed projects. Last year, the Department of Transportation canceled $4 billion in federal funding after the state spent $15 billion in funding for high-speed rail construction projects despite never laying a single track.
Newsom, a 2028 presidential prospect, is also having to navigate a projected $2.9 billion budget deficit for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
gavin newsom,california,politics,state and local,transportation
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Guerra en Medio Oriente: una por una, cuáles son las instalaciones energéticas bajo ataque en el Golfo
Varias instalaciones petroleras y de gas fueron afectadas por la guerra en Medio Oriente, avivando el temor de una crisis energética internacional.
Después del ataque aéreo israelí al gigantesco yacimiento gasístico de South Pars-North Dome, compartido por Irán y Qatar, se desató una represalia iraní contra refinerías y depósitos de combustibles en distintos países del Golfo.
Leé también: El Pentágono pedirá US$200.000 millones adicionales al Congreso de EE.UU. para financiar la guerra en Irán
El presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, en un mensaje publicado en su red Truth Social, advirtió que si irán vuelve a atacar la infraestructura energética en la región, su país, “con o sin la ayuda o el consentimiento de Israel, destruirá por completo el campo de gas South Pars con una potencia y fuerza nunca antes vistas en Irán”.
“No quiero autorizar este nivel de violencia y destrucción debido a las consecuencias a largo plazo que tendrá para el futuro de Irán, pero si la planta de GNL de Qatar vuelve a ser atacada, no dudaré en hacerlo”, alertó.
Leé también: Japón y cinco países europeos se declararon “dispuestos a contribuir” a la seguridad del estrecho de Ormuz
Las instalaciones energéticas bajo ataque
Estas son las principales instalaciones energéticas atacadas en el conflicto desatado el 28 de febrero por la ofensiva conjunta de Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán.
- Yanbu, Arabia Saudita. Un drone cayó este jueves sobre la refinería saudita de Samref, en la zona industrial de Yanbu, a orillas del mar Rojo. “La evaluación de los daños está en curso”, indicó el ministerio de Defensa. La instalación tiene una capacidad de tratamiento de más de 400.000 barriles de crudo diarios. La refinería está en manos del gigante petrolero saudita Aramco y de Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., una filial de ExxonMobil. Yanbu reviste una importancia particular, al ser una alternativa a la exportación de petróleo por el estrecho de Ormuz, prácticamente bloqueado en este momento por Irán. En Yanbu desemboca el crudo traído desde el Golfo, en el este de Arabia Saudita, a lo largo del conducto Petroline, de más de 1000 km.
- Ras Laffan, Qatar. Ras Laffan, en el norte de Qatar, es el mayor complejo industrial y puerto de exportación de gas natural licuado (GNL) del mundo y ha sido blanco de varios ataques de Irán desde el comienzo de la guerra. El jueves la empresa energética estatal de Catar, QatarEnergy, reportó “daños considerables” por ataques que provocaron incendios, ahora controlados.
- South Pars, Irán. Los ataques iraníes contra Ras Laffan responden a los de Israel el miércoles contra el gigantesco yacimiento gasístico de South Pars-North Dome, compartido por Irán y Qatar. Es la reserva de gas conocida más grande del mundo y abastece cerca del 70% del gas natural doméstico de la república islámica. Según Irán, algunas partes del yacimiento se incendiaron. Trump aseguró que Estados Unidos “no sabía nada” del ataque israelí y amenazó con destruir “la totalidad del yacimiento” de South Pars si Irán continúa con sus ataques. Qatar explota la parte sur del yacimiento, conocida con el nombre de North Dome, o North Field. QatarEnergy estima que North Field alberga cerca del 10% de las reservas mundiales conocidas de gas natural. Qatar tiene contratos de compraventa de GNL a largo plazo con la petrolera francesa Total, la británica Shell, la india Petronet, la china Sinopec y la italiana Eni, entre otras.
- Isla de Jark, Irán. La isla de Jark, situada a unos 30 kilómetros de las costas iraníes y desde donde parten aproximadamente el 90% de las exportaciones de crudo de Irán, fue objetivo de ataques estadounidenses el sábado. No obstante, las autoridades iraníes declararon que las exportaciones continúan con normalidad y que no hubo víctimas. Si Irán sigue bloqueando el estrecho de Ormuz, Trump ha amenazado con destruir las infraestructuras de la isla, donde hay el mayor puerto de exportación de crudo del país.
- Ruwais, Emiratos Árabes Unidos. La refinería de Ruwais, situada en el emirato de Abu Dabi, es la cuarta más grande del mundo, según la compañía nacional Adnoc. La semana pasada tuvo que interrumpir sus actividades por “precaución” tras un ataque con drones en la zona, indicó una fuente local, sin precisar si la propia refinería se había visto afectada. Adnoc no se pronunció sobre este incidente.
- Ras Tanura, Arabia Saudita. La península saudita de Ras Tanura, en el golfo, alberga una de las mayores refinerías de Oriente Medio con una capacidad de 550.000 barriles diarios. Fue blanco de ataques en varias ocasiones, incluyendo uno iraní con drones al principio del conflicto que provocó un incendio y provocó un cierre parcial. Según una fuente anónima, la actividad ya se reanudó.
(Con información de AFP)
Irán, Israel, Donald Trump
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