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Trump not on ballot, but president front and center in New Jersey’s primary for governor
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Today is primary day in New Jersey, one of only two states in the nation, along with Virginia, that hold elections for governor this year.
And in the spotlight in the races for both the Republican and Democrat gubernatorial nominations is the nation’s most powerful and polarizing figure: President Donald Trump.
In the GOP primary showdown, which for months has been a battle for Trump’s support, frontrunner Jack Ciattarelli landed the president’s endorsement a couple of weeks ago.
«I’m asking you to get out and vote for a true champion for the people of your state: Jack Ciattarelli. He’s been a friend of mine, and he’s been a real success story,» Trump told supporters a week ago as he dialed into a tele-rally on the eve of the kickoff of early voting in New Jersey.
NEW JERSEY PRIMARY EARLY TEST OF TRUMP’S SECOND TERM AS PRESIDENT
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli campaigns in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., on June 1, 2025. (Jack Ciattarelli campaign)
Ciattarelli told Fox News Digital after meeting with local GOP leaders at Trump National Golf Club-Philadelphia that the president’s endorsement was «a really big deal» and «The president’s doing very, very well in New Jersey.»
Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker, is making his third bid for governor. He ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination in 2017. Four years later, in 2021, Ciattarelli overperformed as the Republican nominee and came close to ousting the Democrat incumbent, Gov. Phil Murphy, losing by just three points.
WATCH: WHAT BILL SPADEA TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL
In the contest to succeed Murphy, who is term-limited, surveys suggest Ciattarelli is the frontrunner in a five-person Republican field that includes two other prominent candidates: former businessman and popular conservative talk radio host Bill Spadea and state Sen. Jon Bramnick, a lawyer who served for a decade as state Assembly GOP leader.
Ciattarelli and Spadea spent months trading fire over which of them was a bigger Trump supporter.
«It was certainly disappointing,» Spadea said of Trump’s endorsement of Ciattarelli. «I mean, we made no bones about this. We absolutely wanted the president’s endorsement. Unfortunately, the president endorsed a poll and not a plan.»
Spadea highlighted in a Fox News Digital interview last week that «I have been a supporter of President Trump since he came down the escalator,» in reference to Trump’s announcement of his first presidential campaign in 2015.
«There is no question that I am the commonsense conservative. I am the actual Republican in this primary,» Spadea said.
And Spadea questioned Ciattarelli’s support for Trump, arguing that his rival «has disrespected him (Trump) for the better part of the last eight years. … We thought that that endorsement would have been better served with me.»
After he won the GOP gubernatorial nomination four years ago, Ciattarelli said when asked if he was seeking the then-former president’s endorsement, «There’s only one endorsement I seek, and that’s the endorsement of the voters of New Jersey. That’s the only one that matters.»
WHAT JACK CIATTARELLI TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL
Fast-forward to 2025, and Ciattarelli said «people really appreciate what he (Trump) is doing for New Jerseyans. He’s put a temporary hold on the wind farms off the Jersey Shore. He’s beating up on the New York Democrats over congestion pricing. He supports a quadrupling of the SALT [state and local tax] deduction on our federal tax returns. Those are big deals to New Jersey, and that’s why he’s got so much great support here. And I’m honored to have his endorsement.»
While he lost out on Trump’s endorsement, Spadea said there’s been a silver lining.
«Our supporters are galvanized. Matter of fact, the Tuesday and Wednesday after Trump endorsed Jack, we had a surge, our two best days ever in low-dollar fundraising,» Spadea said. «So it actually has had the opposite effect – our low-dollar surge, our volunteer surge. We’re now knocking on more than 3,000 doors a week, and we’re getting an unbelievable response from the grassroots.»
Spadea said «almost every Trump supporter that we’ve talked to face-to-face on the ground thinks that Donald Trump made a huge mistake» in endorsing Ciattarelli.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea talks with voters at a street fair in Somerville, N.J., on June 1, 2025. (Bill Spadea campaign)
Asked why Trump endorsed him rather than Spadea, Ciattarelli said «the president wants to win. He knows that I provide the best opportunity to win in November.»
«He knows we’re going to raise the necessary money. We’ve raised more money than the other five Republican gubernatorial candidates combined.»
Ciattarelli is a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics. His fundraising has allowed him to dominate the GOP primary ad wars.
But Spadea, pointing to his media career, said he would be the more electable Republican candidate in November in blue-leaning New Jersey.
REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CHAIR, POINTING TO CAMPAIGN BATTLES AHEAD, TOUTS ‘OUR POLICIES ARE BETTER’
«I built the largest audience in the state: a third Democrat, a third independent, a third Republican. So my appeal is not just that conservative base in the Republican Party. I’m the only candidate running for the Republican nomination that can pull in Democrats and independents,» he said.
The Democratic Governors Association, pointing to the rush by the top two candidates to embrace Trump, has long described the 2025 Republican showdown as a «MAGA battle» and that there’s «extremism in the GOP primary.»
The Democrats have their own primary battle, with six major contenders facing off for the nomination.
They are Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.
The primary is one of the first ballot-box opportunities for Democrats to weigh in as the party aims to rebound after last November’s election setbacks, when Republicans won the White House, the Senate majority and successfully defended their fragile control of the House.
Pundits see Tuesday’s primary as a «bellwether» for how the party should push back against Trump’s sweeping and controversial moves since returning to the White House in January.
Like Murphy, who they’re aiming to succeed, the Democrat candidates have heavily criticized some of Trump’s crackdowns on illegal immigration and federal workforce cuts by the recently created Department of Government Efficiency.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is term-limited and prevented from running for re-election this year. (Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
But the candidates have also carefully walked a fine line between building on Murphy’s legacy as governor while also calling for change to the status quo at the state capitol in Trenton.
The Republican Governors Association, taking aim at Murphy and his party, has argued that «Democrat rule in Trenton has been a disaster, leading to skyrocketing costs, failed schools, and New Jersey families getting the short end of the stick.»
While New Jersey has long leaned toward the Democrats, Republicans have had success in gubernatorial elections.
«It’s not a blue state when it comes to governor races. Republicans have won six of the last 11. That’s better than 50%,» Ciattarelli said.
Trump, who for years has spent summer weekends at his golf club in Bedminster, held a large campaign rally last year in Wildwood. And he improved from a 16-point loss in the state in the 2020 election to a six-point deficit last November.
Then-former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Wildwood, N.J., on May 11, 2024. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ciattarelli, looking ahead to the general election campaign, said he’s «really looking forward» to Trump’s «active participation … I think New Jerseyans are anxious to have him on the campaign trail with me and help deliver a win for us in November.»
Meanwhile, the Garden State has frequently made national headlines this year. Newark Liberty International Airport saw multiple FAA system outages this spring, causing travel delays.
Meanwhile, a New Jersey transit strike created more travel mayhem when commuter trains briefly sat sidelined.
And protests by prominent Democrat politicians at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark also put the state in the spotlight. Among those arrested was one of the candidates: Newark’s Baraka.
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In-person early voting ran from June 3 through Sunday. And vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the county Board of Elections on or before the sixth day after the close of the polls.
Polls open for in-person voting on primary day at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
Fox News’ Remy Numa contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
Antes de la anulación de la concesión, Panamá sostuvo conversaciones con PPC, confirmó el presidente Mulino
El presidente José Raúl Mulino defendió la estrategia del Gobierno frente al conflicto portuario y aseguró que Panamá se preparó durante meses para distintos escenarios, incluido el fallo de inconstitucionalidad que impactó la operación de terminales clave administradas por Panama Ports Company (PPC), filial del conglomerado CK Hutchison.
Durante su conferencia semanal, el mandatario abordó la situación de los puertos de Balboa y Cristóbal, el proceso de transición operativa y las tensiones diplomáticas derivadas del caso, en un contexto que calificó como decisivo para el futuro logístico del país.
Mulino sostuvo que su administración mantuvo múltiples reuniones durante el último año con directivos de PPC y CK Hutchison para evaluar el estado de las terminales y discutir alternativas ante los cuestionamientos legales y contractuales.
PRESIDENCIA DE PANAMÁ
Según relató, en esos encuentros el Gobierno percibió una actitud que describió como distante y poco colaborativa por parte de la empresa, lo que reforzó la decisión de prepararse para escenarios adversos, incluyendo la eventualidad de una declaratoria de inconstitucionalidad por parte de la Corte Suprema de Justicia.
Antes de la toma de control de ambas terminales, voceros de la empresa PPC habían solicitado un diálogo con el Gobierno para buscar una alternativa al conflicto antes de que el fallo de la Corte se publicada en Gaceta Oficial, lo que ocurrió el pasado lunes 23 de febrero.
El mandatario subrayó que el fallo judicial obligó al Ejecutivo a actuar con rapidez para garantizar la continuidad operativa de los puertos, considerados infraestructuras críticas para el comercio exterior y la estabilidad económica.
En ese sentido, explicó que la transición se desarrolla con empresas de amplia trayectoria internacional que han asumido temporalmente la operación, con el objetivo de evitar interrupciones en el manejo de carga y proteger miles de empleos vinculados al sector marítimo y logístico.
Mulino también pidió a las entidades y equipos involucrados en la transición de Balboa y Cristóbal que trabajen durante el fin de semana “las 24 horas del día” para normalizar el flujo de carga. Según el presidente, el objetivo es acelerar el despacho de importaciones y exportaciones y “poner al día” el manejo de contenedores entre viernes y domingo —o hasta lunes—, en un esfuerzo de corto plazo para reducir atrasos operativos mientras avanza la reorganización de ambas terminales.
En el caso del puerto de Balboa, la administración temporal quedó a cargo de APM Terminals Panamá S.A., mediante un contrato por $26,100,000 destinado a la operación, mantenimiento y gestión de la terminal en el Pacífico. Por su parte, el puerto de Cristóbal será administrado por TIL Panamá S.A., filial de Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), bajo un acuerdo por $15,800,000 para la operación de la instalación en el Atlántico.
Uno de los puntos centrales del mensaje presidencial fue la defensa del proceso de sustitución patronal, mediante el cual los trabajadores portuarios mantienen sus puestos y derechos adquiridos.
Mulino indicó que en el puerto de Cristóbal la transición supera el 98% de incorporación del personal, mientras que en Balboa el proceso supera el 70% y continúa avanzando, lo que calificó como una señal de estabilidad laboral y compromiso con la fuerza de trabajo portuaria.
El presidente también rechazó versiones sobre supuestas ofertas de empleo gestionadas por terceros en las terminales, advirtiendo que se trata de información falsa.
Insistió en que únicamente las empresas autorizadas dentro del esquema de transición están facultadas para realizar contrataciones, reiterando que la estructura laboral existente se mantendrá durante el proceso y que el Gobierno prioriza la protección del empleo y la continuidad de la actividad portuaria.
En el plano internacional, Mulino abordó las reacciones del Gobierno chino y afirmó que Panamá defenderá su soberanía jurídica y económica frente a cualquier presión externa.
El mandatario sostuvo que la relación comercial entre ambos países es relevante, pero subrayó que el movimiento de carga y energía asociado a China depende en gran medida del tránsito por el Canal de Panamá y del nodo logístico de la Zona Libre de Colón, lo que, a su juicio, demuestra la interdependencia existente.
El jefe del Ejecutivo planteó que, desde una perspectiva estratégica, China probablemente necesita la conectividad panameña tanto como Panamá valora el comercio con el gigante asiático.
Argumentó que el Canal y el ecosistema logístico nacional continúan siendo plataformas clave para la distribución regional de productos chinos, lo que refuerza el papel del país como hub comercial y marítimo en América Latina.
Mulino también destacó que el Gobierno está preparado para enfrentar el arbitraje internacional anunciado por PPC, insistiendo en que la defensa de los intereses del Estado será firme y basada en argumentos legales y contractuales.
Respecto al proceso de transición, el presidente señaló que se espera un período de aproximadamente 18 meses durante el cual el Estado supervisará la reorganización operativa y evaluará el desempeño de las nuevas empresas encargadas del manejo temporal de las terminales. Durante ese lapso, el Gobierno prevé mantener el flujo de carga y consolidar ingresos asociados a la actividad portuaria, mientras define el modelo definitivo de operación futura.
Panamá podría recibir hasta $100 millones durante el período transitorio de operación portuaria, estimado en 18 meses.
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Illegal immigrants could lose public housing under Trump HUD plan to end Clinton-era loophole
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A proposed Department of Housing and Urban Development rule would crack down on illegal immigrants or unqualified people living in public housing, closing a loophole established amid major departmental reforms under President Bill Clinton in 1996.
Current HUD rules allow «mixed-status» households to use public housing under what is called the «do not contend» provision, in which a person living among a public housing family can declare they «do not contend» their HUD eligibility under their immigration status, and the family instead receives prorated housing assistance.
The HUD-ineligible family member or members may remain in public housing so long as the family accepts their diminished subsidies, according to reports.
The new HUD rule proposed this week under Secretary Scott Turner would eliminate the option for residents to say they «do not contend» and instead require every member to verify citizenship or prove eligible noncitizen status to continue receiving housing assistance.
President Donald Trump, left; HUD Secretary Scott Turner, right. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The proposed rule would not categorically prohibit noncitizens from public housing, but those remaining would have to prove they are eligible for taxpayer-funded assistance.
While illegal immigrants would be barred, green-card holders are currently fully eligible under federal housing law.
People admitted to the U.S. under official refugee or asylee status also remain eligible, as well as individuals whose DHS order of removal is being legally withheld due to threat of personal harm in their home country.
Cuban emigres who have fled the Communist dictatorship 90 miles off Key West have also historically been considered eligible, as have certain foreign domestic violence or trafficking victims.
Turner’s proposal, however, would guarantee that all people living in HUD-funded housing are eligible under statute.
The longstanding HUD Act of 1980, which the Clinton-era reforms adjusted, already prohibits HUD from providing financial assistance to ineligible noncitizens, and Turner’s reforms would make the prorated assistance option temporary instead of indefinite, pending eligibility verification.
«Under President Trump’s leadership, the days of illegal aliens, ineligibles, and fraudsters gaming the system and riding the coattails of American taxpayers are over,» said Turner, a former Washington Redskins cornerback.
BIDEN-ERA RENTAL ASSISTANCE INCLUDED PAYMENTS TO DEAD TENANTS AND NON-CITIZENS, NEW HUD REPORT REVEALS
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced on Dec. 11 that it was opening an investigation into the city of Boston, alleging the city’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion housing practices violate federal anti-discrimination laws. (Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
«HUD’s proposed rule will guarantee that all residents in HUD-funded housing are eligible tenants. We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes.»
Turner previously wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that previous administrations «turned a blind eye» to enforcing these types of HUD laws and policies.
«Liberal officials at both the federal and state level purposefully blurred and weakened the law by allowing some applicants for HUD assistance to simply sign a declaration of citizenship without requiring any documentation or proof,» he said in one example.
Critics of the change, however, said HUD’s efforts are going to lead to families being booted from public housing.
«Our country can ensure that every one of us, no matter where we come from or what language we speak, has a safe home,» National Housing Law Project executive director Shamus Roller told the Associated Press.
«Trump is trying to evict immigrant families, citizen and non-citizen, from HUD housing.»
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Roller’s colleague Sonya Acosta told the wire service that the new policy would wrongly force an «agonizing choice between losing the assistance that helps [families] pay rent every month or separating their family.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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