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Virginia governor’s race ad stirs ‘Willie Horton’ echoes as early voting hits record pace
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FIRST ON FOX: A new seven-figure ad in Virginia’s governor’s race is drawing comparisons to the infamous Willie Horton spot of 1988 amid record early voting in the Old Dominion State.
The ad, produced by the American Principles Project, attacks Democrat Abigail Spanberger over transgender policies and warns of the dangers of biological men in women’s spaces. It comes as early voting tops 146,000 ballots in the first week, more than twice the pace of 2021, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.
The spot points to Richard Cox, a Tier III sex offender in Arlington County who has been charged multiple times with exposing himself in girls’ locker rooms. The ad says Spanberger’s record and her opposition to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s guidelines for transgender students would let it happen again. It accuses her of putting radical ideology ahead of safety for young girls.
«The case of sexual deviant Richard Cox preying upon young girls in Virginia is enraging to any decent person – but not to Abigail Spanberger,» Terry Schilling, founder of the American Principles Project, told Fox News Digital. «She refuses to condemn Richard Cox at all.
SPANBERGER DEFENDS ABORTION AD CRITICIZING SEARS AFTER BERNIE WARNS AGAINST HIGHLIGHTING ISSUE
The campaign ad contrasts Republican Winsome Earle-Sears with Democrat Abigail Spanberger on crime and safety. (Courtesy of American Principles Project)
«She’s avoided answering any and all questions about it, and the answer is obvious because this situation is only possible because of Spanberger’s radical transgender policy agenda. Cox has been a repeat offender for over 30 years. He was allowed to enter women’s private spaces where little girls are vulnerable, and no one stopped him,» Schilling added.
«If Abigail Spanberger is elected governor of Virginia, she will repeal all protections for women in Virginia and put even more young girls in danger. The reason we are spending $1 million on this ad is because every Virginia voter should know that Abigail Spanberger will endanger their daughters.»
APP has run similar ads in other battleground states, positioning itself as a defender of families and warning against policies it claims «confuse[s] young children about changing their gender.» By airing the ad now, APP hopes to frame Spanberger as out of step with Virginia voters before Election Day.
ELON MUSK WADES INTO VIRGINIA TRANSGENDER BATHROOM CLASH, SAYS DEM GOV CANDIDATE WRONGLY ‘BLAMING’ TRUMP
A campaign ad in Virginia attacks Democrat Abigail Spanberger over what it calls radical transgender policies. (Courtesy of American Principles Project)
The strategy echoes the famous Willie Horton ad of 1988 that linked Democrat Michael Dukakis to the convicted murderer who committed rape and assault while on weekend furlough from a Massachusetts prison. George H.W. Bush defeated Dukakis by seven points nationally, and the ad became a defining example of how the GOP can use crime to win races.
Spanberger has voted for the Equality Act in Congress and opposed Youngkin’s guidelines, but local school boards control locker room access. Her campaign has tried to keep the focus on the economy and her own record in Washington.
«Convicted sex offender Richard Cox is a predator who should be in jail — and that’s exactly where he is,» a spokeperson for Spanberger’s campaign told Fox News Digital. «Abigail is a parent of three daughters in Virginia public schools and a former federal law enforcement officer who went after child predators. Nothing is more important to her than the safety of Virginia’s kids.
«As Governor, Abigail will work with state and local law enforcement officers to keep Virginia kids safe and make sure sex offenders are prevented from preying on children and prosecuted for their crimes.»
The American Principles Project released an ad tying Abigail Spanberger to sex offenders and criticizing her transgender policy record. (Courtesy of American Principles Project)
Cox remains in custody at the Arlington County jail on multiple pending charges, according to the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office inmate database.
«Abigail Spanberger’s policies enabled Richard Cox to prey on women and girls. No amount of political damage control can erase that record,» Schilling told Fox News Digital in response to the Spanberger campaign. «Spanberger is too dangerous to lead Virginia. As governor, Spanberger will repeal Gov. Youngkin’s recent executive order barring males from female private spaces.»
Republicans argue that safety and cultural issues are resonating more deeply with parents across the state, particularly after Youngkin’s win in 2021, which many linked to parental rights in education.
Polling shows Spanberger with a lead, but the numbers suggest a competitive race. A Washington Post Schar School poll taken in late September showed her at 55% to Republican nominee Winsome Earle-Sears at 43. With Republicans casting about half of the first week’s early ballots, the race is one of the most-watched in the nation.
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More ads are expected as the campaign heats up and voters in Virginia send in record numbers of early ballots. The final weeks of the race will show whether the tough-on-crime playbook still rings true nearly four decades after Willie Horton. Early voting ends Nov. 1.
The Earle-Sears campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
virginia,elections,education,republicans elections
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One of President Donald Trump’s longtime Republican critics, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., joined Gang of Eight Democrats in opposition to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets.
Trump has not sought congressional approval for an attack on Iran, Massie wrote on X, rebuking «acts of war unauthorized by Congress.»
«I am opposed to this War,» Massie added in a second X post Saturday morning. «This is not ‘America First.’
«When Congress reconvenes, I will work with @RepRoKhanna to force a Congressional vote on war with Iran. The Constitution requires a vote, and your Representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.»
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly met earlier this week with the Gang of Eight, and a spokesman for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox News Digital that Rubio called the speaker before the overnight strikes were carried out in Iran.
Notably, Trump has reminded the world that Iran’s regime had targeted him, including fomenting assassination talk in retaliation of his first administration’s taking out Islamic Republican Guard QUDs force commander Qasem Soleimani Jan. 3, 2020.
«I was the hunted, now I am the hunter,» Trump said on the White House lawn before the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes and amid past warnings to Iranian leaders.
Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, but a U.S. official told Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin that Trump’s U.S. military armada in the Middle East, working in concert with Israel, is targeting military targets and ballistic missile sites that pose an «imminent threat.»
The U.S. military is not targeting Iran’s leadership, but Israel is, the official added.
KHANNA AND MASSIE THREATEN TO FORCE A VOTE ON IRAN AS PROSPECT OF US ATTACK LOOMS
Alerting Congress was a topic of contention during the stealth operation to extract Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, when Trump and Rubio said they did not alert the Gang of Eight in advance, fearing leaks and putting U.S. troops at risk before the operation.
The Gang of Eight consists of the four Republican and Democrat leaders of Congress and four other members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, is part of the group.
«Everything I have heard from the administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame,» Himes wrote in a statement. «As I expressed to Secretary Rubio when he briefed the Gang of Eight, military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.
«The president’s own statement acknowledges this is war, and the Constitution requires the administration to come to Congress for authorization, something it has not done. Next week, the House will vote on a war powers resolution, and I will support that resolution. In the meantime, I will be praying for the safety of our service members and all civilians who are in harm’s way.»
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke out against Trump’s Operation Epic Fury action.
GOP LAWMAKERS SPLIT ON US MILITARY INTERVENTION TO FULFILL TRUMP’S CALLS FOR REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN
«Iran’s leadership has long supported terrorism across the region, undermined regional stability, continued to advance its nuclear ambitions and brutally repressed its own people, but acknowledging those realities does not relieve any president of the responsibility to act within the law, with a clear strategy, and with Congress,» Warner wrote in a statement.
«The American people have seen this playbook before — claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building. We owe it to our service members, and to every American family, to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past.»
Warner added a call for Trump to give the «country clear answers: What is the objective? What is the strategy to prevent escalation? And how does this make Americans safer?»
TRUMP HAS THREE STRIKE OPTIONS THAT WOULD AID THE PROTESTERS AND DEVASTATE IRAN
«The president moved forward without seeking congressional authorization,» Warner’s statement concluded. «The Constitution is clear: The decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns.
«Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification, a defined end state and a plan that avoids dragging the United States into yet another costly and unnecessary war.»
Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, noted Trump gave «Iran plenty of opportunities to take the diplomatic route.»
REPUBLICAN SENATORS SAY LEAKED IRAN DAMAGE REPORT WAS INACCURATE, POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
«Prior to the initiation of this action, in earnest diplomatic engagements with Iran, President Trump was very clear about his red line from the start and his expectations of Iran during these negotiations,» Crawford wrote in a statement. «Iran absolutely cannot be allowed to maintain a nuclear weapon or capabilities. The safety and security of Americans and our allies are on the line.»
Crawford’s statement stressed concern for American forces conducting the operation versus Democrats’ concerns over Trump’s authority as commander in chief.
TRUMP ISSUES STERN IRAN WARNING AS TEHRAN ANGRILY REACTS TO SPEECH AMID MUTED WORLD REACTION
«The United States of America has the most premier military in the world, and I am confident it will successfully carry out the very clearly stated goals of this operation,» Crawford wrote. «As the operations continue, we pray for the safety of the U.S. military forces involved, Americans in the region, and our allies.
«I would strongly advise the Iranian regime heed President Trump’s warning.»
Trump warned in his State of the Union earlier this week that he will hold to his longtime vow that «Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,» saying in his Truth Social video overnight to explain the strikes that Iran was attempting to reconstitute its designs on a nuclear arsenal.
TRUMP TELLS IRANIANS THE ‘HOUR OF YOUR FREEDOM IS AT HAND’ AS US-ISRAEL LAUNCH STRIKES AGAINST IRAN
«One thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s No. 1 sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon,» Trump said in the State of the Union. «Can’t let that happen.»
Senate Armed Forces Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., praised the «decisive action» against «the world’s leading proliferator of terrorism.»
«This is a pivotal and necessary operation to protect Americans and American interests,» Wicker wrote in a statement. «The president has stated the operation’s goals clearly: thwart permanently the ayatollahs’ desire to create a nuclear weapon, degrade their ballistic missile force and their production capacity, and destroy their naval and terrorism capabilities.
RUBIO, RATCLIFFE TO DELIVER CLASSIFIED IRAN BRIEFING TO ‘GANG OF EIGHT’ AHEAD OF TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION
«These are the hardest decisions that face any American commander-in-chief, and I appreciate that President Trump and his team conducted a comprehensive strategy using all tools of national power and a well-orchestrated military planning process.»
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, echoed the long-time Trump position against «regime-change wars.»
«Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?» Kaine wrote in a statement.
MASSIE-LED PUSH TO HANDCUFF TRUMP ON IRAN GETS JEFFRIES’ BACKING
«For months, I have raised hell about the fact that the American people want lower prices, not more war — especially wars that aren’t authorized by Congress, as required by the Constitution, and don’t have a clear objective.
«These strikes are a colossal mistake, and I pray they do not cost our sons and daughters in uniform and at embassies throughout the region their lives,» Kaine said. «The Senate should immediately return to session and vote on my War Powers Resolution to block the use of U.S. forces in hostilities against Iran.
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«Every single senator needs to go on the record about this dangerous, unnecessary, and idiotic action,» Kaine added.
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., echoed the call to vote on Kaine’s war powers resolution.
«Americans don’t want to go to war with Iran,» Kim wrote in a statement. «By launching strikes, President Trump has made the same dangerous and foolish decision President Bush did a generation ago. He put Americans in harm’s way without clearly showing there’s an imminent threat to our national security. He put the Iranian people in harm’s way by calling on them to rise up without a broad coalition of partners to assist in their protection.
«And Trump once again started a cycle of violence that has already escalated and could spiral out of control,» he continued. «This is unacceptable. The Senate should vote on Senator Kaine’s War Powers Resolution immediately.
«I stand ready to do so today.»
Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
defense,donald trump,iran,foreign policy
INTERNACIONAL
Irán anunció que bombardeó el portaaviones Abraham Lincoln de los Estados Unidos, pero el Pentágono salió a negarlo
Los Guardianes de la Revolución de Irán afirmaron este domingo haber atacado el portaaviones estadounidense USS Abraham Lincoln, ubicado en la zona del Golfo, después de que el líder supremo iraní muriera en una ofensiva militar de Estados Unidos e Israel. Sin embargo, el Pentágono lo negó.
«El portaaviones estadounidense Abraham Lincoln fue alcanzado por cuatro misiles balísticos», afirmaron desde la agencia de noticias oficial iraní en un comunicado difundido por medios locales, y advirtieron que «la tierra y el mar se convertirán cada vez más en el cementerio de los agresores terroristas«.
Es la primera vez que desde Teherán apuntan directamente a uno de los buques insignia de la Armada norteamericana desde el inicio del conflicto. Sin embargo, el Pentágono salió negar que el buque haya sido alcanzado.
«El CGRI de Irán afirma haber atacado el USS Abraham Lincoln con misiles balísticos. MENTIRA -respondieron desde el mando militar de Estados Unidos para Oriente Medio (Centcom)-. El Lincoln no fue alcanzado. Los misiles lanzados ni siquiera se acercaron«, confirmaron desde Washington en un posteo en la red social X.
🚫Iran’s IRGC claims to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles. LIE.
✅The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by… pic.twitter.com/AjaeHMemtA— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 1, 2026
El ataque anunciado por Irán y desmentido por Estados Unidos tampoco pudo ser verificado de manera independiente. No está claro si el lanzamiento de los misiles hacia el portaaviones realmente ocurrió o si el anuncio forma parte de una campaña propagandística destinada a proyectar fortaleza ante los partidarios del régimen en un momento de extrema vulnerabilidad, tras la muerte del ayatollah Ali Khamenei y de decenas de altos mandos militares en los bombardeos del sábado llevados a cabo por Israel y Estados Unidos.
Por lo pronto, el ejército estadounidense había reportado daños mínimos y ninguna baja pese a “decenas de ataques con misiles y drones iraníes” desde el inicio del conflicto.
El portaaviones estadounidense Abraham Lincoln había llegado a la zona del Golfo el 25 de enero pasado junto a tres destructores de misiles guiados. Según se informó en ese entonces era «para reforzar la presencia naval estadounidense durante las negociaciones con Irán sobre su programa nuclear».
El USS Abraham Lincoln es el quinto portaaviones de la clase Nimitz de la Armada estadounidense. Lleva aviones furtivos F-35, capaces de evadir los radares enemigos y cuenta con tres destructores equipados con misiles de crucero Tomahawk para ataque terrestre. El navío, suele ir acompañado de un submarino de propulsión nuclear, que dispara el mismo tipo de arma.
El presunto ataque informado por los Guardianes de la Revolución se suma a los ocho oleadas de misiles y drones contra Israel y bases militares estadounidenses ubicadas en Bahréin, Kuwait y Qatar.
Desde Washington, se informó que hasta el momento son tres militares estadounidenses quienes murieron y otros cinco resultaron gravemente heridos en el marco de la operación contra Irán.
El anuncio fue realizado este domingo por el Centcom. Se trata de las primeras bajas estadounidenses conocidas desde que los norteamericanos e Israel lanzaron el sábado masivos bombardeos contra Irán.
El Centcom todavía no reveló ningún detalle sobre el lugar ni la identidad de los soldados en su comunicado publicado en la red social X.
«La situación es cambiante, así que, por respeto a las familias, retendremos cualquier información adicional, incluida la identidad de los guerreros caídos en combate, hasta 24 horas después de que sus allegados hayan sido informados», añadió el mando estadounidense.
Varios otros soldados sufrieron heridas «leves» por esquirlas y traumatismos cerebrales, pero están siendo «reasignados a sus funciones», precisó el Centcom.
El Mando Central de los Estados Unidos (USCENTCOM o CENTCOM) es uno de los 11 comandos combatientes unificados del Departamento de Defensa. Establecido el 1 de enero de 1983, y es responsable de las operaciones militares estadounidenses en una región crítica que abarca 21 naciones en el Medio Oriente, Asia Central y del Sur, y Egipto.
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Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Saeid Iravani, sparred with U.S. envoy Mike Waltz at a Security Council session on Sunday, telling the American ambassador to «be polite,» a remark that drew a sharp rebuke from Waltz, who accused Tehran of killing «tens of thousands» of its own citizens and imprisoning many more simply for seeking freedom from «your tyranny.»
«I have one word only: I advise to the representative of the United States to be polite,» Iravani said during the emergency meeting.
Moments later, Waltz responded: «Frankly, I’m not going to dignify this with another response, especially as this representative sits here in this body representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its own people and imprisoned many more simply for wanting freedom from your tyranny.»
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)
The exchange came during an emergency Security Council briefing as the United States, Israel and Iran entered war, with diplomats offering sharply different interpretations of the expanding military campaign and its legality under international law.
In extended remarks at the session, Waltz rejected what he described as Iran’s «ridiculous and frankly farcical assertion» that U.S. actions violated international law, arguing that the United States acted «in close coordination with the Government of Israel» and «in line with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations,» which addresses self-defense.
He also reiterated that Iran supports armed proxies across the region and has destabilized the Middle East for decades.
AMBASSADOR MIKE WALTZ LAYS OUT ‘AMERICA FIRST’ VISION FOR US LEADERSHIP AT THE UN
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)
The clash unfolded against the backdrop of broader controversy surrounding Iran’s standing within the U.N. system, previously reported by Fox News Digital. Last mnonth Iran was elected vice-chair of the U.N. Charter Committee, a body focused on examining and strengthening the principles of the U.N.’s founding document — a move that drew criticism from Israeli and Western officials.
Fox News Digital also reported earlier that month on backlash after U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres sent a congratulatory message to Iran marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a gesture critics described as «abjectly tone-deaf» given Tehran’s human rights record.
Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, attends a United Nations Security Council meeting, after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S. on Feb. 28, 2026. (Heather Khalifa/Reuters)
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The United States is set to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council on March 1, a role that shifts monthly and gives the presiding country control over the council’s agenda and meeting schedule, placing Washington in a key procedural position as tensions continue to mount.
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