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Spanberger’s ‘unconstitutional’ push to redefine presidential elections makes voters ‘NULL AND VOID’: critics
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One of the Democratic Party’s rising star governors, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, is being slammed for signing a bill to award the state’s presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.
The bill signed by Spanberger adds Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact, an interstate agreement between states to award the entirety of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Virginia Republicans railed against the bill, arguing it makes the state’s votes «NULL AND VOID.»
This comes as Spanberger, who was recently selected to deliver the Democrats’ response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, has seen her approval ratings plummet. Critics have accused her of abandoning her centrist campaign message to advance far-left policies.
Criticisms of Spanberger erupted anew after news broke that Spanberger had approved the bill. The Virginia Republican Party posted on X that «fake Moderate Spanberger just signed a bill to render Virginians’ vote for president NULL AND VOID!»
SOROS-BACKED GROUP AMONG LIBERAL ORGS PUMPING EYE-POPPING CASH INTO VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING EFFORT
A 4th grader works on an election-themed art project at Heather Hills Elementary School in Bowie, Md., on Oct. 22, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
The GOP said that under the bill, «all of Virginia’s Electoral College votes will go to the winner of the national popular vote — no matter who wins the popular vote in our Commonwealth.»
The party called the move «an unconstitutional assault on our democracy.»
However, Spanberger won praise from groups that oppose the Electoral College. Stand Up America, a progressive voting rights organization, hailed the move, with Executive Director Christina Harvey calling it «an important step forward for representative democracy.»
«Virginia has set another powerful example for other states of how to stand up for representative democracy even as they come under increasing pressure from the Trump administration,» said Harvey, adding, «The presidency should be won by the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide—not just the right combination of battleground states.»
She said, «this brings us one step closer to a system where Americans’ votes for President and Vice President count equally, no matter where they live.»
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact operates on a conditional trigger that keeps the law dormant until it can guarantee a victory for the national popular vote winner. While member states pass the legislation individually, the compact only activates when the total electoral weight of all participating states reaches a majority of the Electoral College, at least 270 electoral votes.
With Virginia officially joining, the compact currently sits at 222 electoral votes, meaning it remains 48 votes short of the threshold.
SPANBERGER DENIES ‘DEAL’ WITH SWING-DISTRICT DEMOCRAT AS GERRYMANDERING CLAIMS ABOUND STATEWIDE
The Virginia State Capitol during the inauguration ceremony of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger in Richmond on Jan. 17. State Democratic lawmakers have introduced more than 50 new tax or tax increases to the legislature for things like dog walking, deliveries and dry cleaning. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot)
Until that 270-vote mark is met, the law has no effect, and member states continue to award their electors based on their own internal state results.
National Popular Vote, the organization advancing the compact, also celebrated Virginia being added, saying in a statement that the compact «will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.»
Patrick Rosenstiel, a spokesperson for National Popular Vote, told Fox News Digital he is «grateful» to Spanberger and the Virginia Legislature, saying «their support builds critical momentum for our movement to give 63 percent of American voters what they want, a national popular vote for President.»
«With Virginia’s 13 electoral votes, the National Popular Vote Compact is 48 electoral votes short of reaching the 270 required to activate it,» Rosenstiel noted, adding, «We’ll continue our state-by-state work until the candidate who wins the most popular votes is elected president and every voter is treated equally in every presidential election.»
The group noted that similar bills have been introduced in Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada.
Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, no voter will have their vote cancelled out at the state-level because their choice differed from plurality sentiment in their state. Instead, every voter’s vote will be added directly—without distortion—into the national count for the candidate of their choice. This will ensure that every Virginia voter is relevant in presidential elections moving forward.
Spanberger has also recently been accused by former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin of «illegal and unconstitutional» gerrymandering amid her push to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps.
Virginians will vote April 21 on Spanberger’s redistricting referendum, a move that Youngkin said would give Democrats 10 of the state’s 11 congressional seats.
Spanberger signed hundreds of bills passed by the majority-Democratic legislature on Monday. She also vetoed a few bills relating to unregulated skill-gaming machines and a proposed Fairfax County casino and sent back dozens with proposed amendments.
VIRGINIA DEM ADMITS REDISTRICTING PUSH AIMS TO ‘STOP TRUMP’, NOT ABOUT ‘FAIRNESS’
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger responds to President Donald Trump’s, unseen, State of the Union. (Steve Helber/Reuters)
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Among the bills that Spanberger signaled support for with proposed amendments was a slate of new restrictions on gun ownership, including a ban on «assault weapons,» as well as restricting law enforcement from assisting with immigration enforcement.
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.
democrats elections, abigail spanberger, governors, virginia, the electoral college
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Primero golpeó el terremoto, después la explosión: la doble tragedia de Playa Grande en Venezuela
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Trump hails America as ‘most exceptional nation ever to exist’ in Mount Rushmore speech
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President Donald Trump marked the eve of America’s 250th anniversary with a sweeping patriotic address at Mount Rushmore on Friday, declaring the United States the «most exceptional nation ever to exist» and vowing that it would «never be a Communist country.»
Speaking beneath the granite likenesses of four of his predecessors — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt — Trump touted American exceptionalism as festivities marking the nation’s 250th anniversary ramped up across the country.
«In all the chronicles of the ages, never before has any nation celebrated so magnificent a triumph as this one,» Trump told the crowd.
TRUMP KICKS OFF FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND WITH SYMBOLIC SALUTE TO AMERICA’S LEGACY
President Donald Trump delivers remarks at Mount Rushmore on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«At 250 years, America is the oldest republic on earth,» he continued. «We are the freest people on earth. We have the most righteous and enduring Constitution on earth. We are the strongest and most powerful country on earth. And by the grace of God, the United States of America is the most successful, most accomplished, most exceptional nation ever to exist in human history.»
Trump praised the nation’s history and argued that no other country had achieved as much as the United States.
«The birth and survival of the American nation under God is, quite simply, the best and most incredible thing ever to happen on this planet by human hands, ever,» he said. «No other country has done more good for this world than the United States of America.»
AMERICA’S NEXT 250 YEARS DEPEND ON PASSING FAITH AND FREEDOM TO OUR CHILDREN
Fireworks explode after President Donald Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, South Dakota. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)
Before Trump took the stage, the new Air Force One flew over Mount Rushmore as spectators cheered. After his remarks, the president stayed to watch a fireworks display over the Black Hills.
Trump argued the country was facing what he described as a growing communist movement that sought to undermine America’s «exceptional character» and «alienate us from our history.»
The president said the movement had raised the question, «What does it mean to be an American?»
MAMDANI BLASTS ICE AGENTS, ELON MUSK AND ‘SUPREMACY’ IN AMERICA 250 SPEECH AHEAD OF JULY 4 WEEKEND
President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, South Dakota. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)
Trump described communism as «the greatest threat» facing the United States.
«It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or even 9/11,» Trump said. «We’re not going to let this happen to us. Believe me, we’re not letting it happen, because communism is the enemy of free people.»
«Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness — it is death, tyranny and the pursuit of evil,» he continued.
«But we will not let them win,» he added. «They have no chance against us.»
Trump issued a clear directive: «You can be loyal to Karl Marx, or you can be loyal to America. You can be a communist, or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both.»
President Donald Trump speaks beneath Mount Rushmore during a celebration ahead of America’s 250th anniversary. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
As Americans face those choices, Trump pointed to the nation’s past sacrifices as a guide for its future.
«Our American ancestors did not shed their blood at Concord and Trenton, Gettysburg and Shiloh, Midway and Normandy, just so that a band of thieves, radicals and lunatics could come in and loot, pillage our nation,» he said.
Trump also highlighted the four presidents carved into the mountain behind him, saying they represented America’s founding ideals.
«They were men of action, men of ambition, men of daring, men of destiny, and men of truly great intelligence,» he said. «Above all, they were great men of history. Tonight, on the threshold of our 250th year, we stand beneath the monument of these heroes, a true group of unbelievable people. And we rededicate ourselves to being a nation as big, bold, noble, and as great as these American giants.»
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Trump is scheduled to deliver another speech Saturday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. before a fireworks display celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
«We know that this is not an ending,» Trump said. «This is only the beginning of the golden age of America.»
fox business proud american, donald trump, politics, patriotism, america 250
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Francia y Reino Unido desplegarán fuerzas militares para proteger la libre navegación por el estrecho de Ormuz
El presidente de Francia, Emmanuel Macron, y el primer ministro de Reino Unido, Keir Starmer, confirmaron un acuerdo con Omán para garantizar la seguridad de la navegación en el estrecho de Ormuz, tras la reapertura del paso marítimo luego del alto el fuego acordado entre Estados Unidos e Irén. Según un comunicado conjunto, Mascate aceptó colaborar con ambos países europeos para asegurar la protección de sus aguas jurisdiccionales.
El anuncio marca un punto de inflexión tras el conflicto que mantuvo prácticamente cerrado el estrecho, considerado por las autoridades como “una arteria vital para la economía mundial”. De acuerdo con el pronunciamiento recogido en el documento oficial, “restablecer un tránsito seguro para los barcos de todas las naciones por el estrecho es un tema de preocupación mundial”.
Francia y Reino Unido expresaron su disposición a desplegar una misión militar multinacional diseñada para “apoyar la libertad de navegación en el estrecho de Ormuz”, iniciativa que llevan preparando desde hace semanas. La propuesta de la coalición, que contempla operaciones de desminado y garantías de seguridad para la libre circulación de embarcaciones, dependía del consentimiento de las partes involucradas.
Desde el alto el fuego alcanzado el 17 de junio, el tráfico marítimo comenzó a normalizarse, aunque persisten tensiones debido a la voluntad de Irán de mantener cierto nivel de control sobre el paso. En este contexto, se han reportado diferentes incidentes, lo que mantiene la atención internacional sobre la estabilidad de la región.
En el comunicado, Macron y Starmer reiteraron el compromiso de sus países de defender la estabilidad regional, la soberanía de los Estados y la cooperación con todos los socios para preservar la seguridad global, la libertad de navegación y el derecho internacional.
En paralelo, la empresa de seguimiento de buques Kpler reportó que el tráfico marítimo por Ormuz continúa su recuperación, aunque permanece en una situación frágil. Según los datos divulgados por la compañía, el 2 de julio se registraron 38 cruces a través de la vía, cifra que representa un 10% menos respecto al día anterior, aunque se mantiene “dentro del rango emergente de 30 a 60 cruces por día”.
De acuerdo con Kpler, la actividad de buques con bandera de Irán experimentó un aumento drástico en las últimas jornadas. Además, la firma advirtió que varios operadores navieros modificaron sus trayectorias habituales y se desplazaron hacia rutas consideradas “iraníes y oscuras o desconocidas” en el cruce del estrecho.
Un vocero de la empresa señaló: “El patrón sugiere que la confianza sigue siendo incompleta, y que la aprobación está cada vez más condicionada por la aceptación política, la exposición al riesgo de incumplimiento normativo y las negociaciones pendientes sobre las tasas y la gobernanza de la ruta”.
El régimen persa rechazó el lunes pasado la posibilidad de que Francia participe en las operaciones de desminado en Ormuz, luego del anuncio realizado por el presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, sobre la intervención de su país en esas tareas.
El viceministro de Exteriores para Asuntos Jurídicos e Internacionales de Irán, Kazem Gharibabadi, afirmó en la red social X: “Macron ha afirmado que cooperará en la retirada de minas del estrecho de Ormuz en coordinación con sus socios. Según el memorando de entendimiento de Islamabad, la retirada de minas la lleva a cabo exclusivamente Irán y ningún otro país; en principio, no permitimos una operación de este tipo”.
El funcionario iraní advirtió sobre la complejidad actual en la región y transmitió una amenaza directa al gobierno francés. “La situación es delicada y compleja. Recomendamos encarecidamente a Francia que no la complique aún más con sus provocaciones”, sostuvo Gharibabadi.
El Ejército de Irán advirtió que los buques que no sigan las rutas establecidas por la República Islámica en el estrecho de Ormuz enfrentarán una respuesta inmediata y contundente. El Comando Unificado de Operaciones Khatam al-Anbiya de las Fuerzas Armadas iraníes indicó en un comunicado difundido por medios locales: “Todos los petroleros y buques comerciales están obligados a utilizar la ruta designada por Irán para cualquier tránsito seguro por el estrecho de Ormuz”.
La autoridad militar subrayó que cualquier “desviación de la ruta designada o incumplimiento de los protocolos de navegación de la República Islámica” será motivo de reacción militar. “Recibirá una respuesta inmediata y contundente por parte de las fuerzas armadas, lo que pondrá en peligro la seguridad de los buques infractores”, precisó el comunicado.
El mensaje incluyó una advertencia dirigida a Estados Unidos para evitar cualquier tipo de interferencia en este paso marítimo estratégico.
(Con información de EFE)
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