Trump-endorsed Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino says he will donate $174,000 — the equivalent of one year’s congressional salary — to the family of Sgt. Eddie Ryan, a wounded Iraq War veteran, regardless of whether he wins his race in New York’s 21st Congressional District.

Constantino, the CEO of Sticker Mule, made the surprise pledge on June 10 at a campaign event in Queensbury, New York, handing Ryan’s family a handwritten note promising the donation, according to local news outlet The Daily Gazette.

«I planned to give away my entire congressional salary from day one,» Constantino told Fox News Digital. «My team presented a few options and I immediately thought of Sgt. Eddie Ryan because he inspired me to fight harder early in this race.» 

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Constantino added, «I want this to become a symbolic gesture that encourages more Americans to fight, fight, fight for a better future while simultaneously inspiring other people of means to support our great Veterans.»

Ryan, a former U.S. Marine Corps sniper, was severely wounded by friendly fire in Iraq in 2005. He was shot twice in the head, suffered a traumatic brain injury and now faces lasting mobility and speech challenges, The Daily Gazette reported.

Constantino said he first met Ryan and his family earlier this year outside a Warren County Republican Committee meeting. The exchange lasted less than a minute, but he said it left a lasting impression.

«Sgt. Ryan is a role model for loving America and staying positive in the face of adversity. He was severely wounded in combat and proudly says he would do it again with a big smile,» Constantino said.

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Sgt. Eddie Ryan, a wounded Iraq War veteran, sits with family members and Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino after Constantino pledged to donate his full congressional salary to Ryan’s family in Queensbury, New York, on June 10, 2026. (Anthony Constantino )

Ryan said he was stunned by the announcement. 

«I’m still floored,» Ryan said after the pledge was revealed, according to The Daily Gazette.

Constantino is running against state Assembly Member Robert Smullen in the June 23 Republican primary to succeed Rep. Elise Stefanik in New York’s 21st Congressional District. 

He has spent millions of dollars of his own money on the campaign and has cast the race as a fight against the political establishment.

«It’s an opportunity to move the country in a positive direction in a big way,» Constantino said. «Once I saw first hand how bad the swamp that President Trump talks about so much really is, I felt I had no choice but to use my resources to fight it to create a better future for America.»

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Sgt. Eddie Ryan holds a handwritten note from Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino pledging his congressional salary to Ryan’s family during a campaign event in Queensbury, New York, on June 10, 2026. (Anthony Constantino )

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Earlier this year, President Donald Trump endorsed Constantino — who previously fought local officials to keep a massive pro-Trump sign on his factory — in the race to fill Stefanik’s seat.

«It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Anthony Constantino, who is running to represent the fantastic people of New York’s 21st Congressional District,» Trump wrote on Truth Social in April.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Finland’s parliament on Wednesday voted to lift a decades-old ban on nuclear weapons, approving a major defense policy shift aimed at aligning the country more closely with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) deterrence strategy.

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said a strong majority backed the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act, calling it a «historic reform» that strengthens Finland’s security and that of the alliance.

«The Parliament approved the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act with a strong 2/3 majority,» Häkkänen said in a post on X. «This historic reform strengthens the security of Finland and of NATO as a whole.

In April 2023, Finland joined NATO in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ending decades of military non-alignment. The move, aimed at securing Finland’s collective defense, roughly doubled NATO’s border with Russia.

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«The overall nuclear weapons policy has been one of the most challenging issues in the Ministry of Defence during this parliamentary term. Years of study, discussions with nuclear-weapon states and other allies, and assessments of how Finland’s security can best be strengthened in NATO,» Häkkänen said.

The measure repeals provisions in Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act that banned the import, production, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives.

If enacted, the legislation would allow nuclear weapons to be transported, supplied or possessed in Finland where the country’s military defense requires it.

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The NATO emblem is displayed during the NATO Summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)

According to Euro News, 125 deputies backed the government proposal, 61 voted against it and 13 abstained.

The bill now moves to the president for final approval.

«I thank all the Members of Parliament who supported our legislative proposal for their strong backing,» Häkkänen said. «Thank you to the defense administration professionals at home and abroad for their high expertise also in this project.»

Despite the bill passing, the proposal has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers, who warned it could escalate tensions, make Finland a potential primary target, and break from regional norms, noting that several neighboring countries have rejected hosting or permitting nuclear weapons.

Commander of the Finnish Army Lieutenant General Pasi Valimaki addresses Finnish conscript soldiers after a military exercise at Pori Brigade in Niinisalo, Finland, Dec. 9, 2025. (Anne Kauranen/Reuters)

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The introduction of the proposed law also provoked a strong reaction from Russia last March, according to Reuters.

«This is a statement that leads to an escalation ​of tensions on the European continent,» Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

«This statement adds to Finland’s vulnerability, a ​vulnerability provoked by the actions of the Finnish authorities. The fact is that by deploying ⁠nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is beginning to threaten us. And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures.»

Reuters contributed to this report.