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WATCH: Spanberger knocked for ‘bait and switch’ hypocrisy as popularity plummets amid redistricting fiasco
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EXCLUSIVE: One of the Democratic Party’s top rising stars, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, is coming under increasing fire as critics accuse her of pulling a «bait and switch» on voters by abandoning her affordability promises in favor of tax increases on «just about anything that moves.»
A new ad released by Unleash Prosperity on Monday slammed Spanberger over her affordability promises as Virginia Democrats propose new taxes on everyday expenses like dry cleaning, gym memberships and pet care. Unleash Prosperity’s ad puts it bluntly, saying, «Virginia can’t afford this.»
The governor has not publicly supported or signed the measures. A statement by the governor’s office sent to Fox News Digital on Monday emphasized that Spanberger did not sign the tax bills into law «because the General Assembly never passed them, and the bills never reached her desk.» The statement said that Spanberger has «remained laser-focused on addressing high costs for Virginians.»
However, Spanberger has supported a broader set of revenue measures since taking office, including proposals targeting digital services and business activity, as part of an effort to fund priorities such as education and healthcare.
TRUMP BLASTS SPANBERGER AHEAD OF VIRGINIA MEETINGS, SAYS STATE FACES TAX BASE EXODUS LIKE NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA
Abigail Spanberger while campaigning for governor in Fairfax Virginia, on June 26, 2025. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Steve Moore, an economist who co-founded Unleash Prosperity, told Fox News Digital that while Spanberger cashed in on Virginians’ worries over prices, she «raced out of the gate with all of these very liberal policies, including tax increases on just about anything that moves in Virginia.»
Moore said Democrats across the country should take Spanberger’s decline as a «warning» ahead of 2028.
There has been much buzz around Spanberger and her gubernatorial victory last year, which resulted in Republicans being ousted from power in Virginia. The Democratic Party selected her to give its response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, further evidencing her stardom.
Yet, despite the Democrats elevating her and even floating her as a presidential or vice-presidential pick, Moore said Virginians have been «shocked about that,» explaining why her approval ratings have «absolutely plummeted.»
«She has seen one of the swiftest declines in her popularity in the first six months in office that I’ve seen in many years of politics,» Moore said.
Forty-six percent of Virginians disapprove of her job performance, while 47% approve, according to a recent Washington Post-Schar School poll. Compared with Virginia governors from both parties since 1994, Spanberger has the highest disapproval rating at this point in her term.
In contrast, predecessor Gov. Glenn Youngkin had a 54-39 job approval rating at this point in his term, with the highest favorability going to Democrat Mark Warner – now Virginia’s senior senator – at 78-20.
Moore called Spanberger’s tumbling ratings «the price for her bait-and-switch tax hike on Virginia residents and small businesses.»
DEMS WHO RAN ON AFFORDABILITY NOW FACE BACKLASH AS COSTS CLIMB IN NY, VIRGINIA
Scouts march in a parade for Gov. Abigail Spanberger. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
«She campaigned on affordability, and nearly on day one in office, she and Virginia Democrats in Richmond endorsed a catalog of left-wing tax increase proposals on everything from dry cleaners to dog groomers, which make Virginia look like California,» he said.
«Spanberger promised to be a pro-business moderate Democrat,» he went on, quipping, «Maybe she should be known as ‘Scam-Berger.’»
Moore said Spanberger’s quick decline in the polls does not bode well for the Democratic Party’s hopes of taking back the White House in 2028.
«Spanberger is not alone,» he explained. «We’re seeing that with a lot of Democrats around the country; they run as moderates and as soon as they get in, they move to the extreme left.»
«You’re seeing Democrats who are governors and mayors across the country who are advancing very liberal pro-tax policies that are anti-business. And I think it’s a very tough agenda for Democrats to run with in 2028 on the national picture,» he went on.
«That should be a warning signal to Democrats across the country.»
VIRGINIA DEMS TAKE TAX HIKES INTO OVERTIME, TARGET FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUES
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and President Donald Trump, who has criticized the governor’s tax policies and warned of a potential business exodus. (Marvin Joseph/Getty Images; Brendan Smilowski/AFP)
Last week Trump took a similar line of criticism against Spanberger ahead of meetings in the state. He warned in a Truth Social post that her policies are triggering a tax base exodus similar to New York and California.
«She is adding so many Taxes, a Food and Beverage Tax, Digital Services Tax, Utilities Tax, and more,» Trump wrote. «It has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength. People are leaving that would never have even thought of doing so!»
In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Spanberger’s office slammed criticisms of the governor raising taxes as «misinformation.»
«The volume of misinformation — spread across social media and repeated in press coverage — made a clarification necessary. The facts are straightforward,» the statement said. «Governor Abigail Spanberger did not sign dozens of tax bills into law — because the General Assembly never passed them, and the bills never reached her desk.»
The office added that «in the opening months of her administration, Governor Spanberger has remained laser-focused on addressing high costs for Virginians» and is «also working alongside legislators and local communities to attract new capital investment.»
Spanberger has also pushed back on the criticism herself. In a post on X, she said Trump and his allies were mischaracterizing her policies.
«The president and his allies are talking about taxes that our state legislature never even voted on and I certainly didn’t sign,» she wrote. «Why? Because if they don’t flood the zone with fake news about fake taxes, people might hear about the bills I am signing to lower energy costs, strengthen our schools, make housing more affordable, and bring billions of dollars of business investment to Virginia.»
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A Spanberger spokesperson added that businesses have announced «more than $500 million in new investment in the commonwealth since Governor Spanberger took office in January,» while accusing Trump of focusing on politics instead of economic stability.
«The ballgame changed when the President — whose been busy raising costs for Virginians by starting a reckless war that has skyrocketed inflation and driven gas prices up to $4 — strong-armed states into drawing more Republican congressional seats that he asserted he was ‘entitled’ to before the midterms,» the governor’s spokesperson said. «As prices rise in Trump’s economy, Governor Spanberger will continue her work with both parties to address the high housing, healthcare and energy costs that Virginians are feeling.»
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
democrats elections, abigail spanberger, governors, virginia, taxes
El ejército israelí (FDI) anunció el domingo la eliminación de Louay Hisham Mahmoud Basal, un francotirador de Hamas que según los servicios de inteligencia israelíes participó en la infiltración a la base militar de Zikim durante la masacre del 7 de octubre de 2023 y operaba recientemente para ejecutar ataques contra soldados israelíes.
Basal pertenecía al Batallón Zeitoun de la Brigada de la Ciudad de Gaza de Hamas. El ejército israelí indicó que representaba “una amenaza inmediata” para sus tropas y fue neutralizado en un “ataque de precisión” ejecutado el viernes. Según el comunicado, antes del ataque se tomaron medidas para reducir el riesgo de bajas civiles, incluido el uso de munición de precisión y vigilancia aérea.
La base de Zikim, ubicada en el sur de Israel cerca de la frontera con Gaza, fue uno de los blancos de los comandos de Hamas durante el ataque del 7 de octubre, en el que murieron unas 1.200 personas y otras 251 fueron tomadas como rehenes. Las FDI indicaron que sus tropas bajo el Mando Sur continúan desplegadas conforme al acuerdo de alto el fuego vigente y seguirán operando para neutralizar cualquier amenaza inmediata.
El anuncio militar se produjo en un domingo marcado por nuevas víctimas civiles en la Franja de Gaza. Un ataque israelí con aviones de combate contra un bloque de viviendas en el campo de refugiados de Nuseirat, en el centro de la Franja, mató durante la madrugada a una pareja y su bebé de cinco meses. Los fallecidos fueron identificados como Ibrahim Abu Malouh, de 38 años; su esposa, Alaa, de 36 años; y su hijo Osama, según informaron fuentes del Hospital Al Aqsa a la agencia EFE.
Al mediodía, un francotirador israelí mató a Samih Ibrahim Darduna, de 25 años, en el campo de refugiados de Yabalia, al norte de la Franja, según fuentes del hospital Al Shifa. Su cuerpo fue hallado cerca de una clínica de la UNRWA en el campo. También se recuperó ese día el cuerpo de Hani Abdulá Ibrahim Shakshak, un niño de ocho años desaparecido el sábado tras un ataque israelí contra un puesto policial en Al Tawam, al norte de la Franja.
El sábado, Israel había matado a cinco agentes palestinos y un menor en un ataque con dron contra ese mismo puesto policial, según informaron la Media Luna Roja Palestina, el Ministerio de Interior gazatí y fuentes médicas del Hospital Al Shifa.
Desde el inicio de la ofensiva en octubre de 2023, el número de muertos en Gaza asciende a 72.783, en su mayoría mujeres y niños, según el Ministerio de Sanidad de Gaza, dependiente de la administración de Hamas.
Al menos 172.779 personas más han resultado heridas. La cifra está incompleta, ya que muchas víctimas permanecen bajo los escombros, inaccesibles para los equipos de rescate.
Desde que entró en vigor el alto el fuego el 10 de octubre de 2025, los muertos suman 895 y los heridos 2.677. Al menos 776 cuerpos han sido recuperados de entre los escombros.
Los episodios bélicos del domingo se enmarcaron en un contexto diplomático de alta tensión. El primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, afirmó en la red social X que acordó con el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, en una llamada del sábado por la noche, que cualquier acuerdo de paz con Irán implicará el “desmantelamiento de las instalaciones de enriquecimiento de uranio de Irán y la retirada de su material nuclear enriquecido del territorio”.
“Mi política, como la del presidente Trump, permanece invariable: Irán no tendrá armas nucleares”, concluyó Netanyahu.
Netanyahu también abordó con Trump el memorando de entendimiento para el desbloqueo del Estrecho de Ormuz y las próximas negociaciones hacia un acuerdo final sobre el programa nuclear iraní.
Trump, por su parte, publicó el domingo en Truth Social un mensaje en el que frenó las expectativas de un acuerdo inminente con Teherán. “He informado a mis representantes que no se apresuren a cerrar un trato, porque el tiempo está de nuestro lado”, escribió, confirmando que el bloqueo naval sobre los puertos iraníes continuará hasta que haya un pacto “certificado y firmado”.
Middle East,Top Pictures,Military Conflicts
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A Democratic socialist running for governor in Wisconsin once called to «defund, then abolish,» the police.
Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, in a flurry of posts on social media, called for the end of policing in the wake of the slaying of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake, before and during her time as an elected official.
In one post made in August 2020, first reported by CNN, Hong said, «I support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police.»
DEM HOUSE HOPEFUL EXPOSED AS FAR-LEFT ACTIVIST PUSHING TO ABOLISH POLICE WEEKS BEFORE SPECIAL ELECTION
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong. (Matthew Ludak for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
«Jacob Blake is fighting for his life, but he shouldn’t have to be,» she said on X, then Twitter. «We must also fight for his life and get justice for all those harmed by state-sanctioned violence.»
Blake was shot seven times in Kenosha, Wis., after police responded to a domestic disturbance call. The incident left him partially paralyzed and sparked a wave of violent protests in 2020.
He had a pocket knife on him that fell from his pocket in the altercation, which he picked up before being shot.
Hong again weighed in on the issue, this time as an elected official in October 2021 in response to federal prosecutors’ decision to not file charges against Officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot Blake over a year prior.
BLM ACTIVIST LEADING RESISTANCE TO TRUMP’S DC CRIME PLAN REPEATEDLY CALLED FOR ABOLISHING POLICE
«How is 7 bullets in the back not excessive force,» Hong said online. «Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option. My heart breaks for the trauma the Blake family and their community continues to endure.»
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Hong appeared to backtrack from the posts, but didn’t say whether as governor she would move to defund and abolish the police.
«There is no way I want to cut resources for public safety,» Hong said. «I don’t like crime. I don’t like unsafe streets. I also don’t like when a member of law enforcement abuses their power.»
MANDELA BARNES JUMPS INTO WISCONSIN GOVERNOR RACE — BUT BAGGAGE FROM HIS 2022 SENATE BID FOLLOWS
Wis. Rep. Tom Tiffany holds a cheesehead as he speaks during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025 on Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
«Everyone deserves the resources they need to be safe, including housing, good-paying jobs, mental health supports and community resources,» she continued. «As governor, I will look at every part of the state and work with local leaders to shape solutions that address our immediate needs.»
Hong, who is endorsed by Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is one of several candidates in a crowded primary for the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin. Primary Election Day is still a ways away on Aug. 11, and Hong is locked in a tight battle with former Lieutenant Governor and 2022 Democratic nominee for Senate Mandela Barnes.
The winner of their primary will likely square off against Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., a member of the House Freedom Caucus and front-runner in his bid for the Republican nomination. Tiffany, in a statement to Fox News Digital, took a shot at both candidates.
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«This is what today’s Democrat Party has become,» Tiffany said. «Whether it’s Francesca Hong doubling down on abolishing the police or Mandela Barnes calling to empty prisons while pushing to end cash bail, they are both far-left radicals who care more about protecting criminals than the innocent people harmed by their crimes.»
Tiffany’s campaign directed Fox News Digital to older posts from Barnes, too, where he pushed to «cut the prison population in half,» and legislation he introduced a decade ago to end cashless bail.
Fox News Digital reached out to Barnes’ campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back.
politics, democrats elections, mandela barnes, wisconsin, jacob blake
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