A new poll shows Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani holding a commanding 10-point lead in New York City&#8217;s mayoral race this week, with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams trailing in fourth place.
The Slingshot Strategies <a href="https://www.slingshotstrat.com/media/slingshot-mayoral-poll-general-election-7-9">poll</a>, conducted between July 2-6, showed socialist Mamdani capturing 35% of registered voters, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo at 25%, Republican Curtis Sliwa at 14%, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams trailing with just 11%.
Adams faces an uphill battle with a dismal 28% approval rating and 62% disapproval. By contrast, Mamdani enjoys a net favorable rating of +4 (40% favorable vs. 36% unfavorable), while even the scandal-plagued Andrew Cuomo outperforms Adams, with 44% viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably.
Other polls have found similar results, including a pro-Adams <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/04/us-news/new-pro-adams-poll-still-has-nyc-mayor-trailing-cuomo-by-double-digits/">poll</a> that still showed Mamdani leading with 41%, followed by Cuomo at 26%, Adams at 16%, and Sliwa at 10%.
Adams&#8217; support has collapsed even among his traditional base, with only 16% of black respondents saying they would back the mayor in the general election, compared to 35% for Mamdani and 32% for Cuomo, according to the poll.
The current contest represents a significant fracturing of Democratic power, with incumbent Mayor Adams – who campaigned as a moderate, pro-police Democrat – now being challenged from both the far-Left in Mamdani and the establishment wing in Cuomo.
While Mamdani&#8217;s 35% support is far from a majority, Slingshot founding partner Evan Roth Smith <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/09/us-news/eric-adams-nyc-mayoral-election-chances-are-under-water-poll/">emphasized</a> to the New York Post that the electoral math looks increasingly difficult for Adams.
&#8220;The problem is the ballot is set. And the strongest Mamdani alternative in this poll is Andrew Cuomo, who just lost to him decisively in the Democratic primary,&#8221; Smith noted. “And the Mamdani alternative that seems to have the most momentum as a fresh alternative is Eric Adams, who’s polling barely in the double digits and seems to have lost credibility everywhere in the election.”
Adams has faced widespread dissatisfaction with his administration, which has faced multiple federal investigations and criticism over the handling of the migrant crisis and public safety issues.
Despite being a Democrat, Adams performs best among Republican voters, receiving 26% support compared to Mamdani&#8217;s 7%, although Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa leads that demographic with 43%.
“There’s simply not enough Republican support for someone who is a sitting Democratic mayor of New York,” Smith added. “So it’s really, really difficult when someone is polling at 11% and the ballot isn’t changing to see what the path to victory is.”
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Assemblyman from Queens, has positioned himself as an unapologetic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zohran-mamdani-says-he-has-many-critiques-of-capitalism?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Zohran+Mamdani+Says+He+Has+%E2%80%98Many+Critiques+Of+Capitalism%E2%80%99">socialist</a>. He has advocated for rent control, increasing taxes on the wealthy, and reallocating police funding to social services – policies that have raised concerns among moderate Democrats and the business community.
“You have a large number of largely white, largely outer borough homeowners who are not necessarily Democrats, who are skeptical of Mamdani,” Smith explained. “The problem is getting those voters together behind either Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams seems to still be a pretty tall order, and becomes even more difficult since they’re both in the race.”
Cuomo and Adams have engaged in public <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/zohran-mamdani-leads-general-election-poll-00443469">feuding</a>, with each calling for the other to drop out to consolidate opposition against Mamdani, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andrew-cuomo-falls-to-radical-socialist-zohran-mamdani-in-nyc-mayoral-primary?author=Tim+Rice&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Andrew+Cuomo+Falls+To+Radical+Socialist+Zohran+Mamdani+In+NYC+Mayoral+Primary">won</a> the Democratic primary with 56% to Cuomo&#8217;s 44% in the final round of ranked-choice voting.
Adams’ campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro dismissed the poll in a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/09/us-news/eric-adams-nyc-mayoral-election-chances-are-under-water-poll/">statement</a> to the New York Post, saying, “just weeks ago, Andrew Cuomo was ahead in multiple polls and then went on to lose the primary by double digits.”
“The latest Slingshot poll is just another example of how out-of-touch and unreliable political polling has become,” he said.

NYC Poll Collage

Mamdani Surges To 10-Point Lead In NYC Mayoral Race, Adams Craters To Fourth Place: Poll

Andrew Cuomo

Democratic Party

Elections

Eric Adams

Mayor

New York City

News

Politics

Polls

Socialism

Zohran Mamdani

A new study released Tuesday found that the taxpayer-funded PBS program “Washington Week with The Atlantic” consistently exhibited a staggering 93% negative bias against Republicans and the Trump administration over the past three months, despite claiming to provide “objective” political coverage.
The study, conducted by the Media Research Center (MRC), analyzed 13 weekly episodes from April through June 2025, finding that panelists devoted 83 minutes to discussing Republicans and the Trump administration with overwhelming negativity.
“The panelists spent 83 minutes opining on Republicans, focusing on Trump and his administration, in 93% negative fashion (77 minutes negative, six minutes positive),” the MRC report <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/clay-waters/2025/07/08/study-pbs-washington-week-roundtable-still-spreading-fear-and">reads</a>.
Even topics where the Trump administration demonstrated success, such as the strike on Iran’s nuclear program, received predominantly negative coverage at 82% unfavorable.
Trump’s Immigration Policy (including the judiciary conflict), the show’s third most-discussed issue pertaining to Republicans, received 100% negative coverage, despite the Trump administration’s significant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-patrol-saw-fewer-migrant-encounters-last-month-than-one-single-day-under-biden-homan-says">advancements</a> in border security.
The study reveals that show introductions by moderator Jeffrey Goldberg frequently established an anti-Trump tone from the outset, with examples including: “Most presidents wait until they leave the White House to cash in. President Trump takes a different approach. Crypto deals, hotels, golf courses, 747s, everything is on the table.”
Panel representation skewed heavily toward left-leaning media outlets, with 13 of the 14 news organizations represented leaning Left.
The New York Times led with six different reporters appearing on the program, while the single non-liberal outlet, The Dispatch, had just one representative who “matched the harsh anti-Trump tone” of other panelists, the study says.
PBS’s Washington Week panelists made numerous inflammatory statements, including PBS News Hour correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez claiming the administration “repeatedly emboldened extremists and used hate speech to talk about their political enemies,” and that “normalizing the populace to political violence is a trait of authoritarianism.”
The study notes that PBS, which receives taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, was established with a congressional mandate requiring “strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature” – a standard the MRC analysis suggests is not being met.
PBS receives approximately $445 million annually through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with American taxpayers footing the bill regardless of political affiliation.
While Republican topics received 83 minutes of coverage that was overwhelmingly negative, Democratic coverage was minimal outside a single episode focused on the Biden campaign exposé book “Original Sin,” which detailed the cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline.
“Virtually all Democratic coverage came from the May 23 special episode on the Biden campaign expose Original Sin,” the study says. “Remove that episode, and the Democrats received a piddling 61 seconds of ‘coverage’ (18 seconds negative, 43 seconds positive), which consisted of fleeting mentions within Trump-related stories.”
The study concluded that the taxpayer-funded program “continues to grossly betray its mandate to the American taxpayer to provide ideological balance” as required by its congressional charter.

2017 Summer TCA Tour – Day 7

Taxpayer-Funded PBS Show Pushes 93% Anti-Trump Bias, Study Finds

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Media Bias

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Trump Administration

U.S.

New <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/us/politics/biden-aides-election-age.html">reporting</a> reveals an extraordinary isolation campaign by former President Joe Biden&#8217;s closest aides at the end of his term, with staffers screaming at reporters, changing his phone number, and blocking access from panicked Democrats trying to tell him the truth about his failing campaign.
The revelation appears in the recently published <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/754957/2024-by-josh-dawsey-tyler-pager-isaac-arnsdorf/">book</a> by a trio of legacy media reporters, titled &#8220;2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,&#8221; written by Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey, New York Times White House correspondent Tyler Pager, and Washington Post reporter Isaac Arnsdorf.
Pager, conducting research for the book, managed to obtain Biden’s cellphone number in March 2025. The former president quickly agreed to an interview despite his aides repeatedly turning down similar requests from Page for several months.
Asked if he regretted dropping out of the presidential race, Biden said in a dispassionate tone, “No, not now. I don’t spend a lot of time on regrets.” He then ended the conversation to board an Amtrak train, Pager <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/us/politics/biden-aides-election-age.html">recalled</a> for the Times.
Pager’s brief discussion with Biden reportedly sparked panic among the former president’s top aides. “After the first call,” the authors <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/bidens-team-scolded-reporters-changed-his-number-after-they-called-personal-cellphone-report/">report</a> in the book, “furious Biden aides repeatedly called and texted [Pager].”
“One screamed at me for calling the former president directly. Others texted furiously, trying to figure out how I had obtained Mr. Biden’s phone number,” Pager said.
Although Biden himself initially seemed open to continuing to talk to Pager, the reporter’s calls began to go straight to voicemail.
Within days, Pager’s calls were greeted with a message from Verizon: “The number you dialed has been changed, disconnected, or is no longer in service.”
The Times reporter writes that this incident is reflective of the insularity of Team Biden throughout his doomed presidential campaign.
Pager reports that instead of confronting Biden with the harsh reality after his disastrous debate performance, his inner circle restricted access to him, making it difficult for even longtime allies, such as Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, to connect with the president.
On his way to a fundraiser after the debate, Biden asked his traveling aides aboard Air Force One what people were saying about his performance.
Rather than providing an accurate assessment, they offered what witnesses described as a &#8220;sanitized version&#8221; of the situation.
According to Pager, Biden’s aides never even allowed him to meet with campaign pollsters, instead presenting Biden with overly optimistic outlooks that alarmed campaign staff.
Following the debate, campaign pollsters presented their findings to Biden&#8217;s advisers, and their conclusion was damning: all polling indicated that Biden had no path to victory, and voters were not convinced that he was up for the job.
This assessment enraged Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the former president and chairman of Biden&#8217;s 2020 presidential campaign, who reportedly preferred a sanitized version of events.
“Two days after the presentation, Geoff Garin, one of the pollsters, checked in with Mr. Ricchetti. Mr. Ricchetti lit into him and said the presentation was out of line,” Pager reported. “It was not their job to tell them there was no path to victory. The pollsters, Mr. Ricchetti said, were supposed to provide the path to win.”
Rep. Pete Aguilar, a top House Democrat from California, confronted Ricchetti in a heated call, asking, &#8220;Do you realize how bad it is? Has anyone told the president how bad it is?&#8221;
When Ricchetti insisted that many members of Congress still supported the president, Aguilar pushed back: &#8220;Steve, has anyone walked into the Oval and told him we could lose everything?&#8221; Ricchetti admitted no one had.
According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/us/politics/biden-aides-election-age.html">The Times</a>, the situation was so dire that reliable Democratic strongholds, including Virginia, Minnesota, and New Mexico, suddenly became competitive – a devastating development that Biden&#8217;s inner circle concealed from him.
When former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) met privately with Biden at the White House during this crisis period, she grew frustrated by his insistence that polling showed no real change since the debate.
At one point, Biden called his longtime adviser, Mike Donilon, to refute Pelosi&#8217;s claim that polls showed he would lose to Trump. Donilon got on the line and reportedly contradicted Pelosi&#8217;s assessment.
Campaign adviser Adrienne Elrod was so concerned that Biden wasn&#8217;t getting an accurate assessment that she contacted &#8220;Morning Joe&#8221; hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, knowing the president watched their show on MSNBC every morning.
Days before Biden dropped out, Scarborough aired these concerns, saying, &#8220;The anger I hear are the people who are keeping him in a bubble.&#8221;
Even when confronted directly by donors at a Hamptons fundraiser who challenged him on his debate performance, Biden dismissed concerns as &#8220;one bad night&#8221; and vowed to stay in the race. His closest aides brushed off the concerns as typical donor anxiety.
The controversy over Biden&#8217;s isolation mirrors similar concerns that arose during his presidency, when critics frequently questioned whether his staff was shielding him from unscripted interactions with the press and public.
Throughout his term, the White House faced persistent accusations that Biden&#8217;s handlers were deliberately limiting his exposure to mask cognitive decline – allegations his team consistently dismissed as partisan attacks despite mounting video evidence of verbal stumbles and confusion during public appearances.

TOPSHOT-US-VOTE-POLITICS-DEBATE-BIDEN-TRUMP

New Book Reveals Biden’s Inner Circle Took Drastic Steps To Limit Access, Shield Him From The Truth

2024 Election

Biden Administration

Biden Campaign

Debate

Joe Biden

Legacy Media

New York Times

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, secured a major court victory last Thursday when a judge ordered a mental evaluation that could lead to a new trial.
Ibarra, 27, was found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley">guilty</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, who he murdered after she went jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.
According to court documents, Ibarra&#8217;s defense attorneys <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/07/us-news/laken-rileys-killer-jose-ibarra-gets-major-win-for-possible-trial-redo/">claimed</a> he &#8220;lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature and object and proceedings&#8221; and is &#8220;suffering from congenital deficiency which could render the client incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial,&#8221; per the New York Post.
Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a &#8220;prompt evaluation&#8221; to determine if Ibarra was fit to stand trial last year and whether he can assist with his current appeal.
“The mental competence of [Ibarra] has been called into question, and this court has found it appropriate for an evaluation to be conducted at the public expense,” the order reads.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross noted in court filings that there was no evidence during the trial suggesting Ibarra wasn&#8217;t mentally competent, though she didn&#8217;t oppose the evaluation and instead left the decision up to the Judge.
Ibarra, a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Haggard sentenced the illegal immigrant to life in prison without parole.
Ibarra had illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration&#8217;s border crisis, having been detained in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released after approximately one day.
Riley&#8217;s brutal murder shocked the University of Georgia campus and garnered national attention amid heated debates about immigration enforcement.
In January, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Laken+Riley+Act+Into+Law">signed</a> into law the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
The mental evaluation is set to take place either at the Georgia Department of Corrections or at a designated hospital facility. No timeline has been established for when the evaluation results might be available or how quickly the court will rule on potential next steps.
If the mental evaluation finds Ibarra was not competent during his original trial, his defense team could petition for a retrial, potentially setting aside his life sentence and reopening wounds for Riley&#8217;s family and community.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

Judge Grants Laken Riley’s Killer A Path To Possible Retrial

Crime

Georgia

Illegal Immigation

Laken Riley

Murder

Tren De Aragua

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is facing accusations of lying under oath to Congress last week after denying the central bank&#8217;s $2.5 billion headquarters renovation would include lavish amenities like private dining rooms and special elevators, despite planning documents revealing precisely those features.
Government planning documents reviewed by the Senate Banking Committee, first <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/30/business/jerome-powell-accused-of-lying-to-congress-over-2-5b-palace-of-versailles-hq-revamp/">revealed</a> by the New York Post, directly contradict Powell&#8217;s claims, specifically mentioning &#8220;private dining rooms&#8221; and a &#8220;Governors&#8217; private elevator,&#8221; as well as &#8220;vegetated roof terraces&#8221; for &#8220;urban wildlife and pollinators.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s no VIP dining room, there&#8217;s no new marble. There are no special elevators,&#8221; Powell claimed under oath on Wednesday. &#8220;There are no new water features, there&#8217;s no beehives, and there&#8217;s no roof terrace gardens.&#8221;
Powell&#8217;s testimony directly contradicts government planning documents that have not been revised since their approval in 2021.
&#8220;The private dining rooms on Level 4 (of the Fed&#8217;s Eccles building) will be restored,&#8221; reads one excerpt from the filing with the National Capital Planning Commission. &#8220;The Governors&#8217; private elevator will be extended to discharge at the dining suite level.&#8221;
According to the Post, the filing also explicitly mentions &#8220;vegetated roof terraces&#8221; featuring &#8220;urban wildlife and pollinators&#8221; in addition to new marble and water features.
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), chair of the Senate Banking Committee, branded the renovations &#8220;luxury upgrades that feel more like they belong in the Palace of Versailles.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-2388">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
Powell dismissed the price tag for the revamp, which exceeded the original estimate of $1.9 billion by 30%, saying in Wednesday&#8217;s hearing that &#8220;the cost overruns are what they are.&#8221;
Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), a majority member of the committee, said Powell &#8220;was clearly not prepared for his testimony, and should be embarrassed.&#8221;
&#8220;He made a number of factually inaccurate statements to the Committee regarding the Fed&#8217;s plush private dining room and elevator, skylights, water features, and roof terrace,&#8221; Lummis told the Post. &#8220;This is typical of the mismanagement and &#8216;don&#8217;t bother me&#8217; attitude that Chair Powell has always shown.&#8221;
Andrew T. Levin, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College who served as an economist and advisor to the Fed&#8217;s board for 20 years, called for congressional action, slamming Powell in a statement to the Post.
&#8220;A top Fed official cannot be permitted to make false statements under oath at a congressional hearing. Such statements must be promptly corrected, and in egregious cases, subject to censure by the Senate,&#8221; Levin said.
Former Department of Government Efficiency chief Elon Musk previously called the news about the Fed&#8217;s headquarters revamp &#8220;an eyebrow raiser&#8221; and suggested the department should investigate the spending.
The controversy arises as the Fed grapples with mounting financial losses totaling $233 billion over the past three years, including a record $114.6 billion loss in 2023 — the first time in its history that the central bank has operated in the red.
Powell, whose term as Fed Chair ends in May 2026 unless renominated by President Trump, is facing scathing criticism from the president over the central bank&#8217;s refusal to cut interest rates, adding to the mounting pressure on the embattled Fed Chair.

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell Testifies Before Senate Committee

‘Palace Of Versailles’: Fed Chair Lied About $2.5B HQ Renovation, Senators Say

Congress

Federal Reserve

Jerome Powell

Trump ally Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is set to launch her campaign for New York governor, giving Republicans new hope of flipping the traditionally deep blue Empire State, two sources familiar with Stefanik&#8217;s thinking told The Hill.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not a matter of if, it&#8217;s a matter of when,&#8221; one source close to Stefanik <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5371832-stefanik-prepares-launch-governor-race/">told</a> The Hill, noting that the congresswoman will announce &#8220;at the time and place&#8221; of her choosing.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Stefanik has been considering a run in recent months, following President Trump&#8217;s decision to withdraw her nomination to serve as U.N. ambassador, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stepping-up-as-a-team-stefanik-reacts-after-trump-withdraws-nomination">deeming</a> it too risky to put her competitive district up for an open election ahead of Trump&#8217;s push for his &#8220;big, beautiful bill.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
RUN <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EliseStefanik</a> RUN!! <a href="https://t.co/EJu4v6jz2n">https://t.co/EJu4v6jz2n</a>
&mdash; Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1938350682106458604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Stefanik was the number four Republican in the House, serving as Chair of the House Republican Conference after replacing former Rep. Liz Cheney, before being briefly nominated as U.N. ambassador.
Polling indicates strong support for the Trump ally, with a GrayHouse survey showing Stefanik commanding 44% among Republican primary voters compared to just 7% for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and 5% for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, both of whom received Trump endorsements for reelection to their current positions last month.
Republicans have reason for optimism in the traditionally Democratic stronghold, as the GOP has made significant gains in recent elections.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
Trump lost New York by just over 12 points in 2024, a dramatic 11-point <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-the-nation-told-us-in-2024-state-by-state/">improvement</a> from his 2020 performance, while current Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul defeated Republican challenger Lee Zeldin by only 6 points in her 2022 race. However, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report still considers the upcoming gubernatorial contest &#8220;likely Democratic.&#8221;
Stefanik, 41, has risen quickly through the Republican ranks since first being elected to Congress in 2014 at the age of 30 – at that time, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Her national profile grew significantly during former President Trump&#8217;s first impeachment proceedings, when she emerged as one of his most vocal defenders.
Republicans have been increasingly competitive in parts of New York, particularly in Long Island and Hudson Valley districts that helped the party secure a narrow House majority in 2022. Economic concerns, rising crime rates, and migration issues have become prominent topics that GOP candidates have successfully leveraged to win local races.
Stefanik&#8217;s run would come after socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in Tuesday&#8217;s Democratic mayoral primary, inciting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billionaire-pledges-to-bankroll-any-nyc-mayoral-candidate-who-can-beat-zohran-mamdani?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Billionaire+Pledges+To+Bankroll+Any+NYC+Mayoral+Candidate+Who+Can+Beat+Zohran+Mamdani">panic</a> among many in the city and providing a fruitful target for the New York Representative.
Mamdani, a state assemblyman representing parts of Queens, has championed policies that alarm fiscal conservatives and moderate Democrats alike. His <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-top-five-craziest-policy-proposals-from-nyc-mayor-candidates?author=Catherine+Maxwell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Here+Are+The+Top+Five+Craziest+Policy+Proposals+From+NYC+Mayor+Candidates">platform</a> includes advocating for city-owned supermarkets, rent freezing measures, and significant reallocations of police funding to social services.
Stefanik would likely face incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in the 2026 general election.
Hochul, who took office in 2021 following Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, has faced criticism over her handling of crime and the state&#8217;s high cost of living, issues that could provide an opening for Republicans to make further inroads with New York voters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul desperately tries to distance herself from the Defund the Police, raging antisemite Communist except Kathy refuses to denounce any of his insane Marxist policies. She OWNS this catastrophic candidate who will destroy NYC. 
Kathy Hochul… <a href="https://t.co/ifBXhTFEGx">https://t.co/ifBXhTFEGx</a>
&mdash; Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1938308720230105133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Stefanik/Hochul

Elise Stefanik Set To Challenge Hochul For New York Governor

2026 Midterms

Elise Stefanik

Kathy Hochul

New York

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, alleging the news network deliberately misrepresented the timeline of a phone call between him and President Donald Trump to make it appear the governor lied about their communication.
The lawsuit, first <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/newsom-sues-fox-news-defamation-case-00429168">reported</a> by POLITICO, centers on Fox News&#8217; coverage of a June 7 phone call between Trump and Newsom during anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles County. President Trump said he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">deployed</a> thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the area to quell the violence despite the governor&#8217;s objections, but local officials say they are there to protect federal buildings and federal workers.
The dispute arose when Trump claimed on June 10 that he had called Newsom &#8220;a day ago.&#8221; Newsom subsequently denied any recent contact, stating: &#8220;There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn&#8217;t even know who he&#8217;s talking to.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No more lies.
I’m suing Fox News for $787 million.<a href="https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB">https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB</a> <a href="https://t.co/qKoRaxHRDW">pic.twitter.com/qKoRaxHRDW</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1938587950704677237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News then ran a segment on Jesse Watters&#8217; program that Newsom&#8217;s claims &#8220;willfully distorted&#8221; the timeline to the network&#8217;s viewers. According to the lawsuit, Watters aired a deceptively edited video that juxtaposed Trump&#8217;s &#8220;day ago&#8221; claim with call logs obtained by Fox host John Roberts showing the call occurred on June 7 — three days earlier, not one day as Trump had claimed. Newsom accuses the network of falsely claiming he lied about the phone call and violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, which outlaws “deceptive and unfair business practices.”
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-6563">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
&#8220;If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump&#8217;s behalf, it should face consequences — just like it did in the Dominion case,&#8221; Newsom said in a statement to POLITICO, referencing Fox&#8217;s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023.
&#8220;I believe the American people should be able to trust the information they receive from a major news outlet. Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine,&#8221; the governor added.
Fox News dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to The Daily Wire, writing, &#8220;Gov. Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.&#8221;
In Fox News&#8217;s initial reporting on the disputed call, headlined &#8220;Trump brings receipts he called Newsom amid LA riots as California gov claims there wasn&#8217;t &#8216;even a voicemail,'&#8221; the network did <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-brings-receipts-he-called-newsom-amid-la-riots-california-gov-claims-wasnt-even-voicemail">include</a> Newsom&#8217;s clarification that the call was from &#8220;3 days ago&#8221; rather than the &#8220;day ago&#8221; Trump had claimed.
POLITICO notes that defamation cases brought by public officials face a much higher legal standard than those filed by private citizens. Newsom has indicated he would retract the lawsuit if Fox News issues a formal retraction and Jesse Watters delivers an on-air apology.

California Governor Newsom Announces Lawsuit Challenging Trump Tariff Authority

Newsom Targets Fox News With Dominion-Sized Lawsuit Over Trump Phone Call Dispute

California

Defamation

Fox News

Gavin Newsom

Lawsuit

Los Angeles

National Guard

Riots

Former Vice President Kamala Harris has faced significant resistance from California Democratic donors in recent weeks as she ramped up outreach for a potential gubernatorial run, with some major contributors still bitter about her role in what one called the &#8220;complete s*** storm&#8221; of her 2024 presidential run.
Harris has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamala-harris-hints-at-future-political-run-im-not-going-anywhere?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kamala+Harris+Hints+At+Future+Political+Run%3A+%E2%80%98I%E2%80%99m+Not+Going+Anywhere%E2%80%99">testing</a> the waters with trusted supporters as she considers a gubernatorial run, but enthusiasm has noticeably waned among the Democratic donor class, according to a POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/california-donors-kamala-harris-governor-00428797">report</a>.
One California Democrat who contributed six figures to Harris&#8217;s presidential campaign bluntly stated that her candidacy would only remind voters of the &#8220;traumatizing&#8221; 2024 election when Donald Trump regained power.
“Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete s*** storm. With Biden, we got bamboozled … I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too,” the unidentified donor reportedly said. “I’ve written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we’re living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I’m furious at them, truly.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/26/california-republicans-kamala-harris-governor-run-00368028">reports</a> that many GOP candidates, eager to face Harris given her damaged reputation, would consider throwing their hat in the ring should the former vice president enter the race.
Democratic fundraisers note that Harris has yet to address accusations from former Los Angeles mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, who alleges both she and Biden&#8217;s Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, another Democrat who has already entered the gubernatorial race, were &#8220;complicit in a cover-up&#8221; regarding Biden&#8217;s condition.
“Voters deserve to know the truth, what did Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra know, when did they know it, and most importantly, why didn’t either of them speak out?” Villaraigosa <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/20/fellow-democrat-tears-into-harris-becerra-bidens-fitness-00361106">said</a> in a statement. “This cover up directly led to a second Donald Trump term — and as a result, all Californians are paying the price.”
Harris has set a late-summer deadline for her decision. She is exploring multiple options beyond the governor&#8217;s race, including a potential 2028 presidential run or establishing &#8220;a philanthropic venture&#8221; outside of elected office, per POLITICO.
“It’s very fair to say there’s not an overwhelming clamor” for a Harris gubernatorial bid, said Scott Drexel, a Bay Area-based donor adviser. “It’s very hard for there to be one if it’s not 100 percent clear if she really wants to do it.”
“She’s going to have to work for the nomination,” Drexel said, “Every day that passes, there’s less of a sense of inevitability about her candidacy.”
Harris has made some quiet outreach, including multiple private meetings in the Bay Area during her visit to headline a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in early June.
These intimate gatherings in supporters&#8217; homes were officially billed as social events but carried &#8220;an unmistakable subtext&#8221; regarding her political future, POLITICO reported.
&#8220;The donors that are here, that have been with her know that this is her home state. She can win &#8230; but they also don&#8217;t want her to find herself in a spot of vulnerability, particularly if someone like a Rick Caruso comes into the race,&#8221; said Todd Hawkins, a Harris bundler dating back to her tenure as California attorney general.
Caruso, a billionaire developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, has been mentioned as a potential centrist challenger who could complicate Harris&#8217;s path to the nomination. Caruso is a former Republican who changed his party registration several times before running as a Democrat in the 2022 L.A. mayoral race, when he lost to Karen Bass. 
One Southern California fundraiser, speaking anonymously, said donors &#8220;realize it&#8217;s just going to bring up the whole pathetic last presidential, which no one wants to hear about again. And then it&#8217;s the whole &#8216;Did you know Joe Biden?&#8217; thing. She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped.&#8221;

Former Vice President Kamala Harris

Liberal Donors Trash Kamala: ‘Just Reminds You We Are in This Complete S*** Storm’

gubernatorial race

Kamala Harris

Rick Caruso

Xavier Becerra

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman vowed on Wednesday to provide &#8220;hundreds of millions of dollars&#8221; to back any viable challenger against Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City&#8217;s mayoral race.
Mamdani <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andrew-cuomo-falls-to-radical-socialist-zohran-mamdani-in-nyc-mayoral-primary?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Tim+Rice&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Andrew+Cuomo+Falls+To+Radical+Socialist+Zohran+Mamdani+In+NYC+Mayoral+Primary">defeated</a> former Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York City&#8217;s Democratic primary on Tuesday and will compete against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (running as an independent this cycle) and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the November general election.
Ackman, founder and chief executive of hedge fund manager Pershing Square Capital, <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/politics/billionaire-bill-ackman-promises-millions-to-anyone-willing-to-challenge-mamdani-for-nyc-mayor/">wrote</a> a lengthy post on X to express his alarm at Mamdani’s victory.
&#8220;I awoke this morning gravely concerned about New York City,&#8221; Ackman wrote. &#8220;I thought &#8216;What has NYC become that an avowed socialist who has supported defunding the police, whose solution to lowering food prices is city-owned supermarkets, who doesn&#8217;t understand that freezing rents will only make apartments scarcer and more expensive in the long run.'&#8221;
The billionaire investor compared a potential Mamdani-led New York to &#8220;another failed major city run by Democrats alongside Seattle, Chicago, LA, and SF,&#8221; quoting Senator John Fetterman&#8217;s (D-PA) assessment that Mamdani&#8217;s victory represented &#8220;Christmas in July for the GOP.&#8221;
&#8220;A mayor who disrespects the NYPD and has called for their defunding will get less effective policing, and Bratton&#8217;s &#8216;broken window theory&#8217; will operate in reverse,&#8221; Ackman wrote, warning that New York City would become &#8220;much more dangerous and economically unviable&#8221; under Mamdani&#8217;s administration.
Ackman assured potential candidates that funding would be instantly available, stating, &#8220;there are hundreds of million of dollars of capital available to back a competitor to Mamdani that can be put together overnight,&#8221; and adding that he is &#8220;in the text strings and the WhatsApp groups&#8221; organizing the effort.
The financier noted that any challenger would likely need to run as a write-in candidate, but suggested this could become &#8220;an important call to action that brings people in throngs to the polls&#8221; rather than a disadvantage.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I awoke this morning gravely concerned about New York City. I thought “What has NYC become that an avowed socialist who has supported defunding the police, whose solution to lowering food prices is city-owned supermarkets, who doesn’t understand that freezing rents will only…
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillAckman/status/1938094628034506984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
New York City, with a gross metropolitan <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP35620">product</a> of $2.3 trillion and a population exceeding 8 million residents, is America&#8217;s financial nerve center. Many on Wall Street reacted with dread following Mamdani’s primary win, and <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/23/us-news/nyc-biz-leaders-left-shaking-over-prospect-of-zohran-mamdani-mayoral-win-it-would-be-disastrous/">predicted</a> a mass exodus from the city if he is elected in November.
Mamdani, a state assemblyman representing parts of Queens, has championed policies that alarm fiscal conservatives and moderate Democrats alike. His <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-top-five-craziest-policy-proposals-from-nyc-mayor-candidates?author=Catherine+Maxwell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Here+Are+The+Top+Five+Craziest+Policy+Proposals+From+NYC+Mayor+Candidates">platform</a> includes advocating for city-owned supermarkets, rent freezing measures, and significant reallocations of police funding to social services.
Ackman expressed particular concern about Mamdani&#8217;s stance on Israel, noting that &#8220;a mayor who condones hate speech will incentivize more hate speech and violence,&#8221; adding that &#8220;words matter, and yes, they can inspire people to kill as we have recently tragically seen in our country and around the world.&#8221;
Mamdani has stated that he doesn’t believe Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, refused to condemn calls to “globalize the intifada,” and recorded a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/21/us-news/socialist-nyc-mayoral-candidate-zohran-mamdani-once-rapped-about-his-love-for-hamas-teror-funding-group-holy-land-five/">rap song</a> expressing “love” to convicted Hamas financiers. His October 7 statement notably focused on “ending the occupation” with little mention of Hamas’ massacre of Israeli civilians.
Ackman suggested that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg might play a significant role in any challenge to Mamdani, stating that he was &#8220;sure that Mike Bloomberg will share his how-to-win-the-mayoralty IP and deliver his entire election apparatus and system to the aspiring candidate.&#8221;
The investor called on his followers to &#8220;crowdsource&#8221; potential candidate names and conduct polling to identify the most viable challenger.

US-POLITICS-ECONOMY-MILKEN

Billionaire Pledges To Bankroll Any NYC Mayoral Candidate Who Can Beat Zohran Mamdani

Bill Ackman

Wall Street

Former CNN host Chris Cuomo slammed the Democratic Party after “open socialist” Zohran Mamdani <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andrew-cuomo-falls-to-radical-socialist-zohran-mamdani-in-nyc-mayoral-primary?author=Tim+Rice&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Andrew+Cuomo+Falls+To+Radical+Socialist+Zohran+Mamdani+In+NYC+Mayoral+Primary">defeated</a> his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday.
Cuomo told viewers on his NewsNation program Wednesday night, “Thank you very much for all the kind words about my brother. I didn’t cover the mayoral election or even comment on it here at NewsNation for obvious reasons, and my feelings about my brother and what he should do now, those are personal, not professional. So, suffice it to say, I love and support my brother, and I’m not worried about him.”
Cuomo revealed that he was not stunned by the outcome.
“It was a low turnout race that people did not think could go the way it did. The enthusiasm and turnout energy were overweighted for the more extreme candidates, as is often the case, and that’s one of the problems with our binary system and with our closed primaries,&#8221; Cuomo said. “Not to mention, and contrary to what was sold by his opponents, Andrew’s no establishment guy and the party was not loving that he ran, but that’s his case to make, okay?”
Gov. Cuomo, 67, who has been elected to that role three times, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-andrew-cuomo-to-resign">resigned</a> in disgrace in 2021 following multiple allegations of sexual harassment by female employees, making him a pariah in the eyes of many primary voters and the Democratic establishment.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani, 33, a state assemblyman, advocated for defunding the police, rent control expansion, government-sponsored grocery stores, higher taxes, and $65 million in taxpayer-funded “gender-affirming” trans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-mayoral-hopeful-would-go-all-in-on-transing-the-kids-to-the-tune-of-65-million?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=New+York+Mayoral+Hopeful+Would+Go+All-In+On+Transing+The+Kids%2C+To+The+Tune+Of+%2465+Million">procedures</a> for adults and children.
Chris Cuomo <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/chris-cuomo-declares-democratic-party-dead-after-brother-loses-nyc-mayoral-primary-tacitly-supporting-extreme-islamism/">blasted</a> the Democratic Party for its “extremism,” declaring the party all but “dead” in his eyes.
“The Democratic Party is now officially in MAGA mode. We are now, on both sides, in a period of extremism,” Cuomo said. “The same way MAGA played with the prejudices of white nationalism, you’re seeing an identical dynamic on the Left with prejudices like tacitly supporting extreme Islamism or targeting Jews.”
“For the Right, it’s migrants. For the Left, it’s Jews. It’s fundamentalist Christians dominating the Right. It’s fundamentalist Islamists making headway on the Left. I know that doesn’t sound like Democrats, but that party is dead. What it will be reborn as, we’ll see,” Cuomo added.
Mamdani has stated that he doesn&#8217;t believe Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state, refused to condemn calls to “globalize the intifada,” and recorded a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/21/us-news/socialist-nyc-mayoral-candidate-zohran-mamdani-once-rapped-about-his-love-for-hamas-teror-funding-group-holy-land-five/">rap song</a> expressing “love” to convicted Hamas financiers. His October 7 statement notably focused on “ending the occupation” without mentioning Hamas&#8217;s massacre of Israeli civilians.
“What we’re seeing now is that there are many in America who are adopting and adapting to fundamentalism. The outcome in this election wasn’t about affordability or about real change. The winner is an open socialist, and the Democratic Party is now just that: socialistic. But be clear, this is a fictional fix for very real frustrations,” Cuomo concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There is no more Democratic party. There is no Republican party. Here is the truth: <a href="https://t.co/7b8nTV5Hhp">pic.twitter.com/7b8nTV5Hhp</a>
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisCuomo/status/1938041189204431251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Andrew Cuomo declined to say if he would run in the November general election as an independent for the Fight and Deliver Party, which he formed for this race.
Should the ex-governor enter the race as an independent, that would make the race a five-person contest between Cuomo, Mamdani, incumbent Democrat Mayor Eric Adams (running as an independent this cycle), Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, a talk show host, and independent Jim Walden, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Andrew Cuomo and Chris Cuomo

‘That Party Is Dead’: Chris Cuomo Blasts Democrats After Brother’s Defeat To ‘Open Socialist’

Chris Cuomo

Media

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine in a Thursday press conference with Defense Secratary Pete Hegseth provided a detailed description of the American strikes and released video showing how bunker-buster bombs crippled Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities.
Caine revealed that the United States military had developed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, better known as bunker buster bombs, more than 15 years ago, specifically with Iran’s nuclear program in mind.
He showed several military graphics and videos showcasing exactly how the bombers were to inflict extensive damage at Iran&#8217;s Fordo nuclear site.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Gen. Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine demonstrates how GBU-57 MOPs work: &#8220;Unlike a normal surface bomb, you won&#8217;t see an impact crater because they&#8217;re designed to deeply bury and then function &#8230; All six weapons at each vent at Fordow went exactly where they were intended to go.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/iQs3oWcJ4X">pic.twitter.com/iQs3oWcJ4X</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1938215092128231753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“All six weapons at each vent at Fordo went exactly where they were intended to go. A bomb has three effects that causes damage: blast, fragmentation, and overpressure,” Caine said. “In this case, the primary kill mechanism in the mission space was a mix of overpressure and blast ripping through the open tunnels and destroying critical hardware.“
Thursday&#8217;s press conference comes after the Trump administration accused CNN, The New York Times, and other legacy media outlets of attempting to torpedo the success of the strikes, quoting a leaked preliminary assessment that said the attack only set Iran’s nuclear program back by months.
“The majority of the damage we assessed based on our extensive modeling was a blast layer combined with the impulse extending from the shock. Imagine what this looks like six times over,” Caine added.
The media asked Gen. Caine if he was pressured to provide a rosy assessment of the destruction at Fordo, to which he pushed back, “No, I have not, and no, I would not.”
The U.S. strike on Fordo primarily focused on two ventilation shafts as the “primary point of entry into the mission space,” Caine said.
“In the days preceding the attack against Fordo, the Iranians attempted to cover the shafts with concrete to try to prevent an attack,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I won’t share the specific dimensions of the concrete cap, but you should know that we know what the dimensions of those concrete caps were. The planners had to account for this. They accounted for everything.”
“The cap was forcibly removed by the first weapon, and the main shaft was uncovered. Weapons two, three, four, five were tasked to enter the main shaft, move down into the complex at greater than 1,000 feet per second, and explode in the mission space. Weapon number six was designed as a flex weapon to allow us to cover if one of the preceding jets or one of the preceding weapons did not work. There were six on each side.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/thejointstaff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thejointstaff</a> Chairman General Dan Caine describes the devastating weaponry dropped on Fordow in last Saturday&#8217;s strikes: <a href="https://t.co/Ol9SE9rmvN">pic.twitter.com/Ol9SE9rmvN</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1938214162812879293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pete Hegseth – Dan Caine holds a joint press conference in DC

WATCH: Gen. ‘Razin’ Caine Unveils Footage Demonstrating Fordo Collapse After Devastating Iran Strike

Department of Defense

Fordo

Iran

Nuclear

Pete Hegseth

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened that Spain would have to &#8220;pay twice as much&#8221; in a future trade deal after the NATO member refused to commit to the alliance&#8217;s new target of spending 5% of its gross domestic product on defense and security.
&#8220;You&#8217;re the only country that is not paying. I don&#8217;t know what the problem is,&#8221; Trump said at the NATO summit in The Hague when questioned about Spain&#8217;s refusal to go along.
&#8220;You know what we’re gonna do? We&#8217;re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We&#8217;re going to make them pay twice as much. And I&#8217;m actually serious about that,&#8221; the president added.
NATO members <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-triumphs-nato-bows-to-u-s-pressure-with-5-defense-pledge?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Triumphs%3A+NATO+Bows+To+U.S.+Pressure+With+5%25+Defense+Pledge">agreed</a> to increase defense spending from the current 2% level to 5% of their country’s gross domestic product by 2035. Spain was the only member that rejected this target, arguing that it would strain the country’s extensive welfare state.
“We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defense investment, but we are not going to do it,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-heads-to-nato-summit-demanding-freeloading-allies-pay-their-fair-share?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Heads+To+NATO+Summit+Demanding+%E2%80%98Freeloading%E2%80%99+Allies+Pay+Their+Fair+Share">said</a> before the summit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump rips into Spain for refusing to increase NATO spending.
&quot;I think Spain&#39;s terrible what they&#39;ve done, they are the only Country that won&#39;t pay 5%&quot; <a href="https://t.co/WD5JGnc2WU">pic.twitter.com/WD5JGnc2WU</a>
&mdash; Media Research Center (@theMRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/theMRC/status/1937881474520223900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;They want a little bit of a free ride, but they&#8217;ll have to pay it back to us on trade, because I’m not going to let that happen. It’s unfair,” Trump said.
As a part of the European Union, Spain <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-25/trump-threatens-to-double-tariffs-on-spain-over-nato-spending">negotiates</a> trade as part of the 27-member bloc, not individually, per Bloomberg. Still, Trump emphasized his intention to bypass the European Union&#8217;s regular trade negotiation protocols.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to negotiate directly with Spain. I&#8217;m going to do it myself,&#8221; Trump insisted. &#8220;They&#8217;re going to pay, they&#8217;ll pay more money this way.&#8221;
The threat comes ahead of the Trump administration&#8217;s July 9 deadline for the European Union to agree to a trade deal. If no agreement is reached, tariffs on EU products imported into the United States are set to increase to 50%.
NATO members condemned Spain for rejecting the 5% target.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, whose country allocates a higher percentage of its GDP for defense than any NATO member, blasted Spain’s lack of commitment.
“We believe that any deviation from this principle by any member country is a bad example,” he said.
“It’s incredibly unfair to the alliance,” another NATO official <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-nato-canada-defense-target-spending-gdp/">said</a> to POLITICO.
At the press conference on Wednesday, Trump said his outlook on NATO had changed. Previously critical of &#8220;freeloading&#8221; nations not paying their fair share in defense, he now believes the alliance is no longer a &#8220;rip-off&#8221; given the new 5% commitment. The increase is expected to significantly boost the alliance&#8217;s collective defense capabilities at a time of heightened global tensions, as the United States has historically shouldered more than two-thirds of NATO&#8217;s collective defense spending.

Menu

Nathan Gay