Trump running mate contender called ‘a workhorse, not a show horse’
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is in the Trump running mate spotlight.
The Army veteran, who served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising star in Republican Party politics, has been viewed as a potential running mate since he endorsed the former president in early January, two weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
But buzz about the senator intensified following a slew of media reports in late May that Cotton was moving up on Trump’s list for the GOP’s vice presidential nomination.
“I speak to President Trump and his senior team pretty regularly about the campaign and that we’re doing everything we can to set him up for success,” Cotton said this past week in an interview with Fox News Digital.
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But Cotton emphasized that “we haven’t talked about the vice presidential choice.”
“I suspect there’s only one person who knows who’s genuinely on his short list and who he’s going to choose and that’s President Trump, and I’m confident that with a great roster of Republicans that he’s going to make a good choice at the right time,” the senator added.
Asked if he’d say yes if Trump offered him the running mate slot, Cotton said, “I do love my job in the United States Senate. It’s a privilege and an honor to serve the people of Arkansas and the people of our nation, but of course, any patriot if asked by the President of the United States to serve in another capacity, would have to seriously entertain it.”
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The 47-year-old Cotton has built a reputation during his tenure in Congress as a conservative hardliner and a small-government Republican.
“He’s articulate. He’s smart. I feel like he’s right in the heart of what the party is and wants right now,” longtime Republican strategist David Koch told Fox News when asked about Cotton’s political attributes.
Koch, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, added that Cotton is young and that “he does the work. He’s a workhorse, not a show horse… He’s sharp and is going to be a good debater.”
Pointing to Cotton’s military service and his position on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Koch added, “I think his credibility on foreign policy is pretty important.”
Among the potential drawbacks — the obvious. As a white male, Cotton would bring no added diversity to the Republican national ticket.
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Another issue — he hails from a reliably red state. But he is far from the only potential running mate contender who lives in a state where Republicans dominate the political landscape.
Cotton was interviewed by Fox News as he made a stop in New Hampshire to help campaign with former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is the frontrunner for this year’s Republican gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed retiring Gov. Chris Sununu.
Cotton is no stranger to New Hampshire, the state that for a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House.
The senator made two stops in the Granite State in 2020 on behalf of then-President Trump’s re-election campaign. And he was a frequent visitor in 2021 and 2022 to campaign on behalf of Republicans running in the midterm elections and to test the waters on a possible 2024 White House bid.
But days before the 2022 midterms, Cotton announced he wouldn’t run for the White House in 2024.
And in his first interview after announcing his decision, the senator emphasized why he didn’t run.
“Family was really the only consideration,” Cotton said at the time.
The senator and his wife, Anna, are the parents of two young boys.
“My boys are ages 7 and 5. They’re old enough to know that dad’s gone and be sad about it, but not old enough to understand the purpose and why it all matters and why the sacrifice is worth it,” Cotton said at the time. “I am pretty sure Republican voters can find another nominee, but I know that my sons can’t find another dad for the next two years.”
The senator added that “over the next two years, my 7-year-old will learn to hit the fastball and my 5-year-old will learn to read, and I want to be there to teach them both.”
But Cotton didn’t rule out a White House bid in the future.
Fast-forward nearly two years, and Cotton reiterated that he “closed the chapter on national race at the time but my wife and I didn’t necessarily close the book” on a presidential campaign in 2028 or beyond.
Musk calls for ultimate penalty for those opposed to requiring voters to prove citizenship
Elon Musk weighed in on a bill proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that aims to ensure only American citizens can vote in federal elections, saying those who oppose the measure are “TRAITORS,” while rhetorically asking what the punishment for treason is in the U.S.
Johnson unveiled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, originally pushed by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, at a press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, earlier this year.
Leading up to the July Fourth week-long recess, Johnson was circulating a memo within the House GOP conference, arguing why the bill is necessary.
On Friday, he continued to make his case on Musk’s social media platform, X.
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“The SAVE Act will safeguard our elections by ensuring only American citizens vote in federal elections,” the House speaker said before continuing with a series of posts that explained what the legislation does.
According to Johnson, the bill requires state election officials to ask about citizenship before providing applicants with voter registration forms. It also requires an individual to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote in federal elections, allows state officials to accept a variety of documents to make it easy for citizens to register to vote and provides states with access to a federal agency database in which they can remove noncitizens from voter rolls and confirm citizenship for those who lack proof.
Johnson also said the measure directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine whether to begin removal proceedings of noncitizens who have been identified as having registered to vote in federal elections and requires DHS to notify state chief election officials when an individual has been naturalized, allowing them to exercise their new right to vote.
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In response to the series of posts, Musk provided his two cents.
“Those who oppose this are traitors. All Caps: TRAITORS,” he said. “What is the penalty for traitors again?”
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The Constitution calls on traitors guilty of treason to be sentenced to death or be imprisoned for no less than five years. They are also to be fined no less than $10,000 and be barred from ever holding office in the U.S.
Congress is expected to return to Washington, D.C., Monday.
The timing of the vote happening this month would be significant, coming less than six months before Trump’s White House rematch with President Biden.
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Democratic critics of the SAVE Act have argued it is unnecessary because it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.
Real estate rising star points to new direction that could ‘disrupt’ housing market
As Ross Gellar yelled, “pivot!”
With mortgage interest rates hovering around 7%, prospective buyers are facing a challenging landscape with limited housing inventory and escalating home prices to boot.
But one celebrity real estate expert and the new star of Netflix’s only New York City-based real estate reality show, “Owning Manhattan” — helmed by real estate icon Ryan Serhant — is urging those looking to buy in a new direction: commercial.
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“I think commercial real estate is the better investment overall,” Jade Shenker, a licensed real estate agent for the SERHANT. firm, told Fox News Digital. “Right now, it’s like a giant Black Friday sale. It’s a buyer’s market. Things are really trading at almost 40%, 50% market value.”
“The economy’s always adapting,” she added. “There’s never been a 20-year period where something stays the same. And with commercial real estate, you have the ability to transform a building into something else. I mean, you can subdivide it, you can market it to different types of users… I think usability is more vast when it comes to commercial real estate in general.”
Commercial real estate typically refers to any property with more than four units. The definition could apply to a multifamily home or apartment building with at least five units, or to large residential rental properties. It can also be classified as real estate used for business activities.
Shenker’s not the only real estate expert to point to commercial real estate as the better investment for those who can afford it. Cushman & Wakefield Global Brokerage Chairman Bruce Mosler previously told FOX Business that the sector’s future is “looking bright.”
“We’re actually seeing demand increase this year. I think we all acknowledge that in the [Manhattan] commercial sector, we have some obsolescence. But, by and large, we have to recognize that when it comes to quality space… we’re seeing demand remain very high.”
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Shenker, who Netflix describes as a commercial real estate strategist who’s made her name as a Top 30 Under 30 real estate industry disruptor and advisor, told Fox News Digital she wants to make real estate “sexy” again amid market woes.
Since founding SERHANT.’s commercial division with almost a quarter billion dollars in active listings, Shenker has managed over $650 million in luxury assets, with notable achievements in restructuring, repositioning, and re-marketing projects.
For the 28-year-old, part of that re-marketing innovation includes music videos.
“Technology and marketing changes over time. And for some reason, commercial real estate hasn’t adapted to the new marketing techniques of being able to put a property in front of the eyes globally. So one of the reasons that I came to SERHANT. was Ryan’s vision to bring this marketing — the videos, this incredible approach to marketing in general — to real estate.”
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Serhant’s firm includes a cinema-quality production studio that produces those videos in-house, which Shenker has made innovative use of.
“I’ve made music videos [for] listings. I’ve taken renowned artists from around the world — famous and some infamous — to help people take out their phones and market a property and showcase it. So I’ve been very strategic,” Shenker added. “It’s not about just showing the four boring walls, which is the bare minimum. It’s about transforming it and showcasing what can be done with the space.”
“So, what I’m hoping to disrupt is the way that people are marketing commercial real estate. Because right now, there are so many properties on the market.”
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Earlier this month, Fannie Mae reported that only 14% of consumers indicated it was a good time to buy a home, down from 20% the month prior.
Despite the reported sentiment towards investing, Shenker said she believes owning a piece of real estate is just as much the American dream as ever.
“I think this is everyone’s dream. I don’t think it’s just the American dream. America is a melting pot. You can come here, and, no matter where you’re from, and if you have a dream, it’s possible for you.”
“And I think real estate is the sexiest dream in the world,” Shenker told Fox News Digital. “What is sexier than owning a piece of the most amazing city in the world?”
Netflix subscribers can now watch Shenker “make commercial real estate sexy” alongside real estate legend Ryan Serhant and his cast of agents as they explore the glamorous world of New York City real estate in ‘Owning Manhattan.’
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Family’s $444 receipt from popular grocery store chain goes viral on social media
A California family’s massive Trader Joe’s receipt recently went viral on social media, sparking a debate about which grocery stores are affordable for families.
In a video that’s been viewed over 17 million times on X, a father-of-six’s camera panned across a massive Trader Joe’s receipt from a location in Westlake Village, an affluent city in Los Angeles County.
“Here’s what it takes to feed six kids [for] about a week and a half,” the man is heard saying in the video. Most of the items on the massive receipt cost between $2.99 and $3.99.
The video shows that the family bought fresh produce like strawberries ($4.49 a pound), a bag of four avocados ($4.99) and cucumbers ($2.49 each) on the grocery trip.
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The receipt also included a large amount of frozen food items, such as Trader Joe’s chicken and cheese tamales ($3.99 each), chicken soup dumplings ($3.49 each) and a margherita pizza ($4.79 each).
The most expensive items on the receipt were the frozen Korean-style beef short ribs, which clocked in at $13.99 each. Other pricier products included breaded chicken tenderloins at $8.99 and a rib-eye steak for $7.27.
In response to the video, some social media users dissed Trader Joe’s prices and endorsed the discount supermarket chain Aldi.
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“Would cost 1/3 that at Aldi,” one person said.
“Aldi’s got you for like $125,” another chimed in.
Other X users asserted that Trader Joe’s prepared food products are not designed to feed large families at a low price.
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“Shopping at trader joes [sic] instead of costco [sic] with 6 kids is insane,” one tweet, which accrued 22,000 likes, read.
“Trader Joe’s isn’t meant for a large family,” another user wrote.
Some social media users encouraged the family to buy simpler food products to reduce the cost of their grocery bills.
“Trader Joe’s is cheap, but this person didn’t buy anything to cook, it’s all prepared stuff which is always more,” a commentator wrote. “Buy ingredients and make food.”
“Nearly half of everything on the list is organic, which is a luxury. Also things like Gnocci Alla Sorrentina, surfine capers, and Brazil nut body wash (!)?” another argued. “If he’s going to cry about prices, at least have some buying discipline.”
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FOX Business reached out to the shopper and Trader Joe’s for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Heartbreaking update after two boaters go swimming and never resurface
Search and recovery operations will resume Sunday morning for two boaters who went missing on Lake Michigan in northwest Indiana on Friday, local officials say.
Search efforts for the missing swimmers began Friday, though officials on Saturday turned efforts toward a recovery mission, which will continue Sunday with the help of sonar equipment, according to FOX 32 in Chicago.
The search was called off late Friday as nightfall descended on rescue efforts. Weather conditions in the area are hampering search efforts due to strong winds and high waves, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources tells Fox News Digital.
The two men had been on a boat with ten other people, including adults and juveniles, about two and a half miles off Whiting on Lake Michigan at around 2:30 p.m. when one of the men jumped off the boat to swim but began to struggle, the station reported.
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The group tried to move the boat closer to him but couldn’t reach him due to the strong winds and waves, and then a second man jumped into the water to try and help the first swimmer.
However, the second man also got into difficulty, prompting a third man in a life jacket to then go into the water but then got separated from the other two men.
The man wearing the life jacket was then rescued by the Coast Guard at around 4:30 p.m. and taken to a hospital for mild hypothermia but has since been released.
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Marty Benson, of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, tells Fox News Digital that the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the Hammond Fire Department, the Hammond Police Department, and the Hammond Port Authority are helping with search efforts.
One of the missing men is from Elk Grove Village, and the other is from Mount Prospect.
Also on Friday, a man and a teenage girl were rescued from Lake Michigan at Muskegon’s Pere Marquette Park, which is about 45 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, WWMT reports.
The teenager was found first and was initially unresponsive but was responsive as of 6 p.m. Friday. Crews were not able to locate the man for a while, but he was pulled to shore and CPR was performed. He is in serious condition, according to local reports.
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On Thursday, the Coast Guard rescued two children and two adults from the water off Galveston, Texas, after their vessel capsized.
When the Coast Guard arrived on the scene, they found the four clinging to the capsized vessel. The two children were wearing life jackets, but the two adults were not.
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They were safely taken to shore, and no injuries were reported, the Coast Guard said.