Trump’s pitch as voters head to the polls, where they could ultimately choose 51st state
OTTAWA- In a dramatic reversal, the governing Liberals, who were trailing the official opposition Conservatives in the polls earlier this year, appear poised to win their fourth consecutive term in office thanks to President Donald Trump’s threats against Canada’s economy and sovereignty, according to election watchers.
“It looks like there will be a Liberal government, which seems to be what the polls point to, and it would be a very big surprise if the Conservatives won,” Angus Reid, founder and chair of the Angus Reid Institute, told Fox News Digital.
Trump posted advice to Canadian voters on Monday morning on Truth Social, saying in part, “Good luck to the Great people of Canada. Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America.”
In an Angus Reid Institute poll released on Dec. 30, the Conservatives were in super-majority territory with 45% support, compared to the Liberals at 11%. The results of a poll released on Saturday had the Liberals at 44% with a four-point lead over the Conservatives at 40%.
TRUMP TAKES CENTER STAGE IN CANADA’S PRIME MINISTER ELECTION DEBATE
“This really has been an extraordinary election in that, by all rights, Canadians had it with the Liberals’ woke policies and with their misspending and didn’t like Trudeau,” Reid said.
He explained that the political dynamic changed when Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as Canada’s 23rd prime minister and Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president in January, and former central bank governor Mark Carney succeeded Trudeau as prime minister and Liberal leader in March.
“Between tariffs and threats of annexation, Trump became the single most important issue in the country overnight,” said Reid. “That gave Mark Carney an opportunity to be the first out of the gate to say that we’re not going to put up with this – we’re a sovereign nation and we’re going to fight.”
The campaign has been a two-party race between the Liberals and Conservatives and led by two starkly different leaders who focused on strengths that their critics considered weaknesses.
Carney, a 60-year-old former senior executive at Goldman Sachs who never held elected office prior to winning the Liberal leadership, has called on voters to consider – during a time of economic crisis fueled by Trump’s threats – his experience, which includes running the central banks of Canada and England, and as the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance.
His detractors, however, have accused him of being out of touch and “not connected to the common man” and has spent a fair amount of time outside Canada, as a former deputy national Conservative Party campaign manager told Fox News Digital last month.
Meanwhile, Poilievre’s message to voters is that he is the agent for “change.” However, his opponents claim the 45-year-old Conservative leader is part of the political establishment, having spent almost half of his life as a member of Parliament since he was first elected in 2004 – and the change he touts came with a shift in Liberal leadership from Trudeau to Carney.
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The results of an Ipsos poll conducted for Global News in Canada, released on April 21, showed a narrow three-point lead for the Liberals at 41% over the Conservatives at 38%.
Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Global Public Affairs, told Fox News Digital that the Liberals were ahead of the Conservatives by 12 points in mid-April and have lost ground since “because of the effect of Donald Trump, both positive and negative.”
“When Donald Trump is in the news saying 51st-state stuff, that brings the focus back to the major issue that the Liberals lead on, which is dealing with him,” said Bricker.
“But over the past two weeks, Donald Trump has kind of gone dark on Canada. He’s been focused on China, U.S. government funding of Harvard University, and to the extent he’s talking about trade, it’s about global trade deals.”
That, said Bricker, has resulted in many Canadians returning to their pre-Trump main issue of affordability, through the lens of the Liberals running the government over the past decade.
Ultimately, the outcome of Monday’s general election will be decided by geography, according to Bricker, who said that the national vote “will be won or lost” in Ontario, particularly in Toronto and the surrounding so-called 905 region, which refers to the telephone area code, where there are 55 ridings (electoral districts) and about 4.5 million eligible voters.
“The 905 voted overwhelmingly for Justin Trudeau’s Liberals three times,” said Bricker. “If they do it again, the Liberals will win a fourth consecutive term in office.”
CANADA’S NEW PM AND TRUMP CRITIC MARK CARNEY ACCUSED OF BEING OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE ‘COMMON MAN’
Last week, Carney said if he remains prime minister following the election that he would have a meeting with Trump “within days” as part of an “ambitious and broad-ranging discussion” on a new trade and security deal between Canada and the U.S.
Reid said that the Liberals’ improved showing was not just about Canadians warming to Carney, but also about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s failure to turn the dial from focusing on a consumer carbon tax, which the Liberal leader canceled on April 1 in his first act as prime minister, and “still reflecting on Trudeau long after he had gone, instead of jumping right away onto the Trump threat and becoming something that he would lead the charge on.”
The irony, in Reid’s view, is that “Trump imperiled the campaign of an individual who could be in many ways his stepbrother in Canada,” he said about Poilievre, who he called”mini-Trump,” and his “anti-woke,” smaller-government stance – “Trump-esque policies that the American right might want to see in Canada and certainly a lot of Canadians on the right want to see.”
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According to Elections Canada, a record 7.3 million Canadians cast their ballots in advance polls over the Easter weekend. With the country having six time zones, the results aren’t expected to be known until late Monday evening.
Eagles’ star makes decision on White House visit as teammate spends time with Trump
Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts reportedly made a decision on whether he would attend the team’s Super Bowl celebration at the White House with President Donald Trump on Monday.
Hurts will not attend due to “scheduling conflicts,” Fox News confirmed.
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The word of Hurts’ decision came hours before the celebration was set to take place. Hurts raised eyebrows last week when he dodged a question on the red carpet for the Time100 Gala about attending the celebration.
Hurts didn’t give a glowing review of the president’s decision to attend Super Bowl LIX, which saw Philadelphia defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.
“He’s welcome to do what he wants,” Hurts said in February.
NFL NETWORK’S KYLE BRANDT SLAMS MEDIA OVER SHEDEUR SANDERS DRAFT COVERAGE
Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley was seen with Trump at his golf course in New Jersey on Sunday. He rode back to Washington on Air Force One with the president.
Barkley pushed back on the criticism he received on social media for his interactions with Trump.
“lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley wrote on X. “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago… and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.”
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Eagles team owner Jeffrey Lurie and head coach Nick Sirianni have both expressed their excitement to head to the White House.
China is exhibiting ‘end-of-regime conduct,’ expert warns of ‘perplexing’ behavior
Something is “very, very wrong” in Beijing right now, according to foreign policy expert Gordon Chang, who is signaling more “end-of-regime conduct” coming out of Xi Jinping’s China.
“At a time when China needs friends because it’s not selling goods to the U.S., it is going out of its way to antagonize not just the Philippines, not just Taiwan, but also South Korea and Australia,” Chang, a senior fellow with the Gatestone Institute, said on “Mornings with Maria” Monday.
“This shows that… this is end-of-regime conduct, because Xi Jinping, he can’t appear to be giving in to the U.S.,” he added.
On Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters from the White House lawn that he’s spoken to Jinping “many times” now, before responding to a question about what exactly the two leaders discussed: “I’ll let you know at the appropriate time. Let’s see if we can make a deal.”
CHINA IS ‘CAVING’ TO TRUMP’S TRADE WAR STRATEGY, EXPERT SIGNALS
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday that Beijing backs international rules when it comes to tariffs imposed by Trump and that the U.S. levies show “extreme egoism.” He explained that China would look for solidarity with other countries regarding the tariffs, noting that Beijing would uphold multilateralism to “inject stability into the world.”
Beijing has publicly denied any ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration to bring down America’s 145% tariff and China’s 125% tariff.
“[Jinping] has configured the Chinese political system so that it is hostile. And also, because he’s been making the claim that China has surpassed the U.S., he can’t look dependent on trade with the U.S.,” Chang explained. “And he certainly can’t look like he’s talking to the U.S. under pressure.”
“This is really very perplexing behavior, and it shows that something is very, very wrong in Beijing right now.”
A recent report from Reuters claimed China’s Ministry of Commerce taskforce is collecting lists of items that could be exempted from tariffs, from electronic goods to essentials, and is asking companies to submit their own requests.
Chang argues that China’s regime under Jinping cannot admit it’s not able to stand up to Washington.
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“China, without any announcements, is not collecting tariffs on important goods. So for instance, some semiconductors, aviation products, industrial chemicals, medical devices, some medicines,” he listed.
“This is going to expand,” Chang predicted. “It means that China has made an important concession. But it’s not saying it’s making a concession, which is a fascinating insight into the Chinese political system right now, which has become both intransigent and inflexible.”
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Hegseth unloads after shock study reveals number of obese Reserve and Guard troops
More than two-thirds of Reserve and Guard troops are overweight, a potential threat to readiness and their ability to deploy at a moment’s notice, a new report by the American Security Project (ASP) found.
Some 68% of the nation’s reserve forces are overweight, ASP researchers estimate.
“With the diminished size of the [active-duty] force and increasing demands on the National Guard and reserves, service members separated due to obesity and its comorbidities are vital personnel the Armed Forces cannot afford to lose,” researchers concluded in the report.
The study calls for new policies to ensure troops’ health and better access to obesity-related healthcare.
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“Completely unacceptable. This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness & weight standards are here. We will be FIT, not FAT,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared in a post on X.
An ASP report from October 2023 found that two-thirds of active duty service members fell into the overweight to obese category based on body mass index.
“These service members experience heightened risk for a wide variety of serious health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and osteoarthritis, which may lead to life-threatening health events such as stroke and heart failure,” the report warned.
Past studies from ASP have found a similar rate of obesity among active duty forces, based on the controversial BMI scale that does not account for muscle mass.
However, the report warned, for reserve forces who hold day jobs and often live far away from military bases, ”commanders and policy makers will not be able to combat these trends with a uniform approach.”
PENTAGON CALLS MARK MILLEY ‘CORPULENT’ AS IT KICKS OFF REVIEW OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND GROOMING STANDARDS
The report recommended further tracking and research of obesity rates within reserve forces, noting the Defense Department’s most recent data is from 2018.
Hegseth launched a review of grooming and physical fitness standards last month after voicing concerns that fitness standards have eroded and questioning whether mismatched standards for men and women are affecting readiness.
It directed the undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to look at “existing standards set by the Military Departments pertaining to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming, which includes but is not limited to beards.”
The memo also called for a review to examine how standards have changed since 2015.
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The service branches began making accommodations for recruits who do not meet physical fitness standards in recent years as a way to address the recruiting crisis. The Army and Navy offered pre-boot camp training for those who did not meet physical fitness or testing scores. However, those recruits had to meet the same standards in order to graduate from training courses and serve.
“When I was in the Army, we kicked out good soldiers for having naked women tattooed on their arms, and today we are relaxing the standards on shaving, dreadlocks, man buns, and straight-up obesity,” Hegseth wrote in his book “The War on Warriors.”
Photo shows Milwaukee judge’s courtroom door with notice to anyone who ‘feels unsafe’
A Milwaukee judge arrested Friday for allegedly hiding a previously deported illegal immigrant in her jury room had a notice posted to her courtroom door for people who feel “unsafe” coming to the courthouse, Fox News learned Monday.
The notice posted to Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan’s courtroom door was dated April 14, four days before she allegedly helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal immigrant, and his attorney leave the courthouse to evade ICE agents, Fox News observed.
The notice states: “ATTENTION – IF ANY ATTORNEY, WITNESS COORDINATOR, OR OTHER COURT OFFICIAL KNOWS OR BELIEVES THAT A PERSON FEELS UNSAFE COMING TO THE COURTHOUSE TO COURTROOM 615, PLEASE NOTIFY THE BRANCH 31 CLERK TO REQUEST COURT APPEARANCE VIA ZOOM.”
Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding after evidence came to light that she had shielded Flores-Ruiz from ICE agents, according to a criminal complaint. She was also charged with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.
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Federal agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to arrest Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican national, following his scheduled criminal court appearance before Dugan on April 18 to face three misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly beating two people.
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Dugan demanded that the officers proceed to the chief judge’s office and – after his hearing ended – escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting, in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint.
Dugan was taken into custody by the FBI on Friday morning on the courthouse grounds, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron. She appeared briefly in federal court in Milwaukee later Friday before being released from custody.
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Dugan is not overseeing any cases and a reserve judge is taking over her cases while her own case plays out.
Trump secretary unleashes on Iran-backed terrorists — without firing a single shot
The Trump administration sanctioned three vessels and their owners for providing support to the Houthis – the Iranian regime’s network of terrorist proxies and partners, Fox News Digital has learned.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions Monday, following the Houthis’ efforts to deploy missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and naval mines to attack commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea – activities that “threaten global freedom of navigation and the integrity of international commerce.”
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“Today’s action underscores our commitment to disrupt the Houthis’ efforts to fund their dangerous and destabilizing attacks in the region,” Treasury Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said Monday, adding that the department will “continue to leverage” its tools and authorities “to target those who seek to enable the Houthis’ ability to exploit the people of Yemen and continue their campaign of violence.”
The State Department designated the Houthis as a specially designated global terrorist in February 2024 and redesignated the group as a foreign terrorist organization in March.
“Providing material support to the Houthis not only carries acute sanctions risk, but also exposes vessels and crew members to serious safety risk from potential Houthi attacks,” a Treasury Department official told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP ADMIN IMPOSES SANCTIONS AGAINST BANK OF YEMEN FOR SUPPORTING HOUTHIS
A Treasury official told Fox News Digital that the Houthis control the strategic Yemen Red Sea ports of Hudaydah, Ras Isa and Al-Salif, and are funneling millions of dollars derived from port revenues and the seizure of refined petroleum products to fund a “reckless attack campaign against U.S. interests and those of our allies in the region.”
The official said the group sells refined petroleum products at “exorbitant prices” on Yemen’s black market, which enables the Houthi operatives to “purchase military materials, create an artificial shortage of essential goods for average Yemenis, and fuels rampant corruption among Houthi leaders.”
Marshall Islands-registered Zaas Shipping & Trading Co. used one of the vessels targeted, the Tulip BZ, to facilitate the delivery of liquid petroleum gas to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa, the Treasury said. It also has been used to transport petroleum products on behalf of Iran.
Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping Inc. is also targeted, and facilitated the delivery of gas oil to Ras Isa using the Panama-flagged vessel, the Maisan. The Maisan also has been involved in the export of Russian crude oil and petroleum products from Russian ports since February 2023, according to a Treasury official.
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And Marshall Islands-registered Great Success Shipping Co. facilitated the delivery of gas oil to Ras Isa using the Panama-flagged vessel, the White Whale.
The move comes after President Donald Trump officially informed Congress in March that he had directed the Department of Defense to move additional combat forces into the Middle East, as U.S. forces carry out military strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen. Those strikes have been conducted in an effort to stop attacks on American forces and commercial ships in the Red Sea.
“I will no longer allow this band of pirates to threaten and attack United States forces and commercial vessels in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world,” Trump wrote March 28. “We will act to keep Americans safe.”
He said the U.S. will continue striking until the group no longer poses a threat to navigation or U.S. personnel.
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The strikes have been from Navy ships, Air Force bombers and drones targeting Houthi weapons, leadership and command centers.
The airstrikes began after renewed Houthi threats against Israeli ships and attacks on U.S. forces, including seven Reaper drones brought down since March 3.
The Houthis began ramping up attacks in the Red Sea after the October 2023 Hamas terror attack on Israel. They’ve claimed responsibility for targeting U.S. warships and have so far avoided hitting Chinese and Saudi ships, raising questions among defense officials about their strategic aims.
Earlier in April, the Trump administration sanctioned the International Bank of Yemen Y.S.C. (IBY) for its financial support of Houthi terrorists.
Body count spikes as fears of potential New England serial killer grow
Two more dead bodies have been recovered by authorities in New England, as online concerns over a potential serial killer continue to grow.
On Friday, WLNE reported that a body was found in Taunton, Massachusetts. That person’s identity has not yet been released, and an investigation is ongoing.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Taunton Police Department and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
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On Sunday, another body was found in the Connecticut River in the town of Rocky Hill, according to that town’s police department.
“On Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 8:53 AM, the Rocky Hill Police Department received a report from a boater on the Connecticut River regarding a body in the water near the shoreline south of Ferry Park,” the department said on Facebook. “Upon arrival, responding officers and emergency personnel confirmed the presence of a deceased individual in the water. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was notified and responded to the scene to assist with the investigation. At this time, the identity of the individual remains unknown and the cause of death is pending determination by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.”
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Police said the circumstances of the death are under investigation. Fox News Digital reached out to the Rocky Hill Police Department.
The town of Rocky Hill rests on the I-91 corridor. Another body was found along that corridor in Springfield, Massachusetts, last week. I-91 runs through New Haven, Connecticut, where a third body was previously found.
Over the last two months, 10 bodies or sets of human remains have been located in New Haven, Norwalk, Groton, Killingly and now Rocky Hill, Connecticut; Foster, Rhode Island; and Framingham, Plymouth, Springfield, and now Taunton, Massachusetts.
Most of the bodies have been identified as female.
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The string of findings has fueled online speculation that a serial killer may be roaming the Northeast, though authorities have not said the deaths are related. A Facebook group formerly called “New England Serial Killer,” which changed its name due to the social media company’s policies, now has more than 67,500 followers.
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The Connecticut State Police told Fox News Digital last week that “there is no information at this time suggesting any connection to similar remains discoveries, and there is also no known threat to the public at this time,” regarding the deaths in Connecticut.
After the body was found in Springfield last week, authorities also said they had no reason to believe that the Massachusetts deaths are related and warned that unverified social media claims “can compromise active investigations and contribute to a sense of chaos that does not reflect the full picture.”
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“We are actively working every lead and deploying every available resource,” Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said. “At this time, there is no indication that these incidents are connected to each other or are they [are] part of a larger public safety threat.”
Super Bowl champ destroys race narrative after Shedeur Sanders’ draft slide
Sports pundits concocted all kinds of conspiracy theories as to why Shedeur Sanders failed to be picked within the first two days of the NFL Draft over the weekend, with a lot of them pointing to race despite Cam Ward going No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans.
Sanders eventually fell to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Sanders was considered to be one of the top quarterback prospects, but he was the sixth taken. It was the talk of the NFL all weekend.
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On Monday, ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody gave a simple reason as to why Sanders slid on “Get Up.”
“I think the NFL sent a message, saying you’re not that dude. Honestly. The overwhelming message I saw when Shedeur slid to the fifth round, the NFL was basically saying you’re not that guy. You’re good but you’re not that guy,” the two-time Super Bowl champion said.
“I’m here to tell everyone out there, everyone who watches the NFL Draft, who loves the NFL, trust me when I tell you this, if you’re that guy, they’re gonna pick you in the first round because the NFL and all these teams are in the winning business. If you can help a team win, they are going to pick you.
“The NFL clearly felt that Shedeur Sanders was a good prospect but he wasn’t what the young people call, he wasn’t him. And then on top of that, you factor in all the celebrity and everything that comes with Shedeur Sanders. … And I’m not the one that’s downplaying. It’s the NFL who ultimately said, you know what, when you combine that fact that we don’t think you are him, and you have all this celebrity and everything that comes with you, that is the ultimate recipe for why you found yourself in the fifth round.”
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Multiple reports pointed to Sanders’ questionable pre-draft interviews as to why he fell. Sanders did not throw at the NFL Scouting Combine, electing to workout at his own showcase weeks before the draft.
Sanders addressed his fall in his first media availability.
“Nothing really affected me the last couple of days,” Sanders said. “I’m favored, I’m blessed. Besides that, it’s not really anything that changed. The love of the game is still the love of the game. When you get on the field, there wasn’t too much negativity being said. I know I gotta clean up some things in my game for me to be at my best, but that’s what I take each offseason one at a time and fix it.
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“The main thing, I’m just proving — coach (Kevin) Stefanski and (general manager Andrew) Berry — that they are right. That’s it. They’re right about picking me. I’m a good decision. I’m a good draft pick for them, to be able to come in there and do what I need to do.”
New ‘Gulf of America’ project signals shift the Trump admin has been aiming for
The first oil production from a joint U.S.-French corporate venture in the Gulf of America was a welcome indication that President Donald Trump’s agenda to “unleash American energy dominance” is taking shape, the White House told FOX Business.
American energy titan Chevron and French firm TotalEnergies announced the start of production last week from the deep-water Ballymore oil field off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi, in what is a 60-40 partnership favoring the Texas company.
“President Trump’s agenda is restoring America’s energy dominance, resulting in a new oil partnership to the Gulf of America to ‘Drill, Baby, Drill,” said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson.
“New oil production will continue to increase because energy leaders are confident in the president’s commitment to unleash American energy, roll back stifling regulations, reduce our reliance on foreign countries’ dirty oil, and deliver economic relief to the American people,” Rogers told FOX Business when asked about the announcement.
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Chevron is the official operator of the oil lease, according to the company, which said in a statement to FOX Business that the start of production is only the latest step toward a company-wide goal to produce 300,000 net-barrels of oil per day from the Gulf of America through 2026.
“Ballymore is expected to produce up to 75,000 gross barrels of oil per day through three wells tied back three miles to the existing Chevron-operated Blind Faith facility,” Chevron added.
The operation is a tieback – or one that is linked to a nearby operation – to Chevron’s Blind Faith platform about three miles away.
Brent Gros, vice president of Chevron Gulf of America, called Ballymore a prime example of how the company is leveraging its technology and increasing efficiency to produce “affordable, reliable energy from the deep-water Gulf of America – one of the lowest carbon intensity oil and gas-producing basins in the world.”
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“Ballymore, which was completed on time and on budget, brings additional production online without building a new standalone offshore platform,” Gros said, adding that dynamic reduces costs and provides more returns for shareholders.
The Ballymore field has an estimated potentially recoverable lode of 150 million barrels and is geographically located in what is called the Mississippi Canyon at a depth of 6,600 feet.
Nicolas Terraz, TotalEnergies president of exploration and production, said in a separate statement that the U.S. is a “major market” for the company’s integrated energy model focusing on low-emissions oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) developments.
While headquartered in Paris, TotalEnergies has been active in the U.S. since 1957, according to a company statement. It has invested nearly $11 billion stateside in energy development since 2022.
It also bills itself the lead exporter of American LNG.
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“We need more energy – lots more, not constrained supply or politically driven restrictions,” added Energy Secretary Chris Wright in comments to FOX Business.
“The start of production from the Ballymore field is an example of the common-sense energy development that strengthens our energy future while also providing good-paying American jobs,” he said.
“The Trump administration is working to expand the production of affordable, reliable and abundant American energy,” Wright concluded.