President Donald Trump’s global roller coaster of peace moves — led by him and his team to end wars around the world — is now picking up speed in Sudan, where a 30-month war has left tens of thousands dead, and some 14 million displaced from their homes.

‘Ending wars is a priority for President Trump, and the United States remains focused on working with our partners and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis in Sudan,’ a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, adding, ‘Engagement with all relevant stakeholders is essential to achieving this goal. Given the immediate urgency of de-escalating the violence, we will continue to engage with the belligerents to end the conflict.’

Talks to end the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, led by Gen. Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo Musa, known as Hemedti, and the Khartoum government’s Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), under the control of Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, began during the Biden administration but failed to make headway. They have since gained momentum under President Trump, with the U.S. forming a so-called international Quad in September with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Since the weekend, the pace of peace talks has become positively frenetic. The White House’s senior advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, fresh from brokering a ceasefire in the 30-year war between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, held talks with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Sunday.

On Monday, Boulos met with the Arab League, with the League stating that Trump’s envoy had briefed them on U.S. efforts to ‘halt the war, expedite aid delivery, and initiate a political process.’

The Sudan Tribune then quoted Boulos as saying later on Monday, ‘Both parties have agreed in principle, and we have not recorded any initial objection from either side. We are now focusing on the fine details.’

But the two sides are still fighting. On Tuesday, Sudan’s Defense Minister Hassan Kabroun talked to the country’s state television network, following a government council meeting in Khartoum, saying, ‘We thank the Trump administration for its efforts and proposals to achieve peace,’ but added: ‘Preparations for the Sudanese people’s battle are ongoing. Our preparations for war are a legitimate national right.’

Also on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt weighed in, telling reporters, ‘The United States is actively engaged in efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the terrible conflict in Sudan. We remain committed to working with our international partners, including Quad members — Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — as well as others to lead a negotiated peace process that addresses both the immediate humanitarian crisis and the longer-term political challenges.’

Leavitt continued, ‘I actually spoke with Secretary Rubio about this, this morning, as, of course, there’s been, you know, kind of an uptick in recent reporting on the matter. And he assured me that the administration is very much engaged. We’re in pretty frequent communication with those Arab partners that I just mentioned. And we want to see this conflict come to a peaceful end, just as we have with so many others. But it’s — the reality is — it’s a very complicated situation on the ground right now.’

Analysts say last week’s fall of the Sudanese city of El-Fasher, and with it the Darfur region to RSF fighters, effectively cutting the country in two, may have spurred all parties into action. ‘The RSF’s full control of the Darfur region could have dangerous and worrying consequences in the future in terms of partition,’ Boulos told Al Jazeera.

On Tuesday U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Qatar, Guterres said the war was ‘spiraling out of control.’

‘The fall of El-Fasher to the RSF is a defining moment in Sudan’s brutal civil war’, Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital. Wahba continued: ‘It marks the militia’s full control of the Darfur region and leaves Sudan effectively split in two.’

The human cost is staggering. On Monday, the U.N. reported that ‘over 21 million people across Sudan are facing high levels of acute food insecurity — the largest such crisis in the world.’ The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that famine is ongoing in the now-captured El-Fasher and in Kadugli, South Kordofan, with families trapped and surviving on leaves, animal feed and grass.

The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab released satellite images taken over El-Fasher over the last week, stating Tuesday, ‘Evidence of body disposal activities include at least two earth disturbances consistent with mass graves at a mosque and the former Children’s Hospital; there is one new instance of removal of objects consistent with bodies. This activity appears consistent with RSF conducting cleanup of their alleged mass atrocities.’

Sources say intense negotiations led by the U.S. team are continuing. Details of what’s on offer have not been revealed, but it’s understood an agreement would start with a three-month humanitarian truce, to allow aid delivery in, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a civilian-led transition.

‘For Washington, the stakes in Sudan are rising by the day,’ the FDD’s Wahba told Fox News Digital, adding, ‘The more time the RSF has to cement its control over Darfur and push toward Khartoum again, the harder it will become to prevent the country’s permanent collapse. What happens next in Sudan will shape the balance of power across the Horn of Africa and signal to America’s adversaries whether the United States still has the will to confront instability before it spreads in this critical region of the world.’

Vice President JD Vance said that Republicans need to direct their focus to the ‘home front’ and work to make life more affordable for Americans, following the GOP losses in several key elections Tuesday.

Republicans’ ability to do so will be a key factor in how Americans show up and vote in the 2026 midterm races, according to Vance. 

‘I think it’s idiotic to overreact to a couple of elections in blue states, but a few thoughts,’ Vance said in a Wednesday social media post. 

‘We need to focus on the home front,’ Vance said. ‘The president has done a lot that has already paid off in lower interest rates and lower inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden and Rome wasn’t built in a day. We’re going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that’s the metric by which we’ll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond.’

In October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the consumer price index (CPI), used to assess how much goods like groceries or rent cost, increased 0.3% from August to September. Additionally, it increased to 3% on a year-over-year basis from 2.9% in August, marking the highest headline CPI reading since January when it also reached 3%.

Meanwhile, Republicans lost several high-profile races Tuesday — including gubernatorial races where former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race over Republican challenger Winsome Earle-Sears, and New Jersey Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill won New Jersey’s governor’s race over Republican Jack Ciattarelli. 

Likewise, New York City elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor of the city, beating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. 

In all races, affordability and the economy were top priorities for voters, with Mamdani backing policies including rent freezes and city-run grocery stores to cut food prices.

For example, Fox News Voter Poll data found that New Jersey voters reported the state’s high taxes and the economy ranked as their top two issues. Additionally, the poll data found that half of voters in Virginia said that the economy was their top priority. 

Likewise, New York City voters ranked affordability at their top concerns, the Fox News Voter Poll data found. 

Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, said that the party can accommodate moderate Democrats like Sherrill and Spanberger, as well as progressives like Mamdani. While they don’t have to agree on everything, what they do agree on is trying to make life more affordable for Americans, he said. 

‘There’s a lot of different ideas on how to accomplish our goals, but we’re unified around those goals,’ Martin told Fox News Digital ahead of the elections. ‘We’re unified around making sure that people’s lives are more affordable and that we can create an economy that works for everyone in this country.’ 

According to President Donald Trump, the government shutdown that started Oct. 1 due to a lapse in funding was a culprit for GOP losses in Tuesday’s races. 

‘I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor,’ Trump said Wednesday during a breakfast meeting with Senate Republicans. ‘Negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor.’ 

Fox News’ Eric Revell, Paul Steinhauser and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Senate Democrats are riding high after a wave of victories on Election Day and view Democratic candidates’ performances as an indicator that their shutdown strategy is working.

As the government shutdown officially entered record-breaking territory in its 36th day, Senate Democrats felt emboldened by the election results, and saw the blowout wins across the country as an indictment against President Donald Trump and Republicans, particularly on the matter of expiring Obamacare premium subsidies.

Still, some Senate Democrats are mulling an off-ramp from the shutdown and considering an offer from Republicans that would guarantee them a vote on the expiring subsidies in exchange for supporting the House-passed continuing resolution (CR).

But some warn that caving now for the promise of a vote would be the wrong move.

‘If they cave now and go forward with a meaningless vote, I think it will be a horrible policy decision, and I think politically, to the Democrats,’ Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said. ‘And you know, they’re going to come into the 2026 election. Some of you may have heard the expression, when we fight, we win. You ever hear that? Well, when you cave, you lose.’

Some Republicans fear that the election may have caused Senate Democrats to dig deeper into their position and remain united in their shutdown game plan.

President Donald Trump, during a breakfast at the White House with the Senate GOP Wednesday morning, contended that the ‘shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans,’ on election night.

‘I think the Democrats, you know, may feel emboldened by it, but I think that people are going to get past election results fairly quickly and start remembering that they’ve just unilaterally decided to shut down the government,’ Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. ‘So I think it could be maybe a weak bump, but at the end of the day, we’re going to get back to the reality that we’ve got to fund the government.’

Republicans are also not budging from their shutdown strategy as the closure drags on. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., offered Senate Democrats a vote on the expiring subsidies and wants to jump-start the government funding process by tying a small package of spending bills to the CR.

‘Can this be over now? Have the American people suffered enough or do the Democrats need more?’ Thune said on the Senate floor.

Despite his and the GOP’s offer, and Trump’s offer to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., after the shutdown ended on the expiring subsidies, Senate Democrats do want more.

‘Republicans shouldn’t ignore us anymore for their own good and the country’s good,’ Schumer said on the Senate floor. ‘So this morning, Leader Jeffries and I once again demanded a meeting with the president. It’s time to sit down and negotiate with Democrats to bring this Republican shutdown to an end.’

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., whose home state elected Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill in a blowout double-digit win over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, contended that Trump ‘certainly feels weaker.’

‘This was a resounding defeat for Donald Trump,’ Kim said. ‘He should have woke up this morning and just immediately said, ‘I — we need to negotiate. We need to find an end to this shutdown.’’

And Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., agreed with Sanders’ outlook that Democrats should dig in and not cave.

But whether it strengthened Senate Democrats’ hand in trying to get Trump to the negotiating table, he was skeptical.

‘If you’re dealing with rational actors, yes, are we dealing with rational actors? I have no idea,’ Gallego told Fox News Digital. ‘This is a man that’s going across the country and redistricting the hell out of the country, and amid this redistricting to help save him from potentially dealing with a Democratic-controlled Congress, and now he’s basically going to assure a Democratic Congress by screwing up the one thing that is entirely under his control, which is making sure these premiums don’t go up.’

House GOP leaders’ daily government shutdown press conference briefly descended into chaos on Wednesday when a Democratic lawmaker interrupted the event.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., a moderate Democrat, shared a heated exchange with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after crashing his remarks outside the U.S. Capitol while demanding he meet with her caucus to end the shutdown.

Johnson told her, ‘You should respect free speech,’ to which Houlahan responded, ‘You should respect free speech.’

‘I’m asking a question if you’re ready to have a conversation with the other side,’ Houlahan shouted from where reporters were gathered at the press conference. ‘You represent all of us. You are the speaker for all of us, sir.’

Johnson attempted to take a question from a reporter but told them, ‘I can’t hear you because we have someone who doesn’t respect the rights of their colleagues.’

Meanwhile, Houlahan kept shouting over the speaker even as he tried to call order.

‘You have an obligation not just to speak lies to the American people, you have an obligation to call the leadership of both parties and bring us together, and solve this problem together,’ she yelled.

House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., erupted back, ‘You have an obligation!’

‘We did that before the shutdown began. I went to the White House. We went and sat in front of the Resolute Desk. We brought [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.] in and we had a discussion,’ Johnson responded. 

‘The president said, ‘Please don’t shut the government down, it would all this pain to the American people.’ This has never happened before. It is a clean, non-partisan CR that every Democrat, including you, voted no on,’ he said.

Houlahan shot back, ‘You are absolutely misrepresenting history, sir, and you know that you are, and you’re dividing the American people unnecessarily.’

The two continued to speak over each other, with Johnson accusing Houlahan of having ‘regret’ for her vote.

‘No, sir, I do not regret anything. It’s important that we work together and that we unify,’ she responded.

Johnson said, ‘I appreciate your input. Now somebody give me a question that’s real.’

‘I appreciate you too,’ she finished.

Tensions are running high on Day 36 of the government shutdown, now the longest such standoff in U.S. history.

It was Johnson’s first shutdown press conference after Tuesday night’s sweeping victories for Democrats during elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City.

Republicans had anticipated Democrats’ resolve was weakening amid a lack of funding for food aid programs and paychecks for air traffic controllers, but Tuesday night’s wins appear to have emboldened some on the left as well.

The House passed a short-term federal funding bill on Sept. 19 aimed at giving lawmakers until Nov. 21 to strike a deal on fiscal year (FY) 2026 spending levels.

But at least some Democrats are needed to advance the legislation in the Senate, where it’s failed 14 times over the left’s demand that any funding deal be paired with an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year.

Republicans have contended that federal funding and healthcare are issues that must be considered separately.

A new bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., would bar minors (under 18) from interacting with certain AI chatbots. It taps into growing alarm about children using ‘AI companions’ and the risks these systems may pose.

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter. 

What’s the deal with the proposed GUARD Act?

Here are some of the key features of the proposed Guard Act:

• AI companies would be required to verify user age with ‘reasonable age-verification measures’ (for example, a government ID) rather than simply asking for a birthdate.
• If a user is found to be under 18, a company must prohibit them from accessing an ‘AI companion.’
• The bill also mandates that chatbots clearly disclose they are not human and do not hold professional credentials (therapy, medical, legal) in every conversation.
• It creates new criminal and civil penalties for companies that knowingly provide chatbots to minors that solicit or facilitate sexual content, self-harm or violence.

The motivation: lawmakers cite testimony of parents, child welfare experts and growing lawsuits alleging that some chatbots manipulated minors, encouraged self-harm or worse. The basic framework of the GUARD Act is clear, but the details reveal how extensive its reach could be for tech companies and families alike.

Why is this such a big deal?

This bill is more than another piece of tech regulation. It sits at the center of a growing debate over how far artificial intelligence should reach into children’s lives.

Rapid AI growth + child safety concerns

AI chatbots are no longer toys. Many kids are using them. Hawley cited more than 70 percent of American children engaging with these products. These chatbots can provide human-like responses, emotional mimicry and sometimes invite ongoing conversations. For minors, these interactions can blur boundaries between machine and human, and they may seek guidance or emotional connection from an algorithm rather than a real person.

Legal, ethical and technological stakes

If this bill passes, it could reshape how the AI industry manages minors, age verification, disclosures and liability. It shows that Congress is ready to move away from voluntary self-regulation and toward firm guardrails when children are involved. The proposal may also open the door for similar laws in other high-risk areas, such as mental health bots and educational assistants. Overall, it marks a shift from waiting to see how AI develops to acting now to protect young users.

Industry pushback and innovation concerns

Some tech companies argue that such regulation could stifle innovation, limit beneficial uses of conversational AI (education, mental-health support for older teens) or impose heavy compliance burdens. This tension between safety and innovation is at the heart of the debate.

What the GUARD Act requires from AI companies

If passed, the GUARD Act would impose strict federal standards on how AI companies design, verify and manage their chatbots, especially when minors are involved. The bill outlines several key obligations aimed at protecting children and holding companies accountable for harmful interactions.

• The first major requirement centers on age verification. Companies must use reliable methods such as government-issued identification or other proven tools to confirm that a user is at least 18 years old. Simply asking for a birthdate is no longer enough.
• The second rule involves clear disclosures. Every chatbot must tell users at the start of each conversation, and at regular intervals, that it is an artificial intelligence system, not a human being. The chatbot must also clarify that it does not hold professional credentials such as medical, legal or therapeutic licenses.
• Another provision establishes an access ban for minors. If a user is verified as under 18, the company must block access to any ‘AI companion’ feature that simulates friendship, therapy or emotional communication.
• The bill also introduces civil and criminal penalties for companies that violate these rules. Any chatbot that encourages or engages in sexually explicit conversations with minors, promotes self-harm or incites violence could trigger significant fines or legal consequences.
• Finally, the GUARD Act defines an AI companion as a system designed to foster interpersonal or emotional interaction with users, such as friendship or therapeutic dialogue. This definition makes it clear that the law targets chatbots capable of forming human-like connections, not limited-purpose assistants.

How to stay safe in the meantime

Technology often moves faster than laws, which means families, schools and caregivers must take the lead in protecting young users right now. These steps can help create safer online habits while lawmakers debate how to regulate AI chatbots.

1) Know which bots your kids use

Start by finding out which chatbots your kids talk to and what those bots are designed for. Some are made for entertainment or education, while others focus on emotional support or companionship. Understanding each bot’s purpose helps you spot when a tool crosses from harmless fun into something more personal or manipulative.

2) Set clear rules about interaction

Even if a chatbot is labeled safe, decide together when and how it can be used. Encourage open communication by asking your child to show you their chats and explain what they like about them. Framing this as curiosity, not control, builds trust and keeps the conversation ongoing.

3) Use parental controls and age filters

Take advantage of built-in safety features whenever possible. Turn on parental controls, activate kid-friendly modes and block apps that allow private or unmonitored chats. Small settings changes can make a big difference in reducing exposure to harmful or suggestive content.

4) Teach children that bots are not humans

Remind kids that even the most advanced chatbot is still software. It can mimic empathy, but does not understand or care in a human sense. Help them recognize that advice about mental health, relationships or safety should always come from trusted adults, not from an algorithm.

5) Watch for warning signs

Stay alert for changes in behavior that could signal a problem. If a child becomes withdrawn, spends long hours chatting privately with a bot or repeats harmful ideas, step in early. Talk openly about what is happening, and if necessary, seek professional help.

6) Stay informed as the laws evolve

Regulations such as the GUARD Act and new state measures, including California’s SB 243, are still taking shape. Keep up with updates so you know what protections exist and which questions to ask app developers or schools. Awareness is the first line of defense in a fast-moving digital world.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

The GUARD Act represents a bold step toward regulating the intersection of minors and AI chatbots. It reflects growing concern that unmoderated AI companionship might harm vulnerable users, especially children. Of course, regulation alone won’t solve all problems, industry practices, platform design, parental involvement and education all matter. But this bill signals that the era of ‘build it and see what happens’ for conversational AI may be ending when children are involved. As technology continues to evolve, our laws and our personal practices must evolve too. For now, staying informed, setting boundaries and treating chatbot interactions with the same scrutiny we treat human ones can make a real difference.

If a law like the GUARD Act becomes reality, should we expect similar regulation for all emotional AI tools aimed at kids (tutors, virtual friends, games) or are chatbots fundamentally different? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter. 

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved. 

Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to win the Virginia governor’s race, tallying significant leads among reliable Democratic groups while capitalizing on economic worries and the deep unpopularity of President Donald Trump in the state.

Spanberger will be the first woman to hold the office in the Old Dominion State.

The former Virginia congresswoman replaces term-limited Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who was the first Republican to win a statewide election in Virginia in 12 years when he was elected in 2021. That race surprised many in that it was much closer than the 2020 presidential race the year before, when Joe Biden defeated Trump by 10 points. This year it was the other way around, with Spanberger well exceeding the 2024 presidential margin that saw Harris over Trump by only six points.

Trump was undoubtedly a factor in the race, even though he wasn’t on the ballot. Close to six in 10 Virginia voters disapproved of the job he is doing, while more than half said they strongly disapprove. The vast majority of these voters backed Spanberger.

Two-thirds of Spanberger supporters said their vote was expressly to show opposition to the president. That compares to about one-third of those backing current Lt. Governor Earle-Sears who said theirs was to show support.

Aside from those sending a signal of opposition to Trump, Spanberger’s strong appeal to Black voters, college graduates and the young was more than enough to offset Earle-Sears’ strength among White men, White evangelicals and those with no college degree, according to near-final data from the Fox News Voter Poll, a survey of more than 4,000 Virginia voters.

Not even the prospect of voting for the first Black woman governor of any state seemed to move Black voters, who backed Spanberger by about a nine to one margin.

Spanberger also benefited from a significant gender gap. Indeed, 65% of women backed her compared to 35% for Earle-Sears, a 30-point advantage; and men supported Earle-Sears by 4 points (48% for Spanberger, 52% Earle-Sears) – leaving a gender gap of 34 points, one of the largest in recent memory.

Neither party is very popular in the state, half of voters said they have an unfavorable opinion of Democrats, and more than half felt that way about Republicans.

Between the two candidates, however, Spanberger garnered a net-positive rating – more than half had a favorable opinion of her – compared to Sears, and more than half viewed her unfavorably.

Voters continue to be happy with Youngkin. More than half approved of the job he is doing as governor.

The top characteristic Virginia voters wanted in a candidate was someone who shares their values, followed by someone who is honest and trustworthy.

Values voters broke for Earle-Sears while Spanberger carried those looking for honesty.

Spanberger focused heavily on the economy during the campaign, specifically banging home the deleterious effects that Trump administration efforts to upend government in D.C. are having on Virginia, home to a large number of federal workers.

More than six in 10 of those federal employees backed Spanberger.

The economy was by far the top issue for Virginia voters – with close to half ranking it as the most important. Those voters broke significantly for Spanberger.

Healthcare was the second most important concern – another issue Spanberger hit hard in the wake of the federal government shutdown and people facing the possible loss of health benefits.

Those voters who said healthcare was their number one issue went overwhelmingly for Spanberger – by about four to one.

Overall, Virginia voters – about six in 10 – think the economy is doing pretty well. Those voters backed Earle-Sears.

But when it comes to their own family’s finances, most said they were either holding steady or falling behind. Both of those groups went for Spanberger.

And of the six in 10 voters who said the federal budget cuts had affected their family finances, they backed Spanberger as well.

Two issues that got significant attention from Earle-Sears in the campaign were controversies about trans rights, and the disclosure of violent texts from the Democratic candidate for attorney general.

Fewer than half of voters found the texts sent by Democrat Jay Jones, threatening a fellow lawmaker, disqualifying from the job of attorney general. Those who did broke strongly for Earle-Sears.

The rest, though – who said the texts were concerning but not disqualifying, were not a concern, or who simply didn’t know enough – went strongly for Spanberger.

It was suspected that some voters might split their votes, backing Spanberger for governor but Republican Jason Miyares for attorney general. That did not happen. Those Democrats defecting to Miyares remained in the single digits, and Jones was declared the winner.

On transgender rights, voters have mixed views. Half said support has gone too far – the position Earle-Sears took, with special emphasis on its effect on schools and girls’ sports. The other half, however, said support has not gone far enough, or it’s been about right.

Those who said it’d gone too far backed Earle-Sears by almost four to one, while those who disagreed went hard for Spanberger.

In the end, the headwinds of Trump’s unpopularity and the ire of the vast number of federal workers in the state was too much for Earle-Sears to overcome.

Only about a third of Virginia voters are happy with the direction the country is going, and while these voters overwhelmingly backed Earle-Sears, the other two-thirds went big for Spanberger. Of the four in 10 who are actually angry about how things are going, almost all of them – more than nine in 10 – backed Spanberger.

Asked about Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, more than half say it has gone too far, and, perhaps not surprisingly, most of these voters backed Spanberger.

Almost all Democrats voted for Spanberger, as did a few Republicans. Earle-Sears was unable to generate any sort of crossover appeal, while winning most Republicans. The small group of independents favored Spanberger.

The Fox News Voter Poll is based on a survey conducted by SSRS with Virginia registered voters. This survey was conducted October 22 to November 4, 2025, concluding at the end of voting on Election Day. The poll combines data collected from registered voters online and by telephone with data collected in-person from Election Day voters at 30 precincts per state/city. In the final step, all the pre-election survey respondents and Election Day exit poll respondents are combined by adjusting the share of voting mode (absentee, early-in-person, and Election Day) based on the estimated composition of the state/city’s final electorate. Once votes are counted, the survey results are also weighted to match the overall results in each state. Results among more than 4,500 Virginia voters interviewed have an estimated margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points, including the design effects. The error margin is larger among subgroups.

President Donald Trump compared Democrats to Japanese kamikaze pilots who conducted suicide missions during World War II, amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Trump’s remarks come on the heels of his Asia trip, where he visited Japan, as the government shutdown has lasted for 36 days – marking the longest one in U.S. history.

‘I think they’re kamikaze pilots,’ Trump told Republican senators at a breakfast at the White House on Wednesday. ‘I just got back from Japan and talked about the kamikaze pilots. I think these guys are kamikaze. They’ll take down the country if they have to.’

Additionally, Trump said he didn’t think Democrats were taking enough of the blame for their role in the shutdown.

‘It is Democrat-created, but I don’t think they’re getting really the blame that they should,’ Trump said, adding that the government must open soon.

The government ran out of funding that prompted the partial shutdown on Oct. 1, due to gridlock between Senate Republicans and Democrats over a short-term funding bill to fund the government through Nov. 21.

The stalemate between Republicans and Democrats stems from healthcare provisions in a potential funding measure. Trump and Republicans claim Democrats want to provide illegal immigrants healthcare, and have cited a provision that would repeal part of Trump’s tax and domestic policy bill known as the ‘big, beautiful bill’ that reduced Medicaid eligibility for non-U.S. citizens.

But Democrats say this isn’t the case and have said they want to permanently extend certain Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Trump also stated that the shutdown was the reason that Republicans lost several key races – including the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections – on Tuesday.

‘Exactly one year ago, we had that big, beautiful victory,’ Trump said. ‘But I thought we’d have a discussion after the press leaves about what last night represented and what we should do about it. And also about the shutdown and how that relates to last night.’

‘I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor. Negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor,’ Trump said.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats refused to back Republican’s stopgap funding bill on Tuesday to reopen the government. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that his party remains firm that it will not support a measure that doesn’t include extensions for the Affordable Care Act subsidies.

‘The only plan Republicans have for healthcare seems to be to eliminate it, and then to tell working people to go figure it out on their own,’ Schumer said Tuesday. ‘That’s not a healthcare plan. That’s cruel.’

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday morning that the ongoing government shutdown was partly to blame for Republican losses on Election Day.

Trump told reporters during a breakfast with GOP lawmakers at the White House that election night on Tuesday ‘was not expected to be a victory,’ saying the 36-day government shutdown was one of two possible reasons.

‘I think, if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor,’ Trump said. ‘Negative for the Republicans, and that was a big factor.’

Trump added: ‘And they say that I wasn’t on the ballot and was the biggest factor. But I don’t know about that. But I was honored that they said that.’

His remarks come after Democrats won resoundingly in multiple states on Tuesday, with exit polls showing economic worries were very much on the minds of voters.

‘I don’t think it was good for Republicans,’ Trump said of the election results. ‘I don’t think it’s good. I’m not sure it was good for anybody.’

Some major losses for Republicans included the New York City mayoral race, and contests for governor in New Jersey and Virginia. Democrats also secured another expected win in California, where voters approved a new congressional map that is designed to help their party win five more U.S. House seats in next year’s midterm elections.

On the morning following the defeats, Trump called on lawmakers to bring the 36-day government shutdown, now the longest on record, to an end. 

‘We must get the government open,’ Trump said, going on to push Republican senators to end the filibuster.

‘It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do,’ he said. ‘Terminate the filibuster.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

: The House GOP’s campaign arm is wasting no time in linking New York City’s democratic socialist mayor-elect to congressional Democrats facing challenging re-elections in next year’s midterm elections.

Hours after Zohran Mamdani’s election victory in New York City’s mayoral election, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) on Wednesday launched a digital ad spotlighting him, which is running in nearly 50 competitive House districts.

‘A radical left earthquake just hit America. The epicenter: New York,’ says the narrator in the NRCC spot, which was shared first with Fox News Digital.

The narrator argues that ‘the new socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani built his movement on defunding the police and abolishing ICE. Now the socialists are celebrating. They call it progress. We call it chaos. Bureaucrats instead of doctors. Social workers instead of cops.’

‘This is the future House Democrats want, and your city could be next. Stop socialism. Stop Democrats,’ concludes the narrator, under pictures of Mamdani and House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Jeffries, the top Democrat in the chamber, endorsed Mamdani last week, nearly four months after Mamdani sent political shockwaves across the nation with his convincing win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination.

Since Mamdani’s primary victory, Republicans have repeatedly aimed to make the now-34-year-old Ugandan-born state lawmaker from New York City the new face of the Democratic Party, as they work to characterize Democrats as far-left socialists.

Mamdani defeated Cuomo and two-time Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s election, making history as the first Muslim and first millennial mayor of the nation’s most populous city.

He was heavily criticized by Republicans and some Democrats for his far-left proposals to eliminate fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, make CUNY (City University of New York) ‘tuition-free,’ freeze rents on municipal housing, offer ‘free childcare’ for children up to age 5 and set up government-run grocery stores.

Mamdani also took incoming political fire over his verbal attacks on Israel, his past critical comments about the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and his proposal to shift certain responsibilities away from the NYPD and focus on social services and community-based programs.

The digital spot, which is backed by a modest ad buy, will run in 29 Democrat-controlled House districts being targeted by the NRCC.

The lawmakers in the districts are Josh Harder (CA-09), Adam Gray (CA-13), George Whitesides (CA-27), Derek Tran (CA-45), Dave Min (CA-47), Darren Soto (FL-09), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), Jared Golden (ME-02), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Don Davis (NC-01), OPEN (NH-01), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Susie Lee (NV-03), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Josh Riley (NY-19), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), OPEN (TX-09), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), OPEN (TX-35), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03).

The ads will also run digitally in 20 Republican-controlled House districts the NRCC expects to be in play in the midterms.

The lawmakers in those districts are Reps. Nick Begich (AK-AL), OPEN (AZ-01), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Zach Nunn (IA-03), Tom Barrett (MI-07), OPEN (MI-10), OPEN (NE-02), Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07), Mike Lawler (NY-07), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08), Scott Perry (PA-10), Scott Perry, (PA-10), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), and Derrick Van Orden (WI-03).

At full strength, the Republicans hold a 220-215 majority in the House. Democrats need to pick up just three seats to win back the majority.

New York City socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani cruised to victory on Tuesday night, defying the laundry list of critics who railed against him over several high-profile controversial stances and statements.

Communist label

Mamdani dismissed the ‘communist’ label throughout the campaign, maintaining that he is a democratic socialist.

His past comments promoting the abolition of private property, seizing the means of production, claiming billionaires shouldn’t exist, and calling for free government programs earned him the communist label from some, including President Donald Trump. 

Mike Gonzalez, the Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital earlier this year that Mamdani is ‘absolutely a communist’ who ‘repeats lines out of the ‘Communist Manifesto’ and other writings by Karl Marx.’

‘When Marxists today say they are socialists, they usually want to convey the impression that they believe in elections and not just in shooting your way into power,’ Gonzalez added. ‘Of course, that election often ends up being the last free and fair one. Witness Venezuela.’

Anti-Israel positions

Days before the election, an antisemitism research institute released a comprehensive report that summarized its concerns about Mamdani’s stances on Israel and concluded he shouldn’t become the next mayor of New York City.

Mamdani faced heated criticism on the campaign trail, including hundreds of rabbis signing a letter opposing him for positions dating back to his time in college co-founding his school’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter all the way up to this year when he was hesitant to definitively condemn the term ‘globalize the intifada.’

Mamdani sparked a political firestorm last month, drawing outrage from the law enforcement community after posting a smiling photo with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn cleric who served as a character witness for the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and has been a longtime defender of convicted terrorists, raising funds for their legal defenses.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old New York state assembly member, has been an outspoken critic of Israel and has even vowed to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visits New York City. 

‘I call Zohran Mamdani a jihadist because he is. Zohran Mamdani is a raging anti-Semite,’ New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik said in August. 

‘Mamdani is the definition of a jihadist as he supports Hamas terrorists which he did as recently as yesterday, when he refused to call for Hamas terrorists to put down their arms — the same Hamas terrorist group that slaughtered civilians including New Yorkers on October 7, 2023.’

In July, a Jewish advocacy group blasted Mamdani for sharing a video mocking Hanukkah Jewish traditions on social media.

Mamdani also faced criticism over the anti-Israel positions of his Columbia University professor father, Mahmood, who previously compared Abraham Lincoln to Adolf Hitler and appeared sympathetic to suicide bombers in a book he authored.

‘I think critiques of the state of Israel are critiques of a government, as opposed to critiques of a people and of a faith,’ Mamdani told MSNBC this week. ‘And my job is to represent every single New Yorker, and I will do so no matter their thoughts and opinions on Israel and Palestine, of which millions of New Yorkers have very strong views — and I’m one of them.’ 

Defunding the police

Public safety was one of the most talked about issues on the campaign trail, resulting in a constant debate about Mamdani’s calls in 2020 to ‘defund the police.’

Before his mayoral campaign, Mamdani called the New York Police Department ‘racist’ and said in 2023, ‘We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF.’

‘I think what scares a lot of New Yorkers about the policy positions taken by Zohran Mamdani over the years is that he has exhibited not just a lack of appreciation for the men and women that stand on that [police] line, but a visceral disdain for them, which has led him to push for things like defunding and dismantling the police,’ Rafael A. Mangual, senior fellow and head of research for policing and public safety at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital in August, shortly after a gunman killed four people in midtown Manhattan, including a NYPD police officer. 

‘It’s not so much as just that he said, well, I wanna allocate some of this money to other places. He has gone so far as to say that we should dismantle the entire department.’

Mamdani attempted to distance himself from his previous positions on the campaign trail and apologized to them in a Fox News interview in October.

‘Will you do that right now?’ Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum asked. 

‘Absolutely,’ Mamdani said, turning to face the camera directly. ‘I’ll apologize to police officers right here because this is the apology that I’ve been sharing with many rank-and-file officers. And I apologize because of the fact that I’m looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day. And I will be a mayor.’

Columbus Day incident

In July, Mamdani sparked a social media firestorm after a post resurfaced of him giving the middle finger to a statue of Christopher Columbus.

‘Take it down,’ Mamdani posted in June 2020, along with a photo showing what is presumably his gloved hand raising the middle finger toward a statue of the famed Italian explorer in Astoria, New York.

In a post around the same time, Mamdani asked his followers in a poll who should be honored instead of Columbus with options that included, ‘Tony Bennett (Astoria native, music icon) Walter Audisio (Communist partisan, killed Mussolini) Sacco & Vanzetti (Executed due to anti-Italian sentiment).’

The winners of the poll were Sacco and Vanzetti, two anarcho-communists executed in 1927.

Some in the Italian community took offense to the post, according to a New York Post report, including Columbus Heritage Coalition President Angelo Vivolo.

‘We will defend Columbus Day and Columbus statues,’ Vivolo said. 

‘He is being disrespectful to the Italian American community.’ Vivolo added. ‘If you offend one community, you offend all communities.’

Despite the criticisms and opposition from high-profile lawmakers across the country, Mamdani’s campaign focused on affordability, pushing back against Trump, and taxing the rich guided him to a commanding victory on Tuesday night.

Mamdani’s victory is expected to be a rallying cry for Republicans as they look to paint him and his socialist agenda as the face of the Democratic Party heading into next year’s midterms. 

‘The Democrat Party has surrendered to radical socialist Zohran Mamdani and the far-left mob who are now running the show,’ National Republican Committee Spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital on Tuesday night. 

‘They’ve proudly embraced defunding the police, abolishing ICE, taxing hard-working Americans to death, and replacing common sense with chaos. Every House Democrat is foolishly complicit in their party’s collapse, and voters will make them pay in 2026.’ 

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.