President Donald Trump blamed former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, now running for U.S. Senate, for policies he argued allowed the man accused of killing Iryna Zarutska to remain on the streets before she was fatally stabbed.

“Roy Cooper will make North Carolina a killing field, and he’s a radical left politician posing as a moderate,” Trump said Wednesday.

Zarutska was fatally stabbed aboard a Charlotte light-rail train in August 2025 while returning home from work. Decarlos Brown Jr., who had a lengthy criminal record, was arrested and charged in her killing.

“And I just want to pay my condolences to the mother of Iryna, who is living in hell right now,” Trump said during his address at the GOP Midterm Convention. “Her daughter would be alive today if North Carolina had a different governor, because that animal would have been in prison, or worse, he wouldn’t have been let go to be on the streets and be in a train sitting right behind that beautiful young lady.”

Brown had been arrested in January 2025 on a misdemeanor charge of misusing the 911 system and was released on a written promise to appear in court.

Brown’s inmate number later appeared on a list associated with a 2021 COVID-19 prison settlement reached during Cooper’s administration, prompting Republicans to accuse the former governor of being responsible for Brown’s release.

However, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction has said Brown was not released early because of the settlement. State officials said Brown had completed his minimum prison sentence and was released from prison in 2020, months before the settlement was reached. Officials said his later inclusion on the settlement-related list stemmed from his post-release supervision status.

UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje praised President Donald Trump after an “epic” fight at the White House, saying the president has done “phenomenal things” for mixed martial arts.Gaethje was among the UFC fighters and guests who attended the event, which Trump hosted on the White House grounds.

More than 1,000 U.S. service members were also invited to watch the fight.“President Trump has done phenomenal things for MMA,” Gaethje said, praising the president for bringing the sport to the White House and including American troops in the event.Trump has maintained a close relationship with UFC President Dana White, who spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2024 and has repeatedly praised the president’s support for the sport.

The White House fight was part of Trump’s broader effort to bring high-profile sporting events to prominent national venues. The president has also promoted plans for future events as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used his remarks at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas to argue that President Donald Trump’s economic agenda has put American families first while contrasting the administration’s record with that of former President Joe Biden.

“Our obligation begins by making this country work again for the very people who sustain it,” Bessent said.

“We know how hard you work every day for your families, and I can tell you, no one works harder for you, no one fights harder for you, and no president has asked his team and of himself to put American families back at the center of the American economy than Donald J. Trump.”

Bessent pointed to what he described as the administration’s economic accomplishments, including tax cuts, trade policy, energy production and manufacturing growth.

“Across this country, President Trump’s policies are reaching the very people they were designed to serve,” he said.

“He signed the largest tax cuts in history, rebalanced trade in favor of our working families, reclaimed our position as the world’s energy superpower, and where his predecessors created debt and dependency, this president is creating assets and expanding ownership through Trump accounts.

“He also claimed that “more Americans are working than ever before,” saying the private sector has added more than 1 million jobs, manufacturing is “roaring back,” companies are investing trillions of dollars in the United States and that the lowest-paid workers are seeing the largest wage gains.

Bessent later sharply criticized the Biden administration, blaming Democrats for high inflation, increased regulation, border policies and higher costs for American families.

He also accused the “radical left” of embracing policies that would expand government control over the economy.

President Donald Trump defended his tariff agenda during his keynote address at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention Wednesday night, saying the policy is generating record revenue and attracting investment to the United States.

“I love the word,” Trump said, referring to tariffs.

The president recalled previously calling “tariff” his favorite word before joking that he moved it down the list after critics questioned whether it ranked ahead of “love,” “wife,” “God,” “religion” and “family.”

“So I moved tariff down to fifth,” Trump said.

Trump then pivoted back to defending his trade agenda, arguing tariffs have become a major source of federal revenue.

“Trillions of dollars in tariff revenue have come in,” Trump said.

Treasury data shows customs duties have climbed sharply under the administration. In January alone, the federal government collected $30.4 billion in customs duties, up about 242% from $8.9 billion in the same month a year earlier.

Trump also said his trade policies are drawing unprecedented foreign investment to the United States, arguing the influx of capital demonstrates the success of his economic agenda.

Tariffs have remained a cornerstone of Trump’s trade policy and featured prominently throughout the convention as Republicans highlighted the administration’s economic agenda heading into the November midterm elections.

President Donald Trump warned Iran against continuing activity at its underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site, saying the United States may launch another strike against the facility.

“We noticed there’s a little activity at Pickaxe,” Trump said during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas. “I would advise Iran not to get cute, because we will have to hit them very hard.”

Trump said the United States can monitor activity at the site from space and suggested Iran could face another attack.

“We may have to give them a shot there, too,” he said. “We don’t need much.”

Trump tied the threat to his longstanding criticism of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the JCPOA.

“Made a deal, JCPOA, one of the worst deals in the history,” Trump said. “It was a road to a nuclear weapon for Iran.”

“If I didn’t cancel the JCPOA and if we didn’t hit them with our beautiful B-2 bombers, they would have a nuclear weapon right now,” he added.

Pickaxe Mountain is a heavily fortified underground facility near Iran’s Natanz nuclear complex. Experts believe the site could be intended for uranium enrichment.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner told Fox News Digital that voters should put their trust in Republicans in the midterms, framing the election as a stark choice between “common sense and communism.”

“The number one reason why the American voters should trust Republicans is because it is a choice between common sense and communism,” Turner said at the Republican National Committee’s Midterm Convention.

Turner commended President Donald Trump as an “American first president,” praising him for focusing on issues he framed as essential freedoms. 

President Trump has made [affordability] a top priority… to be an American first president because that’s who he is,” Turner said.

Affordability continuously proves to be a top-of-mind issue for voters, particularly throughout the Trump era. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that 32% of voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, but only a quarter view his performance on cost of living as successful.

With Republicans looking to mobilize voters ahead of November’s midterms, Turner called on Americans to view electing Republicans to keep control in Congress as vital to maintaining simple freedoms.

“It is fighting for the posterity of our country, the freedoms that we enjoy, strong military, family values, religious liberty, housing, affordability,” Turner said. 

President Donald Trump warned of a “crazy little sick cloud” hanging over the country Wednesday night as he cast the November midterms as a fight against communism and for “American freedom.”

“There is a crazy little sick cloud over our country,” Trump told Republicans gathered for the GOP Midterm Convention in Dallas. “I really believe it’s not going anywhere, but we have to make sure … we will defeat communism in America and vote for American freedom.”

Trump’s remarks came during the Republican Party’s two-day midterm convention at the American Airlines Center, where the GOP is sharpening its midterm message as Republicans fight to maintain control of Congress this fall. The president acknowledged the historical difficulties a president’s party typically faces in midterm elections but urged his supporters to approach November as if his own name were on the ballot.

“I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said, while warning Republicans in attendance that they risk losing gains on the border, taxes, public safety and the economy if Democrats prevail in November.

Trump also reiterated his pledge to personally campaign in roughly 35 competitive House and Senate races around the country.

“They might be winning by a little or losing by a little or tied. We can win every one of those races,” Trump told the crowd. “But I’m going to go to every one of those states for congressmen and for senators I’m going to do that and we’re going to have rallies.”

President Donald Trump revived his proposal to rename New Mexico during his speech at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention Wednesday night, returning to an idea he first floated over the Labor Day weekend.

“Let’s rename New Mexico. We’ll call it ‘New America,'” Trump told the crowd, drawing cheers.

The remarks came just days after Trump posted multiple altered maps and an AI-generated video on Truth Social promoting the idea of changing the state’s name to “New America.”

The proposal quickly drew pushback from New Mexico officials, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who told Fox News Digital the state’s name “isn’t up for debate — it’s been ours since before the United States existed.”

While a president can direct federal agencies to use new names for certain geographic features, Trump cannot unilaterally rename a state.

New Mexico’s name is established in the state’s constitution, meaning any official change would require action within the state rather than an executive order.

Trump’s renewed comments come just weeks after he signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for federal use, following an earlier order directing federal agencies to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”

The crowd at Wednesday’s GOP midterm convention jeered at Senate Majority Leader John Thune as President Donald Trump mentioned him during his marquee speech.

“And John Thune is here for the Senate. Where’s John? Where is John?” the president said.

Thune’s name was met with boos from the president’s audience, prompting him to defend the senator.

“No, no, John is John is working hard. He’s got great opposition. He’s got great opposition from the Democrat [Chuck] Schumer. And these guys, they’re terrible, got great opposition. He’s working very hard. He’s going to he’s going to have he’s going to have great success,” Trump said.

The president and Thune have publicly clashed in recent weeks over the SAVE America Act, a piece of legislation that would establish a national voter ID requirement. Thune has so far been unable to advance the bill through the Senate, prompting the president to demand that he ditch the filibuster to push it through.

President Donald Trump suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz “Trump Strait” during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.

“We control the Hormuz Strait,” Trump said. “I think we should call it the Trump Strait. I should get something out of it.”

Trump said he would make an announcement about the proposed name and joked that Iran’s leaders would be unhappy with the idea.

“I’d like to tell you it was their idea,” Trump said. “It was not their idea.”

The remarks came as the United States and Iran remain locked in a conflict over control of the strategically important waterway, which Trump said the U.S. now controls.

Trump first floated the “Trump Strait” name in a Truth Social post earlier this month. The proposal follows a series of America-themed geographic renamings and suggestions from the president. His administration officially changed the federal name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, while Trump recently ordered federal agencies to begin referring to Lake Ontario as Lake America. He also posted a map suggesting that New Mexico be renamed “New America.”

Speaking at the GOP convention in Texas, President Donald Trump urged voters to send Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate.

“I’ll be coming back to Texas because we have to elect Ken Paxton. We have to,” Trump said Wednesday evening.

Trump’s support puts a spotlight on Paxton’s race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is seeking to flip a seat in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1988.

Paxton, a longtime Trump ally who has held statewide office for more than a decade, has faced scrutiny over a series of legal and personal controversies, including an alleged extramarital affair.

Trump appeared to make light of some of the criticism Wednesday night, joking about Paxton’s appearance and attire.

“You know, I hope he doesn’t get insulted,” Trump said. “Some may not like the way he dresses. I don’t, although tonight he looked very spiffy in his blue suit, I must say, you know.”

“And he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen. But you know what he is? He’s the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator. I’m sorry, Ken,” Trump added.

President Donald Trump touted his administration’s border security efforts during his speech at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas, arguing that the construction of the southern border wall helped curb illegal immigration.

“We built this massive, beautiful, great wall,” Trump said. “Beautiful because it works.”

The president claimed that illegal crossings at the southern border have effectively stopped.

“Zero illegal aliens have entered our country from the southern border in the last 15 months,” Trump said, adding that the statistics were compiled by “the people that do these statistics.”

Immigration has remained one of the central themes of Trump’s second term, with the administration highlighting sharp declines in unlawful border crossings and stricter enforcement policies as key accomplishments.

Border security also featured prominently throughout Wednesday’s convention program as Republicans sought to make the issue a centerpiece of their 2026 midterm message.

President Donald Trump reiterated during his Wednesday night convention speech that he plans to campaign in roughly 35 of the country’s closest congressional races in the lead-up to Election Day.

“They all count, but we have 35 races that are, I guess you’d call the swings, right?” Trump said. “The ones we need are the ones that you’ve heard, the ones that are very close. They might be winning by a little or losing by a little or tied. We can win every one of those races, but I’m going to go to every one of those states for congressmen and for senators.”

Trump first publicly outlined the plan last week, when he pledged to campaign in roughly 35 competitive races during the final stretch of the midterm elections.

The president’s campaign blitz puts renewed attention on how closely vulnerable Republicans will embrace Trump as they fight to maintain the GOP’s congressional majorities.

Some Republicans facing tight elections, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, have sought to distance themselves from Trump amid his falling approval ratings. At the same time, Trump has demonstrated an ability to mobilize voters who do not regularly participate in elections.

“We’re going to have rallies just like this. We’re going to have big arenas loaded up with people,” Trump said. “And if I have to, I’ll come back twice or three times. You’ll say, ‘Get this guy out of here. Get him out.’ You’re going to be saying, ‘Get him the hell out of here.’”

President Donald Trump argued that if Democrats win back Congress in November then it could likely set the country back for ten years as it recovers from the policies of the “radical left.”

“Your vote will decide whether our country stumbles at the starting gate of the next 250 years, or surges forward and never, ever looks back,” Trump said as the crowd erupted into cheers.

“We hand America’s future to the radical left,” Trump continued. “Democrats and our nation will spend the next decade just getting back on its feet. It will be a tragedy. Vote Republican and we will leave the world in our dust for generations to come. There will be nothing like it. We’re right at that gate.”

He urged voters to let him and Republican lawmakers to “finish the job” to restore America, which he argued worsened under President Joe Biden’s administration.

“And together we will turn a two year comeback into a 250 year lead where nobody’s ever had a start. It’s not even two years,” Trump continued.

President Donald Trump urged Republicans to treat the 2026 midterm elections as a referendum on his presidency during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.

“I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said. “I’m on the ballot.”

Trump warned that Republicans could lose control of his agenda if they fail to turn out in November.

“If we lose, you’re going to lose your border. You’re going to lose your tax cuts. You’re going to lose your safety and security,” Trump said.

He also warned that the country could return to the conditions he said existed under the previous administration.

“Our country is going through hell. You will be going through hell just like you did just two years ago,” Trump said.

Trump urged voters to remain united and support Republican candidates on Nov. 3.

“The midterms are not supposed to be won by the sitting president,” Trump said. “And we’re going to change that.”

President Donald Trump used his keynote address at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas to frame the upcoming election as a choice between continuing his economic agenda or returning to Democratic policies.

“The choice in this election is very, very simple,” Trump told the crowd.

“Democrats are asking you to vote for their failed far-left agenda… and I’m asking you to let us finish the job.”

Trump argued his administration has delivered unprecedented economic success, calling his first two years in office “the most successful two years, financially and every other way in the history of the presidency.

“He also pointed to what he described as a surge in foreign investment commitments flowing into the United States.

“We have more money being spent from outside countries and companies — over $20 trillion,” Trump said, adding that the figure could climb to as much as “$25 trillion” by the time his administration reaches the two-year mark.

Trump contrasted that number with what he said was the previous record of roughly $3 trillion by another country, arguing the United States is attracting investment on a historic scale.

“And together we will turn a two-year comeback into a 250-year lead,” Trump said.

The president closed the section of his speech by predicting the investments would fuel long-term economic growth.

“I want you to remember me in four or five years when this country is rocketing,” Trump said. “Remember, I’m the one that got it started.”

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz called for a coordinated effort between federal and state agencies to combat health care fraud, warning that stolen taxpayer dollars can also put patients’ lives at risk.

“We must challenge this evil corruption,” Oz said during remarks Wednesday.

Federal and state agencies must coordinate their efforts to halt fraud before it happens,” he added, urging officials to intervene before fraudulent payments are made.

Oz said the goal is not only to protect taxpayer dollars, but also to prevent patients from being harmed by providers who exploit government healthcare programs.

“Keep the money in the building not only to stop the loss of taxpayer dollars, but to prevent Americans from dying at the hands of these thieves,” Oz said.

Oz leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.

CMS administers health coverage for more than 160 million Americans.

“Working together, we can make health care more affordable, accessible, accountable,” Oz said.

Attorney General Todd Blanche opened his remarks at the GOP Midterm Convention by recognizing Jennifer Bos, whose daughter, Megan, was found dead inside a bleach-filled garbage can on the property of an illegal immigrant.

Megan Bos was reported missing in February 2025, and her body was discovered 51 days later. Illinois authorities arrested Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez in connection with the case, but he was released a day later after a judge determined the charges against him did not qualify for pretrial detention under state law.

“But I will tell you this,” Blanche said. “He has since been arrested by ICE and will never walk on America’s streets again. And that does not bring Megan back.

“And Megan’s children will still grow up without their mother. That is why this moment matters. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance do not treat stories like Megan’s as acceptable in our society,” Blanche continued. “They treat it as a failure of government.”

Mendoza-Gonzalez is currently being held at Lake County Jail in Waukegan, Illinois.

Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds accused Democrats of creating the inflation crisis facing American families during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.

“The Democrats, they created the affordability crisis that is hurting hardworking families all across America,” Donalds said.

He questioned whether voters should trust Democrats to fix the problem.

“Do you let the arsonist become the firefighter?” Donalds asked.

Donalds said Republicans have “the resume and the credentials and the plans and the policies to get our country back on track.”

He cast the midterm elections as a choice between “common sense versus crazy” and urged Republicans to turn out in November.

Senate candidate and current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned Republicans Wednesday at the party’s midterm convention that the stakes of his U.S. Senate showdown with Democrat James Talarico extends far beyond the Lone Star State, telling attendees in Dallas that losing Texas could mean losing the country.

“If we lose Texas, we lose the common sense revolution. If we lose the common sense revolution, we lose America,” Paxton said. “But together, we can send President Trump reinforcements in the Senate and change Washington. We can restore the American Dream across this country.”

Paxton cast the U.S. Senate contest between he and Talarico in national terms, arguing that Republicans need to win Texas to send President Donald Trump “reinforcements” in Washington.

Meanwhile, Paxton portrayed Talarico as out of step with Texans, and Americans, while going after him on raising taxes, his stance on energy and cultural issues. He quipped at one point that California doesn’t need a third U.S. Senator. “But that’s exactly what James Talarico would be,” Paxton told the crowd.

Paxton also used his address at the midterm convention to tout his “Protecting the Texas Promise” proposal, which he said would “put thousands of dollars back into” people’s pockets.

He also highlighted his record going after the Biden administration in court as Texas’s Attorney General.

“When the corrupt Biden administration came for us, I took them to court 107 times, and I won,” he told the crowd in Dallas.

Speaking at the GOP Dallas convention on Wednesday evening, Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., said that his grandfather, a Democrat, wouldn’t have recognized the party in 2026, citing the many progressive candidates whose campaigns have been roiled in controversial political stances or scandal.

“My grandfather was a county commissioner in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and he campaigned for Franklin Roosevelt because he believed the Democrats stood for working families and a forward-looking America,” McComrick said.

“My Pop-Pop wouldn’t recognize his party. Today, Democrats told us to excuse Nazi tattoos. Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee campaigns with a man who said America, and I quote, ‘deserved 911.’”

Like many Republicans, McCormick has highlighted what he believes is a party-wide shift that Democrats are accommodating as an increasing number of self-proclaimed socialists have enjoyed success in the primaries.

He believes other, more centrist Democrats, have had no choice but to make way for their stances.

 “This radical movement excuses this lawlessness. It vilifies the police, it disparages our military, it attacks our business, it spews anti-Semitism, and it celebrates those who despise America,” McCormick said.

Mary Alice, a retiree living in Central Florida, thanked President Donald Trump at the GOP midterm convention for his work on lowering the cost of prescription drugs and cutting her taxes — making it possible for her and her husband to pay for a new roof without dipping into their savings.

The 82-year-old shared that Trump was a “very warm and special person” and that because of his work, her husband’s prescription drugs aren’t breaking the bank.

“The prescription drugs that my husband, he’s disabled, the prescription drugs that he need used to cost us a fortune,” she said. “But thanks to this administration and the Republicans in Congress, these prices have dropped dramatically. In one case, for us. From $400 to $28. Prescription drug prices are a big deal, especially for the elderly. I’m on a fixed income. At my age, I have to watch every penny. Trump.”

“At my age, I have to watch every penny. Trump Rx has made that much easier on me,” she continued.

Mary Alice also shared that Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts bill gave her and her husband a tax refund twice of what they expected.

DALLAS — Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is urging voters to ignore the Republicans’ first-ever midterm convention.

“Voters can see through the BS that Republicans are spewing,” Pritzker told reporters at a Democratic National Committee-hosted counter programming news conference across the street from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, the site of this week’s first-ever Republican midterm convention.

With less than two months until the midterm elections — and early voting just weeks away — President Donald Trump and the GOP kicked off their convention Wednesday as Republicans fight to keep control of Congress.The GOP’s playbook for the convention, which comes as Republicans face energized Democrats and political headwinds as they defend their slim House and Senate majorities, is to motivate the party’s base and boost turnout in key races that will determine control of Congress.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., delivered a surprise video message at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, praising President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick while distancing himself from the Democratic Party’s left wing.

“I’m a commonsense Democrat. I’m always going to stand with America,” Fetterman said. “I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life.”

Fetterman introduced McCormick, who is seeking re-election, as “the kind of senator that gets the job done” and someone who will “fight for Pennsylvania.”

Standing in front of a U.S. steel mill, Fetterman praised McCormick and Trump for supporting Pennsylvania’s steel industry, a key sector in the battleground state.

“That’s exactly the kind of thing that we will work together and will work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the Steel Valley,” he said.

The appearance highlighted Fetterman’s increasingly strained relationship with Democrats, particularly over Israel, immigration and Trump’s military actions against Iran.

“A different party,” Fetterman said of McCormick. “But I’m proud to count him as my great friend.”

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, warned that Democrats are preparing to usher in what he called “Woke 2.0” during remarks at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas.

“The other side is telling us exactly what they want to do next: Woke 2.0,” Gill said. “The total destruction of America’s constitutional order.”

Gill accused Democrats of campaigning on abolishing the Senate, eliminating the presidency, shutting down the Pentagon and defunding the military.

“The fundamental question of this election cycle is whether America, as we know it, should even exist,” Gill said.

Gill’s remarks came weeks after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said “Woke 1 was crazy” while discussing past progressive positions on policing and other cultural issues.