NEW YORK – Meghan McCain believes ‘the U.S.-Israel alliance is incredibly strong’ even amid rising antisemitism across the country and increasing political pressure from both sides of the aisle. 

Fox News Digital sat down with McCain on Tuesday evening before she received the ‘Champion of Israel’ award from the American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA), which supports Israel’s emergency medical and disaster response service. She noted that in her observation, issues surrounding the U.S.-Israel relationship appear to be more partisan as far as the left is concerned. 

McCain said that she sees some pro-Israel Democrats, specifically pointing to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ‘hedging in different places.’ During her award acceptance speech at this year’s AFMDA New York City gala, she also called out New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who has taken heat for previous acceptance of antisemitic rhetoric such as ‘globalize the intifada.’ 

‘Pray for this city,’ McCain said, adding, ‘he’s an animal.’ The statement garnered applause from the audience, which gathered at Manhattan’s Cipriani Wall Street.

McCain also acknowledged that there are political elements not just on the left, but also on the right that oppose Israel, all of which she condemned. She urged those in attendance to ‘fight together to combat this destructive message of the radical left and within my own party on the alt-right.’

Despite this, the White House’s ties to Jerusalem give McCain hope that the relationship between the two nations is ironclad.

‘Of many of the reasons that I’m glad that President Trump is president is his wholehearted support of Israel is definitely one of them,’ McCain told Fox News Digital. ‘I think that we have an incredibly strong alliance and shared values and shared political interests and shared global interests.’

The former co-host of ‘The View’ also said that she believes the majority of the American public understands that ‘the interests of Israel and the interests of the United States of America are shared, especially in our fight against Islamic extremism.’

Charlie Kirk – who was also a steadfast supporter of Israel – came up both in McCain’s speech and her conversation with Fox News Digital.

‘I think we’re all sort of struggling with his assassination,’ she told Fox News Digital. ‘I am not satisfied with the reaction of the broad swath of Democrat leaders. When you have people like Ilhan Omar that are still accepted in Democrat spaces after what she said about Charlie Kirk in the wake of his passing, I mean, it’s hideous.’

Speaking to the audience of first responders and their supporters, she pointed out the contrast between those who save lives because of their beliefs and those who end them.

‘Where what you do here is about saving lives, the other side has nothing to offer but destruction. There are people all around the world and even in this country who do not want to participate in debate. They do not want to be proven wrong,’ McCain said.

‘And in the instance of people brave enough like Charlie Kirk to stand for Judeo-Christian values and the values of family and life and freedom and the right of Israel to defend itself against its enemies, they will try to destroy you by any means necessary and dance in celebration when you fall,’ she later added.

Addressing gala attendees, McCain delivered a strong defense of the U.S.-Israel alliance, as well as her personal unwavering support for the Jewish state.

‘No matter how much of the world — motivated by moral cowardice, material interest, or the sublimated antisemitism that still stalks the globe — turns away from Israel, I will not. I will never. And I speak for millions and millions of Americans who feel exactly the same,’ McCain said to a cheering crowd.

McCain credited her father, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his relationship with the late Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., for her desire to deliver a strong defense of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

‘My father always understood the importance of the connection between America and Israel. His deep friendship with the man who was for all intents and purposes my uncle, the late Senator Joe Lieberman, was what exposed me to Jewish life, thought, and practice from a young age,’ McCain said. Later in her speech, she added that she and her husband, Ben Domenech ‘feel the same way, as so many Americans do: that Israel’s cause is right, Israel’s fight is noble, and Israel’s means are just.’

Magen David Adom (MDA), which is essentially Israel’s version of the Red Cross, handles a wider range of issues than its American counterpart, the Red Cross, such as disaster relief and blood services. 

On Oct. 7, 2023, MDA handled over 21,600 emergency calls, five times more than the number of calls it gets on an average Saturday. Additionally, MDA dispatched 1,430 ambulances and intensive care units alongside hundreds of emergency motorcycles, three helicopters, command and control vehicles, and 24 mass casualty response vehicles equipped to deploy mobile treatment sites. Since the Israel-Hamas war began, 38 MDA personnel lost their lives.

McCain concluded her speech with a stark warning — that Israel’s fight is America’s fight and that ‘If Israel were to lose its war — God forbid — the armies of darkness would march toward us here in America, too.’

Senate Republicans rammed through dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees on Thursday in their first flex of the Senate’s new rules for confirmations.

Lawmakers voted along party lines to confirm 48 of Trump’s nominees, many being for undersecretary or assistant secretary positions in a variety of agencies throughout the federal government and ambassadorships.

Senate Republicans went ‘nuclear’ last week to make the change after a last-minute deal with Democrats fell apart.

The change ushered in by the ‘nuclear option’ allows lawmakers to confirm an unlimited number of nominees in batches, also known as en bloc, with a simple majority vote in the upper chamber. However, the process is time-consuming, given that lawmakers must jump through procedural hoops and allow for 30 hours of debate.

‘Why has not a single nominee been confirmed by voice vote or by unanimous consent? We know why,’ Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said on the Senate floor. ‘It’s Democrat obstruction.

‘The country has never seen anything like this,’ he continued. ‘Senate Democrats are freezing the Senate floor, freezing the federal government and freezing our nation’s progress. This harms America’s safety. It hamstrings the agenda that Americans voted for.’

Among this batch of nominees were Kimberly Guilfoyle, who Trump tapped to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece, and Callista Gingrich, who was picked to be the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland.

Republicans argued that the change would benefit both parties now and in the future and viewed the change as an option of last resort to break through Senate Democrats’ blockade of Trump’s picks.

Typically, subcabinet-level nominees, particularly those with bipartisan support out of committee, are sped through the Senate either by unanimous consent or through a voice vote, two fast-track procedural moves in the upper chamber. All the nominees in this first round made it out of committee on a bipartisan basis.

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus wouldn’t allow either to be used and caused a backlog of nominees to lower level positions in the Trump administration to pile up. As of Thursday, the list had swollen to 173.

The only one of Trump’s nominees that easily moved through the chamber was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was confirmed in January on a near unanimous vote. 

Shortly after announcing a strategy to go after deceptive direct-to-consumer advertising by the pharmaceutical industry, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Department of Health and Human Services released a parody video of a drug advertisement – a pointed way of emphasizing the fact that the United States is largely unique in allowing drug ads.

‘Tired of endless drug ads promising quick fixes but leaving you sicker than you were before? That can change today. Ask your doctor about MAHA,’ the parody commercial begins, referring to Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ initiative. 

‘MAHA may cause healthier living, fewer chronic diseases, and lower drug costs,’ the video’s narrator continues. ‘Some Americans reported more time spent with family instead of at the pharmacy. Other side effects may include healthier children, a stronger nation, more transparency in healthcare, honest advertising, and accountability from Big Pharma.’

The drug advertisement parody comes after Kennedy and HHS laid out their plans to target direct-to-consumer drug advertising – something that isn’t widely allowed outside the United States – in a new children’s health strategy released earlier this month. 

The strategy said it will ramp up enforcement of current prescription drug advertising laws, with a priority on ‘egregious violations demonstrating harm from current practices.’ The strategy noted these violations could include the dissemination of ‘risk information and quality of life through misleading and deceptive advertising on social media and digital platforms.’

The strategy to go after direct-to-consumer drug ads will also include inter-agency cooperation to explore the development of potential new industry guidelines that limit direct-to-consumer advertising for certain ‘unhealthy foods’ to children. These efforts include ‘evaluating the use of misleading claims and imagery,’ the MAHA children’s strategy stated. 

Kennedy said alongside the release of HHS’s parody advertisement that the Trump administration plans to begin holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable for not sharing full safety information in their drug ads on television, radio and beyond.

‘No more hiding vital information in small print, or pushing it off to a website, or a 1-800 number,’ Kennedy said in a video released in conjunction with the parody advertisement. He also noted that regulators have been letting pharmaceutical manufacturers avoid providing complete warnings in their marketing materials.

Kennedy said in the accompanying video that, in the past, regulators let companies mention a vague ‘major statement’ of risk that required consumers to go elsewhere for important details about the drug. The secretary said this ‘loophole’ opened the door to a ‘tsunami’ of misleading advertisements.

‘Drug ads drove up prescription drug costs and distorted doctor-patient conversations. Patients saw glossy ads and often asked for new medications,’ Kennedy continued. ‘Big Pharma’s marketing hooked the country on prescription drugs. We’re taking action to end that practice.’

Former Vice President Kamala Harris noted that she was unaware that she had ‘pulled the pin on a hand grenade’ with her response to a question while appearing on ‘The View’ ahead of the 2024 presidential election, according to an Associated Press report about the unsuccessful candidate’s forthcoming book about her whirlwind 2024 White House campaign.

Asked whether she would have done anything differently than President Joe Biden, Harris replied by saying nothing ‘comes to mind’ and adding that she had ‘been a part of … most of the decisions that have had impact.’

‘I had no idea I’d just pulled the pin on a hand grenade,’ Harris wrote in her book, ‘107 Days,’ which is slated for release on Tuesday, according to the AP — ‘my staff were besides themselves’ regarding how she had handed a ‘gift to the Trump campaign,’ she noted, according to the outlet.

Harris explained in the book that she did not want to criticize the president or litigate matters on which they did not agree, according to the AP, but she did not grasp the extent to which her connection with Biden was holding back her presidential bid.

President Donald Trump decisively defeated Harris in the 2024 election, winning both the Electoral College and the popular vote.

‘I could barely breathe,’ Harris wrote regarding her experience of learning that she had lost the White House contest to her Republican rival, the outlet reported. She kept asking, ‘My God, my God, what will happen to our country?’

Earlier this year, Harris announced that she had decided against mounting a 2026 California gubernatorial bid.

‘In recent months, I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their Governor,’ she noted in a statement issued in late July. ‘But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election.’

The House passed a short-term federal funding bill backed by President Donald Trump on Friday morning, paving the way for averting a government shutdown if the Senate follows suit.

The legislation is aimed at keeping the government funded at current levels through Nov. 21 with a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR), designed to give House and Senate appropriators more time to strike a deal on fiscal 2026 federal spending.

Fiscal 2025 is slated to end on Sept. 30, and Congress risks a partial shutdown if the CR does not make it to Trump’s desk for a signature by then.

In addition to keeping the government open until just before Thanksgiving, the legislation also includes an added $30 million to boost lawmaker security through a mutual aid fund for Capitol law enforcement and local police.

That decision was made as concerns over political violence have skyrocketed in recent months, including after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah last week.

The CR also honors a White House request for an additional $58 million in combined security funding for the judicial and executive branches, as well as $1 billion allocated for Washington, D.C.’s budget after Congress repealed that sum earlier this year.

A shutdown could be politically costly for both Republicans and Democrats.

Democratic leaders had threatened for days to oppose the bill, infuriated over being left out of CR negotiations and demanding increased funding for healthcare subsidies.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was criticizing the CR as recently as Friday morning, less than an hour before the vote.

‘Today, there’s a choice before every single member of the House of Representatives: will we stand up for the healthcare of the American people, or will we bend the knee to Donald Trump and his continued efforts to gut healthcare for everyday Americans?’ Jeffries said.

‘We’re voting no on a partisan Republican spending bill, and we’ll continue to defend the healthcare of the American people.’

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had precious little wiggle room going into the vote, affording to lose only two Republicans if all Democrats turned against it.

But in the Senate, where at least several Democratic votes will be needed to meet the 60-vote threshold to advance the legislation, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is under significant pressure from his left flank to buck the GOP-led bill.

Schumer angered progressives in March when he cast a key vote to help avert a government shutdown with another Republican-led bill.

Republicans, meanwhile, have been readying to place the blame on a potential shutdown squarely on Democrats’ shoulders.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday evening, ‘House Republicans are taking a very important Vote to pass a CLEAN TEMPORARY FUNDING BILL. The Leader of the Democrats, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, wants to shut the Government down.’

‘Republicans want the Government to stay open. Every House Republican should UNIFY, and VOTE YES!’ Trump wrote.

Democrats released their own alternative CR plan this week, but Johnson told Fox News’ ‘Special Report’ that it was ‘filled with partisan wish lists and poison pills and demands.’

The Senate is expected to consider both versions and could take a vote as early as Friday.

House Main Street Caucus Chairman Mike Flood, R-Neb., will refer Democratic colleague Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for a House Ethics Committee investigation, he first told Fox News Digital.

It is the latest move in the GOP-led fallout over Omar’s response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was shot and killed in Utah during a college campus speaking event last week.

‘I will be filing tomorrow … a complaint with the Committee on Ethics in the House of Representatives with 18 very concerning incidents and/or behaviors and/or statements that, on their face, reflect poorly on the House of Representatives,’ Flood said of Omar.

The top of the list of complaints will include the progressive Democrat’s ‘obnoxious, insulting and dismissive comments following the assassination of Charlie Kirk,’ he said.

‘Second, harboring illegal immigrants. I believe in February of this year that Omar hosted a workshop advising Somalians on how to avoid being deported after protecting the laws of the United States,’ Flood continued of his points. ‘No. 3, she’s used TikTok for mixed official and campaign content, which specifically violates other House rules.’

Flood was one of four House Republicans to help Omar narrowly avoid being censured by the House on Wednesday evening.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., moved to force a vote on censuring Omar over her reaction to Kirk’s killing, but the move was quashed when four Republicans and all Democrats voted to table the measure.

Flood said at the time of his vote, ‘Ilhan Omar’s statements and social media posts are reprehensible and should be referred to the Ethics Committee. The appropriate time to consider a censure motion would be after ethics reviews her conduct.’

He told Fox News Digital on Thursday that initiating an ethics investigation would make a censure ‘far more credible.’

Flood pointed out that he similarly voted to table a censure threat against Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., for her conduct outside a New Jersey ICE facility before the ethics committee could issue a report on the matter.

‘And so I have gathered enough information, starting yesterday, before I voted to table, understanding that this was an issue,’ Flood said.

He also disagreed with the other three House Republicans who all said Omar’s comments were protected by the First Amendment.

‘This isn’t a free speech issue. This is a ‘Have you demonstrated that you are behaving at all times in a manner that reflects credibly on the House?’’ Flood said.

Omar specifically faced backlash over an interview with progressive news outlet Zeteo, in which she criticized Kirk’s past commentary and Republicans’ reaction to the shooting. She later accused Republicans of taking her words out of context, and she called Kirk’s death ‘mortifying.’

She previously told Zeteo days after Kirk’s assassination that he had ‘downplayed slavery and what Black people have gone through in this country by saying Juneteenth shouldn’t exist.’

‘There are a lot of people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate,’ the ‘Squad’ member said. ‘There is nothing more effed up, you know, like, than to completely pretend that, you know, his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so.’

She later posted on X amid the backlash, ‘While I disagreed with Charlie Kirk vehemently about his rhetoric, my heart breaks for his wife and children. I don’t wish violence on anyone. My faith teaches me the power of peace, empathy, and compassion. Right-wing accounts trying to spin a false story when I condemned his murder multiple times is fitting for their agenda to villainize the left to hide from the fact that Donald Trump gins up hate on a daily basis.’

Omar also reposted a video on X, where others not associated with the congresswoman said, ‘Don’t be fooled, these people don’t give a single s— about Charlie Kirk. They’re just using his death to further their Christo-fascist agenda.’

The Minnesota Democrat’s colleagues have vehemently defended her against Mace’s censure and Republican criticism.

Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s office for a response to Flood but did not immediately hear back.