Former Biden aide Neera Tanden condemned Virginia state attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ violent texts but added that they were part of a "private conversation" on Sunday’s "Meet the Press."

Tanden was part of a panel that discussed the ongoing federal government shutdown when one panelist, former Trump political advisor Marc Short, shifted the topic to Jones’ text messages attacking a political opponent.

"Can we stop with the pearl clutching about the mean tweets and sombrero tweets?" Short said. "This week, it came to light that a Democratic candidate for attorney general in the state of Virginia called for the assassination of a political opponent, called for the assassination of that political opponent’s family, and there’s not one national Democrat calling for him to step aside. Not one. It’s disgraceful."

YOUNGKIN SAYS DEMOCRAT AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES MUST 'STEP AWAY IN DISGRACE’ OVER TEXTS ABOUT FORMER GOP LEADER

NBC host Kristen Welker allowed Tanden to respond to Short and address Jones’ controversial texts.

"I absolutely think that people should criticize that, 100%," Tanden said. "I think it was a private conversation he had, but still awful and disgusting. It should be condemned." 

She continued, "But then, we should condemn that, but then you should condemn when the president called the Democratic Party, the party of Satan."

This led to a back and forth between Tanden and Short as Tanden repeatedly pressed Short to condemn President Donald Trump and other Republicans as well.

"I think I have," Short said. "I think I clearly have. But the fact that not one Democrat has said that when he has called for a political assassination at this moment of political violence is crazy."

VIRGINIA DEMS BACK AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES, DESPITE SINISTER TEXT MESSAGES

Jones came under fire over the last few days after an August 2022 text conversation between Jones and Virginia state Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chester, resurfaced on Friday. In the text messages, Jones repeatedly wished for the violent death of then-GOP state House leader Todd Gilbert.

"Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head," Jones wrote.

In another, Jones questioned whether Gilbert and his wife were "breeding little fascists." A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that, around that point, Jones and Coyner had a telephone conversation where he reportedly wished for the deaths of Gilbert’s children.

"Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy," Jones said.

‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS

When reached by Fox News Digital, Jones also did not deny the messages were his.

"Like all people, I've sent text messages that I regret, and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics," Jones said.

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In a comment to Fox News Digital, a press secretary for current Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares responded to Tanden's reaction.

"It is shameful that national Democrats are excusing Jay Jones’ actions with partisan arguments and sorry dismissals. These texts and the disgust they bring fall on one man — Jay Jones," the spokesperson said.

College sports teams can unify their community on and off the field — and one football team is doing just that by using its platform to spread faith to students.

University of Pittsburgh football players delivered the gospel in front of nearly 600 people during a stirring ‘Pitt for Jesus’ event on the university’s campus on September 18. Tight end Jake Overman and Pastor Jason Howard, who organized the function, discussed the event during an appearance on "Fox & Friends."

CHARLIE KIRK SHIRTS SEEN IN PENN STATE FOOTBALL STADIUM AS HIS FAVORITE TEAM OREGON WINS THRILLING GAME

Overman expressed how important his team’s voice is on campus, and the responsibility that comes with it. "I just think that as athletes, we have such a platform," he told "Fox & Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt. 

"We said at the beginning of the event that as athletes we don't want this platform to build up our name. We want to build up the name [of] Jesus." 

During the event, 65 individuals made a commitment to Christ, 80 others were baptized, and 45 football players declared their faith. 

Howard stressed the need to introduce faith to younger Americans, and to give their lives greater meaning.

BLUE-CITY PASTOR SEES SIGNS OF REVIVAL AFTER TENS OF THOUSANDS ATTEND CHRISTIAN CRUSADE

"There is… a hole inside everyone that only God can fill," he said. "It’s like we need a personal relationship with Jesus. And I think that for a lot of years, that's been missing. And you know, you look for fulfillment in a lot of other places, but it really just doesn't meet the bill — it doesn't satisfy."

Overman went on to emphasize that student-athletes are more than just the sport they compete in, and that faith can deliver that higher meaning. 

"There are many guys on the team who are following Jesus — it's just such an example for the other kids on our team that, hey, follow us as we follow Jesus, and there's more to your story than just being a football player, more your story than just being a student-athlete. And it’s actually about being a son and a daughter of Jesus."

FAITH REVIVAL FOLLOWS CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH AS MORE PEOPLE ATTEND MASS AND READ THE BIBLE

The ‘Pitt for Jesus’ event, which went viral on social media platforms, comes amid reports of rising student faith engagement across the country. Some experts are contributing the increase to the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was outspoken about his Christian beliefs. 

The Supreme Court will launch its new term Monday with a focus on controversial prior rulings and a review of President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive agenda.

After a three-month recess, the nine justices met together for the first time this week to reset their docket, and discuss appeals that have piled up over the summer. The high court will resume oral arguments to confront issues like gender identity, election redistricting, and free speech.

But looming over the federal judiciary is the return of Trump-era legal battles. The administration has been winning most of the emergency appeals at the Supreme Court since January, that dealt only with whether challenged policies could go into effect temporarily, while the issues play out in the lower courts — including immigration, federal spending cuts, workforce reductions and transgender people in the military.

In doing so, the 6-3 conservative majority has reversed about two dozen preliminary nationwide injunctions imposed by lower federal courts, leading to frustration and confusion among many judges.

FEDERAL JUDGES ANONYMOUSLY CRITICIZE SUPREME COURT FOR OVERTURNING DECISIONS WITH EMERGENCY RULINGS

Now those percolating petitions are starting to reach the Supreme Court for final review — and legal analysts say the bench may be poised to grant broad unilateral powers to the president.

The justices fast-tracked the administration’s appeal over tariffs on dozens of countries that were blocked by lower courts. Oral arguments will be held in November.

In December, the justices will decide whether to overturn a 90-year precedent dealing with the president's ability to fire members of some federal regulatory agencies like the Federal Trade Commission. 

And in January, the power of President Trump to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors will be tested in a major constitutional showdown. For now, the Biden-appointed Cook will remain on the job.

"A big fraction of the Supreme Court's docket will present the question: ‘can President Trump do?’— then fill in the blank. And that could be imposing tariffs; firing independent board members; removing illegal aliens; sending the military into cities like Los Angeles," said Thomas Dupree, a prominent appellate attorney and constitutional law expert. "So, much of what the Supreme Court is deciding this term is whether the president has acted within or has exceeded his authority." 

The tariffs dispute will be the court's first major constitutional test on the merits over how broadly the conservative majority high court views Trump's muscular view of presidential power, a template for almost certain future appeals of his executive agenda.

In earlier disputes over temporary enforcement of those policies, the court's left-leaning justices warned against the judiciary becoming a rubber stamp, ceding its power in favor of this president.

After a late August high court order granting the government the power to temporarily terminate nearly $800 million in already-approved health research grants, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said her conservative colleagues had "ben[t] over backward to accommodate" the Trump administration. "Right when the Judiciary should be hunkering down to do all it can to preserve the law's constraints, the Court opts instead to make vindicating the rule of law and preventing manifestly injurious Government action as difficult as possible. This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist. Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this Administration always wins."

But some of Jackson's colleagues have denied they are paving the way for Trump's aggressive efforts to redo the federal government.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT WEIGHS TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER AS ADMIN OUTLINES ENFORCEMENT DETAILS

"The framers recognized, in a way that I think is brilliant, that preserving liberty requires separating the power," said Justice Brett Kavanaugh earlier this month at a Texas event. "No one person or group of people should have too much power in our system."

And Justice Amy Coney Barrett told Fox News' Bret Baier three weeks ago that she and her colleagues "don't wear red and blue, we all wear black because judges are nonpartisan ... We're all trying to get it right. We're not playing for a team."

Barrett, who is promoting her new book, "Listening to the Law," said her court takes a long-term view, and is not reflexively on Trump's side.

"We're not deciding cases just for today. And we're not deciding cases based on the president, as in the current occupant of the office," Barrett told Fox News. "I think the judiciary needs to stay in its lane ... we're taking each case and we're looking at the question of presidential power as it comes. And the cases that we decide today are going to matter, four presidencies from now, six presidencies from now."

KAVANAUGH CITES 3 PRESIDENTS IN EXPLAINING SUPREME COURT'S BALLOONING EMERGENCY DOCKET

These sharp court fractures between competing ideologies will likely escalate, as the justices begin a more robust look at a president's power, and by dint, their own.

"He who saves his Country does not violate any Law," Trump cryptically posted on social media a month after retaking office.

Federal courts have since been trying to navigate and articulate the limits of the executive branch, while managing their own powers.

Yet several federal judges — appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents — have expressed concern that the Supreme Court has been regularly overturning rulings by lower courts dealing with challenges to Trump administration policies — mostly with little or no explanation in its decisions.

Those judges — who all requested anonymity to speak candidly — tell Fox News those orders blocking enforcement have left the impression they are not doing their jobs or are biased against the President.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TORPEDOES SCOTUS WITH EMERGENCY REQUESTS AND SEES SURPRISING SUCCESS

Those frustrations have spilled into open court.

"They’re leaving the circuit courts, the district courts out in limbo," said federal appeals Judge James Wynn about the high court, during oral arguments this month over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access to Social Security data.

"We're out here flailing," said Wynn, an Obama bench appointee. "I'm not criticizing the justices. They're using a vehicle that’s there, but they are telling us nothing. They could easily just give us direction, and we would follow it."

The president may be winning short-term victories in a court where he has appointed a third of its members, but that has not stopped him or his associates from criticizing federal judges, even calling for their removal from office when preliminary rulings have gone against the administration.

"This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" Trump posted on social media, after a March court ruling temporarily halting the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.

The target of the attack was DC-based Chief Judge James Boasberg, appointed to the bench by President Obama.

 Top Trump White House policy advisor Stephen Miller, in interviews, has warned against some unaccountable and "communist crazy judges" "trying to subvert the presidency." 

TRUMP TURNS TO SUPREME COURT IN FIGHT TO OUST BIDEN-ERA CONSUMER SAFETY OFFICIALS

According to an analysis by Stanford University's Adam Bonica, federal district judges ruled against the administration 94.3% of the time between May and June. 

But the Supreme Court has in turn reversed those injunctions more than 90% of the time, giving the president temporary authority to move ahead with his sweeping reform agenda.

As for the rhetoric, the high court has walked a delicate path, reluctant to criticize Trump directly, at least for now.

"The fact that some of our public leaders are lawyers advocating or making statements challenging the rule of law tells me that, fundamentally, our law schools are failing," said Justice Sonia Sotomayor at a recent Georgetown University Law Center event, without naming Trump by name. "Once we lose our common norms, we’ve lost the rule of law completely."

Chief Justice John Roberts in March offered a rare public statement criticizing impeachment calls from the right.

But several federal judges who spoke to Fox News also wish Roberts would do more to assert his authority and to temper what one judge called "disturbing" rhetoric.

The U.S. Marshals Service — responsible for court security — reports more than 500 threats against federal judges since last October, more than in previous years. Law enforcement sources say that includes Boasberg, who, along with his family, has received physical threats and intimidating social media posts.

TURLEY: JUSTICE JACKSON SHOWS ‘JUDICIAL ABANDON’ IN LONE DISSENT ON TRUMP LAYOFF RULING

"I think it is a sign of a culture that has, where political discourse has soured beyond control," said Justice Barrett in recent days.

"The attacks are not random. They seem designed to intimidate those of us who serve in this critical capacity," said Justice Jackson in May. "The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, on our system of government."

The administration in recent days asked Congress for $58 million more in security for executive branch officials and judges, following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who led Turning Point USA. 

A Fox News poll from this summer found 47% of voters approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing, a 9-point jump since last year when a record low 38% approved.

"Over the past decade, public confidence in our major institutions has declined," says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. "The Court’s rebound could reflect its attempts to steer a middle course on politically polarizing questions or indicate an uptick in positive attitudes toward our more venerable institutions."

Still, by more than 2-to-1, more voters think the court is too conservative (43%) than too liberal in its decisions (18%, a low), while 36% think the court’s rulings are about right. That continues a seven-year trend.

FEDERAL JUDGES ANONYMOUSLY CRITICIZE SUPREME COURT FOR OVERTURNING DECISIONS WITH EMERGENCY RULINGS

The public's views of the court's ability to steer clear of politics will be tested this term.

Besides the two Trump-related appeals, the justices are already scheduled to decide:

But court watchers are pointing to several hot-button pending appeals where "stare decisis" or respect for established landmark court rulings will be tested:  same-sex marriage and communal school prayer.   

The high court is expected to decide in coming weeks whether to put those petitions on its argument calendar, with possible rulings on the merits by June 2026.

But other cases are already awaiting a final ruling: the use of race in redistricting under the Voting Rights Act; and independent government boards.

"I think the likeliest candidates for being revisited are the ones that involve the power of the president to fire the heads of federal agencies," said attorney Dupree. "This is an old precedent that's been on the books really back since the New Deal, and it's come into question in recent years. There's been a long shadow hanging over these decisions, and I think the Supreme Court is poised to revisit those this term and in all likelihood overrule that."

The court may have already set the stage, by using the emergency docket in recent weeks to allow Trump to temporarily fire members of several other independent federal agencies without cause. The court's liberal wing complained that giving the president that power without explanation effectively unravels the 1935 precedent known as "Humphrey's Executor."

KAVANAUGH CITES 3 PRESIDENTS IN EXPLAINING SUPREME COURT'S BALLOONING EMERGENCY DOCKET

"Today’s order favors the president over our precedent," said Justice Elena Kagan in a blistering dissent against Trump's removal of Gwynne Wilcox from the National Labor Relations Board.

The court's "impatience to get on with things — to now hand the President the most unitary, meaning also the most subservient, administration since Herbert Hoover (and maybe ever) — must reveal how that eventual decision will go" on the merits, added Kagan.

Sotomayor said recent overturned precedents were "really bad" for certain groups of people.

"And that’s what’s at risk, is in each time we change precedent, we are changing the contours of a right that people thought they had," she said this month. "Once you take that away, think of how much more is at risk later. Not just in this situation."

The conservative justices in recent years have not been shy about revisiting cases that had been settled for decades but now have been overturned: the nationwide right to abortion, affirmative action in education and the discretionary power of federal agencies.

Other pending issues the justices may soon be forced to confront which could upset longstanding precedent include libel lawsuits from public officials, flag burning and Ten Commandments displays in public schools.

One justice who has been more willing than his benchmates to overrule precedents may be its most influential: Justice Clarence Thomas.

"I don’t think that any of these cases that have been decided are the gospel," Thomas said last week at a Catholic University event. If it is "totally stupid, and that’s what they’ve decided, you don’t go along with it just because it's decided" already.

Utah students are standing firm in their faith, even as they voice concerns that it is under attack in America. 

Fox News Digital spoke with attendees at the Turning Point USA event at Utah State University last week about whether they feel faith is under fire and how TPUSA encourages them to boldly stand up for their values.

"It's incredibly sad what people, the extreme people, go to just based off religion and really this world is a fight between good and evil, between God and the devil," said Sam, citing the horrific shooting that took place at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan on Sunday.

Other recent church shootings include one in Minneapolis, Minn., at the Annunciation Catholic Church & School in August that left three dead. Another at Richmond Road Baptist Church in Lexington, Ky., left two women dead.

UTAH STUDENTS REFUSE TO STAY SILENT AFTER CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION DESPITE SAFETY CONCERNS

"I think faith is very much under attack," Jaycee said. "A lot of people are attacking Christians for the things they believe in and there's been a lot of shootings and things happening to people of faith."

Utah State student Jax also cited the church shooting and said, "I definitely think [faith is] under attack right now."

YOUNG CONSERVATIVES FEAR CAMPUSES UNSAFE AFTER CHARLIE KIRK KILLING, BUT VOW TO PRESS ON

Jacob, also a student, thinks religion is under attack, and believes Charlie Kirk was targeted for being outspoken about his faith. 

"I absolutely do. That was the motive behind the killing of Charlie Kirk. And there's been, a few days ago, that Mormon church was shot up. And then you hear stories about the transgender shooter who shot up the Catholic school and stuff like that. It definitely is under attack," he told Fox News Digital.

"I'd definitely say the wicked, or getting wicked-er, just happens throughout time," said Nick, another student. "But I'd say in Utah it's a pretty safe place for the most part. And I feel like God has it under control."

Although Gavin feels like faith is being targeted, he described witnessing a "revival." 

"I do feel like it's being attacked right now, but I feel like there is more of a revival than ever because of the events that have happened. More people are coming back to church, buying Bibles, praying. It's something that we need to take into account, but we also need to focus on how much it's been attacked as well," he said.

Student Tyler shared an encouraging message that he rather believes faith is growing in the U.S.

"We're growing stronger as a community and a lot more of the community is turning to God, which is awesome to see," he said.

TURNING POINT UTAH STOP MARKED BY RESILIENCE AND HEIGHTENED SECURITY

The students shared how TPUSA is providing encouragement in being bold in their values.

"Yeah," shared Jax. "I usually wouldn't come out to these things, but I just feel like, if they can do it, so can I."

Madison shared she felt nervous after the murder of Charlie Kirk, but also emboldened. 

"I was very nervous, but I mean, it also made me change my mind and think, you know, I can't just be scared. So here I am," she said.

"I've definitely been standing up for what I believe in, especially when it comes to my faith. I've been trying to do my best to spread the gospel, spreading what I believe in politically, religiously, and I believe that more people are going to be doing that as well," Gavin said.

Sam said, "I think a great example of that was the Charlie Kirk Memorial in Arizona. I don't think I've ever seen or even heard about such a massively broadcasted event that was so focused on faith. It was amazing to speak to a speaker that talked about their Savior, Jesus Christ, and how that influences their life and it's just awesome to see that."

The government shutdown underscored President Donald Trump's whirlwind work week after Senate lawmakers failed to reach a budget agreement in a stalemate that's anticipated to spur "thousands" of federal layoffs. 

The shutdown took effect after the clock struck midnight Wednesday and has continued since. Trump championed earlier in the week that he did not want a shutdown to bring the government to a screeching halt, but remarked some "good" could come from it as he looks to further trim down the size of the government. 

"A lot of good can come down from shutdowns," he said Tuesday. "We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn't want, and they'd be Democrat things. But they want open borders. They want men playing in women's sports. They want transgender for everybody. They never stop. They don't learn. We won an election in a landslide." 

"Thousands" of federal employees are set to face layoffs, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, while Trump met with Office of Management and Budget chief Russell Vought Thursday to map out which agencies and programs could be targeted. 

HERE'S WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO DO TO RESHAPE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE SHUTDOWN

House lawmakers passed a short-term extension earlier in September of fiscal year 2025 funding, aimed at keeping the government open through Nov. 21. Senate lawmakers, however, could not reach an agreement on the budget ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline, sparking the shutdown. 

Democrats expressed frustration they were sidelined from spending negotiations, as well as the GOP bill excluding enhanced Obamacare subsidies from the Biden era that are set to lapse at the end of 2025. 

KAROLINE LEAVITT WARNS DEMOCRATS FACE 'VERY REAL' CONSEQUENCES IF SHUTDOWN STANDOFF DRAGS ON

The Trump administration and Republicans have since pinned blame for the shutdown on Democrats pushing to include taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants. Democrats have denied the claims and pinned blame on Republicans for the shutdown. 

It is unclear how long the shutdown will last as the Senate comes to stalemate on votes. 

Outside of Capitol Hill buzzing about the shutdown, Trump also gave Hamas terrorists until Sunday to reach a peace agreement as the war with Israel, which started Oct. 7, 2023, continues raging. Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday at the White House, where he announced a 20-point plan to end the Gaza war. 

Hamas is now left to agree to the plan or face the military wrath of Israel. 

TRUMP UNVEILS 20-POINT PLAN TO SECURE PEACE IN GAZA, INCLUDING GRANTING SOME HAMAS MEMBERS 'AMNESTY'

"They will be given one last chance," Trump said in a Friday Truth Social post. "THIS DEAL ALSO SPARES THE LIVES OF ALL REMAINING HAMAS FIGHTERS!"

"We will have PEACE in the Middle East one way or the other. The violence and bloodshed will stop," Trump added. "RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING THE BODIES OF THOSE THAT ARE DEAD, NOW! An Agreement must be reached with Hamas by Sunday Evening at SIX (6) P.M., Washington, D.C. time."

U.S. generals from around the world were summoned to convene with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Trump at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia Tuesday, when Trump celebrated "reawakening the warrior spirit" within the military. 

"We're bringing back a focus on fitness, ability, character and strength," Trump said Tuesday. "And that's because the purpose of America's military is not to protect anyone's feelings. It's to protect our republic."

TRUMP DECLARES ‘REAWAKENING’ OF ‘WARRIOR SPIRIT,’ UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR MILITARY: ‘I HAVE YOUR BACKS’

Trump criticized the military's recent shift toward political correctness. 

"The apparatus of our country was not set up for merit," Trump said. "It was set up for political correctness. And you can never be great if you're going to do that."

"We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom, and we will be a fighting and winning machine," he continued. "We want to fight. We want to win, and we want to fight as little as possible."

The Trump administration also sent a memo to Congress Thursday explaining the United States is now "in a non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels, which administration officials have designated as "terrorist organizations."

TRUMP ADMIN TELLS CONGRESS IT DETERMINED US ENGAGED IN FORMAL 'ARMED CONFLICT' WITH 'TERRORIST' DRUG CARTELS

"The President directed these actions consistent with his responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to his constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive to conduct foreign relations," the memo stated.

The White House said the memo was filed following a Sept. 15 strike on "a Designated Terrorist Organization." 

The memo follows Trump vowing to unleash the U.S. military on drug cartels amid a buildup in the Caribbean in August, and has signed off on a series of U.S. military strikes against alleged drug vessels from Venezuela to combat the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. 

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The most recent U.S. strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel was carried out Friday off the coast of Venezuela.

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind, Louis Casiano and Morgan Philips contributed to this report. 

His name isn't on the ballot, but President Donald Trump's unprecedented second-term agenda and the federal government shutdown are top of mind on the campaign trail with one month to go until Election Day 2025. 

In the spotlight this November are New Jersey and Virginia, the only two states to hold gubernatorial contests the year after a presidential election. 

The races, which traditionally grab outsized national attention, are viewed as crucial early tests of Trump's popularity and agenda, and key barometers ahead of next year's midterm showdowns for the U.S. House and Senate.

Also in the political spotlight next month is the ballot box proposition over congressional redistricting in California, the three state Supreme Court contests in battleground Pennsylvania and New York City's high-profile mayoral election.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS

Here's a closer look at 2025's top elections.

New Jersey

Trump is weighing heavily on this year's ballot box battle for governor of New Jersey.

And Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, who enjoys the president's support, says Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill is trying to use Trump as a cudgel.

"Listen, if you get a flat tire on the way home from work today, she's going to blame it on the president. There isn't anything she doesn't blame on the president," Ciattarelli argued in a Fox News Digital interview.

BLUE STATE REPUBLICAN RIPS DEMOCRATIC RIVAL FOR BLAMING ‘EVERYTHING ON TRUMP’

Sherrill, in a recent fundraising email to supporters, charged, "As Trump has inflicted all this damage on our country, Republican politicians like Jack Ciattarelli have cheered him on every step of the way."

And at their first debate last month, she pointed to Ciattarelli and claimed that "he’ll do whatever Trump tells him to do."

The two candidates have also traded fire over who's to blame for the federal government shutdown, which is impacting the Garden State.

Ciattarelli, pointing to his rival's vote in Congress, said, "I do know that there's a bipartisan group of congresspeople that are trying to keep the government open. My opponent has decided not to be part of that bipartisan group, and she voted no. And so here we are."

Sherrill, who has repeatedly linked Ciattarrelli to Trump, placed the shutdown blame squarely on Trump's shoulders, writing in a social media post, "This is precisely the extreme MAGA agenda that @Jack4NJ wants to bring to NJ."

The two candidates face off next week in the second and final debate in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

Ciattarelli, who is making his third straight run for governor and who came close to upsetting Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy four years ago, discounted talk that Trump is the dominant issue in the race.

And Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics, charged that the Democrats are to blame, as he works overtime trying to link Sherrill to Murphy and the Democrats who've long controlled the state legislature in Trenton.

The combustible ballot box battle was rocked two weeks ago after a report revealed that the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid a cheating scandal.

Ciattarelli and his campaign are calling on Sherrill, who went on to pilot helicopters during her military career after graduating from the Naval Academy, to release her military records to explain why she was blocked from attending her graduation ceremony.

But a second report revealed that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, errantly released Sherrill's improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information including her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally. 

The news spurred calls by top Democrats across the country for an investigation.

Virginia

Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is facing off against former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the race to succeed GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Youngkin is prevented from running for re-election, as Virginia's constitution does not allow sitting governors to seek consecutive terms.

Earle-Sears was born in the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 6. She served in the Marines and is a former state lawmaker who made history four years ago when she won election as Virginia's first female lieutenant governor. 

Spanberger is a former intelligence officer in the CIA who won election to Congress in 2018 before securing re-election in 2020 and 2022.

The winner in November will make history as Virginia's first female governor in the commonwealth's four-century-long history. Additionally, if Earle-Sears comes out on top, she will become the nation's first Black woman to win election as governor.

Trump and his policies are a major issue in the state's gubernatorial showdown.

The president's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been on a mission this year to chop government spending and cut the federal workforce.

The moves by DOGE, which was initially steered by Elon Musk, the world's richest person, have been felt acutely in suburban Washington's heavily populated northern Virginia, with its large federal workforce.

And this week's federal government shutdown, which will likely hit Virginia hard, is also now a top topic in the race.

New York City

The mayoral election in the nation's most populous city always grabs outsized attention, especially this year as New York City may elect its first Muslim and first millennial mayor.

Democratic socialist 33-year-old state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani's victory in June's Democratic Party mayoral primary sent political shock waves across the country. And he's come under attack from Republicans and from his rivals on the ballot over his far-left proposals.

Mamdani is the clear frontrunner in the heavily blue city as he faces off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who came in a distant second in the primary and is now running as an independent candidate. Cuomo is aiming for a political comeback after resigning as governor four years ago amid multiple scandals.

Also running is two-time Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, a co-founder of the Guardian Angels, the non-profit, a volunteer-based community safety group.

Embattled Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who was running for re-election as an independent, dropped out of the race a week ago, but his name remains on the ballot.

Trump, a native New Yorker, has continuously been in the spotlight in the race for months.

California Prop 50

Voters in heavily blue California will vote in November on whether to temporarily set aside their popular nonpartisan redistricting commission and allow the Democrat-dominated legislature to determine congressional redistricting for the next three election cycles.

The vote will be the culmination of an effort by Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats to create up to five left-leaning congressional seats in the Golden State to counter the new maps that conservative Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in August, which will create up to five more right-leaning U.S. House districts in the red state of Texas.

The redistricting in Texas, which came after Trump's urging, is part of a broader effort by the GOP across the country to pad their razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority on Pennsylvania's highest court. 

But three Democrat-leaning justices on the state Supreme Court, following the completion of their 10-year terms, are running to keep their seats in "Yes" or "No" retention elections.

The election could upend the court's composition for the next decade, heavily influence whether Democrats or Republicans have an advantage in the state's congressional delegation and legislature, and impact crucial cases including voting rights and reproductive rights.

While state Supreme Court elections typically don't grab much national attention, contests where the balance of a court in a key battleground state is up for grabs have attracted tons of outside money.

The state Supreme Court showdown this spring in Wisconsin, where the 4-3 liberal majority was maintained, drew nearly $100 million in outside money as both parties poured resources into the election.

Hundreds of priceless gold and silver coins were uncovered at a "secret" site in a picturesque region of the Czech Republic.

The discovery was announced by the Museum and Gallery of Northern Pilsen (MGSP) in Mariánská Týnice on Sept. 3. The museum is located in the Pilsen Region of western Bohemia, a region known for its storybook towns and castles.

The hoard consists of hundreds of gold and silver coins, along with a small horse figurine and bronze clasps, officials said in a press release translated from Czech into English.

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Archaeologists unearthed the trove at a "secret Celtic site" in northern Pilsen, according to the museum. During the Iron Age, the Celts inhabited the area, and the site dates back between the 6th century and 1st century B.C.

The unique coins were scattered "in an area where no Celtic settlement had previously been expected," the statement said – making the discovery especially rare.

Jan Mařík, director of the Archaeological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, said the main aim of the excavation was to "save the movable archaeological finds, which are directly threatened by illegal treasure hunters, farming and natural conditions."

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"The extraordinary value of these artifacts also lies in the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of a rare Iron Age site — both in terms of settlement patterns and the finds themselves — which, unlike most comparable European sites, has not been disturbed by illegal digging," added Mařík. 

Archaeologists have worked at the site since 2021, with each digging season yielding more interesting finds.

Experts believe the site was used seasonally for trade, where "people frequently lost small items such as coins," the museum said. 

Daniel Stráník, an archaeologist from MGSP, said the site was "internationally significant, at least within Central Europe."

"Among the gold and silver coins are previously unknown types, which could reshape our understanding of Celtic coinage in Bohemia," he added. 

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"The discovery also includes a unique set of Hallstatt-period gold jewelry. Bronze finds include clasps, pins, bracelets, pendants and even a horse figurine."

The coins are currently on display at MGSP, where they'll be available to the public until Nov. 30. Museum director Pavel Kodera said the exhibition "shows only part of the finds from this remarkable site."

"The most exceptional pieces remain in safe storage and will be presented only after the entire research project has been fully evaluated," he noted. 

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"In the future, we are also considering establishing a new permanent museum exhibition to offer an entirely new perspective on Celtic life in our region."

The latest find comes months after archaeologists dug up a similar hoard of Celtic coins in the same Czech region.

The discovery, announced by the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, came from a Celtic settlement that was uncovered along the route of a future highway.