Potential Dem presidential contender crashes GOP convention, tries to snatch spotlight from Trump

Democratic Gov JB Pritzker charges Trump and GOP trying to ‘rig’ midterm elections

September 9, 2026 6:48pm EDT / Fox News

By Paul Steinhauser

Pritzker crashes GOP’s Dallas spotlight, blast Trump, Republicans

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois took aim at Trump outside the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, saying Republicans have “done nothing to earn your vote.”

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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 on 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.

GOP MIDTERM CONVENTION: CAN THE ‘BEST SHOWMAN IN POLITICS’ DELIVER AGAIN?

The American Airlines Center in Dallas, hours ahead of the start of the GOP midterm convention, on Sept. 9, 2026.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

“We are putting the president on the ballot,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the gathering. “That’s exactly what we’re doing with this midterm convention.”

But Pritzker, a potential 2028 White House contender, blasted the two-day GOP confab.

“This bizarre Republican midterm convention here can’t paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote. Donald Trump is hoping that a flashy primetime event will make you forget that, well, his trade war is killing costs for families at the grocery store. His war in Iran is killing ranchers and farmers and their way of life, and his war on people, on the working people, the working families of this country are raising the costs of health care and housing.”

FIRST ON FOX: WHO’S SPEAKING – AND WHEN – AT THE GOP’S HISTORIC MIDTERM ELECTION

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Democratic National Committee counterprogramming news conference, ahead of the GOP midterm convention, on Sept. 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

The governor also charged that Republicans are trying to “rig” the midterm elections, arguing that Trump is aiming to use the U.S. Postal Service to restrict mail-in balloting across the country.

“Republicans know that they can’t win on the merits of their unpopular policies. So, they’re working to rig the 2026 election,” Pritzker charged.

Pritzker also warned that “if Democrats don’t win, if they don’t win in this election, we may not have other elections, or certainly we’re going to have future elections, every single one of which will be rigged.”

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

The American Airlines Center, as preparations are underway for the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, U.S., September 7, 2026()

The White House has defended Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting as a “commonsense measure” aimed at ensuring secure elections.

Pritzker, who is running for re-election this year for a third term steering Democrat-dominated Illinois, is seen as a possible presidential contender in the 2028 White House race to succeed Trump.

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But the governor pivoted when asked by Fox News if his stop in Dallas should be seen as a 2028 signal.

Standing alongside some top Texas Democrats, Pritzker said, “I care a great deal about what happens in Texas. Voters everywhere in the country should care about what happens in Texas. So, I’m pleased to be here for that reason. If I can advance the cause, that’s why I should stand here.”

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News

Trump says he had “great conversation” with Putin, but Putin and Zelenskyy “hate each other”

September 9, 2026 / 4:02 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — President Trump on Wednesday said he had a “great conversation” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, repeating his claim that he thinks the Russian leader wants to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

The phone call, which the Russians said took place Tuesday, came after top Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv over the weekend.

“We had a great conversation,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. “He is wanting to make a deal. And if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that would be very nice.”

Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he thinks Putin wants to strike a deal to end the fighting, although the Russians could remove troops and relinquish territory at any point. A reporter asked the president what the holdup is.

“The holdup is two people that hate each other,” the president said. “I think more than anything else, it’s two people that hate each other.”

The White House did not release a summary of the call or confirm that it took place, leaving the Russians to provide the only official account of the conversation.

According to the Russian readout, Mr. Trump told Putin that ending the conflict would immediately open up the possibility for the full restoration of Russia-U.S. relations, and that he’s interested in reaching a breakthrough in resolving the conflict during his presidency.

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Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, told reporters Sunday that Mr. Trump has been following developments from their meetings “very closely” and is trying to “find a pathway to end this war.” It was the first time Kushner and Witkoff visited Ukraine since Mr. Trump took office in January 2025. Zelenskyy said the goal of the discussions was a “just, fair peace” that would make sure Russia never had a chance to resume its attacks on Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday that he may meet with Mr. Trump later this month.

Putin and Zelenskyy ordered a pause in fighting while Kushner and Witkoff held their talks in both countries. But Russia resumed its attacks on Kyiv on Tuesday morning, killing at least two people.

The conversations come as Lithuania, which borders Russia-friendly Belarus, trains civilians to stand up to Russian aggression, should it arrive at their doorstep.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Mr. Trump pledged to end the war in Ukraine by his first day in office, but he has admitted publicly that achieving that goal has been more challenging than anticipated, and said the pledge was “figurative” or an “exaggeration.” He is approaching 20 months in office.

White House removes controversial video game after warning from gaming company

2026-09-09T20:44:59.083Z / CNN

By Kit Maher

Updated 1 hr 41 min ago

Updated Sep 9, 2026, 5:25 PM ET

PUBLISHED Sep 9, 2026, 4:44 PM ET

The White House is seen in June 2025.

Kevin Carter/Getty Images

The White House has removed from its website an arcade-style “Build the Wall” game closely styled like Tetris, which comes after the gaming company warned of copyright infringement.

The White House last week launched a series of games on its website to tout the administration’s priorities. But two games focused on immigration — “Build the Wall” and “Rio Run” — quickly sparked backlash, including from the Tetris brand, which said that it believes “in the power of connection, and bringing people together, not dividing them.”

The “Build the Wall” game — which first appeared on the site last Thursday — asked users to stack bricks and “hold the line” against a “zombie border siege.” Soon after its debut, Tetris posted on Instagram that it was not involved in the game’s creation and added, “We take copyright infringement very seriously.”

A screenshot of the White House website showing arcade-style games that allow users to arrest immigrants and build a border wall.

arcade.gov

The game was gone from the White House website as of Wednesday. But some clips of the game are still featured in videos that the White House posted on social media. The White House did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

“Tetris has no comment,” a representative of Miller PR, which represents Tetris, told CNN on Wednesday.

Another immigration-themed game, “Rio Run,” still appears on the White House website. The game, which is similar to Snake, has users “patrol the line” along the Rio Grande and “pick up every crosser in the lot” to earn a high score of deportations.

The White House is also still featuring three other arcade-style games — one that prompts users to fill their “kids’ Trump accounts”; one that prompts users to fly a bald eagle down the National Mall; and another where users can sort a school lunch to “Make America Healthy Again.”

The launch of the arcade games was the White House’s latest aggressive online effort to troll Democrats, which has at times surfaced racist and offensive images. Trump and the White House have drawn sharp criticism, for example, for their use of social media and official government platforms — including by using racist and offensive images, like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero and the Obamas depicted as apes in a jungle.

A White House official last week cast the arcade games as “an effort to further contrast between a culture of fun and winning and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for America.”

And on social media, the White House hasn’t shown signs of backing off of using video game imagery to promote its agenda.

On Tuesday, for example, the White House released a video on X modeled after Nintendo’s “Legend of Zelda,” called “Legends of Trump.”

And it’s not just video games the administration is using in its messaging on social media. On Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security posted on X an AI-generated image of Immigration and Customs Enforcement styled like a “Transformers” movie poster that reads: “Transformers Age of Deportations.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

Ukraine strikes deep into Russia’s Arctic gas heartland as Trump pushes Putin toward peace

The president spoke with Putin as Ukrainian drones reached Russia’s Arctic north and Moscow resumed missile attacks on Kyiv

September 9, 2026 4:23pm EDT / Fox News

By Efrat Lachter

Kushner and Witkoff meet with Russian and Ukrainian presidents

Fox News reporter Stephanie Bennett has the latest on U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the Trump administration pushes to revive stalled peace negotiations, with discussions focusing on a potential path toward ending the war and broader diplomatic efforts on ‘Special Report.’

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Ukrainian drones struck deep into Russia’s Arctic north Wednesday, sparking a fire at an industrial facility in Novy Urengoy, a city in the heart of Russia’s most important natural-gas producing region, according to Russian officials and the Associated Press.

Regional Gov. Dmitry Artyukhov said Russian air defenses repelled the attack but falling drone debris caused a fire at an industrial site. He did not identify the facility, and the extent of the damage was still being assessed, Reuters reported Wednesday.

Ukrainian defense manufacturer Fire Point appeared to claim involvement, posting: “Guess who covered more than 3,300 km and successfully hit the target.”

The extraordinary strike comes as Washington makes a renewed push to end the more than four-year war even as Russia and Ukraine intensify long-range attacks on each other.

UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR’S BIGGEST ATTACKS

Flames and smoke rise from an industrial facility in Novy Urengoy, in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, after a Ukrainian drone attack on Sept. 9, 2026. Russian officials said air defenses repelled the attack but falling debris sparked a fire.(East2West)

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he had just spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested both Moscow and Kyiv may be prepared to negotiate.

“We had a great conversation. He is wanting to make a deal. And if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that would be very nice,” Trump said.

Asked what was holding up an agreement, Trump pointed to the personal animosity between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling them “two people that hate each other.”

“These are two people that are tired of fighting,” Trump added.

Trump’s comments followed a weekend diplomatic push by U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who traveled to Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to revive negotiations. The talks produced no breakthrough, according to the Associated Press.

RUSSIAN STRIKES CONTINUE FOLLOWING VISIT BY WITKOFF AND KUSHNER TO KYIV

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner attend talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Senate Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 2, 2025.(Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russia resumed major missile and drone attacks on Kyiv shortly after the American delegation left Ukraine, killing five people and wounding 35 on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

A European intelligence source told Fox News Digital that the simultaneous diplomacy and military escalation reflects a long-standing dilemma for Western governments trying to engage Moscow.

“You have to talk, you have to explain,” the source said, arguing that communication is necessary to prevent misunderstandings.

RUSSIA UNLEASHES NEARLY 600 MISSILES AND DRONES ON KYIV IN DEADLIEST STRIKE SINCE MAY

Smoke and flames rise over Moscow on June 18, 2026, following a Ukrainian drone attack that hit the Kapotnya oil refinery and other targets in the Russian capital.(East2West)

But the source said Russian officials can interpret Western outreach differently.

“Whenever you talk with them, they consider that this is a Western weakness,” the source said, adding that the assessment was based in part on informal contacts with Russian officials.

The source also said Putin’s recent emphasis on Russian “military progress in Ukraine” appeared aimed in part at Washington, projecting strength as U.S. officials seek to revive negotiations.

The escalation is taking an increasing toll on civilians. The United Nations said last month that Russian attacks killed or wounded more Ukrainian civilians in July than in any month since March 2022, with 437 killed and more than 2,600 wounded.

More than 16,800 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and more than 51,000 wounded since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting civilians and says its strikes are aimed at military and military-related facilities.

DRONE OFFENSIVE HITS RUSSIAN OIL TANKERS AND REFINERIES AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’ AS MOSCOW BANS DIESEL EXPORTS

A rescuer works at the site of a Russian drone strike in Dnipro, Ukraine, in a picture released on April 30.(Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Civil Administration Serhiy Lysak via Telegram/Handout via Reuters)

United24 described Wednesday’s attack as the deepest Ukrainian drone strike inside Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Novy Urengoy lies roughly 1,740 miles from Ukraine’s border. Artem Zhoga, Putin’s envoy to Russia’s Urals Federal District, said a Ukrainian drone had attempted to strike a fuel-and-energy facility in Yamal, according to Meduza.

The city sits in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the country’s dominant natural-gas producing region. About 80% of Russia’s natural gas is extracted there, according to Interfax data cited by the Associated Press.

Artyukhov said there were no reported casualties.

The attack was part of a broader Ukrainian drone assault on Russia. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces also struck targets around the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, including a naval base, an oil-loading terminal, military port facilities and warships capable of carrying cruise missiles, according to the Associated Press.

Russian authorities said four people, including a child, were killed and 29 wounded in the Novorossiysk attack.

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Firefighters work at a site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, in this handout picture released Sept. 9, 2026.(Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv/Handout via Reuters)

Russia, meanwhile, continued its own long-range campaign against Ukraine Wednesday. Russian drones struck the Starokozache border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, killing two civilians and wounding three, while another wave of attacks on Kyiv killed one person and wounded 14, according to Reuters.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Efrat (Effie) Lachter is a reporter for Fox News Digital with more than 15 years of experience covering conflict, global affairs, human rights and political accountability.She has directed and produced more than 200 documentary segments across more than 40 countries, documenting conflicts, humanitarian crises, corruption, human trafficking, gender-based violence and the human stories behind major world events.

Lachter’s reporting has taken her into conflict zones and crisis areas across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa. Her work has included uncovering human trafficking networks, revealing an ISIS underground torture prison in Syria, documenting the war in Ukraine and interviewing senior political figures and world leaders. She was also among the Western journalists who entered Russia after the war began to bring testimonies from Putin’s opposition. Lachter is the recipient of the 2022 Peres Center for Peace Award and was a 2023–2024 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan. She also won two Rockower Awards for Excellence in Reporting. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s degree in political science.

CBS News poll: 25 years after 9/11, most see a changed country and some success fighting terrorism

September 9, 2026 5:00 PM EDT / CBS News
By Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus

Twenty-five years later, Americans view the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a defining event — one that fundamentally changed the country and that needs to be remembered.

As people look back, they see a different country today in some ways. Most feel there is less unity now than at the time of the attacks, though many think that the U.S. would unify as it did 25 years ago if another terror attack from overseas were to happen today.

In response to the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. launched a military campaign often referred to as the “war on terrorism.” Today, most feel that campaign has been at least somewhat successful, although some uneasiness remains.

There are many today who weren’t born or were too young to remember 9/11. They have since come to learn about the attacks in school and from teachers and from family and friends, as well.

But even if they don’t remember it very well personally, most younger adults do recognize 9/11 as a consequential event. Most of them, like the public overall, believe those attacks changed the country forever, although it’s older Americans who especially feel it’s very important that people continue to remember that day.

Another indication of the event’s significance is that roughly a quarter of Americans say they have visited a 9/11 memorial or museum, including both younger and older people.

War on terrorism: Most see some success

In the 25 years since 9/11, most Americans feel U.S. actions to reduce terrorism have been at least somewhat successful, and many feel those efforts have made the U.S. safer.

People are not without some concern, however. While few feel personally “in danger” from terrorism, many continue to feel “somewhat uneasy” — similar to how they felt five years ago when the country marked 20 years since the attacks.

People were on edge in the years immediately following the attacks — most believed another terrorist attack in the U.S. was likely to happen.

Today, the country is divided on whether the U.S. is adequately prepared to deal with a terrorist attack in the U.S. Opinions on this are driven partly by political partisanship, perhaps reflecting people’s views of the current administration. Most Republicans think the U.S. is prepared, while most Democrats and independents don’t think it is.

Sept. 11, 2001: Then and now

Americans do see changes in the U.S. since the attacks. Compared to that time, people feel there’s more security today, but feel there’s less privacy. Notably, they see less unity.

In the aftermath of 9/11, CBS News polling in 2001 found most Americans at the time critiqued security at airports, among other things, and the public supported the federal government taking on an increased role in airport security.

It has been said that the country became more unified after the 9/11 attacks. By one measure, Americans did rally behind their president. After the attacks, President George W. Bush’s job approval rating soared to 90% in early October 2001 — the highest approval rating for a sitting president to date in CBS News polling.

At the time, there was also near-universal support for U.S. military action against those responsible for the attacks, a measure of bipartisan unity that is rarely seen today on other issues, including military actions.

About half of the country believes that if a terror attack from overseas happened today, Americans would be just as united as they were after 9/11, or more so. But 40% feel the nation would not come together in the same way — particularly those who personally remember the 9/11 attacks very well.

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This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,373 U.S. adults interviewed between September 1-4, 2026. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide according to gender, age, race, and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.3 points.

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特朗普：伊朗战争会在美中期选举后立刻结束

2026年9月10日 07:00 / 联合早报

美国总统特朗普星期三（9月9日）从马里兰州安德鲁斯基地启程飞往达拉斯前，在停机坪接受媒体访问。 （法新社）

美国总统特朗普说，伊朗战争会在11月美国中期选举后立即结束，因为伊朗在美国施加的经济压力下已难以维系。

路透社报道，特朗普星期三（9月9日）启程前往达拉斯参加共和党全国代表大会前告诉记者：“我认为战争会在中期选举后立即结束，因为伊朗人撑不下去了。他们正在不顾一切地尝试影响中期选举。”

特朗普发起的对伊战争已进入第七个月，且短期内尚无结束迹象，近期局势甚至再次升级。美伊双方本周猛烈交火，导致油价飙升，基准布伦特原油期货价格自7月以来首次突破每桶100美元（约126新元）。

美国选民对伊朗战争造成的生活费危机感到不满，特朗普近期的支持率跌至历史新低。定于11月3日举行的中期选举，通常被视为对现任总统的“公投”。

特朗普说，一旦伊朗战争结束，油价也会在选举后回落；他也坦承，虽然外交谈判仍有可能进行，但并非首选方案。

Meet the Democrat who may primary Sen. John Fetterman

5:59 PM EDT, Wed September 9, 2026 / CNN

By Jake Tapper, CNN

Meet the Democrat who may primary Sen. John Fetterman

The Lead

Rep. Chris Deluzio joins The Lead.
0:39 • Source: CNN

Busiest US seaport set new three-month volume record after early holiday import rush to avoid new tariffs, higher fuel costs

2026-09-09T20:08:09.639Z / Reuters

By Lisa Baertlein

September 9, 2026 8:08 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

Shipping containers are stacked at a terminal at the port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, California, U.S., March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Caroline Brehman/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

LOS ANGELES, Sept 9 (Reuters) – The Port of Los Angeles set a new three-month volume record during June, July and August after retailers rushed in ​goods to avoid new tariffs and higher fuel costs, the executive director ‌of the nation’s busiest ocean container port said on Wednesday.

Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving decor and Hanukkah and Christmas gifts are among the goods that surged into to U.S. seaports a few ​months earlier than usual this year after importers raced to front-run President ​Donald Trump’s tariffs replacing those struck down by the courts ⁠and shipping contract fuel cost increases tied to the Iran war.

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Waterfront workers at ​the Port of Los Angeles handled 955,907 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August, taking the ​three-month total to 2.9 million TEUs – beating the previous record set during the COVID-19 shipping boom.

Retailers traditionally account for nearly half of container shipping volume. Economists, financial analysts and traders ​analysts monitor ocean container imports because they reflect the health of the consumer-spending-dependent ​US economy.

“June was probably our peak,” Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, ‌said ⁠during a media briefing focused on holiday imports.

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“A good chunk of it is already here, but we’ll see that continue to flow in the next couple of months,” said Brian Dodge, CEO of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), said of ​holiday-related imports.

Some imports ​were delayed due ⁠to severe weather in China and some rerouting away from the Panama Canal amid potential drought conditions there, said Jonathan ​Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at ​the National ⁠Retail Federation (NRF).

“Consumers keep buying despite tariffs, inflation and high fuel prices, and retailers keep bringing in merchandise to meet demand,” Gold said.

“There’s cause for optimism as we head ⁠into ​the back half of this year, and certainly ​retail Super Bowl, which is the holiday shopping season,” RILA’s Dodge said of the year-end retail period ​that can make or break company profits.

Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Alistair Bell

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伊朗官员：德黑兰准备好应对更激烈战争

2026年9月10日 07:12 / 联合早报

美军中央司令部星期三（9月9日）发布的照片显示，一架美军F/A-18“超级大黄蜂”战斗机9月4日停放在尼米兹级航空母舰乔治·华盛顿号的飞行甲板上。 （法新社）

伊朗一名高级官员说，德黑兰已准备好应对更激烈的战争；如果美国继续攻击伊朗领土和基础设施，伊朗会升级反击行动。

彭博社星期三（9月9日）报道上述消息。这名官员还说，面对美国的海上封锁以及伊朗油轮遭袭的局面，德黑兰无意退缩。

伊朗官员强调，尽管经济压力可能在加剧，伊朗领导层认为，与美国的战争构成生存威胁，因此他们别无选择，只能继续战斗。

伊朗战事已进入第七个月，美伊敌对状态未见缓和迹象，双方围绕霍尔木兹海峡控制权的冲突急剧升级。

美军中央司令部星期二（8日）称，美军连夜摧毁五艘伊朗油轮，旨在回应伊朗革命卫队连续两天向一艘美国军舰发射弹道导弹。

伊朗革命卫队星期三称，在霍尔木兹海峡攻击两艘美国船只和另外八艘油轮，因为这些船只试图穿越一处“被禁止且不安全”的水域。

德黑兰也向美军在约旦使用的一处空军基地发射约20枚导弹。

尽管局势持续紧张，美国总统特朗普却声称伊朗战争会在美国中期选举后立即结束。

上述伊朗官员则说，自4月战争最激烈阶段结束以来，伊朗一直在重建军事能力，并拥有足以应对长期冲突的导弹储备。

Fetterman appears at RNC midterm convention in surprise video, vows to work with Trump on steel

September 9, 2026 / 7:26 PM EDT / CBS News

By Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter
Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

Read Full Bio

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman appeared in a surprise video at the Republican Party’s midterm convention on Wednesday, as he becomes increasingly isolated from his own party.

“Why am I here talking to you today? Because, well, I’m a common-sense Democrat,”the Pennsylvania senator said in a one-minute prerecorded video introducing GOP Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania. “I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes in socialism and that anti-American way of life.”

Standing in front of Western Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley Works steel mill, Fetterman said, “we’ll work with President Trump to fight and defend the steel way of life right here in the Steel Valley.”

“How great is John Fetterman?” McCormick said after taking the stage, praising the Democrat for his “friendship” and “courage.”

Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, is displayed on a screen as he delivers a video message during the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday. Kent Nishimura /AFP via Getty Images

Mr. Trump cleared the way last year for U.S. Steel to be acquired by Japan-based Nippon Steel. The president and members of both parties, including Fetterman, had initially opposed Nippon’s efforts to buy the iconic Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, but Mr. Trump ultimately signed off on an agreement that he argued would result in tens of billions in new investments in U.S. Steel and grant the federal government a “golden share” in the company.

Fetterman has, at times, distanced himself from the Democrats, backing Mr. Trump’s strategy in Iran and breaking with congressional Democrats in last year’s government shutdown fight.

After Mr. Trump won the 2024 election, Fetterman became the first Senate Democrat to meet with the incoming president at his Palm Beach residence.

“I think it’s pretty reasonable that if the president would like to have a conversation — or invite someone to have a conversation — to have it. And no one is my gatekeeper,” Fetterman told CBS News in January 2025.

He has denied that he is considering switching parties. In an op-ed in May, he said, “I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.” But he said his red line is if the Democratic Party becomes “the anti-Israel party.”

If Fetterman were to switch parties, it would be harder for Democrats to reclaim the Senate majority. Democrats currently need to flip four seats in November to win control.