MIAMI – A Republican presidential candidate fired personal insults against the chair of his own party in one of the most bizarre moments of the combustible Republican presidential debate Wednesday.

Vivek Ramaswamy, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate who’s been one of the biggest surprises during the 2024 election cycle, once again targeted former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has been rising in GOP primary polls for several months.

But at the start of the third debate, Ramaswamy took aim at someone who wasn’t even on the stage or even in the race — Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel.

Speaking the night after the GOP suffered a slew of setbacks in the 2023 off-year elections, Ramaswamy unloaded on McDaniel, who minutes earlier had taken to the stage to address the audience in the debate pre-show.

Ramaswamy — who has highlighted ‘outsider’ credentials since launching his presidential campaign in February — argued the GOP has become ‘a party of losers’ and said there’s a ‘cancer’ in the Republican establishment.

‘Since Ronna McDaniel took over as chairwoman of the RNC in 2017, we have lost 2018, 2020, 2022, [the] red wave that never came. We got trounced last night in 2023,’ Ramaswamy said. 

He urged that ‘we have to have accountability in our party. For that matter, Ronna, if you want to come on stage tonight, you want to look the GOP voters in the eye and tell them you resign, I will yield my time to you.’

Asked about the attack, McDaniel said in the spin room after the debate, ‘I’m not running for anything. So let’s focus on Joe Biden and beating the Democrats. That’s what I’m going to do.’

McDaniel was picked by former President Donald Trump soon after his 2016 White House victory to steer the national party committee. She was re-elected in 2019, 2021 and again in January, when she announced that this would be her final two-year term leading the RNC.

After the debate Wednesday, Fox News Digital asked McDaniel about the much-discussed debate moment from Ramaswamy.

‘Everybody’s gotta get headlines, right?’ she answered. ‘I am very proud of the RNC and our staff and the work that we’ve done to win back the House. Remember, I am the person who was chair of Michigan who flipped that state for the first time in 30 years. And I’m going to continue working hard on beating the Democrats, and I’m not going to attack other Republicans. That’s just a fact.’

Ramaswamy told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie after the debate, ‘I don’t have a personal problem with Ronna.’

But he reiterated, ‘I have a problem with a party that repeatedly loses its elections… And I do think that it’s a party that’s a little bit out of touch with its base.’

That’s a view shared by some on the far right side of the party — and some in MAGA world.

Among those weighing in was Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump — the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination — who posted on social media a video of Ramaswamy’s debate attack on McDaniel.

Kirk, a vocal critic of the RNC chair, wrote: ‘When an NFL team keeps losing games, the coach gets fired. So why does the RNC keep going to war led by the same losers who failed last time?’

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Thursday issued additional subpoenas for Hunter Biden’s business associates, including his art dealers and individuals involved in the more than $200,000 in alleged ‘loans’ James Biden repaid President Biden for in 2017 and 2018, Fox News Digital has learned.

Comer, R-Ky., subpoenaed Hunter Biden’s business associate Eric Schwerin and Mervyn Yan. He also subpoenaed Hunter Biden’s gallerist George Bergès and art patron Elizabeth Naftali. The subpoenas compel all the individuals to testify before the committee.

The committee subpoenaed Yan in April for financial records connected to business dealings with Hunter Biden.

In January, Comer demanded Bergès turn over all communications between his gallery and the White House related to a reported deal to withhold all records of the prices and final buyers for Hunter Biden’s art. Fox News Digital previously reported that Bergès has long-standing ties to China and said in 2015 that he wanted to be the art world’s ‘lead guy in China.’

Comer also requested transcribed interviews with former Americore Holdings, LLC, representatives. Americore Holdings was a financially distressed rural hospital operator that provided $600,000 in loans to James Biden, who, in 2018, eventually wrote a check, allegedly using those funds, for $200,000 to Joe Biden.

‘The House Oversight Committee is leaving no stone unturned as we investigate President Joe Biden’s central role in his family’s domestic and international business dealings,’ Comer said Thursday.

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday issued subpoenas to Hunter Biden, James Biden and business associate Rob Walker. Walker worked on the Biden family’s joint venture called Sinohawk Holdings, which was meant to be a partnership with Chinese energy firm CEFC.

The committee also requested transcribed interviews from James Biden’s wife, Sara Biden; President Biden’s daughter-in-law, Hallie Biden, the widow of President Biden’s son, Beau, who later was romantically involved with Hunter; Hallie Biden’s older sister, Elizabeth Secundy; and Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen.

The committee also requested a transcribed interview with Hunter Biden’s former business associate, Tony Bobulinski, who was also involved in Sinohawk Holdings.

Comer said the subpoenas were issued due to the ‘record of evidence obtained by this Committee.’

‘A plethora of bank records, texts, emails, and a transcribed interview with Biden family associate Devon Archer all show the Bidens and their business partners sold access to the highest levels of our government, including Joe Biden himself, to the detriment of America’s interests,’ Comer said. ‘Americans across this country have made it clear to President Joe Biden, the Biden family, and their associates that the gig is up.’

Comer added: ‘The House Oversight Committee, along with the Committees on Judiciary and Ways and Means, are determined to follow the facts, and deliver the transparency and accountability that the American people demand, deserve, and expect.’

The subpoenas come as part of the committee’s months-long investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings and whether President Biden benefited from or was involved in his family’s business ventures.

The investigation, led by Comer, also feeds into the broader House impeachment inquiry against President Biden. That inquiry is being led by Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo.

The subpoenaed and voluntary testimony will likely feed into the larger impeachment inquiry as Republicans seek to determine whether President Biden abused his office or committed any type of high crime or misdemeanor.

Comer, in September, subpoenaed personal and business bank records belonging to both Hunter Biden and James Biden. Those subpoenaed records have revealed new lines of questioning with regard to whether President Biden knew about or was involved in his family’s business dealings.

Last week, Comer said those subpoenaed bank records revealed that President Biden himself received $40,000 in ‘laundered China money’ from the bank account belonging to James Biden and Sara Biden.

Subpoenaed financial records also revealed that Joe Biden received a ‘$200,000 direct payment’ in 2018 in the form of a ‘personal check’ from James Biden and Sara Biden. That check was also labeled ‘loan repayment.’ The check for $200,000 came the same day Americore wired $200,000 into James and Sara Biden’s personal bank account.

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell blasted the investigation as ‘partisan,’ and penned a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Wednesday to demand that he stop Comer, Jordan and Smith from continuing their investigation.

‘This is yet another political stunt aimed at distracting from the glaring failure of Rep. Comer and his MAGA allies to prove a single one of their wild and now discredited conspiracies about the Biden family,’ Lowell said in a statement. 

As for the subpoena for Hunter Biden’s testimony, Lowell said the president’s son ‘is eager to have the opportunity, in a public forum and at the right time, to discuss these matters with the Committee.’

FIRST ON FOX: Special Counsel David Weiss admitted he ‘wasn’t granted’ special attorney authority in his Hunter Biden investigation by the Justice Department despite requesting that status, but he told investigators he did not interpret that decision as a ‘denial in any way, shape or form,’ a transcript of his testimony reviewed by Fox News Digital revealed.

Weiss, who served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware before being appointed as special counsel in August, has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018. A special attorney has expanded powers — though less investigative and charging power than a special counsel — that would allow a prosecutor to bring charges in jurisdictions beyond their own. 

At the time of Weiss’ request, Weiss was serving as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Weiss was considering bringing possible charges against Hunter Biden in the District of Columbia and in the Central District of California. 

Weiss participated in a voluntary transcribed interview before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. 

His testimony came after IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler alleged that politics affected prosecutorial decisions throughout the probe with regard to search warrants, decisions about lines of questioning during interviews of specific people, and more. 

Shapley also alleged that Weiss did not have ‘ultimate authority’ to pursue charges against the president’s son and instead needed approval from the Justice Department – something that DOJ officials confirmed in their voluntary transcribed interviews before the committee. 

Fox News Digital reviewed a copy of Weiss’ testimony transcript.

Weiss followed steps requested by DOJ, asking U.S. attorneys in those districts if they would like to partner with him in the prosecution. Both U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves and U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada testified during their voluntary transcribed interviews before the House Judiciary Committee that they declined to partner with Weiss.

Weiss testified that he ‘raised the idea of 515 authority’ because he ‘had been handling the investigation for some period of time.’

U.S. Code 515 grants authority for special attorneys.

‘They suggested let’s go through the typical process and reach out to D.C. and see if D.C. would be interested in joining or otherwise participating in the investigation,’ Weiss said.

Later in his interview, Weiss was asked directly if he asked for ‘515 Special Attorney authority.’

‘I did ask for 515 Special Attorney authority,’ Weiss said, noting he did so ‘in the spring of 2022.’

When asked if he was granted that authority, Weiss said: ‘I asked for it, and then in—I think i’ve described it in or around February, March of 2022, and at the conclusion of the process in D.C….I was informed by the Principal Deputy Attorney General that if I decided to proceed in the District of Columbia, I had the authority to proceed and the authority to move forward with whatever charges I deemed appropriate.’ 

Weiss said ‘the first step was just to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office to see if they wanted to join in the prosecution.’

Weiss testified that he had to follow a number of DOJ steps, including contacting U.S. attorney offices in the districts in question—District of Columbia and Central District of California—to determine if those attorneys wanted to partner with him.

Weiss said he was directed to ‘proceed as we would in the normal process’ and move forward in ‘a typical fashion.’

‘As you know, ultimately, this didn’t happen in this conversation, but down the road, I was given the authority to proceed if I chose to do so,’ Weiss said.

Later in his interview, Weiss was pressed: ‘But [515 authority] wasn’t granted, right?’

‘Yes. We have been over this,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t granted.’

‘They said follow the process,’ he continued. ‘I followed the process.’ 

Weiss added: ‘I asked for something, and in that conversation, they didn’t give it to me.’ 

‘When you ask for something and they didn’t give it to you, what is that?’ Weiss was asked.

‘I’m not—you want me to say it’s a denial, but it’s not,’ Weiss said. ‘Not when I know that, weeks later, I was specifically told, ‘you can proceed.’’

Weiss stressed that he was asked to ‘proceed with this process. We’re asking you to go through this process.’

‘From my mind, it’s a sequencing event,’ Weiss said. ‘It’s not a denial in any way, shape or form.’

He added: ‘That’s the way I interpreted it.’ 

Meanwhile, Weiss was asked about more of Shapley’s allegations, including when he claimed that Weiss himself stated that he was ‘not the deciding person on whether charges are filed.’ 

When asked for his reaction to Shapley’s recollection, Weiss stated: ‘It’s not what I said, nor is it what I believed, as I’ve told you guys repeatedly today.’ 

Whistleblowers also alleged Weiss allowed the statute of limitations to expire for tax charges against Hunter Biden from 2014 and 2015 in D.C.

Weiss testified that the statute of limitations did, in fact, expire, but he said he could not comment as it ‘pertains to the ongoing litigation and our outstanding investigation.’

‘I’m just not at liberty to comment at this time, but there will come a time,’ Weiss said, adding that he would explain in his eventual report why the statute of limitations was allowed to lapse.

‘But even though the statute of limitations has lapsed and even though charges won’t be filed, if there were to be an outstanding tax prosecution, there is no reason to believe that evidence pertaining to prior years, or witnesses involved in prior years, wouldn’t be part of that litigation,’ Weiss said.

Weiss was also asked about the FBI’s FD-1023 form, which details allegations of a criminal bribery scheme involving President Biden, Hunter Biden and the head of Burisma Holdings.

‘I’m not going to comment on that. I appreciate your question, but it concerns a matter that is subject to an outstanding investigation,’ Weiss said. ‘It’s something that I absolutely cannot comment on either way.’ 

Meanwhile, Weiss said he is continuing to ‘work on building the team’ in the special counsel’s office but said he was ‘not going to get into the particulars.’ 

Weiss’ special counsel team is located in Delaware, but is separate from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Delaware. 

As for the status and timeline of his investigation, Weiss told investigators he was ‘not going to put a time frame on it.’ 

‘We plan to move as efficiently as possible,’ he said. 

President Biden’s speech to the United Auto Workers (UAW) was derailed by a protester on Thursday demanding he call for a cease-fire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The disruption occurred just seconds after Biden began his speech at the Belvidere, Illinois event as he was speaking about his father running an automobile agency when he was young.

‘President Biden, you need to call for a cease-fire in Gaza,’ the female protester yelled.

She was immediately met with loud jeers as Biden attempted to quiet the crowd.

‘No, let her go,’ he said as the protester continued to yell inaudibly and the crowd went on jeering.

‘It’s okay,’ Biden said, but to no avail.

The crowd then began chanting, ‘We love Joe,’ as the protester was quieted and presumably removed from the event.

Biden continued his speech without addressing the protester’s calls for a cease-fire.

Biden has faced calls from a number of Democrats to press for a cease-fire in the war, but has so far resisted those calls and has only pushed Israel for a ‘humanitarian pause’ in the fighting.

After a call with Biden on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on rejecting a cease-fire in Gaza unless the hostages being held there by Hamas are released. 

However, the White House announced Thursday that Israel would pause military operations in Gaza City for four hours each day.

FIRST ON FOX: The Ron DeSantis presidential campaign released a statement outlining why it believes the Florida governor won Wednesday night’s debate while also previewing his plan for an upcoming debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom that he called the ‘biggest’ debate yet.

‘Ron DeSantis was victorious last night by making clear that he has what it takes to fight and win for the American people as commander-in-chief, but the next debate will be the biggest one yet,’ DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier told Fox News Digital in a statement.

‘As Democrats ramp up their efforts to replace the historically unpopular and failed Joe Biden as their nominee, Ron DeSantis’ showdown with Gavin Newsom is even more timely.’

The statement continued, ‘A Newsom presidency would accelerate America’s decline, and November 30th will be the first chance to expose to a national audience just how dangerous his radical ideology would be for the country. Ron DeSantis will take this responsibility seriously and looks forward to sharing the stark contrast between his vision to revive our nation and Newsom’s blueprint for failure.’

DeSantis and Newsom are set to face off in a debate that will air on Fox News Channel on Nov. 30, moderated by Sean Hannity.

The debate comes as Newsom has faced accusations of running a ‘shadow’ presidential campaign, positioning himself to step into the 2024 race if President Biden decides not to run.

A Monmouth University poll released this month showed that 76% of voters agreed that Biden, 80, is ‘too old’ to serve another term, compared to 48% who said the same about Trump, 77. 

Additionally, prominent Democrats have expressed concerns about Biden running for reelection after polling has shown him underwater in key swing state polls.

‘I was concerned before these polls, and I’m concerned now,’ Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told CNN over the weekend.

Newsom has repeatedly said he is not running for president in 2024.

‘The only category Ron won last night was ‘most cringey,’’ Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told Fox News Digital in a statement. ‘He doubled down on the anti-freedom agenda that has cost Republicans election after election and wilted when confronted with his numerous flip-flops. The fact he even accepted Gov. Newsom’s [year-old] debate challenge shows just how desperate he is to distract from his own flailing campaign.’

DeSantis said last week about the upcoming debate with Newsom, ‘I think what California represents, it’s kind of the leftist petri dish. So, whatever the Democrats have already done in Washington, California is kind of like five years ahead of that.’

‘So, if you did have a Biden second term, I think you’d get a lot of the same policies. But clearly, if you ended up with like a Newsom, they would have policies that would really accelerate the decline of this country. Whereas I think Florida represents a model where we can reverse the decline and have an American revival. So, yes, there’ll be differences that are discussed between the two states. But I think the more important part of the debate is how does that factor into the nation’s future.’

FIRST ON FOX: Over one-third of U.S. senators are calling on American United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to introduce a resolution to label the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas a terrorist group.

Senators James Lankford, R-Okla., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., sent Thomas-Greenfield the Thursday letter with 32 of their colleagues from both side of the aisle pressing the ambassador to bring up a resolution to the U.N. Security Council recognizing Hamas as a terrorist group and imposing sanctions on them.

The senators praised Thomas-Greenfield’s ‘unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ terrorism’ and her ‘support for Israel’s right to defend its people.’ But they said recent ‘events have demonstrated that Hamas’ actions, tactics, and stated goals are in many ways indistinguishable from Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist organizations’ that the U.N. has already sanctioned.

‘Therefore, we write to urge you to bring a resolution to the UN Security Council recognizing and imposing sanctions on Hamas as a terrorist organization,’ the senators wrote.

Lankford and Rosen described the October 7 attacks on Israel where ‘thousands of Hamas terrorists launched attacks, including on civilian communities, in southern Israel, brutally murdering 1,400 innocent people and wounding 4,500 others’ and noted that ‘Hamas kidnapped over 240 men, women, and children – ranging from infants to Holocaust survivors.’

‘Hamas terrorists have committed and continue to commit abhorrent attacks that not only impact Israelis but also directly impact Americans citizens, with at least 32 Americans killed and countless more held in captive as a result of the terrorist attack on October 7. In fact, Hamas hostages come from 25 countries around the world. Hamas’ reign of terror is not just an Israeli problem, but one that impacts us all.’

The senators wrote that, since October 1997, ‘the U.S. Department of Treasury has designated Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations’ and that ‘these groups have been listed as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) since October 2001.’

Lankford and Rosen noted that numerous ‘other countries and international entities rightfully have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Israel, the Organization of American States, Paraguay, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom’ and noted that Switzerland is ‘exploring legal avenues to designate Hamas as a terrorist entity.’

The lawmakers also warned there ‘are multiple consequences of the UN not recognizing Hamas as a terrorist organization.’

‘First, the lack of a unified voice among the international community risks eroding the UN’s credibility in response to one of the worst terrorist attacks in history. Additionally, as the largest financial contributor to the UN, the U.S. must take urgent action to prevent the flow of funds into the hands of Hamas. The absence of UN sanctions on Hamas is a glaring loophole, circumventing U.S. financial controls, such as the rigorous standards set by the U.S. Department of Treasury, potentially allowing Hamas to evade U.S. sanctions.’

‘Furthermore, the lack of UN sanctions on Hamas enables them to bolster their capabilities by exploiting international financial channels, including accessing financial systems and soliciting donations from charities,’ they continued.

‘We are also concerned that a lack of UN sanctions enables Hamas to divert humanitarian aid for malicious intent, which deprives innocent Palestinian civilians of crucial assistance while simultaneously strengthening offensive capabilities used to attack Israel,’ Lankford and Rosen continued.

The lawmakers wrote that ‘Hamas continues to divert aid meant for civilians in order to fund its operations by’ imposing ”taxes’ on humanitarian consignments at border checkpoints,’ selling donated goods intended to go to Palestinian civilians ‘and later selling them illicitly for financial gain,’ plus ‘repurposing humanitarian facilities, like water and sewage components, to create rockets and missiles.’

‘We therefore request you bring forward a UN resolution to recognize and sanction Hamas as a terrorist organization,’ they concluded the letter. ‘Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your timely response.’

Joining Lankford and Rosen on the letter are 32 of their Senate colleagues from both sides of the aisle, including Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Marco Rubio of Florida, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

Democratic Senators Alex Padilla of California, Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Cory Booker, as well as independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema, also signed onto the letter.

The United States Mission to the U.N. did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.