Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is running as an independent for president in 2024, issued a warning after Colorado’s Supreme Court blocked former President Donald Trump from the ballot because of his involvement in the attack on the Capitol in January 2021. 

‘If Trump is kept out of office through judicial fiat rather than being defeated in a fair election, his supporters will never accept the result. This country will become ungovernable,’ Kennedy, who initially launched a Democratic primary challenge to President Biden in April before switching to an independent 2024 bid in October, wrote on X. 

‘It’s time to trust the voters. It is up to the people to decide who the best candidate is. Not the courts. The people. That’s Democracy 101,’ Kennedy said. ‘When any candidate is deprived of his right to run, the American people are deprived of their right to choose.’

Calling for a swift reversal, Kennedy said the 4-3 Colorado decision deeming Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause ‘contributes to the perception that the elites are picking the President by manipulating the legal system, and through other interventions.’

‘Every American should be troubled by the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove President Trump from the ballot,’ he wrote on X. ‘The court has deprived him of a consequential right without having been convicted of a crime. This was done without an evidentiary hearing in which he is given the basic right of confronting his accusers.’

In an earlier thread, Kennedy argued the U.S. would condemn foreign governments if they acted the way the Colorado Supreme Court has. 

‘When a court in another country disqualifies an opposition candidate from running, we say, ‘That’s not a real democracy.’ Now it’s happening here,’ Kennedy said. ‘I’m not a Trump supporter (if I were, I wouldn’t be running against him!) But I want to beat him in a fair election, not because he was kicked off the ballot. Let the voters choose, not the courts!’ 

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Mark Gorton and Tony Lyons, co-founders of Americas Voice 2024, a super PAC supporting Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign, highlighted similarities between the Colorado Trump ruling and efforts to censor Kennedy and block the longtime Democrat from the Democratic ticket.

‘Generally, these kinds of tactics to keep somebody off the ballot are the same kinds of tactics that the DNC (Democratic National Committee) used against him when he was campaigning in New Hampshire. And they were saying that they were going to penalize him in Georgia and South Carolina,’ Lyons told Fox News Digital, describing efforts he says the DNC is taking to block third-party candidates from ballots on a state-by-state basis. 

‘They’re going to do everything in their power to keep Bobby Kennedy off the ballot because they don’t want him on the stage with Joe Biden. And the RNC (Republican National Committee) doesn’t want Bobby on the stage with Donald Trump because he has better ideas, better arguments and better policies,’ Lyons said. ‘They’re using these tactics as a way to avoid dialogue and debate, to disenfranchise the American public, to, you know, take away voting rights that have been, you know, hard fought for 50 or 60 years. All of these tactics are anti-democratic tactics. And so I think that Bobby Kennedy is absolutely right to stand up for the right of even an opponent when he believes that what’s being done is not the right thing and unconstitutional.’

Noting how Kennedy is not a Trump supporter, Gorton echoed those sentiments, describing Kennedy as ‘a man of principle’ working against the ‘dirty games’ of the political establishment. 

‘The DNC is not just trying to do one thing to stop one candidate. They’re throwing the kitchen sink at every, you know, every Democratic letter. And whether it’s voting or rules for how you run the primary or ballot access or censoring people, it’s the same, you know, large-scale organization or large-scale network of people that instead of putting forth a candidate and letting the people choose, are constantly trying to corrupt and manipulate the system,’ Gorton told Fox News Digital. ‘The DNC — it’s amazing because they run around and are constantly talking about threats to democracy. Yet they’re the ones who are saying the American people shouldn’t get a choice, and they’re manipulating the system, and they’re censoring people. And that’s the ethic of the people in D.C. today, where they feel like they’re entitled to rule and that anything they do in the service of their own power is acceptable.’

Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has filed its written response to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request that the U.S. Supreme Court hear Trump’s immunity claims in the election interference criminal case against him. 

In their brief, the Trump team urged the high court not to rush things and accept the issue before the lower courts have heard the matter.

‘This appeal presents momentous, historic questions,’ the brief states. ‘An erroneous denial of a claim of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution unquestionably warrants this Court’s review. The Special Counsel contends that ‘[i]t is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court.’

‘That does not entail, however, that the Court should take the case before the lower courts complete their review. Every jurisdictional and prudential consideration calls for this Court to allow the appeal to proceed first in the D.C. Court.’

Smith is expected to file a final written rebuttal in the next few days to urge the court to quickly accept the case on its merits. The justices will then privately consider whether to review the case. 

Smith has made his request for the high court to act quickly to prevent any delays that could push back Trump’s trial until after next year’s presidential election. 

A federal judge previously ruled the case could go forward, but Trump said he would ask the federal appeals court in Washington to reverse that outcome. Smith is attempting to bypass the appeals court — the usual next step in the process — and have the Supreme Court take up the matter directly.

‘This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he has been impeached but not convicted before the criminal proceedings begin,’ prosecutors wrote.

Trump faces charges accusing him of working to overturn the results of the 2020 election in which he lost to President Biden before the violent Jan. 6, 2021, protest by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Should the justices decline to step in, Trump’s appeal would continue at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Smith has asked for quick review there, too, but said even a rapid appellate decision might not get to the Supreme Court in time for review and final word before the court’s traditional summer break.

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report. 

With less than four weeks to go until the first votes in the 2024 White House race, a new national poll indicates former President Donald Trump remains the commanding front-runner for the Republican nomination.

And a Quinnipiac University public opinion survey released Wednesday is also the latest to spotlight that Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor, is tied with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for a distant second place behind Trump.

Trump holds the support of two-thirds (67%) of Republican and GOP-leaning voters questioned in the poll, with Haley and DeSantis each drawing 11% support. 

Multimillionaire entrepreneur and first-time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy grabs the backing of 4%, with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who’s making his second presidential bid, at 3%.

Trump’s support is the highest in Quinnipiac polling this cycle, as is Haley’s, with DeSantis reaching a new low.

‘DeSantis continues his yearlong slide. Haley gains momentum. The battle for second place heats up, but it’s unlikely it will send a holiday chill through MAGA world,’ Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy emphasized.

The Quinnipiac poll, conducted Dec. 14-18, is in line with other national polls in the Republican nomination race also released in recent days. Among those surveys is a Fox News poll conducted Dec. 10-13 that indicated Trump at 62% support, DeSantis at 12% and Haley at 9%.

A New York Times/Siena College survey in the field Dec. 10-14 put Trump at 64%, Haley at 11% and DeSantis at 9%.

Trump made history earlier this year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments, including charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

DeSantis for months was solidly in second place in the GOP nomination race, but his numbers have slipped recently.

Haley has enjoyed plenty of momentum in the polls this autumn, thanks in part to well-received performances in the first three Republican presidential primary debates. She leapfrogged DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and votes second after Iowa. And she’s in second place in her home state, another crucial early voting state that holds the first southern contest.

Haley is also working to make a fight of it in Iowa, whose Jan. 15 caucuses lead off the GOP nominating calendar, as she pulled closer to DeSantis.

The new Quinnipiac national poll is the latest to indicate that Trump voters are much more firmly set on their choice for the nomination, compared to those backing other Republican contenders. Only 37% of Trump supporters said they may change their mind. That percentage soars to 82% for those supporting Trump’s rivals.

In the 2024 Democratic primary, President Biden stands at 75% support, with author Marianne Williamson, who is making her second straight White House run, at 13% and Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota at 5%.

In a likely general election matchup next November, the poll puts Biden at 47% and Trump at 46%, a virtual tie.

But when the November 2024 field expands to include third-party and independent candidates, Trump gains a slight edge over the president.

The poll indicates Trump at 38% and Biden at 36%, with environmental activist and high-profile vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a scion of arguably the nation’s most famous family political dynasty, at 16%. Progressive university scholar Cornell West stands at 3%, along with Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

Kennedy and West face uphill climbs to obtain ballot access in states across the country.

The Quinnipiac poll is the latest to find Biden’s approval rating below 40%. He stands at 38% approval and 58% disapproval, basically unchanged from a month ago.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is pushing back against reports concerning two Christian women killed during fighting within the area of Gaza’s only Catholic Church over the weekend.  

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem claimed in a press release Saturday an IDF sniper murdered two Christian women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza, where the majority of Christian families have taken refuge since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas. 

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa wrote in a report, later republished by the Holy See, that a woman named Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter, Samar Kamal Anton, were ‘shot and killed as they walked to the Sisters’ Convent.’ 

‘One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety,’ said Pizzaballa, who is also a Catholic cardinal. Seven more people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others inside the church compound.

Pizzaballa wrote that a rocket fired from an IDF tank targeted the convent and destroyed the building’s generator. Two more rockets, fired by an IDF tank, he said, targeted the same convent, rendering the home uninhabitable and displacing the 54 disabled people. 

The IDF says reports on these incidents do match the conclusion of an initial review that found the IDF troopers were targeting Hamas spotters in enemy lookouts. It said this incident occurred ‘in the area where the two women were reportedly killed.’ 

‘Following the reports of two women that were shot in the area of the Latin Church in Shejaya, the IDF has finished conducting an initial review of the incident. The review found that on December 17th, in the early afternoon, Hamas terrorists launched a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) at IDF troops from the vicinity of the church,’ the IDF said.

 ‘The troops then identified three people in the vicinity, operating as spotters for Hamas by guiding their attacks in the direction of the IDF troopers. In response, our troops fired towards the spotters and hits were identified.’ 

The IDF said it ‘takes claims of strikes on sensitive sites very seriously, especially churches that are holy sites for the Christian faith.’

‘The IDF directs its operations against the Hamas terrorist organization and not against civilians, regardless of their religious affiliation. The IDF takes many measures to mitigate harm to civilians in the Gaza Strip.’

The statement concluded, ‘These efforts stand in contrast to Hamas, (which) does everything in its power to endanger civilians and exploits them, as well as religious sites, as human shields for their terrorist activities.’

The parish compound is home to the Missionaries of Charity, an order of female religious members founded by Mother Theresa dedicated to serving the sick and disabled. 

Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a White House press briefing Tuesday that ships and aircraft of several nations will join the U.S. in conducting surveillance and taking defensive action against Houthi rebels who target commercial ships in the Red Sea, in what is being called, ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian.’

Kirby told reporters during a press briefing that the Department of Defense announced the operation on Monday, calling it an international coalition of countries aimed at countering threats from the Iran-backed Houthis.

‘From the beginning, we’ve said that this is an [initiative] that requires collective and international action, and we’ve been able to bring together, now, a number of partners including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, Spain, and even more to address this challenge together,’ he said.

Kirby also said the U.S. and others – including 44 signatories including NATO, the entire European Union and G7 – condemning ‘in the strongest terms’ the threats and acts by Houthis.

He explained that there are six countries that border the Red Sea, which is a conduit for 10-15% of all global trade, 8% of global grain trade and 12% of global seaborne oil trade.

Of the total trade that flows through the Red Sea, Greek-, Chinese-, Japanese- and German-owned vessels make up about 40-50% of the transits, the spokesperson said.

‘These attacks have to stop. They need to stop. They’re unacceptable,’ Kirby said. ‘The United States, our Allies and our partners will do what we have to do to counter these threats and to protect these ships.’

Kirby added that a review is being conducted on whether to re-designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization, though no decision has been made, nor is a timeline available on when a decision will be made.

The Pentagon announced the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian earlier in the day, with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calling the initiative, ‘an important multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.’

The seriousness of the attacks, several of which have damaged vessels, has led multiple shipping companies to order their ships to hold in place and not enter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the security situation can be addressed. The U.S. Central Command reported two more attacks on commercial vessels on Monday. A strike by an attack drone and a ballistic missile hit a tanker off Yemen at roughly the same time a cargo ship reported an explosive detonating in the water near them, the U.S. military said.

Austin said the recent Houthi aggression ‘threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law.’

The U.S. is still actively seeking member countries to join the mission and increase the number of navies present and participating. 

Two U.S. Navy destroyers — USS Carney and USS Mason — are currently moving through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to help deter and respond to attacks from the Houthis. The move to set up the expanded operation came after three commercial vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Dec. 3. 

To date, the U.S. has not struck back at the Houthis operating in Yemen or targeted any of the militants’ weapons or other sites. On Monday, Austin did not answer a question as to why the Pentagon had not conducted a counterstrike.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have increasingly become a threat to commercial global shipping and the region in which they operate as they continue to launch attacks in the Red Sea. 

The Houthis have escalated their attacks against vessels in or near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have stated their support of Hamas, which is currently engaged in a war with Israel. 

The group has somewhat inserted itself into the war by firing drones and missiles at Israel, resulting in fears that the fighting could escalate into a regional conflict.  

The attacks have prompted shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through the maritime route where the Houthis initiated attacks on commercial ships. 

WHO ARE THE HOUTHIS?

The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, launching a years-long, bloody war. The conflict soon became a proxy war between Saudi Arabia, which backed the Yemeni government in exile, and Iran, which backed the rebels. 

The war caused a major humanitarian crisis that resulted in widespread hunger and misery in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.

A ceasefire that technically ended a year ago has largely been honored. The Houthis currently control most of Yemen. 

The group traces its history to a religious revival movement for the Zaydi sect of Shi’ite Islam in the late 1990s. The sect had once ruled Yemen for centuries but was marginalized under the Sunni regime that came to power after a 1962 civil war.

As friction with the government grew, a series of guerrilla wars with the national army were fought, as well as a brief border conflict with Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters. 

Following a year of relative calm in Yemen, the Houthis have launched a number of missiles and drones. On Oct. 31, they attacked Israel, saying at the time that there would be more ‘to help the Palestinians to victory.’

The Houthis have sporadically targeted ships in the region over time, but the attacks have increased since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas and spiked after an explosion on Oct. 17 at a hospital in Gaza killed and injured many. Houthi leaders have insisted Israel is their target.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of training, arming and funding the Houthis, which Tehran denies.  

SHIP ATTACKS

The Houthis have sporadically targeted a number of ships in the Red Sea region. The attacks have increased with regularity since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. 

After the weekend attacks, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group wants to ‘prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea (and Gulf of Aden) until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops.’

On Monday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new international mission working to counter attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. 

‘This is an international challenge that demands collective action,’ Austin said. ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity.’

On Sunday, the Unity Explorer, the Number 9 and the Sophie II, all bulk carriers, were struck in a flurry of attacks. 

Throughout that day, the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, shot down three drones headed toward the ship and also went to the aid of the commercial vessels. On Wednesday, the USS Mason shot down a drone heading in its direction.

In a statement, U.S. Central Command said, ‘We cannot assess at this time whether the Carney was a target’ of the drones.

ESCALATION?

The Biden administration has talked persistently about the need to avoid escalating the Israel-Hamas war into a broader regional conflict. So far, strikes on the Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria have not broadened the conflict, said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary.

So it’s not clear if targeted strikes against Houthi weapons depots or similar sites — which also have Iranian support — would cross a line and trigger a wider war.

‘We will continue to consult with international allies and partners on an appropriate way to protect commercial shipping going through that region, and at the same time ensuring we do what we need to do to protect our forces,’ said Ryder.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.