Chess star expelled by Iran says regime 'can no longer stop' women's movement

Iranian chess grandmaster Mitra Hejazipour made headlines in 2020 when she was expelled from the Iranian women's national chess team for refusing to wear the mandatory hijab.

She now lives in Paris and recently became the French women's champion in the lightning blitz competition. She has been a French citizen for a few months and will probably play in the French women's national team in the future. Currently, Hejazipour works for an engineering company in Paris, having studied software engineering in France.

We met up with Hejazipour in Paris to talk about her decision to abandon the mandatory hijab and how Vida Mowahed - the young girl who, five years ago, decided to hang her scarf on a stick near the Revolution Square in Tehran - has impacted her personal life.

Can you tell us about your first encounter with the mandatory hijab?

Mitra Hejazipour: Since I grew up in a religious and traditional family, accepting hijab was a normal thing for me. But the first time I was told that you must wear this mask, I did not like it and felt bad. When we left the country and travelled to other countries, I saw that female athletes sometimes fell behind because of the mandatory hijab and had to work harder to make up for the lost points. Of course, in chess, the hijab is less of an intervention, but as soon as they impose the hijab on you and keep repeating it, it gets on your nerves.

Mandatory hijab is a double pressure, especially when you don't believe in something from the bottom of your heart and you think you have to accept what you don't accept.

I also remember that I was nine years old and I was second in the world under 10 girls chess tournament. A German chess-playing boy of my age wanted to shake my hand to congratulate me, but my manager told me that it was not right."

Mitra Hejazipour - Mohsen Bezenjani

Your trips were often monitored by security forces. Can you tell us about those experiences?

Surveillance was everywhere, they were trained to be with us and monitor everything. They kept warning us. I remember my first foreign trip with the youth team, when the security forces checked that we ate halal food and that we wore loose-fitting clothes. They kept reminding me to wear hijab. We could not even leave the hotel without their permission. Everywhere you turned, they were present and all our behaviour was monitored.

Tell us about your decision to attend the Moscow chess tournament without the mandatory hijab?

In December 2019, I participated in the Moscow competition without a hijab. Of course, before that I also wrote a text on Instagram and supported the women of Elkhebal Street. When the women of the revolution took off the headscarf, many people criticized them. This made me angry and I wanted to support them. But they called me and my family on behalf of the federation and threatened me."

What threats?

They told me to delete this post quickly. But I had made my decision and I was angry and I didn't answer the phones. My mother was called and she told me crying that they might arrest me. They were very scared. That's why I had to take that post down.

How did you come to the decision to appear in the Moscow chess tournament in 2019 without a hijab?

At that time, I was playing in a club in France and I went to Moscow directly from France. Since the beginning of the competition, I used to travel everywhere without hijab. Probably the teammates were in contact with the federation and the story had reached their ears.

First, they called very simply and said that you should wear hijab and if you don't, they may boycott the federation. The head of the federation sent me a message saying that you must observe your hijab. He said, "It's very important for us, otherwise we'll throw you out of the tournament and you won't be able to play anymore." Threats like that. But I had made my decision and I wanted to support Vida Mowahed and the women of Elkhebal Street, and deal with the issue of compulsory hijab.

After I played without a hijab, the head of the federation made a statement and said that I was kicked out of the national team and that I will not be able to play for the rest of my life.

Mitra Hejazipour - Mohsen Bezenjani

Did you inform your family at the time that you weren’t going to appear with a hijab?

No, this was a personal decision. As I said, I had not talked to my family. I knew that this decision had consequences, but I wanted not to drown myself in it so that they would not stop my decision.

What was the reaction of other chess players?

I was not supported - at least among chess players. They almost cut off contact with me. I only had a relationship with Sara Khadim al-Sharia and we used to talk to each other. Sara recently decided to participate in the same competitions without hijab and left the country.

What of the stereotypes outside of Iran – how have you experienced your life in France?

Although I carry those stereotypes here too, the experience I had made me get out of these frameworks and think more easily and set higher goals for myself and be sure that I can achieve my goals. Here you think, wanting is being able. Here, women are not considered the second gender. And I can draw important goals for myself and try to achieve them.

What was the impact of Vida Mowahed and the women of Elkhebal Street on changing your approach to the hijab issue?

When Vida Mowahed went to the electrical box near the Revolution Square in Tehran, took off her hijab and tied a scarf on a stick, her decision had a great impact on me. His work was shocking to me. I was asking myself why I didn't protest against this forced pressure all these years and why I was with the crowd and obeyed like everyone else. Her courage was very admirable to me. I was very impressed by Vida Mohed.

Vida Mowahed - Social Networks

How did Mahsa Amini's death affect you?

The death of this young girl was very sad. It was a great sadness for her family and the people of Iran. But I think the killing of this young girl was a turning point for Iran. Mehsa Amini's death was the beginning of the end of this regime. We know that during these years, many people have been killed and imprisoned by this regime, but this was a turning point for Iran.

How do you see the return of Irshad Patrol (morality police) to the streets?

I have no doubt that this regime does not hesitate to take any measures to suppress people and prevent people from moving. But at the same time, I believe that the change that occurred. When the women of Iran tasted the sense of freedom from the Islamic Republic - this is irreversible. And once you have tasted the feeling of freedom, you will never go back. The regime can no longer stop this movement.

If you could say something to Vida Mowahed, what would it be?

I am very grateful to her. I appreciate her courage. Her action created a spark in the minds of people like me. For many years, we were used to wearing the compulsory hijab. It was not a question for us why we should wear it when we don't believe in it. Vida Mowahed made me understand that we should not lower our heads in front of forceful words. She made us understand that we can protest. Her work was very valuable to me and I will never forget it.

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U.S. deficit nears $2 trillion as government spending keeps climbing

The US federal budget deficit for 2026 officially came in Friday at $1.992 trillion, a final tabulation to close out the government's fiscal year and another reminder of Washington's spiraling reliance on red ink.

This deficit number represents about 6% of the US gross domestic product and was a result of $5.403 trillion in total revenues for the fiscal year against total spending of $7.396 trillion.

The 2026 reading is a 12% jump from 2025's $1.775 trillion deficit.

These final numbers came in the Treasury Department's Monthly Statement for September, which covers the final month in the US government's fiscal calendar.

The red ink has led to dire warnings from economists that the US now routinely runs annual deficits that were previously seen only during recessions and wars. The gross US national debt passed $40 trillion in August and now sits above $40.3 trillion.

The latest "Debt to the Penny" reading from the Treasury Department came this past Wednesday, putting the gross US national debt at $40,329,229,827,541.02.

A bus shelter in Washington display the US National debt in August. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the Peter G. Peterson Foundation)

Jemal Countess via Getty Images

Read more: How the soaring federal debt affects you personally

The independent budget hawks at the Committee for a Responsible Budget noted in a recent analysis that "the country's future fiscal outlook is even more dismal," noting that annual deficits could reach $3.1 trillion by 2036 without a change in the fiscal trajectory.

The group noted that annual interest costs on the debt are now $1.1 trillion, a record 3.4% of GDP, making it the second-largest line item in the government's budget. Interest on the debt still costs less than Social Security, but it is now more expensive than either Medicare or the defense budget.

Members of President Trump's team have tried to downplay this year's tabulation — the highest annual deficit reading other than 2020 and 2021, when budgets were inflated by COVID-era spending — as a blip and insist that the US fiscal situation is getting under control.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has focused on the Supreme Court-ordered tariff refunds that have turned a revenue stream into a cost center for the government in recent months.

Indeed, the impact of tariff refunds has been significant: $144.6 billion in tariff refunds were given out over the past year — but analyses of the deficit also show a variety of factors that have driven up deficits.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and President Trump are seen during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 7. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images

A Hamilton Project tracker of government expenditures shows how government spending has increased at a steady pace in 2026. The tracker looks at spending by calendar year and shows that as of Oct. 14, government spending has jumped each of the last three years.

At this point in 2024 — the last year of Joe Biden's presidency — the government had spent $5.76 trillion. On Oct. 14, 2025, spending had grown to $6.13 trillion. So far this year, the government has spent $6.65 trillion.

One of the drivers, a Bloomberg Government analysis found, is spending on Trump administration priorities, especially the Department of Homeland Security, whose budget is up 146% from 2025 to 2026.

Revenue downturn

The revenue side of the US government's budget equation has also faltered on some fronts in 2026, in part due to tax cuts implemented by Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill."

A monthly budget review from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released last week noted that tariff revenues declined, as did corporate income tax collections.

The group calculates that corporate income taxes decreased by 16% in 2026 as the new tax cuts allowed corporations to take larger deductions "and offset the increases in those receipts that otherwise would have been expected, given the rise in corporate income."

Tariffs were also a significant factor, with the Supreme Court's decision in February striking down Trump's tariffs leading to a refund process in the months that followed that has made tariffs barely a profitable undertaking for the government in 2026.

The $144.6 billion in tariff refunds nearly halved the gross receipts of $317.8 billion. And at least some additional tariff refunds could be seen in the months ahead, with the government recently launching "Phase 3" of the refund process.

This turnabout in tariffs led to a deficit approximately $140 billion higher than projections from just a few months ago. In February, before the tariff refunds were ordered, the CBO projected a $1.85 trillion annual deficit for this year.

Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

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FEMA lays groundwork to shift disaster burden to states

The Trump administration plans to reduce state and local dependency on federal disaster aid and could move Federal Emergency Management Agency workers out of Washington, D.C., according to an internal FEMA memo obtained by POLITICO.

FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton wrote in an Oct. 15 memo — confirmed by two people with direct knowledge of it — that the agency will “strengthen state and local emergency management capacity” in an effort to lower reliance on the federal government.

“Reducing federal dependency requires partners to build, maintain, and exercise the capabilities needed to manage incidents effectively,” the seven-page memo to agency employees says.

In a separate section, the memo says, “FEMA must reduce unnecessary centralization in Washington, D.C.,” and that “regional and field teams are often closest to disaster survivors, state and local officials, emergency managers, and community partners.”

The memo is the clearest indication that the administration will follow through on President Donald Trump’s long-stated desire to shift disaster management to states and reduce the federal role in preparation and recovery.

It’s also the first indication of Hamilton’s priorities since he became the first permanent FEMA administrator in Trump’s second term in August. A series of acting leaders had run FEMA since January 2025, and their temporary status precluded the agency from making structural changes.

Although Trump has called for weakening FEMA since his first week in office, no new policies emerged, creating uncertainty about the future of federal disaster aid.

Trump has indirectly discouraged reliance on federal disaster aid by taking far longer than his predecessors — including Trump in his first term — to act on state requests for help after major storms, floods, wildfires and other disasters.

Hamilton’s memo echoes recommendations of a Trump-appointed FEMA review panel to build state and local capacity and make it harder for states to qualify for federal disaster aid.

The memo also has general language about “eliminating unnecessary steps, reducing administrative burden” and taking other action to expedite and simplify FEMA’s notoriously slow and laborious process of approving aid.

Shana Udvardy of the Union of Concerned Scientists said she worries that the memo “seems to promote efficiency and accountability over the welfare of communities.”

“When you have a lot of focus on accountability and efficiency, you’re going to have staff losing focus on the bigger picture of resiliency,” said Udvardy, UCS’ senior climate policy resilience analyst. “It’s really hard to know what this is going to look like in practice.”

FEMA did not respond to a request for comment on the memo.

The agency has limited ability to revise its own policies, which are mostly set by federal law. Congress hasn’t changed FEMA operations significantly since 2018, and congressional leaders have shown little interest in bipartisan legislation to overhaul the agency.

Hamilton says in his memo that the objectives he outlined “will guide FEMA’s planning, budgeting, program management, operations, and partner engagement. Each office, region, and program must assess whether its current activities align with these priorities and identify opportunities to improve execution.”

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Judge threatens to sanction Trump for delaying deposition in $10 billion BBC case

Topline

A federal magistrate judge threatened Friday to levy sanctions against President Donald Trump for failing to “participate” in his own defamation lawsuit against the BBC, after the broadcaster informed the court that Trump had backed out of a planned deposition in the case and suggested he couldn’t be interviewed until next year.

President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn as he departs the White House on October 12 in Washington, DC.

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Key Facts

Magistrate Judge Enjolique A. Lett issued an order Friday directing Trump to file a response to the BBC regarding his deposition by Oct. 22, noting the court had already “admonished” the president for his “lack of participation” in the case “to no avail.”

Failing to “strict[ly]” comply with the court’s schedule for discovery in the case, Lett wrote Friday, “will lead to sanctions.”

Trump has sued the BBC for $10 billion, claiming the broadcaster allegedly defamed him by “deceptively” editing a video of the president’s speech on Jan. 6, 2021 for a 2024 documentary, in order to falsely suggest Trump was trying to incite violence on Jan. 6 and bias viewers against him in the 2024 election.

As part of discovery in the lawsuit—where both sides gather evidence to support their case—the BBC is trying to get a deposition from Trump, which it said in a filing Tuesday was supposed to take place Friday.

After first failing to coordinate with the BBC about the logistics for the deposition, Trump’s lawyers told the broadcaster the president wouldn’t be able to attend the deposition because of “other matters of national importance,” and wouldn’t be available to testify until January 2027 at the earliest—despite discovery in the case being scheduled to end in December.

Trump’s legal team did not directly respond to the threat of sanctions or the BBC’s request for the court to force Trump to be deposed, but alleged in a statement to Forbes that the president’s lawsuit “is holding the BBC accountable for its defamation and reckless election interference.”

What to Watch for

The BBC has asked the court to compel Trump to be deposed in the case in a reasonable timeframe, and Lett agreed Friday to discuss the issue at a hearing on Oct. 22. It remains to be seen if the judge could levy any sanctions against Trump or his attorneys, and what those punishments could look like if so.

Crucial Quote

The BBC noted in its filing Tuesday that the court “has been required to intervene at every juncture to cajole even the most basic participation in the discovery process out of” Trump, quoting a past case that argued it’s “not the court’s role, nor that of opposing counsel, to drag a party kicking and screaming through the discovery process,” especially when Trump “was the party which filed this lawsuit” in the first place. The president “chose to file this lawsuit and, in doing so, he accepted the obligations of civil litigation,” the BBC’s attorneys argued to the court.

Tangent

The debate over Trump’s deposition is one of several taking place in the BBC case, as the broadcaster is also seeking testimony from Trump allies like his children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The BBC told the court in August that it had so far been blocked from serving subpoenas to the president’s family members in person because of their Secret Service protection, claiming the subpoenas were necessary because the Trump children and Kushner have “personal knowledge” of Trump’s “intention” behind his Jan. 6 speech. The court ruled in October that the broadcaster could instead serve the Trump family through alternate means—like sending a certified letter or contacting their attorneys—paving the way for those depositions to take place. The BBC was less successful in getting a deposition from former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who assisted Trump’s then-chief of staff Mark Meadows on Jan. 6 and has testified to Congress about the attack on the Capitol. Hutchinson asked the court to throw out her subpoena, and the court agreed, siding with Hutchinson’s argument that her testimony would be “irrelevant” and would “subject her to oppression and harassment.”

Key Background

Trump sued the BBC for defamation in December over its 2024 “Panorama” documentary, which aired in the U.K. before the 2024 election, but did not air in the U.S. The documentary quoted the president as telling supporters on Jan. 6, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol... and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.” In actuality, Trump said, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” He then made the comment to “fight like hell” more than 50 minutes later. The BBC has apologized to the president for the editing job, saying it gave “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action,” but has strongly denied it was defamatory. While Trump initially argued the BBC’s editing job had hurt his businesses, the lawsuit now only argues that it harmed his personal reputation, as the court allowed the president to narrow his lawsuit after the BBC asked Trump to turn over significant financial information about his assets and the value of his businesses.

Further Reading

BBC Says Secret Service Won’t Let It Subpoena Ivanka, Don Jr. And Jared In Trump Defamation Case (Forbes)

Court Lets Trump Narrow BBC Lawsuit So He Can Keep Hiding Financial Information (Forbes)

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Fort Hood survivors praise Trump for scrapping execution livestream

Survivors of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre praised President Donald Trump's decision not to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, after warning that broadcasting his death could turn the execution into a spectacle and hand terrorist groups a propaganda tool.

Hasan is still set to be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3, 2026, and Trump said the immediate families of his victims will be permitted to witness the execution in person. But it will no longer be broadcast to the general public as previously announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times by Hasan during the attack nearly 17 years ago, told Fox News Digital that Trump's decision is a "positive move."

"It proves that we are a better people, a better nation, and that we're not barbaric," Lunsford said in immediate reaction to the walk-back by Trump on Thursday. "We don't glorify such actions."

Veteran Shot 7 Times In Fort Hood Massacre Has A Warning For Americans Planning To Watch Execution

Lunsford said he supports Hasan's death sentence and execution by firing squad but drew a line at broadcasting it to the public.

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"For it to be made a spectacle for everyone to witness how they're gonna do a tailgate or, 'Hey, we're gonna have a cookout and we're gonna watch this man be put to death.' No, it's not about that," Lunsford said. "It's not a spectacle. It's not a pay-per-view event or a WWE wrestling match or even a boxing match."

He also warned that footage of Hasan's execution could be seized upon by terrorist organizations.

"You don't want that to be used as a tool for Isis or al-Qaeda to recruit and say, 'Hey, this is what happens to you if you do this against the infidel,'" Lunsford said.

Julia Wilson was a civilian employee at Fort Hood when Hasan went on his rampage. She was nine months pregnant during the attack, which was carried out on her due date.

Fort Hood Shooter Should Be Executed '13 Times Over' — But Not On Live Stream, Survivor Says

She was slammed against a wall amid the chaos of the shooting and has said that it was only by the grace of God that she and her then-unborn son survived.

Wilson was already against the livestreaming of Hasan's execution because she didn't want others to be traumatized like she was during the deadly attack.

"I'm ecstatic about that," she told Fox News Digital, reacting to the news that the plan to livestream the event would not proceed.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and first lady Michelle Obama pay their respects to the people killed as they attend a memorial service for the thirteen victims of the shooting rampage allegedly by U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan on November 10, 2009 in Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan, an army psychiatrist, is accused of killing 13 people and wounded 30 during a shooting at the military base.

"I'm worried about other people's mental health," she continued. "I don't think the government… really put a lot of thought into how this was going to go down and how it was going to transpire until today."

"I don't think they really thought about how this may affect people," said Wilson. "Seeing something like that affects your mental health. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you've seen. Seeing someone murdered in front of you or killed in front of you affects your mental health, whether they deserve it or not."

Wilson also worried that if the livestream had proceeded, it would exist online forever, and that children might discover it while searching the web. "Once it's on out there, it's out there," she said.

Trump said Wednesday that he believed publicly broadcasting Hasan's death could have served as a deterrent, but ultimately sided with those who opposed making the execution available for anyone to watch.

"I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan but, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," Trump continued. "That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose. They deserve to witness JUSTICE!"

Lunsford pointed to warnings surrounding Hasan before the shooting and criticized the Army's handling of the future attacker before he was transferred from Walter Reed to Fort Hood.

"We knew this guy had issues," Lunsford said. "If you are privy to the ticking time bomb report, you will see what he was talking about. This guy had issues and they just passed the buck and moved him from Walter Reed to Fort Hood."

Lunsford wondered what might have happened had Hasan deployed overseas before carrying out an attack.

"Suppose he would have did the deed once he got in country on a FOB, a forward operating base," he said. "Imagine how many American lives would have been lost then."

For Lunsford, allowing victims to witness Hasan's execution remains important even without a public broadcast.

"It's gonna be a traumatic thing for, at least for the families of the fallen," he said. "They'll be able to close the chapter and hopefully close the book."

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Lunsford said survivors will continue to live with reminders of the attack long after Hasan is gone.

"Every day we get up, we come to the VA hospital or we have to take our meds in the morning or we get ready to do something that we normally would have been doing prior to 5 November '09 that we're no longer able to do now, that's a constant reminder," he said.

"I am no longer a victim of his," Lunsford added. "I'm a survivor."

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Trump wants to help Georgia Republicans win. Democrats welcome his visit.

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump's midterm campaign blitz arrives in Georgia on Friday for a rally with top Republican candidates in a state that has long been the epicenter of the president's false claims about election fraud.

In Dalton, the population center of conservative northwest Georgia, Trump will appear with Senate candidate Mike Collins and gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson as part of the White House effort to boost Republican enthusiasm in an election that could reshape the final years of Trump's second presidency.

“President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party,” said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle.

Yet unlike some of Trump's recent trips to solidly Republican states — Alabama, Montana, Tennessee — Georgia is a critical battleground. That means Jackson, a billionaire businessman, and Collins, a two-term congressman, need more than Trump stalwarts to defeat their respective Democratic opponents, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Sen. Jon Ossoff.

“I’m surprised Georgia Republicans want the president here,” Ossoff said. “The president coming to town reminds Georgians that Donald Trump and Mike Collins” have pushed policies that have “driven the cost of groceries, fuel and healthcare to their all-time highs.”

Collins spokesperson Meyer Siegfried said the congressman welcomes the president's attention. But he also stressed that Collins is a “bipartisan workhorse who will work with anybody,” while adding that “Ossoff hates Trump more than he loves our state.”

Bottoms also seemed thrilled with Trump's visit.

“When Donald Trump says he wants people to imagine that he is on the ballot, I am asking the people of Georgia to do just that,” she said, pointing to Jackson's promise to be Trump's “favorite governor.”

The risks have been evident even in the heavily Republican corner of Georgia where the president will visit. Voters there sent erstwhile Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene to Congress before she broke with the president and resigned. Trump won the district by about 37 points in 2024 and Greene won by 29. In the April special election to replace Greene, Republican Rep. Clay Fuller won by 12 points.

Republican candidates have run separately

The Dalton event will be the first time this fall that Jackson and Collins have appeared at the same venue. That contrasts with Ossoff and Bottoms holding joint rallies across Georgia, with the next scheduled for Saturday in Cobb County outside Atlanta.

Collins has been dogged by anemic fundraising and controversies that leave even Republicans questioning his viability against Ossoff. Jackson has focused on sharing the stage with other statewide Republican nominees and party leaders, and none mention Collins.

“That was not a neglect,” Trump’s former agriculture secretary and onetime Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue said after one rally. “I think it was really respecting a Rick Jackson event and focusing on his election as governor.”

Asked about the joint rally, a Jackson spokesman said only, “Rick will be in Dalton and looks forward to reminding Georgia voters that bad mayors do not make good governors.”

Trump was last in Dalton on Jan. 4, 2021, the day before Ossoff and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock won concurrent Senate runoffs. He had already lost the presidential campaign to Joe Biden but was unwilling to accept it.

“There is no way we lost Georgia. There’s no way,” Trump said that day. “That was a rigged election but we’re still fighting it.”

Election denial lingers in Georgia

Collins was elected to Congress in 2022, and he's echoed Trump's lies about 2020. He declined to recant those views this week when Ossoff pressed him during a debate. “There was a lot of doubt in that election. Yes, Joe Biden was the president,” Collins said, without saying Biden was duly elected.

Trump endorsed Collins days before his June runoff victory over former football coach Derek Dooley. When announcing his decision, Trump complained that Dooley had conceded that Biden was elected legitimately.

Gov. Brian Kemp did not endorse Collins until September, and he warned voters during the primary that the congressman could not win in November.

Trump did not endorse Jackson until after he’d won a Republican primary runoff over the president's original pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who had been part of Trump's effort to overturn Biden’s victory. The president cited Jones’ loyalty in his endorsement.

Jackson doesn’t regularly mention Trump like he did during the primary campaign, when the first-time candidate compared his business background to Trump. He's more likely in recent weeks to compare himself to Kemp.

But the governor won't be with his fellow Republicans on Friday, according to his top political adviser.

“He has a family obligation that day,” said Cody Hall.

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Elon Musk settles fraud lawsuits over his $1 million giveaways to 2024 voters

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attends the Golden Age of American Innovation Summit at the Institute of Peace on October 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. - Win McNamee/Getty Images

Tech billionaire and Republican megadonor Elon Musk on Thursday settled the two remaining lawsuits stemming from his $1 million giveaways to voters during the 2024 election, according to court filings, bringing a two-year legal saga to an end.

During the final stretch of the 2024 presidential race, Musk’s super PAC started a daily $1 million giveaway to registered voters in battleground states, while Musk was urging voters to support Donald Trump.

After the election, voters in a handful of battleground states filed proposed class-action civil fraud lawsuits against Musk and his political group, America PAC, which both deny wrongdoing. The voters claimed Musk duped them into believing that they’d have a fair shot at the money if they signed up for the sweepstakes — which included turning over their private data to his political organization.

Musk had publicly stated that the payouts would be given away “randomly” to registered voters. But his lawyers later conceded in court that winners were “not chosen by chance” but rather were picked based on whether they would be a strong spokesperson for the pro-Trump super PAC.

In court filings from the two separate cases on Thursday, lawyers for Musk and for the voters said they had settled the litigation. The filings did not describe the terms of the settlements.

CNN has requested comment from Musk spokesman and the lawyers representing the voters who sued him for comment.

This year, Musk has reprised his role as a Republican megadonor — with at least $276 million in donations to GOP candidates for the midterm elections. He has also continued to be one of the leading promoters of election-related disinformation, as he was in 2024.

The Justice Department warned Musk back in 2024 that the million-dollar giveaways could violate longstanding federal laws against vote-buying.

The Philadelphia District Attorney filed a lawsuit to shut down the sweepstakes while it was still happening, but a state judge ruled on the eve of Election Day that it could proceed.

The bipartisan Wisconsin Election Commission concluded earlier this year that Musk likely broke state law with the cash giveaways.

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