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Americans gathered on the National Mall for President Donald Trump’s America250 kickoff at the Great American State Fair said New York’s socialist surge is a warning sign for Democrats — one they argue history has already rejected.

"If you study history, you will see that many countries have already tried to go down that path and ended up in disaster," said 11th grade Georgia teacher Jill. "If you talk to immigrants who came from countries that were socialist, they will tell you they left you know tending toward communist countries. They left for that reason."

Fox News Digital spoke with Americans who gathered on the National Mall Wednesday evening for Trump's rally kicking off the Great American State Fair celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary, where attendees shared why they believe socialism would fail in the United States.

The comments follow New York City socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani scoring another political victory Tuesday, with all three congressional candidates he endorsed—Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier—winning their respective Democratic primaries.

WINNERS AND LOSERS EMERGE AFTER SOCIALIST EARTHQUAKE ROCKS NYC PRIMARIES

The victories were widely viewed as another sign of Mamdani's growing influence in the Democrat Party and the increasing acceptance of socialism. 

The socialist victories in several high-profile New York Democratic primaries drew a sharp political contrast that many attendees of Trump's rally told Fox News Digital served as a stark reminder of the direction they fear the country is heading.

Rally attendee Jill told Fox News Digital that she traveled to East Germany at the age of 16 when the Berlin Wall was coming down, an experience she now brings into the classroom by showing her students photos from the trip.

"I show my students pictures, and we talk about what communism means ... capitalism is what's got us here. We've been a capitalist country for a very long time. They have to be extremely careful when voting. They need to study and be well-informed voters," Jill continued.

While socialism collapsed in the Soviet Union and East Germany, it continues to shape the governments of countries such as Cuba and Venezuela—two nations that President Donald Trump has made a focus of his foreign policy efforts in an effort to support democratic change.

NYC VOTERS EMBRACE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM AS AOC, SANDERS STUMP FOR MAMDANI

"I don't support socialism ... If you look at Cuba, the difference there... compared to even the other Caribbean countries around it, it's totally different. And they're driving old cars. They don't have even heating and air ... capitalism makes that possible. And so I'm very much in favor of working for what you want ... I still think America is a place where the American dream can still come true," said Toni of Kentucky.

"A hundred million people died from communism, whether it be from China and Mao or Stalin and Russia, Hitler. We can't forget our history, or we have a tendency to repeat it, and we should definitely reject this. It's never worked anywhere. And capitalism and a free market society has benefited the world," David of Annapolis, Maryland, said.

Jennifer, who traveled from Tennessee, said she is worried about the rise of socialism in America. 

"It's not something that's beneficial for our country and our values," she said.

Former Rochester, New York, resident Norma told Fox News Digital she has 10 grandchildren and is worried about the next generation.

"New York is pretty much, I hate to say, far gone... I lived there for 22 years. There are conservative people there, but unfortunately, there's this new agenda coming through," she said.

NYC VOTERS FLOCK TO SOCIALIST-STYLE FREEBIES AS MAMDANI PUSHES RENT FREEZES, CITY-RUN STORES

Mamdani has faced criticism from conservatives over proposals including fare-free city buses, universal free childcare and city-run grocery stores, with Americans at the event telling Fox News Digital that "free" programs ultimately come at taxpayers' expense.

"Socialism promises everything, but they can't deliver past everybody's money... history has shown where socialism fails... the proof is in the pudding," said Billy of North Carolina.

"I don't agree with it at all... we can't function on giving everything away for free," said Nicky of Tennessee.

DANGEROUS OR AN OPPORTUNITY? SOCIAL MEDIA AS VENUE FOR DISCUSSING POLITICS DEBATED BY YOUNG CONSERVATIVES

When Fox News Digital asked Gen Z and Millennial voters whether Mamdani is "cool," Sarah of Massachusetts and Johanna and Elizabeth of California responded, "no."

"I understand the appeal that socialism has, but definitely don't think that it's the right way our country should be going. I think in theory it makes sense," said Sarah. "In reality, that's not how it ends up looking. It's definitely scary to see so many of my generation leaning that way."

"It's a really good concept to have everything for free in socialism, but it doesn't really work out in the real world," added Johanna. "If you look at the countries that have already tried socialism, it really hasn't worked. It also doesn't encourage innovation."

Elizabeth, visiting Washington, D.C. for the week, said she agreed with her friends, adding, "I'm not a socialist. I'm a Republican."

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Col Dmytro Kozyura agreed to share state secrets and systematically disclosed classified information, prosecutors say.

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Who designed the U.S. flag?

Betsy Ross?

How about the widespread decades-long claim that a 17-year-old high school junior from Lancaster, Ohio, Bob Heft, made the first 50-star flag and sent it to the White House to be approved as our current stars and stripes?

"I, of course, designed the flag of our country, the current flag," said Heft. "It’s not just a piece of cloth, it's the fabric of America."

This compelling and uniquely American story is told in the first episode of "Crazy America History with Eric Shawn," now streaming on Fox Nation.

ONLY 27 PERCENT OF DEMOCRATS WILL DISPLAY AMERICAN FLAG ON JULY 4: POLL

Heft sewed his flag as part of a high school history class project. He then sent it off to President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1959, asking him to adopt his design as the nation's new flag when Hawaii became the 50th state. 

Eisenhower's chief of staff Wilton B. Persons sent Heft a letter thanking him. In an exchange of correspondence with White House officials, Heft pressed his claim that the design that the president chose was from him.

"I made and flew the first 50-star flag in the United States," he wrote. "The flag was first flown March 7, 1959, and there are none recorded before this date...it has been displayed in the White House in Washington and also the Governor's mansion and capital building in our state of Ohio."

NJ RESIDENTS RAMP UP PROTESTS OVER TOWN COUNCIL'S AMERICAN FLAG FLAP: 'IT HIT A NERVE'

Heft, who died in 2009, spent his life touting his claim, speaking to school groups, veterans and reporters about his making the 50-star flag.

But is his story even true?

And why haven't you heard of Bob Heft?

He did create his 50-star flag before the design's official adoption by the Eisenhower administration, and he was able to get his flag flown over at least 40 state capitol buildings from 1960 to 1962. The states included New York, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Utah, Nebraska and Alaska. It flew for five hours over the Texas state capitol in Austin on Oct. 5, 1960, but Gov. Price Daniel wrote "it would have been displayed all day except for a rain and high wind which started about 12 p.m."

Ohio Gov. Michael DiSalle wrote Heft that he was "pleased to verify your story that yours was the first 50-star flag displayed in Ohio on Ohio property."

But was Heft really the first, or were officials fooled?

It is the tale of the teenager who lived his life for Old Glory.

And wait until you see what we do with his flag at the end of our episode!

Watch "Crazy American History with Eric Shawn," now streaming on Fox Nation.

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Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., defended his campaign-funded travel and fundraising events after recent reporting detailed luxury travel, childcare and event expenses paid through his political committees, arguing that trips to the Super Bowl and Miami were legitimate efforts to raise money for his political operation.

"You have to go where the money is to raise money," Gallego told Fox News Digital when asked about criticism surrounding the expenditures.

It was recently reported that Gallego used his leadership PAC to pay for a variety of luxurious trips, including trips to Miami, Saint Barthélemy, Disneyland, Disney World and Chicago, according to financial filings. A source familiar with Gallego’s spending said the senator often used campaign cash to bring his family on these vacations and used donor cash to fund babysitting services for his children, as reported by Politico.

Federal Election Commission records also show Gallego using a joint fundraising committee with former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who recently resigned from Congress after multiple women accused the California Democrat of sexual assault, that was used to fund tickets for him and his wife to attend the 2023 Super Bowl.

When asked about his recent financial controversies, Gallego claimed the Super Bowl endeavor to be a fundraiser event, the "Swallego Victory Fund," which he hosted with Swalwell.

"The Super Bowl was in Arizona, I represent Arizona," Gallego said. "We threw a Super Bowl fundraiser in Arizona where we raised money for my election in 2023. That's what you do." 

SWALWELL'S 'BEST FRIEND' IN CONGRESS TURNS ON HIM AFTER BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS TORPEDO HIS POLITICAL CAREER

The event was held with donors at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, just 20 days after Gallego launched his Arizona Senate bid. A copy of the invitation obtained by Politico shows tickets costing $5,000, including a brunch that could be attended before the game for an additional $1,000.

The event cost over $37,000, with both lawmakers each receiving roughly $8,000 and halting the joint committee after the game.

A Gallego spokesperson told Politico that the "tickets were purchased at fair market value" and that "hosting donors and supporters at sporting events in their areas is a common, bipartisan practice."

"There's a lot of people that do fundraisers at golf tournaments, at NASCAR, at IndyCar," Gallego told Fox News Digital. "So this is just the very same thing."

The Arizona Democrat also used PAC money for a trip to Miami that coincided with his wife, Sydney Gallego’s, birthday. The couple retreated to the Loews hotel on Miami Beach and charged over $9,000 in expenses. 

"We raised about $50,000 in our nine events in Miami," Gallego said.

FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SPENDS EYE-POPPING AMOUNT OF CAMPAIGN CASH ON LUXURY HOTELS, 'TOP-TIER' LIMO SERVICES

A Gallego spokesperson told Politico that the Gallegos "attended several widely attended political events and fundraisers" on their trip to Miami, but did not specify any specific numbers nor address the birthday aspect of the trip.

Federal campaign funds generally cannot be converted to personal use, but FEC guidance allows campaign-related travel, meals at fundraising events and childcare expenses incurred as a direct result of campaign activity. Mixed personal and campaign travel can require reimbursement for the personal portion.

Fox News Digital has not cited any FEC finding that the expenses violated campaign finance law.

Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.

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The NBA Draft begins on Tuesday, and ESPN college basketball broadcaster Jay Bilas has high hopes for it.

Bilas, 62, called this year’s draft class the "best" and "deepest" he can remember.

"It's the best and deepest crop. When I say best, I mean deepest crop of super talented freshmen in one draft that I can remember. And I think it is the best crop of star-caliber freshmen. Freshmen are going to dominate the first round," Bilas told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Bilas noted that a lot of NBA teams tanked this season in order to get a premier selection in the draft.

"One of the reasons that you saw so many NBA teams jockeying for position to try to get into the lottery, which people call tanking, is because of the quality of this draft. And you can be picking at six, seven, and eight and go, ‘Man, we're going to get a starter out of this?’" Bilas said.

Bilas said the top of the draft has superstar potential. He listed BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson as players who could be future All-Stars.

The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 overall pick, the Utah Jazz hold the No. 2 pick, the Memphis Grizzlies have the No. 3 pick, and the Chicago Bulls have the No. 4 overall pick. Dybantsa has widely been mocked to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

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In his lone season at BYU, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 35 games. He was a consensus All-American and made the All-Big 12 team.

Who the Jazz select at No. 2 overall has been the subject of much debate. Peterson, Boozer and Wilson have all been mocked to Utah. Bilas said he would not bat an eye if Wilson were the Jazz’s pick because of how talented he is.

In 24 games with North Carolina in his freshman year, Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Like Dybansta, the forward was also a consensus All-American in addition to being named to the All-ACC team.

Boozer, the son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, shined in his lone season with Duke. In 38 games, Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He won the Wooden Award, which is awarded to college basketball’s most outstanding player, in addition to being a consensus All-American.

Peterson, in 24 games with Kansas, scored 20.2 points, recorded 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He was named to the All-Big 12 team, but was not a consensus All-American, unlike Dybansta, Wilson and Boozer.

Bilas will be playing in the American Century Championship from July 10-12 at Edgewood Golf Course in Lake Tahoe. The tournament will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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ABC on Monday launched an on-air campaign urging viewers to support "The View" and eight Disney-owned ABC affiliates in its battle with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Earlier this year, the FCC launched an investigation into ABC's "The View" amid the agency's crackdown on equal time for political candidates after Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico appeared on the daytime gabfest. Disney’s ABC believes "The View" is bona fide news and, therefore, exempt from the equal time rule.  

ABC’s new campaign features a petition to declare that "The View" indeed qualifies as a bona fide news interview program. A commercial debuted Monday during the program that declared, "’The View has welcomed your favorite guests for nearly 30 years. Now the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show. Tell the FCC to let the viewers decide. You have until July 6th." 

FCC LAUNCHING PROBE INTO ABC'S 'THE VIEW' AMID CRACKDOWN ON EQUAL TIME FOR CANDIDATES

The campaign also encourages ABC News viewers to support early broadcast license renewals for eight ABC-owned stations. 

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in April that KFSN-TV in Fresno, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, KGO-TV in San Francisco, WLS-TV in Chicago, WABC-TV in New York, WTVD in North Carolina, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia and KTRK-TV in Houston must prove they have been operating in the public interest as part of an ongoing look at Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] practices. 

Disney-owned ABC affiliates’ licenses were originally scheduled to be renewed between 2028 and 2031, but Trump’s FCC expedited the process. 

ABC launched ads in those markets that declared, "The FCC is questioning our commitment to viewers by threatening to take us off the air," and urged viewers to speak up and help. ABC wants viewers to offer public comment through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System online and enter the corresponding docket number along with their submission. 

FCC TO CALL IN DISNEY STATIONS FOR EARLY LICENSE REVIEW IN WAKE OF ABC'S JIMMY KIMMEL CONTROVERSY

Both campaigns will also run online and across ABC social media platforms as ABC honchos feel it is important for the public to know what’s at stake and how to engage directly in the process. While the two issues are separate, ABC insists they both involve the same free speech principle. 

When reached for comment, the FCC accused Disney of "misleading" viewers. 

"Disney wants the FCC to classify 'The View' as a 'bona fide news program.’ And it has chosen to run a campaign of misinformation to make its case—misleading viewers about the law. That is a choice," an FCC spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

In January, the FCC announced it would require the broadcast networks to adhere to the "statutory equal opportunities requirement," citing the Communications Act of 1934, "including their airing of late-night and daytime talk shows."

ABC FIRES BACK AT FCC PROBE OF 'THE VIEW,' CALLS OUT AGENCY'S 'CHILLING EFFECT ON FIRST AMENDMENT'

There has been a longstanding "bona fide" exception for news programming that wouldn't require equal time for an opposing candidate, but the FCC now says it "has not been presented with any evidence that the interview portion of any late-night or daytime television talk show program on the air presently would qualify for the 'bona fide' news exemption."

A spokesperson for the FCC previously told Fox News Digital, "Decades ago, Congress passed a law that generally prohibits broadcast television programs from putting a thumb on the scale in favor of one political candidate over another.  Specifically, Congress put protections in place to ensure that covered programs offer legally qualified candidates for office (both Republican and Democrat) equal time on the public airwaves.  

"The equal time law encourages more speech and empowers voters to decide the outcome of elections. The FCC will review Disney’s assertion that ‘The View’ is a 'bona fide news program' and thus exempt from the political equal time rules."

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Feeling older than your actual age could be a sign that you're not getting enough quality sleep, according to new research.

A study led by researchers at the National Sleep Foundation and published in the journal Sleep found that adults who felt older than their chronological age were more likely to report insomnia symptoms, irregular sleep patterns and daytime fatigue.

The study involved more than 3,100 adults, who were asked a simple question: "How old do you feel?"

HERE'S WHY 90% OF AMERICANS DON'T SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT, ACCORDING TO EXPERT

Researchers then compared participants' answers with measures of sleep quality, sleep consistency and daytime functioning.

People who felt older than their actual age consistently reported poorer sleep and greater sleep-related impairment than those who felt younger or closer to their chronological age.

Researchers also found that people who felt older than their age were more likely to report poorer physical health.

Jonathan Alpert, a New York-based psychotherapist and author who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital that the findings align with what he frequently sees in his practice.

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"I've worked with many people who come in saying they feel older than they are. They're exhausted, mentally foggy, less patient, less motivated and generally not functioning at their best," Alpert said. "Poor sleep is often a major part of the picture."

Inadequate sleep can make everyday responsibilities feel more difficult and leave people struggling to concentrate, manage stress and maintain their usual energy levels, Alpert said.

Over time, he said, those challenges can contribute to a feeling of premature aging.

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"Many people assume feeling older is just an inevitable part of aging, but sometimes the issue is simply that they're chronically sleep-deprived," Alpert said.

For that reason, he suggested looking at sleep habits before assuming fatigue and low energy are simply consequences of getting older.

For now, Alpert said the findings offer a reminder that fatigue should not automatically be blamed on getting older.

While the findings were notable, there are several limitations to consider.

The study relied on self-reported survey responses, meaning participants provided information about both their perceived age and sleep habits. The observational design also means the research cannot determine whether poor sleep influences how old a person feels or vice versa.

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