In the American political scene dominated by the GOP-Democrat duopoly, Libertarians like Kentucky congressional candidate Jeremy Todd are looking to offer voters an alternative as they head to the polls during the midterm elections.

"I think ultimately the Republican Party has abandoned… true conservatism, small government principles," Todd told Fox News Digital this week, asserting that "they may be more conservative than Democrats, but, to us true conservatives, that's not good enough."

Todd, who views himself as "right of MAGA," mounted his long-shot U.S. House bid after Rep. Thomas Massie lost the Republican primary in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District to Trump-backed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. Democratic congressional candidate Melissa Strange is also running in the contest.

"We are welcoming people who are conservative, who believe in small, limited government, to my campaign and then to a larger movement that is probably gonna need to exist post the downfall of the Republican Party," Todd said.

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who quit his post earlier this year due to his opposition to the Iran war, and former Rep. Ron Paul, have both backed Todd.

TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE ED GALLREIN CALLS KENTUCKY WIN A 'DAVID VS. GOLIATH' VICTORY AFTER DEFEATING MASSIE

In a Pew Research survey of U.S. adults released earlier this month, 5% of registered voters indicated that they would vote for another candidate other than the GOP and Democratic candidates in the U.S. House race in their district, while 15% were not sure about how they would vote. The poll, carried out Sept. 28-Oct. 4, had a margin of error among registered voters of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.

Todd is not the only Libertarian running this election cycle looking to make an impact — but no candidate running under the Libertarian Party has ever been elected to the U.S. Congress.

Former Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who switched from Republican to Independent and then to Libertarian during his final term, became "the first LP member to serve in Congress," according to the Libertarian National Committee — but Amash, who served in the House for a decade, won all of his elections as a Republican.

Libertarian candidate Ted Brown is on the ballot for the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate race that features Trump-backed state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

NOT EVEN SKY HIGH GAS PRICES OR THE IRAN WAR WILL STOP TRUMP SUPPORTERS VOTING MAGA

Brown earned only about 2.36% of the vote in the 2024 Texas U.S. Senate contest won by incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. He dismissed the criticism he says he gets regularly from Republicans that he is merely spoiling Paxton’s chances.

"They could avoid that problem by nominating a better candidate," Brown said, noting that he delivers the same message to Democrats.

"You can’t spoil a system that’s already rotten," Brown stated. "There are a lot of people making a protest vote, and there’s good reason to."

Bill Redpath, a former Libertarian National Committee (LNC) chair who is currently listed as an at-large LNC representative, is running in the special Ohio U.S. Senate race where Trump-backed Republican Sen. Jon Husted faces former Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat.

Redpath earned less than 2% of the vote in a 2022 Illinois U.S. Senate bid.

Todd, while speaking to Fox News Digital, urged voters not to "buy into the lesser of two evils talk. Make sure you get out there and vote and give us a real shot because we can win this."

GOP REP THOMAS MASSIE INTRODUCES 8 ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST WAR SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH

Todd, who supports Massie's bid to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the congressman's push to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, is a fiscal hawk who advocates slashing government spending to address the much-discussed "affordability" issue.

"The affordability crisis is not a hoax," he said, suggesting that younger individuals particularly face this "stark reality."

"The only answer is we've got to cut government spending so that we stop money printing, so that we stop debasing and devaluing the currency and their wages have an opportunity to catch up. That's ultimately what's happening is we're printing money faster than wages can keep up with and it's kind of left an entire generation behind to the benefit of asset holders," Todd said.

"The easiest way you can cut government spending is get out of these stupid conflicts. We should not be paying billions of dollars to Ukraine to fight Russia. We should not be paying billions of dollars to come to Israel's defense," Todd asserted. "And last but not least, we should get out of this conflict in Iran. Just leave."

WHY THE HOUSE LET OUT EARLY IS A MATTER OF DEBATE AFTER JOHNSON SAYS CHAMBER HAS 'DONE ITS WORK'

In a Sunday post on X, Todd called President Donald Trump "a warmonger."

During the Fox News Digital interview, Todd credited Trump with forging "the greatest coalition we've maybe ever seen in politics," noting that Trump delivered a speech at the Libertarian National Convention in 2024 to appeal to the voting bloc.

"We believe that the job of the United States military is not to wage endless regime-change wars around the globe," Trump told that Libertarian gathering in 2024, but "to defend America from attack and invasion here at home."

Todd said since delivering that speech, Trump has gone "back on all but essentially one of the promises, which is border security."

"We've not gotten deportations to the level that we wanted. We've gotten into another stupid and maybe the biggest and most ridiculous Middle Eastern conflict," Todd said.

MTG SAYS GOP'S FUTURE 'DESTROYED' AFTER TRUMP-BACKED PRIMARY CHALLENGER DEFEATS THOMAS MASSIE

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre declared, "President Trump has endorsed Ed Gallrein, a Navy SEAL and fifth-generation farmer who will represent the needs of working families in Congress. Republicans are focused on electing America First Republicans in Kentucky and around the country."

GOP FISCAL HAWK SOUNDS ALARM ON 'OUT OF CONTROL' FEDERAL SPENDING, SAYING 'BOTH PARTIES HAVE FAILED US'

Trump, who has been traveling to various states to campaign for Republican candidates amid midterm election season, rallied in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District earlier this month, blasting Massie as "the worst."

Fox News Digital reached out to Massie to find out whether he'll vote in the congressional race, and, if so, how he will cast his ballot.

"I won't be voting for the AIPAC candidate," Massie tersely texted Fox News Digital, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Reports indicate that millions in AIPAC-linked funds were poured into the primary, with The New York Times saying, "This year, one of the group’s most high-profile wins was the ouster of Mr. Massie, a seven-term congressman who has called for ending military aid to Israel."

EX-HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR SAYS GOP ISN'T 'A CONSERVATIVE PARTY ANYMORE,' BUT DEMOCRATS ARE 'WORSE'

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AIPAC did not provide comment to Fox News Digital for this report.

The Gallrein campaign responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Massie with the following statement: "It is tragically fitting that his last act as congressman would be to once again, turn his back on his district and his party by siding with radical Democrats. This is exactly why voters fired him in May."

In an interview with a local news station, Todd said he would never run against Massie, but now, he’s "running for him."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

TEXAS — Gas prices are soaring ahead of the midterm elections, but President Donald Trump's supporters at campaign rallies in Texas say the rising costs aren't shaking their loyalty to the president, with some warning that the country's future is at stake.

"I do experience that costs are high, but I'm in for the long haul and I support everything that he's been doing," one supporter told Fox News Digital at Trump's rally in Lubbock, Texas.

Fox News Digital spoke with Trump supporters at rallies in Lubbock and Corpus Christi, two cities in a state deeply tied to America's oil and gas industry where voters acknowledged the economic squeeze but remained firmly behind the president. For some, concerns about the country's future and the rise of socialism are adding urgency to the approaching election.

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at approximately $4.25 on Wednesday, up nearly 40% from roughly $3.05 a year earlier, according to AAA.

TRUMP WON THIS RELIABLY RED STATE BY DOUBLE DIGITS. NOW A DEADLOCKED RACE IS BRINGING HIM BACK

Trump acknowledged the higher costs during his Lubbock rally while pointing to increased American oil production and his administration's recent energy deal with Venezuela as steps toward bringing prices down.

"Our country is making a fortune while people have to pay more at the pump," Trump said, adding that gas prices are "going to come down really fast."

"The ones we care about are our people at the pump," Trump told the crowd. "And those numbers are going to start coming down very, very rapidly."

During his earlier stop in Corpus Christi, Trump announced the arrival of the first million barrels of Venezuelan oil secured through an agreement with the South American country, which the White House says is being provided at no cost to American taxpayers and will be refined in Texas.

The administration has touted the agreement as a major step toward expanding America's energy supply and supporting domestic jobs, arguing that the additional oil will eventually help lower costs for consumers.

The White House said the broader agreement would give the U.S. majority control over approximately 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan oil reserves, expanding American access to energy resources as Trump pushes to boost supply and bring down prices.

NOT EVEN SKY HIGH GAS PRICES OR THE IRAN WAR WILL STOP TRUMP SUPPORTERS VOTING MAGA

Stephen Elsher of Corpus Christi said the economy remains his top concern heading into the midterms, but he believes Republicans are the ones who can turn things around.

"I'd like to see it turn around and do better for this next year," Elsher told Fox News Digital. "Without the Republicans in charge, we won't go that direction."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has faced growing pressure from its progressive wing, with democratic socialist candidates gaining prominence and sparking debate over the party's direction.

Trump repeatedly warned voters against what he described as the "radical left Democrat communist" agenda during his Lubbock rally, arguing that Democratic policies would raise taxes, threaten Texas oil and gas jobs, and weaken border security.

"The choice in this election is very simple," Trump told supporters, contrasting his economic agenda with what he described as the consequences of Democratic control.

TRUMP'S MAGA FAITHFUL SEND WARNING TO REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM ELECTIONS

For some Trump supporters at the Texas rallies, concerns go beyond affordability, with attendees warning that the rise of socialism poses a threat to the country's future.

"We can't lose our republic," Susie, a Corpus Christi supporter, told Fox News Digital, warning that the country is under siege by Democrats, socialists and communists.

Elizabeth Trigo, who attended Trump's Lubbock rally with her daughters, said the midterms are about more than just the next election, pointing to the country's future and preserving opportunities for the next generation.

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"I think the main reason this election, the midterms, is a lot of it has to do with the future," Trigo told Fox News Digital. "The most important thing is opportunity again. Trump is on the side of opportunity."

Trigo said she wants Trump to continue fighting the war on drugs and pushing back against socialism during his remaining two years in office.

The investigation into whether Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., married her brother in an alleged immigration fraud scheme in 2009 began under former President Barack Obama in 2016, Fox News Digital has confirmed.

A U.S. Attorney in Minnesota, appointed by then-President Joe Biden, eventually shut down the probe in 2021, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Now, the issue has been thrust back into the spotlight as part of a new federal investigation into the Somali-born congresswoman, part of which centers on whether she or her father committed immigration fraud on her application to become a U.S. citizen.

REP ILHAN OMAR'S IMMIGRATION HISTORY FACES NEW SCRUTINY AS FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SUBPOENA RELATIVES

Sources previously told Fox News Digital that Omar's "real name" is Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. In a federal court document, she was called "Ilhan Omar Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Omar."

In 2009, Omar, then a U.S. citizen, legally married a man with that surname, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. The pair officially split in 2017.

The New York Times first reported that Obama's FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began the probe in the summer of 2016, and that officials "found some evidence that [the marriage] was fraudulent." The Times reported that the investigation concluded when officials decided the potential felony crime was past the statute of limitations.

OMAR’S DELETED TWEET COULD GIVE CLUE ON ALLEGED MARRIAGE TO HER BROTHER

Despite his own administration's investigation into Omar at the time she was running for the Minnesota House, Obama condemned the renewed probe, which included a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) raid on her Washington, D.C. home on Oct. 12. Federal authorities confiscated her passport, personal phone and computer in the raid.

"It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say," Obama wrote in an X post after the raid earlier this month. "But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota."

OBAMA'S LENGTHY REACTION TO OMAR INVESTIGATION TRIGGERS INSTANT BACKLASH: 'SPARE ME'

Obama claimed the Trump administration was targeting Omar because she is a vocal critic of the current president.

"Think about that," Obama said in the post. "The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president."

175 DEMOCRATS DEMAND TRUMP ADMIN STOP ILHAN OMAR INVESTIGATION, WARN IT COULD HURT HER RE-ELECTION BID

Omar has frequently called the allegations that she married her brother a conspiracy theory promulgated by the political right, including in a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the new investigation last week.

"Rep. Omar has repeatedly and unequivocally denied this baseless, disgusting conspiracy theory," an Omar spokesperson said. "This is a desperate political smear designed to distract from Trump’s failed presidency and two years of Republican failure in Congress. And it’s disgraceful that the media continues to give this lie oxygen."

The same spokesperson this morning doubled down on the claim that the current investigation is a "political vendetta against one of Trump's most visible critics," and said that the 2016 investigation was "rejected for a lack of evidence," contrary to the New York Times report that it was closed due to the statute of limitations. 

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Fox News Digital reached out to an Obama spokesperson and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota.

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected a question from CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju about seating newly elected Democrats as a "nonsense narrative."

While campaigning in Iowa for Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, whose seat is among those that Democrats are targeting ahead of next week's midterm elections, Johnson fielded questions from Raju about President Donald Trump and the GOP's political strategy during the elections and beyond.

"Will you vow to seat every Democrat who wins on Jan. 3?" Raju asked, referring to the day elected members will be sworn in.

"Of course, this is a nonsense narrative," Johnson replied. "We are going to follow the law."

THUNE WEIGHS NIGHTMARE SCENARIO FOR GOP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO FLIP HOUSE

"What if Trump says ‘it's a rigged election’?" Raju asked.

"Look, I'm a constitutional attorney. I've always been steady and consistent about this. This is going to be a no-drama swearing-in ceremony, but we're going to hold the majority, and I'm going to be the speaker of the House," Johnson said. "And when I administer the oath, there will be one on Jan. 3. We'll administer the oath to everybody."

Raju pressed Johnson, "If Trump says 'Don't seat them,' you'll resist, then?"

"I'll do my job as the speaker of the House," Johnson replied. "The president has vowed, of course, he wants to follow the law as well. That's what's going to happen."

Johnson also defended Trump’s involvement in midterm races, saying he is having "no drag at all" on Republicans’ chances.

NEWSOM SPARS WITH TRUMP-APPOINTED PROSECUTOR OVER 20,000 SUSPECTED NONCITIZENS ON VOTER ROLLS

SPEAKER JOHNSON PREDICTS DEMOCRATS' FAR-LEFT SHIFT WILL ‘JUICE ENTHUSIASM’ FOR GOP IN MIDTERMS

"I’ve seen the voters on the ground, and I’m telling you the polls are wrong, they are inaccurate, they’re underrepresenting Republicans and many of the pollsters have admitted that," he said. "The polling isn’t accurate, the Republicans aren’t responding anymore."

Raju challenged that assessment, questioning why Republicans were spending heavily in traditionally Republican districts.

"You're spending millions in deep Republican districts," Raju said.

Johnson responded that Iowa is a state where Republicans "always win, but it's close" and said battleground districts exist across the country, particularly following recent redistricting efforts.

"We have to win in the districts that are presented, and we’re leaving everything on the field to get it done," he said.

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Mary Marslender, a GOP consultant and former senior advisor to the U.S. Senate, criticized Raju's questioning in comments to Fox News Digital.

"CNN is once again pushing a fake narrative — color me shocked. Instead of chasing a nonexistent 'Trump won’t seat Democrats' story, Manu Raju should focus on reporting the news that matters," Marslender said. "Americans are concerned about costs, wages, the border, and crime. If reporters covered those real issues, perhaps their audiences wouldn’t keep shrinking. Speaker Johnson’s answers were consistent with both the law and standard House procedure. Raju’s repeated hypotheticals reveal more about the story CNN wants to tell than any actual plan to block lawmakers."

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's office and CNN for additional comment but did not immediately receive responses.

Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil's presidential election to leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday, declared himself the country's leader after arriving in Florida on Wednesday.

Bolsonaro fled his country after Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered his passports to be seized less than a day after Lula won the election.

"I want to say, not only to my 60 million voters but to the Brazilian people, that I am the leader and that the criminals who stole Brazil’s election are part of a criminal organization that has established a tyranny," he said in an open letter posted on X. 

According to Reuters, Bolsonaro initially declared himself "the elected president" in a since-deleted post. He then sent out an updated letter on X, which included calling himself the rightful "leader" of Brazil. 

Bolsonaro, who lost the runoff election by a 3.58% margin, was served with an order to forfeit his passports and not to leave the country on Monday.

"I was ordered right on the street to hand over my passports, and I'm also prohibited from leaving the country," Bolsonaro said, according to a Fox News Digital translation of a video he posted to his social media channels Monday.

The order was signed by de Moraes, who Bolsonaro supporters accuse of being a staunch ally of Lula.

TRUMP'S FINGERPRINTS SEEN ON LATIN AMERICA'S RIGHTWARD SHIFT AS BRAZIL BECOMES NEXT TEST

Bolsonaro landed at Opa Locka Executive Airport just north of Miami with his family Wednesday morning after President Donald Trump granted Bolsonaro and his family visas.

When asked Wednesday if he would approve of Bolsonaro coming to the U.S. following his defeat, Trump told reporters he would, adding, "I think they’re fine people."

"The election ‌was very strange," Trump continued. "And I thought ⁠it was terrible. It’s gotten bad reviews. You look at what happened to their market."

BRAZIL’S RAPID ELECTION COUNT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON VOTING SECURITY AHEAD OF US MIDTERMS

Brazil's stock market plummeted Monday after Lula's victory. Its benchmark index, the Ibovespa, closed down nearly 14% on the first day of post-election trading. The Brazilian real also suffered one of its steepest drops in history, losing nearly 11% of its value relative to the U.S. dollar.

Trump also said, "I didn’t take ​sides, but it looked like another rigged election."

Brazilian news outlet MD+ reported that Brazilian Federal Police requested Bolsonaro's passport seizure order just seven minutes after Brazil's Superior Electoral Court confirmed Lula's victory.

Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, initially said he would comply with the order, but ultimately chose to leave.

THE UNLIKELY SOUTH AMERICAN ALLY HELPING LEAD TRUMP'S DRUG CARTEL CRACKDOWN

"I have never thought ‌about leaving the country," Bolsonaro said in a social media video on Monday. "I will hand over my passports and defend myself against this travesty, which is a clear attempt to intimidate me."

But Bolsonaro ultimately crossed the border into Argentina, Argentina's National Directorate of Migrations confirmed, saying the Bolsonaro family entered the country "with valid travel documentation and without any legal impediment" Tuesday night. The family then crossed into Ecuador where they boarded a private plane for Florida, according to Time Magazine.

Lula called his decision to leave "a shameful act," recalling his own 2018 arrest for corruption.

Bolsonaro said the order came as a result of a social media post his brother Eduardo made in which he said Flávio should leave the country if he loses the election.

US TAXPAYER DOLLARS ALLEGEDLY FUELED LEFT-WING POLITICAL CAUSES IN LATIN AMERICA

Flávio was under multiple criminal investigations for alleged money laundering, corruption and tax evasion, according to Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo.

According to Reuters, Bolsonaro denied fleeing Brazil, saying he left to protect himself and his family. He said he was avoiding a witch hunt being carried out by Lula and the Brazilian Supreme Court. 

"I want to make this clear: I did not flee Brazil," Bolsonaro said. "I left Brazil, but I did not abandon the Brazilian people."

On Tuesday, Brazil's Supreme Court also ordered the Federal Police to open an investigation into alleged illegal foreign funding for Bolsonaro’s presidential campaign, specifically focusing on Rockbridge Network, a conservative donor group co-founded by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

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Flavio Bolsonaro, President Lula da Silva, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance's offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital for comment.