NationalWatch

Former state House Minority Leader Christine Drazan won Oregon’s Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, emerging from a crowded field of candidates seeking the chance to flip the governor’s mansion in a state Democrats have controlled for nearly four decades.

The Republican field included former Portland Trail Blazers player and businessman Chris Dudley, state Rep. Ed Diehl and Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell.

2026 MIDTERMS: PRIMARIES, KEY RACES AND ELECTION RESULTS

Drazan entered the race as one of the best-known Republicans in the state following her close 2022 loss to Kotek.

Diehl focused his campaign on lowering taxes and reducing state spending, while Bethell emphasized homelessness, public safety and government accountability.

FORMER TRAIL BLAZERS CENTER CHRIS DUDLEY MAKES SECOND RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF OREGON

Dudley, a 16-year NBA veteran, campaigned as a political outsider with backing from prominent Oregon business figures, including Nike co-founder Phil Knight.

Republicans in the race focused heavily on homelessness, public safety, drug policy and the high cost of living, arguing Democratic leadership in Salem and Portland has failed to adequately address those issues.

The GOP has not won an Oregon governor’s race since 1982, but the Republican Party believes voter frustration over crime, homelessness and affordability could make the race more competitive this midterm cycle.

Drazan will now face incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek in November.

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Kotek has faced criticism over homelessness, including rising unsheltered populations and struggles to expand housing capacity, as well as education and transportation funding, though she drew little opposition in her bid for a second term.

Gov. Brad Little, R-Idaho, will face Democratic candidate Terri Pickens in November as he vies for a third term.

Pickens, a private practice attorney and small business owner, edged out several challengers in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported.

She faces an uphill battle in a Republican-heavy state that has not elected a Democratic governor in 36 years.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, a leading election forecaster, rates Little’s re-election bid as “Solid Republican.”

IDAHO GOV BRAD LITTLE COMMENDS BOISE STATE VOLLEYBALL FOR FORFEITING PLAYOFF MATCH VS SJSU AND TRANS ATHLETE

Pickens previously ran as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2022, when she lost to Republican candidate Scott Bedke by 34 points. Bedke is the state’s current lieutenant governor and is running for another term.

Little, who won the state’s GOP primary, is endorsed by President Donald Trump and is expected to cruise to the general election.

Former Idaho Supreme Court Justice John Stegner has also launched a bid to unseat Little as an independent.

IDAHO BECOMES FIRST STATE TO PREFER DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD FOR EXECUTIONS

Little, a rancher who previously served in the state Senate and as lieutenant governor, has embraced deregulation, increased public education funding and tax relief in his bid for a third term.

He defeated a crowded field of GOP candidates on Tuesday, including former police officer Mark Fitzpatrick, who challenged him from the right.

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Little recently signed into legislation a law cracking down on transgender individuals using bathrooms that do not correspond with their biological sex. Idaho’s law is one of the most stringent in the country because it applies to private businesses in addition to public property.

Zach Dembo, a former U.S. attorney and Kentucky policy advisor, won a primary on Tuesday evening in a bid to fill Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District seat.

Although they now have their candidate, Democrats will face an uphill road to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November general election to replace outgoing Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., after a longtime physician backed by President Donald Trump won his Republican primary Tuesday evening.

BALLOT BOX SHOCKER: PROGRESSIVE BACKED BY SANDERS, AOC ON VERGE OF UPSET IN DEM CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY

Ralph Alvarado, a Kentucky state senator, who was called a “true friend” by Trump in a recent endorsement, won his primary.

Dembo began his career as an eighth grade English teacher before going on to law school and serving in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, according to his website. In 2017, he spent some time as a federal prosecutor and then was tapped by Gov. Beshear to become a policy advisor and legislative director.

Dembo cited Trump’s weaponization of the Justice Department as the catalyst that prompted him to pursue office.

“When Donald Trump started using your justice department to go after his political enemies, I resigned,” Dembo said in a campaign video.

“Our system is broken.”

Dembo had raised just shy of a million dollars as of the end of April — $956,000, according to FEC records.

ANDY BARR MULLS SENATE BID, SAYS ‘IT’S TIME FOR KENTUCKY TO HAVE A US SENATOR WHO SUPPORTS PRESIDENT TRUMP’

Notably, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear didn’t make an endorsement in the Democratic primary for Kentucky 6th Congressional district.

Democrats face steep odds in November’s general election; Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District has leaned heavily Republican in the past. Its incumbent, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., last won reelection in 2024 in a 63% to 37% victory over Democratic challenger Randy Cravens.

REP. BARR VOWS TO STOP ‘RADICAL LEFT’ FROM DEFUNDING ICE, BORDER PATROL

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Barr, who has represented Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District since 2013, is pursuing a seat in the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy of outgoing former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

McConnell, 84, is retiring.

Doug Jones, the former Democratic senator in Alabama, on Tuesday won the Democratic nomination for governor, the Associated Press reports.

It’s been nearly three decades since a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in solidly red Alabama. You’ve got to go back to former Gov. Don Siegelman’s 1998 victory.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Jones will now face a steep uphill climb to defeat Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who easily captured the Republican nomination, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Kay Ivey.

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Tuberville, a top Senate ally of President Donald Trump, is backed by the president as he runs for Alabama governor.

President Donald Trump’s endorsement wasn’t enough to carry Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to outright victory in the Republican primary race to succeed term-limited conservative Gov. Brian Kemp.

But the president’s backing did help Jones advance to a runoff in the race for the GOP nomination in the crucial southeastern battleground state.

Jones and healthcare executive and billionaire businessman Rick Jackson were the top two finishers in Tuesday’s GOP gubernatorial primary in Georgia, the Associated Press reports. Since no candidate topped 50% of the vote to secure a majority, Jones and Jackson now advance to a June 16 runoff.

The large field of eight Republican candidates also included state Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Jones, a former captain of the University of Georgia football team, an oil executive and heir to the Jones Petroleum Company, served as a state senator before winning election in 2022 as lieutenant governor. A major Trump supporter, he was endorsed by the president last August.

“The president is still very popular, and here in the state of Georgia, he’s got an unbelievable approval rating,” Jones told Fox News Digital last week.

Pointing to Trump, Jones emphasized that “he and I have a long standing relationship — friendship — and I’ve always been a big supporter of his, and he’s a very big supporter of mine, as well.”

Jackson, who launched his gubernatorial campaign in February and has spent more than $80 million of his own money on behalf of his bid, says Trump inspired him to run.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUISIANA

“I just thought, you know, if you had somebody doing business solutions for the state of Georgia, just like Trump is for the United States, I just felt like I would have a major impact on the state of Georgia, and so that was one of the reasons I wanted to get in. I was inspired by President Trump,” Jackson told Fox News Digital.

Jackson was unknown to Georgia voters a few months ago, but thanks to an avalanche of ads, his story of building a business empire despite growing up in foster care and not being able to afford college is now well known in the Peach State.

And Jackson is running as an outsider.

“I’m confident that at the end of the day that the people are going to vote for me one way or the other, because they can see somebody that’s actually like Trump, not just endorsed. And from that standpoint, I think having an outsider is what our people want,” he said.

But Jones questions his rival’s support for the president, pointing to Jackson’s past donations to Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans as an example of his break from the MAGA wing of the party.

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“He’s been dishonest about who he is. He’s been dishonest about who he’s supported in the background,” Jones charged. “He’s actually, you know, portraying himself as something that he’s not.”

Jackson says the attacks on him are “just lies” and referring to Trump, adds, “I’m going to be his favorite governor.”

In one of the most crowded Republican Senate primaries in the country, President Donald Trump’s thumb on the scale proved the difference maker. 

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., came out on top of an 11-person bar fight in Kentucky, teeing him up for a showdown in November to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a one-time ally-turned-thorn in Trump’s side.

Though it’s a race overshadowed by another contest, where Trump is the driving factor in the state, it’s still significant, given that Barr and his Democratic opponent will be at the forefront of change in the political status quo of the Bluegrass state. 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN ENTERS RACE FOR MITCH MCCONNELL’S SENATE SEAT, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES GOP PRIMARY

Whoever comes out on top in November will replace McConnell, the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history, who has been a political force and polarizing figure during his decades in the upper chamber.

But like so many races during this and previous cycles in the Trump era, the president was the main factor on the Republican side. And Barr’s bid for the upper chamber after serving seven terms in the House was spurred by a late endorsement from Trump earlier this month. 

“We did have a lead before the endorsement,” Barr said during a campaign event on Monday. “Our lead has skyrocketed since then in the polling that we’re looking at, but we don’t take anything for granted.” 

TRUMP SAYS HE ‘CAN’T STAND’ SOME REPUBLICANS FOR REFUSING ONE KEY MOVE FOR HIS AGENDA

It helped him topple his main opponent, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who remained confident that even without Trump’s coveted endorsement, he could still win.

“I think people are tired of the games that are played in Washington and want somebody that’s looking out for their interests,” Cameron told local news outlet WHAS11 before Election Day. 

Trump lauded Barr for his loyalty to him and added that he is the “only Candidate who will easily defeat the Democrat in what will be one of the most important Elections in American History.”  

REPUBLICANS FAIL TO ATTACH SAVE AMERICA ACT TO PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE

Trump also touted Barr as a strong supporter of eliminating the filibuster, the voting barrier that has derailed the GOP’s Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

The legislation has so far wallowed in the background in the upper chamber, thanks in part to Democrats’ strong objections to it and a lack of support among Republicans to pass it. Last month, a version of the SAVE America Act failed to gain enough Republican support at a simple 50-vote threshold. 

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“He will do everything in his power to get it done,” Trump said. “It is desperately needed by the Republican Party to pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT, and all other things necessary for a strong and brilliant Country!”

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is expected to indict former Cuban President Raul Castro on Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Fox News additionally learned that a scheduled press conference in Miami on Wednesday is in connection with efforts to indict the former communist leader Raul Castro, per law enforcement sources familiar with the situation.

When asked whether Castro would be indicted, a DOJ Office of Public Affairs Director Emily Covington told Fox News Digital the department would not “comment on rumors.”

Castro, 94, is the younger brother of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Raul Castro served as Cuba’s president from 2008 to 2018.

IF CUBA FALLS, WHO STEPS IN? CASTRO DYNASTY SHADOWS ISLAND’S FUTURE

Just the News’ John Soloman first reported the expected indictment on Real Americas Voice on Monday, saying the indictment would be unsealed Wednesday.

Any indictment would require approval from a federal grand jury.

The White House referred Fox News Digital to the DOJ for comment on the matter.

Sources pointed Fox News Digital to a Department of Justice advisory Tuesday that announced a Miami press conference “in conjunction with a ceremony to honor the victims of the Brothers to the Rescue Murders of 1996.”

Cuban fighter jets shot down two civilian planes connected to a Miami-based Cuban exile group on Feb. 24, 1996, killing four men. The U.S. has long maintained the planes were in international airspace, with the incident becoming a major flashpoint in U.S.-Cuba relations.

FLORIDA LAUNCHES PROBE AFTER CUBA KILLS 4 ABOARD US-FLAGGED SPEEDBOAT NEAR KEYS

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones, FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia, Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier are expected to attend Wednesday’s press conference in Miami.

The potential charges against Castro come after CIA Director John Ratcliffe met last Thursday with counterparts from Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior during a high-level visit to the island nation.

During his meeting Thursday, Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials including Raulito Rodriguez Castro, Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuban intelligence services in Havana to “personally deliver President Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes.”

CUBA SAYS CIA CHIEF RATCLIFFE MET WITH OFFICIALS IN HAVANA AMID US TENSIONS

Trump has joked the U.S. would be “taking over” Cuba “almost immediately.” “Cuba’s got problems. We’ll finish one first. I like to finish a job,” he added this month.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Fox New’s Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

A Senate Republican spurned by President Donald Trump joined Senate Democrats to handcuff his war powers in Iran and provided the key vote to advance a war powers resolution through a key hurdle. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who lost his primary bid over the weekend, sided with Senate Democrats in their war of attrition to curtail Trump’s policing powers in the Middle East. It comes after Democrats successfully gained another defector, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, last week. 

Democrats’ gambit finally worked after seven failed tries, with four Senate Republicans joining them to move the measure forward. But there is still a long way to go before the resolution becomes official. And even if it were to succeed, Democrats likely do not have a veto-proof coalition to counter Trump. 

While much of the focus in the upper chamber has shifted elsewhere, like to funding immigration enforcement for the next three-and-a-half years or Trump’s bombshell endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Democrats still plan to plow ahead with war powers resolution after another. 

SENATE DEMOCRATS FINALLY CRACK GOP UNITY ON TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS MURKOWSKI FLIPS

And it comes after Trump declared that he postponed a “major attack” against Iran after allies in the region pressed for more time to continue negotiations. 

“Trump’s no closer to ending this war, no closer to bringing down the skyrocketing costs of this war, no closer to getting our troops out of harm’s way,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor.

“Senate Republicans must not continue to allow Trump to remain stuck in this never-ending loop of threats and failed negotiations,” he continued. 

CONGRESS IGNORES KEY DEADLINE AS REPUBLICANS READY ‘RESTRAINT’ ON TRUMP’S WAR IN IRAN

The previous small Republican coalition they built, however, held. Murkwoski, Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined Schumer and Democrats to support the move.

Murkowski explained last week that after Congress blew past the 60-day deadline to weigh in on the war, either authorizing or halting it, she felt it was time for lawmakers to have a debate over the War Powers Resolution Act. 

“We’re in a different place than we were last time we voted on this,” she said. 

Conversely, while the GOP opposition held, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., continued to vote with Republicans against the resolution.

FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS TO BACK TRUMP TAKING MILITARY ACTION IN IRAN IF NECESSARY

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., when asked by Fox News Digital if Democrats were pressuring Fetterman to flip, said that the “responsibility isn’t on one senator, it’s on everybody who has the chance to cut funding off to this war.” 

“I mean, if this war continues, and I think it will, and likely it’s gonna become a very hot war again, one of these war powers resolutions very soon will pass. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it,” Murphy said. 

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance said ahead of the vote that the administration was ready to take action if talks to prevent Iran from creating a nuclear weapon fell through.

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“It takes two to tango,” Vance told reporters at a White House press briefing. “We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon.”

“So, as the president just told me, we’re locked and loaded,” he continued. “We don’t want to go down that pathway. But the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to.”

Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday said the Justice Department is looking into whether Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., committed immigration fraud, citing longstanding allegations that she married a man critics claim is her brother.

Speaking to reporters, Vance was asked about the administration’s anti-fraud task force — established by President Donald Trump to combat fraud, waste, and abuse across federal benefit programs — and whether it would focus on Omar, a frequent Trump critic.

“You read the things about Ilhan Omar… who she married and whether she didn’t marry this person or that person,” Vance said. “It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody’s entitled to equal justice under the law.”

The comments follow a podcast interview in March, during which Vance told conservative commentator Benny Johnson that he had spoken with White House immigration advisor Stephen Miller about potential legal action against the congresswoman.

ILHAN OMAR LASHES OUT AT ‘SICK’ REPUBLICANS FOR INVESTIGATING HER ALLEGED MARRIAGE TO BROTHER

“We think Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” Vance said at the time.

Omar has long been dogged by allegations that she married a man critics allege is her brother, as part of an immigration scheme. Omar has denied the allegation, and the claim has not been proven in public records. In December, she dismissed the claims as “bigoted lies,” writing on social media that Trump was obsessed with her.

“He needs serious help,” Omar wrote on X. “Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead.”

ILHAN OMAR SAYS THERE ARE FEW UNDOCUMENTED SOMALI MIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY

Omar, who was born in Somalia, arrived in the U.S. in 1995 after her family was granted asylum. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000.

According to reports, Omar entered a religious marriage with Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2002. In 2009, she legally married Ahmed Elmi, a British citizen, whom some allege is her brother. Despite the legal marriage to Elmi, Omar reportedly maintained her religious union with Hirsi, with whom she continued to have children.

Omar and Elmi separated in 2011 but did not legally divorce until 2017. In 2020, Omar married political consultant Tim Mynett.

On Tuesday, Vance reiterated that authorities would investigate the matter.

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“If we think that there’s a crime, we’re going to prosecute that crime,” he said. “And that’s something the Department of Justice is looking at right now.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office for comment.

Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper sharply rebuked Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton during a tense House Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday after the Massachusetts Democrat questioned “how many more Americans” would die because of what he called a failed Iran strategy.

“It doesn’t seem to be going well,” Moulton, D-Mass., said of the Iran war. “And I would like to know how many more Americans we have to ask to die for this mistake.”

“I think it’s an entirely inappropriate statement from you, sir,” Cooper responded.

Moulton shot back: “It’s not a statement, it’s a question.”

TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE

Fourteen U.S. service members have died in combat since the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28. 

Moulton, a Marine Corps Iraq War veteran and frequent critic of the Trump administration’s Iran strategy, pressed Cooper repeatedly on what he described as the widening consequences of the conflict, including instability in the Strait of Hormuz, rising oil prices and reports that Iran had rebuilt parts of its missile infrastructure.

Cooper pushed back on several of the claims, calling reports that Iran had reconstituted key missile sites “inaccurate” and repeatedly emphasizing that U.S. forces had achieved their assigned military objectives.

The hearing came just after Trump said he directed the military to pause planned operations against Iran for Tuesday at the request of Gulf allies who wanted negotiations with Tehran to continue. The U.S. has been adhering to a ceasefire since April 7. 

Gulf leaders asked Trump to pause strikes because “serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond,” he wrote on Truth Social Monday. 

“This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” he said.

DEMS SIDESTEP PAST ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ DEMANDS AS THEY CHALLENGE TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AUTHORITY

The confrontation capped hours of contentious exchanges in which Democrats repeatedly pressed Cooper and Pentagon officials on whether the administration had a viable strategy beyond military strikes, whether ongoing operations complied with the War Powers Resolution and whether the conflict was making the United States less secure despite major battlefield gains against Iran.

Democrats also repeatedly challenged the administration over whether ongoing operations complied with the War Powers Resolution, arguing the continued blockade of Iranian ports and military exchanges in the Strait of Hormuz amounted to active hostilities.

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., pressed Cooper over continued military operations in the region, noting U.S. forces had fired on Iranian tankers and exchanged fire with Iranian forces even after the administration notified Congress that hostilities had ended.

“The fact of the matter is that hostilities continue,” Garamendi said, accusing the administration of disregarding Congress and the Constitution.

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Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., similarly argued that the blockade itself constituted “an act of war,” while several Democrats questioned whether the administration planned to seek congressional authorization for any future escalation.

Republicans on the panel, meanwhile, defended the campaign as a historic military success that dramatically weakened Iran’s ability to threaten the United States and its allies. 

Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said U.S. operations had “rolled back 40 years of Iranian military investment” and argued the campaign had made both the United States and its allies safer.

Cooper later testified that Iran was “significantly less capable” than before the strikes and said U.S. military action had “derailed Iran’s strategy” across its nuclear, missile and proxy networks.

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is still pursuing a diplomatic deal with Iran but remains “locked and loaded” to restart the military campaign if nuclear talks collapse.

“It takes two to tango,” Vance told reporters at a White House press briefing. “We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon.

“So as the president just told me, we’re locked and loaded,” Vance added. “We don’t want to go down that pathway. But the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to.”

The administration sees two paths forward, according to Vance: a negotiated agreement that permanently blocks Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, or renewed U.S. military action.

VANCE WARNS IRAN THAT ‘ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE’ IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED

“We think the Iranians want to make a deal,” Vance said. “The president of the United States has asked us to negotiate in good faith. And that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

But Vance warned that diplomacy will not come at the cost of Trump’s core demand that Tehran never obtain a nuclear weapon.

“There’s an option B, and the option B is that we could restart the military campaign to continue to prosecute the case, to continue to try to achieve America’s objectives,” Vance said. “But that’s not what the president wants. And I don’t think it’s what the Iranians want either.”

TRUMP WARNS IRAN’S ‘CLOCK IS TICKING’: MOVE ‘FAST’ OR ‘THERE WON’T BE ANYTHING LEFT’

The exchange came after Trump said he was just an hour away from ordering fresh attacks on Iran on Monday night.

“We were getting ready to do a very major attack [Tuesday], and I put it off for a little while — hopefully maybe forever,” Trump said, “because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran, and we’ll see what they amount to.”

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy.”

The announcement marked the latest shift in Trump’s handling of the fragile ceasefire reached in mid-April. For weeks, the president has warned Iran that fighting could resume if it did not accept a deal, while repeatedly setting deadlines and then backing away from them.

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Over the weekend, Trump warned that “the Clock is Ticking” and said Iran needed to move “FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.”

Trump first disclosed the pause in a social media post Monday, saying he had ordered the U.S. military to be ready “to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if an acceptable deal is not reached.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche accused Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., of lying during a line of questioning after the senator said a Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by President Donald Trump had discussed using future restitution money to ensure his child sexual abuse victims stayed quiet.

Blanche appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday to answer questions about the Justice Department’s fiscal year 2027 budget. The hearing came a day after the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund for people who allege they were victims of federal government “lawfare.”

Van Hollen, a ranking member on the committee, accused the Anti-Weaponization Fund of being a “slush fund” for Trump’s allies, raising concerns that the money would go to individuals indicted and charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. Trump pardoned and provided commutations to more than 1,500 people charged with and convicted of their role in the Capitol riots, including Andrew Paul Johnson, who was sentenced to life in prison March 2026 for the sexual abuse of two minors.

APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT

“That person actually tried to buy the silence of these children by saying that he would pay them some of the funds that he was hoping to get from your slush fund,” Van Hollen asked Blanche. “Can you commit to making the rules so that that person is not eligible for a payout under this fund?”

“Well, you’re obviously lying in your question, because there’s no way that this person committed to that,” Blanche said. “The slush fund, as you call it… didn’t exist.”

Van Hollen pointed at Blanche and warned him.

“Don’t ever do that again. I am reporting what he said,” Van Hollen said. “He said on the expectation that he hoped to get some of the funds from a payout.”

DAS MAY TRY TO CHARGE JAN. 6 PARTICIPANTS GRANTED CLEMENCY BY TRUMP WITH NEW CRIMES ON STATE, LOCAL LEVELS

Florida authorities reported that Johnson had promised his victims he would share money he expected to receive as restitution after being pardoned by Trump. In a Discord message to one of his victims, Johnson shared that “he was being awarded $10,000,000 as a result of being a ‘jan 6’er’” and he’d be putting the victim “in his ‘will’ to take any money he had left over,” according to an affidavit that Van Hollen read to Blanche later in the hearing.

Blanche pointed out that the Anti-Weaponization Fund or the alleged “slush fund” didn’t even exist when Johnson made those promises to the victims.

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“This is the fund that the president and all of you have been telegraphing all along that you are going to use to help the president’s friends,” Van Hollen said.

The Justice Department’s pardon attorney, Ed Martin, is the only known Trump administration official who has explicitly called for those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots to receive restitution for the “lawfare” they faced. However, Democratic senators argue the Justice Department has taken steps to make restitution for the Jan. 6 defendants possible.

President Donald Trump is finally taking sides in the contentious and costly Republican Senate primary showdown in Texas between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The president on Tuesday, in a highly anticipated announcement, endorsed Paxton, a MAGA champion. The president’s extremely potent endorsement came one week before the runoff between Cornyn and Paxton in right-leaning Texas.

“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

The two heated rivals topped a crowded field of contenders in an early March primary, but since no one cleared the 50% threshold, the nomination race headed into overtime, with the runoff election on May 26.

Trump teased his long-awaited endorsement on the grounds of his colossal ballroom, which is still under construction as the Senate mulls whether to provide hundreds of millions in security funding for the project. He decided that now was the time to endorse, after several months of staying neutral, because early voting for the next week’s runoff had opened. 

“There are those that say whoever I endorse is going to win,” Trump said. “I don’t know if that’s true, but historically, that’s absolutely true. I just don’t like to say it because I don’t like to brag.”

Cornyn or Paxton will face off in the general election against rising Democratic Party star state Rep. James Talarico, who topped progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a vocal Trump critic, in the Democrats’ primary. Talarico is trying to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in right-leaning Texas.

PAXTON VOWS HE’S STAYING IN THE SENATE RACE

This year’s Senate showdown in Texas is one of a handful across the country that could determine if Republicans hold their majority in the chamber in the midterm elections. The GOP currently controls the Senate 53-47.

The president took to social media the day after the March primary to say that an endorsement would be coming soon and that he would “be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!”

TRUMP TEASES ENDORSEMENT COMING SOON IN CRUCIAL GOP CLASH

And multiple sources at the time told Fox News and other news organizations that it was likely that Cornyn would land the president’s support.

Hours later, Paxton said that he would stay in the race for the Republican Senate nomination even if Trump endorsed Cornyn.

Asked if he would end his Senate bid if Trump backed Cornyn, Paxton, a MAGA firebrand and longtime Trump supporter and ally, said no in an interview with Real America’s Voice.

“I’ve spent a year of my life campaigning against John Cornyn because John has not represented the people of Texas well,” Paxton argued. “He’s been against Trump in both of his elections, said he shouldn’t run last time. … The people of Texas, at least the Republicans, would like something different.” 

Asked about Paxton’s comments, Trump said a day later in a Politico interview, “Well, that’s bad for him to say… maybe that leads me to go the other direction,” the president added.

CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS HEADED INTO OVERTIME

In a twist, Paxton said a few hours later that he would “consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.”

The bill, formally titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would, if passed into law, require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The GOP-backed bill passed the Republican-controlled House but faces legislative roadblocks in the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.

“The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done,” Paxton wrote in a social media post.

“For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done,” he added.

And Paxton charged, “John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill.”

A Trump endorsement never came in the ensuing days and weeks, and the ‘Save America Act’ remains stalled in Congress.

The Cornyn campaign and aligned super PACs spent nearly $100 million in the primary campaign to run ads attacking Paxton and Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt — who came in third — with the senator charging in the closing weeks of the campaign that Democrats would flip the seat in the general election if Paxton was the GOP’s nominee.

Cornyn, his allies and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, repeatedly pointed to the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered Paxton over the past decade, as well as his ongoing messy divorce.

“Over the next 12 weeks, Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate, and learn more about Ken’s indefensible personal behavior and failures in office,” Cornyn told reporters on Tuesday night.

“Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it,” Cornyn said. “Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton.” 

Paxton, who has grabbed significant national attention the past dozen years by filing lawsuits against the Obama and Biden administrations, told supporters on primary night, “As we head into this runoff, we’re going to make the choice even clearer. While John Cornyn was cutting deals on gun control and amnesty, I was suing corrupt Joe Biden over 107 times.”

And he charged, “John Cornyn spent around $100 million trying to buy this seat. We’ve spent around $5 million.”

In a social media post, Paxton touted, “The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare.”

ROUND TWO OF CORNYN VS. PAXTON GETS UNDER WAY

Trump, as the Texas race moved to a runoff, urged, “for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer. IT MUST STOP NOW!”

And pointing to Talarico, the president argued, “We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively.”

“Both John and Ken ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT!” Trump warned.

Trump, whose clout over the GOP remains immense, stayed neutral in the Republican primary race. All three candidates, who sought the president’s endorsement, were in attendance just ahead of the primary as Trump held an event in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.”

Helping Cornyn land the president’s endorsement was an intense lobbying campaign by Senate Republican leaders.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters the day after the primary that Cornyn had “a great night” against Paxton. The top Senate Republican spent the last several months bending Trump’s ear at every opportunity to jump into the race and back the longtime incumbent.

“He’s positioned to win the runoff, and if the president endorses early, it saves everybody a lot of money, and a lot of, you know, just 10 weeks of another spirited campaign on our side that keeps us from spending time focusing on the Democrats,” Thune said.

Thune spoke with Cornyn the day after the primary, and believed that Talarico was the more formidable match-up for Republicans in November — one that Cornyn was better suited to win. 

“The matchup that’s good for us is John Cornyn at the top of the ticket,” Thune said.

NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez told Fox News Digital, “John Cornyn remains the only candidate who guarantees state Rep. Talarico never becomes a United States senator and ensures the fight for President Trump’s Senate majority is waged in true battleground states, not Texas.”

And the Thune-aligned Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the top super PAC backing Senate Republicans, which spent millions on behalf of Cornyn in the primary campaign, made it clear in a statement early Wednesday that it will continue to support the senator in the runoff.

“SLF and its sister organizations were proud to support Senator Cornyn early, and we look forward to him securing the Republican nomination on May 26,” the group’s executive director, Alex Latcham, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a GOP political operative in Trump’s orbit told Fox News Digital, “Talarico being the nominee makes President Trump’s endorsement of Cornyn more important than ever.”

While Trump stayed neutral during the heated primary campaign, his top pollster, Tony Fabrizio, helped the Cornyn campaign. And veteran Republican strategist Chris LaCivita, who served as co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 White House bid, consulted for a top Cornyn-aligned super PAC. 

But on the Paxton side of the playing field, operatives and donors were confident they could unseat the senator.

Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling chief executive officer and prominent Republican donor and bundler who supports Paxton, told Fox News Digital, “This was Cornyn’s shot to fend off his challenger by getting over 50%, and he couldn’t do it. The runoff voters will be even less friendly territory for Cornyn.”

Pointing to former longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has often acted as a Trump foil, Eberhart said, “This race is about MAGA vs. McConnell.”

Meanwhile, Lone Star Liberty, a pro-Paxton super PAC, circulated a memo ahead after the primary that shrugged off threats that Cornyn would succeed in the runoff by continuing to hammer the attorney general over his litany of scandals, arguing there was nothing new to offer.

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“Cornyn’s talk of ‘unleashing’ new attacks in the runoff is bluster,” the memo states. “The truth is that from day one, his forces fired every bullet they had. There are no new attacks left — only more of the same, at ever-greater cost and with ever-diminishing returns.”

Fox News’ Rich Edson and Patrick Ward contributed to this report

Former Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., threw her weight behind a candidate in the race to succeed her in Congress on Monday, endorsing San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan.

Chan is competing in a Democratic primary to win Pelosi’s 11th Congressional District. Pelosi announced plans to retire from politics after a historic 20-term run in Congress that saw her win the speaker’s gavel twice.

“I know and love this district, I know the Congress and I know Connie,” Pelosi said in a campaign video shared by both her and Chan. “I’m proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress.”

“Connie understands San Francisco — our values, our diversity, our communities, and our responsibility to lead with both compassion and strength,” Pelosi said in a statement. “She’s a mom who knows her power and knows her why. I am confident Connie is ready to bring clarity and purpose to the work ahead — For The Children.”

PELOSI HEIR-APPARENT CALLS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA MOVE A ‘LAWLESS COUP,’ URGES IMPEACHMENT, SLAMS NETANYAHU

Chan thanked Pelosi for her endorsement in a separate statement, highlighting her upbringing in California as an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. at 13 without speaking any English.

“I am honored to receive Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s endorsement and I am grateful and humbled by the support I’ve received from thousands of San Franciscans who have joined this campaign,” Chan’s statement said. “Speaker Emerita Pelosi has shown by example what we can do when we stand together and we will now fight to make sure our beloved city remains a place of opportunity for all San Franciscans, and the conscience of our nation.”

‘AMERICA IS BACK’: LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP AFTER ‘PHENOMENAL’ JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Chan’s top opponent in the primary is state Sen. Scott Wiener, who currently enjoys a sizeable fundraising lead. As of the end of March, Wiener’s campaign has a war chest of $2.6 million compared to Chan’s $156,000.

Pelosi has long been a titan of fundraising, however, and her full support for Chan is likely to skyrocket her financial situation.

Also running in the primary is Saikat Chakrabarti, who previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

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The candidates will face off in an open primary election on June 2. If no candidate wins a majority, then the top two candidates will proceed to a runoff election.

The Trump administration ramped up its outreach to Greenland in the wake of President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as U.S. officials seek to strengthen America’s Arctic position and counter Beijing’s ambitions in the region.

“Special Envoy Landry is in Greenland to attend the Future Greenland Conference as part of an effort to further strengthen U.S.–Greenlandic ties and engage with local leaders,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. “The Special Envoy had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Greenland, with both sides affirming the importance of the high-level working group.”

“The United States is optimistic that we are on a good trajectory to address U.S. national security interests in Greenland,” added Wales. “The Special Envoy will spend the coming days meeting with local business leaders and building ties with Greenlanders.”

The Trump administration’s renewed Greenland outreach comes as the White House increasingly views the Arctic as a strategic front in its broader competition with China following President Donald Trump’s recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. officials see Greenland’s location, mineral reserves and military significance as critical to countering Beijing’s growing ambitions in the region.

WHY TRUMP’S PUSH FOR FRIGID GREENLAND IS ABOUT ICING OUT US ADVERSARIES

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Denmark announced the four-day trip on May 13, one day before Trump departed for China. 

Trump previously declined to rule out military force to acquire Greenland, framing control of the territory as vital to U.S. national security. The U.S. potentially purchasing or acquiring Greenland has roots in the first Trump administration when the president mentioned interest in 2019.

Trump reportedly is seeking veto power to block Greenland from approving future investments from China concerning mineral reserves, first reported by the Telegraph.

When asked by Fox News Digital if the U.S. is seeking oversight during Greenland meetings, a White House official responded that “the administration is participating in diplomatic high-level technical talks with the Governments of Greenland and Denmark to address United States’ national security interests in Greenland.”

GREENLAND TALKS ON ‘GOOD TRAJECTORY,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS AMID TRUMP TAKEOVER PUSH

“We are not going to participate in a back and forth through the media, but we are very optimistic that we’re on a good trajectory,” the official added.

A deeper U.S. foothold in Greenland could help blunt Beijing’s push for influence in the Arctic.

China laid out its Arctic ambitions in a 2018 policy white paper, declaring itself a “near-Arctic state” and promoting a “Polar Silk Road” tied to its broader Belt and Road strategy. The document called for expanded scientific research, commercial development and resource extraction in the region.

Leaders of the Danish territory have drawn a redline when it comes to Trump touting the idea of acquiring Greenland.

“We believe there is progress, and from Greenland’s side we are focused on finding a solution that is good for us all, and most importantly that threats of annexation, takeover or a purchase of Greenland and the Greenlandic people does not occur,” Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said after meeting with Landry this week, Reuters reported.

THE HISTORIC IMPORTANCE OF GREENLAND FOR US NATIONAL SECURITY AS DEBATE OVER ISLAND’S FUTURE ROARS ON

Greenland served as a critical Cold War outpost, positioned along the shortest Arctic routes between North America and the Soviet Union. The U.S. expanded its footprint with an airbase, now known as Pituffik Space Base, that became a vital hub for early-warning radar and surveillance systems designed to detect incoming Soviet bombers and missiles.

The island is also home to oil, natural gas and mineral resources, which could be used to manufacture batteries and other technologies. 

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The war with Iran looms over, with Trump announcing a pause on a planned strike on Iran from Gulf allies as “serious negotiations.”

President Donald Trump weighed in on Maryland’s mail-in ballot printing error, alleging ties to “corrupt” Democrat Gov. Wes Moore and calling for an investigation by the Justice Department under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, after Fox News reported the Republican National Committee’s election integrity unit’s concerns and activated a response.

“So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent. In addition, many of these Ballots went to Democrats, so any Republican running in Maryland doesn’t have a chance!”

Trump made an unsubstantiated claim the Democratic governor might have been involved in the error that the state’s ballot printer has apologized for.

TRUMP BATTLES JOHN BOLTON, CHRIS CHRISTIE AND THREATENS TO PULL FUNDS FROM WES MOORE’S MARYLAND

“This was done by the Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore,” Trump’s post continued. “He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win. It never made sense to me that Maryland was considered an automatic Democrat State, but now I see why. I’m sure this has gone on for years.”

Maryland election officials have not said 500,000 illegal ballots were sent. The State Board of Elections said more than 500,000 voters requested mail-in ballots, and that a vendor error affected voters who were mailed ballots before May 14. Officials said all affected voters would be sent replacements to “maintain the integrity and security of mail-in voting.”

Trump is calling for Blanche and the Justice Department to look into the ballot handling in Maryland’s primary mail-in ballots.

“I’m going to ask the Attorney General of the United States, and the DOJ, to bring an immediate investigation into this situation,” his Monday afternoon post concluded.

DOJ SUES SIX STATES FOR REFUSING TO TURN OVER VOTER REGISTRATION ROLLS, WARNS ‘OPEN DEFIANCE’ OF FEDERAL LAW

State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis pushed back on Trump’s claim that “illegal” ballots were distributed, saying the issue involved some voters receiving the wrong party ballot.

“Mail-in voting is an integral facet of the electoral process,” DeMarinis wrote in a statement. “With over 500,000 voters requesting mail-in ballots, we want to eliminate any doubt in its integrity or accuracy; that is why I have arranged the sending of replacement ballots.”

“Please be assured that we are actively answering phones and responding to emails and will remain transparent as we navigate through this situation,” he added. “We will make every effort to ensure that everyone affected knows the situation and how to cast their ballot. Every vote matters, your voice will be heard, and our elections will remain verified, open, transparent, and secure.”

DEM STATE ELECTION BOARD UNDER FIRE AFTER ICE-ARRESTED SUPERINTENDENT SURFACES ON VOTER ROLLS

The state’s vendor, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc., said replacement ballots are being prepared and mailed, and that “election officials have safeguards in place to ensure that only the corrected ballots included in the replacement mailing will be accepted and counted.”

There were no public details on those “safeguards.”

“A portion of voters received ballot packets intended for a different voter segment,” the TPVI Election Services Team wrote in a statement. “We understand the seriousness of this matter and the importance of accuracy and trust in all election-related communications.”

Notably, “all ballots will be remailed by 5/29/2026,” TPVI added, leaving it up to the recipients to destroy the first ballot they received.

“Voters should securely discard or destroy the original ballot materials they received and use only the replacement ballot sent in the new mailing,” the vendor concluded.

DEMOCRATS SILENT ON ILLEGAL ALIEN REGISTERED TO VOTE IN BLUE STATE

EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING LAUNCHES IN KENTUCKY, LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING IN MARYLAND

The primary ballot mix-up has renewed Republican calls for a federal review of the state’s voter rolls.

“This kind of election mismanagement is why the RNC is already suing Maryland for failing to clean their voter rolls,” RNC Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News on Monday.

“Marylanders deserve answers after this unacceptable failure. The RNC and Maryland GOP are demanding transparency on how it happened, who will receive replacement ballots, and what safeguards will be used to prevent duplicate voting.”

The RNC’s election integrity unit vowed to respond quickly to deploy local legal experts to secure the midterm vote from primaries through November’s general elections.

“In response, the RNC and Maryland GOP are expanding our Protect the Vote operations with voter hotlines, legal oversight, and voter education statewide,” Gruters told Fox News Digital.

Maryland’s primary election is scheduled for June 23. Voters who want a mail-in ballot sent by mail must request one by June 16, according to the State Board of Elections.

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Fox News has reached out to Maryland Republican Party Chair Nicole Beus Harris has not yet heard back.

The Department of Homeland Security and Department of War have joined a widening interagency investigation into a network of nonprofit groups funded by Shanghai-based American Marxist tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, allegedly sowing discord in the U.S., Fox News Digital has learned.

The expanding probe now includes multiple Trump administration agencies examining the coordination, funding and online organization of agitator groups and nonprofits allegedly tied to Singham’s network, which investigators suspect of sowing discord in the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Digital he’s working with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and intelligence agencies to uncover the inner workings of organizations “trying to stir up discontent.”

Mullin spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Manassas, Virginia, last week.

LAWMAKERS RAISE ALARM OVER NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S $278M NETWORK SPREADING CCP PROPAGANDA IN THE U.S.

Mullin said organizations have been coordinating their work using online channels. Anti-ICE agitators used the Signal encrypted text messaging app to facilitate anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this year. 

“We know there’s a coordinated effort trying to stir up discontent online, through online processes,” Mullin explained. “This is something we talk about with Scott Bessent. This is something that we talk about with Secretary Hegseth. We’re talking about it. You know, our directors and our intelligence agencies are constantly talking about it.” 

A Fox News Digital investigation peeled back the layers of the network of nonprofits into which Singham pumped $278 million, funding six 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofits that have spread Chinese Communist Party propaganda.

FBI INVESTIGATING MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE SIGNAL GROUP CHATS, PATEL SAYS

As reported, the Treasury, State and Justice departments are investigating the Singham network for alleged financial improprieties, malign foreign influence and other improprieties. Mullin’s statement is the first time it’s been revealed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of War are also involved in the investigations.

DHS agents are no strangers to Singham’s network, as many have come face to face with agitators supported by various organizations backed by Singham over the past year. A campaign called “ICE Out of New York” is housed at the People’s Forum, a nonprofit funded by Singham, and it regularly holds volunteer meetings at the nonprofit’s headquarters on W. 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan and coordinates with the group to organize demonstrations. 

Singham has given $22.44 million to the People’s Forum, a 501(c)(3) that just dropped $5.15 million for a new headquarters in Manhattan.

SINGHAM-BACKED, PRO-CHINA GROUP DROPS HUGE SUM ON MANHATTAN HQ AS FEDS PROBE SHADOWY NETWORK

The Party for Socialism and Liberation, a self-described Marxist organization supported by Singham’s network, has also played a central role in past anti-police and anti-ICE demonstrations.

When asked about Beijing’s influence in the U.S., Mullin compared the actions of actors supporting the Chinese Communist Party to that of Joseph Stalin, former general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 

“You go all the way back to Stalin, who basically was appropriating this, so he’s going to destroy America from within,” Mullin told Fox News Digital. “You stir that up by causing distrust in your government, discontent on the streets, distrust between law enforcement and the public, breaking up the family units and going after the Christian mindset. This was all part of their plan to begin with.”

ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT ‘DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING’ AGENTS: DHS

The DHS secretary explained that the attempt to influence and destroy America from within, and that the U.S. has been battling pro-communist enemies from inside its borders for years.

Mullin said that a key to combating propaganda comes from public awareness of foreign malign influence. He explained that he believes that “our adversaries” who are promoting communism and anti-ICE rhetoric are speeding up a “radical agenda” that is being supported by Democrats. 

“The American public, it’s an 80% issue. They want a secure border,” Mullin told Fox News Digital. “They want the criminals off our streets. It unfortunately is 20% of the radical Democrats that are buying into this radical agenda that’s being sped by our adversaries.”

FAMILIAR PROTEST GROUPS MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ICE SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA PROTESTER

In December, DHS initiated “Operation Metro Surge” in the Minneapolis metro area amid investigations of widespread fraud, predominantly in the Somali community.

Agitators took to the streets to combat agents, and federal agents killed demonstrators Renee Good and Alex Pretti for what the agency described as impeding law enforcement operations.

Following Good’s death, a number of organizations within Singham’s network acted quickly to facilitate unrest. Many are self-described Marxist-Leninists, including the ANSWER Coalition, the People’s Forum, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and BreakThrough News. 

Encrypted Signal chats, command-and-control centers, rapid-response propaganda and orchestrated tear-gas clashes with DHS agents helped mobilize forces and manipulate public opinion in Minneapolis at the time.

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While Mullin wasn’t leading DHS during the demonstrations, he acknowledged the clear coordination when speaking with Fox News Digital last week, but noted that violent protests and designed chaos don’t affect the department’s ability to fulfill its commitment to border and national security.  

“It doesn’t keep our men and women out here on the streets from doing their job,” Mullin explained. “Thankfully, these guys, they signed up not for the glory or the fame, they signed up because they want to get criminals off our streets, regardless of what is happening online, regardless of the far-left Democrats want to criticize these individuals for simply enforcing the laws that Congress passed.”

A federal judge on Monday largely blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from carrying out civil immigration arrests at several Manhattan immigration courthouses, after government lawyers admitted they made a “material mistaken statement of fact” defending the policy in court.

U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel ruled ICE officers must temporarily revert to narrower Biden-era restrictions on courthouse arrests while a broader lawsuit proceeds.

The ruling marks a major reversal from Castel’s earlier 2025 decision declining to halt the policy. In March, however, Justice Department lawyers informed the court they needed to correct prior claims that a May 2025 ICE courthouse enforcement memo applied to immigration courts. The government later acknowledged the guidance “does not and has never applied” to immigration courts.

Castel said the reversal justified revisiting the earlier ruling “to correct a clear error and prevent a manifest injustice.”

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS MEXICAN MIGRANT SEEKING ASYLUM TO BE RELEASED BY ICE

Immigrant advocacy groups behind the lawsuit argued the Trump administration’s enforcement policies effectively turned mandatory immigration hearings into arrest operations, with migrants allegedly detained by ICE agents immediately after court proceedings.

Castel wrote plaintiffs were likely to succeed in arguing the administration acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it rescinded a 2021 ICE policy restricting courthouse arrests without adequately explaining how the new policy applied to immigration courts.

The judge emphasized the ruling does not fully prohibit courthouse arrests. ICE may still conduct enforcement actions involving national security threats, imminent violence, hot pursuit situations or threats to criminal evidence.

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“Today’s ruling is an enormous win for noncitizen New Yorkers seeking to safely attend their immigration court proceedings,” said Amy Belsher, director of immigrants’ rights litigation at the NYCLU.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for comment but did not immediately receive responses.

EXCLUSIVE: WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s deputy defense minister said Warsaw will press U.S. officials in the coming days over the Pentagon’s decision to halt a planned armored brigade rotation of U.S. Army soldiers — a recent move that rattled one of Washington’s closest NATO allies despite assurances that U.S. troop levels in Poland would remain unchanged.

At the same time, Polish officials stressed that Warsaw still views itself as a “model ally” within NATO and expects military cooperation with the United States to continue expanding.

“We will ask questions and I guess that we will get answers,” Polish Deputy defense Minister Paweł Zalewski told Fox News Digital in an exclusive on-camera interview ahead of meetings in Washington with Pentagon officials and members of Congress.

PENTAGON SCALES BACK TROOPS FROM NATO EASTERN FLANK, DENIES AMERICAN WITHDRAWAL FROM EUROPE

The comments come days after the Pentagon halted a planned rotation of approximately 4,000 U.S. Army troops to Poland, sparking concern in Warsaw and criticism from U.S. lawmakers. The move affected the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, which had been scheduled to deploy to Poland and other eastern flank positions as part of a routine nine-month NATO force rotation.

Around 10,000 U.S. troops are typically stationed in Poland, most serving on rotational deployments lasting several months at a time. Because the U.S. military presence in Poland relies heavily on those recurring rotations, the halted brigade deployment raised concerns in Warsaw.

It’s not yet clear whether halting the brigade will lead to a permanent reduction in U.S. forces in Poland. 

Zalewski referenced recent assurances from President Donald Trump to Poland’s president-elect.

“We remember that President Trump, directly talking with President Nawrodski, president of Poland, declared that the U.S. will maintain its armed forces in our country and the number of armed forces,” Zalewski told Fox News Digital.

“We’ll be staying in Poland,” Trump had said in September 2025. “We’re very much aligned with Poland. We’ll put more there if they want.”

The Pentagon said the decision came after consultations with the U.S.’ European Command (EUCOM), which leads U.S. military operations on the continent. 

“The decision to withdraw troops follows a comprehensive, multilayered process that incorporates perspectives from key leaders in EUCOM and across the chain of command,” acting press secretary Joel Valdez told Fox News Digital. “This was not an unexpected, last-minute decision, and it would be false to report it as such.” 

The Pentagon declined to detail the reasons for the halted rotation. The White House could not immediately be reached for comment. 

The move triggered bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill because Poland has been viewed as a key frontline state against Russia. War Secretary Pete Hegseth previously praised Poland as a “model ally.”

“The level of partnership — just to underscore here — is unmatched in Europe,” Hegseth said during a February 2025 visit to Warsaw, Poland.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., called the canceled brigade rotation “a slap in the face to Poland” during a House Armed Services Committee (HASC) hearing Friday, while HASC Chairman Mike Rogers said lawmakers had not been properly consulted.

NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US

Poland has become one of NATO’s most important military and logistics hubs since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hosting rotational U.S. forces and serving as a staging ground for military assistance flowing eastward.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to reduce U.S. support for NATO allies he says spend too little on defense, while pushing European governments to assume greater responsibility for continental security. But Poland spends the highest portion of its GDP on defense of any NATO country at 4.8%. 

Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Bosacki on Friday acknowledged frustration in Poland about how the situation was communicated, while stressing that Poland has received assurances the U.S. does not plan to reduce its military presence in the country.

“It should have been communicated better,” Bosacki said in a meeting with reporters in Warsaw, Poland. “We’re still awaiting some answers.” 

“But we take U.S. reassurance that U.S. doesn’t plan to reduce neither of the number nor the capabilities of the U.S. troops in Poland,” he added.

Bosacki said Poland expects troop rotations to continue and the total number of U.S. troops in the country to remain around 10,000, and emphasized Warsaw’s desire to deepen the military partnership further. 

The halted Poland rotation comes amid a broader Trump administration effort to reduce the U.S. military footprint in Europe and push NATO allies to assume greater responsibility for conventional defense. 

The Pentagon has announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, while earlier in 2026 the Army ended a rotational 101st Airborne Division deployment in Romania and other eastern flank positions as force levels in Europe moved closer to pre-Ukraine war levels.

Despite concerns over the halted troop rotation, Zalewski said the primary purpose of the delegation’s Washington meetings would be discussions about the future structure of NATO and defense cooperation between the United States and Europe.

The talks are expected to focus in part on the Trump administration’s so-called “NATO 3.0” approach, a Pentagon-backed vision that would push European allies to assume greater responsibility for conventional defense in Europe while the United States shifts more military attention toward China and the Indo-Pacific. The strategy emphasizes greater European military spending, force readiness and defense industrial capacity while reducing long-term American dependence on large troop deployments across the continent.

PENTAGON OFFICIAL FLAGS RETURN OF ‘COLD WAR MENTALITY,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN RESHAPES NATO ALLIANCE

Zalewski described Poland as a “model ally” because of its heavy defense spending, military modernization and close security partnership with Washington.

At the same time, he warned that Poland and other eastern NATO members remain under constant pressure from Russia through cyberattacks, sabotage and disinformation campaigns — threats that officials in Poland increasingly view as part of a broader hybrid war against the alliance.

Polish officials have in recent years blamed Russian-linked actors for cyberattacks targeting government institutions and critical infrastructure, while authorities also have investigated suspected Russian sabotage plots tied to arson attempts and surveillance operations inside Poland. Warsaw has additionally accused Moscow of orchestrating online disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining public trust, weakening support for Ukraine and driving divisions between NATO allies.

“Poland and the Eastern NATO flank states are (in) a certain kind of hybrid war,” Zalewski said. “We are constantly under attack by Russian cyber forces. There are a lot of acts of sabotage in Poland.”  

He said Poland also has experienced incursions into its airspace by Russian drones and “huge disinformation coming from Moscow” aimed at undermining trust in authorities and dividing NATO allies.

Zalewski argued those hybrid threats have become especially dangerous since Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea because they are designed to weaken NATO internally without triggering a direct military confrontation.

He also expressed skepticism about efforts to improve relations between Washington and Moscow, arguing that Russia continues to view the United States and NATO as its principal adversaries. Zalewski warned that Moscow’s long-term objective is to fracture Western alliances and drive wedges between the United States and frontline NATO states such as Poland.

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“Yes, there are some ideas in the United States that it is possible to find a way between Russia and the United States,” Zalewski said. “But it’s only just a game played by Moscow.”

“As a matter of fact, since the beginning of the 20th century, for this Russian elite governing the country after the Russian Revolution, the United States has been the biggest enemy,” he added. “And as a matter of fact, the most visible emotion that they have to America — is just hate.”

HEBRON, KY – Six states from coast-to-coast hold primary elections on Tuesday in one of the busiest and potentially most consequential days of the 2026 midterm calendar.

Voters in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania will cast ballots in Democratic and Republican primaries for the U.S. House, Senate and governor, as well as in down-ballot races. The nominating showdowns tee up this autumn’s midterms, when Republicans will defend their slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities.

Meanwhile, some of Tuesday’s most high-profile primary ballot box face-offs will serve as the latest tests of President Donald Trump‘s immense grip over the Republican Party and the strength of his endorsements in GOP nomination races.

Two weeks after purging five state senators in Indiana’s primary who had opposed his push for congressional redistricting, and three days after helping to oust Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana – as the senator who, five and a half years ago, voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial lost his bid for renomination – Trump has a new target: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

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Massie, who for 14 years has represented Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, in the northeastern part of the red-leaning state, has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress. The libertarian-minded lawmaker has repeatedly taken aim at the president over foreign policy, including the Iran war and unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel. And he’s also been a thorn in Trump’s side for successfully pushing for the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump repeatedly targeted Massie in social media posts in the closing days of the primary campaign and praised Kentucky farmer and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who the president is backing, as “a great guy” and “a great patriot.”

Gallrein grabbed some last-minute support and additional firepower on the eve of the primary, as he teamed up at an event with War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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The president said in a video posted to Truth Social on Monday that he hoped Kentucky voters would put Massie “out of business” and that “we’re in a fight against the worst congressman in the history of our country.”

Massie said in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the primary that Trump’s taunts on social media may backfire.

“It shows he’s losing sleep, his reputation is on the line. He really shouldn’t have got involved in this race,” Massie said.

The race has become the most expensive in House history in terms of ad spending, with over $32 million spent, according to the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact.

Much of that money has been shelled out by Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups.

“Here’s the thing, I’ve got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid. When I said America First, I meant it. I don’t vote for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Ukraine. I’ve got a flawless record on this, and I’m not going to ruin it by sending foreign aid to one country,” Massie said as he defended his stance on Israel.

The race has grabbed outsized attention across the country.

“It’s basically a national race at this point, the most expensive race primary in congressional history, and that’s because, you know, I’m up there, I’m getting things done. I got the Epstein files released, I’m getting legislation in the farm bill, I’m getting legislation passed on the floor, and they want to shut me down,” Massie emphasized.

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But Gallrein, speaking with Fox News Digital, charged that Massie’s “running against President Trump, and the agenda that has been put forward by the Republican Party.”

The primary winner will be considered the overwhelming favorite in the general election in a district Trump carried by 36 points in his 2024 White House win.

Trump’s endorsement is also on the line in Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary, in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former longtime GOP leader in the chamber.

Among the 11 Republican candidates are Rep. Andy Barr, who recently landed Trump’s backing, and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a former McConnell aide who was the GOP’s 2023 gubernatorial nominee. Seven Democrats, including 2020 Senate nominee Amy McGrath, are running for the Democratic nomination.

Here’s a look at other key races to watch on Tuesday.

Georgia

Trump’s endorsement powers will also be tested in the GOP gubernatorial primary in the southeastern battleground of Georgia.

The president is supporting Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the race to succeed popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited.

Jones is considered one of the two front-runners in the race, along with health care executive and billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who launched his campaign in February and has spent more than $80 million of his own money on behalf of his bid.

State Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are also running.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, and former state labor commissioner and former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond, are among the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination.

Trump remains neutral in competitive and combustible Republican Senate primary.

Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, the son of University of Georgia head football coach legend Vince Dooley, who is strongly backed by Kemp, are considered the frontrunners in a crowded field of candidates.

The winner of the GOP nomination will challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. The first-term senator is being heavily targeted by Republicans, who view him as the most vulnerable Democrat in the chamber seeking re-election this year. But Ossoff has built an extremely formidable war chest.

Alabama

The president is backing Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama as a Trump ally and two other Republicans seek their party’s gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Kay Ivey. Among the candidates for the Democratic nomination is former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.

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Meanwhile, only three of Alabama’s seven congressional districts will hold primaries on Tuesday. Elections in the other four districts are being postponed until this summer, in the wake of a key Supreme Court ruling that sparked Republicans in a handful of southern states to redraw their congressional district lines.