NationalWatch

A custody hearing in Ada, Oklahoma, last month took a turn for the unexpected — and the incredibly loud — after an attorney who identified himself as transgender was arrested and dragged from the courtroom where he had appeared to represent his client just minutes before.

The exchange occurred during a custody hearing in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, some 90 minutes southeast of Oklahoma City. The attorney, Rob Hopkins, was jailed for contempt after sparring repeatedly with the judge, Lori Jackson, during an otherwise unremarkable proceeding.

Surveillance footage, audio, and body camera footage reviewed by Fox News Digital has shed new light on the extraordinary confrontation, in which Hopkins can be seen actively resisting arrest by bailiffs. At one point, Hopkins can be seen splaying his body across the judge’s bench, resulting in a pile of documents being swept off its finely polished wood surface. 

“You’re HURTING ME!” Hopkins bellowed, as bystanders looked on. “I can’t BREATHE!” he shrieked again, louder.

Attendees in the courtroom could be seen looking on quietly as Hopkins twisted, turned, and contorted his body to evade the handcuffs that officers used to restrain him.

“I felt very threatened by this person,” one individual could be heard telling the judge.

SHELTERS, JESUS, AND MISS PAC-MAN: US JUDGE GRILLS DOJ OVER TRANS POLICY IN DIZZYING LINE OF QUESTIONING

The meltdown in question, and the arrest, occurred during a custody hearing punctuated by repeated interruptions from Hopkins and warnings from Jackson that he would be held in contempt. 

Hopkins then suggested she was discriminating against him for his transgender status, escalating tensions inside the courtroom. 

“It’s because I’m a transgender attorney practicing all over the state,” Hopkins leveled sharply, to which Jackson shot back: “I don’t know what you are.” 

“I don’t know you from Adam,” Jackson said later, describing his conduct as “entirely inappropriate.”

Shortly after, bailiffs entered the courtroom, prompting the hearing to descend into complete chaos.

 “Do NOT HURT ME!” Hopkins yelled at the officers. 

“I’m being thrown down!” he bellowed, as he threw himself on the bench before the officers eventually forced him onto the floor.

‘BLANKIES,’ ICE TACTICS AND LUXURY JETS: TOP MOMENTS FROM NOEM’S HOUSE TESTIMONY

More officers streamed in to help restrain Hopkins, whose uproarious exclamations had, at that point, drawn a crowd — not only in the courtroom, but also in the hallways surrounding it, as the body camera footage shows. 

“Get a female officer, now!” Hopkins demanded. “Call 911!” he shrieked, as the officers attempted to place him in handcuffs. 

“I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” he declared.

From the floor of the court, Hopkins accused the officers of “throwing his glasses” onto the floor — a claim that surveillance footage reviewed by Fox News Digital appears to refute — and ordered the officers to place them back on his face. 

“Put them on my face,” Hopkins demanded repeatedly, as the officers attempted to place Hopkins into a seated position and escort him from the court. “PUT THEM ON MY FACE!” Hopkins screamed once more, the volume and urgency unchanged from his request for emergency services just seconds before.

‘YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!’: PROTESTER DRAGGED FROM KRISTI NOEM’S SENATE HEARING

Hopkins said he has since shuttered his law firm following the contempt charge and fallout from the hearing.

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He did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment regarding either the proceedings in question or the reason for his firm’s closure.

President Donald Trump touted the “historic” rescue of the downed F-15E airmen behind enemy lines and issued a warning to Iran to make a deal before Tuesday night’s 8 p.m. ET deadline or face being “taken out.”

“This is a rescue that’s very historic,” Trump told the White House press corps in a Monday news conference. “It’ll go down to the books.”

“Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet went down deep inside enemy territory in Iran while participating in Operation Epic Fury, where we’re doing unbelievably well. Well, at a level that nobody’s ever seen before.”

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Trump quickly paused his hailing of the rescue to add a warning for Iran to come to peace.

“The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.

This is a breaking news update. Check back for more on this story.

President Donald Trump said Iran negotiators made “a significant proposal, a significant step,” following the ultimatum he issued on Easter Sunday, but it is not “good enough.”

“They made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal, a significant step,” Trump told reporters at the Easter Egg Roll on Monday, a White House tradition that comes amid the backdrop of war.

“It’s not good enough, but it’s a very significant step,” Trump continued. “They are negotiating now. And they have made a very significant step. We’ll see what happens.”

Trump’s media gaggle offered previews of Monday’s 1 p.m. news conference detailing the rescue of the downed airmen behind Iran’s enemies lines, saying the airmen “are both recovering very well” and Iran “got lucky” in downing their F-15e jet.

TRUMP PAUSES IRAN ENERGY PLANT STRIKES FOR 10 DAYS AS TALKS ‘GOING VERY WELL’

“You know what? When you do thousands and thousands of flights, and you have one plane shot down and not mortally, the two pilots got out – they got a little bit lucky,” Trump said. “And you know what? In a way you need a little bit of luck. Also, they got a little bit lucky. That’s all they got.”

Trump is warning some unspecificied consequences for refusing to “cry uncle” and come to heel and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to global oil trade.

“We are obliterating that country, and I hate to do it, but we’re obliterating, and they just don’t want to say uncle – they don’t want to cry, as the expression goes, uncle, but they will,” Trump said. “And if they don’t, they’ll have no bridges, they’ll have no power plants. They’ll have no anything.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘NO LONGER A THREAT’ AFTER 32 DAYS — OUTLINES NEXT PHASE OF US WAR

“I won’t go further, because there are other things that are worse than those two.”

Trump did not rule out taking over Iran’s oil.

“If I had my choice, what would I like to do? Take the oil, because it’s there for the taking; there’s not a thing they can do about it,” Trump continued. “Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil. I’d keep the oil.

WHY TRUMP FACES AN AGONIZING DECISION ON OBLITERATING IRAN’S OIL SUPPLY IF HE CAN’T GET A DEAL

“I would make plenty of money, and I’d also take care of the people of Iran much better than they’ve been taken care of. It’s been horrible.”

Trump pointed to the arrangement with Venezuela as a potential model for the next phase once Iran comes to heel, including the “lunatics” needing to give up their nuclear weapons aspirations.

“Hopefully it could be over with quickly,” Trump concluded before returning to the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll. “Again, there are lots of different alternatives. We have many alternatives.

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“We could leave right now, and it would take them 15 years to rebuild what they have. We could leave right now, but I want to finish it up.”

President Donald Trump says the war with Iran is “nearing completion,” but a looming deadline could determine whether the conflict is actually ending — or about to escalate.

“We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close,” Trump said Wednesday night, adding that U.S. forces will “hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks” and “bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.”

As the war enters what analysts describe as its final phase, the administration is signaling a shift from broad military gains to a narrower endgame — raising questions about what “finishing the job” actually means militarily and politically.

Trump gave Iran until Tuesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning that failure to comply could trigger sweeping strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure.

TRUMP PAUSES IRAN ENERGY PLANT STRIKES FOR 10 DAYS AS TALKS ‘GOING VERY WELL’

“If no deal is made … we are going to hit each and every one of their electric-generating plants, very hard and probably simultaneously,” he said.

“With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD???” he said on Truth Social Friday. 

The U.S. has already begun expanding its target set to include major infrastructure. This week, American strikes hit one of Iran’s largest bridges — a critical transportation artery — signaling that mixed-use infrastructure supporting military logistics is now firmly on the table.

“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

That raises a central question heading into the final weeks: what, exactly, would “finishing the job” look like?

Military analysts say it is unlikely to be a single decisive strike. Instead, the endgame may unfold as a series of escalating options — from intensified attacks on Iran’s remaining missile and drone network, to broader strikes on infrastructure designed to force the regime into a deal, or a longer-term strategy of containing Iran’s capabilities from above.

“We will continue to see very aggressive attrition of offensive and defensive targets, as well as infrastructure targets,” said RP Newman, a retired Marine ground combat veteran and counterterrorism consultant.

Some critics doubt that Trump has a clear exit strategy. 

Trump’s public address Wednesday “was a summary, somewhat in chronological order, of things he’s already said on social media for the last month — and that, in and of itself, reveals that he doesn’t have a plan,” said Trita Parsi, a geopolitical analyst with the Quincy Institute, on X. “I think he wants to get out of this war. I just don’t think he knows how.”

Rather than winding down, Newman said, the U.S. may still be expanding its options. “That gives the President more options, and it gives the enemy an additional problem set to ponder.”

He also cautioned that Iran retains significant capability despite weeks of strikes.

“Iran likely has more missiles and drones remaining in their inventory than some people in organizations think or are claiming,” Newman said.

Recent U.S. intelligence assessments cited by CNN suggest that roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers remain intact and thousands of drones are still in its arsenal.

Behnam Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the likely objective now is to “degrade and defang the regime of its long-range strike capabilities and prevent it from being able to pose a threat abroad.”

That effort, he said, would focus not just on weapons, but on the systems that sustain them.

“The regime’s bases that house these missiles and drones need to be targeted and collapsed … as well as the domestic supply chain and defense industrial base that supports these projectiles,” Taleblu said.

At the same time, the administration appears to be signaling limits to how far it will go.

Trump has suggested the U.S. may rely on continuous surveillance of Iran’s nuclear sites rather than launching new strikes or sending in ground forces to seize enriched uranium — a strategy Taleblu described as “watching them like a hawk.”

WHY TRUMP’S WAR SPEECH FAILED: DECLARING VICTORY BUT STILL BOMBING IRAN BACK TO THE ‘STONE AGES’

The influx of thousands of new troops from Marine Expeditionary Units and the 82nd Airborne Division in recent weeks has fueled speculation that the U.S. may be eyeing a ground operation to seize Kharg Island or recover Iran’s nuclear stockpile — estimated at more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium — believed to be entombed deep within the Isfahan tunnel complex since the U.S. first collapsed its entrances in June 2025.

That approach could allow Washington to step back militarily while maintaining pressure, but it risks leaving key elements of Iran’s nuclear program intact.

“Keeping this material relatively accessible for the regime will mean that this will be a problem that the U.S. will be coming back to,” Taleblu said.

Trump also has signaled that, even as the U.S. pressures Iran to reopen the Strait in the short term, it may not pay a role in securing global energy flows, shifting more responsibility to allies.

“To those countries that can’t get fuel… go to the Strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves,” he said.

Still, whether the war can truly be “finished” within Trump’s timeline remains uncertain.

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Iran is believed to retain portions of its missile and drone arsenal, and analysts warn that even a degraded regime could continue to pose a threat — particularly if key capabilities survive the current campaign.

What happens next may depend on whether the pressure applied in the coming days — especially ahead of the April 6 deadline — is enough to force an outcome.

The ballot box battle for the House majority resumes this week.

Special U.S. House contests in Georgia and New Jersey and a Virginia referendum that is the latest face-off between President Donald Trump and Republicans and Democrats in the high-stakes congressional redistricting wars — with the House majority on the line — will all draw national attention this month.

Also on tap in April: a state Supreme Court election in battleground Wisconsin.

The consequential elections come as the 2026 primary calendar, which kicked off in March, takes a break this month before returning with a vengeance in May.

TRUMP-BACKED FULLER ADVANCES IN RACE TO FILL MTG’S CONGRESSIONAL SEAT

Here’s a closer look at the four ballot box showdowns.

April 7 — GA-14 special election

Trump-backed Republican House candidate Clay Fuller faces off with Democratic candidate Shawn Harris to fill a vacant congressional district in solidly red northwest Georgia that was once held by MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Harris, a retired brigadier general and cattle farmer, and Fuller, a local prosecutor and Air National Guard member, were the top two finishers in a field of 17 candidates, including 12 Republicans, in the early March special election. With no candidate topping 50%, Harris and Fuller advanced to a runoff.

SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE’S OLD SEAT IN CONGRESS HEADS INTO OVERTIME

The special election comes as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House. That means the GOP cannot afford any surprises or allow Democrats to pull an upset in a district that extends from Atlanta’s northwest exurbs to Georgia’s northwestern border with Alabama and northern border with Tennessee, which Trump carried by 37 points in his 2024 presidential victory.

Fuller, who is expected to consolidate the Republican vote that was divided in the first round, is considered the clear frontrunner in the race. But if Harris holds Fuller’s margin to the mid-teens or less, national Democrats will argue the election is the latest in the 14 months since Trump returned to the White House in which they’ve overperformed.

The congressional seat was left vacant when Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a very public falling out with Trump mostly over her push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.

April 7 — Wisconsin Supreme Court election

While officially a non-partisan contest, state Supreme Court elections in the Midwestern battleground have become extremely partisan in recent years.

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With the court’s majority on the line in last year’s contests, outside money poured in and out-of-state door knockers blanketed Wisconsin. One of the biggest spenders was Trump ally Elon Musk, who headlined a rally days before the election and donned a cheesehead hat worn by fans of the Green Bay Packers.

Democrats won that election by a larger-than-expected margin and currently hold a 4-3 majority on Wisconsin’s highest court.

With a conservative justice retiring, the majority isn’t at stake in this year’s election, although liberals with a win could expand their majority to 5-2.

But if the conservative candidate wins, or keeps it close, the GOP may claim a moral victory.

April 16 — NJ-11 special election

Republican Joe Hathaway, a local mayor, is hoping to pull off an upset in the special election to fill the congressional seat left vacant after now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning last November’s gubernatorial election.

Hathaway, who was unopposed in February’s primary, faces off in the election against Democrat Analilia Mejia, a progressive organizer backed by left-wing champions Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Mejia pulled off an upset, narrowly edging out front-runner former Rep. Tom Malinowski in a field of 11 candidates. The face-off was one of the latest between progressives and more mainstream Democrats.

The 11th Congressional District in northern New Jersey‘s New York City suburbs was once the kind of seat where Republicans excelled at the ballot box. Hathaway, who has pointed out his differences with Trump, is the type of Republican who could attract crossover voters.

Add in that Mejia may be too far to the left for some voters in the district, and there’s a chance for some intrigue on Election Day.

April 21 — Virginia redistricting referendum

Voters in Virginia are casting ballots on a Democrat-pushed referendum that would give the competitive state up to four more left-leaning U.S. House districts in time for this year’s midterm elections.

That could result in a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in the state’s U.S. House delegation, up from their current 6-5 edge. 

With two weeks until Election Day, early voting is surging, according to officials, with turnout outpacing early voting from last autumn’s general election. Despite being vastly outraised by Democrats, Republicans see positive signs in early turnout.

Republicans call the Democrats’ redistricting effort an “unconstitutional power grab.” Democrats counter that it’s a necessary step to balance out partisan gerrymandering already implemented in other states by the GOP.

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Virginia is the latest redistricting battleground, with Florida on deck, to alter congressional maps ahead of November’s elections.

Republicans are defending their razor-thin House majority in the midterms, and Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to win back control of the chamber. That means the redistricting efforts in Virginia and other states may very well decide which party controls the House next year.

California’s delayed, over-budget high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco is running fast only in one direction: Rising costs to even get rolling, which are now estimated to be $126 billion.

“Today, we estimate with the right optimization just over $125 billion,” California High Speed Rail Authority board member Anthony Williams told CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday. “I think $126 billion is the current estimate for that.”

That is nearly four times the $33 billion price tag presented to voters in 2008, making the long-delayed project a black eye for Democrat-run California, derided as the latest political example of “waste” in deep-blue America and a “train to nowhere.”

“We’re now in 2026: There are no trains; there’s no track laid; it was a complete bait and switch,” Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., told “60 Minutes,” saying the project “needs to stop.”

NEWSOM TOUTS CALIFORNIA’S NUMEROUS LEGAL FIGHTS WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN FINAL STATE OF THE STATE

“The California High-Speed Rail nightmare is the probably quintessential example of government waste and mismanagement.”

California’s long-troubled high-speed rail project is facing renewed scrutiny after state Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin acknowledged that many of its critics have a point.

“There were mistakes made,” Omishakin told CBS. “Some of the criticism on this project I think are very fair.”

TRUMP ADMIN UNCOVERS ‘STAGGERING’ $8.6 BILLION IN SUSPECTED CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS FRAUD

“I don’t think the voters fully understood and neither did we in the public sector what it was going to take to actually get this project delivered,” Omishakin added.

Taking aim at California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, President Donald Trump called California’s project “the worst cost overrun, I’ve ever seen,” a statement he he has in the past reserved for Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell’s Federal Reserve Building in Washington, D.C.

“This administration is working to usher in a Golden Age of Transportation,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS in a statement. “That vision includes high speed rail and we’re exploring opportunities to efficiently build that infrastructure in America.

NEWSOM’S FAILED LEADERSHIP HAS LET CALIFORNIA BECOME A LAND OF FRAUD AND SCAMS

“What this administration won’t stand for is boondoggle projects like Newsom’s Train to Nowhere that wasted billions in taxpayer dollars yet delivered nothing to the American people,” Duffy said. “Under President Trump, America is building again. We defunded Newsom’s disaster and created the first Trump Infrastructure Dividend. Those dollars will now actually fund critical projects that enhance safety on rail networks across America.”

Newsom himself cast doubt on the full San Francisco-to-Los Angeles plan in 2019, and the project now faces a funding gap of roughly $90 billion.

“For $10 billion, Elon Musk put 300 rockets in orbit; for $11 billion, the state of California has built 1,600 feet of elevated rail with no rail,” Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar said in 2024.

State officials say they remain confident more money can be found to dump into the project, but for now California’s high-speed rail stands as a costly symbol of ambition, delay, and deep public skepticism.

‘THE DAILY SHOW’ ROASTS GAVIN NEWSOM ON HOMELESSNESS, HIGH-SPEED RAIL IN SATIRICAL ‘LEADING MAN’ VIDEO

“The ultimate 494 miles of building this out without the federal government’s help will be challenging: There’s no doubt about that,” Omishakin said.

Nearly two decades since the start of the project, no track has been laid, and the only major visible progress is on a Central Valley segment between Bakersfield and Merced, according to the report.

The project’s earliest projected opening is now 2033, far later than originally promised. Critics, including Bakersfield’s Fong, a member of the House Transportation Committee.

CALIFORNIA IS BROKE, BUT IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR THE REST OF US

“The business plan that was put out in 2008 was very theoretical,” Fong said. “You know, ‘This is what we think is gonna happen.’

“And it became very clear that they didn’t have the specifics worked out.”

Fong has sought oversight and accountability on the waste, including 597 change orders that have cost more than $2.3 billion alone as of November 2025, which is nearly 7% of the initial $33 billion project estimate.

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“Taxpayers deserve full transparency and accountability,” Fong wrote in a statement in February. “The high-speed rail nightmare is a glaring example of structural mismanagement.

“Reckless, repeated contract amendments have squandered resources and precious tax dollars. Hardworking California taxpayers cannot afford to let this continue. This project should be canceled before even more money and time are wasted.”

President Donald Trump has endorsed Steve Hilton in the California gubernatorial race.

“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years. He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post about Hilton, a former Fox News host, on Monday.

“Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job. People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World. Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so! With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before! Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT. He will be a GREAT Governor and, importantly, WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” the president declared in the post.

VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPICE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR

Fox News Digital reached out to Hilton’s campaign and to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Monday.

Hilton, a Republican, is running in a crowded jungle primary that includes candidates from both sides of the political aisle. 

The top two candidates in the June 2, 2026, primary will advance to the general election.

Some of the Democratic candidates seeking the governorship include Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becera, Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. 

MEDIA PERSONALITY STEVE HILTON ENTERS CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

Trump’s full-throated endorsement of Hilton may hurt Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is one of the other Republicans running for the role. 

Hilton and Bianco had been the top two contenders in some public opinion polls, giving Republicans hope that no Democrat would finish in the primary’s top two positions.

That scenario may be less likely now, as Hilton’s support is likely to rise and Bianco’s drop in light of the president’s endorsement. 

“Trump kills any GOP hopes of an R vs R runoff in the California governor’s race,” Rob Pyers of California Target Book wrote in a post on X regarding the president’s endorsement of Hilton. 

“Trump’s endorsement of Steve Hilton likely frees up tens of millions of dollars for Democratic groups who would have otherwise had to spend heavily to elevate one of the two leading GOP gubernatorial candidates to avoid a Democratic lockout,” Pyers wrote in another post.

BIANCO SAYS ‘DEMOCRAT POLICY IS INDEFENSIBLE’ AS GOP CANDIDATES TOP CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR POLLING

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Hilton became a U.S. citizen in 2021, and renounced his U.K. citizenship in 2025, he noted during an interview with GB News.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – When anti-Trump protesters took to the streets across the country in late March for rallies branded as “No Kings,” CNN reported that anti-Trump protests had “popped up” nationwide, including at the Minnesota State Capitol.

But a Fox News Digital investigation reveals that nine vendors were paid an estimated $250,000 to build a professionally-sophisticated protest infrastructure behind the “flagship” event held in St. Paul, and a former Obama and Biden administration political and communications strategist, Roger Fisk, took credit for being the “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event,” fine-tuning the “art and science” of throwing the protest, along with two other “No Kings” protests last year.

The machine behind the protest included deploying about 30 semi-trucks to deliver concert-level equipment, a massive mobile stage, nearly a mile of heavy-duty feeder cable used to distribute electricity throughout the rally site, scores of porta-toilets and folding chairs, eight jumbo screens, high-speed internet and bike-rack barriers to keep the crowds away from the stage, filled with bold-faced celebrities including rock star Bruce Springsteen, actress Jane Fonda and singer Joan Baez. 

The operation amounted to a massive buildout that resembled the setup for an outdoor music festival or Def Leppard concert, according to the event’s vendors, most of whom requested anonymity.

The logistical details behind the event illustrate how modern protests increasingly resemble professionally produced public events rather than spontaneous grassroots demonstrations. The investigation reveals a rare behind-the-scenes view of the infrastructure, funding and logistics that power the modern day protest industry, details organizers rarely disclose.

500 GROUPS WITH $3B IN REVENUES ARE BEHIND THE #NOKINGS PROTESTS AND COMMUNIST CALL FOR ‘REVOLUTION’

As Fox News Digital previously reported, about 500 organizations with an estimated $3 billion in annual revenues sponsored, endorsed and participated in the nationwide protest. The network includes stalwart Democratic nonprofits including Indivisible, MoveOn and the ACLU, which have received millions of dollars over the years from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society philanthropies.

Another network tied to the protests includes pro-communist groups, like the People’s Forum, CodePink, the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, backed by American-born tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who lives in Shanghai, promoting messaging aligned with the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping and the People’s Republic of China. Notably, anti-American rhetoric from China labeling the United States as “fascist,” “rogue,” and “autocratic” has been parroted by these groups and surfaced as a recurring theme in the St. Paul protest, where communist and socialist organizations flew the flags of Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. Singham didn’t respond to a request for comment.

POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM

It’s understood that Indivisible footed most of the bill for the St. Paul protest, sources said.

Nancy Snow, author of the book, “Propaganda and Persuasion,” told Fox News Digital that it’s important to follow the money on all aspects of political communication, including protests.

“We are in an age of cognitive warfare, in which there is a competition to shape how people think, and it’s always important to follow the money because it tells you who is setting the agenda and amplifying the message,” she said. “Following the money doesn’t automatically invalidate the grievances of citizens who show up for a protest. Both things can be true at once.”

About 24 hours before demonstrators arrived with signs calling the U.S. a “fascist” nation, a different scene unfolded on the Capitol grounds, with semi-trucks loaded with equipment rolling into the State Capitol.

‘NO KINGS’ CALLS ITSELF LEADERLESS, BUT ITS OWN INTERNAL DOCUMENTS TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY

“You need a platform for people to stand on and a way for people to be seen and heard in order to reach everybody,” Matt Svobodny, a production manager with Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co., a live-event production company based in nearby St. Louis Park, Minn., told Fox News Digital. 

“And, in order to do that, you need professionals that know what they’re doing and are going to do it also safe for all the people…,” he said. “So you can’t just have people with good intentions and no idea what they’re doing.”

A longtime professional, Svobodny provided a rare warehouse tour of the elements required to make the protest happen.

Svobodny said crews began physical setup around 8 a.m. Friday and continued working until after midnight, returning in early morning. Along with the mobile concert stage and cable, the system they assembled included about 100 speakers and extensive lighting equipment. Three vendors supplied eight large video screens across the Capitol grounds so people far from the stage at the far end near Martin Luther King Boulevard could see the speakers.

Additional delay speakers were positioned farther back from the stage so that speeches would remain synchronized across the large audience area, he said. For security reasons, the stage was partially fitted with ballistic bullet-resistant glass to protect the speakers.

“It has all the elements and infrastructure of a music festival,” Svobodny said.

Permit records, obtained by Fox News Digital, identify the organizing entity for the event as the “No Kings Coalition and Indivisible Twin Cities.” Indivisible is the brand name for several powerful Democratic groups: Indivisible Action, a political action committee; Indivisible Project, a 501(c)(4) with $10.4 million in revenues; and Indivisible Action, a 501(c)(3) with $5.2 million in revenues.

The permit application listed a local leader, Kris Ragozzino, as the applicant and described the rally as a program including “speakers, artists and musicians.” The production itself relied on a network of specialized vendors, each responsible for a different component of the rally’s infrastructure. 

1. Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co., based in St. Louis Park, Minn., was the main event vendor, handling the Stageline SL320 40-foot mobile stage, sound system with 100 speakers, lighting, 1,700-feet of 220-volt feeder cable and ballistic bullet-resistant barriers, while coordinating the overall production setup and contracting with subvendors. Estimated cost: $100,000
2. Fire Up Video supplied four large video screens placed along Martin Luther King Boulevard at the far end away from the protest. Estimated cost: $20,000
3. Algorithm, an audiovisual production company based in Minnesota, provided two additional jumbo screens positioned on the sides of the rally. On its Instagram page, Algorithm featured its screens, hauled to the protest by massive trucks, in a video from the day with the message, “Can you feel it?” Estimated cost: $25,000
4. Common World Productions Inc. provided two more LED jumbo video screens mounted directly on the stage. Estimated cost: $10,000
5. Warning Lites of Minnesota, a Minneapolis company that provides traffic control and event safety equipment, supplied crowd-control bike-rack barricades separating the stage from the crowd. Estimated cost: $15,000
6. E5 Energy, based in Savage, Minn., provided electrical power to the stage and screens with generators and distribution equipment. It also installed cable ramps to cover the high-voltage power lines as pedestrians crossed over them. Estimated cost: $15,000
7. Ultimate Events, based in Plymouth, Minn., supplied an estimated 10 large high-peak tents for staging areas and operations. It also provided “black plastic frame folding chairs,” typically priced at $2.80 per chair on its website, and tables. Estimated cost: $30,000
8. On Site Companies, based in St. Paul, provided about 300 porta-toilets. Estimated cost: $25,000
9. Fast Kat Connects, based in Minneapolis, provided high-speed internet connection for the organizers. Estimated cost: $10,000

The estimated total for the logistical expenses was $250,000, sources said.

Svobodny said he worked mostly with Ragozzino and Roger Fisk, a former advance man for presidential trips in the Obama and Biden administrations. In a post on LinkedIn after the protest, Fisk described himself as a “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event.” 

In the post, Fisk recalled the “complexity” of organizing the event, noting, “Add to that satellite trucks, cable runs, ballistic glass, road closures, most of the bike rack [sic] in North America, risk monitoring and threat analysis, bridge construction, Springsteen, a kaleidoscope of law enforcement, and staffs of elected officials, security details, and other celebrities that require specific care and respect. The final week was 4 am to 9-10-11 pm…”

Fisk added that “we have learned so much together in developing the art and science of these massive pro-democracy public engagements.” Ragozzino, Fisk and Indivisible co-founders Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Fisk bluntly acknowledged the protests were staged for the cameras for maximum media coverage, which public relations officials call “earned media,” a buzzword for free press coverage. “Earned media is my main metric,” Fisk wrote, “and our content reached between a quarter and a half billion impressions in the 24 hours after the events, with our flagship event leading the way.”

In his LinkedIn profile, Fisk writes that he worked this past year as a consultant to  Indivisible and its three earlier “No Kings” protests, saying he “developed thematic strategies and program frameworks for Indivisible’s three pro-democracy mobilizations, engaging 15 million people across every state and 22 countries coordinating messaging across messaging networks.” He didn’t disclose how much he had been paid.

COMMUNISTS, DEMOCRATS USE #NOKINGS RALLY TO CALL FOR MAY DAY STRIKE: ‘SHUT IT DOWN’

Snow, the former director of the New Hampshire chapter of Common Cause, a progressive group, said that “sunshine is the best disinfectant” and encourages organizations to be more transparent about the obvious logistical heavy-lifting it takes to throw a protest.

In his company’s warehouse, as crews cleaned the stage, Svobodny considered the event a success, in part because the vendors went unnoticed by the media. “Hopefully, most people didn’t even think about us,” he said. 

“I mean, in some ways, kind of, the goal of us or myself is to, like, not even be noticed.”

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Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

A party-line tactic to ram legislation through Congress and bypass the Senate filibuster has become a dumping ground for Republicans’ legislative priorities throughout the year.

Now, as Democrats refuse to fund immigration operations, Republicans are once again readying a budget reconciliation package. The hard part will be getting enough of the GOP on the same page to craft a bill that can pass and survive the strict rules underpinning the process.

Republicans used the same process to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” last year. It’s a time-consuming, labor-intensive legislative maneuver that nearly blew up and could fail unless both the Senate and House align on what exactly they want to include.

SENATE PASSES BILL TO FUND MOST OF DHS AFTER HOUSE GOP CAVES

Trump officially backed using reconciliation again this week as a way to skirt Democrats’ refusal to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as Congress inches closer to ending the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.

Trump demanded that Republicans get the bill on his desk by June 1.

“We are going to work as fast and as focused as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won’t be able to stop us,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Still, Republicans have viewed reconciliation as a vehicle to tackle fraud, affordability, Trump’s tariff authorities, additional tax provisions, healthcare, funding for the Iran war, supplemental agriculture spending, and election integrity measures in the months since passing the “big, beautiful bill.”

DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has warned that if reconciliation is going to work — especially given the limited timeframe lawmakers have to start and finish the process — Republicans need to “keep our expectations realistic.”

“Our theory of the case behind all this was to keep that thing as narrow and focused as possible, and that maximizes the speed at which we can do it and the support for it,” Thune said.

“There will probably be some attempts to add things,” he continued. “There are things out there that, obviously, many of us are interested in. But on a reconciliation vehicle like this — which we need to move with haste, as the president has pointed out — it’s probably not a likely magnet for all these other issues.”

Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told voters at an event this week in South Carolina that he is eyeing two new reconciliation packages, which could ease concerns about cramming all the GOP’s priorities into one massive bill.

GOP RAILS AGAINST ‘S— SANDWICH’ DEAL AS ALL EYES TURN TO HOUSE TO END DHS SHUTDOWN

“We want to do it quick — ICE, Border Patrol — fund it as much as you can, multi-year,” Graham said. “Then there’s another one coming. I just made news. There’s another one coming in the fall, and that’s going to be about going after fraud.”

House Republicans spent their recent policy retreat earlier this year pushing a so-called “reconciliation 2.0,” gearing up to load the package with several provisions that could drain time and struggle to earn support in the Senate — where strict guidelines could kill proposals entirely if they don’t comply with the rules.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), which has long called for a second reconciliation bill, also wants to add proposals addressing affordability concerns.

“We support pursuing funding for military readiness and Homeland Security through this legislative process, while simultaneously codifying the president’s agenda to deliver lower costs for working families,” the RSC Steering Committee said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Some Republicans are also pushing to include the latest policy fight: the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The voter ID and citizenship verification legislation has no chance of passing the Senate given unified Democratic opposition.

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It’s also unlikely to survive the Senate’s reconciliation rules, which allow only provisions that directly impact spending.

“I think we have to set our sights a little bit lower on this reconciliation bill,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. “It’s got to be targeted to fund ICE for 10 years — I think that’s the number one thing for us. If we can nibble at the edges of the SAVE Act, that would be great, but the parliamentarian is not going to let us do the SAVE Act. That’s just an impossibility.”

Some of the loudest proponents of the bill in the House GOP acknowledge that adding the SAVE Act to reconciliation would be a challenge — largely because they would prefer to keep the bill intact and push it through the Senate.

“Look, it’s time for them to do a walk-and-talk and filibuster, and let’s make this thing happen,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said. “The American people are watching — piecing it together just to try to get a piece.”

Few places on the planet matter more to the global economy than the Strait of Hormuz.

That’s why President Donald Trump has given Iran until Tuesday to allow all vessels through the key waterway — or face strikes on critical infrastructure, as fuel costs climb worldwide.

In a profanity-laced post on Truth Social, Trump wrote on Sunday: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—–’ Strait, you crazy b——-, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

“Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” he wrote in a second post.

Trump also said he will hold a press conference at the White House on Monday alongside military officials.

SAN FRANCISCO BECOMES FIRST US CITY WHERE DIESEL PRICES TOP $8 A GALLON
 

At just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, the waterway between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points. It carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day, along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas.

It’s also a key artery for refined fuels. The Middle East exports about 1.1 million barrels per day of jet fuel — roughly 15% to 17% of global consumption — according to Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at OPIS. Much of that supply moves through the Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation is already sending oil, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices sharply higher worldwide.

As of April 5, the national average for regular gasoline stood at $4.11 per gallon, according to AAA — up 86 cents from a month earlier. On the West Coast, drivers are seeing the highest costs, with prices reaching $5.92 per gallon in California and $5.37 in Washington. 

WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN

On the East Coast, gas prices are exceeding $4 in several areas, including $4.27 in Washington, D.C., and $4.06 in New York. 

In the Midwest, Illinois stands out at $4.29 per gallon, while much of the region remains in the mid-$3 range. Southern states remain cheaper overall, though prices are rising. Texas and South Carolina are averaging $3.82, while Florida is higher at $4.20.

Diesel has climbed to $5.61, up about $1.45 over the past month. As a key fuel for freight, shipping and public transportation, it is especially sensitive to supply disruptions.

In San Francisco, prices have surged even higher. For the first time on record, average diesel costs have surpassed $8 per gallon, according to GasBuddy — an unprecedented milestone for any U.S. city.

Additionally, jet fuel prices in the U.S. have more than doubled in a matter of weeks as Middle East tensions squeeze supply.

THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT

Prices jumped from about $2.11 in January to $4.88 per gallon by April 2, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index, a daily benchmark tracking prices in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York.

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Jet fuel — one of airlines’ largest expenses — is especially volatile due to thin inventories, specialized storage and limited spot trading. That can amplify price swings when supply tightens.

Airlines have warned that inventories could run dry within weeks, raising the risk of higher airfares and flight cancellations.

Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said after a congressional delegation returned from Cuba that U.S. economic restrictions on the island represented an “illegal U.S. blockade of fuel” and “effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country.”

The lawmakers, following their five-day delegation to Cuba, spoke out against what they described as a humanitarian crisis on the island that they argue is linked to the U.S. embargo. 

“The illegal U.S. blockade of fuel to Cuba—90 miles south of the United States—adds to the longest embargo in world history and is causing untold suffering to the Cuban people,” the lawmakers said in a statement on Sunday. “The United States prevented a single drop of oil from entering Cuba for over three months. This is cruel collective punishment—effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country—that has produced permanent damage. It must stop immediately.”

US ALLOWS RUSSIAN OIL TANKER TO REACH CUBA AMID BLOCKADE AS TRUMP SAYS ISLAND ‘HAS TO SURVIVE’

“We witnessed firsthand premature babies in incubators, weighing just two pounds, who are at tremendous risk because their ventilators and incubators cannot function without electricity,” they continued. “Children cannot attend school because there is no fuel for them or their teachers to travel. Cancer patients cannot receive lifesaving treatments because of lack of medications. There is a water shortage because there is little electricity to pump water. Businesses have closed. Families cannot keep food refrigerated, and food production on the island has dropped to just 10 percent of the people’s needs.”

This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his pressure campaign on Cuba in recent weeks, calling the island a “failed nation” and suggesting that “Cuba is next” following recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran.

The trip came after Jayapal and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., introduced legislation to block federal funds for military action against Cuba without congressional approval.

Jayapal and Jackson said they spoke with families, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, the Cuban government, Latin American and African ambassadors, humanitarian aid organizations and Cubans across the political spectrum, including dissidents.

“Across all sectors, there is agreement: this illegal blockade must end immediately. We do not believe that the majority of Americans would want this kind of cruelty and inhumanity to continue in our name,” the lawmakers said.

The pair added that the Cuban government “has sent many signals that this is a new moment for the country.”

“While we were there, President Diaz-Canel released over 2,000 prisoners. The Cuban government has begun to liberalize its economy with significant reforms, including allowing Cuban American entrepreneurs to invest in private businesses in Cuba. Entrepreneurship has grown substantially, with small- and medium-sized private businesses now comprising large parts of the economy,” the statement said.

CUBA RELEASES 2,000 PRISONERS AMID TRUMP PRESSURE, ENERGY CRISIS

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“Significantly, the Cuban government has invited in the FBI to conduct an independent investigation of a lethal speedboat shooting,” it continued. “The remaining obstacles to progress in Cuba now rest with the United States changing our outdated, Cold War-era policy of coercive economic measures and military pressures against Cuba.”

Jayapal and Jackson went on to say that “true reform will only come from charting a new course.”

“The United States and Cuba must immediately enter into real negotiations that provide for the dignity and freedom of the Cuban people and the tremendous benefits to the American people that will accrue from a real collaboration between our two countries,” they concluded.

Tax season is stressful enough, but avoidable mistakes can turn a routine filing into an expensive headache.

With Tax Day just 10 days away, even small errors can mean the difference between a smooth refund and frustrating delays. In some cases, they can even trigger IRS notices or unexpected penalties.

Here are five common filing missteps to watch out for and how to avoid them:

1. Choosing the wrong filing status

Your filing status is one of the most important choices on your tax return because it helps determine your tax rate, your standard deduction and which credits you may be eligible to claim. Pick the wrong one, and you could end up paying more than you owe, getting a smaller refund or triggering delays if the IRS flags the return for review.

For many taxpayers, the confusion comes from life changes that happened during the year, like getting married or divorced, having a child, moving in with a partner, supporting an aging parent or sharing custody. Even if your situation feels straightforward, the IRS rules can be less intuitive, especially for taxpayers who aren’t sure whether they qualify as “head of household” or whether they can still file as “qualifying surviving spouse” after a spouse has died.

RETIRED? HERE’S WHEN THE IRS MIGHT TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR FINANCES

Head of household, in particular, can be costly to get wrong. It typically comes with a larger standard deduction and more favorable tax brackets than filing as single – but it has strict requirements tied to paying more than half the cost of keeping up a home and having a qualifying dependent. If you don’t meet the rules and claim it anyway, you may have to pay back tax benefits later, plus penalties and interest.

When in doubt, the IRS has an online filing-status tool, and many tax software programs will walk you through the questions to help you choose the right category.

2. Leaving credits on the table

One of the biggest and most expensive tax-season mistakes is failing to claim every credit or deduction you qualify for. That can mean a smaller refund or a higher bill.

“I think the top mistake people make is not fully understanding or taking the time to really research what are all the different deductions and the ways that you can put a little bit of extra money in your pocket that are available to you,” said Bill Sweeney, senior vice president of government affairs at AARP.

AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700 MIDWAY THROUGH FILING SEASON, TREASURY SAYS

Sweeney also warned taxpayers not to rely on last year’s return as a blueprint for filing because of recent changes to the tax code from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

“This would be a good year given that there are these changes to the tax code, to make sure not to assume that what you did last year will convey over to this year. Really take a fresh look at your tax situation and see if there’s money that you’re leaving on the table,” he said.

3. Missing key deadlines

An extension can buy you time to file your paperwork, but it doesn’t give you extra time to pay. For most taxpayers, the IRS deadline to pay what you owe is April 15, 2026 – even if you request an extension to file later.

“Remember that even if you claim an extension, the money is owed on April 15,” said Mike Faulkender, co-chair of American Prosperity at the America First Policy Institute.

WHAT TRUMP’S NEXT PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEANS FOR YOUR WALLET

Faulkender, a former Treasury official and IRS commissioner, said taxpayers who need more time should still estimate their bill and pay by the filing deadline to help avoid added costs.

“You have to actually send in a check or have the payment deducted from your account by the filing deadline,” he said.

If you can’t pay in full by April 15, pay what you can to help limit penalties and interest on top of your tax bill.

4. Entering bank account details incorrectly

If you choose direct deposit for your refund, the IRS relies on the routing and account numbers you provide. One wrong digit can lead to delays. 

If you pay what you owe by direct debit, incorrect banking details can also lead to a rejected payment and potentially result in penalties and interest.

5. Filing before all your tax forms arrive

Timing matters when it comes to filing your taxes. Submitting your return before you’ve received all your key paperwork, like W-2s or 1099s, can lead to errors, missing income or a return you have to amend later.

Faulkender said there’s a simple way to double-check what’s been reported under your name before you file. 

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“One of the things that I learned last year when I was IRS commissioner, was that if you create an account on irs.gov, you can see everything that’s been filed under your tax ID,” he said. 

“We’re supposed to receive all of our W-2s and our 1099 forms in the mail in January and February. But if you’re missing one, or you misplaced it rather than requesting it again, you can actually go and see what was filed under your taxpayer identification number if you create an account on IRS.gov.” 

Filing late can also cost you extra money, especially if you owe. The goal is to wait until you have what you need, then file as soon as you’re ready.

The Trump administration filed an emergency motion to restore White House ballroom reconstruction, warning “time is of the essence” and saying President Donald Trump and his staff’s “security and safety” are at risk by the judge’s “untenable” ruling.

In the filing, Justice Department lawyers said the partially built project includes “deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures” that must be completed quickly to protect sensitive construction and security features from exposure.

“This order is untenable and must be stayed in that the building is under construction, with deep Top Secret excavations, foundations, and structures, already built, and ready to receive heavily fortified, for security reasons, steel, bullet, ballistic, and blast proof glass, and drone proof roofing materials, which must be finished quickly, and not allowed to be exposed to the conditions and elements of an open construction site,” Friday night’s motion urges.

“Time is of the essence!”

JUDGE WARNS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AGAINST ‘IRREVERSIBLE’ WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION WORK

The appeal asks the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to stay U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s order halting the project, which Leon ruled cannot proceed without congressional approval.

The administration argues the judge himself acknowledged that work needed to secure the White House grounds and protect the president and staff can continue.

“In granting this shocking, unprecedented, and improper injunction, one that could have been sought long ago, prior to the start of construction (in that there was full knowledge, through large scale media attention and publicity, that the White House ballroom was planned to be built, and there would have been a great deal of time for them to object, long before the start of construction, even though their objection would likewise have been baseless and frivolous), the district court took the erroneous, sweeping view that Congress did not authorize the ballroom construction at the White House — yet correctly allows construction ‘necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds, including the ballroom construction site, and provide for the personal safety of the President and his staff,'” the DOJ argued.

WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AT CRITICS CALLING TRUMP’S MASSIVE ARCH ‘TOO BIG’

Also, the lawyers wrote, the judge ignored the administration’s overtures to have him visit the site to see the privately funded $400 million project.

“The judge was given an opportunity to see the construction taking place at the site, but surprisingly, never responded to our invitation,” Trump Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate wrote.

Preservationists challenging the construction say the administration unlawfully bypassed federal review and authorization requirements, but the DOJ rejected the judge’s claims that congressional approval is needed for a privately funded ballroom.

WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250

“For decades, Congress has vested the President with overlapping statutory authorities that allow the President to make the improvements he deems necessary to White House grounds and structures,” Shumate wrote. “Yet, a district judge ordered the President to halt ongoing reconstruction of the East Wing of the White House by April 14, leaving a massive excavation and structurally completed site adjacent to the now open and exposed Executive Mansion and threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the President and his family, and the President’s staff.”

“Almost 400 Million Dollars of private donations and contributions (No taxpayer dollars are being used to build this long sought, and desperately needed, ballroom!) have already been committed, or spent, in the purchase of heavy, large scale, and other types of building materials. The path to this injunction confirms its unfairness, untenability, and danger to the White House and the people working and living within its walls,” he added.

TRUMP PAUSES OIL EXEC SUMMIT TO PEEK AT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S PROGRESS

The new motion filed by the National Park Service said the federal district court lacks the constitutional authority “to entertain this suit, which rests on a single pedestrian’s subjective architectural feelings.”

The initial lawsuit against the construction was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization, alleging Trump exceeded his authority when he razed the historic East Wing and launched construction on the new building.

Friday’s motion argues the claims are “legally baseless” and “no Trust member has standing.”

TRUMP ADMIN DEFENDS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM AS NATIONAL SECURITY MATTER

“The President has complete authority to renovate the White House,” Shumate concluded.

The East Wing was originally built in 1902 and expanded four decades later during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency.

The ballroom is part of Trump’s broader push to reshape Washington’s monumental core, which also includes plans for a 250-foot (76-meter) arch and changes at the Trump Kennedy Center.

TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS IN COURT TO KEEP WHITE HOUSE EAST WING DEMOLITION, $300M BALLROOM BUILD ON TRACK

“I would like to thank the hardworking Commissioners and Staff of the National Capital Planning Commission, who just voted overwhelmingly, 8-1, to approve the magnificent White House Ballroom now rising on this Hallowed Ground,” Trump wrote Thursday night on Truth Social.

“I am pleased to announce that even Board Member Senator Rand Paul, known as an extraordinarily difficult vote, voted a strong YES,” Trump said. “For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for Grand Parties, State Visits, and even, in the Modern Day, Inaugurations.”

WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS

“I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project, which is on time and under budget, underway,” the president added. “When completed, it will be the Greatest and Most Beautiful Ballroom of its kind anywhere in the World, and a fabulous complement to our Beautiful and Storied White House!”

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Trump has lamented legal challenges to his administration’s agenda, rebuking “rogue judges” siding with “baseless” Democrat lawyers and lawsuits.

“In the Ballroom case, the Judge said we have to get Congressional approval,” Trump wrote this week on Truth Social. “He is WRONG! Congressional approval has never been given on anything, in these circumstances, big or small, having to do with construction at the White House.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

The “daring” U.S. military rescue of a “seriously wounded” airman is being hailed as an American success story, as President Donald Trump announced “we got him!” and detailed the “AMAZING show of bravery and talent,” turning a potential American setback into a show of might.

Details about the rescue are trickling in, including senior administration officials telling Fox News how the CIA deflected enemy attention with a “deception campaign.”

The CIA spread word in Iran through multiple sources that U.S. forces had already found the second of two airmen who ejected from their F-15e, and were moving him out of Iran in a maritime exfiltration elsewhere, sources told Fox News, but that was designed to buy time to find the stranded weapons system officer.

The CIA picked up a distress signal, passing the intelligence on to the Pentagon and White House, which ordered the immediate rescue mission, according to sources.

MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ON THE CUSP OF A HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT

There was initial fear the “beacon signal” was an Iranian “trap,” sources said.

“There was a lot at stake here,” the source said.

Once the CIA confirmed Saturday morning that this was not an Iranian trap, the missing airman was located using advanced technical capabilities.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe informed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan “Raizin'” Caine and, ultimately, Trump.

“Within eight hours, we had planes in motion,” the source said. “Within almost 12 hours we were on the ground in Iran.

TRUMP TELLS ‘STRANGE’ IRANIAN NEGOTIATORS TO ‘GET SERIOUS SOON’ OR ‘IT WON’T BE PRETTY’

“We’ve seen before what they do with prisoners. We were going to expend every effort to make sure we got to him first.”

The U.S. used MQ9 Reaper drones to protect the area around where the airman was hiding and fired on anything that came close to that area and any area where U.S. forces were operating to prevent crowds or any Iranians from approaching, sources confirmed to Fox News.

“We executed multiple large-scale strikes in the surrounding area using every tactical jet in the U.S. inventory and B-1 Bombers to keep him safe,” according to a senior US official.

Trump saluted the complex operation to exfiltrate the “highly respected colonel.”

“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran,” Trump wrote Sunday morning on Truth Social, announcing an Oval Office news conference set for 1 p.m. ET Monday. “The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close.”

MORNING GLORY: WHAT WILL DONALD TRUMP’S LEGACY BE AS A WARTIME PRESIDENT?

“This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen!” Trump said. “The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!”

One night earlier, Trump hailed “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History.”

“My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!” Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” he said.

The injured airman was the second of two crew members from the warplane Iran claimed it had brought down with its air defenses on Friday.

Several aircraft were destroyed during the U.S. rescue mission, Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards claimed Sunday according to the Tasnim news agency. An Iranian military spokesperson said a C-130 military transport plane and two Black Hawk helicopters were among the downed craft.

TRUMP ORDERS WAR DEPT TO POSTPONE STRIKES ON IRANIAN ENERGY SITES, CITING ‘PRODUCTIVE’ TALKS TO END WAR

Israeli intelligence had assisted the CIA in determining the location of the missing WSO and removing doubt of Iranian “trap,” halting its attacks in the area to facilitate the mission, an Israeli security official told Reuters.

“All Israelis rejoice in the incredible rescue of a brave American pilot by America’s dauntless warriors,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a statement Sunday morning. “This proves that when free societies muster their courage and their resolve, they can confront seemingly insurmountable odds and overcome the forces of darkness and terror.”

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The weekend rescue left Trump resolute in swift and decisive victory amid a 10-day deadline to reopen the Hormuz Strait to oil tankers, issuing a stunning expletive-laced warning Sunday morning.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There will be nothing like it!!!

“Open the F–in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” he added.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, Trey Yingst and Reuters contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump directed a profanity-laced message to Iran on Sunday, signaling the U.S. will target the regime’s power plants and bridges on Tuesday if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” Trump’s post read. “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—– Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

Trump’s latest message shows the president is hardening his threats to strike Iran’s critical infrastructure if Tehran doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Monday deadline.

Iran has hampered passage through the narrow waterway, which is crucial for the global oil trade, since the onset of the war to use as one of its bargaining chips. Iranian interference in the strait has significantly impaired the movement of oil tankers through the waterway, causing global oil prices to rise.

TRUMP CALLS ON WORLD TO BUILD ‘DELAYED COURAGE’ SEIZE KEY OIL ROUTE FROM IRAN

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Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

This is a developing news story; check back for updates.

President Donald Trump’s effort to investigate race-based admissions at U.S. colleges was temporarily blocked Friday by a federal judge in Boston.

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV granted a preliminary injunction Friday, temporarily barring the Trump administration from forcing public colleges in 17 Democrat-led states to submit detailed admissions data meant to prove they are not unconstitutional considering race.

Saylor did admit the federal government likely can seek such information in “identifying potential problems” and “patterns of discrimination” but the executive order’s 120-day deadline was “rushed and chaotic” and “epitomizes arbitrary and capricious agency action.”

Trump, while moving to shut down the Department of Education to return its functions to the states last March, sought a four-month deadline for race data on college admissions this past August.

TRUMP ADMIN PROBE ACCUSES HARVARD OF DISCRIMINATING AGAINST JEWISH STUDENTS, THREATENS TO PULL ALL FUNDING

“Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum, and to be initiated this 2025-2026 school year, the Secretary of Education, in coordination with NCES [National Center for Education Statistics], shall expand the scope of required reporting to provide adequate transparency into admissions, as determined by the Secretary of Education, consistent with applicable law,” Trump’s executive order challenged by Democrats read. 

A coalition of 17 Democrat state attorneys general sued, arguing the new reporting regime would invade student privacy, burden universities, and trigger unwarranted federal investigations.

“Plaintiffs have established, based on the record before the Court, that they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the agency action was ‘arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not otherwise in accordance with the law,'” Saylor concluded. “Furthermore, and notwithstanding the contention of the government, plaintiffs have established that immediate irreparable harm will result if the injunction does not issue. And they have likewise established that the balance of equities and the public interest favor preliminary injunctive relief. Accordingly, the motion for a preliminary injunction will be granted.”

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY VIOLATED TILE VI WITH ‘UNLAWFUL DEI POLICIES,’ EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAYS

The administration argued the data collection is needed to ensure colleges are complying with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision ending affirmative action in admissions, while still allowing applicants to discuss how race affected their lives in essays.

“Race-based admissions practices are not only unfair, but also threaten our national security and well-being,” Trump’s order read. “It is therefore the policy of my Administration to ensure institutions of higher education receiving Federal financial assistance are transparent in their admissions practices.”

TRUMP DOJ PROBES MICHIGAN SCHOOLS OVER GENDER CURRICULUM, JOINS LAWSUIT AGAINST LA RACE-BASED PROGRAM

Under the policy, colleges were told to provide admissions data broken down by race and sex and to report it retroactively for seven years, with possible penalties for schools that failed to comply.

The administration’s policy echoes settlement agreements the government negotiated with Brown University and Columbia University, restoring their federal research money. The universities agreed to give the government data on the race, grade-point average and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. The schools also agreed to be audited by the government and to release admissions statistics to the public.

The NECS is to collect the new data, including the race and sex of colleges’ applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has said the data, which was originally due by March 18, must be disaggregated by race and sex and retroactively reported for the past seven years.

TRUMP’S DEMAND FOR COLLEGES NATIONWIDE TO FORK OVER RACE DATA FACES LEGAL HURDLE

If colleges fail to submit timely, complete and accurate data, the administration has said McMahon can take action under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which outlines requirements for colleges receiving federal financial aid for students.

The Trump administration separately has sued Harvard University over similar data, saying it refused to provide admissions records the Justice Department demanded to ensure the school stopped using affirmative action.

Harvard has said the university has been responding to the government’s requests and is in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action. On Monday, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights directed Harvard to comply with the data requests within 20 days or face referral to the U.S. Justice Department.

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Saylor’s injunction applies only to public institutions in the 17 Democrat plaintiff states, at least for now.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In a move sure to spark more 2028 speculation, former Vice President Kamala Harris will appear next week at a major Democratic Party cattle call in this preseason for the next White House race.

Harris will speak on Friday in New York City at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention.

The gathering, hosted by the civil rights organization’s founder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, will give the former vice president and other potential Democratic presidential contenders appearing at the confab an opportunity to speak directly to an influential gathering of Black leaders and activists who are key players among the party’s base.

It’s the latest sign that where Harris is going, and what she’s saying and doing, is increasingly generating buzz that the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee is on a likely glidepath towards another White House bid in 2028.

KAMALA HARRIS: OUT OF OFFICE BUT BACK ONLINE

“Of course we are reading tea leaves,” a veteran strategist in the former vice president’s political orbit told Fox News Digital.

The strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, emphasized that “the only signal that is very clear is that she is going to continue to be an incredibly important fighting force and voice for Democrats and for the country.”

Harris was mostly out of the headlines for a couple of months after the end of former President Joe Biden’s administration early last year. But she started stepping back into the political spotlight last spring and summer, including headlining Democratic National Committee fundraisers.

HARRIS, NEWSOM, STIR 2028 SPECULATION AT MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING

Her strategic decision last summer to pass on launching a 2026 gubernatorial campaign in her home state of California was seen as a clearing of the runway for a 2028 presidential bid. And her nationwide book tour for her memoir on her abbreviated 2024 campaign, when she succeeded Biden as the Democrats’ standard-bearer, has helped keep her very visible while building up her email lists and boosting donor interest.

With her six-month book tour coming to a close, Harris, who made history as the first female and first Black vice president in the nation’s history, is set to make a swing through the South later this month. Her stops to help state parties fundraise include South Carolina, a key early-voting primary state in the Democrats’ presidential nominating calendar, as well as the key general election battlegrounds of Georgia and North Carolina. Harris narrowly lost both states and the five other key battlegrounds to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

“Kamala Harris continues to be an incredibly inspiring force within the Democratic Party, especially among women, among Black voters and voters of color,” the strategist in her political circle emphasized.

Harris has also been getting more involved on the campaign trail, recording ads for the Democratic National Committee and for the Virginia Democrats with early voting underway in the state’s April 21 congressional redistricting referendum.

After endorsing Rep. Jasmine Crockett in last month’s Democratic Senate primary in Texas, Harris reached out to the nomination winner, state Rep. James Talarico. She’s also talked to other winners in last month’s primaries.

HARRIS RIPPED BY THE RIGHT OVER TRUMP IRAN WAR SPEECH PRE-BUTTAL

Harris has also been increasingly critical of Trump’s military strikes on Iran.

“He brought America into a war that people don’t want, he has put American troops in harm’s way, costs are rising by the day, and, meanwhile, he has done nothing to address the needs of the people of America,” the former vice president argued in a social media video posted ahead of Trump’s primetime address to the nation last week.

Harris’ comments quickly ignited a sharp rebuke from conservatives on social media.

Among those responding was Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the House Republican majority leader.

“It’s pretty disgraceful for you to claim President Trump has done nothing to meet the needs of the American people,” Emmer posted on X. “Here’s the truth: He’s cleaning up the chaos YOU caused here in the United States and across the globe, and is making America great again.”

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The reaction from Republicans is a sign that it’s not only Democrats who see Harris as a potential leading contender for the 2028 nomination.

Looking ahead, the strategist stressed that “no one knows what she is planning to do for 2028, but until she tells us herself, she is going to continue to travel, speak up about the issues she cares about the most, and the tremendous damage that Trump and this administration are doing to this country and how Democrats are going to continue to fight back.”

Carpe diem. If you’ve wondered why all of Washington buzzed so much this week about “pro forma” sessions in the House and Senate, here’s your chance to find out why.

Come on now. Tempus fugit. There’s no time like the present. Hopefully, when you finish reading this, you can declare veni, vidi, vici when it comes to your understanding of pro forma sessions in the House and Senate.

Let’s start with what pro forma means and why it holds application in Congress.

SEN. MIKE LEE URGES TRUMP TO INVOKE RARE CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO FORCE CONGRESS BACK FROM SPRING RECESS

In Latin, “pro forma” refers to “a matter of form.” In other words, something appears real, but it’s just perfunctory. For decades, the House and Senate have used the parliamentary artifice of a “pro forma” session to adhere to the Constitutional requirement of meeting every three days.

Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution states that “Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.” That means the House and Senate must convene at three-day intervals — unless both bodies approved the same “adjournment resolution” to allow one another to depart Washington for an extended period of time. In other words, the House and Senate must vote and agree to be out at the same time. And if there’s no consensus on an adjournment resolution, the House and Senate technically must “meet” every three days.

The House and Senate often fail to sync up on an adjournment resolution because the party opposite the President wants to block him from using his power to install cabinet officials or other figures via a “recess appointment” — thus circumnavigating the Senate confirmation process. That makes it challenging to approve an adjournment resolution. But that’s another matter.

Back to pro forma sessions.

Sans an adjournment resolution, the House and Senate simply gavel in and gavel out every three days. There is (usually) no legislative business. These are pro forma sessions. The House and Senate meet “in form.” But don’t accomplish anything. There’s often only one lawmaker on hand — the person who presides. House pro forma sessions usually run two or three minutes. Senate sessions are even more abbreviated — usually lasting 25 to 35 seconds.

What constitutes a Congressional meeting? Just those few seconds of session time suffices.

Some years ago, senators actually held an informal competition, racing through pro formas in an attempt to see who could conduct the meeting the fastest. The quickest pro forma session clocked in at a blistering 21 seconds.

Here’s the parliamentary posture of the House and Senate last week:

The Senate adjourned for the day in the wee hours on Friday, March 28. The House followed suit just before midnight the same night. Without an adjournment resolution, both would meet the next Tuesday. Therefore, if the House or Senate wouldn’t have to meet again until Tuesday.

GOP RAILS AGAINST ‘S— SANDWICH’ DEAL AS ALL EYES TURN TO HOUSE TO END DHS SHUTDOWN

There’s nothing written prohibiting the House or Senate from conducting legislative business during a pro forma session. In other words, either body just has to conduct some legislative business to convert a pro forma session into a de facto session. So that’s why it was though that the Senate’s pro forma session on Tuesday was ripe for activity as the DHS shutdown continued.

Some House Republicans demanded that the Senate align with what the House passed Friday night: a bill which funded all of the Department of Homeland Security for two months.

The Senate gaveled to order on Tuesday morning around 10:33 am et (a couple of moments late). Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., presided. But after 31 seconds, Hoeven adjourned the Senate without any business. Hoeven himself — or any senator — could have tried to pass the House bill with the skeleton crew on hand. Sen. Chris Coons, D-D.E., was the only other senator in the chamber. Coons or anyone else could have sought recognition to speak. But none of that happened.

And then the Senate adjourned, only to meet again Thursday morning (note the three-day interlude) at 7 a.m. for another pro forma session.

Pro forma sessions are customarily one of the most dull exercises in Congress. A skeleton crew of floor staff are there. Those asked to preside over the sessions are lawmakers who need to be in Washington for some reason over a recess or those who don’t go home often. Depending on which party has the majority, lawmakers from Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia frequently preside — simply because they are nearby. A limited number of reporters surface. They’re all thirsty for a quote or soundbite — simply because so few other lawmakers are available thanks to the recess. The whole enterprise starts and wraps up within minutes and everyone goes back home.

But that was not the case with last Tuesday’s Senate session. Everyone wanted to see if Republicans might try to approve the House-passed DHS bill. Or for that matter, if the House may attempt to align with the Senate and pass its bill. Neither happened. Even though a flood of reporters descended on the Capitol.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF CONGRESS’ ELEVENTH-HOUR RUSH TO FUND THE DHS

But the drama was higher this past Thursday morning. On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., dramatically reversed himself and consented to the Senate-passed bill to fund all the Department of Homeland Security through Oct. 1 — except the Border Patrol and ICE. Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., published a joint statement endorsing the Senate’s strategy. And so around dawn on Thursday, Thune himself showed up to pass the Senate package again.

The presence of the Majority or Minority Leader on the floor during a pro forma session is nearly unprecedented. It’s a magna momemti when it comes to a pro forma meeting.

This was not an ordinary pro forma. And even though nothing happened on Tuesday, neither of those sessions were far from the customary pro formas Congress usually sees during a recess.

It was presumed that the House would align in its pro forma session later Thursday morning. But consternation gripped the House Republican Conference. How was Johnson suddenly endorsing the Senate deal which he just characterized as a “joke” a few days earlier? That’s to say nothing of Johnson twisting himself in multiple knots and aggravating all wings of the GOP Conference.

So the House took no action. Which is why DHS remains shut down since the House and Senate have magnified the scope and potential for all four pro forma sessions held in recent days.

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It turns out that all of these high-profile pro forma sessions were just bona fide pro forma sessions.

Nil actum est. Congress didn’t accomplish anything. Again.

FBI Director Kash Patel issued a direct warning to anyone who attacks law enforcement, vowing Saturday that those who “touch a cop” will be tracked down and arrested amid growing concerns over violence against officers.

The comments came while Patel was speaking on SiriusXM Patriot’s “Breitbart News Saturday,” discussing violence against federal officers.

“You have to back the blue,” Patel said. “I say the following to as many officers and Americans that I get in front of: If you touch a cop, we’re going to put you down. And that’s what we’re doing.”

He said the FBI is “going to back our partners,” noting that any criminal who assaults or impedes law enforcement is “going to face the full force of law enforcement.”

CHICAGO’S POLICE CHIEF PUTS CRIMINALS ON NOTICE AFTER FEDERAL AGENTS TARGETED IN WEEKEND CONFRONTATIONS

“We’re not saying that you can’t go out there and peacefully protest,” Patel said. “We are simply saying, … you cannot interfere with [an officer in their] lawful execution of [their] lawful duty.

Since the start of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown, the Department of Homeland Security has reported violence against federal agents spiked to a record high.

DHS SHUTDOWN PUTTING AMERICANS AT RISK AS WORLD CUP SECURITY PREP ‘SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND’: SEN FETTERMAN

The director added police around the country are “so empowered by the fact that we are backing the blue, that they know they have that backing.”

“They also know that if they are physically harmed, they’re just not going to have some perp get away with it,” he said. “We’re going to go find them and we’re going to arrest them.”

Patel’s stance on the issue has remained consistent throughout his time serving in the administration; In June, he posted a similar statement on social media.

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“Hit a cop, you’re going to jail… doesn’t matter where you came from, how you got here, or what movement speaks to you,” Patel wrote in a June 7 X post. “If the local police force won’t back our men and women on the thin blue line, we @FBI will.”

The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

America’s war with the mullahs of Tehran is into its second month and it has already changed Donald Trump’s presidency in important ways. As the president considers how to navigate these new dynamics, it’s worth considering the experience of some previous presidents who entered office not expecting to be wartime presidents.

Woodrow Wilson ended a four-cycle Republican winning streak by winning the three-way election of 1912. He did so because his two opponents, former president Teddy Roosevelt and incumbent president William Howard Taft, split the Republican vote. As president, Wilson embarked on an aggressive progressive domestic policy agenda. Things changed when World War One broke out in Europe midway through Wilson’s first term. Wilson then ran for reelection in 1916 promising to keep America out of the conflict, even using the slogan “He kept us out of war.” He did not keep that promise, though, as America entered the war in 1917, during the first year of his second term.

Franklin Roosevelt was elected in 1932 to rescue the economy from the Great Depression. In his third term, he gained a new mission: fighting the Axis Powers and presiding over the largest military mobilization in American history. Roosevelt addressed this shift at a 1943 press conference where he explained the transition from “Dr. New Deal” to “Dr. Win-the-War.” FDR’s quip highlighted the way his administration had to reorder itself to face the new challenge.

Lyndon Johnson came to office unexpectedly after the tragic assassination of John F. Kennedy. He took over in peacetime and began pursuing his dream of a Great Society — a sweeping domestic agenda to rival Roosevelt’s New Deal.

WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR

As he managed to pass his ambitious — and costly — domestic agenda, he soon found himself and his administration consumed by the conflict in Vietnam. The experience was so draining that by 1968, Johnson, who had spent his whole life pursuing the presidency, shocked the world by refusing to seek re-election.

In 2000, George W. Bush explicitly campaigned on pursuing a humble foreign policy, rejecting the nation-building missions of the Bill Clinton era. His ambition was to be the “Education President.” Then, 19 militant jihadis from Al Qaeda struck America on September 11.  In response, Bush ordered the invasions of terror-supporting countries Afghanistan and then Iraq. As someone who served in that administration, the shift I saw was palpable. Bush had entered office with one kind of vision for his presidency, but history had a different idea entirely.

War reshapes more than just the man sitting behind the Resolute Desk. It changes the teams around the president. We saw this with the resignation of Trump’s counterterrorism director, Joe Kent. As the Kent episode showed, advisors who were in alignment before the shooting starts are not necessarily in alignment once fighting begins.

DESTROY THE REGIME’S POWER WITHOUT OCCUPYING IRAN: A SMARTER WAR PLAN

This sort of thing has also happened in previous presidencies. In the early years of Wilson’s administration, Wilson was reliant on the advice of Texan political operative Colonel Edward House, who was so close to the president that he even lived in the White House. Things changed during the war, however, as internal critics in the State Department and the White House pushed back against House’s broad mandate managing the war.  Wilson and House also clashed over the Versailles Treaty, which led to a permanent end to their once close relationship.

As for Johnson, he was famously intolerant of internal dissent, and he drove away or silenced advisors who questioned his Vietnam strategy. Johnson pushed aside his defense secretary Robert McNamara — initially the face of the Vietnam War—after Johnson noticed and didn’t appreciate McNamara’s increasing skepticism of Johnson’s Vietnam policy. Johnson wanted — and got — an echo chamber, to his administration and to our nation’s detriment.

In the Bush administration, the Iraq war set off a bureaucratic civil war inside Bush’s national security team. This internal struggle led to the Valerie Plame affair, which brought about the indictment of Vice President Cheney’s top aide Scooter Libby after the exposure of the name of a covert CIA operative. Libby, however, had not leaked her name; his bureaucratic nemesis Dick Armitage was the leaker, and Armitage shamefully stayed silent about his role during the investigation. The episode showed the degree to which the higher stakes brought about by war can roil an administration, not to mention innocent lives.

WHY TRUMP FACES AN AGONIZING DECISION ON OBLITERATING IRAN’S OIL SUPPLY IF HE CAN’T GET A DEAL

War also takes a personal toll on presidents. Sometimes it leads to behavioral changes. In 2003, Bush gave up playing golf, one of his few outlets for escaping the pressures of the presidency. He said years later that he was unwilling to be seen on the links while American soldiers were dying in Iraq. As he explained in 2008, “I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander-in-chief playing golf.” It was a quietly devastating admission about the weight a wartime president carries every day.

In other cases, the toll of being president in wartime has been even heavier. Wilson suffered a stroke while in Europe and was incapacitated for much of the rest of the administration; his team kept the American people in the dark as his wife Edith secretly managed things in the White House. Roosevelt died during his fourth term at 63. Those who saw him in his final days found him to be pale and depleted beyond his years. A visibly thinned Johnson, who left office at 60, died less than four years after exiting the White House.

While these examples may seem harrowing, there is one also instructive counterexample.

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George H.W. Bush entered the Gulf War with a limited objective, built a broad international coalition for expelling Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, achieved that objective, and got out. Bush’s national security team was extraordinarily disciplined and cohesive. The war did not appear to fundamentally damage Bush’s presidency or his person. Yet even Bush could not escape the political gravity of wartime leadership — he was perceived as so focused on foreign affairs that he lost touch with a domestic economy in recession, leading to what many believed was highly improbable when Bush had a 91% approval rating on the way: His defeat at the hands of Bill Clinton in 1992.  

The lesson here is not that presidents should shrink from the use of force. President Trump has shown courage in taking on one of the most murderous and predatory regimes in the past half century. The decision to go to war is the most difficult decision a president must make. It costs lives and changes the world in unpredictable ways. And even before the end is reached, it changes the president, his staff, and his agenda, testing his character and taxing his body and soul in ways that cannot be fully anticipated.

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