NationalWatch

A federal judge’s decision to block the Trump administration from banning AI firm Anthropic from Department of War use is igniting a debate over whether the ruling pushes courts into national security decision-making.

The ruling, issued late Thursday by U.S. District Judge Rita Lin, a Biden appointee to the Northern District of California, pauses the administration’s broader effort to bar the company while the case proceeds, though it does not explicitly require the Pentagon to use Anthropic. The judge also gave the government one week to appeal.

Under Secretary of War Emil Michael wrote on X that the ruling contained “dozens of factual errors” and was issued “during a time of conflict,” arguing it “seeks to upend the [president’s] role as Commander in Chief” and disrupt the department’s ability to conduct military operations.

Michael said the administration views Anthropic as still designated a supply chain risk pending appeal, signaling officials are disputing the scope and effect of the court’s injunction.

Lin said the Pentagon’s move to designate Anthropic as a national security risk was “likely both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”

“Nothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the U.S. for expressing disagreement with the government,” Lin said.

A BRAVE MARINE COLONEL TOOK ON THE PENTAGON — AND PAID THE PRICE FOR IT

“Can a judge order the Department of War to use a vendor that is a security risk? No, but also yes? Judge Lin (Biden N.D. California) tries to stop President Trump/Secretary Hegseth from banning Anthropic. But acknowledges they can choose not to use it?” one X user Eric Wess wrote on the social media platform. 

Others described the ruling as “pure judicial activism” and accused the judge of interfering in a national security decision.

But supporters of the decision — including a bipartisan group of nearly 150 retired federal and state judges — say the administration overstepped, warning the Pentagon’s use of a “supply chain risk” designation appeared improperly applied and could chill free speech and legitimate business activity.

In a March 3 letter, the Pentagon had notified Anthropic it would be designated a supply chain risk to national security. That designation ordered that no contractor, supplier or partner doing business with the United States military may conduct commercial activity with Anthropic.

PALANTIR EXECUTIVE SAYS AI ENABLING RAPID BATTLEFIELD PLANNING AND HIGH-SPEED US STRIKE OPERATIONS

The legal fight follows a broader dispute between the Pentagon and Anthropic over how the company’s AI system, Claude, can be used in military operations. Claude is the only commercial AI system approved for classified use. 

War Secretary Pete Hegseth had warned Anthropic it would face termination of its $200 million contract, awarded in July 2025, or be designated a supply chain risk if it did not allow its AI platform to be approved for all lawful uses. 

Anthropic insisted it would not allow Claude to be used for fully autonomous weapons or mass surveillance of Americans. 

Pentagon officials say such uses already are not permitted, emphasizing that humans remain in the loop for lethal decisions and that the military does not conduct domestic surveillance, but maintain that private companies cannot dictate how their systems are used in lawful operations.

Lin pointed to the breadth of the measures — including a government-wide ban and contractor restrictions — saying they did not appear “tailored to the stated national security concern” and instead “look(ed) like an attempt to cripple Anthropic.

Anthropic welcomed the decision, saying in a statement: “We’re grateful to the court for moving swiftly, and pleased they agree Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits.”

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Hegseth described CEO Dario Amodei and Anthropic of a “master class in arrogance” and a “textbook case of how not to do business with the United States Government” in a Feb. 27 post on X. 

OpenAI has emerged as a key alternative, securing a Pentagon deal to deploy its models on classified systems as tensions with Anthropic escalated. 

Still, Anthropic has not been fully displaced — its Claude system remains deeply embedded in military workflows, and replacing it would take time.

An FBI spokesperson told Fox News the agency is aware of “malicious actors” targeting FBI Director Patel’s personal email information and has taken “all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks.”

The FBI noted the information in question is “historical in nature” and does not involve government information.

The Handala Hack Team, an Iran-linked hacking group, has claimed responsibility.

The State Department’s “Rewards for Justice” program is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification of the Handala Hack Team — a group that has frequently targeted U.S. government officials. 

“Consistent with President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America, the FBI will continue to pursue the actors responsible, support victims, and share actionable intelligence in defense of networks,” the FBI spokesperson said. “We encourage anyone who experiences a cyber breach, or has information related to malicious cyber activity, to contact their local FBI field office.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger faced dueling controversies this week as her Republican predecessor publicly rebuked her over support for Democrats’ redistricting amendment, and an Angel Mom challenged her on immigration enforcement.

Virginia has been ground zero for Democrats’ left-wing agenda since the former Henrico County congresswoman took office in January, from reversing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s cooperation pact with DHS to supporting legislative Democrats’ alleged “power grab” to draw out every Republican congressman in the Commonwealth except Rep. Morgan Griffith in the far southwest.

During a visit to Culpeper, a largely but increasingly less rural population center between Front Royal and Richmond, Spanberger was pressed on her relative silence on the case of Stephanie Minter, a Fredericksburg mother allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant convict at a Fairfax County bus stop last month.

As she was escorted to her car by security after an affordable housing event, local ABC reporter Nick Minock shouted a question about what her message would be to Minter’s family and others harmed by illegal immigrant felons.

POLICE WARNED PROSECUTORS 3 TIMES ABOUT VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BEFORE HE ALLEGEDLY KILLED VIRGINIA MOTHER

“My question would be why when there was a [unintelligible word] deportation order, ICE did not deport,” she said as she was hastened into the car.

“ICE had him in custody for 700 days governor and an immigration judge would not allow him be deported to Sierra Leone,” Minock attempted to respond as the car door shut.

Minock said Minter’s mother, Cheryl, who headlined a vigil for her daughter in front of Spanberger’s office at the Capitol earlier this week, told him that ICE had been doing what they were supposed to under current law and that “Spanberger needs to check her story because it’s inaccurate and misleading.”

That exchange came as Culpeper became the center of another case involving an illegal immigrant accused of heinous crimes, this time soliciting sexual imagery from children.

Angel David Rubio Marin was charged on March 16 with soliciting sexual content from children amid two previous charges of public masturbation, according to a statement from DHS obtained by Fox News Digital.

ANGEL MOM, GOP BLAME SPANBERGER AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH 30 ARRESTS CHARGED IN KILLING

Culpeper police arrested Rubio Marin, who, according to local authorities, was soliciting sexually explicit videos in exchange for “Roblox,” a popular gaming currency, from at least three children under the age of 10. He was previously arrested in Prince William County in 2024 for allegedly exposing himself in public but was released.

Meanwhile, Spanberger took more incoming from the typically mild-mannered Youngkin – who was term limited when he left office in January.

After releasing a short video calling on Virginia voters to “vote yes” on State Senate President L. Louise Lucas’ new map that draws about half of Virginia’s districts into the densely Democratic D.C. suburbs, Youngkin responded on X, calling her posturing a “blatant lie.”

“This is a lie. A blatant lie. Not to mention a complete reversal of your campaign promises,” Youngkin said, as Spanberger speaks out in the video to say the new map is “temporary” and is “directly in response to what other states decide to do and to a president who said he’s quote entitled to more republican seats before this year’s midterms.”

Spanberger previously publicly criticized the idea of mid-decennial redistricting while in Congress, which Youngkin was referring to.

“This unconstitutional power grab will permanently rig Virginia’s congressional maps and disenfranchise millions of Virginians. Virginia, vote no,” he said.

Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, R-Va., whose Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach district is expected to be drawn partially into the liberal cities of Hampton Roads, similarly blasted Spanberger’s flip-flop highlighted by Youngkin.

“I have no plans to redistrict Virginia,” Kiggans quoted Spanberger, citing a report dated August 25.

“I am tired of the blatant lies to our face. The lack of truthfulness from this administration and the Democrat Party needs to wake up Virginians,” Kiggans said. “Don’t tell us one thing and then do another.”

“Whatever happened to affordability,” she said on Instagram.

Youngkin’s interjection was also met by supportive surprise from other recent Virginia Republican leaders, including former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

“Wow. Unusually strong language from Glenn Youngkin and of course, he’s correct on all points,” Cuccinelli said in a statement on social media.

TRUMP ADMIN ASKS SPANBERGER, VIRGINIA OFFICIALS NOT RELEASE ILLEGAL CHARGED WITH GROPING HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

The Virginia Republican Party, currently chaired by James City County GOP Committeeman Jeff Ryer, added that “some things never change.”

“Abigail Spanberger shamefully deflects blame for Democrat sanctuary and soft-on-crime policies that keep dangerous criminals like Abdul Jalloh on Virginia streets,” Ryer said, in reference to the illegal immigrant accused of murdering Minter.

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“No sympathy for the victims. No accountability for how her own party allowed this tragedy to occur. Virginians deserve better.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has asserted that politicians — particularly those within her own party — should vow not to accept “AI money.”

“Politicians — especially Dems — should pledge not to take AI money. They are buying up influence ahead of the midterms, and Dems who take AI $ will lose authority and trust as the public bears the cost,” the progressive “Squad” member wrote in a Thursday post on X.

“Their money will end up being toxic anyway. People are catching on,” she added.

FETTERMAN SLAMS AI DATA CENTER MORATORIUM PROPOSAL AS ‘CHINA FIRST’

Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, a Democrat who is running for U.S. Congress, expressed his agreement, responding to Ocasio-Cortez’s post by writing, “Yes!!!!!!!!”

Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., are pushing a proposal to impose a moratorium on the building and upgrading of artificial intelligence data centers in the U.S. until various regulations are implemented.

OMAR, SQUAD LASH OUT AT TRUMP IN RESPONSE TO IRAN STRIKE: ‘ILLEGAL REGIME CHANGE WAR’

“Our bills learn from our lack of regulation following the similar rise regarding the internet and demands a new approach to AI: One that protects the American people from Big Tech’s egregious overreach… one that centers prosperity for the many over exorbitant profits for the very few,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has rejected the idea of such a moratorium, labeling the notion “China First.”

“The emerging chassis of AI must be built by America. We can put appropriate guardrails in place without handing the win on AI to China. A moratorium is China First,” Fetterman declared in a post on X. 

FETTERMAN TELLS FAR-LEFT PROSECUTOR TO ‘LIGHTEN UP’ AFTER THREATENING TO ARREST ICE AGENTS OVER RAIDS

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Ocasio-Cortez said during the Wednesday press conference about the AI data center moratorium proposal, “Once these companies can be on the up-and-up — providing their own energy, building out and investing in the infrastructure, refusing to free ride off of the American people — then we can continue to develop and explore this technology.” 

When will the House vote on the Senate deal? Frankly, we do not know. Last night’s Senate measure was not pre-baked with the House. And we talked to dozens of House Republicans yesterday who did not want to just fund parts of DHS. They wanted to fund everything. 

We also don’t know the disposition of the president on this. When asked about a GOP proposal earlier this week to just fund parts of DHS and leave out ICE, President Donald Trump replied, “I’m pretty much not happy with it.”

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

And, if it is to pass the House, it’s about the math. Lawmakers will need a robust combination of Democrats and Republicans to approve this bill. Democrats failed to secure the bona fide reforms they wanted for ICE. So do liberals defect? This bipartisan parliamentary algebra will be exceedingly interesting.

In short, this was a jam job by the Senate. The Senate has left. Either the House takes the bill or leaves it.

In Congress, there are only so many exit ramps off the highway. The Senate saw one. There was the growing crisis at the airports. TSA workers were about to miss paychecks again. And that’s to say nothing of lawmakers — potentially being mired in Washington and missing their two-week-plus recess for Easter and Passover.

SCHUMER, DEMS BLOCK DHS FUNDING AGAIN AS TRUMP INTERVENES TO PAY TSA AGENTS

The House could expedite the bill and pass it quickly via “suspension of the rules.” But that requires a two-thirds vote. A slightly longer process is the conventional track with bringing a rule to the floor to manage debate on the bill. But eventual passage of the bill only needs a simple majority.

Also, no one really “won” this shutdown. There are rarely winners from a shutdown. Yes, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., may have scored some points from the liberal base by going to the mat over ICE following the Minnesota shootings. He needed to do that after caving and averting a government shutdown last March. That ignited a firestorm among liberals.

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Also, the charge last night for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was not to get support to pass the bill — but to secure guarantees from senators that they wouldn’t try to block it.

That’s partly why the Senate voted by voice vote. There is no specific record of any senator “voting” for the bill. The Senate ran a “hotline” last night, checking in with all 100 senators to make sure there were no objections to what Thune proposed doing. No one objected. And thus, the Senate passed the bill in the dead of night.

The Department of Justice on Thursday launched civil rights investigations into prison systems in California and Maine over policies allowing transgender inmates to be housed in women’s facilities, citing concerns about female inmates’ safety.

The probes will examine whether the states are engaged in a “pattern or practice” of violating inmates’ rights, part of a broader federal push targeting what officials call a growing national issue.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said keeping “men out of women’s prisons [was] not only common sense – it’s a matter of safety and constitutional rights.”

The investigations focus on two California facilities and the Maine Correctional Center. Officials cited allegations of sexual assault, rape and a “pervasive climate of sexual intimidation.”

TRUMP ADMIN FINDS CALIFORNIA BAN ON NOTIFYING PARENTS OF GENDER TRANSITIONS VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW

The DOJ said the probes are being conducted under federal civil rights law and will examine potential violations of inmates’ constitutional protections.

In California, the policy stems from a 2020 law allowing inmates to be housed based on gender identity. The issue gained attention after a transgender inmate housed in a women’s prison was later charged with multiple counts of rape.

In Maine, officials are investigating allegations that a male inmate remained housed with women despite complaints of assault or harassment.

FBI LAUNCHES PROBES INTO 3 CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS FOR ALLEGED GENITAL MUTILATION OF MINORS

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the DOJ will not allow women in custody to face “unconstitutional risks of harm.”

“These investigations will uncover whether the dangerous national trend of housing men in women’s prisons has resulted in violations of women’s constitutional rights,” Dhillon said.

California officials say they are committed to inmate safety, while a spokesperson for Maine’s governor has called the probe politically motivated.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOJ and state officials for comment.

The investigations are ongoing and could lead to legal action if violations are found.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Democratic House candidate running in a battleground seat in southwestern Iowa linked faith to political violence while warning against religion in public life, according to unearthed audio reviewed by Fox News Digital.

“We have seen religion and political violence showing up more and more in our public spaces,” Democratic candidate Sarah Trone Garriott said in a 2023 speech at a Methodist church. “It’s something that is just very in our faces and something that we’re very concerned about, and something that feels very threatening right now at this time.” 

Trone Garriott, a state legislator and Lutheran minister, is running to defeat Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, in November’s midterm elections. Prior to launching a House bid, Trone Garriott fashioned herself as a fierce opponent of Christian nationalism — a term some conservatives have argued that critics use to paint some Christians as prone to violence and hostile toward democracy.

In the speech, Trone Garriott said it was “a good thing to talk about religion and politics together” and spoke positively about living out one’s faith in their community. However, she repeatedly voiced discomfort about seeing public Christian displays and suggested it was something to be rooted out.

AMERICA’S CHURCHES UNDER SIEGE AS VIOLENCE INCREASINGLY INVADES SACRED GROUND

An image of a woman holding a sign with the phrase “one nation under God, indivisible” found in the Pledge of Allegiance, according to Trone Garriott, was one of several “pretty uncomfortable ways that faith and political power have collided.” The Iowa Democrat also called attention to Christian displays at one of President Donald Trump’s rallies and during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“This is not a Christian nation. It’s a nation for all of us,” Trone Garriott told the church congregants. “Spaces and proceedings need to be for all people, and we need to work on reminding folks of that.”

As a state senator, Trone Garriott said she intentionally sought out opening prayers that were not from the “White American Christian variety,” but from atheist, secular and other non-Christian perspectives.

Trone Garriott also spoke critically of parental rights in education and private Christian schools. She charged that both stemmed from racist opposition to the integration of public schools when parents desired to create a “White enclave” for their children.

“So maybe some of these things sound familiar today,” Trone Garriott said in her remarks. “It’s nothing new.”

The Iowa Democrat then proceeded to tie White men to her criticism of legislation barring biological males from women’s sports or preventing children from reading sexually explicit material. She notably opposed a bill keeping men out of women’s sports while serving in the state Senate.

“It’s really couched in the language of there’s a threat against women and White men are responsible to protect women from threats,” Trone Garriott said. 

Trone Garriott’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

DEMOCRAT RISING STAR CALLED OUT FOR ‘CREEPY’ COMMENT ABOUT TRANSGENDER CHILDREN

Nunn, who is seeking a third term in November, slammed Trone Garriott’s comments in the resurfaced video in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“I was raised around Iowans who go to church every week and show up for their neighbors,” Nunn said. “Sarah Trone Garriott can’t walk into a church without delivering a lecture about how their faith is threatening and their schools are racist.”

“She’s made it clear that the values Iowa families live by every single day are the ones she’s running against,” he added.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), House Democrats’ campaign arm, said Trone Garriott is working to unify Iowans in the 3rd Congressional District and condemns political violence.

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“Sarah is a mom and minister who has served her community as a hospital chaplain and a parish pastor — public display of her faith has been a guiding force in Sarah’s life and continues to be to this day,” DCCC spokesperson Katie Smith said. “Sarah has always condemned political violence however it rears its ugly head and will always work to bring Iowans together.”

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest for the Republican-held seat as a “toss-up.”

In the wake of a deadly shooting in Chicago, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., criticized his own party’s reluctance to talk about violent acts carried out by illegal aliens with criminal histories and condemned calls from Pennsylvania figures to instead target Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Authorities are charging Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, with the killing of a Loyola University student last week. Medina-Medina had already been arrested on unrelated charges months before but had been released.

“How many Democrats are talking about that case? I think probably none,” Fetterman said.

Fetterman said he was disappointed by calls from Philadelphia prosecutor Larry Krasner on Wednesday, who, less than a week after Medina-Medina’s shooting, had threatened to arrest ICE agents.

PRITZKER BREAKS SILENCE ON MIGRANT CHARGED IN STUDENT’S MURDER, BLAMES TRUMP FOR ‘POLITICIZING’ CASE

“Lighten up, Francis,” Fetterman said, quoting overstated threats made by the comically aggressive character “Psycho” in the 1981 movie, Stripes.

“[Krasner] is constantly — he says a lot of tough things but, you know, like, you gotta lighten up, Francis.’”

Fetterman’s comments come amid a string of illegal aliens who carried out deadly attacks after being released from captivity for unrelated crimes.

To the Pennsylvanian political maverick, the trend should be an easy one to condemn.

“If you’re here in the country illegally already, and you’re breaking the law, like — ya gotta go,” Fetterman said.

In recent weeks, the deaths of Sheridan Gorman in Chicago at the hands of Medina-Medina and Stephanie Minter in Virginia, stabbed to death by Sierra Leone native Abdul Jalloh, have intensified calls from Republicans for greater scrutiny of illegal aliens with violent track records.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) blasted the leniency afforded to both suspects ahead of their deadly attacks.

EX-ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH SAYS SHERIDAN GORMAN’S KILLING MAY HAVE BEEN A ‘GANG INITIATION’

“She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” a DHS spokesperson said of Gorman’s killer.

“We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods.”

Similarly, DHS blasted Jalloh’s 30 releases before he stabbed Minter in the neck at a bus stop.

“We are calling on Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and Virginia’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this murderer and violent career criminal from their jail without notifying ICE,” DHS wrote.

Fetterman said the issue of repeat offenders has long-drawn his attention.

“From what I read, the individual that was accused of killing [Gorman]. He was arrested for shoplifting. That’s why I was the Democratic lead on Laken Riley,” Fetterman said, referring to the Laken Riley Act that Congress passed at the beginning of 2025.

CHICAGO MAYOR ASKED ABOUT CITY’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ALLEGEDLY KILLED COLLEGE STUDENT

That bill requires detention for aliens convicted of bodily harm crimes like burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, among others, and empowers state attorneys general to sue the federal government for failure to do so.

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Fetterman believes the recent attacks underscore the need for vigilance in enforcing immigration law.

“It should remind everybody how important ICE is for our security,” Fetterman said.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is facing escalating backlash from within his own party, with one House Democrat saying this week she has more success working with a Republican senator and another calling for him to step down.

The criticism reflects growing friction between Fetterman and his progressive political base as he breaks with Democrats on key issues, including his support for Israel, backing of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and openness to voter ID. Once a darling of the political left who exchanged endorsements with socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Fetterman now finds himself a target of attacks from his own party.

“I have more success in working with the one on the R side of the aisle than I do with the D side of the aisle,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., said at a recent event, contrasting Fetterman with Sen. David McCormick, R-Pa.

DAVID MARCUS: CAN JOHN FETTERMAN SAVE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FROM ITSELF?

The remark drew jeers from the audience at the event, where Houlahan spoke in opposition to the SAVE America Act, GOP-led legislation that includes voter ID requirements and other changes to election rules.

Houlahan urged voters to call “the office of your choice in the Senate” to voice opposition to the bill, adding that requiring “some form of ID is not an unreasonable ask,” but that “this bill is not that.”

Fetterman did not respond to a request for comment but said in a March 17 statement that he would vote against beginning debate on the bill while underlining his support for Voter ID.

“Stop turning this into a Christmas list and attacking vote-by-mail,” he said.

Houlahan declined further comment.

Last week, Rep. Brendan Boyle of Northeast Philadelphia took intraparty tensions with Fetterman to the next level by demanding his ouster.

Boyle, who did not respond to a request for comment, lambasted Fetterman for helping Mullin get confirmed.

“Once again Senator Fetterman shows why he is Trump’s favorite Democrat,” Boyle said in a statement. “He needs to go.”

‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST JOY BEHAR UNLOADS ON FETTERMAN FOR BACKING TRUMP’S DHS PICK

Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., a combat veteran and political moderate who has vocally opposed Mullin’s candidacy, echoed Boyle and blasted Fetterman for effectively getting the secretary confirmed.

“If you needed any more proof that Fetterman has completely abandoned his constituents, here it is. Pennsylvanians deserve a Senator that actually fights for them,” Ryan said in a statement.

Fetterman was not always a political maverick, having once been a progressive favorite praised for his blunt and unfiltered style. As lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, he championed the legalization of marijuana and pushed aggressively for criminal justice reforms supported by Democrats. He aligned with the democratic-socialist Sanders wing of the party and hung pride and weed flags from his balcony at the State Capitol.

In 2020, Harrisburg Republicans inserted language in a budget bill to ban flags other than the national, commonwealth and POW/MIA banners from being posted at the Capitol, to which Fetterman quipped, “it’s kind of flattering that they changed Pennsylvania law just for me.”

Now, Fetterman recently claimed his party is “governed by TDS” — Trump Derangement Syndrome — and that he will always refuse to label Republican opponents “fascist” or make references to the Third Reich.

Fetterman also told “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” that he has encountered his former 2022 Republican foe Dr. Mehmet Oz — the current federal Medicaid administrator — and that the two maintain a civil relationship with no ill will.

He also issued a statement defending his support for Mullin.

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“In January, I called on the president to fire [Kristi] Noem — and he did. I truly approached the confirmation of my colleague and friend, Senator Mullin, with an open mind,” Fetterman said.

“We need a leader at DHS. We must reopen DHS. My ‘aye’ is rooted in a strong committed, constructive working relationship with Senator Mullin for our nation’s security.”

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz says that the U.S. is “unquestionably winning the war” with Iran.

And the conservative firebrand and three-term senator from Texas tells Fox News Digital that, in his opinion, President Donald Trump‘s “decision to launch this military action is the most consequential decision” of his presidency.

“If you look at how our military has carried out this action, it has been an incredible success,” Cruz emphasized in an interview this week.

But many Americans don’t agree with the senator’s reading on the nearly month-long strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.

MOST AMERICANS OPPOSE STRIKES ON IRAN, BUT BIG GAP BETWEEN DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS: POLLS

Several new national surveys released this week, including a new Fox News poll, indicate that most Americans give the military strikes a thumbs down. But the surveys point to a continued broad partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans over the ongoing fighting in the volatile Middle East.

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE STRIKES AGAINST IRAN

The military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have resulted in the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, and the decimation of the country’s military.

But Iran has retaliated with attacks against Israel and many of its other neighbors in the region.

And Iran has targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing to a halt roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply and in turn sending fuel prices skyrocketing in the U.S. and across the globe.

Asked about the ongoing operation, Cruz highlighted, “We’ve taken out virtually the entirety of their air defenses. We have taken out their short range and medium range ballistic missile launchers, their missiles, and their missile manufacturing capacity. Have taken out their drone launchers, their drones and their drone manufacturing capacity.”

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: PENCE SAYS TRUMP ‘TURNED A DEAF EAR’ TO ISOLATIONISTS IN GOP

“We have executed over 9000 military strikes. We have sunk 140 of their ships. That is the largest… sinking of naval ships since World War Two, and on top of that, we’ve taken out the Ayatollah and virtually the entirety of the top military leaders. That is a profound victory,” the senator emphasized.

Cruz noted that he “spent the entire day” with Trump on the eve of the launch of the strikes, as the president traveled to Texas.

“The day before he launched this military action, I was on Air Force One with him. He was flying down to Texas, and then he and I were one on one in the Beast, the Presidential limo, and we spent most of the day talking about, should he launch this military action, or should he negotiate further.”

Cruz recollected, “What I told him at the time is, I said, I don’t think there’s anything to negotiate. The Ayatollah is negotiating in bad faith and the regime was weaker than it ever has been.”

The senator highlighted that “the Ayatollah and the mullahs in Iran have been waging war against the United States for 47 years… Iran has been the number one state funder of terrorism in the world.”

According to the Fox News poll, a third of voters nationwide said the U.S. military action against Iran will make America safer, with 44% saying less safe and nearly one in four (23%) saying the strikes will make no difference.

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Cruz disagrees.

“The president decimating this regime has made America substantially safer, and that is his responsibility as commander in chief,” the senator stressed.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is returning next month to New Hampshire, the state that for a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House.

But that doesn’t mean the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nominee is looking to make a comeback in 2028.

While a growing number of potential contenders for the next Democratic presidential nomination have made stops in New Hampshire, as well as in South Carolina and Nevada, two other key early primary states, Clinton said in an interview last month she would not run for president again and that the party had a “good bench.”

Instead, Clinton will headline the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s (NHDP) annual spring fundraising dinner. The state party announced the news Thursday and said the gala, the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, would be held April 25 in Nashua, New Hampshire.

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“Through decades of public service — as first lady, a U.S. senator, and secretary of state — Secretary Clinton has fought tirelessly for women’s rights and been a champion for economic security around the world,” longtime NHDP chair Ray Buckley said. “Her work to expand voting rights, strengthen child and family leave policies and combat global health crises has made a lasting impact both here and abroad.”

Buckley told Fox News Digital Clinton will salute retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen for her 40 years of public service. Shaheen was the first woman in the nation’s history elected both governor and senator.

A spokesperson for Clinton told Fox News Digital the former secretary is excited about returning to New Hampshire.

But not everyone’s happy with Clinton’s return to the key New England swing state.

HILLARY CLINTON COMES OUT SWINGING FOLLOWING EPSTEIN DEPOSITION

Responding to the news, a longtime progressive leader in New Hampshire, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital, “Although this may be a good invite to raise money for the party, it is another example of how completely tone-deaf the party is to the need for real change.

“As exemplary as Hillary Clinton’s conduct was with respect to the Epstein congressional subpoena, she’s yesterday’s news, hasn’t offered a new idea in decades and doesn’t serve the needs of building a new Democratic majority in New Hampshire.”

Clinton won the 2008 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary in her marathon battle against former President Barack Obama for the party’s nomination.

Eight years later, in her second White House bid, she lost the New Hampshire primary in a landslide to progressive champion Bernie Sanders, the senator from neighboring Vermont.

Since her loss to President Donald Trump in the 2016 general election, Clinton has returned twice to New Hampshire. She made a stop in Concord in December 2017 as part of her book tour. And she spoke at Dartmouth College in 2019.

While some on the left take issue with the optics of Clinton’s return to New Hampshire, both the former secretary of state and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have long been supporters of New Hampshire’s cherished position at the top of the primary calendar.

Lucas Meyer, a New Hampshire-based non-profit leader and former longtime president of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, noted that “a lot of New Hampshire Democrats have a lot of affection and love for Secretary Clinton and for her service to our country.”

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And Meyer, a former campaign strategist, emphasized the state party’s fundraising dinner that Clinton is headlining “is about funding the apparatus to run campaigns over the next year. Secretary Clinton has a pretty broad appeal, and since she’s not running, there’s a little more flexibility for her to raise money for the party and to attract donors to cut checks for the state.”

Congress is one step closer to ending the Homeland Security shutdown after the Senate advanced a new, last-minute deal, but it came at the price of Republicans ceding ground, temporarily, to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The Senate unanimously advanced a deal to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the wee hours of Friday morning, 42 days into the shutdown that was spurred by the Trump administration’s immigration operations in Minnesota.

It was an agreement that largely gave Schumer and Senate Democrats what they wanted — no funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). But it lacked the stringent reforms they desired, like requiring judicial warrants or requiring agents to unmask.

SCHUMER, DEMS BLOCK DHS FUNDING AGAIN, TRUMP INTERVENES TO PAY TSA AGENTS

While the deal mirrors previous attempts by Democrats to pass similar legislation that carved out immigration funding, Thune argued that Democrats are still walking away empty-handed in the policy fight over immigration enforcement. 

“We’ve been trying for weeks to fund the whole thing,” Thune said. “And, I mean, in the end, this is what they were willing to agree to. But again, it’s different that it has zero reforms in it. I mean, they got no reforms on DHS, which they could have had if they had been willing to work with us a little bit on that.”

Schumer said that if Republicans hadn’t blocked their initial attempts, “this could have been done three weeks ago.”

“This is exactly what we wanted,” Schumer said. “This is what we asked for, and I’m very proud of my caucus. My caucus held the line.”

The DHS funding deal now heads to the House, where Republicans aren’t enthusiastic about not funding key components of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown agenda.

The latest plan came after Senate Democrats blocked a seventh attempt to reopen DHS, after back-and-forth talks throughout the day on Thursday appeared to yield little progress toward a resolution. Trump also announced his intent to sign an order that would pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents as major airports are rocked with staggering lines and eye-popping wait times amid the shutdown. 

DEMS BLOCK DHS FUNDING AFTER GOP REJECTS THEIR COUNTER, THUNE SAYS SCHUMER ‘GOING IN CIRCLES’

While a further concession to Democrats, in part, the underlying argument Republicans have made all along is that if Schumer and his caucus wanted reforms, they would have to agree to fund immigration enforcement.

And ICE and CBP are still flush with roughly $75 billion in cash from Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” giving the agencies a buffer for a time.

“The good news is we anticipated this a year ago. I mean, one of the reasons we front loaded, pre-loaded up the ‘one big, beautiful bill’ with advanced funding for Homeland Security was because we anticipated this was likely going to happen, and it did,” Thune said. “I still think it’s unfortunate. The Dems wanted reforms. We tried to work with them on reforms. They ended up getting no reforms.”

The same process used to pass that colossal legislative package will likely be turned to again fund immigration enforcement.

DHS DEAL IN LIMBO AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND TOUGHER ICE CRACKDOWN DESPITE GOP COMPROMISE

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., envisions funding ICE and CBP for several years.

“Democrats are trying to shut down ICE funding for the remainder of the fiscal year — ultimately they won’t be successful,” Schmitt said on X. “In response, I’ll be pushing to lock in funding for deportation operations and salaries for a decade.”

Doing so could be difficult, still, given that Republicans want to dump several other priorities into the mix, including portions of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act and funding for the Iran war.

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And some Republicans are already couching expectations on what can and can’t be accomplished in the party-line process, given that anything in the bill has to pass muster with strict rules in the Senate.

“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 to us.”

Nearly a month since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks on Iran, a slew of new national polls indicate that most Americans give the military strikes a thumbs down.

But the surveys point to a continued broad partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans over the ongoing fighting in the volatile Middle East.

Forty-two percent of voters support the current U.S. military action against Iran, and 58% oppose it, including nearly 4 in 10 who are strongly opposed, according to a Fox News national poll conducted last Friday through Monday (March 20–23) and released on Wednesday.

That’s a switch from the previous Fox News poll, which was in the field Feb. 28 to March 2, when those questioned were evenly divided on support for the strikes.

WHAT AMERICANS SAY ABOUT THE WAR WITH IRAN – IN OUR LATEST FOX NEWS POLL

The Fox News poll is far from alone in pointing to underwater support for the fighting.

Fifty-four percent of voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 19-23 said they opposed the military action, while 39% supported it.

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE STRIKES AGAINST IRAN

Only 35% said they supported the strikes in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in the field March 20–22, with 61% saying they disapproved of the military action.

According to an AP/NORC poll that surveyed respondents from March 19–23, six in 10 said the military action against Iran had gone too far, with just over a quarter saying it’s been about right, and 13% saying it has not gone far enough.

And a Pew Research Center poll conducted March 16–22 indicated that 61% disapproved of President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict with Iran, with 37% approving.

The military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have resulted in the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, and the decimation of the country’s military.

But Iran has retaliated with attacks against Israel and many of its other neighbors in the region.

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: PENCE SAYS TRUMP ‘TURNED A DEAF EAR’ TO ISOLATIONISTS IN GOP

And Iran has targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing to a halt roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply and in turn sending fuel prices skyrocketing in the U.S. and across the globe.

Trump said on Thursday that Iran is “begging to make a deal” to end the fighting.

While many Democratic political leaders have criticized Trump’s handling of the conflict, most Republicans are standing with the president.

And that’s reflected in opinions among Democratic and Republican voters.

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The partisan divide was stark in the Fox News poll.

More than three-quarters (77%) of Republicans supported the effort compared to 12% of Democrats and 28% of independents. Within the GOP, support ranged from 90% among MAGA supporters to 52% of non-MAGA Republicans.

The gap was just as wide in the other polls, including the Quinnipiac survey, where 86% of Republicans supported the military action, compared to 28% of independents and just 5% of Democrats.

Voters are not only dissatisfied with the direction of the country but also pessimistic about the economic outlook, financially strained in their own lives and unconvinced Washington leaders are in touch or will offer solutions. 

That’s according to a new Fox News national survey released Thursday. 

Nearly two-thirds, 64%, are dissatisfied with how things are going in the U.S. 

While that’s the highest dissatisfaction rating of President Trump’s second term, it’s also a small improvement from the 68% who were unhappy at the end of the Biden administration in December 2024.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS OPPOSE ACTION IN IRAN BUT GIVE US MILITARY POSITIVE MARKS 

At the same time, majorities say national leaders are out of touch with people like them. Six in 10 voters say the White House is out of touch (60%), and similar shares say the same about congressional Republicans (61%) and congressional Democrats (58%). 

A quarter of both Democrats and Republicans think their respective party’s lawmakers are out of touch. Half of non-MAGA Republicans say the White House is out of touch.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS EXPECT AI TO TRANSFORM OUR LIVES — BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY

Trump receives negative marks across issues. His worst numbers are on inflation, with a new low of 28% approving. That’s down 7 points since January and 12 points since March 2025.

His 34% approval for the economy is another new low, down 6 points since January and 9 points from a year ago. Other ratings are also well underwater: healthcare (36 approve, 64 disapprove), Iran (36-64), taxes (36-64), foreign policy (38-62), and immigration (44-56). His best issue is border security (50-50), where equal numbers approve and disapprove.

The president’s overall job rating stands at 41% approve and 59% disapprove. Former President Obama had similar ratings at a comparable point in his second term, 40%-53% in March 2014.

Trump’s 59% disapproval is the highest of either term. Last month, 43% approved and 57% disapproved. A year ago, views were nearly evenly divided, 49-51%.

Current approval of Trump among Republicans is 84%, a second-term low (down from 92% last March), while disapproval has reached a high of 16%. Approval among non-MAGA Republicans dropped 11 points over the past year (70% to 59%). MAGA Republicans remain nearly unanimous with 97% approval, little changed from 98% a year ago. Fully 95% of Democrats disapprove, tying a record high this term. Independents are also negative, 75% disapprove.

The economy remains central to dissatisfaction. Large numbers of Democrats (91%) and independents (90%) rate it negatively, as do more than half of Republicans (52%).

Overall, 75% of voters say the economy is in bad shape, up 4 points since last month (71%). The number giving the economy negative marks has ranged from 67% to 79% since Trump took office in January 2025.

Personal financial assessments are similarly downbeat, with nearly half, 46%, saying they are falling behind. That’s up from 44% in December and just one point below the record high of 47% in June 2022.

That strain is reflected by 61% saying they could not miss more than two paychecks and still pay their bills. That’s up from 54% in both 2023 and 2019.

Two years ago, 17% lived paycheck-to-paycheck. Now, 27% say they couldn’t miss even one payday. That number climbs to 37% for those with annual household income below $50,000.

Neither major party has convinced voters it has a clear plan to address costs. Some 68% say the Democratic Party lacks a clear plan for bringing prices down, while 70% say the same about the GOP. More than 4 in 10 say neither party has a plan. Equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, 59%, say their respective party has a clear plan.

“The issue environment in 2026 has almost completely flipped from 2022 and 2024,” says Daron Shaw, a Republican who conducts the survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “Voters don’t think either side has a plan, of course, but since the GOP is in charge, they shoulder the blame.”

To top things off, voters don’t see the economy getting better anytime soon. A 53% majority anticipates economic conditions will worsen in the next year, up from 45% in January and more than double the share who see improvement (25%).

Republicans are alone in their optimism, expecting the economy to improve by a 19-point margin. Both independents (by 44 points) and Democrats (by 68 points) see the economy declining next year by wide margins. 

Concerns about the economy — day-to-day costs in particular — top the list of what worries voters most. A large majority of 86% is concerned about inflation and high prices, including 57% who are extremely concerned. Around 8 in 10 express concerns about healthcare (81%), gas prices (80%), and political divisions in the country (80%).

Seven in ten or more are worried about unemployment (73%), potential attacks in the United States (73% by Islamic terrorists and 70% non-Islamic terrorists) and their ability to pay their bills (70%). Concern also extends to gun violence (69%), Iran obtaining nukes (66%), AI technology (66%), antisemitism (63%) and detentions and deportations by ICE (62%).

Inflation is the top concern for Democrats, Republicans and independents. Healthcare is second for Democrats and independents, while Islamic terrorist attacks are second for Republicans. There is a consensus that political divisions within the country are a problem, with most Democrats (85%), Republicans (80%), and independents (70%) expressing concern.  

Worry about gas prices is widespread, with about 8 in 10 across all income levels — including $100,000 and above — saying they are concerned.

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Poll-pourri

Sixty-nine percent of voters support birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrants. That’s up from 67% in 2025 and from 45% when Fox News first asked the question in 2006. Current support stands at 91% among Democrats, 75% among independents and 44% among Republicans. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a birthright citizenship case April 1.

Conducted March 20-23, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (641) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (256). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

Republican attorneys general are hailing a First Amendment victory in a censorship lawsuit against the Biden administration after two red states secured a settlement restricting federal government agencies from influencing social media companies’ moderation practices.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told Fox News Digital the settlement, a 10-year consent decree blocking several agencies from pressuring social media companies over their content, was “simply historic in nature.”

“Being able to set a precedent like this will help everybody in the future be able to show that this conduct is wrong,” Murrill said in a phone interview. “It was Orwellian in nature from the beginning. It still is, and I’m grateful that the government is acknowledging that it shouldn’t have been doing it.”

Missouri, Louisiana and several individual plaintiffs brought the high-profile jawboning lawsuit in 2022, alleging the Biden administration and officials in the first Trump administration inappropriately pressured social media companies to censor conservative viewpoints about COVID-19, election security and Hunter Biden’s laptop.

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES PENTAGON POLICY RESTRICTING PRESS ACCESS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, HANDS VICTORY TO NEW YORK TIMES

Under the settlement, the Office of the Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are barred for the next decade from threatening or coercing social media companies to remove or suppress protected speech. The agreement also blocks officials from giving directions on or vetoing platforms’ content moderation decisions.

“This is the first real, operational restraint on the federal censorship machine,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who brought the lawsuit when he served as his state’s attorney general. “The deep state just got checked.”

Murrill and U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer helped with the case when they were solicitors general of Louisiana and Missouri, respectively. Murrill reflected on conversations she had at the time about “the line between coercion and government speech.”

“It was so clear to me that what the government was doing went way beyond appropriate boundaries in terms of deliberately throttling people’s speech, taking down protected, truthful speech and forcing these corporations to bend to the White House’s will,” Murrill said. “That was a very scary precedent, and I think that’s why this agreement is so important.”

GOOGLE TO REINSTATE BANNED YOUTUBE ACCOUNTS CENSORED FOR POLITICAL SPEECH

The lawsuit alleged that federal government agencies and officials pressured YouTube; Twitter, now X; Facebook, now Meta; and other platforms to censor content, arguing the actions amounted to coercing the companies to remove constitutionally-protected speech.

Republicans’ outrage about social media censorship gained momentum in 2020 after Twitter fully restricted and Facebook suppressed the New York Post’s bombshell report about the Biden family and Ukraine that was based on contents from Hunter Biden’s laptop. 

Discovery in the lawsuit and subsequent congressional investigations revealed that FBI officials during the first Trump administration met with social media companies and warned them just before the story was published of a possible Russian “hack and leak” operation designed to interfere with the 2020 election, which the companies later said influenced their decision to block the story.

President Donald Trump told Fox Business in October 2020 the censorship efforts were “out of control” and intended to derail his election prospects.

“It’s like a third arm, maybe a first arm, of the DNC — Twitter, and Facebook, they’re all — like really, it’s a massive campaign contribution,” Trump said at the time.

An infamous open letter signed by 51 former top intelligence officials in the weeks before the election fueled the fire by alleging the New York Post’s story had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” Trump, when he took office in 2025, revoked their security clearances in an executive order and accused them of using their powerful former job titles to help discredit the story to swing the election for Joe Biden.

Judge Terry Doughty, a Louisiana-based federal judge appointed by Trump, initially issued an injunction against the Biden administration in 2023, saying evidence in the case “depicts an almost dystopian scenario” in which the federal government “seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth.’” Biden administration officials were found, for instance, to have aggressively demanded in emails to social media companies that they remove anti-vaccine content, which they said was disinformation.

One Biden White House official told Facebook that “internally, we have been considering our options on what to do about it,” while another warned Twitter to take down content “ASAP” and “immediately.”

The injunction limited the government from having certain interactions with social media companies, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit narrowed that injunction, and the Supreme Court fully vacated it on appeal, finding the plaintiffs did not show they had standing. The high court punted on addressing the underlying merits of the case, leading to this week’s consent decree.

GOOGLE’S DECISION TO WALK BACK BIDEN-ERA YOUTUBE ACCOUNT BANS HAILED AS ‘HUGE DEVELOPMENT’ FOR FREE SPEECH

The settlement allows government officials to continue communicating with social media companies, including by flagging content or expressing disagreement, so long as the communication does not involve threats, such as implying that the companies will suffer regulatory or legal consequences.

In the settlement, the federal government did not admit any wrongdoing, and the agreement noted that the government still had authority to address criminal activity or national security threats on the platforms.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway applauded the consent decree in a statement, saying her state “will NOT allow politicians to police speech.”

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Attorney John Vecchione of the New Civil Liberties Alliance, which represented individuals who were named as plaintiffs in the case alongside the two states, emphasized their winding path to the consent decree.

“This case began with a suspicion, that blossomed into fact, that led to congressional hearings and an executive order that government censorship of Americans’ social media posts should end,” Vecchione said. 

“Freedom of speech has been powerfully preserved by our clients, past and present, who initiated this suit.”

An appeals court paused a pair of lower court rulings in Oregon that restricted federal agents’ use of tear gas and other crowd-control munitions during protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted the Trump administration’s request for temporary administrative stays in two cases in a 2-1 ruling.

Anti-ICE demonstrators have held protests at the building since June, as part of protests across the country challenging President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

Two lawsuits were filed over federal agents’ crowd control tactics — one brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists and another brought by the residents of an affordable housing complex across the street from the ICE building.

OREGON JUDGE LIMITS FEDERAL AGENTS’ TEAR GAS USE AT PORTLAND PROTESTS

The complaints argue that federal agents’ use of chemical and projectile munitions has violated the rights of plaintiffs — including a demonstrator known for wearing a chicken costume, a married couple in their 80s and two freelance journalists who said federal agents used chemical spray and projectile munitions against them.

The Department of Homeland Security has previously said that the agents have “followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property.”

Earlier this month, the federal judges in Portland overseeing the separate cases both issued preliminary injunctions limiting federal agents’ use of tear gas, pepper spray and other chemical munitions unless someone poses an imminent threat of physical harm.

The agents were also ordered not to fire munitions at the head, neck or torso “unless the officer is legally justified in using deadly force against that person” and were told not to use pepper spray against a group in an indiscriminate way that would affect bystanders. Additionally, they were told to only target people who were engaging in violent unlawful conduct or actively resisting arrest, noting that trespassing, refusing to move and refusing to obey an order to disperse are acts of passive resistance, not active resistance.

“Plaintiffs provided numerous videos, which were received in evidence and unambiguously show DHS officers spraying OC Spray directly into the faces of peaceful and nonviolent protesters engaged in, at most, passive resistance and discharging tear gas and firing pepper-ball munitions into crowds of peaceful and nonviolent protestors,” U.S. District Judge Michael Simon wrote in his ruling on March 9 in the case brought by the ACLU.

“Defendants’ conduct — physically harming protestors and journalists without prior dispersal warnings — is objectively chilling,” he added.

JUDGE RULES FEDERAL AGENTS MUST LIMIT TEAR GAS AT PROTESTS NEAR PORTLAND ICE BUILDING

The Ninth Circuit panel said on Wednesday that oral arguments in the two cases will be consolidated and scheduled for April 7.

Earlier this year, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called on ICE to leave the city after federal agents deployed tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators outside the agency’s building. The mayor described the protests as peaceful and criticized federal officers’ use of pepper balls, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets.

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“Federal forces deployed heavy waves of chemical munitions, impacting a peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces,” he said in a statement at the time.

“To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave,” he added, accusing federal officials of “trampling the Constitution.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. dollar bills will bear President Donald Trump’s signature to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the Treasury Department said, a first for a sitting president.

Trump’s signature will be placed on all U.S. paper currency and will replace the Treasurer of the United States’ signature on U.S. money for the first time in 165 years. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move will recognize the Trump administration’s “historic achievements.”

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance and fiscal strength and stability,” Bessent said in a statement. 

“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S. dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial.”

TRUMP LAUNCHES MASSIVE ‘FREEDOM 250’ PUSH TO IGNITE AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

The first $100 bills with the signatures of Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be produced in June, followed by other denominations in the coming months, Reuters reported. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Treasury Department for comment.

MAGA COUNTRY VOTERS SOUND ALARM OVER ‘RIDICULOUS’ NATIONAL DEBT AMID DEBATE OVER TRUMP-BACKED BILL

The Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing is still producing notes bearing the signatures of former President Joe Biden’s Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, and Treasurer Lynn Malerba, Reuters reported.

In a statement, Treasurer Brandon Beach said placing Trump’s signature on U.S. currency is “not only appropriate, but also well-deserved,” given his “mark on history as the architect of America’s Golden Age economic revival.”

Thursday’s announcement came as Trump makes efforts to put himself on a coin. The design of a commemorative gold coin with his image was approved by a federal arts panel. 

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Trump’s name has also been placed on buildings, government programs and institutions.

President Donald Trump said he will sign an executive order to address airport disruptions, announcing the move in a Truth Social post Thursday that framed the situation as a national emergency.

“Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country,” Trump wrote. 

“Therefore, I am going to sign an Order … to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation.”

WHY SOME US AIRPORTS ARE DODGING TSA SHUTDOWN CHAOS WHILE OTHERS GRIND TO A HALT

The move comes as a 41-day partial government shutdown has disrupted the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), causing long lines at airports nationwide amid a standoff over DHS funding and immigration enforcement.

Trump accused Democrats of “refusing to fund Immigration Enforcement” and creating “Chaos at the Airports,” while thanking TSA agents for their work.

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

This is a developing story, check back later for updates.

The Senate was again unable to end the Homeland Security shutdown on Thursday despite signs of a possible breakthrough to end the long-running closure, which prompted President Donald Trump to make a move. 

Senate Democrats blocked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for a seventh time as the partial shutdown entered its 41st day on Thursday, after Senate Republicans made a new offer earlier in the day after late night negotiations. 

Trump then ordered DHS to pay airport workers on, and accused “their ‘Leader,’ Cryin’ Chuck Schumer,” of making it clear where Democrats stand, “and that is, ON THE SIDE OF CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, AND NOT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.”

“I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It is not an easy thing to do, but I am going to do it!”

Still, several other components of the agency, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are still without funding. 

DEMS BLOCK DHS FUNDING AFTER GOP REJECTS THEIR COUNTER, THUNE SAYS SCHUMER ‘GOING IN CIRCLES’

The vote stayed open for several hours to allow for talks between both sides to continue, but by the fifth hour, Trump pulled the trigger on funding the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). 

“We’ve held the vote open for five hours to give the Democrats an opportunity to come to the table,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told reporters. “They have not. And now, time is up.”

Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he believed talks between the two sides are making progress.

And despite Thune saying just a day earlier that there was “no point” in sending Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats another compromise proposal, Republicans did just that.

“Dems are in possession of what I think is our last and final [offer],” Thune said. “So let’s hope this gets it done.”

Thune remained mum on the details of the offer. When asked if the White House backed it, he said, “They’ve been involved in the back-and-forth that has occurred overnight and all morning, so we’ll see.”

DHS DEAL IN LIMBO AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND TOUGHER ICE CRACKDOWN DESPITE GOP COMPROMISE

Several Senate Democrats leaving their closed-door lunch meeting said they had yet to see or be briefed on the latest proposal, and that the GOP’s new offer wasn’t discussed during the meeting.

A source familiar with negotiations told Fox News Digital that, “Schumer needs to grow a pair of balls and make a decision.” 

The quick shift in mood in the upper chamber, despite the latest failure, came after the prospect of a deal to end the second-longest shutdown in history appeared even further out of reach. 

Republicans had offered Democrats a framework that would carve out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding but lacked the reforms Schumer and his caucus want.

“I think our caucus remains united around the same premise: we’re not going to fund an immigration enforcement operation that doesn’t obey the law,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital. “And I don’t think we’ve seen a proposal from them yet that meets that very simple priority.”

SENATE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO REOPEN DHS WITH NEW PLAN, WAIT FOR DEMOCRATIC BUY-IN

The ICE carve-out is also a proposal Democrats have made before — one Republicans previously blocked. Given that, many Senate Republicans were frustrated that Democrats appeared to back away from an idea they once supported.

“They go on the floor, they shoot their mouths off and say we’ll fund everything but ICE,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. “We took them at their word. So, you know, they need to agree to ‘yes.’”

It has also forced Republicans to grapple with the idea of not funding immigration enforcement, which has been a sore subject throughout the week.

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Still, they are eyeing budget reconciliation — the same party-line tactic used to pass Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” last year — to fund immigration operations and several other priorities.

“I will not support legislation that doesn’t pay ICE agents. However, there’s a mechanism, by way of reconciliation, where we can front-load multiple years of that,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “The Democrats, I think, just handed us more certainty moving forward.”

Elon Musk demanded on Wednesday that a Delaware judge recuse herself from Tesla lawsuits, arguing she recently demonstrated her bias against him when she liked an anti-Musk LinkedIn post. 

Musk’s lawyers filed a motion for recusal in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, which included a screenshot of Judge Kathaleen McCormick liking the social media post celebrating Musk’s $2 billion court loss in a separate case. The attorneys noted that the incident did “not exist in a vacuum.”

The lawyers were referring to McCormick previously presiding over high-stakes cases involving Musk and the tech billionaire accusing the judge of bias stretching back years. The ongoing friction with the judge follows hostility Musk has faced from the left in recent years, most notably when he became a close ally of President Donald Trump in 2024 and through the early months of the administration. 

Musk’s lawyers said McCormick appeared to cheer on a lawyer on LinkedIn who made a post mocking Musk’s legal defeat in a California fraud case. McCormick is currently presiding over separate derivative litigation brought by Tesla shareholders who have alleged Musk harmed the company by overpaying himself and board members. The lawyers said one of McCormick’s staff members also liked another anti-Musk post related to Musk’s pending litigation.

TRUMP NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING TO MUSK: ‘ELON’S TOTALLY LOST IT’

“This post to which the Court reacted and another to which a Court staff member reacted are not simply negative criticism of Mr. Musk and his attorneys, they are inflammatory,” Musk’s lawyers wrote.

The lawyers said that “the very facts underlying the litigation celebrated in the posts are squarely at issue in the consolidated and coordinated actions.”

McCormick later deactivated her LinkedIn account, and in a letter to attorneys in the case she denied supporting the anti-Musk post.

“I either did not click the ‘support’ icon at all, or I did so accidentally,” McCormick wrote. “I do not believe that I did it accidentally.”

McCormick in 2022 presided over a separate, high-profile lawsuit brought by Twitter, now called X, against Musk to force him to complete his $44 billion acquisition of the company after Musk attempted to back out over allegations the company misled him about the number of bots on the platform. Musk ended up moving forward with the acquisition and later testified that he felt forced to because he believed McCormick was biased against him.

“We were unlikely to win the [Twitter] case in Delaware because the judge was extremely biased against me,” Musk said this month, according to the recusal motion. “This was, in fact, the same judge that struck my Tesla option grant that was subsequently overturned by the Delaware Supreme Court. So it’s accurate to say she was, that judge was not favorably inclined to me. Not objective.”

In another lawsuit, McCormick in 2024 twice voided a multibillion-dollar pay package for Musk and the Tesla board, saying they had breached their fiduciary duties and that Musk effectively controlled the board. The Delaware Supreme Court reinstated the pay package but upheld McCormick’s underlying findings.

Musk responded that year to an X post from a conservative influencer about McCormick, writing “absolute corruption” after the influencer noted that she had previously worked at a Delaware law firm that donated to former President Joe Biden.

Musk’s grievances with McCormick began amid a national push against the tech billionaire as he began weighing in on politics, speaking out against the Democrat Party ahead of the 2022 midterms and endorsing Trump in the 2024 election. 

He became the head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency in 2025, serving in the role as a special government employee as he sought to identify government overspending and fraud, which raised his status as a political target by the left. Democrat lawmakers condemned Musk’s DOGE efforts in protests, while Tesla locations were targeted by rioters last year as critics characterized Musk as an unelected billionaire working in the administration. 

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Trump and Musk had a public falling out last spring, when Musk openly opposed the president’s signature budget bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The pair have since been spotted chatting at various public events.