NationalWatch

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. 

House Democrats largely voted in lockstep to continue the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown Thursday despite growing fallout over air travel nationwide. 

Democrats’ opposition to ending the funding lapse — the second-longest in history — comes as lawmakers could leave for recess before striking a deal.

The DHS funding measure still passed the House largely along party lines in a vote of 218-206. It was the third time House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has held a vote on the legislation since the funding lapse began Feb. 14.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., would fund the department through the end of September. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, Jared Golden, D-Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez, D-Wash., and Don Davis, D-N.C., were the only Democrats to vote “yes” after previously supporting the DHS funding measure earlier in March.

SEE IT: TRAVELERS SOUND OFF AS ICE AGENTS DEPLOYED TO AIRPORTS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS PAST 40 DAYS

Still, the measure is likely dead on arrival in the Senate, where both parties continue to negotiate an end to the stalemate.

Democrats have remained dug in against providing funding to DHS sub-agencies executing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Top Democratic leaders continue to demand sweeping reforms — including requiring the use of judicial warrants — that Republicans have charged could impede law enforcement efforts.

The funding standoff has caused major travel disruptions nationwide as a shortage of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents has resulted in hours-long wait times at security checkpoints. More than 50,000 TSA personnel are set to miss their second full paycheck on Friday, leading to nearly 500 agents quitting and a surge in callouts.

“They’re using TSA agents, Coast Guardsmen and other DHS employees as pawns in their political game,” Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “They’re just demonstrating a real willingness to hold hostage the American public.”

Members of the conservative RSC held a news conference Tuesday at Washington’s Reagan National Airport to spotlight the financial difficulties TSA officers are facing. Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said some personnel, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, are sleeping in their cars and selling blood plasma to make ends meet.

“The Democrats know their plan is not working,” Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., told reporters. “They know Americans are hurting, and they are still doing it anyway.”

FLASHBACK: JEFFRIES CALLED FAILING TO FULLY FUND DHS AN ‘ABDICATION OF RESPONSIBILITY’

House Democrats, however, have sought to blame Republicans for the funding stalemate and have signaled reluctance to walk away from their ICE reform demands. 

“We want ICE to be compelled to conduct itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters on Wednesday. “Immigration enforcement should be fair, just and humane—that’s not what’s happening right now. ICE is out of control, and taxpayer dollars are being used in unacceptable ways.”

Republicans have fired back that it is essential to fund ICE, invoking the murder of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, who was killed by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant in Chicago last week. The foreign national, Jose Medina-Medina, was taken into custody by federal law enforcement in May 2023 but released into the United States under the Biden administration.

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“Democrats in the House are demanding a DHS bill that would eliminate funding for the exact agencies that are tasked with preventing a tragedy like this,” Speaker Johnson said Wednesday during a House GOP leadership press conference. “They tell you what they prioritize. And it is the welfare of criminal illegal aliens over American citizens. We ought to believe what they say, the words in action.”

When asked about Gorman’s murder by an illegal immigrant Wednesday, Jeffries told Fox News he would look into the case without commenting further. 

President Donald Trump said Thursday he is pausing planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for 10 days as negotiations continue, setting a new deadline of April 6.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president added that “talks are ongoing” and claimed they are progressing positively “despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others.”

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT ‘SICK’ IRANIAN LEADERS, CONFIRMS ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR ENDING WAR

Trump wrote the talks are “going very well” as the new deadline approaches. 

The U.S. previously set a deadline of five days amid ongoing peace talks.

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

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

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., continued her relentless cross examinations of college administrators Thursday – this time pressing Michigan’s interim president Domenico Grasso on Chinese student spies at the university.

Stefanik wanted to know why Chinese nationals in Michigan were accused of spying on America and his university is not auditing potential national security vulnerabilities in research there.

“Last year, facing congressional pressure, Michigan ended its partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University after five Chinese students were caught spying at night and taking illegal photos of U.S. military drills and equipment on the remote Michigan installation Camp Grayling,” Stefanik said. “These students lied and misled U.S. law enforcement about their motives and later conspired on the CCP-controlled messaging app WeChat to clear their phones and cameras of photos and evidence.”

“Has the university conducted a full audit to determine what intellectual property or federally funded research was compromised?” the congresswoman asked.

CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDENTS CHARGED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SPYING ON MILITARY BASE

Without an audit, Grasso responded, “we are unaware of any research that was compromised by these individual students,” noting the alleged spying occurred “miles and miles away from campus.”

But Stefanik was nonplussed by the answer.

“I understand Camp Grayling is off campus, but was there an audit conducted?”

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON PLAN FOR 600,000 CHINESE STUDENT VISAS DESPITE MAGA BACKLASH

Grasso admitted Michigan did not.

“Well, they were not researchers,” he said, doubting “they did something nefarious.” “They were undergraduate students. So, we did not do an audit.”

And, adding, “they did not have any access to any of our research.”

FOREIGN-BACKED INFLUENCE IN SCHOOLS TO BE EXPOSED UNDER GOP ‘TRACE ACT’ GIVING PARENTS ACCESS TO CURRICULUM

But Stefanik noted they were found to be spying.

“Well, they did do something nefarious off campus,” she said. “I think it would be important for the university to ensure that there is a full audit conducted to make sure that no research, that they didn’t take any nefarious acts there.”

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Grasso admitted he does “not know what all of our researchers are involved in,” but doubted the Department of War would clear them for access to U.S. secrets on campus.

“Congresswoman, we have improved, and we’re continuing to improve our background checks for all of our researchers and students that come into the country, but we also have to partner more closely with our federal intelligence community to make sure that these students are vetted before they’re allowed to get visas to enter our country as well,” he concluded.

President Donald Trump confirmed he voted by mail in Florida’s special election Tuesday, but he pivoted from the media attack point to note his mail-in ballot reform agenda provides for “exceptions” — and not only because he has the privilege of being president.

“Yeah, I did,” Trump shot back at a reporter Thursday at his second Cabinet meeting of 2026. “You know what? Because I’m president of the United States.”

“And because of the fact that I’m president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida because I felt I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sunshine.”

The reporter noted Trump was at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, before the Palm Beach County election held Tuesday for a state senator and a state representative.

REPUBLICANS, TRUMP RUN INTO SENATE ROADBLOCK ON VOTER ID BILL

“That’s right, and I decided that I was going to vote by mail-in ballot because I couldn’t be there,” Trump said, adding, “I had a lot of different things” going on.

Trump was at Mar-a-Lago for the weekend, in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday for a forum on crime, and then back in Washington, D.C., for the rest of the week, including delivering a speech to the National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday night.

Still, Trump proudly reminded the reporter, he is not being hypocritical in rebuking mail-in ballot fraud while voting by mail.

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON CALLS FOR GOP TO ‘NATIONALIZE’ VOTING AS CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS BALK

“You know, we have exceptions for mail-in ballots,” Trump said. “You do know that, right? So if you’re away, you have an exception. If you’re in the military, we have an exception. If you’re on a business trip, we have an exception. If you’re disabled, we have an exception. And if you’re ill, if you’re not feeling good.

“So I was away mostly in Washington, D.C., so I used a mail-in ballot.”

Trump rebuked voting by mail as “mail-in cheating” at his Memphis stop.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM ENFORCING MAIL-IN VOTING RULES IN EXECUTIVE ORDER

“I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to do something about it all,” Trump said. “And it’s part of Homeland Security.”

Trump said Sunday his fellow Republicans should not reach an agreement on funding the Department of ​Homeland Security until Democrats in Congress approve a bill — the SAVE America Act — that requires people registering to vote to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN PARTS OF TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ON CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION

Trump also pushed for Democrat approval of other items he wants added to the bill, including banning transgender women from women’s sports, outlawing “transgender mutilation of our children” and restricting mail-in ballots except in cases of illness, disability, military service or travel.

“As President Trump has said, the SAVE America Act has commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military, or travel – but universal mail-in voting should not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales wrote in an email earlier this week.

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It was not the first time Trump has voted by mail. He voted by absentee ballot in the 2018 midterm elections, a White House spokesperson said at the time. Trump had requested an absentee ballot but decided to vote in person in 2020.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Senate Democrats blocked an amendment to Trump-backed voter ID legislation that would have done something they publicly support: require photo identification to vote in federal elections.

Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have shown interest in photo voter ID, which has grown in popularity among voters across the country.

“Democrats support voter ID,” Schumer said on a press call earlier this month. “In fact, we included it, and it is included, in our Freedom to Vote legislation several years ago.”

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

Several others have also come out in support of a voter ID bill in recent weeks.

When asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins whether he would support a clean voter ID bill, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said, “Yes.”

“And New Jersey has voter ID laws,” Booker said. “I’ve got to show my driver’s license.”

Still, Democrats blocked an amendment to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act from Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, meant to put them on record for that position.

DEMS BLOCK GOP AMENDMENT TYING VOTER ID BILL TO TRANSGENDER SPORTS BAN

Schumer said ahead of the vote that “Republicans are once again wasting time on voter suppression.” 

“Let’s let’s be very clear what this amendment is,” Schumer said. “It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and it’s a giant cover-up to what their bill really does, which is dramatic voter suppression, kicking 20 million or more people off the rolls without their knowledge or consent.”

Senate Republicans argued that if Democrats truly support voter ID, they should back the amendment.

“That is one on which the Democrats have said — Senator Schumer himself — that ‘we are not opposed to photo ID,’” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. “Well, let’s test that proposition. Let’s actually have a vote on it and see where the Democrats are.”

Republicans have been engaged in a floor push on the SAVE America Act for the past 10 days, debating the legislation in a bid to shift the narrative from the GOP being unable to advance the bill out of the Senate to Democrats being the ones blocking it.

Senate Democrats have argued that while they support identification to vote, the SAVE America Act goes far beyond that requirement. Schumer and others have likened the broader bill to Jim Crow-era segregationist laws in the Deep South, saying it would disenfranchise voters — particularly minority communities and low-income Americans.

GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL

However, requiring identification is already the practice in 36 states. Of those, 23 require photo ID, while 13 accept another form of identification, such as a bank statement. Nine of those states have Democratic senators.

According to a widely cited Pew Research poll from last year, 71% of Democratic voters support showing government-issued photo ID to vote.

“I know there are a lot of issues in the SAVE America Act, but this particular one focused on photo ID as something that can be easily implemented, which is already being implemented around the country,” Husted said of his amendment.

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Senate Democrats blocked the measure once before, when Husted tried to force a vote on a standalone photo voter ID bill last week. His amendment listed several acceptable forms of identification, including an unexpired driver’s license with a photo, an unexpired state-issued ID card with a photo, a valid passport, a valid military or veteran ID with a photo, or an unexpired tribal ID with a photo.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who typically breaks with his party, stood alongside Schumer and his colleagues on Thursday. Like other Democrats, he has opposed the SAVE America Act because of its additional provisions, such as giving the Department of Homeland Security access to states’ voter rolls.

But he recently said, “If the GOP wants real reform over a show vote — put out a clean, standalone bill, and I’m AYE.”

A conservative watchdog group is adding fodder to the debate over whether the American Bar Association has become a politicized institution favoring the left.

A new report released by Trump-aligned lawfare group America First Legal, co-founded by one of the president’s top advisors, Stephen Miller, claims that the ABA’s Standing Committee on Amicus Curiae Briefs over the last decade has produced 80% of left-leaning liberal arguments, 20% neutral and non conservatively-aligned. 

Meanwhile, in all 6 cases the ABA has filed amicus briefs involving Trump, the ABA went against the president or his allies.

President Donald Trump’s second term has included attacks against the ABA, arguing it has politicized its accrediting power, and has favored Democratic Party-backed candidates when vetting judicial nominees. The ABA’s size and legacy make it the premier trade association for the legal sector, but some conservatives fear the group’s power is becoming a “monopoly.”

REPUBLICANS CALL FOR TRUMP TO CUT OFF AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

“The ABA requires that amicus briefs be authorized by its Board of Governors and must be consistent with existing ABA policy or involve matters of ‘special significance to lawyers or the legal profession,'” a press release from AFL argued. “Briefs on birthright citizenship, transgender healthcare for minors, and the Texas heartbeat law fall well outside that mandate.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the ABA for comment on the allegations about its amicus filings, but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

According to AFL’s audit, which scanned briefs filed between April 2016 and February 2026, there were a total of 87 filed. Seventy of them “favored a liberal or progressive outcome,” AFL argues, while none they came across were “conservative-aligned” the group added. The remaining covered what AFL described as neutral issues, such as a patent law case.

TRUMP LAWYER IN JACK SMITH CASE DRAWS CONSERVATIVE BACKING AFTER DOJ PRAISE RATTLES ‘ELITE’ LEGAL CONFERENCE

The audit also found that cases where Trump, or a Trump official, was named, and the ABA filed an amicus brief, every time they argued in the direction contrary to the Trump official or Trump himself.

“The ABA presents its amicus program as advancing the interests of the legal profession and the rule of law,” said Gene Hamilton, President of America First Legal.

“The data tells a different story,” Hamilton continued. “More than four in five briefs push a progressive agenda, immigration advocacy has become the program’s dominant focus, and the organization has not once — in ten years and across two Trump administrations — filed a brief that could be characterized as supportive of a conservative legal position. The ABA is not a neutral arbiter and should be treated no differently than any other liberal advocacy group.”

In President Trump’s second term, the Trump administration has taken several steps to push back against what it says is bias at the ABA. In February 2025, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson announced a new policy prohibiting FTC political appointees from holding leadership roles in the American Bar Association (ABA), participating in ABA events, or renewing their ABA memberships. 

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That early action was also followed by several others, such as a May letter to the ABA’s president from Attorney General Pam Bondi indicating the Department of Justice would no longer be engaging in its traditional partnership related to vetting judicial nominees, citing “refusal to fix the bias in its ratings process, despite criticism.”

Meanwhile, in April, Trump signed an Executive Order that singled out the ABA and other powerful accrediting groups, warning that anyone engaging in unlawful discrimination would be refused federal recognition.

President Donald Trump acknowledged peacemaking with Iran is made difficult because their “sinister, sick” replacement leaders are hiding.

“One of the problems they do have when they deal with us is we deal with people and the people aren’t able to communicate with anybody else, because all of their leadership has been gone,” Trump said at the start of his second Cabinet meeting of 2026 on Thursday.

“The first level is gone. And they met to pick a new level, and they’re gone. They’re all gone because they didn’t make a deal.

“And because they’re sick people, they’re really sick. They’re they’re really sinister, sick people.”

NEW IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER ‘LIKELY DISFIGURED,’ HEGSETH SAYS

Regardless of the struggle to find a diplomatic off-ramp, Trump is pleased with the progress on the “military operation” against Iran, saying the conflict may end after four to six weeks of fighting.

“We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission, and we’re way ahead of schedule,” Trump said. “If you look at what we’ve done in terms of the destruction of that country, I mean, we’re way ahead.”

While the chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz remains an issue — despite the removal of the Iranian military commander that had ordered it closed to the U.S. and its allies — Trump lamented the NATO allies are only now vowing to stand with the U.S.

WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO ‘UNLEASH HELL’

“I said 25 years ago that NATO’s a paper tiger, but more importantly, that we’ll come to their rescue, but they will never come to ours,” Trump said. “And I want you to remember that we said this.: They didn’t come to our rescue.

“Now they all want to help when the other side is annihilated. They said, ‘We’d love to send ships.’ They actually made a statement, a couple of them, that ‘we want to get involved when the war is over.’

“You know, it’s supposed to get involved with the war’s beginning or even before it begins.”

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

Ultimately, Trump warned, NATO failed a “test,” something that might loom down the road when peace negotiations in Ukraine and potential aspirations for Greenland resurface after Iran is off the top of Trump’s foreign policy agenda.

“Nobody’s a match for the United States,” Trump said, noting Iran’s heavy losses showing “they’re not a match for the United States. It’s small potatoes.

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“That’s why I’m so disappointed in NATO, because this was a test for NATO. This was a test. You can help us. You don’t have to, but if you don’t do that, we’re going to remember.”

“Just remember, remember this in a number of months from now,” he continued. “Remember my statements. They have an expression, a great expression: Never forget. It can never forget.”

Parents won’t admit that they have a favorite child.

But they do.

The same is true with lawmakers.

They won’t admit they have a favorite bill.

But they do.

That’s why the SAVE America Act is the favorite bill of Senate Republicans.

Until it isn’t.

TRUMP DEMANDS SAVE AMERICA ACT BE TIED TO DHS FUNDING AMID AIRPORT CHAOS

At some point, lawmakers will forge a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It could be today. Tomorrow. A week. A month. But it will happen. And until then, the Senate likely squats on the SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote.

The Senate is stalled here, partly because it lacks anything else to do. But mostly because the SAVE America Act is the “favorite child” of Republican senators — for now. It’s good optics for the Senate to look like it’s working on the hallmark of President Trump’s legislative agenda — even if it has no viable path to passage.

And when the Senate eventually secures that DHS agreement, it will likely ditch its favorite child. The DHS bill will quickly matriculate in status to Republican senators.

It’s not that GOP senators loved the SAVE America Act less. But that they loved funding DHS more.

So why wouldn’t the Senate quickly revert to the SAVE America Act as soon as it passes DHS funding? Well, that’s because senators will acquire another favorite child: congressional recess. That’s right. If there’s a DHS deal, lawmakers will abandon Washington for about two weeks to observe Easter and Passover.

Senators will wrestle with the SAVE America Act again down the road. But the measure is likely relegated to the island of misfit toys for legislation. Something called “budget reconciliation.”

More on that in a moment.

Yes. Republicans relish talking about the importance of voter ID and securing elections so persons illegally in the country can’t cast ballots. But if enough Republicans really liked the SAVE America Act, they’d have the votes to pass the measure.

The Senate has incinerated more than a week of debate on the SAVE America Act. Republicans have little to show for their efforts. That is, unless you include the Senate blocking a proposed amendment to bar men from competing in women’s sports. That test vote secured a paltry 49 yeas Saturday afternoon.

Everyone has known where the vote count stands on this for weeks now.

“I’m telling you, the SAVE (America) Act is not going to pass,” said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. “They have to change the rules of the Senate for that to happen.”

THUNE ACCUSES CRITICS OF ‘CREATING FALSE EXPECTATIONS’ AMID BACKLASH OVER STALLED SAVE AMERICA ACT

And, for the record, the Senate lacks the votes to alter the rules, too. 

It’s not that Republicans didn’t embrace the SAVE America Act. It’s just that lines at the airports and the risk of terrorism worry them.

The SAVE America Act has emerged as a messaging exercise for Senate Republicans. They can get Democrats on the record about opposing bans on men in women’s sports and voter ID. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) — the panel charged with electing GOPers to the Senate — is more than happy to document Democrats via a roll call vote how they feel about those subjects. However, the GOP simply lacks the votes to pass the bill.

Moreover, there is finally an opportunity to end the protracted government shutdown. There are only so many exits on the legislative interstate. You have to be able to read a map. Republicans don’t want to miss this exit. The limited interstate exits also apply to opportunities for congressional recesses.

Republicans are about to punt more than Ray Guy.

“We have had this battle now for two weeks,” said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., on Fox. “This is going to continue after we get back. After the Easter break.”

Some advocates of the bill promise they won’t retreat.

“We’re busting our butt to do what the public wants us to do. We’ve got to secure our elections,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

“Then why haven’t we seen a 25-hour speech, [Sen.] Cory Booker [D-N.J.] style, by somebody to keep the Senate in session around the clock?” asked yours truly.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

“I think we ought to do everything we can,” replied Scott.

Some Republicans say their side raised expectations too high.

“I think anytime you promise something you can’t possibly deliver, you’ve got to be held accountable,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “It’s disingenuous to go out to the people and say ‘I’m fighting for you’ when you haven’t even entered the ring.”

So Republicans will try to shoehorn every possible component of the SAVE America Act into a “budget reconciliation” bill later this year. “Try” is the key word. Budget reconciliation is a special process, inoculated from a filibuster and only needs a simple majority to pass. Sounds great, right? But budget reconciliation is an elite Senate process for only money and tax matters. Not policy, like voter ID. And voter ID could be a target of the Senate’s umpire — Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough — if GOPers try to stuff it in that bill.

“Budget reconciliation, as I’ve said before, you have to have a reason to do it,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “Obviously the parliamentarian has a role to play in that process. And in the past we have respected it. And I would expect we would do that.”

If they’re being honest, few Republicans think budget reconciliation is feasible to salvage parts of the SAVE America Act.

“I don’t think under reconciliation we’re going to be able to pass voter ID,” said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

“The SAVE America act is not reconcilable,” said House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md. “It will never fly past the parliamentarian because it really is predominantly a policy issue.”

“This is fake,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, about any wing-and-a-prayer effort to wedge the SAVE America Act into budget reconciliation. “It isn’t going to work.”

“A talking filibuster is the most obvious and the most sure way of getting this thing passed,” said Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas. “This reconciliation is not an out for the Senate. They need to do their job and get this bill passed.”

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But Senate Republicans haven’t shown a willingness to hold the Senate in session until they wear down their opponents and pass the bill via a lengthy talking filibuster. Staying on the bill for now is a parliamentary convenience. Especially after the weekend vote on men playing women’s sports.

The Senate will eventually move on. And senators will eventually embrace yet another favorite legislative child.

EXCLUSIVE: A conservative House Republican is seeking to enact sweeping new election transparency measures before November’s midterm elections.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., will introduce legislation Thursday requiring a small federal agency, known as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, to establish a public database that would disclose basic information about private vendors running federal elections. 

Norman’s Election Infrastructure Transparency Act would require the new database to report the names of all private election vendors, details of the vendor contracts and their ownership structures, including the mandatory disclosure of any foreign ties, within 30 days of an election. 

Norman, who is running to be South Carolina’s next governor, argues his transparency-focused legislation is necessary to combat foreign adversaries attempting to interfere with U.S. elections. Russia, China and Iran all sought to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, according to multiple reports.

SEN KENNEDY URGES ‘SMART LAWYERS’ TO REWORK SAVE AMERICA ACT FOR SIMPLE MAJORITY PATH

If a transparency database is not created, proponents of the legislation say lawmakers and election officials could be left in the dark about whether foreign money or potential foreign ties are present among the vendors that make up the country’s election infrastructure.

“The American people deserve to know exactly who is involved in administering their elections,” Norman said in a statement. “Foreign adversaries are not sitting on the sidelines. They are actively looking for ways to exploit weaknesses in our system.”

The legislation would apply to the 2026 elections and every election cycle in the future. The measure would also cut off federal funding to any state that does not comply. 

The Election Assistance Commission is a bipartisan agency tasked with certifying voting hardware and distributing election infrastructure grants to states.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

Norman’s legislation could face obstacles to being signed into law due to anticipated opposition from Democratic lawmakers, who have repeatedly criticized GOP-authored election integrity measures.

House Republicans, however, have floated multiple election-related proposals that could be included in an anticipated budget reconciliation package. Ideas circulated by the House Administration Committee include granting funding to states for verifying voter registration data and conducting post-election audits. 

The flurry of election integrity and transparency measures comes as congressional Republicans are pushing for the passage of the Trump-backed SAVE America Act. The legislation would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and enact a nationwide voter ID, among other provisions. 

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The House-passed measure has stalled in the Senate due to Democratic opposition and is not expected to get the votes to overcome the upper chamber’s 60-vote threshold.

Some Republicans have advocated for passing parts of the SAVE America Act in a GOP-only budget reconciliation bill, but the legislative maneuver’s stringent requirements could derail that plan.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has received a slate of 18 new endorsements from Texas Republicans in the latest development in the bitter primary runoff between him and challenger state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Texas Republican congressmen Randy Weber, Nathaniel Moran and Roger Williams, influential GOP state Rep. Matt Shaheen, and former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan are among the latest lawmakers to back Cornyn over Paxton.

This primary has become increasingly bruising, with the rivals lobbing more personal attacks at each other after neither candidate achieved the 50% threshold needed to secure the GOP nomination in the March primary. Meanwhile, the stakes are high for the Republican Party, as Democrats believe candidate James Talarico, a state representative and rising star, has an opening to flip the seat for the first time in decades. Such an upset would be devastating for the GOP’s chances of retaining a majority in the upper chamber and could impact President Donald Trump’s agenda for the remainder of his term.

Cornyn, a top Senate Republican who has held the seat since 2002, responded to the new endorsements by telling Fox News Digital, “I’m honored to have the endorsement of many longtime friends in Texas politics, whom I have gotten to know during our time in office and with whom I’ve been proud to work.”

DEM PRIMARY TURNS UGLY: MILLS UNLEASHES BRUTAL ATTACK ON SANDERS-BACKED PLATNER IN CRUCIAL SENATE SHOWDOWN

The senator said that he has “always worked hard to earn the trust of our elected officials, so we can roll up our sleeves and work together for the betterment of all Texans.”

He added that he looks forward to “continuing our important work together upon my re-election to the United States Senate.”

In total, 30 prominent Republican legislative leaders from Texas have publicly backed Cornyn, evidencing strong support for the incumbent among party leadership. He has received the support of more than 500 current and former Texas elected officials. Outside Texas, Cornyn has also received the backing of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Border Patrol Council.

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Weber said Cornyn “has been a tireless fighter for Texas energy, standing up for our oil and gas industry and working to unleash American energy dominance.”

Weber said he is “proud” to support Cornyn “because he will continue fighting to protect our energy producers and keep Texas leading the way.”

Shaheen emphasized the importance of the GOP not losing the Senate seat in November, writing, “As someone with a Democrat challenger this November, I understand how vital it is that John Cornyn be our U.S. Senate nominee, otherwise election losses for Republicans could be disastrous.”

He emphasized that Cornyn “has never lost an election,” and said that “with him at the top of the ballot, he will defeat James Talarico and lift up Republicans in down-ballot races.” 

TRUMP WARNS HE WON’T ENDORSE LAWMAKERS WHO OPPOSE SAVE AMERICA ACT

Meanwhile, Paxton, who has served as Texas attorney general since 2015, also has strong grassroots support. Last week, Paxton received a slate of 13 new state-level endorsements, including several prominent legislators. This brought his total number of endorsements from Texas Republican leaders to 250, a list that includes congressmen Lance Gooden and Troy Nehls. He has been endorsed by Turning Point USA and the NRA Political Victory Fund.

Fox News Digital reached out to Paxton’s campaign for comment.

After receiving the new endorsements last week, Paxton told Fox News Digital that “the momentum behind our campaign continues to grow stronger every single day.”

He said that “Texans are ready for a change and are ready to be represented by an America First warrior who is going to work tirelessly to help Texas and support President Trump,” adding, “That’s exactly what I’ve done as Attorney General, and it’s what I’ll continue to do as our next United States Senator.”

Noticeably absent from the list of supporters for either candidate is Trump, who, despite saying he likes both, has not officially endorsed. He has hinted that he would endorse “soon.”

He recently suggested that the SAVE America Act, a voting integrity bill being debated in the Senate, will play a role in his endorsement decision.

“A lot has to do with the SAVE America Act,” Trump said, according to NBC News. “A lot is going to determine — Republicans have to get that passed, because that will secure voting in this country.” 

PRITZKER FLEXES POLITICAL MUSCLE IN ILLINOIS SENATE PRIMARY AS 2028 BUZZ BUILDS

Cornyn, who co-sponsored an earlier version of the SAVE America Act, recently authored an opinion piece in The New York Post titled “Why the SAVE Act matters more than the filibuster.” In the piece, he advocated for passing the measure through “whatever changes to Senate rules may prove necessary.” This marks a break from his previous support for the filibuster, which many lawmakers consider a necessary guardrail against majoritarian rule.

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Cornyn argued that “the Senate rules will change eventually, whether Republicans like it or not,” and that “this leaves conservatives with two options. We can either unilaterally disarm, or we can stand and fight.”

“We can let the Democrats keep obstructing today and then smash the rules the first chance they get, or we can act now and use the mandate the American people gave this president and this Congress to secure our elections, protect our homeland and bring back common sense,” wrote Cornyn, adding, “The answer is clear: We need to stand, fight and win.”

“Democrats started this fight. Now Republicans should finish it,” said Cornyn. 

FIRST ON FOX: Transportation Security Administration (TSA) leadership said airports and the agency will suffer from “longstanding” negative impacts as a result of the current partial government shutdown, even after a spending bill is passed. 

TSA Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl sat down with Fox News Digital to detail how the agency will recover from what has been weeks of forgone pay for TSA officers, leading to what TSA says are the highest security wait times in the history of the agency. 

“I can tell you right now that the reverberations that will be felt from this will be longstanding. They will continue for days after we get a re-appropriation and funding, particularly for the department for TSA,” Stahl told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “We are already taking proactive measures to make sure that we’re going to get our people paid as quickly as possible.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains unfunded after more than 40 days, leaving TSA screeners and agents missing a full month’s pay. Call-outs have increased to dramatic levels, and DHS says more than 480 people have outright quit the TSA workforce.

SCHUMER GAMBIT FAILS AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS 36 DAYS AND AIRPORT LINES GROW

Even after Congress funds the agency, Stahl says it is “going to take time to pay” agents who have been working without pay. 

“There are systems in place, financial systems that are outside of a department that we rely on to again, dispense and disperse funds, salaries to our folks, but it will take some time,” Stahl explained. “But we’re working as quickly as possible with our partners to make sure once we get that money, we’ll hit the ground running and get that into our people’s pockets as quickly as possible.”

TSA’s deputy administrator also expressed concerns about the workforce’s return to airports following a potential funding package, noting the World Cup taking place in the U.S. this year will create an additional strain on air travel security.

JOHNSON TURNS UP HEAT ON SCHUMER AS DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON, AIRPORT DELAYS MOUNT

“Last time we saw an increase in 25% of attrition immediately following the first shutdown previously in this fiscal year,” Stahl told Fox News Digital. “We’re concerned, and we have the World Cup coming up as well with an expected six to ten million travelers on top of a busy summer travel season, so we could really be in a difficult position for the long term.”

“It’s going to take time to readjust to get our folks paid,” Stahl added. 

On Wednesday evening, a procedural vote to fund DHS failed, tacking on the previous five times the spending bill had been voted down.

SEE IT: TRAVELERS SOUND OFF AS ICE AGENTS DEPLOYED TO AIRPORTS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS PAST 40 DAYS

The bill can only pass with a 60-vote threshold required to break the filibuster. Several Senate Democrats have crossed party lines to support funding the department, but votes have still remained shy of 60. 

Senate Democrats have insisted that revisions to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, like the requirement of judicial warrants and the removal of face coverings for agents, be included in the spending bill. 

Senate Republicans have said that if Senate Democrats want reforms, then they must also be willing to fund ICE. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Democrats are “going in circles” while TSA, FEMA and other DHS employees continue to work without pay.

TSA CALLOUTS HIT HOUSTON, ATLANTA, NEW ORLEANS HARDEST, 450 OFFICERS HAVE QUIT NATIONWIDE

“They know better,” Thune told reporters after Wednesday evening’s vote. “They’re asking for things that have already been turned down. So it just seems like they’re going in circles.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took to the Senate Floor on Wednesday to punch back at the GOP’s stance. 

“Over the weekend, Democrats had constructive conversations in person with our Republican colleagues,” Schumer said. “They, the Republican colleagues, conceded that some of the reforms, verbally, that we have been looking for, they said these make sense.”

LIZ PEEK: VOTERS TELL CONGRESS ‘DO YOUR JOB’ AND END THE DHS SHOWDOWN

As the congressional gridlock continues, Stahl said the agency has suspended escort services for members of Congress given their limited resources without funding. 

“We proactively took the step of suspending all members of Congress escort services as just purely when this started to happen, because we fundamentally feel like we should not be expending resources to provide a security screening, expedite security screening to our members of Congress at this time,” Stahl told Fox News Digital. “Our focus is on serving the masses of American people and that’s what we’re going to continue to focus on every single day.”

Last weekend, President Donald Trump deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports to provide support to the weakened workforce. Agents have been seen at a number of airports across the country since the deployment.  

When asked how long ICE agents would remain at airports following the passage of a spending bill, Stahl said the agents have alleviated tensions and challenges, though their tenure at airports depends on how quickly normal TSA operations can resume.

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“Hopefully, we won’t need them much longer,” Stahl explained. “But again, they’ve been incredibly helpful, and we really appreciate the support from the president and from ICE.”

“It really necessitates and underscores the importance for us to get back in normal order, for the Senate Democrats to fund the Department, [to] fund TSA, so we can get back to normal order,” Stahl added. 

Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Venezuelan political leader María Corina Machado is pitching her country as a top U.S. oil partner and “beacon of hope and wealth creation for this hemisphere” after she said the Trump administration’s arrest of former dictator Nicolás Maduro has opened up a “new era” of free markets.

Addressing several thousand oil and energy executives at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Machado, who until recently lived in the U.S. as a political exile, predicted that Venezuela will soon be a critical contributor to U.S. prosperity.

She thanked President Donald Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright for laying the groundwork for a “new chapter” in Venezuela, which she said will greatly benefit the U.S. She touted Venezuela’s energy potential, calling its reserves the “largest proven oil reserve in the world” and its natural gas supply the seventh-largest globally.

“For decades, all this was locked away by ideology and corruption; that time is ending,” she said, adding, “A new era has already begun with an upside of a completely different order of magnitude.”

TRUMP ENERGY CZAR SAYS IRAN CONFLICT GAS SPIKE IS ‘TEMPORARY BLIP’ AS DRILLING PUSH RAMPS UP

Machado said that since the Trump administration’s covert operation to topple the socialist Venezuelan dictator, “important steps have been taken to re-engage Venezuela’s oil and gas sector and begin addressing years of institutional decline and corruption.” She predicted that Venezuela would soon “turn from the criminal hub of the Americas” and instead become a “driving force in the global energy sector.”

“After Jan. 3, we finally feel that freedom is at the threshold; we are there,” she said.

ENERGY SEC CHRIS WRIGHT TO HEADLINE CERAWEEK 2026 AMID UNPRECEDENTED ENERGY STRAIN

Though current Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez is a lieutenant of Maduro, Machado predicted that the next election, which she said will likely be at least nine months away, will show “overwhelming” support for democratic free-market capitalism. She vowed that the government would “get out of the way,” saying, “We have learned the cost of socialism… We want open markets.”

“It takes at least nine months, or 40 weeks, from a technical perspective to have perfect, free and fair elections. But they will take place. And when they do, you will see the awakening of a country that will turn into the beacon of hope and wealth creation for this hemisphere.”

TRUMP TURBOCHARGES US ECONOMIC COMEBACK AS SOCIALISM KEEPS FAILING WORLDWIDE

After her address, Machado received a standing ovation from the auditorium full of oil and energy leaders. On a panel discussing her speech, S&P Global Vice Chairman Daniel Yergin said Machado “answered a lot of the questions” that energy executives had.

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However, another panelist, Luisa Palacios, a senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy, said Venezuela still has a “long way” to go before enough confidence builds in the country to attract significant oil investment.

Illegal immigrants nabbed by ICE do not have to face bond hearings, a step that has become a potential legal impediment to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, a second federal court found Wednesday.

The case involved Mexican national Joaquin Herrera Avila, who was captured in Minneapolis in August and failed to produce legal credentials authorizing his admission to the U.S. He was detained without bond and faced removal proceedings.

“Massive court victory against activist judges and for President Trump’s law and order agenda,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said after the St. Louis-based Eighth Circuit reversed a lower court’s ruling and deemed many captured illegal immigrants ineligible for such chances to be released.

TOP US COURT HANDS TRUMP A WIN ON DEPORTATIONS AS SCOTUS CHALLENGE LOOMS

A district court in Minnesota granted Avila’s petition for habeas corpus, or to challenge the legality of his detention, which the Trump administration challenged.

“We reverse and remand [that ruling] for proceedings consistent with this opinion,” the Eighth Circuit ruled Wednesday in a split decision, with George W. Bush-appointed Judge Bobby Shepherd of Arkansas writing for the majority.

Shepherd wrote that the district court relied on federal law allowing detention without bond for “an alien who is an applicant for admission [or] seeking admission…” while considering Avila to be no longer seeking formal admission because he had resided and worked in the U.S. for many years. But, Avila did not seek further residency status such as naturalization or asylum, according to the court, which ruled that aspect proved he was not “seeking admission” in a legal sense.

“The Eighth Circuit has held that illegal aliens can be detained without bond — following a similar ruling from the Fifth Circuit last month. The law is very clear, but Democrats and activist judges haven’t wanted to enforce it. This administration will,” Bondi said.

“Imagine how many illegal alien crimes could have been averted if the left had simply followed the law?”

BORDER PATROL CHIEF BOVINO SAYS CHICAGO EFFORTS ‘VINDICATED’ AFTER COURT REVERSES ORDER RESTRICTING OPERATIONS

The Eighth Circuit’s ruling concurs with a related ruling from the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit, which found that noncitizens can be held without bond, according to Bloomberg Law.

“If Congress wanted to make clear that ‘seeking admission’ was an independent requirement in the statute, it could have easily done so,” the court added.

Right-wing commentator Gunther Eagleman tweeted that the decision was indeed a win against “activist judges.”

“The Eighth Circuit just overturned an activist judge and upheld ICE’s mass detention policy in a 2-1 ruling,” he said, as a Trump appointee joined Shepherd in concurrence and another dissented.

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS MINNESOTA REQUEST TO BLOCK ICE-LED OPERATION METRO SURGE

“Key decision: Illegal aliens already inside the U.S. can be detained without bond during removal proceedings. This is a massive victory for the deportation mission. Leftist judges can no longer force DHS to simply release invaders into our communities to commit more crimes. Huge L for open borders,” Eagleman said.

In his dissent, Trump-appointed Judge Ralph R. Erickson of Minnesota said that with the exception of a single DUI conviction, Avila had lived as a law-abiding resident for just under 20 years.

“On August 29, 2025, he was stopped by deportation officers while driving on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For the past 29 years, Avila would have been entitled to a bond hearing during his removal proceedings,” Erickson wrote, noting that the court’s ruling means that Avila and millions of others are now “subject to mandatory detention” under federal law.

“In doing so, the court does not rely on recent congressional action or a change in the regulations governing detention but rather engages in a novel interpretation of ‘alien seeking admission’ that eluded the courts and five previous presidential administrations,” he said.

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“Because the court’s interpretation is not supported by the plain meaning of ‘seeking,’ the context of the INA, or the history of the IIRIRA (an immigration reform law signed by Bill Clinton), I respectfully dissent.”

Fox News Digital did not encounter any immediate negative responses from pundits or politicians within a few minutes of its release.

A new clash erupted Wednesday over records from the dismissed Trump classified documents case after Rep. Jamie Raskin accused the Department of Justice of improperly turning over sensitive material to Congress, drawing sharp rebukes from the White House and DOJ.

“Democrats with zero credibility like Jamie Raskin are still clinging to deranged Jack Smith and his lies in 2026,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital when asked about Raskin’s claims. 

Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter on March 24 to Attorney General Pam Bondi alleging that the DOJ may have inadvertently sent his panel previously undisclosed materials showing Trump retained sensitive classified documents tied to his business interests and may have exposed them to others after his first administration. 

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the classified documents case for years, including when FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago in 2022 for materials he allegedly retained following his exit from the Oval Office, and when then-special counsel Jack Smith brought an indictment against him in 2023 accusing him of willfully retaining national defense information and obstructing efforts to recover it.

JACK SMITH FACES PUBLIC GRILLING ON CAPITOL HILL ABOUT TRUMP PROSECUTIONS

Raskin accused the DOJ of violating a court order requiring parts of the classified documents case to remain under seal, including Smith’s final report, which Democrats have long demanded the DOJ hand over to Congress.

Raskin’s letter quickly drew pushback from the White House, which called it “pathetic” and pointed out that Smith was forced to drop his case against Trump when he won the 2024 election. 

Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who presided over the case, had tossed it out in July 2024 after finding Smith’s appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland was unconstitutional. Smith was appealing her decision but withdrew his appeal after Trump’s victory, citing a DOJ policy that discourages prosecuting sitting presidents. 

“President Trump did nothing wrong, which is why he easily defeated the Biden DOJ’s unprecedented lawfare campaign against him and then won nearly 80 million votes in a landslide election victory,” Jackson continued in her statement.  

A DOJ spokesperson said Raskin was “blinded by hatred” of Trump and that the DOJ has been the “most transparent in history.” The spokesperson said the accusations leveled by Raskin were “baseless” and also refuted Raskin’s claims that the DOJ violated a court order by releasing the material to Raskin’s committee.

“Judge Cannon’s protective order was not violated, and none of the documents produced by DOJ violated 6e [grand jury rules] as none of them disclosed matters occurring before a grand jury,” the spokesperson said. “The documents marked ‘6e’ contained redactions of any 6e material. As an attorney and law professor, one must assume Raskin understands this, and thus, reveals this letter is nothing more than a cheap political stunt almost as if taking cues from members of the corrupt Jack Smith prosecution team.”

House Judiciary Committee Republicans said in a statement Raskin’s letter was another example of “manufactured outrage from the left.”

“Once again, Democrats are more focused on targeting President Trump than working with Republicans to put America first,” a committee spokesperson said. 

JACK SMITH DENIES POLITICS PLAYED ANY ROLE IN TRUMP PROSECUTIONS AT HOUSE HEARING

In his letter, Raskin alleged that the materials his committee received from DOJ showed that some classified documents in Trump’s possession were so sensitive that only six government officials had access to them and that Trump may have retained materials connected to his business dealings to enrich himself. The Maryland Democrat also cited a memorandum indicating Trump “may have shown” a classified map to individuals while on a private plane.

Raskin also accused the DOJ of cherry-picking information about the case to release to Congress while continuing to withhold other information, including the second volume of Smith’s final special counsel report. Cannon had ordered that portion of Smith’s report to remain permanently sealed, though her order is being appealed.

DEMOCRATS RAMP UP CALLS TO RELEASE JACK SMITH’S SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT ON TRUMP CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE

The sealed report has become a top focus for Democrats as no final reports produced by DOJ special counsels have been kept from the public before Smith’s. Democrats have claimed the report could shed new light on the case, while Republicans have argued the investigation was politically motivated, that the report is too prejudiced against Trump and that any disclosures at this stage must comply with Cannon’s order.

A spokesperson for committee Democrats accused the DOJ of doing “legal gymnastics” to prevent the release of Smith’s report, accusing the department of wanting to “advance his corrupt business interests.”

In August 2022, the FBI carried out a controversial search in which they seized 33 boxes from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which included agents scouring Melania Trump’s wardrobe, Trump has previously said. Prosecutors defended the search in court, saying Trump withheld some boxes when they sought his voluntary compliance, leading them to resort to a search warrant.

The president denied any wrongdoing throughout the investigation and prosecution, calling it a “scam” pushed by the Biden administration.

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Raskin in his letter demanded DOJ turn over a slate of documents related to the case and answer questions about who may have seen the classified materials.

Senate Democrats blocked a last-minute attempt by Republicans to end the Homeland Security shutdown after the GOP rejected their “unserious” counteroffer. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., forced a vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill after swiftly killing Democrats’ offer earlier Wednesday afternoon. He accused their latest counter as “not even close to being real.” 

“They know better,” Thune said. “They’re asking for things that have already been turned down. So it just seems like they’re going in circles.”

The spur-of-the-moment test vote on Wednesday was designed to see whether Republicans could splinter any support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats’ unified front to support their own framework to reopen the agency, which Democrats already rejected on Tuesday. 

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

But like the five times prior, the latest attempt was blocked by nearly every Senate Democrat.

Republicans are sticking by their initial offer, which would carve out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding in exchange for reopening other agencies under the Homeland Security umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among others.

Republicans were already fuming that Democrats did not take the deal, noting that sidelining immigration enforcement funding was one of their key demands. They also charged that Schumer and his caucus were backing away from previously negotiated positions.

Still, Senate Democrats are pushing for stringent reforms to ICE, including requiring judicial warrants for agents and banning DHS agents from wearing masks. Those provisions were among nine total demands added to the GOP framework. Those asks, in particular, have been firm red lines for Republicans throughout the shutdown.

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

Republicans have also consistently argued that if Democrats want reforms, they must be willing to fund immigration enforcement.

Schumer pushed back on the Senate floor shortly after announcing he had sent Republicans the latest offer, calling their accusations “bad faith” that “will only slow things down.”

“In fact, over the weekend, Democrats had constructive conversations in person with our Republican colleagues,” Schumer said. “They — the Republican colleagues — conceded that some of the reforms, verbally, that we have been looking for, they said these make sense.”

“We thought there might be a path forward on some of the ways to reform ICE and to get some of the things everybody knows ought to be in federal legislation,” he continued. “We thought there had been some progress. But then Republicans sent us their offer yesterday, and it contained none of what had been talked about.”

But Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who was part of the White House meeting that produced the DHS framework, accused Democrats of “backing up.”

CORNYN TARGETS LAWMAKERS’ AIRPORT FAST PASS AS TSA LINES GROW DURING DHS SHUTDOWN

“If you really want to cut to the chase — take all the [expletive] aside — here’s where we’re at,” Moreno said. “Democrats made an offer. Want to know what the offer is? They don’t want us to deport anybody who entered this country illegally or overstayed their visa unless that person committed a serious crime. That’s what they want. That’s obviously insane, because that’s the base that they deal with.”

Thune also argued that Republicans and the Trump administration have given Democrats much of what they wanted, including replacing former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with newly confirmed Secretary Markwayne Mullin, ramping down immigration operations in Minnesota, and providing several other reforms.

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Some Democrats want additional guardrails on how funding in the GOP framework would be handled — specifically to prevent money from being shifted within the agency and redirected to immigration operations.

Thune said there could be some room for that concession but reiterated that Democrats’ other demands were “unserious.” He also said there was “no point” in Republicans offering another counterproposal.

“This is, honestly, retreading ground that we’ve been treading for weeks,” Thune said.

The Trump administration has made new criminal referrals to the Department of Justice targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James, Fox News has confirmed.

The referrals, submitted by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, allege potential insurance fraud tied to properties linked to James and have been sent to U.S. attorneys in Florida and, reportedly, Illinois for review.

“The Department of Justice can confirm that referrals were received by our U.S. Attorney Offices,” a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News.

One of the referrals obtained by Fox News alleged “suspected homeowners insurance fraud.”

WATCHDOG GROUP HITS LETITIA JAMES WITH BAR COMPLAINT AFTER FEDERAL JUDGE TOSSES CASE

The criminal referral was transmitted to Jason Quinones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, who will determine whether to move forward with a prosecution. His office would then need to seek a grand jury indictment.

The referral comes after bank fraud charges against James were dismissed late last year by a Clinton-appointed judge, and a grand jury in Virginia later refused to re-indict her.

The judge threw out the indictments against James and former FBI Director James Comey after finding they were illegitimate because they were brought by an unqualified U.S. attorney.

FEDERAL JUDGE HITS DOJ FOR ‘INDICT FIRST, INVESTIGATE LATER’ APPROACH IN COURT HEARING

In one of the criminal referrals, Pulte said it appears that James “may have falsified information on her homeowners insurance application” to a Fort Lauderdale-based company, Universal Property Insurance.

The referral cites social media posts from Mike Davis, a longtime attorney and ally to President Donald Trump.

Pulte stated that based on the post from Davis, the New York attorney general “may have made false representations that her property would be unoccupied five months out of the year.”

According to the post, that information may be false, Pulte said.

“The house was, in fact, occupied year-round by her niece,” he continued.

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“As such, it appears Ms. James may have defrauded the Florida-based insurance company,” Pulte added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to James’ office and her attorney for comment.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, signed legislation on Wednesday to limit the use of face coverings for law enforcement, including federal ICE agents, 

The law, which requires officers to present identification before detaining someone, comes as some federal agents have sought to hide their identities during immigration raids in communities across the country.

Sherrill, who was sworn into office in January, said the mask restriction is part of an effort to ensure the safety of residents of the Garden State.

“I can’t believe we have to say this, but in the United States of America, we’re not going to tolerate masked roving militias pretending, pretending to be well-trained law enforcement agents,” she said.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR TO LAUNCH PORTAL FOR UPLOADING VIDEOS OF ICE TACTICS: ‘THEY HAVE NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING’

The law is part of a package that the governor said will “protect people’s privacy and their rights” and “strengthen trust between law enforcement and our communities.”

Democrats in Congress and in various state legislatures have sought for months to adopt measures that would ban immigration agents from wearing masks to hide their identities, arguing that such legislation is needed to ensure transparency.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, also signed a law earlier this month limiting face coverings for ICE agents.

The Department of Homeland Security has criticized efforts to unmask ICE agents, including calling the new Washington state measure “irresponsible, reckless and dangerous.”

BOSTON’S WU ORDERS RELEASE OF ICE SURVEILLANCE AND BODY CAM FOOTAGE, SAYS FED GOVERNMENT ‘HIDES BEHIND MASKS’

“To be crystal clear: we will not abide by this unconstitutional ban,” the department said at the time.

Sherrill’s signature on Wednesday comes as she continues to target the Trump administration’s immigration raids. Earlier this year, she announced a portal to allow residents to upload photos and videos of ICE agents conducting immigration operations.

“If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know,” Sherrill said at the time. “They have not been forthcoming. They will pick people up, they will not tell us who they are, they will not tell us if they’re here legally, they won’t check. They’ll pick up American citizens. They picked up a five-year-old child. We want documentation, and we are going to make sure we get it.”

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“We saw people in the street with masks and no insignia. So not accountable at all, hiding from the population — and we saw again and again an undermining of what law enforcement should do to keep people safe,” she added.

The Trump administration is also suing New Jersey over Sherrill’s executive order last month that prohibits federal immigration agents from making arrests in nonpublic areas of state property, including correctional facilities and courthouses. The order also blocks the use of state property as a staging or processing area for immigration enforcement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans got a major boost from President Donald Trump on Wednesday as they build resources to defend their razor-thin congressional majority in November’s midterm elections.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair, Rep. Richard Hudson, and House Speaker Mike Johnson announced at their annual fundraising dinner in the nation’s capital, which was headlined by Trump, that they hauled in a record $36.8 million.

The fundraising is much needed, with Republicans aiming to not only defend but expand their current 218-214 House majority in the midterms.

SCOOP: HOUSE CAMPAIGN ARM LAUNCHES ‘MAGA MAJORITY’ TO BOOST TRUMP-ALIGNED CANDIDATES 

“Tonight President Trump and the NRCC didn’t just meet expectations, we shattered them. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and the unmatched commitment of our supporters, the NRCC raised a record-breaking $36.8 million to fuel our Patriots and MAGA Majority candidates,” Hudson told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Hudson emphasized that “this proves what we’ve been saying all along: Republicans have the momentum, the message, and the team to defy history. With President Trump leading the charge, we’re going on offense.”

Republicans are battling stiff political headwinds as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms, and a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns over persistent inflation, an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings.

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And public opinion polling suggests the economy and immigration, winning issues for Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections, may be liabilities now.

The NRCC slightly edged out the rival Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as it raked in $117.2 million last year, its best-ever off-election year haul other than 2021, when Democrats controlled the White House and Congress. While the DCCC outraised the NRCC last month by nearly $4 million, both committees had roughly the same amount of cash in the coffers.

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“We know Republicans have seemingly infinite money that they have been raising,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington State told Fox News Digital.

“We’re neck and neck with our Republican counterparts, and it’s because people know how important it is that we take back the House and that we have a check on this administration.

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“I think that we have an incredible opportunity because the American people understand we have great candidates, and we’re going to have the resources to get their message out.”

House Republicans are lurching forward with a second budget reconciliation package, ending months of speculation about whether the chamber would attempt to marshal a second GOP-only megabill through Congress before November’s midterm elections.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said Wednesday he wants the measure to pay for President Donald Trump’s Iran campaign and enact anti-fraud provisions that offset the cost of the anticipated defense infusion’s large price tag.

“It’s an opportunity to solve two problems and address two challenges and advance two great causes: fund the military, provide a strong defense, win the war, achieve the objectives and do it in a way that doesn’t put our kids further in the hole,” Arrington told reporters.

“We’re all but ready to mark up a budget resolution,” Arrington continued, adding his panel is still continuing to hash out the details of the package.

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The Trump administration has floated a $200 billion request to help pay for the war in Iran but has yet to deliver a formal request. Given Democrats’ expected opposition to a defense supplemental, some House Republicans have said a second reconciliation package is the only viable vehicle to advance the measure and other Trump priorities through Congress.

“Democrats have obstructed everything,” Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “So, we believe, unfortunately, that reconciliation is the only mechanism to move the rest of the President’s agenda.”

Republicans have zeroed in on fraud in social services for months and view the enactment of fraud-related spending cuts as a way to offset the cost of the package.

The budget reconciliation process would allow Republicans to circumvent the Senate’s 60-vote requirement and pass a spending measure with a simple majority. 

Arrington said he would be working closely with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who also announced Wednesday that his panel would begin drafting reconciliation instructions. The South Carolina Republican floated funding increases for the military and law enforcement in addition to voter integrity measures as possible items in a second reconciliation bill.

“Let’s put it this way: The reconciliation train is leaving the station,” Graham posted on X after the two lawmakers met to discuss a second megabill Wednesday.

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Though Republicans are likely to broadly support defense supplemental funding and fraud-prevention measures, a second megabill could still face major hurdles.

Republicans narrowly passed Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act in June 2025 after months of intraparty disagreement. Under House Republicans’ razor-thin majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford to spare just one GOP defection in a party-line vote. 

However, Arrington argued that the war in Iran would be a unifying force to get the bill done.

“I think funding our military in a time of war, if there’s no sense of urgency and accountability from members of Congress to support our commander in chief, I can’t think of one,” Arrington said. “I do think the big push is going to be supporting our sons and daughters in uniform and making sure they have what they need to be successful.”

Arrington did not shut the door on including parts of the SAVE America Act in a GOP-only megabill. However, its sweeping provisions, requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and voter ID requirements, could fail to meet reconciliation’s stringent budget requirements.

The Trump-backed election bill has stalled in the Senate due to widespread Democratic opposition, though the upper chamber is continuing to debate the measure.

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Johnson, who has long pushed for a second budget bill, said Wednesday he was encouraged by Graham moving forward with reconciliation.

“I’m glad to know the Senate is interested in reconciliation 2.0,” the speaker said. “I have been a broken record. We need to do that. It’s an important legislative tool.”