NationalWatch

Ahead of the 2026 midterms, Televisa Univision President Ignacio Meyer is calling for a revamping of political priorities with the key Latino voting bloc, “a sleeping giant that is no longer sleeping.”

“Hispanic voters are largely sophisticated, are largely independent, and they want to be swayed by issues,” Meyer told Axios publisher Nicholas Johnston on Saturday at a SXSW event in Texas, urging both major political parties to “look at how they’re speaking to Hispanic voters.”

“They do not want to be spoken to about partisan politics.”

With the 2026 midterms prepped to set the table for the U.S., Congress and the White House, Meyer added the Latino vote is “largely up for grabs” and there is a “big disconnect” with it.

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“The Hispanic population has been called the great sleeping giant,” he added. “It’s no secret that it’s no longer sleeping. They’re awake. They’re influential, the largest growing demographic in the United States across culture, sports, news, any one of the segments.”

President Donald Trump‘s border security and legal immigration policies are a lot more popular with Latino voters than Democrats might have imagined. Trump won more than 48% of the vote in his sweeping 2024 presidential election, winning all of the key battleground states.

Meyer pointed to the recent Texas primaries, saying addressing Hispanic voters in their language is key, urging spending early and often – a boon for his network.

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“Those that did their homework won,” he said, adding those that didn’t “lost, and they lost big.”

“I’m not a huge expert on politics,” he admitted, trying to play both sides to keep the campaign funds flowing in the political battlegrounds, but “balance of power in both the House and the Senate is going to be swung by very few races this year.”

“Out of all of those races, every single one has a high-density Hispanic population. Every single one of those voting blocs is up for grabs, and they want to be spoken to about the issues that are important to them.”

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Univision is the largest American Spanish-language television network, targeting Latino audiences, and is the way to speak to Hispanic voters “in their language,” which politicians do not do enough, according to Meyer.

“Why would our civil servants not speak to us in the language and the culture that we deserve to be spoken to, and talk to us about the issues that we deserve to be spoken to?” he asked.

“I think people would like to oversimplify what it’s like to be a U.S. Hispanic in the United States. When you come from another country, you have to fight for your place with different circumstances, different language.”

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Latinos should not be a “check-the-box” voting bloc to reach.

“Big growing population, check the box, spend X amount of money, spend it late – only in that window – and let it go: It’ll work,” he said of miscalculating political campaigns. “Well, there’s no magic.”

“It takes commitment.”

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Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, who also spoke on the panel, said Democrats’ losses among Latino voters reflect a broader disconnect with working-class concerns. He argued the party must focus on economic issues such as lowering prices and improving household finances to regain support.

Republicans sharply criticized former President Joe Biden over rising prices at the gas pump, but a spike in energy prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran threatens to scramble the party’s affordability messaging.

The Iran conflict has led to a surge in gas prices for Americans, leading to an average 50 cents a gallon increase since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.

The average price of gas reached $3.63 per gallon on Friday, according to AAA. Diesel prices have also risen to $4.89 per gallon. The increases have been mostly fueled by volatility in oil prices, which closed above $100 per barrel Thursday for the first time since 2022 as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shuttered from the conflict.

The president characterized the gas price hike amid the Iran conflict as “a very small price to pay” in a Truth Social post Sunday.

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That statement represented a sharp break with Trump’s typical messaging touting low gas prices prior to Operation Epic Fury.

“Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor — it was quite honestly a disaster — is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states. And in some places, $1.99 a gallon,” President Donald Trump said during his Feb. 27 State of the Union address. “And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline.”

The surge in gas and diesel prices threatens to undermine the economic message of President Trump and congressional Republicans, who have touted low gas prices as a major win in the lead-up to November’s midterm elections. Cost of living issues are expected to be a key concern among voters as both parties claim to be laser-focused on making everyday life more affordable.

Trump directed the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to release 172 million gallons of crude oil Wednesday in an effort to lower oil prices.

“I filled it up once, and I’ll fill it up again, but right now, we’ll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down,” Trump told Cincinnati news station WKRC.

During the 2024 presidential contest, Trump frequently campaigned on ending Biden’s “war on American energy” and pledged to reverse a surge in gas prices that occurred under his predecessor’s tenure.

Gas prices averaged $3.45 per gallon across all fuel grades during Biden’s four-year term, surging to a record high of more than $5 per gallon in June 2022 after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“Starting on Day 1, we will drive down prices and make America affordable again,” Trump said during a speech at the Republican National Committee convention in July 2024. “People can’t live like this.”

Democrats have seized on rising prices at the pump amid the conflict in Iran.

“I wish the administration thought about this before they started this unnecessary war,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, said Monday when asked about the gas price hike.

“Donald Trump’s war has sent gas prices skyrocketing through the roof,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on social media Monday. “What contempt. What cluelessness.”

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Republicans have voiced confidence that the rise in gas prices would be temporary. GOP lawmakers have frequently cited their efforts to roll back Biden-era energy regulations and boost domestic production as evidence that their policies are working to lower energy prices.

“It’s going to be probably volatile for a period of time. I think what’s going to be key is ensuring we can get safe access to the Strait of Hormuz,” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Monday, adding that he was confident the disruption would be short-lived.

Daines, who abruptly suspended his re-election campaign last week, highlighted that average gas prices were under $3 per gallon prior to Trump’s State of the Union speech. 

“That’s an important win for the American people,” the retiring Montana lawmaker said. “Something you’re reminded of usually weekly when you’re gassing up your vehicle.”

Some Republicans and Trump administration officials are also arguing that a defeated Iran will ultimately spur lower gas prices, even if there is pain in the short run.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the recent increase in oil and gas prices as “temporary” during a briefing Tuesday.

“Once the national security objectives of Operation Epic Fury are fully achieved, Americans will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly, potentially even lower than they were prior to the start of the operation,” Leavitt said.

“At the end of the day, we’re going to destroy this regime, and their ability to disrupt oil is going to be less, and we’re going to have more production, not less,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters Monday. “Once you take the largest state sponsor of terrorism off the planet, who depends on oil for their revenue, that’s a more stable world.”

However, some Republicans are warning that high oil and gas prices could be catastrophic for the party’s midterm prospects.

“I think if you add in high gas prices, high oil prices, and if we are still bombing Iran with kinetic action … I think you’re going to see a disastrous election,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday.

Nearly seven in 10 Americans — including 44% of Republicans — expect gas prices to keep increasing in the coming months, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll released Monday.

Trump has threatened Iran with unprecedented force if the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is further restricted.

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“Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.

The Pentagon has identified six U.S. service members who were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during a combat mission in support of Operation Epic Fury.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday, took place in “friendly” airspace during an unspecified incident involving another aircraft. While the other plane landed safely, the KC-135 crashed. Military officials said the incident was not due to hostile or friendly fire and remains under investigation.

The airmen were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida and the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, according to U.S. government and state officials.

Those killed were Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28. 

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Maj. John ‘Alex’ Klinner

Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, 33, leaves behind three small children — 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, his brother-in-law, James Harrill, confirmed.

A graduate of Auburn University and an eight-year U.S. Air Force veteran from Birmingham, Alabama, Klinner had recently moved with his family into a new home, according to his wife, Libby Klinner.

“It’s kind of heartbreaking to say: He was just a really good dad and really loved his family a lot — like a lot,” Harrill said.

An outdoorsman who enjoyed hiking, Klinner was also known for helping others. Harrill recalled that when he last saw him in January during a family wedding, Klinner helped shovel Harrill’s vehicle out of the snow.

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“Alex was one of those guys that had this steady command about him,” Harrill said. “He was literally one of the most kind, giving people.”

Libby Klinner said her heart is broken for their children, who will grow up not knowing their father.

“They won’t get to see firsthand the way he would jump up to help in any way he could,” she wrote in a post. “They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them.”

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Klinner was assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, though Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said he was stationed in Birmingham.

Capt. Ariana Savino

Capt. Ariana Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington, was also assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base.

Savino was among the crew members aboard the KC-135 refueling aircraft when it crashed in western Iraq.

Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt

Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky, was the third member of the MacDill-based crew killed in the crash.

Pruitt served with the 6th Air Refueling Wing and was deployed as part of the mission when the aircraft went down.

Capt. Seth Koval

Capt. Seth Koval, 38, served as a KC-135R Stratotanker Instructor Pilot with the 166th Air Refueling Squadron at the 121st Air Refueling Wing in Columbus, Ohio.

The Ohio National Guard said Koval was an aircraft commander with 19 years of service. While the Ohio National Guard listed his home in Stoutsville, Ohio, the U.S. government listed his hometown as Mooresville, Indiana.

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A graduate of Purdue University, Koval first enlisted in 2006 as a machinist with the Indiana National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing before transferring to the Ohio Air National Guard in 2017. He earned his commission in 2018 and completed instructor pilot upgrade in 2024. Over the course of his career, Koval logged 2,076 total flight hours, including 443 combat hours.

Capt. Curtis Angst

Capt. Curtis Angst, 30, served as a KC-135R pilot with the 166th Air Refueling Squadron at the 121st Air Refueling Wing in Columbus, Ohio.

While the Ohio National Guard listed his home as Columbus, the U.S. government listed his hometown as Wilmington, Ohio. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a degree in aerospace engineering, Angst initially enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard in 2015 as a vehicle maintenance technician with the 123rd Air Control Squadron.

He earned his commission in 2021, completed undergraduate pilot training in 2023, and qualified as a KC-135R pilot in April 2024. During his career, Angst logged 880 total flight hours, including 67 combat hours.

Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons

Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, served as a KC-135R Boom Operator with the 166th Air Refueling Squadron. He was responsible for transferring fuel from the tanker to receiver aircraft during missions.

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Simmons entered the Air Force in 2017 and initially served in security forces before transitioning to aviation in 2022. He became a mobility force aviator in 2023 and reached the rank of Technical Sergeant on May 1, 2023. During his career, Simmons logged 779 total flight hours, including 230.4 combat hours.

Simmons’ family told WCMH-TV in Columbus they were devastated by the loss.

“Tyler’s smile could light up any room, his strong presence would fill it. His parents, grandparents, family and friends are grief stricken for the loss of life,” they said.

Ohio Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff said the state is mourning the loss of the three “remarkable” Ohio airmen.

“Today we mourn the loss of three remarkable Airmen whose service and commitment embodied the very best of our Ohio National Guard,” Woodruff said.

U.S. Central Command said the aircraft crashed during a combat mission over western Iraq in “friendly” territory. Military officials stated that the incident involved an unspecified interaction with another aircraft that landed safely and that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.

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The KC-135 Stratotanker refuels other aircraft in midair, allowing them to fly longer distances and sustain operations without landing. The aircraft can also be used to transport wounded personnel and conduct surveillance missions.

The Congressional Research Service says the Air Force had 376 KC-135 aircraft last year, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve. The aircraft has been in service for more than 60 years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A new wave of Republican women running in competitive congressional races is aiming to chip away at Democrats’ long-held advantage with female voters — and flip key seats that could determine control of the House this November.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, one of these candidates, Laurie Buckhout, a former cattle rancher, U.S. Army veteran and mother, knocked the Democratic Party for trying to “pigeonhole” female voters into a single category.

“The Democrats try way too hard to pigeonhole us women in a certain role while they still can’t define what a woman is,” she quipped.

She believes that despite the rhetoric, Democrats are “really out of touch when it comes to women voters.”

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“They try to own that gender and try to stuff them in a box,” she went on. “’This is how you’re going to vote. Don’t tell your husband. This is how you are going to think.’ Republicans don’t do that.”

This midterm election, Buckhout is running to unseat Democratic Rep. Don Davis in North Carolina’s Congressional District 1. The district stretches across the northeastern corner of the state from the border with Virginia to the Atlantic coast. After narrowly losing to Davis in the 2024 election, Buckhout’s campaign has already garnered significant momentum this time around. She defeated a field of four other Republican candidates in the March 3 primary and, just this week, was further bolstered by an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

As the dominant party in an off-year midterm cycle, many expect that Republicans will take a beating at the ballot box this November. Buckhout, however, thinks it will be a very different story in North Carolina. With the GOP barely grasping onto a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, every seat matters.

“I can tell you the people of North Carolina, especially eastern North Carolina, they want to live their lives with a minimum of government interference, they don’t want big government leaning in, telling them how to live their life, what to do, taking their money out of their pockets for more and more taxes for programs that they don’t need and they didn’t vote for,” she said. “So, I can tell you that we feel very good about this being a Republican election, taking this, adding another seat to the House.”

Buckhout is not the only female Republican candidate who stands a good shot at flipping a blue district red this year.

In one of the GOP’s top targeted districts, Carrie Buck, a former school principal and self-described minivan mom, is angling to unseat Rep. Dina Titus in Nevada Congressional District 1 in Las Vegas. As of the latest Federal Election Commission filings, Buck has significantly outraised Titus, further signaling the incumbent’s vulnerability.

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Buck told Fox News Digital that after serving in Congress since 2013, Titus has “had her chance, and Nevada families are still waiting for results.”  

“I spent 30 years in classrooms — teaching, running schools, and working to fix problems. During that same time, Dina Titus was in public office, unable and unwilling to address the challenges Nevadans face: rising inflation, soaring crime rates, an open border, and failing schools,” she said.

On the East Coast, Tiffany Burress, a New Jersey attorney who is a newcomer to the political scene, is running to unseat Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou, who is considered vulnerable.

If the GOP could pick up the seat, it would be a huge boon in retaining the majority.

“Voters are ready for something different, and that’s how I know we’re going to win,” Burress told Fox News.

She knocked Pou, saying she has “spent decades living on the taxpayers’ dime,” and “puts extreme progressive agendas ahead of the priorities of our district” by voting with the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nearly 94 percent of the time.

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Similarly, Barb Regnitz in Indiana’s first congressional district is running to flip a long-held Democratic seat currently filled by Rep. Frank Mrvan.

Regnitz, who is a former software engineer and current Porter County commissioner, told Fox News Digital that “for almost 100 years, Republicans have been powerless to stop the failed policies of the far-left that have resulted in falling incomes, struggling industry, and increasingly unsafe communities right here in Northwest Indiana.”

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“I’m running for Congress because I believe our district deserves serious, principled leadership focused on results, not rhetoric,” she said.

Down in Texas, another Republican woman, Jessica Steinmann, is fighting to retain a Republican seat north of Houston, being left vacant by Rep. Morgan Luttrell, who opted not to seek re-election.

Steinmann formerly served in President Donald Trump’s Justice Department during his first term as director of the Office for Victims of Crime.

She told Fox News Digital she is running for Congress “because the next two years of President Trump’s administration are critical for our country.”

“I was proud to serve in the first Trump Administration, where I saw firsthand what strong, America First leadership can accomplish,” she said, adding, “I’m confident that message will carry us to victory in November.”

Repairs have been completed following the historic Potomac River sewage spill in Washington, D.C., less than a month after President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration that allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help.

“Emergency repairs to the Potomac Interceptor are complete,” DC Water said Saturday. “Full flow has been restored and the C&O Canal has been fully drained as part of site restoration. Since Jan 19, crews worked around the clock to stabilize the site and protect the Potomac River.”

The declaration came after a sewage pipe interceptor ruptured on Jan. 19, releasing more than 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a disaster emergency over the Potomac sewage spill and requested federal assistance with the cleanup.

Trump said he was worried the Potomac River would still stink when America250 celebrations kick off this summer, according to the White House.

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The president had directed his ire toward Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other local leaders in Virginia and Washington, D.C., on the issue, claiming incompetence led to the disaster.

Moore and his office, however, pushed back on Trump’s assertions, claiming the federal government has oversight over the sewer utility.

“This is a Washington, D.C., pipe on federal land,” Moore told Fox News Digital last month. “Maryland has nothing to do with this. In fact, the only thing Maryland did was when we saw a neighbor who was in need. That’s why I ordered people, our people to go support them, and that’s what we’ve been doing the past month.”

“We’ve been doing essentially the federal government’s job because it’s the federal government’s job to be able to protect the Potomac interconnector because that’s federal land,” Moore said. “For the president now to come and attack me on this, I find that to be … absurd.”

The sewage pipes are managed by DC Water, an independent utility based in the District of Columbia.

A class action lawsuit was filed by a Virginia resident on March 6 that accused DC Water of negligence.

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The plaintiff, Nicholas Lailas, who is a recreational boater, is seeking compensation for people “whose property interests in and use and enjoyment of the Potomac River … have been impaired by Defendant’s conduct,” the lawsuit said.

He is seeking unspecified damages.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The Obama Foundation is looking for 100 unpaid volunteers to work alongside the former president’s highly paid cronies at the $850 million Obama Presidential Center in Chicago when it opens in June.

Officials are pitching the no-paycheck gigs as rooted in former President Barack Obama’s legacy of civic engagement. The recruitment campaign comes after Fox News Digital reported that the organization’s CEO, former top Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, earned $740,000 in 2024.

Foundation officials told Fox News Digital the volunteers will complement about 300 full- and part-time employees at the long-delayed center, which the organization is promoting as a $3.1 billion economic catalyst for the Windy City’s South Side.

The new program will see 75 to 100 volunteers, known as “ambassadors,” greet and direct visitors around the campus and share information about exhibits at the 22-story museum tower, athletic center and Chicago Public Library branch, among other amenities. It is expected to expand in the future. 

The foundation describes the volunteer program as a key component of its mission, saying volunteers represent its values both onsite and in the community.

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It is unclear what the salary range for those paid workers will be. However, the foundation’s most recent tax filings provide insight into compensation at the organization’s senior levels.

Federal filings viewed by Fox News Digital show Jarrett earned $740,000 in 2024, 2023 and 2022, while several former Obama White House officials have collected six-figure salaries as foundation executives.

Total salaries and benefits at the foundation climbed from $18.5 million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024 as staffing expanded to 337 employees and annual revenue reached nearly $210 million, according to the filings. The foundation’s main office is located in Chicago’s Hyde Park, where it runs leadership and community programs in the U.S. and abroad.

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Still, the foundation is looking to have a cohort of unpaid volunteers help out at the new presidential center. It’s common for presidential libraries, museums and nonprofit cultural institutions to employ unpaid volunteers.

“Volunteerism has been central to President Obama’s vision of civic life since his earliest days as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side,” the foundation said in a press release.

Jarrett, one of the Obamas’ closest advisors, said in a statement that the center will be “a place where the world meets the best of the city of Chicago, and our volunteers will help bring that vision to life every day.”

She became CEO in 2021 and is overseeing development of the 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park.

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The foundation has promoted the center as a catalyst for economic revitalization on Chicago’s South Side, citing $3.1 billion in projected economic activity over 10 years and 5,000 construction jobs tied to the $850 million campus. Those figures come from an economic assessment conducted by Deloitte Consulting LLP.

According to the foundation, more than 50% of construction contracts have been awarded to diverse firms, 33% of the construction workforce has come from South and West Side communities, and 798 residents have enrolled in construction pre-apprenticeship programs.

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The center is scheduled to open on Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Other former Obama administration officials have also earned substantial compensation at the foundation in past years, including former White House political director David Simas, who earned more than $600,000 annually while leading the organization from 2017 to 2020, and Adewale Adeyemo, who later became Biden’s deputy Treasury secretary and earned roughly $540,000 during his tenure. 

Several other senior leaders with Obama administration ties have earned between roughly $300,000 and $400,000 annually, according to tax filings.

Former Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema admitted to having an affair with her former bodyguard while in office and while he was still married — an admission that came by way of an explosive new court filing in the state of North Carolina, seeking to dismiss a so-called “homewrecker” lawsuit filed by the bodyguard’s estranged wife.

Sinema, who served in the Senate from 2019 to 2025, acknowledged the relationship with her former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, in a motion to dismiss the “alienation of affection” lawsuit filed in North Carolina by his estranged wife.

The complaint accused Sinema of engaging in “intentional and malicious interference” in Ammel’s marriage and sought $25,000 in damages from Sinema as a result of allegedly “willful and wanton” conduct. 

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Neither the motion to dismiss, nor the sworn declaration Sinema submitted to the court, seeks to dispute the nature of her affair with Ammel — described as both “romantic and intimate.”  

Rather, the filings argue that the case should be dropped because the communications in question occurred “exclusively outside” the boundaries of the Tar Heel state.

Combined, the new filings leave little to the imagination regarding the nature of the affair between Sinema and Ammel, which began in May 2024 in Sonoma, Calif., and involved months of phone calls, emails, and Signal messages, in addition to various romantic relations in cities across the U.S. cities.

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“I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me,” Sinema told Ammel in one Signal message, which she recalled was sent in June 2024 from Scottsdale, and received by Ammel while in Kansas.

That fall, another Signal exchange between the two was apparently interrupted by Ammel’s estranged wife. She allegedly responded to Sinema directly, stating: “Are you having an affair with my husband? You took a married man away from his family.”

Just six states, including North Carolina, still recognize “alienation of affection” lawsuits, though the ones that do still require the spouses to meet a difficult legal burden.

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In order to succeed in the lawsuit, plaintiffs in an “alienation of affection” lawsuit must prove to the court three things: First, that the marriage had real affection and a viable relationship before any third-party involvement; second, that the “love and affection” was destroyed, or significantly diminished; and finally, that the defendant directly “caused the destruction of that marital love and affection.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Sinema for comment.

Virginia’s Democratic senators aren’t budging from their position against funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without reforms, despite a deadly shooting involving a suspect with links to ISIS.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., have both consistently voted with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and their colleagues against the GOP’s attempts to reopen the agency in their push for stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Senate Republicans have warned of the necessity to reopen DHS out of concern about an increase in terrorist activity in the U.S. following Operation Epic Fury in Iran.

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That became a reality on Thursday when the FBI announced it was investigating the shooting at Old Dominion University, which left one person dead and two others wounded, as an act of terrorism after identifying the alleged shooter as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard who was convicted of supporting ISIS.

Kaine argued that Senate Democrats have repeatedly tried to reopen chunks of the agency, either through a bill that carved out funding for ICE and CBP or through standalone funding bills that Republicans have blocked.

“Senate Democrats have repeatedly moved to fund — and Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked — TSA, CISA, the Coast Guard and other entities within DHS that help keep us safe,” Kaine said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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Warner said in a statement to Fox News Digital that he was “heartbroken by the loss of Lt. Col. Brandon A. Shah” and lauded the Old Dominion University students who subdued Jalloh.

But he pointed the finger at FBI Director Kash Patel for playing a role in the incident and demanded that Patel “answer for how the FBI lost track of a known, convicted terrorist sympathizer who was then able to get his hands on a gun and murder an American citizen.”

“Following Director Patel’s mass firings of experienced FBI agents and counterterrorism experts, this tragedy emphasizes serious concerns about whether his leadership has left Americans more vulnerable to threats,” Warner said.

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Separately, the lawmakers panned ICE’s handling of Abdul Jalloh, who was charged with the murder of Virginia resident Stephanie Minter earlier this year.

When asked if Virginia counties should have cooperated with ICE to detain Jalloh, an illegal immigrant with a rap sheet of 30 arrests dating back to 2014, Kaine countered, “How about ICE cooperating with counties?”

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“ICE had this guy repeatedly and let him go,” Kaine said. “And so should counties do more? Yeah, but what about ICE? Why would ICE, beginning in, like, 2017, 2018 — and that was during Trump’s presidency — not take cases like this seriously?”

Warner called her murder a tragedy and said, “No one can doubt the fact that somebody who has been arrested 30 times should not be in this country.”

A U.S. judge in Boston on Friday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump from ordering colleges to collect and turn over detailed data on race and student admissions, delivering a near-term reprieve to 17 Democratic attorneys general who sued to block the policy from taking force. 

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, a George W. Bush appointee, issued a temporary restraining order Friday that blocked the administration from immediately ordering the detailed information from colleges and universities across the U.S.

Trump announced the new effort last August as part of a broader push from the administration to ensure universities were not using race as a factor for admissions, in accordance with a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that blocked so-called “race-conscious” admissions.

JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

The ruling forced many colleges to fundamentally alter their admissions process for the first time in decades. But Trump and some Republicans have criticized what they argue is a lack of compliance with the ruling, arguing that many universities have failed to adjust their admissions processes quickly or fully enough to comply. 

Trump’s August memo directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to require colleges to report more data to the federal government “to provide adequate transparency into admissions.”

EX-JUDGES BLAST TOP TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR DECLARING ‘WAR’ ON COURTS

As part of that effort, all universities that receive federal funding were ordered to submit to the Education Department race and gender admissions data dating back years, as well as information regarding the total undergraduate applicant pool and enrollment size. 

But the Democratic attorneys general who sued to block the policy argued this week that they had not been given enough time to compile the large amount of data — roughly seven years’ worth— required by the administration.

They also argued that the effort by the Trump administration is an attempt to turn the Education Department’s primary statistical agency, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), into a “mechanism for law enforcement and the furthering of partisan policy aims.”

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

Judge Saylor’s temporary order effectively extends the deadline by another 12 days, through March 25, to allow the court to consider the case made by the states, and to provide for an “orderly resolution of the issues,” according to the brief order.

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It was not immediately clear whether the Trump administration would appeal the order. Neither the Justice Department nor the Department of Education immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Democrats on Capitol Hill are accusing Republicans of walking away from attempts to shrink the size of a partial government shutdown that began on February 14, arguing that the impasse over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) doesn’t need to hold up funding for other agencies also tied to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

It’s a position that Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., believes his party has repeatedly made clear.

“We’re totally ready to fund FEMA, TSA, Coast Guard, other elements. But while ICE continues to misbehave, we need to make sure that there’s an agreement about their behavior. And the Republicans are holding the rest of DHS hostage,” Whitehouse said, listing the other agencies also tied to DHS.

“That’s on them,” he added.

SCHUMER, DEMS AGAIN BLOCK DHS FUNDING, FORCE STATE OF THE UNION SHOWDOWN

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, scoffed at what they view as Democratic calls to avoid the heart of the gridlock.

“That’s extremely hypocritical because we’ve already funded ICE,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, noting that the agency had already received allocations through Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill last year.

“So, the only thing they’re doing is hurting the air-traveling public through TSA. They’re hurting them and not accomplishing what they’re saying they’re trying to accomplish. It’s shameful,” Cornyn said.

DHS SHUTDOWN TRIGGERS TSA ‘EMERGENCY MEASURES’ AS LAWMAKER WARNS AIRPORTS COULD FEEL ECONOMIC PAIN

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., echoed Cornyn’s thinking, arguing that lawmakers should address DHS funding.

“All of Homeland Security needs to be funded. We’re not going to pick part of it not being funded. It’s making our country less safe,” Scott said.

The lapse in funding for DHS hit the one-month mark Saturday with no resolution in sight over the 10 operational reform demands Democrats have made regarding any funding for ICE.

SWALWELL PRESSED ON DEMOCRATS’ RESISTANCE TO FULLY FUNDING DHS AMID IRAN THREAT

Among others, Democrats are demanding a ban on masks for ICE agents, an end to roaming patrols, stiffer warrant requirements and visible identification markings. Their demands came about in the wake of the deaths of two civilians in Minnesota who lost their lives in escalated confrontations with immigration enforcement.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said it was squarely on the Trump administration to make those incidents more unlikely in the future.

“Trump has a responsibility to put safeguards around a corrupt agency that is endangering the constitutional privileges of everybody,” Markey said.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS VOTE TO CONTINUE DHS SHUTDOWN DESPITE IRAN THREAT, NOEM’S OUSTER

Without those demands, Democrats say there’s no way to press on towards funding ICE.

“Frankly, we have a simple menu of fixes to ensure that ICE and CBP follow the same standards as state and local law enforcement. We get agreement on that we can move ahead,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told Fox News Digital.

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Republicans maintain the demands would handcuff President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown efforts.

Republicans can’t advance funding legislation in the Senate without the help of at least 7 Democrats. Republicans hold 53 seats in the chamber and need 60 votes to break the threat of a filibuster.

Four suspected terror attacks have taken place in the United States since the Department of Homeland Security was defunded in a partial government shutdown last month, including one in the state of Michigan where Fox News Digital reached out to all the major Senate candidates if they support funding DHS.

Republican Mike Rogers, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, says he would be a “Yes” vote to re-open DHS and told Fox News Digital in an interview that “we needed all hands on deck” when the United States engaged in “defanging Iran” through military action and that a “life might depend on it.”

“This was an opportunity to have our law enforcement officers from immigration, from making sure that the Coast Guard’s up, the TSA is getting paid. This was an opportunity to stand up for America,” Rogers said. “It’s crazy to me that the Democrats just turned their back on safety and security of American citizens. They just turned their backs for some political purpose that they think is going to gain them votes in the fall. I’m disgusted by it. This is no time to play politics with people’s safety, and they’re doing it.”

Senate Democrats have voted four times over the past month to block Homeland Security funding because the bills include funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Democrats say reforms are needed at those two DHS agencies following the fatal shootings earlier this year by federal immigration agents of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota who were protesting the Trump administration’s unprecedented illegal immigration crackdown.

‘YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT’: TEMPERS FLARE IN SENATE AS DHS SHUTDOWN DEBATE ERUPTS, STALEMATE DIGS DEEPER

Two Democrats, Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters, are currently representing the state of Michigan in the U.S. Senate and both have so far voiced opposition to re-opening DHS. 

The three top Democrats running in the August 4 primary to replace the retiring Peters struck a different tone than Rogers when contacted by Fox News Digital about their support of funding DHS. 

Progressive Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed by Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, did not specify how he would vote on DHS funding but told Fox News Digital that “if the Trump administration were serious about keeping Americans safe from terror, they would not be funding ICE at a level higher than the FBI, cutting counterterrorism funding, or keeping the FBI from informing local law enforcement about terror threats that emerge from their illegal and unjustified war.”

“Let’s not confuse issues.” 

The other two top Democrats in the race, Mallory McMorrow and Haley Stevens, did not respond to requests for comment. 

TRUMP SAYS ‘WE’VE GOT OUR EYES ON’ IRANIAN SLEEPER CELLS IN US

On Thursday, as Democrats and Republicans clashed in Washington, D.C. over funding DHS, two separate attacks suspected of being related to terrorism or religious ideology occurred in the United States. 

In Virginia, 36-year-old Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard soldier convicted of supporting ISIS, reportedly shouted, “Allahu Akbar” as he opened fire inside Old Dominion University, killing devoted ROTC instructor Lt. Col. Brandon Shah and injuring two others.

In Michigan, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, allegedly rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel, a large Reform synagogue in West Bloomfield, and opened fire at security guards with a rifle, authorities said. Armed security returned fire and shot him dead.

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Those attacks came shortly after 53-year-old Senegal-born Ndiaga Diagne killed three people after allegedly opening fire outside a bar in Austin, Texas while wearing a shirt that said “property of Allah.” 

Not long after that, in New York City, two suspects were arrested after allegedly throwing improvised explosive devices near Gracie Mansion during a protest, with one reportedly telling authorities he was inspired by ISIS. 

Republicans face high hurdles as they defend their razor-thin control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, but the Senate GOP campaign chair says he remains “incredibly optimistic” his party can not only hold but expand its current 53–47 majority.

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 amid persistent inflation and President Donald Trump‘s underwater approval ratings.

“There’s no doubt the climate has gotten more and more difficult by the day, it seems like at times,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott said in a recent Fox News Digital interview.

But he added, “The good news is we have a president who made promises, he’s been keeping those promises, and we have been able to recruit the highest quality candidates anyone could want in every single battleground state.”

WHAT THE SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHIEF TOLD FOX NEWS

The NRSC chair told Fox News Digital in December 2025 that in the battle for the majority, “54 is clearly within our grasp right now, but with a little bit of luck, 55 is on our side.”

Asked again a week ago, Scott said, “I think we have a possibility of more than 53 seats.”

STRATEGY SESSION: TRUMP TEAM HUDDLES ON MIDTERM MESSAGING 

Scott’s rival, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Fox News Digital in January that “President Trump is creating a toxic agenda that’s harming people.”

And Gillibrand emphasized she’s “optimistic that we have a shot to take back the majority.”

Here’s a look at the top 10 Senate seats that could flip in the midterms.

MAINE

Longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins is the only Republican senator running for re-election this year in a state that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in her 2024 presidential election defeat to Trump.

And Collins has seen a deterioration of her poll numbers among Mainers from her last re-election six years ago.

But Collins, who has long been a top target of the rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has proven impossible to beat, to date.

Complicating the Democrats’ push to flip the seat is a competitive primary between two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who has the tacit backing of longtime Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and the DSCC, and veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, who is running to the left of the governor and who is backed by progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

NORTH CAROLINA

Republicans are defending an open seat in the southeastern battleground state, with GOP Sen. Thom Tillis retiring at the end of 2026. 

Democrats landed their top recruit when former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper launched a Senate campaign in summer 2025. Cooper enjoys tons of name ID in North Carolina and is 6–0 when running statewide races.

Republicans are rallying around former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley, who has the president’s backing.

The race is expected to be one of the most expensive and competitive Senate showdowns this year.

OHIO

Democrats scored another major recruiting victory when former longtime Sen. Sherrod Brown announced he would challenge Republican Sen. Jon Husted.

A former lieutenant governor, Husted was appointed to the Senate a year ago after then-Sen. JD Vance stepped down to serve as vice president.

Ohio, once a premiere general election battleground, has turned red over the past decade, and Democrats view Brown as their only competitive candidate in the race to serve the final two years of Vance’s term.

Brown lost re-election in 2024 by roughly four points while Trump carried Ohio by 11 points.

Similar to North Carolina, the showdown is expected to be very expensive and competitive.

ALASKA

Democrats were given a big boost in the red-leaning state when former Rep. Mary Peltola announced in February that she would challenge GOP incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Peltola lost re-election 15 months ago in the at-large district that covers the entire state by three points, while Trump carried Alaska by 11 points.

IOWA

Republicans are defending an open seat in Iowa, a onetime swing state that’s shifted to the right over the past decade.

But the GOP has rallied around Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is backed by Trump, in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.

Hinson, a former local TV news anchor who flipped a Democratic-held seat in 2020, is seen as a rising star in the party.

Democrats have a contested primary that includes state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian, state Sen. Zach Wahls and military veteran Nathan Sage.

TEXAS

Longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is in the middle of a competitive and combustible GOP nomination runoff battle against state Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton.

Trump, to date, has stayed neutral in the runoff, which will be held in late May.

Cornyn enjoys the backing of Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the NRSC, which worries that the seat would be vulnerable if Paxton, who has plenty of political baggage, wins the primary.

The Democrats, who are eyeing the seat in the right-leaning state, nominated state Rep. James Talarico, a rising star in the party.

MICHIGAN

Republicans are optimistic they can flip a seat in the Great Lakes battleground, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring.

The GOP, led by Trump, has coalesced around former Rep. Mike Rogers, who lost an extremely close Senate race in 2024 even as Trump won Michigan by one point.

The Democratic primary is a three-way race between center-left Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, a self-described “pragmatist,” and progressive physician Abdul El-Sayed, who is backed by Sanders.

The primary already has exposed divisions on the future of the state’s manufacturing sector and support for Israel, and the nominee won’t be decided until August.

GEORGIA

Republicans view first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democratic senator seeking re-election in the midterms.

The aim was to paint Ossoff, the only Senate Democrat running for re-election in a state Trump won in 2024, as a far-left progressive.

But ousting Ossoff won’t be easy, in part because the senator’s robust fundraising has built a massive war chest.

And Republicans are in the middle of an ugly three-way between Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who has the backing of term-limited popular, conservative Gov. Brian Kemp.

Trump has remained neutral, to date, ahead of the May primary. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Republicans are hoping to flip the long-held Democratic Senate seat in New England’s only swing state, thanks to the retirement of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the first woman in the nation’s history to be elected governor and senator.

While most Democrats are rallying around four-term Rep. Chris Pappas, there’s a spirited primary on the Republican side between two former senators seeking a return to Capitol Hill. Former Sen. John E. Sununu, an older brother to former Gov. Chris Sununu, has the backing of the president. But Trump’s first-term ambassador to New Zealand, former Sen. Scott Brown, remains in the race.

Republicans are trying to break their 16-year losing streak in U.S. Senate elections in the Granite State.

MINNESOTA

The retirement of Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is giving the GOP hopes they can flip the seat in the blue-leaning state.

And the NRSC landed what they say is a top-tier recruit in former NBC sports reporter turned conservative pundit and activist Michele Tafoya.

Tafoya is part of a crowded GOP field that also includes 2024 Senate nominee Royce White, a former NBA basketball player; retired U.S. Navy officer Tom Weiler, a 2022 GOP congressional nominee; former state Senator David Hann and former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze.

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Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flannagan, a progressive, is facing off against more moderate Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, who appears to have the backing of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in the race for their party’s nomination.

Jurors delivered a mixed verdict Friday in the federal trial of nine people accused of carrying out a 2025 “ambush” attack on an ICE detention facility in North Texas.

Nine defendants accused of being part of a North Texas “Antifa cell” were convicted by a federal jury in Fort Worth for their roles in the July 4, 2025, attack on the Prairieland ICE Detention Center, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Jurors delivered the verdict around 2:30 p.m. Friday at the federal courthouse in Fort Worth following roughly a day and a half of deliberations, FOX 4 News reported.

“The guilty verdicts in today’s case go to show this FBI’s 24/7 commitment to identifying, locating, and dismantling ANTIFA members and their networks,” Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. “I want to thank our Dallas field office and great partners for delivering justice. If you attack federal law enforcement this FBI will use every resource at our disposal to hunt you down.”

FEDERAL AGENTS DEPLOY TEAR GAS, RUBBER BULLETS ON PROTESTERS OUTSIDE MINNEAPOLIS FEDERAL BUILDING

During the 12-day trial, which began Feb. 23, 2026, jurors heard testimony from more than 45 witnesses and reviewed over 210 exhibits tied to the charges against the nine defendants, the DOJ said.

Benjamin Song was convicted of the most serious charge — attempted murder — for shooting Alvarado Police Lt. Thomas Gross, according to FOX 4.

All but one of the nine defendants — Daniel Estrada — were found guilty of providing material support to terrorists, rioting, conspiring to use and carry explosives, and using explosives during a riot, FOX 4 reported.

ICE RE-ARRESTS TWO VENEZUELAN MEN AFTER FEDERAL JUDGE’S RELEASE ORDER

Daniel Estrada, who was not present the night of the incident, was convicted of concealing records and conspiracy to conceal documents, according to FOX 4.

Maricela Rueda was also convicted of conspiracy to conceal documents.

“Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that has been allowed to flourish in Democrat-led cities — not under President Trump,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “Today’s verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles Antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.”

LEFT INSISTS ANTIFA ISN’T A REAL ORGANIZATION DESPITE MULTIPLE VIOLENT, PUBLIC INCIDENTS: ‘MADE UP’

Authorities say the July 4, 2025, attack outside the Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado involved fireworks, damage to buildings and vehicles, and gunfire directed at officers. 

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Prosecutors argued the attack was orchestrated by Song and carried out by members of a North Texas Antifa cell, FOX 4 reported.

Defense attorneys argued there was no ambush and said the defendants did not intend for any violence to occur.

“The calculated, violent attack at ICE’s Prairieland facility was an abhorrent way for antifa terrorists to ‘protest’ the way this agency enforces the law — but these verdicts make clear that those who choose violence over lawful expression will face the full force of the American justice system,” ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. had carried out a bombing raid on Iran’s Kharg Island, a strategically vital island in the Persian Gulf that serves as the country’s largest oil terminal and a crucial hub for its crude exports.

“Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The island, located roughly 35 miles off Iran’s Bushehr province in the country’s southwest, is about the size of New York City’s Central Park but carries huge importance for Iran’s economy.

It has a loading capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass through it. Most of those exports are shipped to China and India, underscoring the island’s importance not only to Iran’s energy trade but also to broader global oil markets.

BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS A RARE LOOK AT DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN

That makes Kharg Island one of Iran’s most sensitive and strategically important pieces of infrastructure. Any military action there could have consequences well beyond Iran, raising the risk of disruptions to crude flows, shipping traffic and energy prices across the region.

Trump said the U.S. had deliberately avoided targeting the island’s oil infrastructure, while warning that could change if Iran moved to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Our Weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” Trump added.

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

The latest revelation comes as the widening conflict in the Middle East rattles global energy markets and raises fresh fears about the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil choke point.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and about one-fifth of the global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). When conflict flares in the region, even the threat of disruption can rattle markets because so much of the world’s energy moves through that single corridor.

That threat is already rippling through energy markets.

This week, benchmark oil prices punched back above $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022, underscoring how quickly geopolitical shocks can ripple through the energy complex.

That jump is showing up at the pump. As oil prices climb, gasoline and diesel prices are rising fast — especially diesel, which can move quickly because it’s tied closely to freight and industrial demand.

On Friday, the national average for regular gasoline rose to about $3.63 a gallon, according to AAA.  Diesel prices have also jumped, with the national average up $1.23 to $4.89 a gallon.

As energy costs accelerate, the White House is weighing steps to safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and leaning on emergency stockpiles to cushion the blow.

Before boarding Air Force One for Mar-a-Lago late Friday, Trump told reporters the U.S. Navy may start escorting tankers through the Strait “very soon.”

Asked about the risk of disruptions, Trump said Monday evening he would keep the route open and threatened retaliation if Iran tried to interfere.

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“I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply. And if Iran does anything to do that, they’ll get hit at a much, much harder level,” Trump said during a news conference in Florida.

“In the long run, oil supplies will be dramatically more secure without the threat of Iranian ships, drones, missiles,” he added.

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., announced plans Thursday to introduce legislation allowing the U.S. to denaturalize and deport naturalized citizens who commit or support terrorism after a recent string of attacks involving immigrants who obtained citizenship.

On Thursday, Moore called out the “horrific pattern” of naturalized citizens committing acts of terror against the American people, saying it “must end.”

Moore announced he will be introducing a bill in Congress to denaturalize and deport any naturalized citizen who commits an act of terror, plots to unleash terror, joins a terrorist group or otherwise aids and abets terrorism.

Almost immediately, Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., vowed to support the bill.

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY ROTC CADETS DISARM ISIS SUPPORTER SHOUTING ‘ALLAHU AKBAR’ DURING SHOOTING: OFFICIALS

This week, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon, allegedly attempted to ram his vehicle into a Michigan synagogue filled with children and teachers. The same day at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a naturalized citizen from Sierra Leone, opened fire on a class of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students, killing Lt. Col. Brandon Shah.

Days before, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, the children of naturalized citizens from Turkey and Afghanistan, allegedly attempted to bomb an anti-Islam demonstration outside the mayor’s mansion in New York City. At the start of the month, Senegalese-born naturalized citizen Ndiaga Diagne killed three people and injured over a dozen in a shooting in Austin.

After this week’s attacks, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., renewed his call to pass another bill known as the Stop Citizenship Abuse and Misrepresentation (SCAM) Act. 

Schmitt is the Senate sponsor of the bill, which, if passed, would expand and clarify grounds for denaturalization if an individual participates in fraud against a government program, joins a terrorist organization or is convicted of an aggravated felony or espionage. 

The bill was introduced in the House in January by Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., amid widespread outrage over the rampant Medicaid and children’s services fraud scandal, which heavily involved the Somali immigrant community.

TRUMP WARNS OF IRANIAN ‘SLEEPER CELLS’ AS CANADA IS ACCUSED OF HARBORING REGIME OPERATIVES

On Thursday, Schmitt posted on X that “after the SAVE America Act, we must pass the SCAM Act so we can denaturalize & deport those who are here to hurt Americans. We must denaturalize those who shouldn’t be here.”

Under current laws, the U.S. government may strip citizenship from a naturalized individual only in very limited circumstances, such as when it was obtained through fraud. There is also a very high standard of proof on the government to show that fraud occurred during the process of obtaining citizenship.

The SCAM Act, however, would expand the government’s ability to denaturalize, allowing it to revoke citizenship from a person who engages in terrorism, commits fraud, commits espionage or commits felonies within 10 years of becoming a citizen.

WE’RE IN DANGER OF MORE TERROR ATTACKS — AND THIS IS THE MOST INDEFENSIBLE PART OF IT ALL: SEN TED CRUZ

In another post, Schmitt emphasized “we need to give the Trump admin the SCAM Act. Under current law, it is practically impossible to denaturalize these terrorists.”

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He said the SCAM Act “will allow the Trump admin to denaturalize and deport those who should never have been granted citizenship in the first place.”

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Vice President JD Vance hinted California may be targeted next with major fraud investigations and revealed that fraud discovered in the Minneapolis area has “probably been $19 billion at least” since the administration began investigating in the Twin Cities.  

In January, Vance announced an interagency task force within the Department of Justice that specifically targets fraud, and reports suggest the vice president will soon lead a new task force established through a Trump executive order. 

“We know there’s a lot of fraud in California, and we’re trying to get to the bottom of exactly what it looks like and what we’ve done in the Trump administration,” Vance said in response to a question by Fox News Digital. 

He took questions after a speech Friday afternoon at the Power House event center that focused on the economy, public safety and election integrity. 

COMER TO SAY TIM WALZ ‘ENABLED FRAUD,’ FAILED WHISTLEBLOWERS IN BOMBSHELL MINNESOTA HEARING

“And the president has really empowered us to do this, is to take the first national look at the way the American people have been defrauded over many, many years,” Vance added. 

In January, President Donald Trump was critical of California, announcing the “fraud investigation of California has begun” and saying the state was “more corrupt than Minnesota.”

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom defended the Golden State’s fraud protection in February, saying that California’s Franchise Tax Board has blocked billions in fraud in recent years.

“In the actual world where adults govern, Gavin Newsom has been cleaning house,” a spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital. “Since taking office, he’s blocked over $125 billion in fraud, arrested criminal parasites leaching off of taxpayers and protected taxpayers from the exact kind of scam artists Trump celebrates, excuses and pardons.

“Gavin Newsom runs a state,” the spokesperson added. “Donald Trump runs his mouth. Again and again, we’ve shown that the programs they are attempting to call out are programs the federal government is administering, not the state. We suggest they get their house in order.”

Vance on Friday pointed to fraud that has occurred in Minnesota, telling Fox News Digital and reporters that taxpayer dollars are footing the bill for the illegal misuse of funds.

JD VANCE SPEARHEADS ‘WAR ON FRAUD,’ PROMISES TO ROOT OUT TAXPAYER MONEY ‘STOLEN’ BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

“You asked about Minnesota, [and] we think that there’s probably been $19 billion at least to fraud just committed in Minneapolis in the surrounding areas,” Vance explained. “Let me give you an example of this because it’s not just the American people being defrauded. It’s not just your tax dollars that are being stolen out of your wallet and given to fraudsters.

“It’s the fact that the services we need to deliver to needy people are not getting delivered because they’re going to fraudsters.”

Federal investigators in Minnesota launched a probe in 2022 into the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which prosecutors later identified as a key player in what became one of the largest COVID-19 relief fraud cases uncovered.

REPORT EXPOSES BILLIONS IN UNCOVERED FRAUD, WASTE AS WATCHDOG COALITION OFFERS SUPPORT TO TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN

As the investigation progressed, authorities said they uncovered roughly $250 million in fraudulent claims, with 78 people ultimately charged in the alleged scheme.

Prosecutors have also suggested the broader fraud linked to related programs could total as much as $9 billion.

Independent journalist Nick Shirley took to the streets of Minneapolis in late December 2025 and discovered one organization that claimed to be a type of daycare, where the word “learning” was misspelled on the front door of the business. 

Vance poked fun at the organization, which has since shut its doors, during his response to Fox News Digital reporter’s question Friday.

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“When you have a Somali fraudster come into the United States illegally and then set up a school to collect tax dollars, and the name of the school is the Quality Learning Center, but when they put the sign up, they take the ‘n’ out. So, it says ‘Quality Learing Center,’” Vance explained.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to send my kids to a school where they can’t spell ‘learn.’ That group was getting millions of dollars from the American taxpayer.”

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Vice President JD Vance traveled to North Carolina and hosted an event Friday to tout the economy, advocate for Republicans to win elections in the Tar Heel State, and touch on the situation in Iran.  

Vance was also joined by former RNC chairman and GOP Senate nominee Michael Whatley and Small Business Association Administrator Kelly Loeffler at a local event space.

“In just a very brief time, we’ve seen new home purchases rise to their highest level in five years,” Vance said. “Since the last time Donald Trump was president, we’ve seen the cost of rents drop for six months in a row.” 

“We’ve seen the average tax refund that’s going to come to the people of North Carolina, about $3,700 per family,” Vance added. “And we see interest rates that are the lowest they’ve been since the last time that Donald J. Trump was president.”

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Vance was introduced by Loeffler, the former Georgia senator whom Trump appointed to lead small business advocacy as head of the SBA last February. 

“Together, we’re cleaning up massive, wasteful spending and the abuse of government programs,” Loeffler told the audience. “And you’ve seen that the fraud that sent your hard-earned tax dollars overseas and the Democrats open borders, defund the police agendas that invited violent crime into what should be safe communities, taking the lives of innocent victims like arenas.”

Vance addressed the situation in Iran, both to the crowd and in response to a question posed by an AP reporter. The vice president pointed to nuclear capability in Iran as the primary reason for the U.S. engagement.

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“You all know that right now, we are engaged in a military operation to ensure, as the president has said repeatedly, that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “That is a simple, simple principle and standard. Frankly, every president. Has taken affirmative steps to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”

When asked what he advised the president before strikes began in Iran, Vance said he wasn’t giving out information from classified briefings in the situation room.

“I’m not going to show up here and in front of God and everybody else, tell you exactly what I said in that classified room, partially because I don’t want to go to prison, and partially because I think it’s important for the President of the United States to be able to talk to his advisers without those advisers running their mouth to the American media,” Vance explained.

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Vance also strongly advocated for Whatley’s campaign for senate, slamming his Democrat opponent and pushing for the GOP candidate in what will be a contentious and competitive election in November. 

Whatley won the GOP primary in North Carolina to fill retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ seat, and now faces former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in the general election. 

“Roy Cooper is one of these people who clearly cares way more for foreign countries than he does the United States of America,” Vance said. “You see the passion in his voice when he talks about protecting illegal aliens. You’ll never hear that passion when he’s talking about the people in this room.”

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“You hear the passion in his voice when he talks about sending hundreds of billions of dollars to the war in Ukraine,” the vice president added. 

A spokesperson for Cooper responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, blasting Whatley and denying claims he protects criminals. 

“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough on crime laws and stricter pretrial release bail policy as governor,” the spokesperson told Fox. “DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley is desperate to distract from his support for hundreds of millions in cuts to local law enforcement and public safety efforts that keep North Carolinians safe.”

Vance concluded the event after answering a question from Fox News Digital regarding progress made by a fraud task force that was launched in January under the Department of Justice and individual states he was planning to target, in addition to Minnesota.

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“We know there’s a lot of fraud in California, and we’re trying to get to the bottom of exactly what it looks like and what we’ve done in the Trump administration,” Vance said. “And the president has really empowered us to do this, is to take the first national look at the way the American people have been defrauded over many, many years.”

The vice president revealed that there was “at least” $19 billion in fraud uncovered in Minneapolis and the surrounding area under the Trump administration. 

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

The top executive of a public relations and political consulting firm who is married to a former top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson, is demanding an apology from Senate Democrats for allegations he used his wife to improperly secure lucrative contracts from the agency.

In a letter Thursday addressed to Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Benjamin Yoho took aim at a figure mentioned by Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., claiming his company, The Strategy Group for Media, had secured $143 million in subcontracts.

Yoho clarified that The Strategy Group for Media had been hired for media work at DHS, but not to the degree Schiff had outlined.

“We provided limited production services, for which we received $226,137.17 for video and audio production, a sum representing approximately one-tenth of one percent of the contract value [Schiff] referenced,” Yoho wrote in his letter.

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He also noted that the services didn’t directly go to DHS.

“The facts are The Strategy Group for Media was hired by Safe America Media LLC to serve as a subcontractor to them for production work,” Yoho explained, referring to a separate company partnering with the agency.

Yoho is married to Tricia McLaughlin, the former assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS who left her job last month.

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The pair’s connection to DHS came under scrutiny in the Senate when former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was probed by lawmakers about a $220 million ad campaign she had used to highlight the agency’s work. Democrats like Schiff hinted that some of that $220 million figure had ended up lining the pockets of those with close ties to the agency.

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“This statement is factually incorrect, and I respectfully request that you have your colleague correct the official record and issue an apology,” Yoho wrote.

Noem was removed as head of DHS shortly after President Donald Trump learned she told senators that he had approved the $220 million DHS ad campaign that featured her prominently throughout. 

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Reports surfaced after the hearings saying that Trump was “furious” with Noem over her performance in bicameral Judiciary Committee hearings earlier this month, particularly over a contract for an advertisement that Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., and others grilled her on.

Trump reportedly took issue with her suggesting to Kennedy that Trump approved a taxpayer-funded ad subcontracted to a firm connected with her inner circle, according to National Review.

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; and Peter Welch, D-Vt., for comment.

The Cuban government is in talks with Trump administration officials, the country’s president said Friday, as Havana works to halt a potential regime change as it deals with a widening energy crisis. 

In a 90-minute news conference broadcast by state media, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said talks with Washington were aimed at finding solutions to the political differences that divide the communist island and the United States, The New York Times reported. 

However, changes to Cuba’s political system are off limits, Lianys Torres Rivera, Cuba’s chief of mission in the United States, told Politico in an interview.

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Cuba’s economy has struggled since the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from his home in Caracas at the start of the year. The Trump administration immediately cut off oil exports to the island.

A number of key sectors across the island are under considerable strain, including its transportation, health and education systems, Torres Rivera said. She noted that as many as 11,000 children are on waiting lists for surgeries and procedures at health clinics.

“They have no money. They have no anything right now,” President Donald Trump said in February. “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”

Trump has said a deal with Havana “would be very easily made.”

In January, Trump declared a national emergency via an executive order over Cuba, accusing the communist regime of aligning with hostile foreign powers and terrorist groups.

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Last week, he said Cuba was “negotiating with [Secretary of State] Marco [Rubio] and myself and some others. And I would think a deal would be made very easily with Cuba.”

Trump has charged Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and someone who has actively championed regime change, with negotiations with Cuba. 

Friday was the first time the Cuban government formally acknowledged talks with Washington. 

Amid talks, Rubio’s main counterpart has been Raúl Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of Raul Castro, the island’s de facto leader and its former president. 

Díaz-Canel said the talks with the United States were needed, in part, “to determine the willingness of both sides to take concrete actions,” the Times reported. 

He added that he would soon welcome an FBI team to take part in the investigation into 10 Cubans who lived in the United States who got into a firefight with the Cuban coast guard last month. 

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“Agendas are built, negotiations and conversations take place and agreements are reached. Things we are still far from because we are in the initial phases of this process,” Díaz-Canel said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. 

Ric Grenell’s successor as the president of the Trump Kennedy Center was revealed Friday afternoon after President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to make the announcement.

The change will officially be announced on Monday as the Trump Kennedy Center’s board meets to officially suspend its activities and launch construction efforts.

Grenell, who has a background in foreign policy and assumed control of the center in February of last year in addition to his special envoy role, is being replaced by Matt Floca, the Trump Kennedy Center’s current vice president of facilities operations.

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A person familiar with Grenell’s thinking said the transition was a result of the construction-focused shift for the organization and consistent with plans President Donald Trump outlined in posts to social media at the beginning of February.

“I have determined that the fastest way to bring the Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of success, beauty and grandeur is to cease entertainment operations for an approximately two-year period of time,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social last month.

The source added that the change in the Trump Kennedy Center’s leadership is reflective of the organization’s focus for the time being.

“I mean the whole thing is turning into a construction zone,” the source said. “It’s going to be a construction zone and [Ric is] not a construction guy.”

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Trump also highlighted Floca’s new appointment online.

“As Vice President of Operations, Matt has helped us achieve tremendous progress in bringing the Center to the highest level of Excellence! A Complete Reconstruction of THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER will begin after the July 4th Celebration,” Trump wrote.

He went on to praise Grenell’s performance in the executive role, saying, “Ric Grenell has done an excellent job in helping to coordinate various elements of the Center during the transition period, and I want to thank him for the outstanding work he has done.” 

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The renovations are slated to cost $257 million, according to figures approved by Congress in Trump’s signature Big Beautiful Bill last year.

Grenell declined to respond to inquiries about what his next role would be.