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California Gov. Gavin Newsom ripped outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over her controversial ad campaign and demanded the agency immediately release more than $500 million in stalled FEMA funding for Los Angeles wildfire recovery.

Newsom, in a statement, labeled Noem “Kosplay Barbie” and accused her of prioritizing a $220 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign featuring herself over disaster relief for fire-ravaged communities.

“While Kristi Noem poured $220 million of taxpayer money into a political ad campaign featuring herself on horseback, more than $500 million in FEMA funding for LA fire recovery sat stalled on her desk,” Newsom said in a statement alongside a still photo of Noem riding a horse from the widely publicized ad.

“Families in Los Angeles shouldn’t have to wait while she and Donald Trump play politics. Release the funding now and redirect those dollars to help communities rebuild.”

The Los Angeles wildfires burned for weeks in early 2025, destroying thousands of homes across areas including Pacific Palisades and Altadena and causing tens of billions of dollars in estimated damage.

Newsom’s office said DHS under Noem required her personal sign-off on every department contract, grant or disaster award exceeding $100,000, including FEMA public assistance and hazard mitigation grants. The governor said the policy created a backlog of awards that had already been vetted, awaiting final approval.

According to Newsom’s office, more than $500 million tied to Los Angeles fire recovery remains stalled, along with roughly $94 million in hazard mitigation funding for the region. Those funds typically support rebuilding schools, repairing roads and strengthening infrastructure against future disasters.

KRISTI NOEM’S FIRING FAILS TO SWAY DEMOCRATS AS DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON

The delays are affecting rebuilding efforts in canyon and foothill neighborhoods, including areas above Pasadena and Altadena, where damaged park facilities, fenced-off trailheads and temporary road repairs remain in place while local agencies await federal reimbursement, his office said.

President Donald Trump cut short Noem’s tenure at the Department of Homeland Security after weeks of internal turmoil and named her “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” a newly created role he described as part of a broader Western Hemisphere security initiative. The White House has not yet detailed the scope of the position.

Noem was removed as the nation’s immigration chief after a turbulent stretch marked by internal clashes and two contentious congressional hearings where even some Republicans pressed her over alleged leadership missteps, including the ad campaign, which she said the president had signed off on.

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Trump announced on Truth Social that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will replace her effective March 31, while Noem shifts to the newly created envoy role, which the president said he will detail this weekend.

Fox News’ Charles Creitz and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

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Debate on Capitol Hill continues to rage over whether President Donald Trump started a “war” with the strikes he carried out against Iran last weekend, a key consideration for whether the president must look to Congress for authority to continue Operation Epic Fury.

Where Republicans see a narrowly-tailored attack designed to prevent a U.S. adversary from securing nuclear capabilities, Democrats see a conflict that could easily spill into a broader conflict.

“Congress is not supposed to be an after-the-fact spectator, the Constitution makes plain,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital.

“President Trump has not said, like in Venezuela, ‘this is a police operation,’ that it’s ‘an arrest,’” Kaine said, comparing the strikes to the January capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Democrats like Kaine have blasted Trump for dragging the U.S. into a conflict that, in their view, looks a lot like a war — something only Congress has the power to declare. It is that determination that makes them believe lawmakers should use the War Powers Act of 1973 to curb Trump’s powers in Iran.

That law prevents the president from continuing hostilities against a foreign power that extends past 60 days.

Republicans like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., see no reason to invoke the War Powers Act, given the scope of the current conflict.

A measure to kill a Democrat-led war powers resolution aimed at handcuffing Trump’s military operations in Iran passed on Wednesday in a 53-47 Senate vote.

“I mean, even if you disagree with this, I just don’t think you can dispute [that] they’re complying with the statute. The president has the authority under Article II to do what he has done so far,” Hawley said, referring to the Constitution’s military power granted to the country’s commander in chief.

Last Saturday, the U.S. conducted a series of strikes in collaboration with Israel, targeting the country’s military leadership and killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Trump administration has framed the attack as a necessary campaign to halt Iran’s work towards obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Although Hawley supports the administration’s work so far, he has a firm red line in mind for where the conflict would require Congressional say-so.

“Ground troops would be a different deal,” Hawley said. “But [Trump] just said, ‘We’re not going to do ground troops,’ so, I just say to my Democrat friends — I think they’re just looking for something to vote against the president on.”

REPUBLICANS HAND TRUMP THE WHEEL ON IRAN — BUT ONE RED LINE EMERGES

Democrats remain unconvinced.

Some Democrats noted that the language the administration has used suggests it views the conflict as something more than isolated strikes.

“The president and the secretary of state have called it a war. So have the generals. If we’re at war, Congress has to provide authorization,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.

Other Democrats, like Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., attacked the administration’s stated reason for the attack.

“There was no imminent threat to the United States. There were threats to Israel, but in terms of an imminent threat, there was not one.  Consequently, this is the president’s war of choice,” Warner said.

NIKKI HALEY SLAMS DEMOCRATS WHO SAY IRANIAN REGIME ‘WAS NO THREAT TO AMERICA’: ‘ABSURD’

“You have to come before Congress,” Warner added.

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To Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the consideration should deal less with technicalities and more with consideration of the cost that could come with Trump’s attacks.

“The American people make the decision on going to war because it’s their sons and daughters that will lose their lives. I still think that’s the case, regardless of who the president might be,” Durbin said.

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President Donald Trump cut short Kristi Noem’s tenure at the Department of Homeland Security after weeks of internal turmoil. Now headed to a new envoy post, the onetime conservative star faces a pressing question: Can she stage a political comeback?

Noem was fired as the nation’s immigration chief after a turbulent stretch marked by internal clashes and two contentious congressional hearings where even some Republicans pressed her over leadership missteps. Trump announced on Truth Social that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will replace her effective March 31, while Noem shifts to a newly created envoy role the president says he’ll detail this weekend.

An administration source told Fox News “it was time” to move on from Noem, citing internal feuding, staff mismanagement and controversies — including a $200 million ad campaign and fallout in Minnesota — that “overshadowed” Trump’s immigration agenda.

“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the source said. 

Trump said Noem will be named “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a newly created role he described as part of a broader Western Hemisphere security initiative. The White House has not yet detailed the scope of the position.

The reassignment comes as speculation grows in South Dakota over whether Noem could mount a primary challenge against Sen. Mike Rounds in 2026 — a move that would test whether her standing with Trump and GOP voters has truly eroded. 

Rounds, who is seeking a third term, secured Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” last year and is backed by Senate Republican leadership — a formidable barrier to any challenger. “He will never let you down,” Trump wrote in his endorsement, calling Rounds an “America First Patriot.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Rounds’ office for comment.

Noem would enter any race with statewide name recognition and a deep political network, having served eight years in Congress before winning two terms as governor.

But some Republican operatives question whether her abrupt exit from DHS weakened her standing within Trump’s inner circle at a critical political moment. One GOP strategist involved in Senate races, who acknowledged that Noem was once a MAGA rock star, described a potential Senate bid at this time as a “suicide mission.”

The clock is already ticking. South Dakota’s filing deadline is March 31 at 5 p.m. CT, and candidates must gather roughly 2,200 petition signatures in just over three weeks to qualify for a June 2 primary. 

NOEM SLAMS DEMS BLOCKING DHS FUNDING BILL CITING TSA, FEMA, COAST GUARD: ‘I HOPE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES’

The speculation has drawn national attention. The Atlantic reported that pollsters in South Dakota were surveying a potential Rounds-Noem matchup, with one Republican source telling the magazine that the senator would “handily win” if challenged.

Rapid City’s ABC affiliate reported on the rumors of Noem’s ambitions in February, saying Republicans in her home state are watching to see if she would challenge Rounds.

Still, Noem has a fair share of powerful allies back home. Gov. Larry Rhoden, Noem’s successor in Pierre, commented Thursday that “Kristi is a dear friend and the toughest person I know.”

“When she shut down the border in record time, others were shocked, but I wasn’t. I knew what she was capable of.”

“She’ll deliver in her next role just as capably. I thank her for everything she’s done to keep South Dakota — and all America — strong, safe, and free,” Rhoden said.

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As governor, Rhoden worked with Noem’s DHS to make South Dakota one of the first states to enter a 287(g) agreement allowing state-level cooperation with ICE. Under the arrangement, the South Dakota Highway Patrol has been authorized to assist with immigration enforcement, and National Guard personnel have supported administrative functions — a record that could bolster her standing with conservative primary voters as speculation about her next move intensifies.

Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.

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Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who has repeatedly tried to impeach President Trump  and has been thrown out of Trump’s State of the Union addresses multiple times, spoke on camera with Fox News Digital about the results of his recent primary election that resulted in a runoff.

Green cited $1.5 million in spending against his campaign by the crypto-industry as a major driver behind the closeness of his race. 

“They made it clear that I was a target, and they had a fake poll that showed that they were going to win by some large margin. I think, actually, they called a victory party last night assuming that it was over. Of course, I and others knew that it would be a runoff,” Green said the day after his primary this past week.

At the same time, Green also slammed his opponent, former Harris County Attorney-turned-Texas Congressman Christian Menefee, over his alleged lack of experience and failure to show up for votes early in his congressional career. Texas’s redistricting changes pitted the two incumbents against each other in the 18th Congressional District race they have been battling in. 

Green told Fox News Digital that he wanted to have a debate immediately with Menefee ahead of the runoff election. 

“I’m challenging Mr. Menefee to a debate. I think we should have a debate right away,” Green said. “But I also challenge him to come to work. In his first month in Congress, after having sworn that he was going to come here and represent the people and vote, you know, the 18th Congressional District has been about an absence of a vote, so having sworn to do this, within his first month he missed a week, an entire week without voting.”

DEM REP COMPARES HIMSELF TO MLK JR, ROSA PARKS AFTER GETTING BOOTED FROM SECOND STRAIGHT TRUMP ADDRESS

Green bragged that in 20 years he has made over 97% of his votes in Congress. He also alleged that Menefee was not present at a classified briefing on Iran.  

When asked if he was concerned his objections to Trump may be a factor that could cost him his race, the longtime Texas Democrat doubled down, saying he would do it “again and again and again.”

“If it cost me an election, I would do it,” Green continued. “I just think that this president is a racist. I hope you pick that up. Yeah, he’s a racist ad we have to challenge him. We shouldn’t have a racist in the White House.” 

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Kristi Noem will reportedly join President Donald Trump and 12 Latin American leaders at his resort in Florida for a “Shield of the Americas” summit Saturday after her ouster as the Secretary of Homeland Security and appointment by President Donald Trump to be special envoy for the new coalition of nations. 

On Thursday, Trump announced Noem would be exiting her role as Homeland Security secretary and would be appointed a Special Envoy for the “Shield of the Americas,” a summit for which will be held at the president’s resort in Doral, Florida, on Saturday. The new coalition of 13 countries has been formed to advance strategies that will tackle mass illegal immigration, narco-terrorist gangs and cartels. 

“After years of neglect, President Trump established the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere. His efforts have been a tremendous success – our southern border is secure, Latin American countries are working with us to defeat the cartels, and illegitimate dictator Nicolas Maduro is facing justice for his crimes in the Southern District of New York – ushering in historic economic cooperation with Venezuela,” said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly ahead of the summit. 

“The President has successfully strengthened our relationships in our own backyard to make the entire region safer and more stable, and this weekend’s ‘Shield of the Americas’ Summit will encapsulate all of his work to Make America, and our partners, Strong Again,” she continued.

Members of Trump’s Cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, will also be at the Saturday summit. 

The leaders from other nations who will be present are Argentina’s Javier Milei, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele Ortez, Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz Pereira, Costa Rica’s Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Panama’s José Raúl Mulino Quintero, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Chile’s Jose Antonio Kast, the Dominican Republic’s Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, Ecuador’s Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín, Guyana’s Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Honduras’ Nasry “Tito” Asfura, and Paraguay’s Santiago Peña.

‘IT WAS TIME’: DESPITE RARE CRITICISM, SOME HILL REPUBLICANS WELCOME KRISTI NOEM’S OUSTER

Noem confirmed Friday, speaking from Nashville, that she will be at the summit, according to the Associated Press. Noem reportedly added that the president will announce “a big agreement” detailing “how we’re going to go after cartels and drug trafficking in the entire Western Hemisphere.” 

On Friday, Hegseth led a strategic conference in Doral with representatives of 17 different Caribbean, Central American and South American countries throughout the Western Hemisphere. During the conference, they signed a joint security declaration, reaffirming their commitment to peace and sovereignty in the region. According to a source familiar with the plans for the summit, the president plans to celebrate this achievement with attendees.

“Secretary Noem helped usher in the most secure border in history, deported hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal aliens, and executed record-setting counter-drug operations against cartels. All of this great experience positions Noem well to ensure American preeminence in the entire Western Hemisphere in her new role as Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said. “This historic new security initiative, led by Secretary Noem, will advance cutting-edge strategies to defeat narco-terrorist cartels and stop illegal mass migration to make America and the entire Western Hemisphere safer.”

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On Thursday, Rubio said he looked forward to working with Noem as Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, and echoed the comments from the White House about her experience.

“Kristi has achieved incredible results as Secretary of Homeland Security and will be a tremendous asset in our effort to promote security and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere,” Rubio said on X after Trump named Noem to her new post. 

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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., continued to argue that President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran and former President Barack Obama’s strikes on Libya were “two completely different things” despite many shared similarities between the two incidents. 

Pelosi has condemned Trump’s strikes while defending President Barack Obama back in 2011.

“They’re not at all alike,” Pelosi said.

“What Obama did was limited military force. This is beyond that. It was limited military force,” she continued.

Since Trump began Operation Epic Fury last Saturday, targeting Iran’s military leadership alongside Israel, Pelosi and other Democrats have fiercely condemned the attack, arguing that the president should have sought congressional approval before carrying them out, citing the War Powers Act of 1983.

According to that law, a president must inform Congress within 48 hours if U.S. forces are introduced into hostilities and requires congressional authorization for engagements that go past 60 days.

Pelosi believes Trump’s attack on Iran will likely carry the U.S. past that mark, leading her to believe Trump has skirted the requirements imposed by Congress.

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“Do your homework. Read the law. We have lost people in war already,” Pelosi said. “We don’t even know if these people admit that is war going on now.”

“I just think if you read the law, you will see the difference.”

The War Powers Act does not use the loss of American servicemembers as a trigger for Congressional approval.

PELOSI’S WAR POWERS FLIP-FLOP EXPOSED IN RESURFACED OBAMA-ERA CLIP CONTRADICTS TRUMP CRITICISM ON IRAN

Her stance on Iran runs counter to her previous support for President Obama when he carried out strikes of his own on Libya in 2011.

Then, in partnership with other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, the U.S. bombed the forces of Al Gaddafi, the “Mad Dog of the Middle East” and the dictator of Libya.

In a parallel to the recent uprisings in Iran, protesters in Libya at the time had been met with brutal force by Gaddafi, who used the military to repress opposition in cities like Benghazi. Obama framed his attack as a way to protect Libya’s civilian population against its own government.

TRUMP SENDS OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS ON STRIKES AGAINST IRAN

“We struck regime forces approaching Benghazi to save that city and the people within it,” Obama said in remarks after the attacks,” according to a press release at the time.

Although Obama did not pursue congressional authorization, Pelosi said she believed Obama was well within his authority to carry out the strikes.

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“I’m satisfied that the president has the authority to go ahead,” Pelosi said of the Libya strikes. “I say that as one very protective of Congressional prerogative and consultation all along the way.”

“Yes,” Pelosi answered plainly when asked if she believed Obama could continue without congressional say-so.

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President Donald Trump said Friday that during a meeting with defense executives they had agreed to increase production of what he called “exquisite class” weapons by four times as his administration looks to accelerate weapons production while military operations against Iran continue.

“Expansion began three months prior to the meeting, and Plants and Production of many of these Weapons are already under way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after the meeting. 

“We have a virtually unlimited supply of Medium and Upper Medium Grade Munitions, which we are using, as an example, in Iran, and recently used in Venezuela,” he said. “Regardless, however, we have also increased Orders at these levels.”

Trump said the meeting concluded with executives agreeing to come back to the White House in two months. 

The White House emphasized the session was scheduled weeks ago and was not convened in response to immediate battlefield shortages. Officials described the meeting as part of a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and speed production of American-made weapons.

Companies in attendance Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Boeing, Honeywell, BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies. 

“We support the President’s focus on speed and investment to deliver military capabilities. With our industry-leading levels of investment and decades of proven performance, we continue to grow production capacity and deliver mission-ready technologies for the nation’s warfighters,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement. 

The meeting comes as U.S. forces remain engaged in Operation Epic Fury, a campaign targeting Iranian military assets following coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes. Administration officials have maintained that U.S. readiness remains strong, even as the pace of missile defense operations has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill.

During the 2025 12-day Iran conflict, U.S. forces fired more than 150 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors — roughly a quarter of the global inventory — to shield Israel and U.S. assets from Iranian missile attacks, according to defense assessments. Patriot PAC-3 MSE missiles are currently produced at a rate of roughly 600 to 650 annually, with replenishment timelines measured in months or years rather than weeks.

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U.S. and Israeli officials previously estimated that Iran had a large ballistic missile arsenal — roughly 2,000 to 3,000 missiles of various types at the outset of the conflict. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday Iran’s missile attacks have decreased 90% since the start of the conflict.

Defense planners have described missile defense inventories as part of a broader strategic balancing act. The same high-end systems used to protect U.S. bases and partners in the Middle East are also supplied to Ukraine and positioned in the Indo-Pacific, creating what some analysts characterize as a “zero-sum” competition for inventory across theaters.

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Lawmakers emerging from recent classified briefings have raised questions about sustainability if operations expand. 

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., warned the campaign could become a “math problem,” balancing incoming missile volumes against finite interceptor supplies and production capacity. 

Other members, including Republicans briefed on the operation, have said officials assured Congress U.S. forces remain in strong shape.

Current and former defense officials have drawn a distinction between offensive strike weapons — which can often be surged from prepositioned stocks — and defensive interceptors such as Patriot and THAAD systems, which require longer production timelines and cannot be rapidly manufactured at scale.

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The Department of Justice is turning to an appeals court for relief after a Biden-appointed federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deporting illegal immigrants to countries not designated in their paperwork, arguing the judge had already twice been overruled by the Supreme Court on the issue.

DOJ lawyers urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit to quickly pause the broad order issued by Judge Brian Murphy that blocked the so-called third-country deportations, arguing Murphy’s order threatened to derail sensitive diplomatic negotiations. The DOJ said the order could affect potentially “thousands” of removals, a prospect that threatens to interfere with the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation agenda.

“The Supreme Court twice stayed the district court’s sweeping nationwide, classwide preliminary injunction,” DOJ lawyers wrote Thursday, accusing Murphy of trying to “evade” the high court’s prior rulings by issuing a new order that was “doubly misguided.”

The lawyers argued Murphy’s order created an “unworkable scheme” that “materially impairs the ability of the government to enforce the immigration laws” and would cause “massive operational disruption” in an area that often requires “tight timing and sensitive diplomatic coordination.”

The high-stakes lawsuit stemmed from several immigrants with final removal orders suing in Massachusetts, alleging the Department of Homeland Security violated immigration laws by failing to provide enough notice for the immigrants to raise claims that they feared they could be tortured in the new country they were to be deported to.

The DOJ in its appeal defended its deportation policy, which allows third-country removals based on assurances the Trump administration receives from the countries. Citing court precedent, the department said the judicial branch is “not suited to second-guess such determinations” because they were a matter of foreign policy and fell strictly under the purview of the executive branch.

DOJ SAYS IT OWES DEPORTED VENEZUELANS NO DUE PROCESS, DARES COURTS TO INTERVENE

Murphy disagreed in his 81-page judgment, which the DOJ is now appealing, saying that the administration’s position that it did not need to give notice to the deportees “fails to satisfy due process for a raft of reasons, not least of which is that nobody really knows anything about these purported ‘assurances.'”

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“Whom do they cover? What do they cover? Why has the Government deemed them credible? How can anyone even know for certain that they exist? These are basic questions that the Constitution permits a person to ask before the Government takes away their last and only lifeline,” Murphy wrote.

The judge previously issued an injunction with the same findings.

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The Supreme Court stayed Murphy’s initial injunction last year without explanation in a 6-3 emergency ruling.

In a follow-up clarification, the justices found 7-2 that Murphy subsequently attempted to enforce the injunction against six detainees bound for South Sudan, which the seven justices — all six conservatives and Justice Elena Kagan — said would flout their earlier order barring him from enforcing it.

The case could once again be bound for the Supreme Court. DOJ lawyers asked the appeals court to intervene within one week and signaled that they would turn to the high court if needed.

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President Donald Trump’s move to fire Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and tap Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as her replacement triggered a domino effect in Congress.

Before Mullin can take the helm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he has to be confirmed. And once confirmed, someone will have to take his seat. Both caveats come with their own hurdles.

Senate Democrats may try to toss a wrench into the confirmation process and extract promises for reforms to the agency, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DHS has been closed for three weeks, and the shutdown will likely continue for at least a month.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to oppose Mullin and argued that changes need to be made regardless of who runs the agency.

“It’s a question of policy, not personnel,” Schumer said. “The Senate should not consider any DHS secretary nominee until DHS and ICE are reined in.”

Mullin has staunchly opposed Democrats’ demands to reopen the agency and whether he’ll budge to get their votes remains to be seen.

But he’s open to speaking with Schumer and his caucus and wants to earn their votes. Whether he can do that before Trump’s March 31 deadline is up in the air.

“The Department of Homeland Security is to keep everybody — regardless of whether you support me, if you don’t support me, regardless of what your thoughts are — I’m here to enforce the policies that Congress passed,” Mullin said.

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Then there’s the race for succession. Mullin, who is currently near the end of his first term in the upper chamber, was in the midst of running for re-election. With his appointment by Trump, that seat is now wide open for Republicans hungry to reach the Senate.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, will choose who fills Mullin’s Senate seat in the short term. But it’ll be up to voters in the Sooner State to pick their next senator.

“I will be looking to appoint a strong, small-government conservative voice to support President Trump and protect Oklahomans’ way of life,” Stitt said on X.

And GOP hopefuls have already begun crowding the potential primary race for his seat within hours of Trump’s announcement.

Reps. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., and Kevin Hern, R-Okla., are already showing interest, Fox News Digital was told.

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A source close to Bice told Fox News Digital that she was considering running for the likely open Senate seat first, which Bice followed with her own public statement on Thursday evening.

“President Trump has made an excellent choice. Markwayne is a great friend and a fierce advocate for the America First Agenda. I’m excited for him to take the helm at DHS,” she posted on X. “It’s the honor of a lifetime to stand side by side with President Trump for the people of Oklahoma. I’ve received encouragement from every corner of this great state to run for the U.S. Senate. And it’s something I’m carefully considering.”

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital was told that Hern — who currently serves in House leadership in the role of GOP Policy Committee chairman — already began calling players within the Republican orbit to get their support.

Multiple people familiar with Hern’s thinking told Fox News Digital that he intends to run.

Hern is also generating buzz among Senate Republicans. Sens. Jim Banks, R-Ind., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have all come out in support of him.

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Neither Hern nor Bice is interested in being appointed by Stitt, however, likely due to Oklahoma’s unusual laws dictating how Senate vacancies must be filled.

A mid-term vacancy is traditionally filled by the state’s governor, after which an election occurs at the next pre-scheduled race date. The governor’s appointee must sign an affidavit swearing they will not run in that election.

In this case, Mullin was up for re-election in November, so anyone seeking the office will have to run in a June primary and then be up for a full six-year term at the end of this year.

But that also means that Bice and Hern will both be able to run for Mullin’s current seat without risking the House GOP’s own razor-thin majority.

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Tehran’s strike campaign threatens to disrupt shadow shipping networks and sanctions-evasion routes, raising energy costs for Moscow and Beijing and potentially squeezing Russia’s war funding and China’s industrial and military supply chains.

As of Monday, the Iranian regime declared the crucial Strait of Hormuz — between Hormuz Island, Iran, and the Omani enclave of Khasab — closed, under threat of vessels being “torched.”

Oil tanker traffic immediately fell sharply as merchant seamen now fear missile strikes, but the conflict has also affected the so-called “shadow fleet” of unflagged or surreptitiously flagged oil tankers connected to economically isolated countries like Cuba, Iran and Russia.

The U.S. has already set up a quasi naval quarantine of oil imports to Cuba, while countries like Mexico have been warned against sending oil to malign regimes.

European partners have also taken action against “shadow fleet” vessels, tightening the vise on China and particularly Russia amid the new unrest.

Belgium’s army on Monday interdicted a shadow-fleet tanker called the MT Ethera as it transited the North Sea.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken told GCaptain News that the tanker was redirected to Zeebrugge by an escort and would be seized by Brussels.

“Operation Blue Intruder was carried out by a team of exceptionally brave service members. Excellent work,” he said, as the outlet also reported the ship was tied to a confidant of Khamenei.

The MT Ethera is reportedly linked to the son of senior political adviser Ali Shamkhani, whose family reportedly controls an entire fleet of tankers that may be used to facilitate Iranian and Russian oil trade.

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A consortium of Western powers also enforces the Ural Price Cap, which was dropped to about $44 per barrel last month. Named for the Ural Mountains, the price cap is meant to keep Russian oil below free-market rates.

This newly emboldened Western targeting of the so-called “gray market” of shadow-fleet oil indicates potential problems for nations that rely on it, such as China and Cuba.

China reportedly relies heavily on Iran for otherwise sanctioned oil, while Russia could see further belt-tightening that could adversely affect the cash flow needed to continue its war in Ukraine.

Additionally, CENTCOM this week posted a video of a U.S. strike on a drone-carrying Iranian ship, and Cmdr. Brad Cooper said more than 30 such Tehran-linked vessels have been sunk since the offensive began, according to Naval Today.

“In the last few hours alone, we struck an Iranian drone carrier roughly the size of a World War II-era aircraft carrier, and it is currently on fire,” Cooper told the outlet.

The reported obliteration of the Ayatollah and the next 48 successors, by President Donald Trump’s count, along with the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, leaves not only the shadow fleet but also its customer nations’ suppliers in shambles.

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Just as OPEC rate hikes affect American energy prices, the deconstruction of the shadow fleet could also lead to inflation in China.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department for more information on the effects of the shadow fleet, as it oversees the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

In the past few weeks, OFAC has sanctioned 30 people or entities tied to enabling illegal Iranian oil sales and/or benefiting its weapons production as part of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.

“OFAC targeted additional vessels operating as part of Iran’s shadow fleet, which transport Iranian petroleum and petroleum products to foreign markets and serve as the regime’s primary source of revenue for financing domestic repression, terrorist proxies, and weapons programs,” the agency said in a statement.

“Iran exploits financial systems to sell illicit oil, launder the proceeds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies,” added Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

“Treasury will continue to put maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime’s weapons capabilities and support for terrorism, which it has prioritized over the lives of the Iranian people,” Bessent said.

GAS PRICES COULD JUMP AS MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS THREATEN GLOBAL OIL SUPPLY

OFAC then listed off a dozen ships they confirmed to be “shadow fleet” vessels under sanction.

“Instead of allocating this revenue for the benefit of the Iranian people, the regime ultimately siphons it off to fund regional terrorist proxies, weapons programs, and repressive security services, rather than the basic economic needs the Iranian people have repeatedly and courageously demanded,” the Treasury said.

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Ships flagged from Panama, Barbados, Palau, Comoros, Iran and Vanuatu were found by the U.S. to have transported millions of barrels of Iranian crude in recent years.

The Treasury Department, which oversees OFAC, did not respond to inquiries for this story.

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Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California argues that President Donald Trump‘s ouster of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is the latest sign of decline for the Republican president.

“Donald Trump is in retreat,” Newsom said Thursday evening in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the latest stop on his national book tour. “Today is a perfect example — the first firing of a high-profile Cabinet member.”

The firing of Noem, a one-time MAGA rock star and close ally of the president who was steering Trump’s centerpiece policy of mass deportations as part of the White House crackdown on illegal immigration, rocked the nation’s capital and the political world.

Trump’s move to remove Noem from the top spot at the Department of Homeland Security came amid mounting criticism of her performance not only from Democrats, but also among some Republicans and members of Trump’s political circle.

Newsom, a vocal Trump critic who is likely to seek the presidency in 2028, hours earlier took to social media after the news about Noem broke to write “BYE GIRL!”

At his New Hampshire stop, Newsom claimed that “the dark heart of the administration is not Kristi Noem, it’s Stephen Miller,” who is White House deputy chief of staff and a longtime top Trump advisor dating back to the president’s first White House run in 2016.

SOMETHING DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AGREE UPON – FIRING NOEM

“It had Noem’s fingerprints all over it, but it was Stephen Miller’s handbook, and he needs to be next,” Newsom said, as he referred to the 2025 move by Trump to send National Guard troops to California in response to immigration protests.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for reaction to Newsom’s comments but had not received a response at the time this story published.

Newsom’s latest book tour stop came two days after Democrats’ turnout in Tuesday’s primaries in Texas surged to record levels, a promising sign for the party out of power ahead of this year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its narrow majorities in the House and Senate.

“Donald Trump is the leader of the get out the vote for the Democratic Party,” Newsom emphasized, as he discussed this week’s primary elections.

NEWSOM PREDICTS TRUMP IS ‘TOAST,’ WILL DRAG GOP INTO MIDTERM WIPEOUT

Newsom’s stop in New Hampshire, the state that for a century has traditionally held the first presidential primary in the race for the White House, fueled further speculation about a 2028 run by the two-term governor of solidly blue California.

The tour also recently took Newsom to South Carolina, and he stopped in Nevada on Wednesday. Both states, along with New Hampshire, hold crucial early voting presidential primaries in the Democratic calendar and all three are vying for the top spot in the party’s 2028 nominating schedule.

Newsom’s book tour for his memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” has not been without controversy.

At a book event in Los Angeles recently, Newsom stirred controversy by comparing Israel to an “apartheid state.”

On Thursday, he explained that he was referring to a column by nationally known political commentator and author Tom Friedman, amid the ongoing U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. The weeklong strikes have resulted in the deaths of many of Iran’s top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Newsom said, “Tom used that word apartheid as it relates to the direction that Israel leader Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally, ‘is going, particularly on the annexation of the West Bank.’”

NEWSOM SUGGESTS ISRAEL IS AN ‘APARTHEID STATE,’ NETANYAHU INFLUENCED TRUMP’S ACTIONS IN IRAN

“I’m very angry about this war with all due respect, not because I’m angry the supreme leader is dead, quite the contrary. I’m not naive about the last 37 years of his reign, 47 years since the ’79 revolution,” the governor said.

But taking aim at Trump, Newsom added, “I’m also mindful that you have a president who still is inarticulate and incapable of giving us the rationale of, why, why? Now, what’s the end game?”

Newsom’s memoir chronicles his life from a childhood where he coped with dyslexia to his current role as California governor and a high profile national politician.

At a book tour event in March in Atlanta, Newsom’s remarks about his low SAT test scores and his difficulty reading speeches were pummeled by many on the right as being racially insensitive to Black people.

The governor pushed back, calling the criticism “MAGA-manufactured outrage.”

BUTTIGIEG, NEWSOM, AOC TOP THREE IN NEW 2028 POLL IN KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE

Newsom is the latest potential Democratic 2028 presidential contender to stop in New Hampshire.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who finished a close second to Sen. Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire’s 2020 Democratic presidential primary, made a three-day swing through the state in February.  

And Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who stopped in New Hampshire in autumn 2025, returns this weekend. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, another likely White House hopeful, also just returned to the Granite State.

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The most recent poll in the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination race in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state, conducted in February by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, indicated Buttigieg at 20% support, with Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York at 15%.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrats’ 2024 nominee, and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona each stood at 10%, with everyone sampled in the survey registering in single digits.

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Democrats may be celebrating Kristi Noem’s ouster from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but they are still digging their heels in against ending the agency’s weekslong shutdown.

“It’s not like Kristi Noem was the one who was involved in negotiating anything. She was a corrupt lackey. So, we were dealing with the White House before, and we’re going to continue to deal with the White House at this point,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters during a news conference Thursday.

That point has since been echoed by several other Democratic lawmakers despite Noem’s firing apparently being one of their key demands in exchange for allowing DHS to be fully funded through the remainder of this fiscal year.

Congressional Democrats have maintained a unified blockade of funding for the agency in pursuit of stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Democrats and the White House have been negotiating, but neither side has agreed to compromise terms.

And the shutdown is now guaranteed to drag on for another month, given that the House will be out for a week and the Senate is unable to advance any DHS funding legislation.

“I’m waiting for them to give us an offer, make us an offering as to what it is that you want us to vote on,” Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., said. “I want to see what the guardrails are before I vote on this funding. … I don’t want us to have masked individuals in my community. I want to see body cameras. I want you to identify yourself when you’re making an arrest.”

Many Democrats aren’t sure that Noem’s chosen replacement, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., would be the answer to the changes they want.

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

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., suggested to Fox News Digital that he was skeptical that any replacement for Noem would be more effective in the discussions given they still have to answer to Trump and his policies.

And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., plans to block Mullin’s confirmation in a bid to extract Democrats’ long-sought reforms to ICE.

“The rot runs deep,” Schumer said. “If the president wants accountability, he must do more than fire one official — he must end the violence and rein in ICE.”

Republican leaders in the House and Senate both tried again to advance a DHS funding bill that was released as part of wider bipartisan government funding discussions earlier this year.

The bill passed the House with all but four Democrats voting “no,” even hours after Noem’s ouster.

In the Senate, news of Noem’s firing erupted as another push by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to pass a full-year funding bill began. Like their colleagues in the House, Senate Democrats were unfazed by the change and once more blocked the legislation.

SCHUMER, DEMS HOLD FIRM ON DHS FUNDING DESPITE NOEM’S BOMBSHELL OUSTING

When asked if he believed removing Noem from the equation would make a difference, Thune said, “It should.”

“The Democrats have been complaining about that forever,” Thune said. “And, so, this, to me, is a huge development, I would think, in the funding conversation, and hopefully they’ll get more earnest about coming to the table and trying to get a deal. I mean, we should find out soon enough.”

For now, Senate Democrats appear firmly entrenched in their position, even with their colleague Mullin taking the helm of the agency.

“No, I don’t think it makes any difference,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital. “They have got to put in the reforms that we need.”

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Mullin, who has staunchly opposed the stringent reforms Democrats seek for the agency, said he would meet with Schumer in a bid to earn his and every Senate Democrat’s vote during his forthcoming confirmation process.

“I’m not going to get into, you know, a tit-for-tat, but if they have real concerns, I’m going to listen to it. I’m going to see if it’s practical,” Mullin said. “But nothing’s going to prevent me from doing my job. I’m going to enforce the policies and the laws that Congress has passed, and we’re going to protect our homeland.”

But not all Democrats were pessimistic.

Asked by Fox News Digital whether Noem’s firing would help advance DHS funding talks, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said, “I think it allows us to reopen the negotiations.”

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Former President Joe Biden told mourners at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s memorial service Friday that he is “a h— of a lot smarter than most of you,” a pointed remark that stood out during his tribute to the late civil rights leader.

Biden made the comment while recounting how he was mocked as a child for his stutter and how speech impediments are often mistaken for a lack of intelligence.

“If I told you I had a cleft palate or clubfoot, none of you would have laughed,” Biden said. “But it’s OK to laugh at stuttering. … It’s the one place where people think you’re stupid.

“Oh, really? I’m a h— of a lot smarter than most of you,” he added, before quickly pivoting back to his broader point. “But all kidding aside, it makes you feel really small.”

Biden made the remark during a memorial service in Chicago that brought together prominent Democratic leaders and civil rights figures to honor Jackson’s decades-long political influence.

Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attended the service along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rev. Al Sharpton.

The event was held at the 10,000-seat House of Hope arena, where hundreds gathered to celebrate Jackson’s life and legacy.

VANCE, HARRIS, OBAMA ISSUE TRIBUTES TO REV JESSE JACKSON

Jackson, who died at age 84, rose to prominence as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. He later founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and mounted two Democratic presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 that expanded Black voter participation and reshaped the party’s electoral coalition.

Throughout the service, speakers praised Jackson’s ability to build political alliances and elevate issues affecting marginalized communities.

Biden, who has frequently spoken about working to overcome his childhood stutter, framed his remarks around resilience and the lasting impact of being ridiculed as a young person.

TRUMP LAUDS ‘PIECE OF WORK’ JESSE JACKSON IN ‘SOLD-OUT’ BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT

Later on in his remarks, Biden asserted that “the continent of Africa is going to be the largest continent in the world” to the assembled mourners.

“I remember telling Jesse that I knew I knew a guy, in South Africa,” former President Biden recalled. “I was going to go see name is Nelson Mandela. And, I’m Jesse saying, how are you going? You guys actually see him, by the way? You know, the continent of Africa is going to be the largest continent in the world in terms of population of the year 2050, the largest in the entire world. Watch, man. Watch.”

His “smarter than most of you” line was quickly added to a growing list of out-of-context gaffes for the former president, and social media users weighed in online.

Under one repost of the viral moment from user Libs of TikTok, one commenter wrote, “That’s a strange line to deliver at a memorial service.”

Another quipped, “Never ending comedy from this guy. So happy he’s back in public.”

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Outside of Biden’s remarks, the memorial largely focused on Jackson’s legacy as a civil rights leader who helped shape the modern Democratic Party and broaden political participation in the United States.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond, Bradford Betz, and Patrick McGovern contributed to this reporting.

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Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif, will retire at the end of his current term and is endorsing San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond to succeed him, he confirmed to Fox News on Friday. 

“Today I’m announcing my enthusiastic endorsement of Supervisor Jim Desmond for Congress — to represent California’s new 48th district,” Issa told Fox News. “Jim is not only a personal friend, he’s a true patriot, a Navy veteran, a successful businessman, and has a 20-year record of public service. He understands this community, was born and raised here, and will make a terrific Congressman.”

Issa’s seat is in California’s newly redrawn 48th District, which has been reshaped to favor Democrats under the state’s Prop 50.

“This decision has been on my mind for a while and I didn’t make it lightly,” Issa said.

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Issa added that after 25 years in Congress and 25 years in business, “It’s the right time for a new chapter and new challenges.”

Fox News’ William Melugin contributed to this report. 

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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President Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. is “doing very well” in Iran, nearly a week after the military coordinated with Israel on airstrikes in Tehran that left its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dead.

“Somebody said, ‘How would you score it from zero to 10?’ I said, ‘I’d give it a 12 to a 15.’ Their army is gone. Their navy is gone. Their communications are gone. Their leaders are gone,” Trump said. “Two sets of their leaders.”

The president made the remarks after Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked at the end of a White House college sports roundtable what was motivating Trump to hold the roundtable at that moment, “because there is a lot of other stuff going on in the world.”

“That’s right,” Trump agreed, adding that Iran’s air force has been “wiped out entirely. Think of it. They have 32 ships. All 32 are at the bottom of the ocean. Other than that, they’re doing very well,” he joked.

“Our military is doing phenomenally,” he said. “The situation with a very bad and very sick group of leaders who were killing a lot of people, a lot of our people were being killed or were being maimed … And we had a choice. We could take it and go on like that for years or do something about it. And we did something about it.”

Trump added that “people are very impressed with our military, and they admire our military with what happened in Venezuela, what’s happening now, what’s happened with the B-2 bombers before this, where they took out the nuclear capability or potential of Iran.”

He added, “I think we’re, right now, we’re a country that’s more respected than we’ve ever been respected before.”

SHADOW FLEET UNDER FIRE: IRAN’S STRAIT SHUTDOWN COULD SQUEEZE RUSSIA’S WARCHEST, CHINA’S OIL LIFELINE

Doocy also said to the president earlier, “It sounds like the Russians are helping Iran target and attack Americans now.”

“That’s an easy problem compared to what we’re doing here,” Trump said, referring to college sports, calling it a “stupid question to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else.”

Earlier Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the U.S. won’t accept any deal with Iran “except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

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“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” Trump wrote. “IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’”

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Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. Navy could begin escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as reasonable,” reinforcing President Donald Trump’s public statements that the United States is prepared to protect energy shipments through the strategic waterway.

But a U.S. official told Fox News Digital that American forces are not currently escorting ships through the Strait and declined to speculate on future operations, making clear that no convoy mission has yet been launched.

“As soon as it’s reasonable to do it, we’ll escort ships through the straits and get the energy moving again,” Wright said on “Fox and Friends” Friday.

The renewed signaling comes as commercial traffic through the strait has thinned sharply after attacks on tankers and soaring war-risk insurance costs, raising pressure on global energy markets and Gulf producers that rely on the narrow corridor for oil and liquefied natural gas exports.

Only nine oil tankers, cargo ships and container ships have crossed the strait since Monday, according to MarineTraffic data analyzed by Agence France-Presse after three vessels were attacked over the weekend. 

At least three tankers and a vessel carrying gas have transited the choke point since the strikes, according to Agence France-Presse. 

The Strait of Hormuz normally handles roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, making even a temporary disruption a serious concern for global energy markets and Gulf producers that rely on the passage to move supplies to Asia and Europe.

Several commercial vessels have been struck since the start of Operation Epic Fury, heightening security concerns for shipowners and insurers. Industry analysts say war-risk premiums have surged, and some coverage has become difficult to secure, prompting tankers to anchor outside the Strait rather than risk transit.

Despite the political signaling about potential naval protection, the U.S. military has not confirmed any escort operation. 

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital Friday, “We are not escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and we will not speculate on future operations.”

TRUMP RALLIES DEFENSE TITANS TO SURGE WEAPONS OUTPUT AS IRAN WAR RAGES

The gap between policy signaling and operational execution underscores the delicate balance Washington faces. Escort missions would require U.S. warships to operate in close proximity to Iran’s coastline in a narrow and heavily surveilled waterway, increasing the risk of direct confrontation.

Iran, for its part, has stopped short of declaring a closure of the strait while leaving the door open to escalation.

Iran has “no intention” of closing the Strait “right now,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with NBC News Thursday.  

“As the war continues, we will consider every scenario.” 

Araghchi also suggested commercial ships were avoiding the passage out of fear of being struck “by either side” and said international oil tankers were not targets for Iran.

Even without a formal closure, the measurable reduction in ship traffic is placing real pressure on global markets and Gulf economies. Crude prices have risen amid concerns that prolonged disruption could tighten supply, particularly for Asian buyers dependent on Gulf exports.

Trump has publicly downplayed concerns about rising gasoline prices in the United States. 

“They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit,” he told Reuters. 

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The administration’s posture suggests it is prepared to tolerate short-term energy price volatility while signaling readiness to intervene militarily if commercial shipping cannot resume safely on its own.

For now, however, the Strait of Hormuz remains open but under strain, a critical artery of the global economy operating in a climate of active attacks, rising insurance costs and escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.

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A Pakistani man convicted on Friday of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump and other politicians told an FBI agent he thought Iran “was responsible” for the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Asif Merchant, 47, told the FBI agent, Jacqueline Smith, that the incident “was the same thing he was sent here to do,” Smith testified during Merchant’s trial. Merchant told jurors the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sent him on a “mission” to kill U.S. politicians, including by telling him to attend a Republican rally.

Merchant was arrested July 12, 2024, one day prior to the shooting in Butler, where Thomas Crooks fired several shots into a rally crowd, killing one and grazing Trump’s ear. 

The FBI has said repeatedly that it found no evidence that Crooks had co-conspirators or that any foreign actors were involved in the incident.

Merchant, who was convicted by a jury of murder-for-hire and attempt to commit terrorism, testified that Trump was not his only target, telling jurors then-President Joe Biden and former presidential candidate Nikki Haley were also on his list. He claimed that he only took part in the plot because Iran’s IRGC warned it would target his family.

FORMER IRANIAN MINISTER PRAISES TRUMP ASSASSINATION FATWA AS DAUGHTER LIVES IN NEW YORK

“I had no other options,” Merchant said. “My family was threatened.”

Merchant now faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. His sentence will be determined at a later hearing.

Merchant was arrested after he was recorded on camera outlining a plot on a napkin to kill a politician with a person who turned out to be an FBI informant. Federal prosecutors showed video during the trial of Merchant speaking to the informant. The prosecutors said Merchant also tried to hire two hit men and pay them $5,000, but the men turned out to be federal agents posing as assassins.

Smith, the FBI agent who met with Merchant after his arrest, said that Merchant never conveyed that he feared for his family. Merchant said he wanted to do intelligence work and be paid for it, Smith said.

TRUMP DECLARES ‘I GOT HIM BEFORE HE GOT ME’ AFTER IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER KILLED IN STRIKE

The FBI agent also said Merchant was told by an Iranian handler to attend a Republican political rally to scope out security but that Merchant was worried about being identified, and so he watched the rally online instead.

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Merchant’s defense team told jurors their client, who has two wives, was a family man and cared deeply about his faith and that he intentionally acted carelessly because he wanted to be caught.

In their closing arguments, defense lawyers said Merchant had his hand forced in the operation, thinking his family would be harmed if he did not cooperate. Additionally, the lawyers cited several instances where they said Merchant’s actions as an intelligence operator were little more than incompetent.

Fox News’ Danielle Cavaliere and Brendan McDonald contributed.

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When War Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked recently whether U.S. forces would ever move to secure enriched uranium reportedly stored at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear complex, he declined to say, citing operational security.

The exchange highlighted a question the U.S. and Israel’s air campaign alone cannot answer: even if U.S. strikes degrade Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, who would physically secure the enriched uranium, and how?

Iran is believed to possess a significant stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, near weapons-grade. That material could theoretically be used in multiple nuclear devices if further refined. 

Moving from 60% to weapons-grade 90% enrichment requires additional processing, and weaponization would involve further technical steps. But analysts say the more immediate issue is physical control of the material itself.

“If the U.S. wants to secure Iran’s nuclear materials, it’s going to require a massive ground operation,” Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, told Fox News Digital.

Davenport said the highly enriched uranium believed to be stored at Isfahan appears to be deeply buried and contained in relatively mobile canisters. Securing it would likely require locating the full stockpile, accessing underground facilities and safely extracting or downblending the material.

“It’s not even clear the United States knows where all of the uranium is,” she said, noting that the mobility of storage containers raises the possibility that some material could be moved or dispersed.

The administration repeatedly has said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains a central objective of Operation Epic Fury.

“Ultimately, this issue of Iran’s nuclear pursuit and their unwillingness through negotiations to stop it is something President Trump has said for a long time needs to be dealt with,” Hegseth said.

Senior administration officials have argued that Iran sought to build up its ballistic missile arsenal in part to create a deterrent shield — enabling Iran to continue advancing its nuclear program while discouraging outside intervention.

So far, however, the bulk of U.S. strikes have focused on degrading missile launchers, air defenses and other conventional military targets.

Experts note that dismantling missile systems may reduce Iran’s ability to shield a potential nuclear breakout. But physically controlling enriched uranium itself presents a separate and more complex challenge.

Airstrikes versus physical control

Defense officials have acknowledged that degrading nuclear infrastructure from the air is different from safely managing or securing nuclear material. 

Airstrikes can destroy centrifuges, power systems and support buildings. But enriched uranium stored underground may remain intact unless it is physically secured, removed or verifiably downblended.

Striking or extracting nuclear material also carries safety risks that military planners must weigh. 

If storage casks containing uranium hexafluoride gas were compromised, the material could pose chemical toxicity risks to personnel entering the site without proper protective equipment. Analysts say a conventional strike is unlikely to trigger a nuclear detonation, but dispersal of material could create localized hazards and complicate recovery efforts.

Chuck DeVore, a former Reagan-era defense official who worked on nuclear issues, argued that directly targeting the stockpile may not be a priority under current battlefield conditions.

“You don’t want to release the material into the surrounding areas and cause radioactive contamination,” DeVore said, adding that deeply buried facilities are difficult to reach from the air. 

DeVore also downplayed the immediacy of a breakout scenario, arguing that further enrichment, weaponization and delivery would be difficult to execute undetected amid sustained U.S. air operations.

Even if Iran were able to further enrich uranium, he said, assembling a deliverable weapon under active military pressure would present significant technical and operational hurdles.

Still, DeVore acknowledged that long-term control of the uranium would ultimately require a political resolution inside Iran and some form of outside oversight.

What would securing it require?

Nonproliferation experts say securing enriched uranium generally involves more than military force. It requires verified accounting of the material, sustained access to storage sites and either removal or downblending to lower enrichment levels suitable for civilian use.

Davenport said internationally monitored downblending would be the safest option if political conditions allow.

“The IAEA remains the best place to go back into Iran to monitor the sites, to try to track down and account for the enriched uranium,” she said, describing downblending as a relatively straightforward technical process compared to attempting to extract and transport highly enriched material in a contested environment.

Both pathways — physical seizure or internationally monitored reduction — depend on conditions that do not currently exist.

Administration officials argue that dismantling Iran’s missile network weakens Iran’s ability to shield a nuclear breakout and reduces the immediate threat to U.S. forces and regional allies.

But suppressing missiles and controlling enriched uranium are separate challenges.

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Destroying infrastructure can slow or disrupt a program. Physically locating, accounting for and securing nuclear material requires sustained access, reliable intelligence and — ultimately — political conditions that allow it.

For now, the administration maintains that Iran will not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. How the enriched uranium itself would be secured remains a question without a public answer.

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Democrats in the Virginia state legislature took steps to advance laws aimed at restricting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts and cooperation with local police just days after Democrat Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said that a warrantless ICE detainer would not be sufficient to hand a criminal illegal alien suspected murderer, with over 30 criminal charges to his name, over to federal officials. 

Several of the Senate and House Democrats who took procedural steps and voted in favor of the anti-ICE bills this week include Democrats whose districts are either inside, or partially inside Fairfax County, where Stephanie Minter was murdered by Abdul Jalloh, an illegal alien from Sierre Leone, who police had warned Democrat Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County, Steve Descano, needed to remain behind bars due to his violent record. 

However, Jalloh was let back onto the streets, and he subsequently murdered Minter. Now, Spanberger is forcing ICE to get a warrant in order to hand him over. Meanwhile, a similar event in Fairfax County several weeks ago, after Descano’s office let a criminal illegal alien with an ICE detainer out of jail, who then days later killed a man.  

“The tone deafness is unbelievable,” Sean Kennedy, Virginians for Safe Communities president, told Fox News Digital. Del. Thomas Garrett, R-56, also called out Democrats this week for officials’ failure to heed warnings to keep Jalloh behind bars, noting he had over 150 interactions with law enforcement and over 30 charges to his name, many of which were subsequently dropped. 

Garrett also pointed out how on DA Descano’s website it indicates “wherever possible” he will make charging or plea decisions “that limit or avoid immigration consequences.”

Yesterday, “18 Delegates who represent Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria voted to make it harder, not easier, harder, to turn over not illegals, but violent criminal illegals to ICE,” Garrett said in an impassioned floor speech this week, according to North Virginia news station, WJLA. “Gas-light much? They told us we were bad for not joining them in voting that way.” 

Many of these bills were released shortly after Gov. Spanberger took office in January. 

Among a slate of bills advanced this week, via a litany of procedural votes, which would restrict ICE enforcement operations, include HB 1441. HB 1441, introduced shortly after Gov. Spanberger took office, would require certain conditions that make it more difficult for ICE to lodge adequate detainer requests to hold criminal illegal aliens. Other bills advanced this week include proposals banning ICE from making arrests in courthouses or within 40-feet of a place that serves as a voting location. Another bill would ban ICE officials from wearing face coverings.

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

“Most of these people hate Steve Descano, but they’re all playing on the same team,” Kennedy said, referring to some of the Fairfax County-area Democrats who took steps to advance anti-ICE bills just days after Minter’s murder. 

Fox News Digital reached out to several Virginia Democratic legislators, both in the House and Senate, who took steps to advance anti-ICE bills this week. Virginia State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s office suggested that their proposed bill aimed at requiring a higher bar for ICE detainers will subsequently prioritize deporting more violent illegal aliens. 

“Our pending legislation is attempting to focus ICE on the President’s campaign promise to focus on capturing and deporting violent undocumented immigrants like Abdul Jalloh who was in ICE custody in 2018 and has been eligible for deportation for 10 years,” Surovell’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Perhaps you should ask ICE why they didn’t deport him the first time Trump’s ICE had him in 2018 or even issue a detainer for him the 8 times he was arrested since 2023?”

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But Republican state legislators in Virginia have shown they have a different take.  

“Just weeks after Governor Spanberger chose to end the Commonwealth’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, a woman is dead,” Del. Delores Oates, R-31, said on the Virginia House floor this week, according to a recording posted online by a Northern Virginia news station, WJLA. Oates was referring to Spanberger’s executive decision to end 287(g) programs which allowed local police and federal immigration officials to easily cooperate. “That’s not a coincidence, that’s a consequence.”

“I’ve heard my colleagues across the aisle say they don’t want ICE making arrests in public places,” Oates continued. “Well, fine. Then let’s do the responsible thing – work with federal authorities to detain and remove violent criminals while they’re already in custody. That is safer for our communities. It’s safer for law enforcement. And it’s far more the responsible approach.”     

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James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, once posted information to social media, letting illegal aliens know they could evade detention as law enforcement grappled with a wave of immigration under President Donald Trump’s first term.

In a graphic put out by United We Dream, an activist group that supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Talarico encouraged viewers not to open their doors, not to sign any documentation without an attorney, to take pictures of ICE agents and to “fight back.”

“Undocumented Americans are folks who work in our businesses, learn in our schools and contribute to our communities — but lack citizenship documentation,” Talarico said in a post to X in 2019.

“As a Texas legislator, they’re also my constituents,” he added.

Talarico’s 2019 posts come as he wages a Senate campaign in the Lone Star State that’s attracted national attention. His comments clash with efforts to position himself as a pro-enforcement candidate.

In 2019, Talarico was in his second year of serving Texas as a state legislator.

At the time of his post, the United States reported an explosion of CBP Southwest Border Apprehensions, according to data published by the agency. In July alone, CBP reported 81,000 apprehensions — down from a peak of 144,000 in May — as immigrants feeling instability and crime in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador poured into the U.S.

For context, CBP reported just 40,000 apprehensions in July 2018, the year before.  

In response to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the post, Talarico’s campaign said his message has focused on targeting individuals who threaten the public safety of the U.S.

“James has been clear that we should be spending precious law enforcement resources cracking down on the cartels, not our communities; deporting gang members, not small business owners; and hunting down human traffickers, not moms and babies,” Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement.

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At least one GOP onlooker said they believe Talarico is disguising a leniency he would take much further.

“James Talarico stands with dangerous criminal illegal aliens, not law enforcement,” Republican National Committee representative Zach Kraft said, reacting to Talarico’s 2019 post.

“He is an open borders lunatic who wants to abolish ICE, put a welcome mat on the southern border, and greet every illegal alien with a warm hug and taxpayer-funded healthcare.”

Talarico, who just beat out progressive candidate Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas., in a heated Senate primary, now looks to win over voters in November’s general election.

If elected, he would become Texas’ first Democratic senator since Sen. Bob Krueger in 1993.

It’s still unclear who Talarico will be facing in the general election due to a Republican runoff between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

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When asked about immigration enforcement in the past, Talarico likened his views on enforcement to the entry of a home.

“Our border should be like a front porch — it should have a welcome mat out front and a lock on the door,” Talarico wrote on his website.

Among other immigration policies, Talarico supports increasing ICE resources for public safety and national security, banning the use of masks by ICE agents, creating a pathway to legalization for certain undocumented immigrants, hiring more immigration judges and modernizing security at ports of entry.

Talarico’s campaign believes his views separate him from his Republican competition.

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“While James fights for immigration policies a majority of Texans support, Cornyn, Paxton, and the billionaires who prop them up are trying to smear James because this people-powered movement is a threat to their wealth and power,” Talarico’s campaign said.

Talarico will face down his Republican opponent on Nov. 3, 2025.

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