NationalWatch

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he is filing a lawsuit against the state of New York for what he called “their direct attack on our democratic process through unconstitutional lawfare against President Trump.”

On Thursday, Bailey said on his podcast, “The Bailey Wire,” that his office would be taking steps to combat illicit prosecutions against the former president. 

Bailey said it’s time to restore the rule of law.

“Radical progressives in New York are trying to rig the 2024 election. We have to stand up and fight back,” he exclusively told Fox News Digital. 

GOP AG LAUNCHES NEW PROBE INTO COMMUNICATIONS FROM DOJ AND TRUMP PROSECUTORS

Andrew Bailey, Missouri’s attorney general, said he will sue New York for “their direct attack on our democratic process through unconstitutional lawfare against President Trump.” (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Bailey said the state’s actions against Trump sabotage Missourians’ right to a free and fair election.

“We have to fight back against a rogue prosecutor who is trying to take a presidential candidate off the campaign trail,” Bailey wrote on X.

Bailey’s office noted that the lawsuit will go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court because it is a state versus state action. His office said it will be titled “Missouri vs. New York.” 

Last month, Bailey probed the Justice Department for documents related to any communications with prosecutors connected to the indictments of former President Trump.

TRUMP’S ‘MODERN DAY SALEM WITCH TRIAL’ VERDICT SIGNALS ‘OPEN SEASON’ ON FORMER PRESIDENTS: EXPERTS

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and President Biden. (Getty Images )

“The investigations and subsequent prosecutions of former President Donald J. Trump appear to have been conducted in coordination with the United States Department of Justice,” Bailey alleges, adding that he believes that allegation is demonstrated in part by the move of the third-highest ranking DOJ official, Matthew Colangelo, to the Manhattan DA’s office to help prosecute the criminal case, N.Y. v. Trump.  

In addition, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg worked alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James in pursuing civil litigation against Trump, using that experience as a springboard from which to campaign for his current position, Bailey notes. 

NEW YORK APPEALS COURT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO LIFT GAG ORDER

“During that campaign, Bragg promised ‘if elected, [he] would go after Trump.’ Once he won election, he pledged ‘to personally focus on the high-profile probe into former President Donald Trump’s business practices,’” Bailey states. 

Bailey argues that Bragg’s decision to bring the prosecution “despite its transparent weakness has nonetheless had the effect of keeping former President Trump off the campaign trail, which President Biden has bragged about.” 

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“Given the timing (Bragg charged Trump only after Trump declared his candidacy for President), the transparent weakness of the charges, and the effect the charges have in keeping Trump off the campaign trail, there is substantial reason to suspect the Biden administration has coordinated with Bragg and others to bring prosecutions against Trump,” Bailey claims.

Fox News Digital’s Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report. 

President Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee raised a combined $85 million in May, which is their second-best month of fundraising this election cycle.

But the money raised by Biden and the DNC is far short of the staggering haul raised by former President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee last month.

In announcing their May fundraising figures on Thursday evening, the Biden campaign also highlighted that they had a massive $212 million cash-on-hand as of the end of May. 

“Our strong and consistent fundraising program grew by millions of people in May, a clear sign of strong and growing enthusiasm for the President and Vice President every single month,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement. 

BIDEN STRIKES GOLD IN CALIFORNIA, ONE WEEK AFTER TRUMP’S MASSIVE HAUL IN THE BLUE BASTION 

President Biden’s re-election campaign scolded MSNBC and CNN on Wednesday for ignoring a “Black Voters for Biden-Harris” rally in Philadelphia. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Biden’s announcement came on the final day the presidential campaigns had to file their May fundraising figures with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

But the Trump campaign didn’t wait for the deadline to tout its May fundraising haul.

The former president’s campaign announced two and a half weeks ago that they and the RNC, fueled in part by the former president’s guilty verdicts in his criminal trial, combined hauled in a stunning $141 million in fundraising in May.

That was up from the $76 million they raised in April when they topped President Biden and the Democratic National Committee for the first time in their 2024 election rematch. 

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on May 30, 2024 in New York City after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

Spotlighting their grassroots appeal, the Trump campaign said that the average dollar donation was $70.27 with 25% of the donors in May being first time contributors to the former president’s 2024 run.

The Trump cash announcement came in the wake of what his campaign showcased as “record-shattering” fundraising immediately after he was found guilty of all 34 felony counts in the first trial of a former or current president in the nation’s history.

The former president’s campaign highlighted that in the first 24 hours following Thursday evening’s verdict, they and the RNC hauled in nearly $53 million in fundraising, which counted towards May’s total. 

BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON HELP BIDEN RAISE BIG BUCKS 

The Biden campaign also raised funds off of the Trump verdict, and a source familiar told Fox News that “the 24 hours after the verdict were one of the best fundraising 24 hours of the Biden campaign since launch.”

Biden’s May haul came without any major fundraising events headlined by the president. The Biden campaign says that a majority of its May fundraising came from grassroots donors. 

The campaign has been using its funds to build up what appears to be a very formidable ground operation in the key battleground states and announced hours earlier on Thursday that they had hired their 1,000 staffer. The Biden campaign enjoys a large organizational advantage over team Trump when it comes to grassroots outreach and get-out-the-vote ground game efforts.

File photos of President Biden (left) and former President Trump ((AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson and Evan Vucci))

“The money we continue to raise matters, and it’s helping the campaign build out an operation that invests in reaching and winning the voters who will decide this election,” Chavez Rodriguez highlighted.

Biden’s campaign appears to enjoy a large cash-on-hand advantage over Trump, whose campaign didn’t report their cash-on-hand amount in announcing their May fundraising. The campaigns are not legally required to report those figures until the end of July, following the close of the second quarter of fundraising.

Biden enjoyed a $146 million to $88 million cash-on-hand advantage over Trump at the end of March, following the close of the first fundraising quarter of the year.

Trump has been aiming to close his fundraising gap with Biden, who had regularly been outpacing Trump in monthly fundraising.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump walks to the podium at a campaign event Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Racine, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Trump’s April haul was boosted by a record-setting $50.5 million that the former president’s campaign raked in at a single event early in the month with top dollar GOP donors that was hosted at the Palm Beach, Florida home of billionaire investor John Paulson.

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Both candidates have held top dollar fundraising events so far in June.

The president set a new Democratic Party fundraising record – according to his campaign – as he hauled in over $30 million at a star-studded fundraiser on Saturday in Los Angeles with former President Obama, Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and late night TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

President Joe Biden (L) laughs with former President Barack Obama onstage during a campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

And he brought in $8.1 million at a fundraiser at the Northern Virginia home of former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, where he was also joined by former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and former Sen. Hillary Clinton, who was the Democrats’ 2016 standard-bearer.

Meanwhile, Trump’s team touted that they hauled in roughly $27.5 million during a fundraising swing by the former president in California and Nevada a week ago.

Fundraising, along with public opinion polling, is a key metric used to measure the strength of a candidate and their campaign. Money raised can be used to build up grassroots outreach and get-out-the-vote operations, staffing, travel and ads, among other things.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s happening…

– VP Harris gets a big promotion in ‘Queer Eye’ blooper

– Speaker Johnson urged to crack down on DEI

– Climate radicals target Taylor Swift

‘Very Damning’ Video

While White House officials are busy dismissing as “cheap fakes” a series of viral videos apparently showing President Biden in declining mental acuity, a conservative tech expert counters that the footage is genuinely troubling and that the Biden message shop is simply working to “gaslight” social media moderators and voters.

“The discredited right-wing critics of President Biden who spread other debunked lies, including that the 2020 election was stolen, are clearly threatened by the wide range of nonpartisan fact-checkers that have pulled back the curtain on the cheap fake smears they’re forced to rely on,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital.

“It’s very clear what’s going on here,” counter Heritage Foundation tech researcher Jake Denton. “They’re trying to push a new term underneath the school of misinformation to try and pressure social media companies to take action on videos of this nature.”

The reality is that the videos accurately reflect Biden’s current cognitive ability, Denton told Fox News Digital, saying Americans should “reject these terms and buzzwords and just assess the videos as they are, because they’re very damning.”

“It looks horrible because it is,” he said.

The Republican National Committee’s research division posted several videos on X that appeared to show President Biden in a “perpetual state of confusion.” The Biden White House dismisses them as “cheap fakes,” but one tech expert says the truth is “[i]t looks horrible because it is.”

White House

TIGHT-LIPPED: Biden admin won’t say whether it plans to reach out to Rachel Morin’s family …Read more

‘MADAM PRESIDENT’: VP Harris scores a big promotion in mistaken ‘Queer Eye’ video caption …Read more

SHOTGUN WEDDING: Experts warn Biden border order will lead to marriage fraud  …Read more

Capitol Hill

BORDER CONTRADICTION: Md. Dems lament mom’s murder allegedly by illegal migrant, yet praise Biden on border …Read more

‘WOKE’ WARS: Missouri senator pushes to eliminate DEI at the Pentagon  …Read more

ABORTION BY MAIL: 1800s-era law targeted by Senate Dems over key postal provision …Read more

VARSITY BLUES: Johnson urged by over 50 conservative groups to crack down on DEI in medical schools …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

MEME WARS: Biden donors put up $10M in effort to compete with Trump viral videos …Read more

WHY NOW?!: Biden campaign manager asked about timing of immigration executive order …Read more

LOWEST ON RECORD: New Yorkers turn on Democrat governor in new poll …Read more

ONE ON ONE: RFK Jr. fails to meet debate criteria, meaning it’s Trump vs. Biden, CNN says …Read more

FINAL COUNTDOWN: Insiders reveal how Biden, Trump are prepping for their first debate …Read more

NAME ‘THREE DRAG QUEENS’: Blue city mayor’s odd question to rival raises eyebrows …Read more

Drag queen “Pattie Gonia” was recently named one of National Geographic’s “Travelers of the Year.” (Christopher Polk / Contributor)

Across America

TROUBLE IN A SMALL TOWN: Florida mayor resigns via mass email to residents …Read more

‘INSIDIOUS’ BIAS: New lawsuit alleges a women’s medical program illegally excludes White women …Read more

EPA SUED AGAIN: Groups target trucking emissions standards …Read more

JUNETEENTH: Deep South state unveils monument honoring those who endured slavery …Read more

TAX CUTS: Red state governor signs income, property tax cuts into law …Read more

‘A GREAT DAY’: High Court delivers justice to Texas grandmother jailed for political retaliation  …Read more

LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO: Climate radicals target Taylor Swift’s private jet  …Read more

DEM MAYOR ‘OUSTER’: Oakland pol to face landmark recall vote …Read more

Around the World

ARMS FOR ALLIES: Taiwanese president gives thanks as US approves $360M weapons sale  …Read more

‘SCOURGE OF ANTISEMITISM’: French political rivals join forces to decry Jewish girl’s gang rape  …Read more

POOCH PACT: Kim commits to defending Russia, seals deal with gift of dogs …Read more

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un pet dogs during a walk in the garden of the Kumsusan Guesthouse in Pyongyang, North Korea in this image released by the Korean Central News Agency June 20, 2024.     (KCNA via REUTERS)

Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is rumored to be one of former President Trump’s top considerations for vice president, touted his and his wife’s relationship with Trump while stumping for him in Michigan on Thursday.

During a tour of West Michigan’s Sobie Meats butcher shop with his wife, North Dakota first lady Kathryn Burgum, the governor addressed speculation that he could be Trump’s choice to serve as vice president should he take back the White House this November.

Asked on Thursday whether he had any updates to provide on the vetting process for vice president, Burgum told reporters: “This will be my only second ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer of probably the last year, but no. … Haven’t heard any updates.”

Though he didn’t have any updates pertaining to Trump’s selection of a running mate, Burgum said he’s “had a lot of discussions” with the former president in recent months.

NORTH DAKOTA GOV, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DOUG BURGUM FRONT AND CENTER AT TRUMP NEW JERSEY RALLY

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and his wife, Kathryn Burgum, stand alongside former President Trump at a caucus night rally at the Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas on Feb. 8. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“It’s been a real honor for Kathryn and I to have spent as much time with the president as we have since we first endorsed him,” he said. “We were the first presidential candidate who dropped out to endorse him. We were there on the stage in Iowa on that historic night. We were there with him in Nevada.”

Burgum said he and his wife are readily available to assist Trump with his campaign, noting that he told the former president, “‘Hey, we’re on call. Call us if you need us, and we’ll go.'”

“So we had a chance to spend quite a bit of time with him, and across that we’ve had a lot of discussions,” he added.

Burgum said he and his wife had gotten to know Trump “in a much closer way” and insisted he is “incredibly hard-working.”

“He thinks about solutions in pure common sense, and he thinks about it in terms of what’s best for America,” he added of Trump. “He is super curious. You go to a fundraiser with him or a roundtable, and he’ll ask questions of everybody that’s there. He’s always sampling, he’s always learning. So I think he’s getting great input and he’s getting input from the American people on these policies.”

Although it is still unclear who Trump will select as his running mate for the upcoming presidential election, which is less than five months away, a report published last week brought into focus the former president and first lady’s relationship with Burgum and his family.

MELANIA WILL ‘MOST CERTAINLY’ HAVE INFLUENCE ON TRUMP’S VP PICK, SAYS FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDE

Former President Donald Trump listens as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum speaks during a Nevada Republican caucus night watch party in Las Vegas on Feb. 8. (Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Puck report highlighted Melania Trump’s relationship with Kathryn and pointed to how Kathryn “worked with Melania on multiple occasions, including on building recovery-friendly workplaces” during Trump’s presidency.

The report also highlighted how the Burgums were invited to the White House to celebrate the signing of the First Step Act criminal justice reform initiative, an issue the outlet said is “particularly important to Kathryn.”

Additionally, the outlet noted how the two couples “bonded” with one another at Mar-a-Lago for an Easter brunch this year.

Burgum has attended numerous rallies and events to offer support for the former president in recent weeks and months, further adding to speculation that he is gunning to serve as Trump’s running mate in the 2024 election.

During his trip to Michigan on Thursday, Burgum spoke favorably of Trump’s ability to communicate with Americans ahead of the June 27 presidential debate.

“There’s never been a better politician, a better debater, a better communicator. I mean, you look at the size of the rallies where people show up to hear President Trump… it’s historic,” he said. “It’s really remarkable the way he can connect with people. And I’m sure he’s going to do that during the debate.”

From left: House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin; South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem; and South Carolina Gov. Tim Scott are among those floated as a possible vice presidential running mate for former President Trump. (Getty Images)

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Burgum, who traveled to New York City to support the former president during his trial last month, also touted Trump’s record on immigration during his visit to the Great Lakes State, saying, “No one’s been stronger on the border.”

Trump’s decision on who he will select as his running mate isn’t expected to be made public until this summer’s Republican National Convention, which is slated to take place in Milwaukee from July 15-18.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, continued the course of not supporting former President Trump during the 2024 election.

Last week, Trump had a closed-door meeting with Republican senators where he pitched a new policy position that could win over workers in key swing states ahead of the November election.

Romney attended the meeting, though he told CNN reporter Manu Raju on Tuesday that he did not go to support Trump.

“I didn’t go there to support former President Trump. I went there to listen to what he was planning on doing if he became president,” Romney told Raju.

Romney reportedly acknowledged he was not planning to attend the meeting, though he changed his mind after his flight was canceled.

ROMNEY SCORCHES BRAGG’S ‘POLITICAL DECISION’ IN TRUMP CASE: ‘MALPRACTICE’

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Tuesday he won’t support former President Trump in the 2024 election because of a “matter of personal character.” (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“With President Trump, it’s a matter of personal character,” the Utah senator said. “I draw a line and say when someone has been actually found to have been sexually assaulted, that’s something I just won’t cross over in the person I wouldn’t want to have as president of the United States.”

Romney was referring to a federal jury’s decision in New York City last year, which ruled Trump was not liable for the rape of E. Jean Carroll, though the former president was liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Fox News Digital reached out to Romney’s team to verify the accuracy of the statements and was told, “That is what he said and has been saying this for months – it’s not new.”

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

Carroll, who alleged that Trump raped her at the Bergdorf Goodman department store across from Trump Tower in Manhattan sometime in 1996, was seeking $12 million.

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS TRUMP REQUEST FOR NEW TRIAL IN E JEAN CARROLL SUIT, SAYS HE MUST PAY $83.3 MILLION

Former President Trump remains the 2024 GOP presidential front-runner. (Donald Trump 2024 campaign)

Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential front-runner, has repeatedly denied the allegations. His denial resulted in Carroll slapping Trump with a defamation lawsuit, claiming his response caused harm to her reputation.

The jury found Carroll was injured as a result of statements Trump made while in the White House in June 2019.

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The jury awarded Carroll $7.3 million in compensatory damages, other than the reputational repair program, and $11 million in damages for the reputational repair program.

The jury found Trump’s statements were made to harm Carroll and awarded her $65 million in punitive damages. In total, the jury said Carroll should be paid $83.3 million.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm is launching ad buys expected to exceed $100 million ahead of the 2024 elections, in which the party stands a significant chance of taking back the majority in the upper chamber. 

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on Thursday started reserving multimillion-dollar ad spots for the fall in key states Ohio, Nevada, Michigan and Arizona as it eyes potential Republican pickup opportunities. 

The reservations are for both television and digital ad campaigns. 

DEMOCRATS EYE TAKE DOWN OF FEDERAL PROVISION COULD AFFECT ABORTION BY MAIL

The NRSC announced plans to make ad reservations in Ohio, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada.  (Getty Images)

The races in Ohio and Nevada are considered “Toss Ups” by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report. In Michigan and Arizona, the Senate seats being vacated by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., are rated only “Lean Democratic.”

MIKE PENCE’S GROUP URGES GOP TO OPPOSE MEASURE INCLUDING WOMEN IN FUTURE DRAFT

Sinema is not running for re-election to her seat.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images`)

NRSC Executive Director Jason Thielman said in a statement, “This investment is a reflection of the fact that Senate Democrats are on defense all over the country.”

“Joe Biden’s extreme unpopularity has given us a chance to build a lasting Senate Majority. We have the right candidates and the right message, now we need to execute,” he added. 

TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS VIRGINIA’S REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY TO TAKE ON TIM KAINE

Republicans are currently in the minority in the Senate.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

News of the new fall reservations comes as the campaign arm has already started working with GOP candidates in Montana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Nevada and Arizona on coordinated ad buys. According to the NRSC, similar coordinated campaigns will also be launched with Bernie Moreno in Ohio, Mike Rogers in Michigan and Eric Hovde in Wisconsin in the next few months. 

The $100 million top line ad spend will include a variety of modes of advertising including TV, radio and digital, and will also incorporate additional coordinated ad campaigns with candidates.

VA DEM TIM KAINE WARNS AGAINST TAKING ELECTION FOR GRANTED AS TRUMP EYES BLUE STATE

Sens. Jon Tester, Jacky Rosen, Sherrod Brown, Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey (Getty Images)

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The NRSC is hoping to take advantage of a less than favorable Senate re-election map for Democrats and guarantee a Republican Senate majority in the next Congress. The current breakdown between the Democratic caucus and Republican conference is 51 to 49. 

The campaign arm is also eyeing a potential upset in Maryland, where popular former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is testing whether he can win the blue state again. 

A Democrat super PAC, which has received more than $500K in cash from a left-wing dark money nonprofit, has jumped into a Republican congressional primary in Colorado in the latest example of Democrats meddling in a Republican primary.

Rocky Mountain Values PAC, which is bankrolled by the left-wing dark money nonprofit Sixteen Thirty Fund, has spent at least $300,000 boosting former Republican state Rep. Ron Hanks, by attacking him as being too conservative and tying him to former President Trump. Hanks is in a six-way primary race in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, a seat abandoned by GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, according to FEC filings.

The funding comes as Democrats are presumably calculating that Hanks is less likely to defeat Democrat Adam Frisch as opposed to the Republican Jeff Hurd, who polling suggests is the front-runner. Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $500K to Rocky Mountain Values PAC in April and over $4,500 earlier this month.

Frisch lost to Boebert by just 546 votes in 2022 in a district Trump is popular in.

FORMER NAVY SEAL SAYS DEMS MEDDLING IN HIS SENATE RACE ‘TO DISTRACT MONTANA VOTERS’ FROM ‘TWO-FACED’ OPPONENT

Jeff Hurd and Ron Hanks are competing in the CO-03 GOP primary (Fox News Digital)

“A shock to no one, Adam and the Democrats are attacking Jeff because they know he is the only Republican who can beat Frisch and keep the seat red,” the Hurd campaign statement told The Colorado Sun earlier this month. 

“Voters in western and southern Colorado won’t be duped.”

The GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund has responded by dropping roughly $400,000 in ads attacking Hanks’ record on issues like gun control and accusing him of not being aligned with Trump’s policies. 

Frisch has also spent money in the primary attacking Hurd, The Colorado Sun reported.

ABC PANEL CRITICIZES DEMOCRATS MEDDLING IN GOP PRIMARIES: ‘EMBARRASSINGLY HYPOCRITICAL’

Man at voting booth (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

“Why are Democrat mega donors spending so much to prop up Ron Hanks’ campaign?” CLF Communications Director Courtney Parella told Fox News Digital.  

“Republicans, beware.”

Left-wing groups getting involved in Republican primaries has become a common occurrence over the past several years as Democrats operate under the strategy that elevating a candidate they feel is weaker by touting him or her as “too conservative” in the primary will provide the Democrat with an easier opponent in November.

In 2022, Democrats spent more than $40 million to boost six pro-Trump candidates in Republican primaries, and all six of those Republicans lost their general election races to Democrats.

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Rep. Lauren Boebert  R-Colo., leaves the U.S. Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, February 15, 2024 (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

However, many political experts view the strategy as risky, and DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene told the Washington Post in January 2024 that her group no longer supports the strategy of propping up “far-right” candidates in swing districts.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Hurd campaign, Hanks campaign and Sixteen Thirty Fund but did not receive a response. 

“RMV PAC is committed to defeating extreme Colorado Republicans,” Amber Miller, a spokesperson for Rocky Mountain Values PAC, told The Colorado Sun.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have filed a new motion in his New York civil fraud case alleging that the judge engaged in “prohibited communications” and should recuse himself. 

In a motion filed with the New York State Supreme Court, Trump’s lawyers accuse Judge Arthur Engoron of engaging in actions “fundamentally incompatible with the responsibilities attendant to donning the black robe and sitting in judgment.”

That action refers to a conversation Engoron allegedly had with New York City real estate attorney Adam Leitman Bailey “regarding the merits of this case, the permissible scope of the New York State Attorney General’s and this Court’s own authority under Executive Law…and the consequences of this Court’s decision on business in the State.”

“The New York Code of Judicial Conduct exists to ensure that litigants are afforded a fair and impartial trial. Justice Engoron’s communications with Attorney Adam Leitman Bailey regarding the merits of this case, however, directly violate that code and demonstrate that Judge Engoron cannot serve as a fair arbiter. It is clear that Judge Engoron should recuse himself immediately,” Alina Habba, spokesperson for Trump said in a statement. 

TRUMP POSTS $175M BOND IN NY CIVIL FRAUD CASE, AVERTS ASSET SEIZURE

Justice Arthur Engoron presides over the civil fraud trial of the Trump Organization at the New York State Supreme Court in New York City on November 13, 2023. (ERIN SCHAFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the filing, Bailey told ABC in an interview that he had tried to advise Engoron weeks before the judge’s decision. 

“Although Mr. Bailey claims that President Trump was not mentioned by name in the conversation, when asked whether ‘it was obvious that [his] input was related to this case,’ Mr. Bailey stated ‘well[,] obviously we weren’t talking about the Mets,’” the filing says. 

Engoron in February found Trump liable for more than $350 million in damages in the civil fraud case brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

James’ case also targeted Trump’s family and the Trump Organization. Engoron ruled that Trump and defendants were liable for “persistent and repeated fraud,” “falsifying business records,” “issuing false financial statements,” “conspiracy to falsify false financial statements,” “insurance fraud,” and “conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.”

The judge criticized Trump’s behavior during the trial, saying that he “rarely responded to the questions asked, and he frequently interjected long, irrelevant speeches on issues far beyond the scope of the trial.”

TRUMP UNLOADS ON JUDGE, NYAG FOR TARGETING HIM ‘FOR POLITICAL REASONS’ DURING UNPRECEDENTED TESTIMONY

New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York.   (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)

According to the ABC report cited in the filing, a spokesperson for the court said: 

“[N]o ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person. The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual.”

The filing notes that since those allegations have come to light, “it is reported that the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct has launched an investigation into this Court’s conduct” and that “at least a dozen news outlets have reported on both the alleged ex parte communication and the pending investigation.”

“The law is clear that any communication outside of the presence of the parties or their lawyers must be strictly scrutinized,” lawyers for Trump argue in the filing. “The Court is obligated to avoid attempted ex parte communications, and if an ex parte communication does occur, the Court should, at minimum, promptly notify all parties of the communication.”

“The appropriate remedy for the ex parte communication is notification to the parties and recusal,” it states. 

“Here, it is beyond dispute that neither Defendants nor the Attorney General were present during the purported communication with Mr. Bailey. Nor did this Court ever notify either party that the purported communication took place, which would have at least permitted an opportunity for comment on the substance of the conversation, as conveyed by this Court,” the filing states. 

“Worse yet, Mr. Bailey’s account indicates that this Court not only permitted but welcomed such prohibited communication. According to Mr. Bailey, this Court was an active participant in a conversation concerning the merits of the case, wherein this Court asked Mr. Bailey a ‘lot of questions.'” 

BILL MAHER GRILLS ESPER FOR NOT BACKING BIDEN AFTER CALLING TRUMP A ‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY;: A ’BINARY’ CHOICE

Donald Trump arrives to Trump Tower, Thursday, May 30, 2024 after being found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

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

Notably, Bailey years ago successfully sued then-real estate mogul Trump over a condo dispute. 

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“For the foregoing reasons, Defendants respectfully request that this Court recuse itself, or, in the alternative, set the matter down for an evidentiary hearing, and grant any such other and further relief it may think proper,” the filing concludes. 

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

Senate Democrats are looking to strike a provision in a federal law that bars materials related to abortion from being transmitted through the mail, warning that it could be wielded by a Republican president and Congress to ban abortions nationally. 

Sen. Tina Smith, (D-Minn.), is leading an effort to revise the 1873 Comstock Act, repealing the piece making the mailing of abortion materials illegal. 

“There is a very clear, well-organized plan afoot by the MAGA Republicans to use Comstock as a tool to ban medication abortion, and potentially all abortions,” Smith said in a statement to the Washington Post, which first reported on the bill. “My job is to take that tool away.”

MIKE PENCE’S GROUP URGES GOP TO OPPOSE MEASURE INCLUDING WOMEN IN FUTURE DRAFT

Sen. Tina Smith is hoping to strip a controversial abortion provision from the 1800s-era Comstock Act. (Getty Images)

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has maintained that the law does not outright ban drugs that can induce abortion from being sent through mail, because intent is not always known. “The mere mailing of such drugs to a particular jurisdiction is an insufficient basis for concluding that the sender intends them to be used unlawfully,” Christopher Schroeder, assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel in the DOJ concluded in a 2022 opinion. 

Such a measure is likely to receive full Democratic support if it scores a vote on the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not said whether this measure will be included in the parade of reproduction-related votes that have been scheduled in the summer months. 

TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS VIRGINIA’S REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY TO TAKE ON TIM KAINE

Mifepristone is one of the medications used to facilitate abortions. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

Schumer did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.

Smith’s bill could also manage to pick up some Republican support from moderate Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who have joined their Democratic counterparts on abortion and reproduction related votes in the past. 

VA DEM TIM KAINE WARNS AGAINST TAKING ELECTION FOR GRANTED AS TRUMP EYES BLUE STATE

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has teed up several reproductive votes. (REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/File Photo)

Despite having a good outlook for Senate support, the measure would not be expected to be brought to a vote in the House or have enough votes to pass. 

Democrats in the Senate have concentrated their legislative efforts in the upper chamber on safeguarding access to contraception, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and abortion ahead of a recess-heavy fall schedule. 

So far, votes have occurred for Democrat-backed bills to ensure accessibility of both birth control and IVF procedures, but both procedural hurdles have failed, as Republicans opposed the broad nature of both bills. 

SENATE GOP STOPS DEM ATTEMPT TO BAN BUMP STOCKS AFTER SCOTUS REVERSES TRUMP-ERA RULE

The overturn of Roe v. Wade was incredibly controversial. (AP Photo/Anna Johnson)

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In the next month, Schumer is expected to schedule a vote on a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade and the federal right to an abortion. Such a measure is similarly expected to fail. 

The series of votes on the subject come as Democrats fight to retain their very vulnerable Senate majority in the November elections. Five incumbent Democrats are embroiled in tough elections in the most competitive Senate races of the cycle, according to non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report, which rates three as “Toss Ups” and two as only “Lean Democratic.”

• Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed legislation that cuts the state’s top individual tax rate from 4.4% to 3.9% and the top corporate rate from 4.8% to 4.3%. Finance officials say the cuts will cost about $483 million the first year and $322 million a year after that.
• The cuts are the latest in a series of income tax reductions Arkansas has enacted over the past several years. Sanders has signed three cuts into law since taking office last year.
• Lawmakers also approved legislation to keep the state’s Game and Fish Commission, which issues hunting and fishing licenses and oversees wildlife conservation, in operation.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday signed legislation cutting the state’s property and income taxes after lawmakers wrapped up a special session where they also approved legislation to keep the state’s hunting and fishing programs running.

Sanders signed the measure cutting the state’s top corporate and individual income tax rates, and another raising the homestead property tax credit, hours after the predominantly Republican Legislature adjourned the session that began Monday.

The cuts are the latest in a series of income tax reductions Arkansas has enacted over the past several years. Sanders, a Republican, has signed three cuts into law since taking office last year and has said she wants to phase the levy out over time.

BIDEN WANTS TO RAISE YOUR TAXES. HERE ARE 5 REASONS EVEN HE SHOULD LEARN TO LOVE THE TRUMP TAX CUTS

“We are moving in the right direction and we’re doing so responsibly,” Sanders said at a news conference before signing the legislation.

The measures will cut the state’s top individual tax rate from 4.4% to 3.9% and the top corporate rate from 4.8% to 4.3%, retroactively, beginning Jan. 1. Finance officials say the cuts will cost about $483 million the first year and $322 million a year after that.

Supporters argued the state is in a healthy position for the reductions, noting that Arkansas is forecast to end the fiscal year with a $708 million surplus.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, front, speaks about tax cuts while surrounded by state Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe), left, Speaker of the House Matthew Shepherd (R-El Dorado), rear center, and state Sen. Steve Crowell (R-Magnolia), right, during a news conference on June 19, 2024, at the state Capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas. (Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

But opponents of the measures have said the benefits are too skewed toward higher earners and that the state should instead put more money toward reducing the high maternal mortality rate and providing more services for people with disabilities.

“Now is not the time to be underfunding the programs that deal with these problems,” Democratic Rep. Denise Garner said before the House voted on the cuts Tuesday.

The tax cut legislation also requires the state to set aside $290 million from its surplus into a reserve fund in case of an economic downturn.

The other legislation signed by Sanders increases the homestead tax credit from $425 to $500, retroactive to Jan. 1. That cut will cost $46 million.

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Lawmakers had expected to take up tax cuts later this year, but that plan was accelerated after the Legislature adjourned its session last month without a budget for the state Game and Fish Commission. That created uncertainty about whether the agency, which issues hunting and fishing licenses and oversees wildlife conservation, would operate beyond July 1.

Sanders on Wednesday signed a compromise budget proposal for the agency aimed at addressing concerns from some House members who had objected to the maximum pay for the agency’s director.

The new measure includes a lower maximum salary for the director, and requires legislative approval to increase his pay by more than 5%.

Vice President Kamala Harris shared a video of her meeting with original and current cast members of the TV show “Queer Eye,” which featured a caption that did not match what was said.

In the clip, Harris is seen greeting Carson Kressley, Jai Rodriguez, Karamo Brown and Jonathan van Ness at the door.

After walking into the White House, cast members are seen hugging Harris before Rodriguez tells her they are “going to fight every urge not to open drawers,” warning Harris it was in their DNA.

After sharing a picture with the cast members, the video jumps to a scene where van Ness refers to Harris as “Honey,” before correcting himself and saying, “I mean, Madam Vice President.”

KAMALA HARRIS ARGUES PEOPLE STILL GETTING USED TO FIRST WOMAN VP, SAYS THEY ‘LOVE TO TALK ABOUT MY LAUGH’

Vice President Kamala Harris met with cast members of “Queer Eye” at the White House, in which captions in a clip of the meeting did not match what was said. (Vice President Harris X post)

However, the video caption underneath read, “Madam President.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and van Ness’ team about the apparent caption error but did not hear back.

STEVE HARVEY DEFENDS GIVING KAMALA HARRIS EASY QUESTIONS TO HELP ADMIN ‘GET THE WORD OUT’

The caption on the video quoted Jonathan van Ness as saying “Madam President” instead of “Madam Vice President.” (Vice President Harris X post)

Harris shared the video on X, saying, “The cast of [Queer Eye] joined me at the White House to discuss the hard-fought progress the LGBTQI+ community has made in the past 20 years. Thank you for a meaningful conversation, for giving my office your stamp of approval, and for being fabulous.”

This is not the first time Harris has been referred to as “Madam President.”

‘GREATEST THREAT’: FORMER TOP KAMALA HARRIS AIDE REVEALS WHICH TRUMP VP PICK COULD SINK HER CANDIDACY

Last year, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mistakenly referred to the vice president as “the president” during an afternoon press conference.

The slip-up came in the first few minutes of the press conference, as Jean-Pierre announced Harris’ planned speaking engagement commemorating the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

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“This Sunday, the president will speak about the fight to secure women’s fundamental right to reproductive health care in the face of these attacks,” Jean-Pierre said, without realizing or correcting her mistake. “She will talk about what’s at stake for millions of women across the country and most importantly, the need for Congress to codify the protections of Roe into law.” 

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s favorability and job approval ratings are at their lowest ever, according to a new poll.

A statewide Siena College survey conducted last week showed the Democratic governor’s approval rating sits at 44%, a record low, according to the pollster, with 50% disapproving of how Hochul has performed as governor. Her favorability rating is also underwater at 38-49%, favorable to unfavorable.

The good news for Hochul is that a plurality of voters in both parties support her decision to halt New York’s congestion pricing program, which would have inflicted higher toll fares on commuters to New York City. Voters approve of her decision by 45% to only 23% who disapprove, with 16% staking a position in the middle, according to the poll.

“Despite strongly supporting Hochul’s decision to put congestion pricing on hold, and even more strongly supporting the social media bill she championed, voters now give Hochul the lowest favorability and job approval ratings she’s had in nearly three years as governor,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a statement. 

NY’S DEM GOVERNOR INDEFINITELY HALTS CONGESTION PRICING PLAN, PUTTING PARTY OVER CLIMATE

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul faces all-time low approval and favorability ratings, according to a new Siena College poll. (Probe-Media for Fox News Digital)

“Among Democrats, she continues to have a two-to-one favorability rating and even stronger job approval rating, however, she’s viewed unfavorably by 81% of Republicans and 61% of independents, while 84% of Republicans and 63% of independents disapprove of the job she’s doing as governor.”

The Siena College survey also recorded President Biden’s lowest-ever favorability in the Empire State, 42%, and found he continues to lead presumptive Republican nominee former President Trump by single digits, 47%-39%.

“While Biden maintains the support of three-quarters of Democrats, Trump has support from 85% of Republicans and leads Biden 45-28% with independents,” Greenberg said. “A gender gap has reopened as men support Trump 46-42% and women favor Biden 51-33%. White voters are evenly divided. And while Biden has a commanding lead with non-white voters, Trump garners support from 29% of Black and 26% of Latino voters.”

“Two-thirds of voters say they plan to watch next week’s debate between Trump and Biden, the earliest general election presidential debate in memory. It remains to be seen what impact the debate has on the race, but the last time the presidential election was as close as it is now in New York was 1988 when Democrat Michael Dukakis beat Republican George H.W. Bush by only four points, 52-48%. Ronald Reagan was the last Republican to carry New York — by eight points, 54-46% — in 1984.”

NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘CLOWNS’ IN HER OWN ‘BASKET OF DEPLORABLES’ MOMENT

A bipartisan plurality of New York registered voters support New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to pause a congestion pricing plan that would raise toll fares to $15 for New York City commuters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

The congestion pricing plan was set to begin on June 30, but earlier this month, Hochul made the surprise decision to put it on hold, reportedly due to concerns about voter backlash in the upcoming election.

Hochul reaffirmed her “commitment to a greener, more sustainable future” in a speech announcing her decision on June 5, but she said the move was best for “the little guy.” 

The stated goal of congestion pricing in the Big Apple is to get greener by improving air quality and reducing traffic. Politico reported that House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had asked Hochul to consider delaying the unpopular program as he works to capture the House majority in November.

The GOP managed to reclaim a thin majority in the House two years ago largely due to several key Republican congressional victories in New York. 

NYC MAYOR ADAMS SAYS HE SUPPORTS MASK BAN TO CURB CRIME: ‘COWARDS COVER THEIR FACES’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during the State of the State address in Albany, New York, on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The first-in-the-nation congestion pricing plan was to take effect as New York City transit ridership has taken a nosedive due to public safety concerns. It had received serious blowback from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, former President Trump and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Under the transit authority’s plan, trucks would be subject to a charge of $24 or $36 per trip, depending on their size. Most drivers in private passenger cars, in contrast, should expect to pay about $15, with lower rates for motorcycles and late-night entries into the city, according to the proposal finalized in March. 

Republican critics have called the plan a tax on commuters. However, left-wing activists criticized Hochul’s decision, saying it would deprive the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of needed funding. 

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Suburban voters were the strongest group in support of Hochul’s decision to delay congestion pricing, backing the move by 56%. 

The Siena College survey included 805 registered voters from across New York state reached by landline, cell phone and through an online panel. The poll’s margin of error is 4.1%.  

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this update.

President Biden’s allies have donated at least $10 million in an effort to compete against the Trump campaign’s prolific use of social media, according to a new report.

Leaders at Biden’s top re-election super PAC, Future Forward USA Action, fear that the current president is losing the viral video war to Trump and his allies, Reuters reported. Trump and his fellow Republicans have bombarded social media with videos of Biden freezing or otherwise appearing old at public events for weeks.

The Democratic super PAC boasts supporters like Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and LinkedIn founder Reed Hoffman. The effort aims to help Biden’s campaign understand how social media algorithms work, in addition to collaborating with pro-Biden influencers.

“Future Forward is around to help solve problems, and TikTok is a problem and the group is reasonably trying to solve that problem,” one Democrat source told Reuters.

BIDEN’S ‘PERPETUAL STATE OF CONFUSION’ ON DISPLAY IN NORMANDY AMID RISING COGNITIVE QUESTIONS

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Since February, when the Biden campaign officially joined the TikTok platform, it has posted more than 200 times and garnered just over 380,000 followers. Trump joined TikTok barely two weeks ago but has already accumulated 6.4 million followers.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee has been leaning into Biden’s age issues by sharing footage of him freezing up or appearing confused at public events. 

The White House has condemned the clips as “cheap fakes,” but there is little evidence to suggest the clips have been altered in a deceptive way.

SOCIAL MEDIA MOCKS BIDEN BEING LED OFFSTAGE BY FIRST LADY

Since February, when the Biden campaign officially joined the TikTok platform, it has posted more than 200 times and garnered just over 380,000 followers. Trump joined TikTok barely two weeks ago but has already accumulated 6.4 million followers. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)

The “cheap fakes” line has proven to be the White House’s primary defense against embarrassing videos of Biden in recent weeks.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘CHEAP FAKE’ BIDEN VIDEOS: ‘SO MUCH MISINFORMATION’

The term was used in some news articles as early as 2019, but there were significantly more this week following the videos on social media of Biden.

Not everyone is buying the explanation, however. This is all part of “election slogans and buzzwords,” according to Heritage Foundation tech researcher Jake Denton.

The “cheap fakes” line has proven to be with White House’s primary defense against embarrassing videos of Biden in recent weeks. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

“It’s very clear what’s going on here,” Denton told Fox News Digital. “They’re trying to push a new term underneath the school of misinformation to try and pressure social media companies to take action on videos of this nature.”

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“This kind of requires a ramp-up stage where you allege that something is a ‘cheap fake,’ or that it’s malicious in some way related to misinformation, and then you have essentially the evidence, the fact pattern, whatever, to go and push the social media companies with takedown requests, because it’s misinformation regarding an election. So to me, that’s kind of the seed that’s being planted here.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

Top immigration experts are hammering the Biden administration over its plan to establish so-called “parole-in-place” qualifications for illegal immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens.

The idea of parole-in-place stemmed from a memo crafted by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and has been used since 2016 to categorize non-citizen immediate family members of U.S. service members.

A forthcoming executive order expanding the construct is expected to shield as many as half a million illegal immigrants from deportation.

Former Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan said the move will cause further damage to the U.S. and lead to an uptick in marriage fraud – as the policy is set to focus on spouses.

BORDER RANCHER RECORDS 3,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IMAGES ON CAMERA

“This administration has done nothing to secure the border – they’re playing a shell game,” Homan said. “This is just another enticement… for more illegal aliens to cross the border to take advantage of a giveaway program.”

Homan, who served in the Trump administration, previously said he hopes to help establish a “historic deportation program” if the real estate mogul is elected in November.

He told reporters the parole-in-place program will incentivize illegal immigrants to venture across the southern border and simply “hide out” until a program like this comes along to provide them amnesty.

“A record number of migrants are dead, a record number of American citizens are dead, a record number of terrorists have crossed the border. And what’s your focus? Let’s get another giveaway program, which is going to entice more people to come. This is nothing but a political ploy,” he said.

There are several conditions for qualifying for the program – a key stipulation being that the spouse must have resided in the U.S. for at least 10 years, have a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen and must have a clean criminal history. 

Joe Edlow, former acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), added that federal estimates of parole-in-place leading to upwards of 500,000 qualifying individuals is, at best, a minimum figure.

“From my perspective, there is absolutely no other amount of amnesty that I would support or accept… there will be no integrity if we continue to allow people to flagrantly flaunt the immigration laws,” said Edlow, who also served as chief counsel for USCIS.

‘GREEN’ GOVERNANCE IS THE NEW GUISE FOR ‘MERCANTILISM’ AND WILL LEAD TO GLOBAL INSTABILITY: HERITAGE PRESIDENT

“They say 500,000. I think we’ve seen other estimates up to 1.1 million. But the bottom line is we don’t actually know yet what this [policy] is ultimately going to include.”

In Edlow’s view, the Biden administration essentially has “shut down” immigration enforcement for four years, so the actual figures on how many people will be permitted to remain on U.S. soil via parole-in-place is indeterminate.

Another expert on the issue said that whether parole-in-place allows 500,000 or many more people to come to or stay in the U.S., it essentially creates a 51st state.

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Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts previously served as a college president in Wyoming – the 50th most populous state. He suggested the Biden administration will be essentially adding another collective population between it and 49th-place Vermont.

“[The White House] has articulated and will soon release details of what we think is going to be the largest mass amnesty scheme in American history. That’s not hyperbole. It’s true,” said Roberts.

“Having lived in Wyoming, adding the population of an entire state on top of more than 10 million illegal aliens who are already here is just more in fundamentally reordering America,” he said.

As of the 2020 census, Wyoming had just over 576,000 residents, while Vermont had about 643,000.

The White House and ICE did not respond to requests for comment for purposes of this story. 

As the general election season nears, White House officials are dismissing as “cheap fakes” a series of viral videos circulating on social media that purport to show President Biden in declining mental acuity. But a conservative tech expert counters that the videos are genuinely troubling and that the Biden shop’s pushback is part of an “election buzzword” effort aimed at pressuring social media platforms to “take action” against it.

“The discredited right-wing critics of President Biden who spread other debunked lies, including that the 2020 election was stolen, are clearly threatened by the wide range of nonpartisan fact-checkers that have pulled back the curtain on the cheap fake smears they’re forced to rely on – since the last thing they want to discuss is Joe Biden’s agenda to cut taxes for working families and keep bringing violent crime to historic lows,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital.

“Their panicked reaction to mainstream reporters, including at The Washington Post, NBC News, and PolitiFact, citing misinformation experts taking anti-Biden cheap fakes apart says more than we ever could,” Bates added.

SOCIAL MEDIA MOCKS BIDEN BEING LED OFFSTAGE BY FIRST LADY

The Republican National Committees research division posted several videos on X Thursday that appeared to show President Biden in a “perpetual state of confusion.”

In recent weeks, videos of Biden from various events appear to show him “confused.” One video shows him turning away from the group of world leaders at a D-Day anniversary event in France to speak to a parachuter. Another video appeared him being uncertain of when it was time to sit down, and another video this week showed him being led off the stage by former President Obama at a fundraising event. 

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre doubled down that these videos were “cheap fakes,” which the Media Manipulation Case Book defines as “altered media” that does not require advanced technology, like “photoshopping (including face swapping), lookalikes, as well as speeding and slowing video.” 

The term was used in some news articles as early as 2019, but there were significantly more this week following the videos on social media of Biden.

“It looks horrible because it is.”

— Heritage Foundation Researcher Jake Denton

“It’s also very insulting to the folks, the viewers who are watching it. And so we believe we have to call that out. We’ve been calling it ‘cheap fakes.’ That is something that came directly from the media outlets in calling it that, the fact-checkers … calling it that. And so we’re certainly going to be really, really clear about that as well. And calling it out from where we are, from where we stand,” Jean-Pierre told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘CHEAP FAKE’ BIDEN VIDEOS: ‘SO MUCH MISINFORMATION’

President Biden walks on the South Lawn to board Marine One before departing the White House on Dec. 8, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Not everyone is buying the explanation, however. This is all part of “election slogans and buzzwords,” according to Heritage Foundation tech researcher Jake Denton.

“It’s very clear what’s going on here,” Denton told Fox News Digital. “They’re trying to push a new term underneath the school of misinformation to try and pressure social media companies to take action on videos of this nature.”

The term “cheap fake” is also being used just a week before Biden is scheduled to debate former President Trump, the GOP front-runner in the general election.

“This kind of requires a ramp-up stage where you allege that something is a ‘cheap fake,’ or that it’s malicious in some way related to misinformation, and then you have essentially the evidence, the fact pattern, whatever, to go and push the social media companies with takedown requests, because it’s misinformation regarding an election. So to me, that’s kind of the seed that’s being planted here.”

Denton additionally labeled “misinformation experts” under the umbrella of “pseudo-science” born from “digital politics.” Failed academics who then try to rebrand themselves have found a home in this emerging area online, Denton said, at independent fact-check websites and organizations, and even media outlets.

BIDEN’S ‘PERPETUAL STATE OF CONFUSION’ ON DISPLAY IN NORMANDY AMID RISING COGNITIVE QUESTIONS

President Biden and former President Trump (Win McNamee/Getty Images | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“At the end of the day, there’s really not a lot of science to it,” Denton said. “They’re experts, but what are they really analyzing? There is truth that there’s a need for expertise in deepfake production, but when it comes to something like a cheap fake or just the broader term of misinformation, you’re largely just sifting through junk on social media and saying what’s real and what isn’t; it’s not really a very scientific or professional exercise.”

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Denton continued that the administration’s intention is to “gaslight” the American public into believing that what they see on social media misrepresents his current state. However, the reality is that the videos accurately reflect his current cognitive ability, he said, and urged people to “reject these terms and buzzwords and just assess the videos as they are, because they’re very damning.”

“It looks horrible because it is,” he said.

The president’s mental acuity has become the center of political discourse this month after a bombshell Washington Journal report, which the White House dismissed, revealed that many lawmakers on Capitol Hill had questions about Biden’s mental acuity after many said his aging was apparent in private meetings.

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, penned another letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday, threatening a subpoena if she does not provide information on a former Justice Department official who helped prosecute former President Trump in the Manhattan hush-money trial.

Tuesday’s letter reiterated how Jordan first wrote James on May 15 requesting information and documents related to Colangelo’s prior employment at the New York Attorney General’s Office. 

The House Judiciary Committee asked that she provide that information by May 29, but so far James has “failed to comply with or respond to our request,” the new letter says. “The Committee is continuing to conduct oversight of politically motivated prosecutions by state and local officials.” Fox News Digital reached out to the New York Attorney General’s Office for comment but they did not immediately respond.

“Popularly elected prosecutors, such as New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg, have engaged in an unprecedented abuse of authority by prosecuting a former President of the United States and current leading candidate for that office,” Jordan wrote Tuesday. “Notably, Bragg’s prosecution has been led in part by Mr. Colangelo, a former prosecutor in your office and subsequent senior Justice Department official in the Biden Administration. As such, the Committee continues to seek information and documents related to Mr. Colangelo’s employment at the New York Attorney General’s Office.” 

JIM JORDAN DEMANDS NY AG HAND OVER DOCUMENTS RELATED TO FORMER DOJ OFFICIAL AT HEART OF NY V. TRUMP

Rep. Jim Jordan chairs the House Judiciary Committee on June 13, 2024, during a hearing set to examine Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of former President Trump. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The letter, first reported by The Hill, states that the Supreme Court has recognized that Congress has a “broad and indispensable” power to conduct oversight, which “encompasses inquiries into the administration of existing laws, studies of proposed laws, and surveys in our social, economic or political system for the purpose of enabling Congress to remedy them.”

It also states the committee is charged by the House of Representatives with “upholding fundamental American civil liberties and with promoting fairness and consistency in our nation’s criminal justice system.” Jordan cited Rule X of the Rules of the House, which authorizes the Judiciary Committee to conduct oversight of criminal justice matters and matters involving civil liberties to inform potential legislation. 

Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference following a verdict against former President Trump in a civil fraud trial on Feb. 16, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“Congress has a specific and manifestly important interest in preventing politically motivated prosecutions of current and former Presidents by elected state and local prosecutors, particularly in jurisdictions like New York County where the prosecutor is popularly elected and trial-level judges lack life tenure,” Jordan wrote. 

“Among other things, if state or local prosecutors are able to engage in politically motivated prosecutions of Presidents of the United States (current or former) for personal acts, this could have a profound impact on how Presidents choose to exercise their powers while in office,” the letter says. “Accordingly, the Committee reiterates its May 15 request and ask that you produce the requested information immediately, but not later than 5:00 p.m. on July 2, 2024. The Committee is prepared to resort to compulsory process to obtain compliance with our requests.” 

TRUMP LAWYER SPARS WITH HOST OVER EX-BIDEN DOJ OFFICIAL TAPPED IN NEW YORK HUSH-MONEY CASE

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his legal team hold a press conference following the Trump verdict on May 30, 2024, in New York. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Colangelo, a former high-ranking Justice Department official who was hired by Bragg in 2022 and helped lead the Trump investigation, agreed to testify before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on July 12. 

That is one day after Trump’s sentencing in the case.

Former President Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court during jury deliberations in his trial, May 30, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool Photo via AP)

Before Trump’s verdict last month, Jordan sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding information about the Justice Department’s role in the local prosecution of the former president.

The DOJ responded in a letter, saying that while it does not “generally make extensive efforts to rebut conspiratorial speculation,” a review by the department of all communications from the start of the New York case in January 2021 until the verdict showed no contact between federal prosecutors and those involved in the hush money case.

“The District Attorney’s office is a separate entity from the Department,” the DOJ letter said. 

Bragg is in his first term as Manhattan’s district attorney. He also oversaw the prosecution of Trump’s company in an unrelated tax fraud case before moving to indict Trump last year.

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He and Colangelo previously worked together on Trump-related matters at the New York attorney general’s office. During the trial, Colangelo delivered the opening statement and questioned several witnesses including former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., suggested the pro-Israel lobby is targeting him for being an “outspoken Black man” during a heated debate with his primary challenger on Tuesday night.

The debate was Bowman’s last televised faceoff against Westchester County Executive George Latimer before next week, which will be the culmination of one of the most expensive House primary races in U.S. history.

The progressive Democrat took shots at the bipartisan-focused American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) several times throughout the event, accusing it of operating as a right-wing organization. AIPAC is supporting Latimer, and its campaign arm has poured millions into the race.

AOC SLAMMED FOR SAYING ‘FALSE ACCUSATIONS’ OF ANTISEMITISM ARE ‘WIELDED AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR’

Rep. Jamaal Bowman is fighting for his political life in a high-profile primary race on Tuesday. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The majority of his money comes from right-wing Republicans who support Trump,” Bowman said of Latimer.

Without naming AIPAC, he said, “They are spending more money in this primary than any PAC has ever spent in U.S. history.”

“Why? Because I’m an outspoken person of color. I’m an outspoken Black man. I fight against genocide in Gaza, and I fight for justice right here,” Bowman said, before referring back to Latimer and adding, “And his supporters don’t want that because it challenges their power.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Bowman’s campaign to clarify whether his comments targeted AIPAC specifically.

Latimer shot back at him that groups like AIPAC not only supported him but also people like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. – none of whom are White.

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Westchester County Executive George Latimer is backed by AIPAC. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“The support that they have and I have from individuals comes because of our support of the state of Israel. His opposition comes because he has been anti-Israel, hostile to Israel,” Latimer said. “I have never once flipped a position because of campaign donation. Not once.”

Bowman responded, “Just because you’ve got a few Black friends doesn’t make you an anti-racist organization.”

“He keeps naming off these Black names as if it doesn’t make AIPAC and their supporters racist,” Bowman said.

Latimer earlier called accusations of racism against himself “baloney.”

Bowman namedropped AIPAC again in his closing statement, arguing, “I work in collaboration with the people, displaying servant leadership, while my opponent is big money in politics personified. He takes billions from right-wing Republicans to serve them and AIPAC.”

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During the debate, Latimer countered Bowman’s accusations against AIPAC by pointing out it also endorsed House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, pictured here. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Latimer’s closing statement emphasized his decades in local New York politics, adding, “Who do you trust? Who do you believe has your interest first?”

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A recent poll by Pix11, which hosted the debate, conducted along with Emerson College and The Hill, showed Latimer leading Bowman 48% to 31%.

If he wins the June 25 primary, Latimer will be the first moderate Democrat to knock off a member of the left-wing “Squad.”

A bipartisan United States congressional delegation met with the Dalai Lama Wednesday at his residence in India’s Dharamshala, sparking anger from China which views the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism as a dangerous separatist.

This comes as Washington and Beijing have recently restarted talks after several years of turmoil that began after the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods under the Trump administration. Relations at the time deteriorated even more following the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising military tensions in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

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The high-level delegation, led by Republican Rep. Michael McCaul and including Democratic former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arrived Tuesday at the hillside town, which the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has made his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. There, they met with officials from the Tibetan government-in-exile, which wants more autonomy for Tibet.

Beijing doesn’t recognize said administration and hasn’t held any dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.

In this photo shared by the Office of the Dalai Lama, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, left, is greeted by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, at the Tibetan leader’s residence in Dharamshala, India, Wednesday, June 19, 2024.  (Tenzin Choejor/Office of the Dalai Lama via AP)

After meeting the spiritual leader on Wednesday, the seven U.S. lawmakers addressed hundreds who had gathered at a monastery just outside the 88-year-old Dalai Lama’s residence, waving American and Tibetan flags.

They told the crowd that a key focus of their visit was to underscore the Resolve Tibet Act, passed by the U.S. Congress last week, and aims to encourage dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials with the hopes of finding a peaceful resolution between Tibet and Beijing. The bill should now be sent to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into a law.

Pelosi said the bill is “a message to the Chinese government that we have clarity in our thinking and our understanding of this issue of the freedom of Tibet,” eliciting applause.

McCaul, the Republican representative, said it reaffirmed American support for the Tibetan right to self-determination. “Just this week our delegation received a letter from the Chinese Communist Party, warning us not to come here… but we did not let the CCP intimidate us for we are here today,” he said as people cheered.

However, the visit and newly passed bill have triggered swift backlash from Beijing.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, urged Washington on Tuesday not to support Tibetan independence and said the White House “must not sign the bill into law,” or China will take “resolute measures,” without elaborating on what they may be.

“It’s known by all that the 14th Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure, but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion,” Lin added, urging the U.S. side to “have no contact with the Dalai group in any form, and stop sending the wrong signal to the world.”

The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he only advocates substantial autonomy and protection of Tibet’s native Buddhist culture.

The Tibetan spiritual leader has a history of engaging with U.S. officials, including American presidents — from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama — except for Donald Trump. He has yet to meet Biden since he took office in 2021.

The Dalai Lama is expected to travel to the U.S. on Thursday for medical treatment for his knees, but it is unclear if he will meet any officials while there.

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Meanwhile, Beijing has repeatedly asked the U.S. not to interfere with Tibetan affairs and has argued that the people of Tibet have enjoyed social stability and economic growth under its rule.

While India considers Tibet to be part of China, it hosts Tibetan exiles.