NationalWatch

AUSTIN, TEXAS – The expensive and contentious battle for the Republican Senate nomination in Texas is headed to a May runoff, after none of the three major candidates in the crowded field of contenders topped 50% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election.

Longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn will face off with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after they finished in the top two in the primary, with Rep. Wesley Hunt in third place, the Associated Press reports.

The winner will face off with either rising star state Rep. James Talarcio or progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a vocal critic and foil of President Donald Trump, who were vying for the Democratic Senate nomination. Both are trying to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in right-leaning Texas.

This year’s Senate showdown in Texas is one of a handful across the country that could determine if Republicans hold their majority in the chamber in the midterm elections. The GOP currently controls the chamber 53-47.

The Cornyn campaign and aligned super PACs spent nearly $100 million to run ads attacking Paxton and Hunt, with the senator charging in the closing weeks of the primary campaign that Democrats will flip the seat in the general election if Paxton’s the GOP’s nominee.

Cornyn, his allies, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, repeatedly pointed to the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered Paxton over the past decade, as well as his ongoing messy divorce.

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“If I’m the nominee, I’ll help President Trump by making sure that we carry the five new congressional seats as well as maintain this Senate seat and will help him continue his agenda through the last two years of his term of office,” Cornyn touted in a Fox News Digital interview on Sunday.

And, he argued, “If the Democrats win, because we nominate a flawed candidate with incredible baggage like the attorney general, then that last two years of [Trump’s] agenda is jeopardized, as well as everybody down ballot that we need to continue to elect as Republicans.”

Speaking to reporters on primary night, Cornyn emphasized, “Over the next 12 weeks, Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate, and learn more about Ken’s indefensible personal behavior and failures in office.”

“Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it. Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton,” Cornyn vowed.

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Paxton, a MAGA firebrand who grabbed significant national attention by filing lawsuits against the Obama and Biden administrations, pushed back, telling Fox News Digital on the eve of the primary that “I’m 3-0. I’ve won three statewide races.”

Pointing to public opinion polls suggesting he has the edge over Cornyn, Paxton argued, “it’s really easy for him to say that when he’s losing a primary, because he’s not delivered for the people of Texas, and he’s going to find out tomorrow what that means. He’s going to end up losing.”

“This idea that I can’t win a race is not true… there’s no evidence of what he’s saying is being true. As a matter of fact, the evidence is just the opposite,” Paxton added.

On primary night, as he looked ahead to the runoff election, Paxton told supporters, “As we head into this runoff, we’re going to make the choice even clearer. While John Cornyn was cutting deals on gun control and amnesty, I was suing corrupt Joe Biden over 107 times.”

Paxton was boosted a few weeks ago by an endorsement from the political wing of Turning Point USA, the powerful grassroots conservative organization that was long steered by the late Charlie Kirk.

The GOP nomination battle was a two-person race until Hunt, a West Point graduate and military veteran who flew helicopters during his service and who represents a solidly red district in suburban Houston, announced his candidacy last autumn.

“I think there’s going to be a runoff, no matter what happens,” Cornyn predicted on Sunday.

Paxton, speaking to supporters on primary eve, touted that “if we go to a runoff, the odds get better for me,” as he pointed to what will likely be a smaller electorate for the May 26 runoff.

Hunt, in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the primary, argued that he’s “the best candidate to win the primary and win the general.”

TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKE ROCKS TEXAS SENATE RACE AS DEMS DEMAND ‘WAR POWERS,’ GOP APPLAUDS PRESIDENT

And pointing to the negative ads from Cornyn and his allies that have targeted him the past couple of weeks, Hunt said, “They have spent tens of millions of dollars against me in the state of Texas, which means that I must be doing the right thing, and I must be a threat. DC will not decide who will be the next senator from Texas. Texans will and that’s why I got in this race.”

Hunt fell far short of his goal.

But in his concession speech, Hunt teased, “This will not be the last time you see my name on a ballot. I can assure you. We’ve learned some valuable lessons, have some valuable knowledge.”

Trump, whose clout over the GOP remains immense, stayed neutral in the Republican primary race. All three candidates, who sought the president’s endorsement, were in attendance Friday as Trump held an event in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.”

Trump also complimented Hunt, and said that all three contenders were engaged in an “interesting election.”

While Trump stayed neutral, his top pollster, Tony Fabrizio, helped the Cornyn campaign. And veteran Republican strategist Chris LaCivita, who served as co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 White House bid, consulted for a top Cornyn-aligned super PAC.

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The big questions going forward as the runoff campaign gets underway are whether Trump will make an endorsement, and whether the major outside groups that supported Cornyn will continue to throw resources into the extended nomination battle.

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The Department of War on Monday identified four of the six U.S. Army Reserve soldiers killed in a March 1 drone attack in Kuwait while supporting Operation Epic Fury, and officials said the incident remains under investigation.

The soldiers were killed at the Port of Shuaiba during what officials described as an unmanned aircraft system attack. All were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides logistical and operational support to U.S. forces overseas.

The fallen service members were identified as Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Lakeland, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of Des Moines, Iowa. Two additional soldiers killed in the attack have not yet been publicly identified.

Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, said the loss is deeply felt across the force.

“We honor our fallen Heroes who served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation,” Harter said. “Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten.”

Officials said the soldiers were supporting operations in the region when the drone strike occurred.

Khork enlisted in the National Guard in 2009 as a multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist before commissioning as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014. He deployed to Saudi Arabia in 2018; Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in 2021; and Poland in 2024. His awards include the meritorious service medal, Army Commendation Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 10 Year Device and “M” Device.

3 US WARPLANES SHOT DOWN BY KUWAITI AIR DEFENSES, PILOTS BAIL OUT IN FRIENDLY FIRE INCIDENT, CENTCOM SAYS

Amor joined the National Guard in 2005 as an automated logistics specialist and transferred to the Army Reserve the following year. She deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019 and earned multiple commendations, including the Army Commendation Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.

Tietjens entered the Army Reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic and completed two deployments to Kuwait in 2009 and 2019. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said on X he was heartbroken to learn of Tietjens’ death.

TRUMP SAYS US SANK 10 SHIPS IN IRAN STRIKE, ‘LAST, BEST CHANCE’ TO ACT

“A native of Bellevue, he dedicated his life to defending our country and protecting the freedoms we hold dear,” Bacon wrote. “No words can fully express the sorrow his family and friends are enduring during this unimaginable loss.

“Angie and I are praying for their healing and comfort in the days ahead. We also extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of Capt. Cody Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, and Sgt. Declan Coady,” he added. “These four soldiers are American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, and their courage and devotion to duty will never be forgotten.”

The youngest of the four identified soldiers, Coady enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as an Army information technology specialist and was posthumously promoted from specialist to sergeant. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

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Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand also issued a statement.

“Iowa: please join me in praying for Declan Coady, a 20-year-old Army Reservist and Drake student, who was one of the lives lost among the escalating conflict in the Middle East,” the statement said. “Join me in also praying for his family and loved ones and for all the communities he was part of, and thanking him for his service and ultimate sacrifice.”

Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, commanding general of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, said the soldiers’ service reflected the highest ideals of the military.

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“To the families and teammates of these Cactus Nation Soldiers: you have my deepest sympathy and my respect,” Erskine said. “Our nation is kept safe by folks like these – brave men and women who put it all on the line every single day. They represent the heart of America. We will remember their names, their service, and their sacrifice.”

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James is instructing a Manhattan hospital to resume offering gender-transition treatment to transgender youth after it ended such treatments last month over funding threats from the Trump administration.

NYU Langone’s decision to close its Transgender Youth Health Program violated the state’s anti-discrimination laws by “jeopardizing access to medically necessary healthcare for some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” James wrote in a Feb. 25 letter first made public this week.

James’ office threatened “further action” if the hospital does not immediately resume offering hormone therapies, puberty blockers and other treatment to transgender youth.

NYU Langone, one of the city’s largest hospital systems, said last month it would stop providing certain gender-transition treatments for patients under the age of 19.

“Given the recent departure of our medical director, coupled with the current regulatory environment, we made the difficult decision to discontinue our Transgender Youth Health Program,” NYU Langone spokesman Steve Ritea said in a statement at the time. “We are committed to helping patients in our care manage this change. This does not impact our pediatric mental health care programs, which will continue.”

The hospital ceased admitting new patients into its transgender youth program last year after President Donald Trump’s executive order entitled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which aims to restrict gender-transition treatment for people under 19.

Referencing Trump’s order, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services later announced a proposal to cut federal Medicaid and Medicare funding to hospitals that provide these treatments to transgender youth.

But the Feb. 25 letter signed by the attorney general’s health care bureau chief, Darsana Srinivasan, said the proposal did not officially change federal law and did not impact a “medical institution’s existing duties and obligations under New York law.”

“The sudden discontinuation of medically necessary transgender healthcare can have severe, negative health outcomes,” Srinivasan wrote. “Accordingly, the Attorney General is extremely concerned by your institution’s decision to cease the provision of care to this vulnerable, minority population.”

LETITIA JAMES SUES HHS OVER TYING FEDERAL FUNDS TO TRANSGENDER POLICY

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The letter gives the hospital until March 11 to show its compliance, although it is unclear what steps would be taken if it fails to resume the treatments.

Several other hospitals across the country have also halted transgender youth treatments following Trump’s executive order and funding threats.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made “big progress” in embracing the Declaration of Independence during a meeting at the Oval Office, using the moment to spotlight what he described as a significant shift in tone.

“Zohran has come a long way embracing, of course, the Declaration of Independence while at The Oval Office – Big progress! President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump included a photo of Mamdani standing in front of the Declaration of Independence.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.

The post comes less than a week after Mamdani visited President Donald Trump at the White House for a previously unscheduled meeting, where the two discussed immigration and housing issues affecting New York City.

Afterward, Mamdani wrote that Trump told him Columbia University student Elaina Aghayeva, who he said had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier that day, would be released.

“Just got off the phone with President Trump,” Mamdani wrote. “In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He just informed me that she will be released imminently.”

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Despite the public display of cordiality, Mamdani later criticized the U.S. military strikes on Iran that he said marked an escalation of conflict.

“Today’s military strikes on Iran – carried out by the United States and Israel – mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,” Mamdani wrote. “Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change.”

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He added that Americans prefer “relief from the affordability crisis” and addressed members of New York City’s Iranian community directly.

“You are part of the fabric of this city – you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders,” Mamdani wrote. “You will be safe here.”

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The post drew criticism from conservatives on social media, who argued Mamdani’s response appeared sympathetic to Iran’s regime and noted his lack of public reaction to Iranian protesters killed in recent years.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sparred with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown — a long-awaited hearing that comes as the agency has come under scrutiny in recent months for its hardliner immigration enforcement effort, and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January.

The department’s handling of the Minnesota unrest has placed Noem and ICE officers squarely in Democrats’ crosshairs in recent weeks, and has prompted Democrats — and two Senate Republicans — to call for Noem to resign. 

The hours-long hearing comes as the Senate remains deadlocked on a plan to fully fund DHS through September. Democrats in the chamber previously outlined a list of 10 demands they said immigration officers must meet before they would agree to pass the short-term funding measures. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and others have criticized Noem for asking them to fully fund DHS despite the weeks that passed between the two ICE shootings in Minnesota and Noem’s testimony. She “expects us to rubber stamp her record-breaking budget in the meantime,” Durbin said previously.

Meanwhile, Republicans and Noem used the hearing Tuesday to warn of the knockdown effects the partial shutdown has had on the myriad federal departments and agencies housed under DHS’s sprawling umbrella — including the Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, FEMA, and U.S. Coast Guard, among others. 

Here are the biggest moments from Tuesday’s hearing. 

‘Reckless’ and ‘unnecessary’: Noem blasts Senate Dems for DHS shutdown

Noem focused her ire during Tuesday’s hearing on Senate Democrats, whom she blamed for failing to keep DHS funded through September, even after the House passed a bipartisan, full-year funding bill. 

“Despite the House passing a bipartisan, bicameral, full-year DHS funding bill, it is Senate Democrats who have chosen not to fund the department and have held this department hostage,” Noem said Tuesday, going on to list critical national security efforts that could be hampered as the result of a protracted shutdown — including, but not limited to, issues of border security, immigration enforcement, aviation security, disaster response, cybersecurity, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

She also cited the impact the agency-wide shutdown has on DHS’s sprawling employees, which include some 22 federal departments and agencies housed under a single umbrella. 

“More than 100,000 dedicated DHS employees are once again being asked to work without pay for the third time in just five months, at a time when we produced the most secure border in history and removed nearly 3 million illegal aliens from our country,” she said. “Disrupting the department responsible for those gains is indefensible.”

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Durbin, Noem spar over criminal statistics, removals 

Earlier Tuesday, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., pressed Noem to explain what he said was DHS’s lack of compliance with federal court orders that have sought to block or pause some of the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement efforts and removals. “Sir, we ensure that we follow the law that applies to our department, and who we detain, and who we deport back to their home countries,” Noem told Durbin. 

Durbin followed up by referencing a statistic from Trump’s first term that found 85% of the migrants ICE arrested “had no violent criminal record.”

“Sir, when you talk about violent crimes, what you’re saying is the crimes that don’t matter, that you aren’t counting, are the ones that affect American families every single day,” Noem responded. “You’re not counting DUIs. You’re not counting embezzlement. You’re not counting theft. And you’re not counting the other crimes against people, and drug trafficking and proliferating that.”

” If you were counting crimes that these individual illegal aliens in this country have committed, it would be well over 65% to 70% of the individuals that are detained today have those crimes on their record,” Noem said. “Besides the crime of being in this country illegally.”

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Noem: DHS has no plans to deploy ICE officers to polling sites on Election Day

In one notable moment, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., pressed Noem on whether DHS planned to deploy ICE officers to polling sites on Election Day, echoing a view recently endorsed by former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.   

Asked whether she would rule out deploying ICE or CBP agents to polling places during the upcoming November midterm elections, Noem responded that there are “no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Coons responded. “But would you rule it out? Would you say it will not happen?”

In response, Noem shot back: “Do you plan on illegal aliens voting in our elections?” in a moment that earned wide praise from conservative commentators on social media. 

Noem says Biden admin ‘paid’ for children to be trafficked to US

Noem also updated Grassley on the status of HHS’s Unaccompanied Children (UC) program, which under the Biden administration placed more than 11,000 migrant children with non-vetted sponsors to house the children who were not a parent or legal guardian, according to according to data shared by his office. Grassley’s office previously submitted multiple oversight requests to DHS on the program, citing concerns that it placed children with dangerous or unvetted sponsors, and and restricted sharing informtion with law enforcement. 

Grassley and the Trump-led DHS have alleged that the Biden administration turned a “blind eye” to children who needed proper supervision and care, and cited concerns over background check failures, a lack of documentation in some cases, and lax vetting procedures that allowed migrant children in the program to be “lost” or otherwise released to dangerous sponsors.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General released a report on the program last year, and which Noem appeared to reference during her testimony Tuesday.

Noem told lawmakers Tuesday that 450,000 children that entered the U.S. as “unaccompanied alien children” were “lost by the Biden administration and not tracked.” 

“We’ve located about 145,000 of them, and we’ve done that through the investigative work of our Homeland Security Investigations team,” Noem said. 

“The one thing that has been challenging is that, under the Biden administration, the government paid sponsors in HHS in order to host these children and those sponsors — many times we found instances where they trafficked these children themselves,” Noem continued. 

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“So under that administration, we not only had children that were in this country as a part of a program, the government was paying individuals that were knowingly trafficking them and abusing them,” Noem said. “That has stopped,” she added. “We have gone through and found these children, and put them back with their families when we have the opportunity to do so and with loved ones that will care for them.”

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Voters are divided on U.S. military action against Iran, even as a majority sees the country as a security risk.

A new Fox News national survey finds 61% think Iran poses “a real national security threat” to the United States. That view is similar to most previous Fox News surveys since 2006. The notable exception was when concern hit 73% last June, right before the U.S. military mission against Iranian nuclear facilities called Operation Midnight Hammer.

Even though a majority views Iran as a danger to the country, that concern does not translate into majority support for the current U.S. military action, as 50% approve and 50% disapprove. 

In addition, 51% think President Trump’s handling of Iran has made the U.S. less safe, up from 43% last July. Twenty-nine percent say he’s made the U.S. safer. By comparison, when the same question was asked about former President Biden in 2023, 50% said his handling of Iran had made the U.S. less safe, while 12% said safer. 

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Among Republicans, more than 8 in 10 approve of the current U.S. use of force, while only 6 in 10 say the president’s actions on Iran are making the U.S. safer. 

Nearly 8 in 10 Democrats disapprove of the U.S. strikes and think things are less safe because of Trump’s performance, while 6 in 10 or more independents think the same on both counts.

Among voters who have served in the military, 59% approve of the U.S. strikes on Iran (39% disapprove). Compared to voters overall, who say the U.S. is less safe by a wide margin, veterans are more closely divided on the question of whether Trump’s actions have made the country safer (37%) or less safe (44%).

In a joint effort with Israel, the United States started launching strikes on Iran on Saturday morning as part of a mission called “Operation Epic Fury.” All survey interviews were conducted after the bombings began, from Saturday through Monday. 

Trump’s job rating on foreign policy is underwater by 20 points, as 40% approve and 60% disapprove — including 21% of Republicans who disapprove.

Some 43% of voters approve of Trump’s overall job performance, while 57% disapprove. In January and December, it was 44% approve vs. 56% disapprove. 

Perceptions of how the United States is viewed abroad have improved slightly since the end of the Biden administration. While a majority of 56% say the country is less respected around the world than it was four years ago, that’s an improvement from 61% who said the same in 2024 under former President Biden. Meanwhile, 30% say the U.S. is more respected, up from 23% under Biden and 29% during Trump’s first term.

Two-thirds of voters are generally concerned that Trump’s use of executive orders and acting without Congressional approval may be permanently altering the country’s system of checks and balances. The results are nearly identical to when this same question was asked about Barack Obama during his presidency.

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The survey also revisited attitudes about last June’s U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. When asked to think back, voters are closely divided between saying those strikes were mostly successful (30%) and mostly a failure (31%), but the most common answer is it’s too soon to say (37%). That’s about the same as views in July 2025, immediately following the strikes.

Conducted February 28-March 2, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (642) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump argued that whether he carried out strikes against Iran wouldn’t have mattered to congressional Democrats. 

They would have criticized him either way.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus immediately ramped up criticism of Trump’s Operation Epic Fury when the Senate returned Monday, and the administration has not yet signaled a clear exit strategy.

Speaking from the Oval Office Tuesday, Trump said Democrats would have criticized any decision he made.

“If I didn’t do this, guys like Schumer who — losers, the Democrats, losers — guys like Schumer would say, ‘Well, you should have done this,’” Trump said. “In other words, if I did it, it’s no good. If I didn’t do it, they would have said the opposite, that you should have done this.”

Democrats are furious that Trump did not seek approval from Congress to carry out the strikes and are pushing a war powers resolution vote this week to handcuff further use of the military in Iran.

“Donald Trump has just launched America into a full-scale conflict against one of our most fervent adversaries,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Without a plan, without an endgame and without authorization from Congress — or even a debate in full view of the American people.”

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The administration argued after a closed-door classified briefing with congressional leaders and high-ranking lawmakers that the strikes were carried out as a preemptive measure.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after the briefing, “We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action.

“We knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces,” Rubio said. “And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties.”

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But Democrats largely aren’t buying the administration’s argument. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, contended there wasn’t an imminent threat to the U.S. from Iran.

“It was a threat to Israel,” Warner said.

Senate Democrats plan to plow ahead with a war powers vote, likely Wednesday, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and backed by Schumer. Whether they can splinter off enough Republican support, as Kaine did earlier this year with his Venezuela war powers resolution, remains to be seen.

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Senators will receive a briefing from the administration on the strikes Tuesday, which could determine the fate of the push to rein in Trump’s war authorities. 

Trump argued that because Iran was “a purveyor of terror all over the world,” Operation Epic Fury was inevitable.

“It’s something that had to be done,” Trump said.

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EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security fired back at the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee following a dispute over the proportion of DACA recipients being picked up by the agency amid President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, who is the longtime sponsor of the related DREAM Act in successive Congresses, lambasted Secretary Kristi Noem earlier Tuesday, demanding to know why so many beneficiaries of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program were being deported.

DHS also responded to an exchange Noem had with Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., over his concern that ICE or CBP agents would be dispatched to polling places in November. She responded by asking him whether Democrats have plans to facilitate illegal immigrant voting.

“Contrary to what Senators Dick Durbin and Alex Padilla said in Secretary Noem’s Senate hearing today, nearly 70% of illegal aliens arrested by ICE have criminal records,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.

“Just yesterday, ICE arrested MS-13 gang members, child predators, and drug traffickers,” she said.

“These are the public safety threats we are removing from American communities every single day.”

During Noem’s exchange with Durbin, the retiring Democrat demanded to know why ICE arrested 261 DACA recipients in the past year and deported 86 of them.

He also criticized her for allowing her agency to deport a Mexican man living in Northridge, Illinois, whose daughter was dying of cancer.

“Finally, he [was] returned for a court hearing. His daughter lived to see that hearing where the court said he was treated unfairly by your agency. And she died three days later. I was at a memorial service. Is that really necessary? Was he a violent criminal?” Durbin asked.

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Noem replied that DHS enforces the laws as passed by Congress and that if an individual has a final order of removal, that is the proper procedure.

“If you don’t like the law, I would suggest you change the law,” she said.

Durbin also claimed 85% of the 400,000 illegal immigrants arrested by ICE had no violent criminal record beyond immigration offenses. Noem pointed out that reports citing that number earlier this year did not factor in several classifications of similarly serious crimes, such as drug trafficking, embezzlement and assault.

She said that when all were factored together, the true percentage was closer to 70%.

DHS followed up by providing Fox News Digital with an exclusive list of dangerous illegal immigrants arrested in the past day, implying that Democrats are not concerned with their rap sheets or victims.

In one case, Gasper Florentino, an illegal immigrant from Mexico and an MS-13 gang member, was convicted in Fairfax, Virginia, of aggravated sexual battery of a victim who was 13 to 14 years old and rape by force, threat or intimidation.

In Durbin’s Illinois, ICE arrested Juan Leonardo Alvarado-Gonzalez of Guatemala, who was convicted in Cook County of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

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Yancarlos Marte-Morel of the Dominican Republic was convicted of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl by a federal court in Massachusetts.

Back in Virginia, a Vietnamese national named Minh Tai Son Tran was arrested following convictions on three counts of burglary — forced entry to a residence.

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Trump administration Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will testify before the House Oversight Committee for its probe into Jeffrey Epstein.

Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., confirmed Lutnick’s appearance in a statement sent to Fox News Digital and other outlets on Tuesday.

“Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,” Comer said. “I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee. I look forward to his testimony.”

This story is breaking and will be updated.

The Supreme Court expressed skepticism Monday about the federal government’s law banning people with a “habitual use” of marijuana from legally possessing a firearm, a Second Amendment case that could test the limits of creating exceptions to gun ownership.

But in two hours of spirited oral arguments over “guns and ganja,” several justices — while seeing marijuana smokers as potentially less serious — expressed concern about allowing drug addicts and other illegal substance users who might pose a danger to society to have those weapons.

A narrow ruling appears likely and might apply only to the person at the center of the dispute and other regular marijuana users who would not pose a danger to society by having a weapon in their home.

At issue is whether the widespread use of cannabis in recent decades — where it is legal in some form in 40 states — makes criminalizing “mere possession” contingent on gun ownership.

The same law was applied to former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted under Section 922(g)(3), which bars any “unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” from possessing a firearm.

The current case involves a Texas man charged with a felony after FBI agents raided his home and found a handgun. The suspect admitted smoking marijuana every other day.

Several on the high court worried about the implications of giving federal prosecutors overly broad discretion to charge someone for being a “drug user.”  

“We don’t even know the quantity of how much he uses every other day. What if he took one [THC-laced] gummy bear with a medical prescription,” asked Justice Neil Gorsuch. “He had one to help him sleep every other day. Disarm him for life?”

“It’s the lawfulness,” said Justice Amy Coney Barrett. “With the marijuana, I just don’t see anything in the scheme that actually reflects Congress’s judgment that this makes someone more dangerous.”

But Chief Justice John Roberts said it was Congress that decided marijuana should be classified as a “controlled substance,” despite what other jurisdictions decide.

“There’s a broad range of determinations like that where we leave the question of its addictive difficulties and the consequences of that to a determination by the legislature with the Schedule 1, Schedule 3 [illegal drug classifications] and all that, and in each case, you don’t get to reweigh the legislative determination.”

The Supreme Court in 2022 expanded gun rights, requiring that modern laws have a strong basis in the country’s history and tradition. That precedent will be closely considered in the current appeal.

Among other things, it has been used to allow people to bring licensed, loaded handguns in public under so-called “concealed carry” laws.

But the conservative court has also upheld federal restrictions allowing those under domestic violence restraining orders to be disarmed.

Cannabis is illegal at the federal level, but President Trump signed an executive order to speed up the process of reclassifying it as a less dangerous substance.

The current administration has supported expanded gun rights, but in this case, it says mixing firearms and controlled substances justifies the current restrictions.

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“The Second Amendment does not prohibit the government from temporarily disarming habitual marijuana users while they persist in frequent use,” Justice Department attorney Sarah Harris told the court. “That tailored restriction easily fits within the historical tradition of disarming categories of people who present a special danger of misuse.”

The Facts

The case began in August 2022, when federal agents executed a search warrant at the Lewiston, Texas, home of Ali Danial Hemani as part of a broader criminal investigation.

He admitted keeping a Glock 9 mm pistol, which he purchased legally and kept securely in the home. Agents also found approximately 60 grams of marijuana and 4.7 grams of cocaine.

Based on these findings, federal prosecutors indicted Hemani — a dual U.S.-Pakistan citizen — for violating federal law that criminalizes firearm possession by those with “persistent” use of a controlled substance, although he was never accused of using the drugs while armed. The case centered on his habitual use of marijuana alone.

Hemani faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. A federal appeals court eventually dismissed the indictment, prompting a Justice Department petition to the high court.

His lawyers said Hemani was being unfairly targeted over gun possession because of unproven terrorist ties and a marijuana habit for which he was never prosecuted.

A major part of the courtroom public session dealt with how “drug user” should be properly defined and how it could be applied to both gun ownership and possession.

Several hypotheticals were raised about whether the federal gun restrictions could include the use of sleeping tablets, anabolic steroids and Adderall — an amphetamine used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy — and whether they could apply to drug users who are homeless or own cars.

The Arguments

Gorsuch suggested that linking historical laws passed at the country’s founding restricting gun use for habitual drunkards to today’s marijuana users was not applicable.

He used so-called “Founding Fathers” John Adams, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson as examples of heavy alcohol users.

“Thomas Jefferson said he wasn’t much a user of alcohol, he only had three or four glasses of wine a night, okay? Are they all habitual drunkards who would be properly disarmed for life under your theory?” Gorsuch asked the government lawyer.

“The government has not been able to define what a user is,” he added. “I mean, it has said at various points that it’s someone who’s used any illegal drug in the past year, right?”

Justice Samuel Alito pushed back, speaking for more than 15 minutes about the difficulty of using a case-by-case approach to prosecute a “drug addict” under this law.

“I struggle to figure out how these individualized determinations can be made in the context of a criminal prosecution,” said Alito. “The way in which criminal prosecutions are conducted makes this extremely difficult.”

“Suppose someone regularly takes a drug, and during the period when that person is taking the drug, that person is super dangerous,” Alito continued. “The Second Amendment would not permit Congress to say that’s too risky?”

The Hemani case has created unusual legal and political alliances. The National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, along with the ACLU and Drug Policy Alliance, are separately supporting the defendant.

Backing the federal government is a coalition of 19 mostly Democratic-run states led by Illinois, along with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

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The Supreme Court earlier this term heard a challenge to a Hawaii law that prohibits carrying firearms on private property open to the public without the owner’s express permission.

The 6-3 conservative majority there appeared ready to strike down that and similar laws.

The current case is U.S. v. Hemani (24-1234). A ruling is due by early summer.

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Sir Isaac Newton postulated that for every action, there is always an equal and opposite reaction. It’s Newton’s Third Law of Motion and one of the most important rules in all of science.

And Newtonian physics can tell you a great deal about reactions in politics.

We don’t yet know the dimension or the impact of the war in Iran. But there will be a political reaction of great importance as we head toward the midterms. It’s just too early to understand how the war will go, what unexpected twists it may take and how its consequences might reverberate through the midterms.

How things unfold is unclear. But an event of this breadth and proportion always poses some political impact. And the war may chart the course for the midterms.

Let’s start with President Trump’s campaign promises that he was “America First” and would keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts. Well, that’s out the window. And there’s already some friction with the MAGA base. They may bolt if they believe the President reneged on one of his key campaign promises.

But so far, most congressional Republicans are standing beside the president. A handful of congressional Republicans — including Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio — agree with Democrats and assert that Trump must come to Congress before sending troops into harm’s way.

Not to downplay this, but it’s almost a “technical” argument. Yes, there are important questions about the Constitution, war powers and who has the right to “declare war.” But the war powers debate probably doesn’t resonate with a lot of voters. However, the decision to go to war when the president promised otherwise could pose potential problems for the president and congressional Republicans this fall. Voters who feel betrayed by the president could just stay home. Especially since it appears to fly in the face of the president’s campaign promise against starting wars.

Then there’s the body bag factor.

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Trump has been forthright, suggesting that there are possibilities of casualties. And there have already been some. He also doesn’t feel inhibited about a protracted war or even putting boots on the ground.

Remember what happened during the first Gulf War as the U.S. and allies went after Iraq after it invaded Kuwait in 1991. Then-President George H.W. Bush studiously courted other nations during a multi-month buildup in the region and secured the blessing from Congress. That’s not to say there was support across the board. But Bush and those aligned with him on Capitol Hill made the case to voters. Granted, Bush lost re-election in 1992. But some months earlier, the public embraced the campaign. There was flag waving. There were patriotic marches. There was the legendary performance of the National Anthem by Whitney Houston at the Super Bowl.

The president’s approval rating spiked to a staggering 89% in the early days of the war. But it cratered to around 30% 17 months later because of the economy.

So let’s say the war goes well and casualties are limited. Congressional Republicans could ride the coattails of Trump. Republicans may even be able to put a few districts into their camp if a wave of patriotism sweeps over the country.

But watch out if this is a drawn-out campaign and casualties are high. Or, if Americans don’t understand why the U.S. is involved. So far, Trump has given a litany of reasons why the U.S. attacked Iran. Congressional Democrats don’t like the answers they are hearing.

Regime change is certainly good if you toss out dictators. But that means little to a day laborer who voted in Wisconsin and is struggling to make ends meet.

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Also, watch the price of gasoline. The Strait of Hormuz is the only shipping lane from the Persian Gulf to the open sea and a notorious choke point. The transport of oil through the Strait is already declining rapidly. Another commodity moved through the Strait is liquefied natural gas (LNG). It wasn’t that long ago that Democrats and voters were convinced that the 2026 midterms were going to be about affordability. Voters will balk if inflation sets in with fuel — to say nothing of the cost of goods and services because it’s more expensive to transport things.

There’s a risk that the war is a tipping point for the region and the Middle East devolves into chaos. Again, mayhem in the Middle East won’t matter much to a swing voter in northern Maine. But instability of that magnitude has the potential to shock markets, drive up prices and impact the availability of products on store shelves. And the risks are geometrically more complicated if China or Russia somehow get involved.

Then there is the biggest wild card: terrorism.

It’s possible that a heinous terrorist attack — especially on U.S. soil — could spur voters to rally ‘round the flag and actually help the GOP. Look at how President George W. Bush gained support after 9/11. And consider the fact that Republicans went against the historic norm and actually gained seats in the 2002 midterms. The party of the president usually loses an average of 27 House seats in the first midterm. 2002 was one of only three instances that the president’s party picked up seats in a modern midterm election.

That said, some voters may argue that the consequences and carnage of a terrorist attack wasn’t worth bombing Iran. So that has the potential to backfire on the president and congressional Republicans.

However, Democrats have some exposure to the terrorism issue. Democrats have refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for nearly three weeks as they demand changes to ICE. Fighting against ICE resonates with the Democratic base. But Democrats could be in trouble if there’s a major terrorist attack. That’s why House Republicans are forcing a vote this week to get Democrats on the record on a bill to fund DHS.

Yes, Republicans believe DHS should be fully operational. Especially now. But Republicans want voters to understand who blocked funding DHS as the U.S. enters a tumultuous period on the world stage and the war in Iran deepens. Continuing to oppose money for DHS could come back to haunt Democrats if, God forbid, there’s a major terrorist attack during the funding lapse. The ads for the midterms practically write themselves.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, said Newton in his Third Law of Motion. We can’t yet calculate the equal pushback that’s likely coming as a consequence of the war in Iran in the fall midterms. But there will be something.

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But perhaps Newton’s First Law of Motion has even broader application to understanding the impact in the midterms. Newton wrote that an object at rest stays at rest. And an object in motion stays in motion.

Things were “at rest” with Iran until Trump started the war. And now the Iran issue is “in motion.” That makes it more challenging to stop it.

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EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is warning Democrats not to play politics with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) funding, particularly as the country is on high alert for any fallout from the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“Put the safety and security of the American people first and stop playing political games to appease the far-left base, especially at a time like this,” Scalise said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The ongoing partial government shutdown centered on DHS, now in its 18th day, has taken on new significance in the wake of President Donald Trump’s military action in Iran.

Bipartisan deals have funded 97% of the federal government through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, but divisions between Democrats and Republicans over Trump’s immigration crackdown have prevented any such compromise on DHS.

House GOP leaders announced over the weekend that the chamber would vote this Thursday on a bipartisan DHS funding bill that passed in January in a bid to pressure Democrats to end the shutdown. 

That bill failed to advance in the Senate multiple times, with Democrats demanding new guardrails on immigration enforcement that Republicans have deemed nonstarters.

“We are on a higher level of alert, and this is not the time for Democrats to be playing games and shutting down the department that is focused on keeping Americans safe here at home,” Scalise said. “So we’re bringing this bill back up again to try to get them to come to their senses and open the Department of Homeland Security.”

The bill passed in a 220-207 vote in late January, with just seven Democrats crossing the aisle in support. All but one House Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted in favor.

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However, Scalise said “any responsible member of Congress” should vote for the legislation this time.

“The country is watching and expects members of Congress to take the safety of the American people at heart. And so I hope we get a much larger vote this time,” he said.

DHS is a wide-ranging department that was created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.

While it’s most recently grabbed headlines for actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), DHS is also responsible for a variety of national security-focused offices like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Secret Service.

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Scalise pointed out that it’s also critical to keeping the U.S. safe during global events being hosted within its borders.

“We had a hearing last week on the World Cup, the people in charge of security for the World Cup were saying that they may have to start canceling some events,” he said. “And that was before Iran.”

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The findings of two new national polls conducted in the hours after President Donald Trump launched strikes on Iran are clear — only a minority of Americans approve of the operation and Democrats and Republicans don’t see eye to eye over the attacks.

Twenty-seven percent of those questioned in a Reuters/Ipsos national survey conducted Saturday and Sunday after the start of “Operation Epic Fury” by American and Israeli forces on Iran that resulted in the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said they approved of the strikes. 

A plurality, 43%, said they disapproved, with nearly three in 10 not sure.

There were similar findings in a CNN poll conducted by SSRS that was also in the field this past weekend.

Fifty-nine percent of Americans surveyed in the poll said they disapproved of the initial decision to strike Iran, with 41% giving a thumbs up.

As expected, there’s a wide divide between Democrats and Republicans.

Republicans questioned in the Reuters/Ipsos poll, by a 55%-32% margin, were supportive of the military action. The vast majority of Democrats, 73%, disapproved of the strikes, with only 7% saying they approved. A plurality of independents, 44%, disapproved of the military attack, with 19% supportive and nearly four in 10 unsure.

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The partisan gap was even wider in the CNN poll.

More than three quarters of Republican respondents, 77%, approved, compared to 32% of independents and 18% of Democrats.

According to the CNN poll, 83% of Republicans said Trump has a clear plan for handling the attacks on Iran, while 70% of independents and 88% of Democrats disagreed.

Overall, six in ten said they don’t think the president has a clear plan for dealing with the situation, and 62% said Trump should get congressional approval before any further military action.

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Both polls were conducted before the U.S. military announced on Sunday the first U.S. casualties in the operation — six service members killed.

The joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran is now in its fourth day as of Tuesday, with Trump saying the plan is ahead of schedule thanks to the early elimination of Iran’s top leaders.

Trump has said Iran is seeking talks with the U.S. as the military operations continue, but the president indicated he believes the opportunity for negotiations has passed.

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The U.S. has urged Americans to leave 14 countries across the Middle East as Iran’s counterattacks intensify. The U.S. State Department has also closed embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council warned Iran it will take “all necessary measures,” including possible military action, in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks.

President Donald Trump on Monday accused former President Joe Biden of failing to replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles, though insisted that the U.S. is still “stocked” to win as Operation Epic Fury continues to devastate Iran.

U.S. munitions at the medium and upper medium grades have “never been higher or better,” Trump said on Monday in a post on his Truth Social platform. He added that “we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons.”

“Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries (sic) finest arms!),” the president’s post read.

But Trump noted that while the U.S. has a “good” supply of the highest munitions grade, it is “not where we want to be.”

“Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries,” the post read. “Sleepy Joe Biden spent all of his time, and our Country’s money, GIVING everything to P.T. Barnum (Zelenskyy!) of Ukraine – Hundreds of Billions of Dollars worth – And, while he gave so much of the super high end away (FREE!), he didn’t bother to replace it.”

The U.S. delivered billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Biden approving an additional $500 million of military aid in a security package rushed out the door just days before Trump’s second term began.

“Fortunately, I rebuilt the military in my first term, and continue to do so,” Trump added. “The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!”

“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership is gone,” he wrote later. “They want to talk. I said ‘Too Late!'”

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The U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on Saturday morning, a joint military campaign that officials say targeted Iranian leadership and key military installations.

Earlier Monday, Trump declared that the operation in Iran is “ahead of schedule,” stating that many of the regime’s military leaders were eliminated in about an hour.

“We have the strongest and most powerful, by far, military in the world, and we will easily prevail,” the president said. “We’re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it’s okay. Whatever it takes.”

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Trump said that the operation is projected to last four to five weeks, noting that “we have capability to go far longer than that.”

“We also projected four weeks to terminate the military leadership,” Trump added. “And as you know, that was done in about an hour. So we’re ahead of schedule there by a lot.”

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New satellite images offer a stark look at the devastation inside Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes, while also revealing the damage left behind by Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the region.

According to U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, U.S. forces struck more than 1,250 targets during the first two days of Operation Epic Fury.

Planet Labs satellite imagery captured burning ships and damaged facilities at the Konarak base in southern Iran, as well as significant destruction at Iran’s naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf, reflecting the scale of the strikes on military infrastructure.

Imagery from Vantor shows the Choqa Balk drone facility in western Iran was hit, along with damage to other key military and strategic sites targeted in the U.S.–Israeli strike campaign. 

Radar systems at the Zahedan air base in eastern Iran — near the country’s borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan — were also struck.

The two facilities are about 800 to 900 miles apart, underscoring the broad reach of the coordinated strikes.

Additionally, satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows thick smoke plumes rising above Tehran, signaling explosions and fires inside the Iranian capital.

The smoke underscores how the conflict has moved beyond isolated military sites and into the heart of Iran’s political center.

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Iran responded with missile and drone strikes of its own, expanding the conflict across the region. Satellite images reveal damage to the port city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The city of Sharjah is the third most populous after Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The Jebel Ali Port, the region’s largest maritime hub, was also targeted, underscoring how the retaliation extended beyond military sites to key infrastructure.

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The U.S. has warned that further retaliation could follow, as both sides signal they are prepared for additional rounds of strikes. Pentagon officials said U.S. forces in the region remain on high alert and have publicly cautioned that any new attacks on U.S. citizens would prompt a forceful response.

With damage now visible from western Iran to the Persian Gulf, the coming days could determine whether the confrontation stabilizes — or spirals into a wider regional war.

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The State Department on Monday urged Americans to depart immediately from more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, warning of “serious safety risks” as the Iran war intensifies.

Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said U.S. citizens should leave from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The department said Americans who need help arranging departure via commercial means can contact the State Department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 from abroad or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada.

The travel push was amplified by the State Department’s official travel account, which urged Americans abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, at step.state.gov to receive the latest security updates from their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Officials have warned that conditions in the region remain volatile, and that security situations can change quickly as fighting tied to the Iran conflict continues.

The warnings come days after the United States launched Operation Epic Fury, striking command-and-control centers, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites.

In a Feb. 28 Worldwide Caution security alert, the State Department said Americans worldwide, and especially those in the Middle East, should exercise increased caution, monitor local security alerts and expect potential travel disruptions, including periodic airspace closures.

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The evacuation push follows a cascade of security alerts issued by U.S. embassies across the region since Saturday, many ordering or recommending Americans to shelter in place.

At least nine U.S. missions, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Israel, have issued repeated shelter-in-place directives or advisories over the past several days.

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In multiple cases, embassy personnel and their families were ordered to remain at home, with Americans urged to stay in secure structures away from windows and be prepared for incoming missiles or drones.

In Saudi Arabia, the embassy in Riyadh closed Tuesday after two Iranian drones struck the building, prompting expanded shelter-in-place orders for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran. No injuries were reported.

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A clip of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has resurfaced online where she flatly defended the then-Obama administration’s decision to strike Libya — without the congressional authorization she believes President Donald Trump should have secured before conducting his own strikes over the weekend.

“You’re saying that the president did not need authorization initially and still does not need any authorization from Congress on Libya?” a reporter asked Pelosi at a press event back in 2011.

“Yes,” Pelosi answered plainly.

The unambiguous answer contrasts sharply with Pelosi’s view of Trump’s strikes against Iran on Saturday.

In a joint effort targeting Iranian military leadership, the U.S. and Israel killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, citing an imperative to halt Iran’s pursuit of developing a nuclear weapon.

Pelosi swiftly condemned the operation.

“President Trump’s decision to initiate military hostilities into Iran starts another unnecessary war which endangers our servicemembers and destabilizes an already fragile region,” Pelosi said in a post to X.

“The Constitution is clear: decisions that lead our nation into war must be authorized by Congress.”

Pelosi, alongside other Democrats, is pursuing a war powers resolution that would limit Trump from taking further military action against Iran without express congressional approval.

Trump’s strikes bear similarity to President Barack Obama’s decision to strike Libya in 2011 under Operation Odyssey Dawn.

In that operation, Obama ordered a series of strikes against Libya in March 2011, looking to deter Muammar Gaddafi from attacking civilian protesters.

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Gaddafi, known as the “Mad Dog of the Middle East,” was the ruler of Libya from 1969 to 2011. He had a long and complicated relationship with the U.S. — at times aligning with national objectives and, at others, governing in a manner the U.S. couldn’t ignore.

The final straw came in the Libyan revolt of 2011, when demonstrations broke out in Benghazi and other cities. Like recent uprisings in Iran, Gaddafi met the threat to his rule with crushing force, marching his forces toward several Libyan cities that had resisted his power.

In what he described as attempts to uphold international law, Obama said the U.S., in partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), had taken the strikes to protect Libya’s civilians to protect Libya’s civilians.

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

The strikes did not kill Gaddafi.

Gaddafi was killed later that year at the hands of revolutionaries in October.

While Obama said he had consulted a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers, he did not pursue a declaration of war before carrying out his strikes.

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“So, for those who doubted our capacity to carry out this operation, I want to be clear: The United States of America has done what we said we would do,” Obama said.

Pelosi’s office did not respond to a request for comment on whether she saw any key differences between the attacks carried out by Obama and those now ordered by Trump.

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A GOP candidate running for Congress in Texas believes the state’s open primaries may have allowed a Democrat to enter a Republican primary.

Alexander Hale can’t help but have questions about the political positions of his fellow Republican challenger, Alexander Kalai, as they face off to represent Texas’ 7th Congressional District.

Kalai’s background first caught Hale’s attention in December.

“I was simply looking up my opponent’s information. And I saw on Transparency USA that his father had given [thousands] to Beto” and other top Democrats, Hale said, referring to a former Democratic representative of Texas, Beto O’Rourke, the failed Senate and gubernatorial candidate. 

“And I thought, ‘well, that is super strange.’”

Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show that his family has a track record of donating to Democrats, leading Hale to believe that the open primary system in Texas may invite Republican-looking candidates to detract attention from candidates with platforms that align more closely with the GOP base. Hale believes that’s a weakness shared by many states that use open primaries.

“I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say, well, ‘shouldn’t we only have Republicans electing Republicans and Democrats only electing Democrats?’” Hale said of the primary elections.

Texas is one of 14 states that use an open primary system, allowing unregistered candidates to announce their consideration for a party’s primary race.

In Kalai’s case, his website states that he supports traditional Republican positions like school choice, protecting women’s sports and an emphasis on deregulation to promote economic activity.

Kalai did not respond to a request for comment on his positions.

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Kalai’s campaign has received $182,000. Of those, $134,000 has come from his own pocket. Kalai lists his source for those donations as “self-employed.”

His campaign has also received two donations from his parents, Bashar and Grigitte Kalai, both for $3,500 — the most one donor can give a candidate for the primary, according to federal law.

Bashar Kalai’s donation to his son, a Republican, goes against the grain of his past political contributions.

As the president and CEO of Amerapex, a technology, engineering and industrial services company based in Houston, Bashar has a long track record of political donations — to Democrats.

In addition to his contributions to Beto O’Rourke, he has donated to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., the House Majority PAC, which is controlled by Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives, and other Democratic candidates.

Hale believes his proximity to his son should raise questions about Alexander Kalai’s affiliations.

“I’d love to hear an explanation as to why someone comes out of the blue with all this blue money and says, ‘Hey, I’m a Republican. You’ve never heard of me. I’ve never voted in a primary, but I’m the Republican you need.’”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Hale said.

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Hale said he fears that candidates with sufficient financial backing, like Kalai, could present a convincing picture to voters in a primary process where fundraising is often used to establish legitimacy.

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“Money buys attention. In open primaries, we end up in a situation where whoever has the most money — it feels like whoever has the most money wins,” Hale said.

Hale and Kalai will face off at the ballot box on Tuesday evening alongside three other Republican candidates. Whoever wins that primary will face off against incumbent Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas, in November.

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The 2026 primary season kicks off on Tuesday with showdowns in Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas, with contests that could ultimately decide whether Republicans can hold their House and Senate majorities in the midterm elections.

Taking center stage this week: the combustible Democratic and Republican Senate primaries in right-leaning Texas.

Progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a nationally known politician and vocal critic of President Donald Trump, is facing off against rising star Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico in the battle for the Democratic Senate nomination.

Either Crockett or Talarico will try to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in Texas, as the primary winner will face off against whoever comes out on top of a bruising three-way Republican primary among longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Rep. Wesley Hunt.

The Cornyn campaign and aligned super PACs have spent nearly $100 million to run ads attacking Paxton and Hunt, with the senator charging in the closing weeks of the primary campaign that Democrats will flip the seat in the general election if Paxton’s the GOP’s nominee.

Cornyn, his allies, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, have repeatedly pointed to the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered Paxton over the past decade, as well as his ongoing messy divorce.

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“If I’m the nominee, I’ll help President Trump by making sure that we carry the five new congressional seats as well as maintain this Senate seat and will help him continue his agenda through the last two years of his term of office,” Cornyn touted in a Fox News Digital interview.

And, he argued, “If the Democrats win, because we nominate a flawed candidate with incredible baggage like the attorney general, then that last two years of [Trump’s] agenda is jeopardized, as well as everybody down ballot that we need to continue to elect as Republicans.”

Paxton, a MAGA firebrand who grabbed significant national attention by filing lawsuits against the Obama and Biden administrations, pushed back, telling Fox News Digital on the eve of the primary that “I’m 3-0. I’ve won three statewide races.”

Pointing to public opinion polls suggesting he has the edge over Cornyn, Paxton argued, “it’s really easy for him to say that when he’s losing a primary, because he’s not delivered for the people of Texas, and he’s going to find out tomorrow what that means. He’s going to end up losing.”

“This idea that I can’t win a race is not true… there’s no evidence of what he’s saying is being true. As a matter of fact, the evidence is just the opposite,” Paxton added.

The GOP nomination battle was a two-person race until Hunt, a West Point graduate and military veteran who flew helicopters during his service and who represents a solidly red district in suburban Houston, announced his candidacy last autumn.

The final public opinion polls suggested Paxton with the edge over Cornyn, with Hunt in third place. If no candidate tops 50% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary, the top two finishers will face off in a late May runoff.

“I think there’s going to be a runoff, no matter what happens,” Cornyn said.

Paxton, speaking to supporters on primary eve, touted that “if we go to a runoff, the odds get better for me.”

Hunt, in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the primary, argued that he’s “the best candidate to win the primary and win the general, and I’m already outperforming both candidates, both Ken and John, in the general election against James Talarico or Jasmine Crockett. These are facts.”

And pointing to the negative ads from Cornyn and his allies that have targeted him the past couple of weeks, Hunt said “they have spent tens of millions of dollars against me in the state of Texas, which means that I must be doing the right thing, and I must be a threat. DC will not decide who will be the next senator from Texas. Texans will and that’s why I got in this race.”

Trump, whose clout over the GOP remains immense, has stayed neutral to date in the Republican primary. All three candidates, who have sought the president’s endorsement, were in attendance Friday as Trump held an event in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.”

Trump also complimented Hunt, and said that all three contenders were engaged in an “interesting election.”

QUITE GOP ‘ASTROTURF’ CAMPAIGN CONVINCED CROCKETT TO JUMP INTO SENATE RACE

In the final weeks leading up to the Democratic primary, race became a key issue in the showdown between the 44-year-old Crockett, a civil rights attorney first elected to Congress in 2022, and the 36-year-old Talarico, a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who is considered a rising star among Democrats.

Crockett, who is Black, claimed a couple of weeks ago that a Talarico-aligned super PAC had darkened her skin tone in an ad and said it was “straight up racist.”

And Crockett argued late last month that criticisms claiming that she wasn’t electable statewide was a “dog whistle” that was “tearing down a Black woman,” and that she was the “most qualified” candidate.

Talarico, who was first elected to the Texas House in 2018 by flipping a red district in northeast Austin and surrounding suburbs, has highlighted his ability to win over Republican voters. And he questioned whether Crockett could run a competitive general election campaign.

And Talarico, who is White, was also accused a month ago by an influencer of calling former Rep. Colin Allred, a one-time rival for the 2026 Senate nomination, a “mediocre Black man.” 

Allred, the 2024 Democratic Senate nominee, was making a second straight run after losing two years ago to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, a conservative firebrand, by eight points.

But Allred ended his Senate campaign late last year, just before Crockett announced her candidacy. Allred, a former college football star who played professionally in the NFL and later became a civil rights attorney, is now running for his old House seat.

Morgan Thompson, the influencer who goes by the username @morga_tt on TikTok, in a social media post accused Talarico of saying in a private conversation with her that he had “signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent, Black woman.”

Pushing back against Thompson’s characterization of their conversation, Talarico said in a statement, “In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre — but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race.”

Allred, responding in a social media video, said: “James, if you want to compliment Black women, just do it. Just do it. Don’t do it while also tearing down a Black man.”

Crockett, who days later was endorsed by Allred, said in a statement that the former congressman “drew a line in the sand.”

“He made it clear that he did not take allegations of an attack on him as simply another day in the neighborhood, but more importantly, his post wasn’t about himself,” she said. “It was a moment that he decided to stand for all people who have been targeted and talked about in a demeaning way as our country continues to be divided.”

While dramatically outraised and outspent by Talarico, Crockett is the better-known candidate, thanks in part to her high-profile position on the House Oversight Committee.

The two-term lawmaker, who represents primarily Black and Hispanic majority neighborhoods in Dallas and surrounding inner suburbs south of the city, has grabbed plenty of attention for her clashes with Republicans on the panel, including one with then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia in 2024 that went viral.

She also made headlines last year for calling longtime Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas “Governor Hot Wheels.”

While Abbott has long used a wheelchair due to a 1984 accident, Crockett argued that her comment referred to his policies, not his physical condition.

Crockett, who made her opposition to Trump central to her campaign, has argued that Democrats need to prioritize turning out low propensity voters rather than winning over Republicans, in order to become the first Democrat since 1988 to win a Senate election in the Lone Star State.

“I don‘t know that we’ll necessarily convert all of Trump‘s supporters. That’s not our goal,” Crockett said in a December interview on CNN after declaring her candidacy.

Talarico, who speaks openly about his faith and how it shapes his progressive policy agenda, last year started garnering national attention through a slew of social media appearances that went viral. Also boosting his profile were his TikTok videos, which have grabbed millions of views, and his appearance last July on Joe Rogan’s top-rated podcast.

Rogan suggested during the interview that Talarico should run for president.

A month later, Talarico was a regular on the cable news networks, conducting dozens of national media interviews, as he and dozens of his fellow Democrats in the Texas House fled the state for weeks, to delay the eventual Trump-led redistricting push in Texas to create up to five more right-leaning congressional seats

Talarico launched his Senate campaign a month later, in September.

Last month, Talarico grabbed even more national attention when his appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” was bumped off broadcast TV and instead appeared on YouTube. Colbert accused his network, CBS, of blocking the interview by citing guidelines from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The controversy appeared to boost Talarico, with his campaign saying they hauled in $2.5 million in fundraising in the 24 hours “following his censored” interview.

But in the closing days of the primary campaign, Crockett landed the help of former Vice President Kamala Harris. The Democrats’ 2024 presidential nominee recorded a robocall to turnout voters on behalf of Crockett.

“Texas has the chance to send a fighter like Jasmine Crockett to the United States Senate,” Harris said in the call. “Jasmine has the experience and record to hold Donald Trump and his billionaire cronies accountable.”

She also landed an endorsement from rapper Cardi B, who said on Instagram, “If you want somebody that’s going to go up there and represent you and represent your issues, please vote for my sister, Jasmine Crockett.”

Democrats have long tried and failed to win statewide in Texas, but are confident they have a shot this year, due to the rough political climate facing Republicans.

Three House primaries in Texas are also grabbing attention.

Embattled Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing a tough primary challenge amid political fallout after allegations of an affair with a former staffer who died by suicide.

Conservative Rep. Dan Crenshaw, the only Republican House member running in a primary Tuesday who isn’t backed by Trump, is facing a strong challenge from state Rep. Steve Toth, who has the endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

And Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee, who was elected in a late January special election, is running against longtime Democratic Rep. Al Green, an outspoken Trump critic, in a newly redrawn district.

In battleground North Carolina, former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley is the clear frontrunner for the GOP Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is expected to cruise to his party’s nomination, setting up a competitive and very expensive general election battle.

In House races, Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee faces a tough primary rematch from the left against Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, who has Sen. Bernie Sanders’ endorsement.

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In Arkansas, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton faces two primary opponents as he bids for a third six-year term.

And GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is running unopposed in the primary as she seeks a second term.

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First lady Melania Trump presided over the United Nations Security Council meeting Monday, declaring that the United States “stands with all of the children throughout the world,” in a historic speech calling for “peace through education,” amid the U.S. military involvement in Iran.

The speech marked the first time a first lady from any country — and the first time a sitting U.S. first lady — presided over the Security Council as its members consider education, technology, peace and security.

The United States assumed the United Nations Security Council presidency Monday, just days after the U.S. and Israel launched a massive joint military operation against Iran over the weekend known as “Operation Epic Fury.”

The attacks left major leaders dead, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The joint military operation is expected to carry on for days, as the U.S. military continues to target military and ballistic missile sites that pose an “imminent threat.”

President Donald Trump warned over the weekend against Iranian retaliation, saying that if Iran were to “hit very hard,” they would be met with “a force that has never been seen before.”

But the first lady’s appearance at the United Nations was scheduled before Operation Epic Fury began.

“The U.S. stands with all of the children throughout the world,” the first lady said Monday. “I hope soon — peace will be yours.”

The U.N. Security Council consists of 15 member states, with five permanent members: the United States, China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms, including Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.

“Collectively, your mission to maintain security while upholding the responsibility of preventing conflict during times of both war and peace is significant, must be applied evenly, and should never be carried out lightly,” she said. “Peace does not need to be fragile.”

The first lady’s speech focused on education, saying that it “shapes the core of their country’s belief system.”

“A nation that makes learning sacred protects its books, its language, its science, and its mathematics — it protects its future,” she said. “This leads to something powerful — to greater understanding, moral reasoning, and tolerance of others. Peace.”

The first lady stressed that children raised in cultures rooted in intelligence “develop confidence, innovate, build, compete, and maintain a deep value system.”

“Their knowledge fosters empathy for others, transcending geography, religion, race, gender, and even local norms,” she said. “They become caring people.”

MELANIA TRUMP LAUNCHES PRESIDENTIAL AI CHALLENGE FOR STUDENTS

On the contrary, the first lady said that children raised in a culture “rooted in ignorance are surrounded by disorder, and sometimes even conflict.”

“These societies are filled with rigid thinkers who embrace prejudice and shun human dignity,” she said. “When a nation restricts thought, it restricts its own future.”

The first lady said education is a “fundamental human right,” but added that “so many children and young adults are banned from attending secondary schools and universities.”

“The cost is not abstract,” she said. “A society that excludes vast segments of its population can realize only a fraction of its potential. Societies rules by knowledge and wisdom are, therefore, more peaceful.”

The first lady declared that “knowledge is power,” and said, “We must capture this positive energy and ignite it across continents to transform our world — throughout our digitally connected human race.”

“Intellect blossoms humanity’s fundamental needs: shelter, food security, clean water and healthcare.”

“The global community must facilitate complete access to technology so that every individual can reach their full potential through education,” she said. “We must strive to achieve connectivity in the most remote locations and the furthest distances from our cities.”

The first lady said the objective “is entirely feasible and is already on the way.”

“Today, roughly 6 billion individuals, about 70% of people on planet Earth, have a mobile device and use the internet,” she said. “If our nations band together, we can close the technological divide, empowering all to reach their full potential.”

“From a solitary farmer on a remote Greek island to a quiet genius in Somalia or a dreamer in uptown Manhattan, anyone can read the vast treasury of human knowledge, created over centuries, which is now codified and accessible through artificial intelligence,” she continued.

The first lady went on to question whether a “single digital nation-state” could be inevitable.

“Perhaps this idea isn’t so farfetched, since digital currency and payment systems via blockchain, plus AI’s massive factual database is already revolutionizing media and financial markets,” she said. “We are in the age of imagination — a period when technology can be free and unrestricted by land borders.”

She added: “Now is the time for our generation to elevate our children above ideology through access to wisdom.”

The first lady said artificial intelligence is “democratizing knowledge” and creating a “new reality for our children by disrupting the traditional academic path to information.”

“Let’s connect everyone to knowledge through AI, including those in the most remote geographic regions of our world,” she said. “AI can provide us with an understanding of each other’s needs and the needs for your children.”

The first lady said artificial intelligence is “redefining who gets to participate in the global economy of ideas.”

“I believe our shared intellectual future will prove to be a more secure, harmonious, advanced civilization,” she said. “The path to peace depends on us taking responsibility to empower our children through education and technology.”

The first lady stressed that “conflict arises from ignorance, but knowledge creates understanding, replacing fear with peace and unity.”

“Security Council members, I encourage you to pledge to safeguard learning in our communities and promote access to heightened education for all,” she said. “I implore you to build a future generation of leaders who embrace peace through education.”

The speech comes as the first lady continues her push as a champion of online protection of children and youth through her “Be Best” initiative launched during the first Trump administration.

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In 2025, the first lady garnered support on Capitol Hill for the passage of the Take it Down Act, which was signed into law by the president in May 2025. The law punishes internet abuse involving nonconsensual, explicit imagery.

The first lady also launched a nationwide Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge, which invited every student and educator across the nation to “unleash their imagination and showcase the spirit of American innovation” by visiting AI.gov to sign up.

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