NationalWatch

Former President Donald Trump swept Republican presidential primaries in five states on Tuesday.

The Associated Press projected that the former president would score victories in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio.

Trump campaigned in Ohio on Saturday, on behalf of businessman Bernie Moreno, the candidate the former president endorsed in the Buckeye State’s competitive GOP Senate primary.

The victories for Trump come a week after he clinched the 2024 Republican presidential nomination after sweeping last week’s contests.

WHERE THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACES STAND

Hours before Trump became the GOP presumptive presidential nominee, President Biden clinched the Democratic nomination, to become his party’s 2024 presumptive presidential nominee.

Biden and Trump will formally become the major party nominees at the Democratic and Republican national nominating conventions this summer.

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The 2024 rematch – which polls indicate most Americans are anything but enthused about – is now firmly in the general election phase. 

The general election campaign started earlier than at any point in 20 years – when then-Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts locked up the 2004 Democratic nomination in early March and faced Republican President George W. Bush.

The November showdown between Biden and Trump is the first rematch in the race for the White House since 1956, when Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated former Democratic Gov. Adlai Stevenson of Illinois as they faced off a second time.

Trump is running a third straight time for the White House. Trump’s last rival for the nomination, former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, dropped out of the race the day after Super Tuesday in early March, after he sweept 14 of 15 GOP contests.

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

President Biden swept Democratic presidential primaries in four states on Tuesday.

The Associated Press projected that the president would score victories in Arizona, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio.

The victories for Biden come a week after he clinched the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination after sweeping last week’s contests.

WHERE THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACES STAND

Hours after Biden became the Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump clinched the 2024 GOP nomination, to become the Republicans’ presumptive presidential nominee.

Biden and Trump will formally become the major party nominees at the Democratic and Republican national nominating conventions this summer.

The 2024 rematch – which polls indicate most Americans are anything but enthused about – is now firmly in the general election phase. 

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The president on Tuesday made campaign stops in both Arizona and Nevada, two key general election battlegrounds that were two of the six states that Biden narrowly carried in 2020 over Trump to win the White House.

The general election campaign started earlier than at any point in 20 years – when then-Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts locked up the 2004 Democratic nomination in early March and faced Republican President George W. Bush.

The November showdown between Biden and Trump is the first rematch in the race for the White House since 1956, when Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated former Democratic Gov. Adlai Stevenson of Illinois as they faced off a second time.

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

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., was criticized by billionaire business entrepreneur Mark Cuban after accusing former President Donald Trump of lying about being a billionaire and not being able to secure a $464 million appeal bond.

Trump has not been able to secure the required $464 million appeal bond he needs following a New York civil fraud judgment against him, and his attorneys said in a court filing Monday that obtaining one is a “practical impossibility under the circumstances presented.”

Lieu reposted a story from another media company on the matter yesterday on X.

“Trump claims he is a billionaire. But he can’t pay a $464 million [judgment],” Lieu tweeted. “That means he is lying. How do I know? Math.”

TRUMP UNABLE TO GET $464M APPEAL BOND TO STOP COLLECTION, ATTORNEYS SAY: ‘PRACTICAL IMPOSSIBILITY’

He also tweeted that if bond companies thought the former president had enough assets, they would have provided the bond.

Several people responded to Lieu about his logic, telling him he was wrong, including Cuban.

The entrepreneur told Lieu he was not a supporter of Trump.

NEW YORK APPEALS COURT ALLOWS TRUMP, SONS TO CONTINUE RUNNING BUSINESS, DENIES REQUEST TO DELAY PAYMENT

“How anyone can vote for someone who has so many of his executive employees turn on him, and say he is incompetent is beyond me,” Cuban wrote. “But you are wrong on this topic Ted.”

Cuban’s post turned into more of a TED talk on the economy.

He told Lieu that net worth was completely different from cash in the bank, adding that the country has been in a zero-interest rate environment for a long time.

NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL TAUNTS TRUMP ABOUT INTEREST HE OWES ON CIVIL FRAUD JUDGMENT

“So, keeping cash in the bank or even money markets was dumb. In fact, searching for yield is what killed small banks last year,” Cuban wrote. “Also dumb was keeping interest rates that low for that long. Something Trump demanded more of.”

Cuban told Lieu he could argue Trump “sucked” at growing his net worth, resulting in him putting himself in the position of lying to banks about his assets. But the only reason to lie on a loan application, Cuban acknowledged, is because you have to.

Cuban continued to talk on a more macro basis, saying even if rates remained on a long-term trend line for the last 10 years, few people keep over 45% of their assets in liquid assets.

“And as far as the bond companies, Trump’s assets are mostly interests in commercial real estate and foreign assets,” he said. “No bond company is loaning against them in this commercial real estate market, if ever.”

TRUMP APPEALS RULING IN MASSIVE NY CIVIL FRAUD CASE

Trump’s filing on Monday said, “ongoing diligent efforts have proven that a bond in the judgment’s full amount is ‘a practical impossibility.’”

The filing also said efforts were made to include approaching about 30 surety companies through 4 separate brokers.

“A bond requirement of this enormous magnitude – effectively requiring cash reserves approaching $1 billion…is unprecedented for a private company,” the filing read.

A New York Appeals Court judge previously ruled that the former president must post a bond for the full amount of the judgment and that an independent director of compliance will be appointed. 

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That ruling comes after Engoron handed down his decision earlier in February after a months-long trial beginning in October in which the former president was accused of inflating his assets and committing fraud in financial documents.

Engoron ruled that Trump and other 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.”

Greg Norman of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

A Foreign Affairs Committee hearing turned heated Tuesday, with one GOP lawmaker telling his Republican colleague: “Go f— yourself.” 

The feisty words from Chair Michael McCaul of Texas were directed toward Rep. Darrel Issa of California during a hearing about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. 

Issa had gone over his allotted time, much to the annoyance of McCaul. 

Ret. Gen. Mark Milley finished answering a question from Issa and the California Republican continued asking more. 

MERRICK GARLAND UNDERLING PUSH FORWARD WITH CHARGES AGAINST GOLD STAR DAD

McCaul repeatedly tried to tell Issa that his time was expired and to allow Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, to speak. 

“The Gentleman’s time is expired. Ms. Miller-Meeks is recognized,” McCaul said. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize. Thank you,” Issa said. 

McCaul could be heard mumbling something under his breath before Issa said again: “I thought I was done! I thought I was the closing act, Chairman.” 

“Eh, go f— yourself,” McCaul shot back, seemingly unaware he was on a hot mic. 

NANCY MACE SCOLDS ABC’S STEPHANOPOULOS FOR TRYING TO ‘USE’ HER TO DAMAGE TRUMP

A McCaul spokesperson told Fox News that the chairman held every member of the committee to five minutes and was trying to get to the classified briefing. 

“Rep. Issa was over his time and didn’t stop speaking when the chairman gaveled him down and he got frustrated,” the spokesperson said. 

“It was a long day, and I lost my temper. That is uncharacteristic of me and I apologize to Mr. Issa, who I consider a friend,” McCaul said in a statement. 

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Reacting to the exchange, Issa’s office said it was “no big deal.” 

“He’s been called far worse… and by colleagues he doesn’t like,” Jonathan Wilcox, a spokesman for Rep. Issa, said. “We will never, ever apologize for asking the questions no one is asking and that the witnesses didn’t want to answer.” 

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is blasting ABC News and host George Stephanopoulos after former President Trump sued them both on Tuesday, accusing both network and newsman of defamation.

Trump accused Stephanopoulos of defaming him on an episode of ABC News’ “This Week” earlier this month when he said several times on air that the former president was “found liable for rape” during a heated March 10 interview with Mace.

“The verdict in question was plain as day. The jury had the opportunity to find Trump liable for rape, and they chose not to. Partisan Democrats like George Stephanopoulos, who masquerade as the face of supposedly impartial news organizations, are the chief reason for the vast decline of Americans’ trust in the media,” Mace said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital.

ABC NEWS’ GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS INACCURATELY SAID TRUMP WAS FOUND ‘LIABLE FOR RAPE’ 10 TIMES, LEGAL GURUS SAY

“For far too long, Democrat partisans in the press have put politics over facts, and talking points over truth. Repairing the havoc and damage these partisan actors have caused to our public discourse will require a serious effort by news organizations to hold themselves accountable for their actions.”

She said of her interview, “Stephanopoulos thought he could use me in his shameful attempt to damage President Trump. It didn’t work because I wouldn’t fall for it. President Trump will always fight for the truth. And so will I.”

“All are on notice now. Stephanopoulos’ tenure at ABC News is a stain on the profession of journalism. He’s not fit to hold a microphone, let alone pose as a beacon of truth,” the statement ended.

NANCY MACE PUSHES BACK ON GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS IN HEATED EXCHANGE OVER TRUMP SUPPORT: ‘TRYING TO SHAME ME’

Mace called on Republicans to stop going on ABC “until Stephanopoulos is held accountable.” 

ABC News declined to comment on Mace’s statement when reached by Fox News Digital.

Mace, a rape survivor, previously said she felt personally attacked when Stephanopoulos, a former top aide to President Bill Clinton, asked how she could support Trump’s White House bid. Stephanopoulos said Trump was found “liable for rape” 10 times during the exchange. 

A federal jury in New York decided that Trump was not liable for rape but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the 2023 civil trial of advice columnist E. Jean Carroll vs. Trump. The former president has called the verdict a “disgrace,” and denied all wrongdoing.  

NANCY MACE’S OFFICE CALLS ON ABC, WOMEN’S GROUPS TO ‘DEMAND AN APOLOGY’ FROM GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

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The lawsuit, filed Monday in Florida, claims Stephanopoulos’ statements are “false” and were made with “actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows these statements are patently and demonstrably false.” The court document then noted that a jury “expressly found that Plantiff did not commit rape.” 

The suit notes that Trump representatives contacted ABC seeking a retraction following the interview, but the Disney-owned news outlet failed to apologize or correct the record. 

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? 

– Biden refuses to recognize his fifth granddaughter born out of wedlock 

– Congress reaches spending deal with White House

– Where do the Trump trials stand?

Texas’ Border Brawl

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Texas to enforce a law that allows local police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally – marking a significant, but temporary win for the state’s efforts to control illegal immigration across the border. 

The ruling comes a day after the court extended a block on the state law at the request of the Biden administration, which sued to strike down the measure. The Biden administration argued that the law, known as Senate Bill 4 and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in December, would usurp federal authority on matters related to immigration enforcement. It marks the most significant effort by a state to take control of enforcement since the Court struck down parts of an Arizona law in 2012.

The case now goes back to the Fifth Circuit again, which could again block the law again, setting up another Supreme Court battle. Abbott called the ruling a “positive development” while acknowledging that there will be hearings in the appeals court.

White House

LEFT OUT: Biden fails to recognize fifth granddaughter born out of wedlock to Hunter …Read more

Capitol Hill

PULLING THE PLUG: House Republicans to introduce bill ending federal funding for med schools with DEI, ‘race-based mandates’ …Read more

A NEW PLAYER: House Democrats invite ex-Giuliani associate Lev Parnas as Biden impeachment inquiry hearing witness …Read more

FUNDING FIGHT: Congress reaches deal with White House on government funding …Read more

NO MORE AID: Lindsey Graham promotes Trump’s Ukraine loan over foreign aid plan in Zelenskyy meeting …Read more

GETTING OUT ALIVE: Florida congressman helps 13 more Americans escape Haiti, swipes at Biden ‘pattern of abandonment’ …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

GOP BATTLE LINES: Trump, MAGA Republicans clash with establishment conservatives in key Senate primary …Read more

STRONG WORDS: Trump claims any Jew who votes Democrat ‘hates their religion’ after Schumer speech on Senate floor …Read more

SHOUTING AND SWEARING: Biden becoming increasingly frustrated and concerned over re-election efforts …Read more

‘LASER-FOCUSED’: Conservative groups unleash massive investment for battleground state’s ‘historic’ vote-by-mail program …Read more

FAITH FIGHTER: Trump voters don’t think he’s very religious, but say he fights for religious communities: poll …Read more

Across America

REPORTING TO PRISON: Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro begins 4-month sentence for contempt of Congress …Read more

HIGHER RISK: Major cancer research group finds LGBTQ+ people have a higher risk …Read more

‘READY TO ASSIST’: Arkansas sends troops to Texas to help tackle migrant influx …Read more

TRUMP HUSH-MONEY CASE: Judge permits Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels to testify …Read more

‘FRAUD’: Trump says ‘disgusting’ New York AG committed ‘FRAUD’ by allegedly convincing judge to undervalue Mar-a-Lago …Read more

TRUMP TRIALS: Where do all the cases against the former president stand? …Read more

‘UNCHARTED TERRITORY’: Legal experts weigh in on Trump’s options after failure to obtain $464M appeal bond …Read more

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

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

The campaign for Derek Myers, a Republican candidate competing in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District, suffered a series of embarrassing mistakes, including accidentally sending out a concession email hours before the close of Tuesday’s primary.

An email from Myers’ campaign office sent out to media outlets Tuesday, around 3 p.m. ET, lamented that “tonight did not go as we had hoped.” 

Myers said “from a private watch party in Chillicothe” that he was looking forward to uniting behind the “Congressman-Elect” to get President Trump re-elected to the White House and evict President Biden. Polls in Ohio close at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“Listen, I’m in my thirties and as I’ve told everyone on this campaign trial, ‘if I don’t win this race, that’s okay!’ I’ve got thirty-or-fifty more years left – and that’s if I live a good live,” he said. “I’m looking forward to staying in the arena of Ohio politics and working with all Republicans to make Ohio great again!” 

CENTRIST GROUP NO LABELS SETS UP PANEL TO SELECT THIRD-PARTY PRESIDENTIAL TICKET

Less than 10 minutes later, Myers’ campaign office sent out a follow-up email, admitting that the previous one sent had been “in error, due to a technical issue.” 

“Please disregard the email. Thank you,” the second email read. 

Roughly 30 minutes later, Myers sent out yet another email explaining in more detail what happened. 

The email was sent with the self-effacing headline: “So you wanna know what happened, eh?”

Myers explained that his campaign team had prepared two emails for the evening: “one declaring victory and one conceding the race.” 

“The concession email was sent in error as it was being loaded into the media distribution portal, as a draft, in the event of a loss,” Myers said, adding that someone accidentally hit the “send now” button instead of “draft.”  

But that was not all – he went on to explain that the winning email was also drafted, a common practice for communications teams, so they can be prepared, “especially on such an impotent night.”

Not surprisingly, his campaign clarified to Fox News Digital that he meant to say “important.”

“It’s simply good strategy. Whatever the results return this evening, I’ll be thankful for this journey. And yes, the media will be getting a release sometime after the results roll in, declaring a victory or concession. Thank you,” Myers concluded.

On Twitter, Myers later appeared to poke fun at the apparent typo. 

“If this whole politics thing doesn’t work out, maybe I can be hired to be a spokesman like Bob Dole?” Myers tweeted, referring to the former U.S. Senator from Kansas and presidential candidate. The tweet included a 1998 commercial for Viagra, featuring Dole. 

Myers clarified that he had “no issue with that department… yet” and included the hashtags: #InMyThirties, #Impotent, #Spellcheck, and #AlwaysSpellCheck.

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Myers is competing in a crowded 11-person GOP primary for Ohio’s 2nd Congressional district following Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s decision to retire. 

The winner of Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District GOP primary is heavily favored to win the general election in November.

INDEPENDENCE, OH – From the campaign trail to the ad wars, the attacks and rhetoric have been flying in the closing days ahead of Tuesday’s contentious and costly Republican Senate primary in Ohio.

Bernie Moreno, the businessman and luxury auto dealership giant who’s backed by former President Donald Trump, has repeatedly charged that his main rival in the race – state Sen. Matt Dolan – is a “RINO,” a derogatory acronym which stands for “Republicans in name only.” 

And he’s compared Dolan to establishment Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, who is reviled by Trump and the MAGA movement.

Dolan, a former top county prosecutor and Ohio assistant attorney general whose family owns Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, told Fox News Digital on the eve of the primary that Moreno’s “divisive.” 

TRUMP’S IMMENSE CLOUT OVER GOP ON THE LINE IN OHIO’S UGLY COMBUSITIBLE SENATE PRIMARY

And an outside super PAC supporting Dolan charged in a recent ad that Moreno’s “creepy” and “damaged goods.” The spot referred to an Associated Press report which claims that an adult hookup website account was created in 2008 using an email linked to Moreno.

Moreno denied the report and called it “a sick, last-minute attack by desperate people.”

SIX KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER 

The other major candidate in the Republican primary battle, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, has criticized both of his wealthier rivals, who’ve pumped millions into their campaigns.

As he voted on Tuesday, LaRose once again jabbed at his rivals, claiming “Dolan certainly has a very long liberal track record. So does Moreno.”

But the candidates aren’t concerned that the crossfire will weaken the winner of Tuesday’s primary, who will face off in November against longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown – who’s considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats -in a race that may determine whether Republicans win back the Senate majority.

TRUMP AND TOP ALLIES MAKE FINAL PITCH IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY

“I’m going to be the flag bearing Republican who’s going to beat Sherrod Brown and I think Republicans will unite and Donald Trump will be part of that,” Dolan predicted in a Fox News Digital interview on Monday in Columbus.

Moreno, speaking with Fox News Digital after meeting Tuesday morning with Republican activists in suburban Cleveland, predicted that Republicans in the battleground state will rally behind the winner of the primary.

“The entirety of the Republican Party will be behind who ever wins tonight. I believe it will be me,” Moreno said.

“We’re all going to be united when this race is called tonight, because we have one singular cause, which is to defeat Sherrod Brown. This is a guy who’s not good for Ohio. He’s not good for Ohio,” he claimed. “We need to get control of the United States Senate back and control of the United States Senate runs through Ohio.”

Ohio and national Democrats have spotlighted the intra-party fireworks, arguing that the crossfire will weaken the eventual nominee.

But Republican Sen J.D. Vance of Ohio disagrees.

Vance, who is backing Moreno and has campaigned with the candidate continuously across the state the past four days, was the winner of the 2022 GOP Senate primary in Ohio, which was more crowded and combustible than the 2024 edition.

“You see this all the time. You have slugfests in the primary,” Vance told Fox News Digital. “I don’t worry at all about these intermural fights carrying over into the general election. They happen all the time and I think Republicans know how to unite and win.”

Dolan said that if he wins, he’ll preach unity. 

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“I’m not interested in dividing the Republican Party. I’m interested in when we put conservative agendas in place, Republicans win. When that happens, Ohioans and Americans are better off. That’s the message I’m running on,” he emphasized.

And Moreno agreed that “I think at the end of the day we’ll all come together.”

But the candidate did acknowledge that “sometimes it does get personal. That’s OK. Listen, that’s what we signed up for. It’s part of politics.”

Fox News’ Jamie Vera and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report

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

The Democrat frontrunner in what could be one of the most unexpectedly tight Senate races this year recently declared his support for granting citizenship and voting rights to the millions of illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.

Speaking at a candidate forum in Bladensburg, Maryland, earlier this month, Rep. David Trone, who represents the state’s 6th Congressional District, argued illegal immigrants should have the same rights under the Constitution as U.S. citizens.

“We need to welcome all 12 million folks here now that are DACA, TPS, and undocumented – make them citizens, and move forward. They have all the rights everybody here should have also,” Trone said, referencing Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as “Dreamers,” who were brought to the U.S. as children by illegal immigrant parents, as well as migrants granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

CONSERVATIVE GROUPS UNLEASH MASSIVE INVESTMENT FOR BATTLEGROUND STATE’S ‘LARGEST EVER’ VOTE-BY-MAIL PROGRAM

Just days after the forum, Trone voted against the bipartisan Laken Riley Act, a bill named after a nursing student who was tragically murdered on the campus of the University of Georgia while jogging. Jose Antonio Ibarra, the illegal immigrant from Venezuela charged in the murder, was arrested in New York prior to the murder but was not detained by ICE. He was also cited in Georgia for misdemeanor shoplifting in October 2023. 

The bill would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants who commit theft, burglary, larceny or shoplifting offenses and mandate that those who commit such crimes are detained until they are removed from the U.S., so they cannot break the same law or commit further crimes.

Additionally, the bill would ensure that states have standing to bring civil actions against federal officials who refuse to enforce immigration law or who violate the law. It passed the House in a 251-170 vote, and the Senate is currently considering its version of the legislation.

BIDEN CAMPAIGN REVEALS ‘AGGRESSIVE’ SWING STATE STRATEGY, ADMITS BEATING TRUMP WILL ‘TAKE RELENTLESS EFFORT’

Last month, Trone signed a letter urging impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to close illegal immigrant detention centers just one day after a toddler was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant right outside his district, the Daily Caller reported.

“Our immigration system is broken. Unfortunately, positive legislative reforms in immigration are unlikely this congress due to extreme MAGA Republican opposition. Until that changes, we must do our best to operate within the current system to ensure that we are treating immigrants with dignity and utilizing our limited resources wisely. You have testified regarding your concern about ‘the overuse of detention… where alternatives to detention would suffice.’ We share that concern,” Trone wrote in the letter.

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

TEXAS DEMOCRAT COLIN ALLRED FACES 6-FIGURE AD CAMPAIGN FOR CALLING BORDER WALL ‘RACIST’

Trone faces a crowded Democrat primary field, where he holds a massive fundraising and polling advantage. His closest challenger is Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

He will likely face Maryland’s former Republican governor, Larry Hogan, in the general election. Few polls have been conducted on the race so far, but those that have been completed suggest a neck-and-neck race between the two.

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Elections analysts rate the race as “likely” Democrat, but Hogan’s name recognition and high approval rating at the conclusion of his second term last year could further pose a challenge to Democrats’ hopes of maintaining control of the Senate.

Fox News’ Kyle Morris contributed to this report.

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

Former President Trump vowed that, if he’s elected, the United States would “100%” stay a part of NATO if the alliance pays its “fair share” and treats America “fairly.”

Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, said NATO “has to treat the U.S. fairly” in an interview with Nigel Farage Tuesday.

“If it’s not for the United States, NATO literally doesn’t even exist,” Trump said. “But they took advantage of us like most countries do.

“The United States should pay its fair share — not everybody else’s fair share.” 

NATO MEMBERS BRACE FOR TRUMP WIN AS RECORD NUMBER OF MEMBERS MOVE TO MEET SPENDING PLEDGES

Trump told Farage he believes the United States “was paying 90% of NATO — could be 100%.”

“It was the most unfair thing,” Trump said. “And don’t forget, it is more important to them than it is to us. We have an ocean in between some problems — OK. We have a nice big, beautiful ocean. It is more important for them.” 

Trump said NATO was “taking advantage” of the United States, including “on trade.” 

Farage asked if NATO starts “to play fair, America’s there?” 

Trump replied, “Yes, 100%. One hundred percent.” 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced last month that 18 of the alliance’s 31 members are on track to meet their pledges of contributing 2% of GDP to the group. European states are on track to contribute $380 billion this year, and Germany will meet its 2% pledge for the first time since the Cold War.

The figures show a dramatic uptick compared to 2023, which saw just 11 NATO allies meet their 2% spending pledge.

HILLARY CLINTON CLAIMS TRUMP WILL WITHDRAW US FROM NATO IF ELECTED: ‘HE MEANS WHAT HE SAYS’

“That is another record number and a six-fold increase from 2014, when only three allies met the target,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference last month. 

Trump, at a rally earlier this year, said if he is elected, “everybody’s gonna pay.” 

“NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.”

The statement triggered an immediate response from President Biden’s White House, which denounced the statement as “unhinged.” 

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“President Biden has restored our alliances and made us stronger in the world because he knows every commander in chief’s first responsibility is to keep the American people safe and hold true to the values that unite us,” Andrew Bates said in a statement. 

“Thanks to President Biden’s experienced leadership, NATO is now the largest and most vital it has ever been. Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged — and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.”

President Biden’s re-election campaign is targeting Latino voters with a new initiative. 

The president is slated to launch the Latinos con Biden-Harris campaign program on Tuesday during a campaign stop in Arizona.

“The Latino vote was critical to the President’s victory in 2020, and 2024 will be no different,” said campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez.

LATINO EVANGELICALS REJECTING DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PASTOR SAYS: ‘GOING TO VOTE LIKE NO OTHER IN NOVEMBER’

She continued, “Latinos con Biden-Harris will be essential to activating and mobilizing Latinos across the country, and importantly, is another way we are making clear with action that we are investing aggressively into earning the Latino vote.”

The Hispanic voter base is considered one of the most valuable demographics for candidates in the 2024 presidential election – the Latino population continues to rise while its historic affiliation with the Democrats has wavered.

“Our community has deep roots in organizing, and we are excited to harness that skill set to fight for our families, our communities, and against Donald Trump’s anti-Latino agenda. There’s too much at stake in this election,” Chávez Rodríguez added.

YOUNG LATINO VOTERS IN PENNSYLVANIA ARE ‘TRUMP FANS’ ON ECONOMY, MAY VOTE REPUBLICAN IN 2024: REPORT

“Hispanic voters are rejecting what Joe Biden is selling,” Make America Great Again Inc. spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said in a statement Tuesday. “The last three years of Bidenomics have left Hispanic Americans poorer.”

A poll from earlier this month found former President Trump holds a six-point lead over Biden among Hispanic voters.

The New York Times/Siena College poll, which was conducted from Feb. 25 to 28 and included responses from 980 registered voters nationwide, asked respondents whom they would support in the 2024 presidential election if it were held today. 

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Between candidates Biden and Trump, 46% of Hispanics who responded to the poll said they would vote for Trump, while 40% said they would support Biden. That’s a big difference from Biden’s 2020 general election support from Hispanics.

Biden won 59% of the Hispanic vote to Trump’s 38% in 2020, according to Pew Research.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump campaign and Biden campaign for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris contributed to this report.

“We gotta get out of this place!
If it’s the last thing we ever do…” 

— — The Animals

It is unclear if Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., and several dozen other lawmakers are channeling The Animals’ frontman Eric Burdon. 

However, they certainly share the same sentiments. Congress is not a very fun place to be anymore, and that is why lawmakers are skipping out early, retiring even before their term completes next January. 

A reporter asked Buck about what “frustrated” him on Capitol Hill and what made working there so “difficult.”

HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T ‘CALL THE SHOTS’ ON WHEN IMPEACHMENT IS OVER

“Do you really need me to explain what’s so difficult about this?” replied Buck. 

The 118th Congress has been one of the rockiest and whackiest in recent memory and certainly one of the least productive. The valleys include the five days the House consumed to elect a speaker to multiple flirtations with the debt ceiling and government shutdown. Then there was the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The House burned through three more speaker candidates before tapping House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Despite toiling in the minority, Democrats now provide the majority of votes on many major issues which pass the House, especially on government funding. However, a broad, bipartisan coalition of lawmakers recently voted to curb access to TikTok in the U.S. 

The TikTok vote scored major headlines, but so did the House vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

And, as is custom, the House GOP’s first attempt at impeachment failed before they took a mulligan.

Three Republicans helped tank the initial Mayorkas impeachment vote: Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc. — who is retiring — and Buck — who is leaving before his term ends. 

The Colorado Republican cited impeachment as among his decisions to skip out of the 118th Congress early.

“We’ve taken impeachment, and we made it a social media issue as opposed to a Constitutional one,” said Buck. “This place just keeps going down. I don’t really want to spend my time here.”

Former Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, resigned early a few weeks ago to become the president of Youngstown State University. Former Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., left early to run an arts organization in Buffalo, New York. Fox is told there could be other lawmakers who ditch Capitol Hill before their term is up.

It is about the math.

Buck told Fox he will formally resign at the end of the day on March 22. This squeezes the meager GOP majority in the House. There will be 431 members. 218 Republicans to 213 Democrats. At this moment, the breakdown is 219 Republicans to 213 Democrats. That is a margin of six. However, Republicans can only lose two votes. That is because a tie vote fails automatically in the House. When Buck hits the exit ramp, the margin shrivels to five. However, the GOP can still only drop two votes on any given roll call without help from the other side. 

Here is where things get really interesting.

There is a special election for the seat formerly occupied by Higgins on April 30. Strange things sometimes unfold in special elections because it’s impossible to determine the turnout. However, the Higgins seat is a Democratic district. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) garnered 57% of the vote in that district. Republican Gary Dickson runs against Democrat Tim Kennedy. If Kennedy prevails, Democrats hold the seat, and the numbers change again in the House. 

There will be 432 members. 218 Republicans to 214 Democrats. The margin is four seats, but the GOP cannot lose two votes and still pass a bill without help from across the aisle. Again, tie votes come into play. Republicans will be down to only a solitary vote to spare.

This is where things get very dangerous for the GOP. They cannot lose anyone who is out sick or missed a flight. They cannot have someone disappear for a week or two for a family matter. And unfortunately, there are untimely deaths among members from time to time. 

That said, things may improve for Republicans. There is a likely runoff on May 21 to fill McCarthy’s seat, who resigned in December. The GOP could build its ranks slowly if they win that special election. In fact, Republicans could even have reinforcements if one of the candidates scores more than 50.1% tonight — averting the runoff.

However, there is a broader problem. Could other members just quit like Buck? What if they’re as fed up as he is? What if they’re retiring and have big paycheck offers outside Congress and want to leave now?

Multiple members confided to Fox they anticipate more exits over the summer, and certainly after the election. The Senate has flipped control in the middle of a Congress before — most recently in 2001. That was when late Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., dropped his affiliation with Republicans and decided to caucus with the Democrats in a 50-50 Senate. You should not rule out anything, considering how strange and unpredictable this Congress has been. 

$12B IN EARMARKS: CONGRESS’ ROLLER-COASTER HISTORY WITH EARMARK SPENDING TAKES ANOTHER TWIST

Buck expressed his disgust just moments after he announced his departure. 

The House Judiciary Committee invited special counsel Robert Hur to testify last week about his investigation into how President Biden handled classified documents after he left the vice presidency. Hur caught flak from both sides. Democrats took umbrage that Hur appeared to go out of his way to write about the president’s age and perceived cognitive issues. Republicans questioned Hur about why he did not prosecute Mr. Biden, despite having what they believed saw as good reason to do so.

Buck spoke directly to Hur when it was his turn to speak from the dais.

“From what I’ve observed in this hearing, is that one side thinks you’re trying to get President Trump elected and the other side thinks you’re trying to get President Biden elected. I served as a prosecutor for 25 years. I know that you’re going to take grief from both sides,” said Buck. “But when both sides attack you, my admonition is ‘Welcome to Congress.’”

It is unclear what the next couple of months have in store for the House membership. Congress is not very pleasant right now. The sides can barely get together to avoid multiple government shutdowns or to lift the debt ceiling. There is a lack of trust between members. Republicans struggled for months to even pass their own bills. That is to say nothing of the GOP relying on Democrats to provide most of the votes on major bills like government funding.

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“We gotta get out of this place,” sang Eric Burdon with the Animals. “There’s a better life for me and you.”

And that is exactly the thinking of lawmakers who are storming the exits.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are having businessman Lev Parnas, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani’s, come to Capitol Hill to participate in the second impeachment inquiry hearing into President Biden on Wednesday.

The Oversight Committee’s GOP majority is investigating accusations that Biden and his family enriched themselves by using his political connections, particularly when he was vice president.

“This hopeless impeachment investigation originated with a bunch of lies told by an indicted liar in close proximity to Russian agents. So who better than Lev Parnas himself — Rudy Giuliani’s right-hand man on the original mission to smear Joe Biden — to tell the story of how this campaign of lies and slander works? Lev Parnas can debunk the bogus claims at the heart of the impeachment probe and, in the process, explain how the GOP ended up in this degraded and embarrassing place,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the panel, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

DEVON ARCHER: HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA EXECS ‘CALLED DC’ TO GET UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR FIRED

Parnas previously claimed that he worked with Giuliani in his effort to pressure Ukrainian officials to announce an investigation into the Biden family in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. In June 2022, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison for charges linked to soliciting foreign money for U.S. elections, wire fraud and making false statements, among others. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams had accused him of “pumping Russian money into U.S. elections and lying about the source of funds for political contributions.”

Parnas is going to be joined at the Wednesday hearing by former business associates of Hunter Biden, whose foreign business dealings are a particular concern to GOP investigators. One is Tony Bobulinski, who has personally told investigators that the Biden family was selling access to the now-president. The second is Jason Galanis, who is in prison after he pleaded guilty to securities fraud.

JAMES BIDEN SAYS HIS BROTHER ‘HAS NEVER HAD ANY INVOLVEMENT’ OR ANY ‘FINANCIAL INTEREST’ IN BUSINESS VENTURES

Republicans on the Oversight Committee pointed out that Parnas was found guilty of lying and said it was “telling” Democrats did not invite an associate of the Bidens.

“It’s telling the Democrats didn’t call any of Hunter Biden’s business associates who claim his father’s innocence because they know their testimony won’t withstand public scrutiny. Instead, they are relying on a convicted liar who claims Joe Biden never met with a Burisma official when in fact he dined with one,” a spokesperson for the committee said.

COMER INVITES HUNTER BIDEN, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY MARCH 20 AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

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Fox News Digital previously reported that Democrats were considering inviting Michael Cohen, former President Trump’s ex-lawyer, in a bid to focus attention on Trump’s own foreign business dealings.

A source familiar with those discussions indicated to Fox News Digital that Democrats thought Parnas would be more relevant to their goal of pointing out flaws in the GOP’s investigation. They said, “Cohen can speak directly to how Trump used the White House to enrich himself, but Parnas can speak directly to how Trump used discredited sources to fabricate dirt on Biden.”

Voters supporting former President Trump do not think he is very religious, but they believe he stands up for people in religious communities.

Pew Research released a poll this week dissecting the religious angle of Trump’s support base and how voters perceive the former president’s spiritual beliefs.

Only 8% of voters supporting Trump said they believe he is “very religious,” according to the Pew poll.

TRUMP CLAIMS ANY JEW WHO VOTES DEMOCRAT ‘HATES THEIR RELIGION’ AFTER SCHUMER SPEECH ON SENATE FLOOR

Approximately 51% of voters supporting the former president said they believed he was “somewhat religious” and 38% said he is “not too religious” or “not religious at all.”

Despite lukewarm assessments of his religiosity, 51% of Trump supporters said the former president stands up “a great deal” or “quite a bit” for religious beliefs similar to their own.

Only 11% of Trump supporters said he did not stand up much or at all for religious beliefs similar to their own. Approximately 21% said he did so somewhat.

TRUMP SAYS ‘DISGUSTING’ NEW YORK AG COMMITTED ‘FRAUD’ BY ALLEGEDLY CONVINCING JUDGE TO UNDERVALUE MAR-A-LAGO

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

Last month, Trump said during a speech in Tennessee that it is “crazy” how Christians or individuals who consider themselves to be religious could vote for a Democrat.

“How any Christian can vote for a Democrat, Christian or person of faith, how you can vote for a Democrat is crazy. It’s crazy,” Trump told attendees at the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Trump’s comment to the crowd came shortly after he claimed Biden is an “incompetent president who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing” and “will not lead us to the promised land.”

During his speech, Trump lamented the indictments that had been waged against him in recent history and vowed to defend Christians from attacks by those on the “radical left” who are “coming after” those who are religious.

Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris contributed to this report.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, will testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday for the first time since retiring, potentially freeing him to offer new details about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Joining Milley will be retired Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, who served as United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander during the 2021 withdrawal. The pair have appeared before Congress to discuss failings in the operation before, but Republicans say they may have been more tight-lipped then because they were still serving under President Biden.

Both Milley and McKenzie testified in 2021 that they had advised Biden to maintain a small U.S. force in Afghanistan, rather than committing to a full U.S. withdrawal. Milley himself has described the operation as a “strategic failure,” saying he has “lots of regrets.”

“It didn’t end the way I wanted it. That didn’t end the way any of us wanted it,” he told ABC News in September. “In the broader sense, the war was lost.”

OBAMA LIED TO AMERICANS ABOUT WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN: BOOK

The Tuesday afternoon hearing comes after months of Republican investigations into Biden’s handling of the withdrawal. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas., has repeatedly demanded the State Department turn over documents relating to the operation.

BIDEN’S BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL HAUNTS 2024 ELECTION AS BOOK CLAIMS ‘13 AMERICANS NEVER HAD TO DIE’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has so far refused to offer interview notes relating to the Afghanistan after action report, which blamed senior officials for failing to prepare for all outcomes in the operation.

Despite the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and the abandoning of tens of thousands of Afghan allies to Taliban rule, Biden strongly believes behind closed doors that he made the right decisions during the operation, according to an upcoming book.

THINK THE US EXIT FROM AFGHANISTAN WAS BAD? LOOK WHAT’S BREWING IN THE PACIFIC

Following the withdrawal, “no one offered to resign, in large part because the president didn’t believe anyone had made a mistake. Ending the war was always going to be messy,” author Alexander Ward writes in the book, “The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore Foreign Policy After Trump.”

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Biden allegedly told his top aides, including White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, that they had done their best given the situation and vowed to stand by them.

Fox News’ Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.

PARMA, Ohio – Voters head to the polls Tuesday in Ohio, where a closely watched and increasingly contentious Republican Senate primary has become a high-profile test of former President Trump’s immense grip over the GOP.

The winner of the primary will face off in November’s general election against one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats in a race that may determine whether Republicans win back the chamber’s majority.

“If you want somebody who’s going to be more liberal than Mitt Romney in the United States Senate, then vote for Matt Dolan,” businessman Bernie Moreno argued at a rally in this suburban Cleveland city on the eve of the primary.

Moreno, who is the Trump-endorsed candidate in the race, compared Dolan – his main rival for the GOP nomination – to Romney, the establishment Republican senator from Utah who is reviled by Trump and the MAGA movement.

SIX KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER 

Moreno’s barbs came two days after Trump – who parachuted into the state to headline a rally for Moreno – insulted Dolan as a “weak RINO” [a derogatory acronym which stands for “Republicans in name only”] and charged that the state senator is “trying to become the next Mitt Romney.”

TRUMP AND TOP ALLIES MAKE FINAL PITCH IN CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY

As Moreno was wrapping up a campaign swing with two top Trump loyalists and America First all stars – Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Arizona Senate candidate and 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake – Dolan was teaming up with two-term Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a former U.S. senator and state attorney general. 

“The person who clearly has the best shot at winning in the fall is Matt Dolan,” DeWine told the crowd at a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio’s capital city, as he argued that Dolan is the strongest candidate to take on longtime Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in November.

The third major candidate in the race is Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

Trump, meanwhile, is aiming for a repeat performance in Ohio.

Two years ago, the former president backed Vance in a crowded and combative Republican Senate nomination race, boosting him to victory in the 2022 primary a couple of weeks later. 

OHIO REPUBLICAN US SENATE CANDIDATE BERNIE MORENO HAS SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR GOP MEMBERS WHO ‘DON’T LIKE’ TRUMP

Fast-forward to the present, and Trump – who last week clinched the Republican nomination and is now the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee – returned to Ohio on Saturday as he aimed to boost Moreno. Vance and another top Trump ally, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, also spoke at the rally outside of Dayton.

The event was announced hours after Dolan – a former top county prosecutor and Ohio assistant attorney general whose family owns Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians – was endorsed by DeWine. Days earlier, Dolan landed the backing of former Sen. Rob Portman. DeWine and Portman are considered top members of Ohio’s Republican old guard or establishment.

“President Trump, Jim Jordan, and JD Vance’s view of the party, which is who’s endorsed me or do you want to go back to the Bush, Cheney, Mitt Romney vision of the party?” Moreno told Fox News Digital at a campaign event in Milford, Ohio, on Sunday night. “That’s the question. A vote for Dolan is a vote for 1980s Republicans that we thought were extinct, but unfortunately they haven’t. But on Tuesday, we’ll make it finally extinct here in Ohio.”

Moreno, an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally from Colombia and became a successful Cleveland-based businessman and luxury auto dealership giant, was endorsed by Trump in December. 

“We’re going to have President Trump in the White House, that’s for certain,” Moreno predicted. “But what we need is strong fighters in the Senate to make sure we get the [Trump America First] agenda implemented.”

Dolan, along with Moreno, is making his second straight bid for the Senate in Ohio. Additionally, Dolan, who is the only one of the three major candidates not to seek Trump’s endorsement, has highlighted that he is a supporter of Trump’s policies but not the former president’s personality. 

“I’m the only one in this race that’s cut taxes and reduced regulations. Who else has done that? Donald Trump,” Dolan highlighted in a Fox News Digital interview in Columbus on Monday. “Everyone wants to talk about Donald Trump’s endorsement. I’m the only one who’s actually done Donald Trump policies because it helps Ohio.”

“Bernie wants to be divisive. I want to be inclusive of all Republicans,” Dolan claimed. “I’m not interested in dividing the Republican Party. I’m interested in when we put conservative agendas in place, Republicans win. When that happens, Ohioans and Americans are better off. That’s the message I’m running on.”

Millions have been spent by the campaigns and aligned super PACs – mostly on behalf of Dolan and Moreno – to flood the airwaves with negative attack ads.

LaRose has criticized both of his wealthier rivals, but he has not had the financial firepower to keep pace with Dolan and Moreno.

“I’m the one that Sherrod is the most afraid of. It’s pretty clear and the old saying is they only try to tackle you when you have the ball,” LaRose claimed in a recent Fox News Digital interview. “The Democrats have been attacking me because they know I’m the most dangerous weapon against Sherrod Brown.”

In the closing stretch, Democrats started meddling in the Ohio GOP primary.

Duty and Country PAC, which is funded by Senate Majority PAC, the top super PAC supporting Senate Democrats, dished out nearly $3 million in the final days ahead of the primary to run ads boosting Moreno, whom they view as the weakest general election nominee.

There was another major development in the primary race last week, as The Associated Press published a report claiming that an adult hookup website account was created in 2008 using an email linked to Moreno.

Pushing back against the report, Moreno called it “a sick, last-minute attack by desperate people.”

The winner of the GOP primary will face off in November against Brown, who is the only Democrat to win statewide in Ohio over the past decade. Brown is being heavily targeted by Republicans in a state that was once a premiere battleground before shifting red.

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Democrats control the U.S. Senate with a 51-49 majority, but Republicans are looking at a favorable Senate map in 2024, with Democrats defending 23 of the 34 seats up for grabs. Three of those seats are in red states that Trump carried in 2020 — Ohio, Montana and West Virginia, where Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin is not running for re-election.

As Trump locks up the GOP presidential nomination, he is once again exerting increasing control over the Republican Party, and the Ohio primary is seen as a test of his immense clout.

“Donald Trump is the most important endorsement in Ohio, bar none,” longtime Republican strategist and 2016 Trump campaign veteran Mike Biundo emphasized. 

Biundo, who has worked on multiple campaigns in Ohio, told Fox News that “Trump moves numbers and helps to hand victories to those he endorses. It’s just a fact. Just look at Senator JD Vance. He owes his seat to the last minute Trump endorsement.”

An Ohio-based Republican consultant, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, called the Republican primary “a litmus test” of Trump’s sway over the GOP.

“The real question is whether President Trump’s endorsement still carries weight with Republican primary voters in Ohio,” the consultant said. “It’s that simple and straight forward and I think ultimately the answer is yes.”

The showdown in Ohio is one of the few major down-ballot GOP primaries where the Trump-backed candidate is at risk of losing.

“Trump’s got a lot invested in Bernie Moreno,” veteran Republican strategist Matt Gorman said.

And longtime Ohio-based GOP consultant Mike Hartley, who remains neutral in this year’s primary, told Fox News “it’s important to Trump, evidenced by the fact that he came into the state, just like he did for JD Vance.”

Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey and Jamie Vera contributed to this report.

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

Former President Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee for president, will likely spend days in court defending himself against charges in multiple jurisdictions while also crisscrossing the country on the campaign trail until Election Day.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges in all cases. Many trials have been delayed or put on pause.

Here is where each case stands:

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on whether Trump is immune from prosecution next month. 

Arguments on presidential immunity are scheduled to begin on April 25. A ruling from the high court is expected by late June. 

Trump and his legal team, in requesting the Supreme Court review the issue of presidential immunity, said that “if the prosecution of a president is upheld, such prosecutions will recur and become increasingly common, ushering in destructive cycles of recrimination.”

“Criminal prosecution, with its greater stigma and more severe penalties, imposes a far greater ‘personal vulnerability’ on the President than any civil penalty,” the request states. “The threat of future criminal prosecution by a politically opposed Administration will overshadow every future president’s official acts — especially the most politically controversial decisions.” 

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ARGUMENTS IN TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY CASE ON APRIL 25

Special Counsel Jack Smith charged the former president with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. 

Those charges stem from Smith’s months-long investigation into whether Trump was involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and any alleged interference in the 2020 election result.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial was set to begin March 4 but was put on hold pending a resolution on the matter.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s hush-money payments case

The trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Trump’s alleged hush-money payments during the 2016 election was scheduled to begin on March 25.

Last week, though, a judge delayed the trial until mid-April to give Trump’s lawyers additional time to go through 15,000 records of potential evidence the Justice Department shared from a previous federal investigation into the matter.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York said much of the newly produced material is unrelated to the state case against Trump. Federal prosecutors have already produced more than 100,000 pages of records for review. Fox News Digital has learned, though, that at least 74,000 pages of records initially were sent only to Bragg’s office and not to Trump’s legal team. 

JUDGE DELAYS TRUMP’S HUSH-MONEY TRIAL AMID LAST-MINUTE EVIDENCE DUMP BY FEDS

Trump’s lawyers were seeking a 90-day delay or a dismissal of charges against him, arguing there were violations in “the discovery process,” whereby both sides exchange evidence. Defense lawyers said a 30-day delay was “insufficient.”

Trump’s lawyers have said the materials from the federal investigation are critical for his defense in the state case being brought by Bragg.

Bragg indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”

The charges are related to alleged hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign.

In 2019, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s classified records case

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Trump’s motion to dismiss charges of retaining classified documents on the grounds of “unconstitutional vagueness.”

Cannon has not yet ruled on Trump’s other argument, which is a motion to dismiss based on the Presidential Records Act. 

TRUMP FLORIDA JUDGE CANNON DENIES TRUMP DISMISSAL ON ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL VAGUENESS’

Trump was charged out of Smith’s investigation into his retention of classified materials. Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 felony charges out of Smith’s probe. The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements.

Trump was also charged with an additional three counts as part of a superseding indictment out of the investigation — an additional count of willful retention of national defense information and two additional obstruction counts. 

Trump pleaded not guilty. 

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis’ election interference case 

A Fulton County judge recently quashed six counts in the Georgia election interference case against Trump and his 18 co-defendants. 

Judge Scott McAfee said in an order Wednesday that the state failed to allege sufficient detail for six counts of “solicitation of violation of oath by public officer.” 

“The Court’s concern is less that the State has failed to allege sufficient conduct of the Defendants – in fact it has alleged an abundance. However, the lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned opinion, fatal,” McAfee wrote.

FULTON COUNTY PROSECUTOR NATHAN WADE WITHDRAWS FROM TRUMP CASE, ALLOWING DA FANI WILLIS TO CONTINUE

“As written, these six counts contain all the essential elements of the crimes but fail to allege sufficient detail regarding the nature of their commission, i.e., the underlying felony solicited,” the judge continued. 

“They do not give the Defendants enough information to prepare their defenses intelligently, as the Defendants could have violated the Constitutions and thus the statute in dozens, if not hundreds, of distinct ways.”  

Georgia state law prohibits any public officer from willfully and intentionally violating the terms of his or her oath as prescribed by law. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis alleged that Trump and six of his co-defendants illegally attempted to persuade numerous state officials to violate their oaths in an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

Willis charged Trump with one count of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, three counts of criminal solicitation, six counts of criminal conspiracy, one count of filing false documents and two counts of making false statements.

JUDGE RULES FANI WILLIS MUST STEP ASIDE FROM TRUMP CASE OR FIRE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR NATHAN WADE

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Meanwhile, Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade has withdrawn from the prosecution after McAfee said either he must go or Willis would be disqualified from prosecuting Trump. Four co-defendants had accused Willis of having an “improper” affair with Wade, who she hired to help prosecute the case.

The defendants alleged that Willis benefited financially by hiring Wade in 2021 because they were in a preexisting romantic relationship and went on several trips together. Michael Roman, a Republican operative who worked on Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, alleged that Wade’s law firm billed taxpayers $650,000 at a rate of $250 an hour since his hiring — and that he used that income to pay for vacations with Willis.

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Both Wade and Willis denied they were in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring. During a two-day evidentiary hearing in February, they each testified that they split the cost of their shared trips. Willis told the court she reimbursed Wade for her share of the trips in cash.

A trial date for Trump has not yet been set.

Former President Trump claimed Monday night that New York Attorney General Letitia James engaged in fraud by allegedly convincing a judge to undervalue his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida amid his civil fraud case in the Empire State.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump called James a “failed and disgusting” attorney general who significantly undervalued his Florida property.

“The only FRAUD in the Peekaboo James case, our failed and disgusting New York State Attorney General, was her convincing ‘Judge’ Arthur Engoron to put a value on Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, of just $18,000,000, when it is worth 50 to 100 times that amount,” Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, wrote on the platform.

“This was fraudulently and illegally done, working closely together in a corrupt Communist system, to set their NARRATIVE after learning that their Values and Facts were completely wrong,” he continued. “Businesses will flee the State as Migrant Crime and Violence continues to flourish. I paid $300,000,000 in Taxes, and this is what I get. WITCH HUNT!!!”

LEGAL EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON TRUMP’S OPTIONS AFTER FAILURE TO SECURE $464M APPEAL BOND: ‘UNCHARTERED TERRITORY’

This comes after New York Judge Arthur Engoron handed down his decision last month after a months-long trial beginning in October in which the former president was accused of inflating his assets and committing fraud in financial documents.

Engoron ruled that Trump and other 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.”

Later in February, a New York Appeals Court judge denied Trump’s request to delay payment of the $464 million owed as a result of the lawsuit brought by James, but said he would temporarily allow the former president and his sons to continue running their business during the appeals process.

A New York Appeals Court judge previously ruled that Trump must post a bond for the full amount of the judgment and that an independent director of compliance will be appointed.

On Monday, Trump’s lawyers wrote in a court filing that obtaining the $464 million appeal was a “practical impossibility under the circumstances presented.”

TRUMP TRIALS: HERE’S WHERE EACH CASE AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT AND PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINEE STANDS

Trump’s attorney Alina Habba told the X22 report Monday she was “confident” her client’s debt would be dismissed.

“Despite the fact that witnesses frankly had said that they were great clients, we all made money, they did nothing wrong, we got slammed with this egregious number, and I’m confident we’ll overturn it,” Habba said.

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In a Truth Social post earlier on Monday, Trump said he “built a Magnificent Business, which helped rebuild New York City and State, with Amazing, Unparalleled, Historic Properties and tons of CASH, which Crooked Joe Biden and his Maniac Persecutors are trying to wrongfully and illegally take from me.”

“A bond of the size set by the Democrat Club-controlled Judge, in Corrupt, Racist Letitia James’ unlawful Witch Hunt, is unConstitutional, un-American, unprecedented, and practically impossible for ANY Company, including one as successful as mine,” Trump wrote. “The Bonding Companies have never heard of such a bond, of this size, before, nor do they have the ability to post such a bond, even if they wanted to.”

Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

I came armed with a fistful of blue cards, and still didn’t get to half the questions, but Donald Trump made a whole lot of news in our Mar-a-Lago interview.

What’s revealing is how he chose to answer the most sensitive questions, or to deflect them, and how various media outlets chose to frame them.

Some, like the New York Times, ABC and the Hill, played it straight. Other operations, many of them left-leaning, cherry-picked quotes to make Trump look as awful as possible, while ignoring the reasonable-sounding things he said.

A classic example was when I asked the former president about the murder of Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison camp. I thought he might duck because of his friendly relationship with Vladimir Putin.

But I put it to him point-blank: Is the Russian dictator responsible for the death of the opposition leader?

TRUMP: IF YOU’RE GOING TO BAN TIKTOK, BAN FACEBOOK TOO

“Perhaps,” Trump said. “I mean, possibly, I could say probably. I don’t know. He’s a young man, so statistically he’d be alive for a long time…Certainly that would look like something very bad happened.”

Keep in mind that Trump has never even mentioned Putin in the same paragraph as Navalny, and now he’s saying “probably” responsible. Of course, Trump can’t prove it, and neither can I.

Here are some of the headlines:

“Trump Couldn’t Bring Himself to Condemn Putin for Alexei Navalny’s Death.”

“Trump Delivers Head-Spinningly Awkward Answer to New Question About Putin.” 

“Trump: ‘I Don’t Know’ If Putin Was Responsible for Navalny’s Death.”

You get the idea.

Which brings us to Trump’s rhetoric. I asked why he uses words like “vermin” and “poisoning of the blood” to describe illegal migrants – especially since the press says such language was used by Hitler and Mussolini.

Trump says he didn’t know that and then repeated “our country is being poisoned” – prompting a wave of headlines that he had doubled down on such harmful language.

TRUMP: BIDEN IS ‘BAD FOR ISRAEL’

I guess you could say that – and I’m not letting him off the hook – but the more telling part of his answer came next.

I asked the 45th president whether he uses “over the top” and “inflammatory” language to drive the media debate, meaning a focus on his words gets news outlets spending days on his turf, on his preferred issue, in the arguments over whether he went too far. And Trump didn’t deny it, saying he wouldn’t limit himself to “politically correct” verbiage.

“It also gets people thinking about very important issues,” he said. “That if you don’t use certain rhetoric, if you don’t use certain words that maybe are not very nice words, nothing will happen.” My theory, based on decades of observing him, was correct.

Then he went off on migrants coming from insane asylums and how crime will double – neither of which has been shown to be true on a major scale. 

The same was true with NATO, when Trump caused a global uproar by saying he’d encourage the Russians to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries that don’t pay their fair share of defense costs.

That sounds like someone taking a pro-Putin stance, I said.

“It sounds like somebody that wants to get people to pay money,” Trump said. In other words, it was a negotiating tactic.

Half an hour before airtime, the media were awash in headlines about Trump saying there would be a “bloodbath” if he lost the election. So I watched that portion of his speech at an Ohio rally the night before.

There have been times when Trump used loaded words to signal the possibility of political violence. This wasn’t one of them.

TRUMP: I’LL DEBATE BIDEN ‘ANYTIME, ANYPLACE’

Trump was going on about Chinese cars and their impact on the American auto industry. Then he said if he wasn’t elected there would be a bloodbath – in terms of the impact on jobs. Then he went right back to talking about electric vehicles and industry competition.

Now some pundits said the mere use of the word bloodbath was like a bat signal, telling his supporters to get ready for violence. After all, he was so Machiavellian that he added, “That’s going to be the least of it.” But as I said, too many outlets were so in love with the bloodbath story that they wrenched it out of context.

Trump also said at the rally that some migrants were “animals” and “not people.” That’s unacceptable language, in my view, but remember what he said about inflammatory words driving the media debate. I wanted to decode his approach for viewers.   

Trump also made news on abortion. I asked him about a Times story that said he is discussing with advisers a national ban after 16 weeks of pregnancy – not knowing his campaign had dismissed it as fake news – and figured he’d dismiss the story.

Nope. He essentially confirmed the 16-week story – saying he’d make a decision “pretty soon,” which would obviously be in that range – that had previously been attributed to unnamed sources. He said, despite my skepticism, that he wants to “make both sides happy.”

When Republicans grapple with abortion in the post-Roe world, Trump said, “you have to go with your heart. But beyond that, you also have to get elected.” He said that opposing the three exceptions – rape, incest, life of the mother – caused Pennsylvania Republican Doug Mastriano to lose the governor’s race in a landslide.

Then Trump went off on the Democrats and late-term abortions – which I said in one of several fact-checks are exceedingly rare.

He also made news on subjects ranging from Israel to TikTok.

The first time I met Donald Trump was in 1987, in New York, when he was promoting his first book “The Art of the Deal.”

And this, unprompted, is what he said to me:

“When I go up to New Hampshire – I’m not running for president, by the way – I got the best crowd, the best of everything in terms of reception. The politicians go up and get a moderate audience. I go up and they’re scalping tickets. You heard that? They’re scalping tickets. Why? Because people don’t want to be ripped off, and this country is being ripped off. I think if I ran, I’d win.”

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I confess I did not then envision Trump, still a largely local real estate guy, in the White House, but now he’s going to head the Republican ticket for the third straight time.