NationalWatch

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

– Hunter Biden faces second day of criminal trial

– AG Garland grilled on Biden investigation, accusations of ‘weaponized’ DOJ

– Several states and the District of Columbia hold primaries Tuesday 

Election year border crackdown

The White House on Tuesday announced long-awaited executive actions to stop illegal immigrants at the southern border claiming asylum if crossings reach a certain level — a move coming just months before the November election and that could soon see a legal challenge from activists.

“Today I’m moving past Republican obstruction and using executive authorities available to me as president to do what I can on my own to address the border,” President Biden said in a speech on Tuesday afternoon, accusing Republicans of refusing to secure the border.

Biden is issuing a presidential proclamation that will temporarily suspend the entry of non-citizens across the southern border once the number of average border encounters exceeds 2,500 a day over seven days, officials said. That will stay in effect until 14 days after there has been a seven-day average of less than 1,500 encounters along the border. Officials said it would make it easier for immigration officers to quickly remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S.

Republican critics, who have blasted Biden over the border crisis for years, were quick to question the timing of Biden’s crackdown (weeks before his first debate against Trump) after he said he needed legislative action to secure the border.

President Biden was fact-checked by TIME.  ((AP Photo/Andrew Harnik))

White House

AG RESPONDS: Garland to push back on Trump’s ‘locked & loaded’ FBI claim …Read more

‘UNCHARTED TERRITORY’: Biden reverses strategy of restraint at Greenwich fundraiser, calling Trump ‘crazy’ …Read more

Capitol Hill

GARLAND GRILLED: Republicans hammer defiant AG to hand over Biden-Hur audio …Read more

‘OUR WORST FEARS’: Lawmakers sound alarm on surge of Chinese nationals into US …Read more

BACK IN TOWN: McCarthy weighs in on Johnson’s speakership during surprise Capitol appearance …Read more

PLAN OF ATTACK: Johnson unveils DOJ crackdown strategy in closed-door House GOP meeting …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

DEBATE PREP: Trump asks Judge Merchan to lift gag order before June 27 showdown against Biden …Read more

CRIME MATTERS: Crime a top issue for Washington, DC, Democratic primary following last year’s surge in homicide, car jackings …Read more

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: New tracker shows which candidate is leading on the issues …Read more

PRIMARY CONCERN: DC law has allowed more than 500 noncitizens to vote in Tuesday’s Council primary elections despite House backlash …Read more

Trials and Tribulations

Hunter Biden arrives at federal court, Monday, June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Del.  (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

‘IT’S THE AREA’: Potential jurors in Hunter Biden trial repeatedly mentioned this vice in social circles …Read more

FANI’S DAY IN COURT: October hearing date tentatively set for Trump’s appeal to disqualify Fani Willis from GA case …Read more

WITNESS LIST: The 9 people prosecutors hope will convince a jury Hunter Biden is guilty …Read more

Across America

CHAOTIC MEETING: Illinois meeting probing ‘supermayor’ Tiffany Henyard’s lavish spending devolves into scuffle …Read more

FIRST ON FOX: Pence rallies conservatives to ‘stay vigilant’ on specific key issues he says are being watered down …Read more

‘UNLEASH’ AMERICAN ENERGY: Republican governors blast Biden over soaring energy prices …Read more

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Reform California Chairman Carl DeMaio is blasting an assembly bill that Democrats in the California State Legislature are proposing that will direct the University of California system to begin hiring illegal immigrants for taxpayer-funded state jobs. 

“I have seen a lot of outrageous proposals from California Democrat politicians, bending over backwards to make it easier for illegal immigrants to get in and to get taxpayer benefits. But this one absolutely tops the list of insane ideas,” DeMaio told Fox News Digital. 

If passed, Assembly Bill 2586 would provide state government jobs at taxpayers’ expense for illegal immigrants. DeMaio said specifically, it mandates that illegal immigrants with no U.S. work authorization should be given access to apply for and take jobs provided through taxpayer-funded universities run by the state government.

“By passing a law to mandate that illegal immigrants be hired for taxpayer-funded jobs in state government, California Democrats are not only making our border crisis worse, they are openly violating federal employment laws that prohibit the hiring of illegal immigrants!” DeMaio said. 

REP MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE THREATENS TO FORCE VOTE ON IMPEACHING BIDEN OVER BORDER CRISIS

Reform California Chairman Carl DeMaio says Democrats in the California State Legislature are proposing to pass the so-called “Opportunity for All Act” (CA Assembly Bill 2586) that will direct the University of California system – which is the largest agency of the state government – to begin hiring illegal immigrants for taxpayer-funded state jobs.  (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Image)

DeMaio said the bill is instructing the largest state government agency in California, the University of California system, the colleges and universities, to hire illegal immigrants, which violates federal employment law. 

“They are telling the managers of state government to knowingly break federal employment law, which is very clear, that it is against federal law for an employer to knowingly hire someone in this country that’s not authorized to work. And these illegal immigrants are not authorized to work,” DeMaio explained.

He continued by stating that, despite this, the state government has decided to knowingly break the law. He said, according to university lawyers, this not only opens up the manager who’s doing the hiring to federal prosecution, but also puts the illegal immigrant in legal jeopardy. 

“This is insane. It’s offensive. Taxpayers should not be giving state government jobs to illegal immigrants in the state of California. On top of all the welfare benefits and all the other goodies that are being given out,” DeMaio said.

BIDEN ADMIN QUIETLY DISMISSES OVER 350K ASYLUM APPLICATIONS FROM IMMIGRANTS SINCE 2022: TRAC

May 23, 2024: Illegal immigrants wait to be picked up at the southern border. (Bill Melugin/Fox News)

DeMaio said even the University of California board, the regents, and the University of California system, which have a board of directors that the governor appoints, backed away from this proposal a year ago because university attorneys said the bill was going to create legal problems.

“It’s a violation of federal law, an open and shut case. And because the UC board of directors chose not to implement this policy, now, California politicians in the state legislature want to mandate it by passing this law,” DeMaio explained.

DeMaio emphasized that this law has been fast tracked. It sailed through the Assembly, passing by a 59-4 vote. Now it’s awaiting action in the state Senate, which he fears will pass it and make it law. He said it’s just like so many other “bad policies that incentivize illegal immigration in California.” 

“It’s a problem on two fronts. First, it’s offensive to be giving taxpayer-funded state government jobs to illegal immigrants in violation of federal law, putting everybody at legal jeopardy,” DeMaio said.

“But second, let’s be very clear that California politicians are the marketing boosters for human trafficking. They are giving these goodies out whether it’s free health care at taxpayer expense or the sanctuary state law or these government jobs. They’re putting a whole bunch of goodies on the table, at taxpayer expense, that the human traffickers use to induce and incentivize illegal immigration across the California-Mexico border.” 

BIDEN’S DOJ THREATENS ANOTHER GOP STATE WITH LAWSUIT OVER ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION EFFORTS

Approximately 30 migrants lined up in an empty parking lot near Jacumba Hot Springs, California, on March 27, 2024. Border Patrol agents have encountered record numbers of illegal immigrants in the San Diego area in recent years, straining both federal and local resources.  (Hannah Ray Lambert/Fox News Digital)

DeMaio said that not only is this a California problem, but it’s also a national problem.

“This is a national issue because if California continues to dangle carrots at taxpayer expense through their state government to incentivize illegal immigration, we will never secure our border,” DeMaio said.

He praised Texas Governor Greg Abbott for “doing his job” and sending the resources needed to shore up Texas’ border with Mexico.DeMaio said because Abbott has done so well addressing the border crisis in Texas, the San Diego Sector in California is becoming the number one illegal immigrant crossing point.

DeMaio said this is the first time California has been number one in illegal immigrant crossings since 1999. He said the reason is that Texas has put more security at their border, pushing the flow of illegal immigration to California. 

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“So even if we do get President Trump back in the Oval Office, even if we do change federal policy at the border, if California politicians continue to roll out a red carpet and give taxpayer funded benefits and taxpayer funded jobs to illegal immigrants, we are going to still have a border crisis, and that will be an impact that will be felt nationally,” DeMaio said. 

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, R-Ky., pressed Attorney General Merrick on the constitutionality of appointing Jack Smith as special counsel in a hearing Tuesday. 

Garland testified before the House Judiciary Committee and was questioned by Massie on Smith’s appointment to oversee the classified documents and January 6 probe into former President Donald Trump. 

“What gives you the authority to appoint a special counsel to create…you’ve created an office in the U.S. government that does not exist without authorization from Congress,” Massie posed to Garland. 

Massie referenced amicus briefs in the cases brought by the DOJ against Trump filed by former Attorney General Ed Meese under Ronald Reagan – in which he argues that the case that Garland’s appointment of Smith — a private citizen — is in violation of the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. 

SPECIAL COUNSEL IN TRUMP CASE UNCONSTITUTIONAL, FORMER REAGAN AG SAYS

Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, June 4.  (AP/Jose Luis Magana)

“Not clothed in the authority of the federal government, Smith is a modern example of the naked emperor,” the brief states. 

“Improperly appointed, he has no more authority to represent the United States in this Court than Bryce Harper, Taylor Swift, or Jeff Bezos,” they argued. 

Meese argues that the “illegality” of Smith’s appointment is “sufficient to sink Smith’s petition, and the Court should deny review.” 

Meese and company noted in the brief that Smith was appointed “to conduct the ongoing investigation into whether any person or entity [including former President Donald Trump] violated the law in connection with efforts to interfere with the lawful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election or the certification of the Electoral College vote held on or about January 6, 2021.”

JOHNSON FLOATS DEFUNDING SPECIAL COUNSEL’S OFFICE AMID JACK SMITH’S TRUMP PROBE

 Special Counsel Jack Smith arrives to give remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump on August 1, 2023, in Washington, DC.  (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Garland responded to Massie that, “there are regulations under which the Attorney General appoint Special Counsel, they have been in effect for 30 years, maybe longer, under both parties. The matter that you’re talking about, about whether somebody can have an employee of the Justice Department serve as special counsel has been adjudicated,” he said. 

Garland argued that special counsel appointments that he and other AGs, including Attorney General William Barr, have made cite a regulation that points to a statute. 

Meese, however, in his briefs filed in several points in the Trump cases, argued that “none of those statutes, nor any other statutory or constitutional provisions, remotely authorized the appointment by the Attorney General of a private citizen to receive extraordinary criminal law enforcement power under the title of Special Counsel.”

JACK SMITH ASKS JUDGE TO RESTRICT TRUMP STATEMENTS AFTER ‘INFLAMMATORY’ REMARKS ABOUT FBI RAID

 U.S. President Donald Trump awards the National Medal of Freedom to former Attorney General Edwin Meese during a ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House October 08, 2019, in Washington, DC. Meese was appointed attorney general by President Ronald Reagan and served from 1985 to 1988.  ((Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images))

“Second, even if one overlooks the absence of statutory authority for the position, there is no statute specifically authorizing the Attorney General, rather than the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint such a Special Counsel,” the former AG wrote. 

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Meese’s brief was even mentioned in a question by Justice Clarence Thomas in the Supreme Court oral arguments over Trump’s presidential immunity – which the high court is expected to decide this month.

“It seems like you’ve created an office that would require an act of Congress, yet there’s not an act of Congress that authorizes that. And even if it didn’t require an act of Congress, and you’ve already admitted that there was no act of Congress that established this office, it would still require, according to the Constitution, a nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate,” Massie said to Garland. 

President Biden’s announcement of a new asylum bar for migrants coming across the southern border when encounters hit a certain level was met with immediate criticism from both Democrats and Republicans — with Republicans calling it a “stunt” and some Democrats accusing him of betraying migrants.

Biden signed a proclamation that will temporarily suspend the entry of non-citizens across the southern border once the number of average border encounters exceeds 2,500 a day over seven days, officials said. 

That will stay in effect until 14 days after there has been a seven-day average of less than 1,500 encounters along the border. Officials said it would make it easier for immigration officers to quickly remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S.

BIDEN ORDER TO BLOCK MOST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHEN CROSSINGS SURGE, AS ELECTION NEARS

The order includes a number of exceptions for those coming across the border. It will not apply to visa holders, unaccompanied children, victims of a “severe form” of trafficking, as well as those who face an acute medical emergency or an imminent threat to life or safety. It also does not apply to those seeking entry to the U.S. via ports of entry using the CBP One app — of which around 1,500 migrants are allowed in each day.

President Joe Biden speaks about an executive order in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 4, 2024.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“Today I’m moving past Republican obstruction and using executive authorities available to me as president to do what I can on my own to address the border,” President Biden said in a speech on Tuesday afternoon, accusing Republicans of refusing to secure the border.

But it drew a sharp backlash both from Republicans and from some Democrats, but for different reasons.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, with Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and House Republican Chair Elise Stefanik, said that the order was a “desperate political stunt to try and stabilize his plummeting poll numbers” ahead of the November election.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SAY THE US-MEXICO BORDER IS A BIG PROBLEM

“From his first day in office, Biden has worked to implement a failed open border agenda which created this historic humanitarian and national security catastrophe. He has turned every American community into a border community and opened our country to violent criminals, terrorists, cartels, and poisonous drugs.

“This Executive action does nothing to end parole abuses or catch-and-release. It continues the administration’s abuse of the CBP One app. It does not reimplement President Trump’s successful Remain in Mexico policy. It provides no new resources for border patrol. It does nothing to deport the millions who have poured over our open border every year since Biden took office. And it will still allow scores of additional illegal immigrants to flood into our country before any so-called shutdown authority kicks in,” they said.

“President Biden has effectively legitimized crisis levels of illegal immigration well beyond those laid out by the DHS secretary he once served with,” House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green said. “And  this number doesn’t count any of the roughly 70,000 monthly encounters through Biden and Mayorkas’ unlawful CBP One, CHNV and other mass-parole programs.”

MAYORKAS SAYS SOME MIGRANTS ‘TRY TO GAME’ ASYLUM SYSTEM, AS BORDER REMAINS TOP POLITICAL ISSUE

Immigrants wait to be processed by the U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the border from Mexico, with the U.S.-Mexico border barrier in the background, on August 6, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona.  ((Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images))

Stephen Miller, who served as a senior White House official during the Trump administration, was scathing in his assessment of the order, calling it a “pro-invasion, pr- illegal migration executive order.”

He highlighted that the Biden administration is currently allowing thousands of migrants a week via ports of entry using the CBP One app, and said that just because a migrant is unable to claim asylum at the border, does not mean they won’t be released into the interior of the country.

“They’ll still release you on a [Notice to Appear]. They’ll still give you a court date in the future. They will still release you on the basis of capacity concerns. Mexico won’t take them, other countries won’t take them They have no detention space, no detention plans. Border Patrol is going to keep on releasing everybody, and everyone they don’t release is going to go to a port of entry, and they’re going to get released into the country with parole to live in our communities,” he told reporters.

The order also picked up criticism from Democrats in both chambers. Rep. Pramila Jayapal who is ranking member of the Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, said the move was a “dangerous step in the wrong direction” and noted that the underlying authority — 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) had been deployed by the Trump administration.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“This attempt to shut down the border to asylum seekers uses the same section of U.S. immigration laws that convicted felon Donald Trump used to implement the Muslim Ban and in attempts to cut off all access to asylum,” she said in a statement. “While there are some differences from Trump’s actions, the reality is that this utilizes the same failed enforcement-only approach, penalizes asylum seekers, and furthers a false narrative that these actions will ‘fix’ the border.” 

Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee were also not impressed by the order.

“President Biden has acted in the face of Congressional Republicans cynically deciding to block bipartisan border security legislation,” Ranking Member Bennie Thompson said. “That being said, I am concerned about the impact of the Executive Order on vulnerable people coming to the United States for safety and protection. We must ensure continued access to asylum under U.S. law.”

In the Senate, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., accused Biden of having “undermined American values and abandoned our nation’s obligations to provide people fleeing persecution, violence and authoritarianism with an opportunity to seek refuge in the U.S.”

“This asylum ban will fail to address the challenge at our border, just as it did under the Trump administration. It will lead to people with legitimate asylum claims being prevented from seeking safety and returned to harm.”

Republicans there too were no less critical of the order.

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“By my count, he’s issued 94 executive orders since he’s been president of the United States. But he’s waited until today to actually do what he calls effective action on the border,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said at a press conference. “And my question to him is, why did you wait until now if you were serious about doing it? The simple answer is he’s not serious about securing the border.“

“This is one of the most cynical things that I have ever seen a politician attempt to do five months before an election. It is insulting. It is cheap,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said.

Arizona would step directly into immigration enforcement by making it a state crime to cross the Arizona-Mexico border anywhere except a port of entry, under a proposal that’s up for a final vote by lawmakers on Tuesday. If approved, voters would decide in November if the measure becomes law.

The measure, scheduled for a vote in the Arizona House, would let state and local police arrest people crossing the border without authorization. It also would empower state judges to order people convicted of the offense to go back to their home country.

ARIZONA AG CONFIRMS RUDY GIULIANI SERVED IN ELECTIONS CASE AMID FORMER TRUMP ASSOCIATE’S 80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

House Republicans closed access to the upper gallery of the chamber before the session started Tuesday, citing concerns about security and possible disruptions. The move immediately drew the criticism of Democrats, who demanded that the gallery be reopened.

“The public gallery should be open to the public. This is the people’s House,” said state Rep. Analise Ortiz.

People line up against a border wall as they wait to apply for asylum after crossing the border from Mexico, July 11, 2023, near Yuma, Ariz. Arizona lawmakers are expected to take a final vote Tuesday, June 4, 2024, on a proposal that would ask voters to make it a state crime for non-citizens to enter the state through Mexico at any location other than a port of entry.  (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The proposal is similar to a Texas law that has been put on hold by a federal appeals court while it’s being challenged. The Arizona Senate approved the proposal on a 16-13 party-line vote. If it clears the House, the proposal would bypass Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who vetoed a similar proposal in early March, and instead get sent to the Nov. 5 ballot.

While federal law already prohibits the unauthorized entry of migrants into the U.S., proponents of the measure say it’s needed because the federal government hasn’t done enough to stop people from crossing illegally over Arizona’s vast, porous border with Mexico. They also said some people who enter Arizona without authorization commit identity theft and take advantage of public benefits.

Opponents say the proposal would inevitably lead to racial profiling by police and saddle the state with new costs from law enforcement agencies that don’t have experience with immigration law, as well as hurt Arizona’s reputation in the business world.

Supporters of the proposed ballot measure waved off concerns about racial profiling, saying local officers would still have to develop probable cause to arrest people who enter Arizona outside ports of entry.

The backers also say the measure focuses only on the state’s border region and — unlike Arizona’s landmark 2010 immigration law — doesn’t target people throughout the state. Opponents point out the proposal doesn’t contain any geographical limitations on where it can be enforced within the state.

The ballot proposal contains other provisions that aren’t included in the Texas measure and aren’t directly related to immigration. Those include making it a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for selling fentanyl that leads to a person’s death, and a requirement that government agencies that administer benefit programs use a federal database to verify that a noncitizen’s eligibility for benefits.

Warning about potential legal costs, opponents pointed to Arizona’s 2005 immigrant smuggling ban used by then-Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to carry out 20 large-scale traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. That led to a 2013 racial profiling verdict and taxpayer-funded legal and compliance costs that now total $265 million and are expected to reach $314 million by July 2025.

Under the current proposal, a first-time conviction of the border-crossing provision would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. State judges could order people to return to their countries of origin after completing a term of incarceration, although the courts would have the power to dismiss cases if those arrested agree to return home.

The measure would require the state corrections department to take into custody people who are charged or convicted under the measure if local or county law enforcement agencies don’t have enough space to house them.

The proposal includes exceptions for people who have been granted lawful presence status or asylum by the federal government.

The provision allowing for the arrests of border crossers in between ports would not take effect until the Texas law or similar laws from other states have been in effect for 60 days.

This isn’t the first time Republican lawmakers in Arizona have tried to criminalize migrants who aren’t authorized to be in the United States.

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When passing its 2010 immigration bill, the Arizona Legislature considered expanding the state’s trespassing law to criminalize the presence of immigrants and impose criminal penalties. But the trespassing language was removed and replaced with a requirement that officers, while enforcing other laws, question people’s immigration status if they were believed to be in the country illegally.

The questioning requirement was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court despite the racial profiling concerns of critics, but courts barred enforcement of other sections of the law.

Republican lawmakers hammered Attorney General Merrick Garland over his ongoing refusal to release audio from President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur on Tuesday.

The House Judiciary Committee summoned Garland to Tuesday’s hearing to discuss both the audio tape and former President Trump’s felony conviction last week. Garland repeatedly defied Republican demands for the tape, arguing that there is no legal basis for doing so when the transcript has already been released.

Garland argued that the DOJ has already “gone beyond precedent” by publicizing the transcript.

“We have made clear that we will not provide audio recordings – from which the transcripts you already have were created. Releasing the audio would chill cooperation with the Department in future investigations.  And it could influence witnesses’ answers if they thought the audio of their law enforcement interviews could be broadcast to Congress and the public,” Garland said in his opening statement.

TRUMP GUILTY VERDICT REVEALS SPLIT AMONG FORMER GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY OPPONENTS

Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. (Getty Images)

Garland went on to say that lawmakers are seeking the audio for “no legitimate purpose,” and he argued the attempt is part of “a long line of attacks on the Justice Department’s work.”

Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., argued the tape is critical to understanding Biden’s “demeanor” during his five-hour interview with Hur.

HOW TRUMP GUILTY VERDICTS MAY IMPACT THE 2024 REMATCH WITH BIDEN

“What [needs to] be done by this committee is to observe the audio recording of the president testifying to see whether it comports with the transcript or whether it reveals things about his capacity or his veracity or anything else that comes from his demeanor as he is interviewed,” Bishop told Garland.

Rep. Dan Bishop argued the tape is critical to understanding Biden’s “demeanor” during his five-hour interview with Hur. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

“None of the things you just mentioned are a legislative purpose,” Garland responded. “You have yet to suggest any law that you intend to pass or are thinking about in which the audio would make a difference over the transcript.

Republicans on the committee have threatened to hold Garland in contempt of Congress if he continues to refuse to hand over the audio recording.

TRUMP LAYS OUT HIS ‘REVENGE’ STRATEGY AFTER CONVICTION MAKES HIM A FELON

Attorney General Merrick Garland and others pledge allegiance to the flag prior to Garland’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. (Getty Images)

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Other GOP lawmakers questioned Garland regarding Trump’s conviction in New York. Garland repeatedly stated that the DOJ has no control over the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which brought the charges against Trump.

The White House on Tuesday announced long-awaited executive actions to stop illegal immigrants at the southern border claiming asylum if crossings reach a certain level — a move coming just months before the November election and that could soon see a legal challenge from activists.

President Biden is issuing a presidential proclamation that will temporarily suspend the entry of non-citizens across the southern border once the number of average border encounters exceeds 2,500 a day over seven days, officials said. That will stay in effect until 14 days after there has been a seven-day average of less than 1,500 encounters along the border. Officials said it would make it easier for immigration officers to quickly remove individuals who do not have a legal basis to remain in the U.S.

In the last 24 hours at the border, sources tell Fox there were 5,200 encounters, and it has averaged over 5,000 every day for the past week. There were 179,725 encounters at the southern border in April, compared to 211,992 in April 2023, and 189,357 in March. While those numbers are lower than highs seen in 2022 and 2023, they still remain high compared to pre-2021 numbers.

BIDEN EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE BORDER ACTIONS AS POLITICAL HEAT INTENSIFIES AHEAD OF NOVEMBER ELECTION 

President Biden has called for more congressional action on illegal immigration and the border crisis. (Biden photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images, Migrant caravan photo by Jose Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)

In doing so, Biden is drawing upon authorities under 212(f) and 215(a)of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) which allows presidents to suspend entry of certain categories of foreign nationals. The Trump administration used 212 (f) on a number of occasions, including for the travel ban from certain countries, but it was blocked by a legal challenge from applying it to the southern border.

The order from President Biden includes a number of exceptions for those coming across the border. It will not apply to visa holders, unaccompanied children, victims of a “severe form” of trafficking, as well as those who face an acute medical emergency or an imminent threat to life or safety. It also does not apply to those seeking entry to the U.S. via ports of entry using the CBP One app — of which around 1,500 migrants are allowed in each day.

It is expected to take place immediately, and will be accompanied by a joint rule restricting asylum eligibility during high border encounters that will be issued by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security.

It marks a significant move toward the right from the Biden administration. In 2021 the administration rolled back a series of Trump-era border protections, which critics say encouraged the historic migrant numbers that followed. There have been over 7 million migrant crossings during Biden’s time in office.

The administration says it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide challenge that needs congressional action to provide funding and fix what it says is a “broken immigration system.” The White House has said that this action comes now after Republicans have rejected other attempts at congressional actions, including a bipartisan Senate bill that would have implemented a similar limiting mechanism as well as providing additional funding.

“The presidential proclamation, together with the interim final rule, is another important step in our more than three years of ongoing efforts to strengthen our ability to impose consequences on those who cross our southern border,” a senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the announcement.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SAY THE US-MEXICO BORDER IS A BIG PROBLEM

“But we are clear eyed that today’s executive actions are no substitute for Congress taking up and passing the tough but fair bipartisan Senate bill, which would have significantly strengthened the consequences in place at the border and, equally important, have provided billions of dollars to support the men and women who are working on the front lines to secure our border,” they said.

While Republicans have previously urged the administration to use 212(f) to stop illegal crossings, ahead of the announcement lawmakers were unimpressed and called it a move that was too little, too late.

“By my count, he’s issued 94 executive orders since he’s been president for the United States. But he’s waited until today to actually do what he calls effective action on the border,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said at a press conference. “And my question to him is, why did you wait until now if you were serious about doing it? The simple answer is he’s not serious about securing the border.“

Other lawmakers claimed it was a cynical move just months out from an election in which Biden is struggling due to his handling of border security. A recent Fox News poll found that seven in 10 voters go so far as to say the White House has “mostly failed” at improving border security. 

MAYORKAS SAYS SOME MIGRANTS ‘TRY TO GAME’ ASYLUM SYSTEM, AS BORDER REMAINS TOP POLITICAL ISSUE

Dec. 18, 2023: Migrants flood into Eagle Pass, Texas, waiting to be processed. (Fox News)

“It’s a little late, you can’t make this cat walk backwards,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who described Biden as “polling right up there with fungal infections.”

The move comes with Biden facing intense political pressure on the crisis from both the left and the right.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Mayors of cities like New York City, Denver and Chicago have demanded more funding from the federal government and have called for additional action, including expedited work permits. Recently, 15 House Democrats wrote to Biden calling on him to take additional action at the southern border.

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“It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your administration to act. We urge you to use all tools at your disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the Southern border, interdict illicit fentanyl and allow for orderly legal immigration,” the letter said.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., revealed a “three-pronged” strategy for cracking down on the alleged weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a closed-door meeting with House Republicans on Tuesday.

It comes as former President Trump faces criminal charges in two federal cases led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, as well as charges in Fulton County, Georgia and a criminal conviction on 34 counts in Manhattan criminal court.

Three people – two GOP lawmakers and a source familiar with the plan – told Fox News Digital that Johnson’s strategy to rein in the “weaponization” of the DOJ is broadly focused on three pillars: oversight, appropriations, and legislation.

Johnson updated Trump on the plan ahead of announcing it to his House GOP conference, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL

Speaker Mike Johnson, right, is channeling the power of Congress to crack down on what he calls the weaponization of the DOJ against former President Trump (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images | Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Johnson confirmed his approach during a press conference just after the meeting.

“We’re going to do everything we can, everything within our scope of our responsibility in the Congress, to address it appropriately. And I announced this morning to our conference, we’re working on a three-pronged approach,” Johnson told reporters.

“We’re looking at various approaches to what can be done here through the appropriations process, through the legislative process, through bills that will be advancing through our committees and put on the floor for passage and through oversight. All those things will be happening vigorously.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR TRUMP LEGALLY? WHICH CASE MIGHT COME UP BEFORE ELECTION DAY?

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital that he understood Johnson’s timeline for his strategy to include both the next six months, while the House GOP still holds its razor-thin majority, as well as next year, assuming they keep the chamber from flipping to Democratic control.

Norman paraphrased Johnson’s message to Republicans, “It can’t just be words…It’s got to have some action to it, and that’s where legislation comes in. Meaningless resolutions…that’s words. You’ve got to go beyond that.”

It comes the same day as Attorney General Merrick Garland’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

The South Carolina Republican said Johnson did not raise the issue of a Biden impeachment, however, despite Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s threats to force a vote on the matter.

Jackson said Johnson also pointed out that the chairs of the relevant committees – like Oversight, Judiciary and Appropriations – were already exploring ways to crack down on the DOJ.

“It’s not going to happen instantaneously. This stuff has to be put together and vetted by the conference and then put on the floor, so on and so forth,” Jackson said. “His point was, we’re doing everything we can.”

He said Trump is “in the loop on what the plan for the House is.”

NY V. TRUMP: HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATES BRAGG PROSECUTOR WHO HELD SENIOR ROLE IN BIDEN DOJ

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, said Trump is in the loop on Johnson’s plan. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Jackson suggested Johnson was looking at a shorter timeline but said the speaker did not give specifics on the matter. 

“I know there are people that are anxious, myself included, to see something happen. So it’ll be soon,” Jackson said.

Johnson’s comments come the same day that Attorney General Merrick Garland is on Capitol Hill testifying before the House GOP-led Judiciary Committee.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.              

President Biden called former President Trump a “convicted felon” who “snapped” and is going “crazy” after the 2020 election at a campaign event Monday.

The remarks at a fundraiser in Greenwich, Connecticut, were the first time Biden has participated in a campaign reception where he referred to his 2024 opponent as a “convicted felon.” 

“Folks, the campaign entered uncharted territory last week. For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency,” Biden said. “But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice.” 

A jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his New York criminal trial last week. Trump maintains his innocence and has claimed Biden and the Democratic Party prosecuted him for political purposes, to damage his presidential campaign.

GARLAND TO PUSH BACK ON TRUMP’S ‘LOCKED & LOADED’ FBI CLAIM, DENY DOJ CONTROL OF NY CASE

President Biden, left, on Friday, for the first time while campaigning, referred to his former President Trump as a “convicted felon.” (Getty Images)

At the White House on Friday, Biden told reporters, “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.” He repeated those comments on Monday and suggested Trump is not mentally well. 

“Something snapped in this guy for real” after the 2020 election, Biden said. “It’s literally driving him crazy.” 

He told the audience Trump “does not deserve to be president whether or not I’m running.” 

Throughout most of Trump’s New York trial, Biden and his campaign held back from attacking the presumptive Republican nominee over his criminal charges. It appeared to be an effort to combat Trump’s repeated unsubstantiated allegations that it was a “SHAM TRIAL instigated and prosecuted directly from the inner halls of the White House and DOJ [Department of Justice].”

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: ALL EYES COULD BE ON OMAHA THIS NOVEMBER

President Biden boards Air Force One before departing Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, on June 3, 2024. Biden was in Greenwich, Connecticut, for a campaign fundraiser. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

However, that changed last Tuesday when the Biden campaign held a news conference outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan, which appeared to be a major break with their strategy during the past six weeks of steering clear of the case.

Similar to what the Trump campaign had been doing for the duration of the trial, the Biden team came equipped with high-profile surrogates. They were actor and Biden supporter Robert De Niro, who last week voiced a campaign ad for the president, and former police officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, who fought back against pro-Trump rioters during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Now, the president is openly calling his opponent a “convicted felon” and making the case that he is dangerous and unfit for office as such.

TRUMP LEADS BIDEN ON MOST OF THE KEY ISSUES IN THE FIRST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ISSUES TRACKER

Former President Trump sat down with “Fox & Friends Weekend” for an exclusive interview that aired on Sunday. (Fox & Friends Weekend)

“Crooked Joe Biden will do anything to distract from Hunter’s trial and the fact his family has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine,” said Jason Miller, a senior advisor to the Trump campaign. “The Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit.” 

Biden currently trails Trump both in national polling and in public opinion surveys in most of the crucial battleground states that will likely decide their election rematch.

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The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee announced Monday they raised a stunning $141 million in May. The announcement came days after Trump and the RNC hauled in nearly $53 million in the first 24 hours after Trump’s guilty verdict.

The Biden campaign is sitting on an $84 million war chest as of April.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this update.

CHALMETTE, LA – Republican governors charge that President Biden has “done nothing but attack American energy” and are urging the president to end what they call his “regulatory war” in a bid to lower fuel and food prices for people across the nation.

Seven Republican governors, standing in front of a large oil refinery along the Mississippi River a few miles east of New Orleans, Louisiana, also highlighted “a comprehensive list of immediate steps that should be taken to unleash… American energy independence.”

“From day one, President Biden has done nothing but attack American energy,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry claimed. “He paused new oil and gas leases. He canceled the Keystone pipeline. He prioritized foreign energy over domestic energy, which means he prioritized foreign jobs over domestic jobs. The Department of Energy and the EPA are releasing rules and regulations at a neck-breaking speed.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt spotlighted a joint-letter signed by 20 GOP governors that lists what they spotlight as “commonsense steps” the Biden administration could take to lower regulations and “adopt an all-of-the-above homegrown energy plan.”

WHAT TRUMP TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT PUMPING UP AMERICAN ENERGY

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, speaking at the podium, is joined by, from left, Govs. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Glenn Younkgin of Virginia and Doug Burgum of North Dakota, at a news conference to criticize President Biden’s energy policy, on June 3, 2024, at an oil refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Stitt said that includes “ending regulatory overreach that is restricting domestic energy production and driving up costs, increasing the number and quality onshore and offshore lease sales of all forms of energy production, expediting the approval of federal drilling permits.”

He also called for “expanding critical mineral mining and processing to counter China.”

REPUBLICANS CLAIM AMERICA’S ENERGY FUTURE UNDER THREAT FROM BIDEN

The news conference was led by Landry and Stitt and included Govs. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, and Doug Burgum of North Dakota, who’s considered to be on former President Trump’s short list for 2024 running mates.

While the nation has been producing more oil than any country in history for six straight years – according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration – the governors said oil output should be increased.

“We’re producing about 13 million barrels of oil a day. We should be doing 15, 16, 18, 20 million barrels of oil a day,” Burgum emphasized. “That would be not just energy independence, that would be energy dominance. We’d be selling that to our allies instead of our allies having to buy from our enemies.”

Asked about climate change, the governors responded that the U.S. produces fuels more cleanly than other countries, and they argued that red states were taking the lead in green energy, including wind power production.

“We’re not about despoiling the environment,” Dunleavy said. “If you don’t do it in America and you do it overseas, there’s no EPA overseas, there’s no Army Corps overseas.”

The governors also argued that energy is also a matter of national security.

“If the Biden administration continues this drive to repress our domestic industry and strengthen our demand for Chinese industry, we are causing a further national security crisis than the one we’re already in,” Youngkin claimed.

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The Democratic National Committee, responding to the criticism from the Republican governors, emphasized that “President Biden has put hundreds of thousands of Americans to work in the energy sector with new, good-paying jobs fueling the 21st century economy.”

And DNC spokesperson Alex Floyd charged that “while President Biden is walking and chewing gum – fighting for American workers while lowering energy costs – Donald Trump is trying to sell out America’s energy policy to the highest bidder. Trump would threaten President Biden’s made-in-America energy boom and roll back tax relief that lowers energy costs for working families – all so Trump can trade favors for campaign cash with his Big Oil and Gas backers. Trump’s pay-for-play energy agenda would put special interests donors over hardworking families and American energy production.”

President Biden speaks about gas prices in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

But Landry, speaking with Fox News Digital, argued that “another four years of Joe Biden, I don’t think the American people could tolerate it…. we know that what we’ll get under President Trump is what we had before, which is lower energy prices, more economic activity, and a better quality of life for all Americans.”

Kemp and Sununu, who’ve had sharp differences with the former president in recent years, said in exclusive interviews with Fox News that a second Trump administration would be an improvement over four more years of Biden in the White House.

Asked if a second Trump administration would be friendly to the energy sector, Kemp pointed to the former president’s efforts to reduce government regulations during his four years in the White House, and said, “I think it would be a big difference.”

Sununu agreed, saying “ask every single American paying more at the pump, paying more for food because it costs more to grow crops, more to transport every product in America. It costs more to make every product in America.”

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

The Georgia Court of Appeals has tentatively scheduled a hearing date of Oct. 4 for the case brought by former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants to have embattled District Attorney Fani Willis disqualified from the case. 

“President Trump’s interlocutory appeal was docketed today in the Georgia Court of Appeals, and oral argument is tentatively scheduled for October 4, 2024,” Steve Sadow, lawyer for President Trump said in a statement. 

“We look forward to presenting arguments before Judges Brown, Markel, and Land on why this case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified for the trial court’s acknowledged ‘odor of mendacity’ misconduct in violation of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.”

Judge P.J. Miller has recused herself, and Judge Brown is her replacement.

REP JORDAN URGES CONGRESS TO ‘DEFUND LAWFARE ACTIVITIES’ OF TRUMP PROSECUTORS

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis arrives to speak after winning the Democratic primary on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Ga.  (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

The date is tentative, subject to motions from the parties agreeing on the date. Oct. 4 is roughly a month out from the presidential election, all but nullifying Willis’ aim to have the sweeping racketeering case against the former president and presumptive 2024 GOP nominee go to trial before the election. 

Judge Scott McAfee’s order in March said that special prosecutor Nathan Wade had to be removed in order to keep Willis from disqualification in the Trump election interference case in Georgia. 

Trump and several co-defendants alleged Willis and Wade were romantically involved prior to his hiring and that she financially benefited from the relationship. Both Willis and Wade denied those allegations.

Fani Willis and Donald Trump (Getty Images)

McAfee allowed the defense to appeal his ruling, and the appeals court announced last week that they will hear the defense’s case to still have Willis disqualified. The appeals court agreed to hear the case last month. 

McAfee’s ruling in March said that the defendants “failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor.”

GEORGIA PROSECUTOR FANI WILLIS APPEALS AFTER JUDGE DROPS MULTIPLE TRUMP CHARGES

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

“However, the established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options,” he wrote, adding that Willis and her whole office can choose to step aside, or Wade can withdraw from the case.

Wade subsequently resigned from his post as special prosecutor.

Both Wade and Willis denied they were in a romantic relationship prior to his hiring and that the couple would split the costs of their shared travels; Willis said she reimbursed Wade for her share of the trips in cash.

In his March order, McAfee said while Willis’ “reimbursement practice” was “unusual and the lack of any documentary corroboration understandably concerning,” he ultimately decided that the defendants did not present “sufficient evidence” that expenses weren’t “roughly divided evenly.” 

He also said that “the evidence demonstrated that the financial gain flowing from her relationship with Wade was not a motivating factor on the part of the District Attorney to indict and prosecute this case.”

FANI WILLIS’ EX-STAFFER TESTIFIES SHE WAS FIRED AFTER BLOWING WHISTLE ON DA’S SPENDING

Former Special prosecutor Nathan Wade arrives before Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks after winning the Democratic primary on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Ga.  (AP)

In February, Judge McAfee held a two-day evidentiary hearing where the defense, led by attorney Ashley Merchant, set out to expose a money trail that would mean Willis has a conflict of interest in the case against Trump and should be disqualified.

“[T]he Court finds that the record made at the evidentiary hearing established that the District Attorney’s prosecution is encumbered by an appearance of impropriety,” McAfee wrote in his order.

“As the case moves forward, reasonable members of the public could easily be left to wonder whether the financial exchanges have continued resulting in some form of benefit to the District Attorney, or even whether the romantic relationship has resumed.”

“Put differently, an outsider could reasonably think that the District Attorney is not exercising her independent professional judgment totally free of any compromising influences. As long as Wade remains on the case, this unnecessary perception will persist,” he said.

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Both Willis and Wade insisted that their relationship started in 2022, after Wade was hired. But they contradicted testimony from Robin Yeartie, a former “good friend” of Willis and past employee at the DA’s office. 

Yeartie said she had “no doubt” that Willis and Wade’s relationship started in 2019, after the two met at a conference. 

When the defense in March submitted a joint motion for a Certificate of Immediate Review, McAfee said that his Order on the Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss and Disqualify the Fulton County District Attorney issued March 15 “is of such importance to the case that immediate review should be had” and allowed the defendants to ask the Georgia appeals court for an opportunity to appeal, which the court granted last month. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Monday threatened to trigger a privileged resolution to impeach President Biden this week over his handling of the border, in what she describes as the “permanent invasion of the United States.”

Greene said she contemplated triggering the resolution on Monday but said she decided to speak with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., first.

“I can force a vote this week,” Greene told reporters. “But you know what, I was gonna do it tonight but I decided I’m gonna go talk to our Republican elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, that I actually voted for [who] claims he supports Trump, and ask him if he’s gonna do something about it.”

Greene said she plans to talk about her privileged impeachment resolution in a closed-door GOP conference meeting this week. 

BIDEN IS SAID TO BE FINALIZING PLANS FOR MIGRANT LIMITS AS PART OF A US-MEXICO BORDER CLAMPDOWN

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is putting pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to force a vote on impeaching President Biden. (Getty Images)

The move comes as Biden plans to roll out an executive order that would crack down on illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. The order is expected to shut down asylum requests at the border if the average number of daily encounters reaches 2,500 at ports of entry. 

“When are we going to impeach Joe Biden”? Greene asked. “I’ve got articles of impeachment ready to go, privileged resolution. I’m happy to force everyone up here to vote because that’s what we should be doing.”

“Because here’s Joe Biden, he’s going to come out with his garbage executive orders on Wednesday, his permanent invasion of the United States of America plan where he sets a limit, a weekly limit. Here you go, everybody. You get to come in.”

She railed against a report that shows that since 2022, over 350,000 asylum cases filed by migrants were closed by the U.S. government on the basis that those who filed did not have a criminal record or were not deemed a threat to the U.S.

“So, you know what? Republicans need to grow a spine. They need to learn that this is our country, our America that we know is gone, because Democrats are willing to put every single one of their political opponents in prison.”

IMMIGRATION JUDGES RAMP UP PACE CLOSING DEPORTATION CASES, BUT BACKLOG EXPLODES AS BORDER CRISIS GROWS

An aerial view shows an immigrant group passing across water and barbed wire and walking to the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on Feb. 1, 2024. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)

If Greene were to trigger the resolution on Tuesday or Wednesday, it would force a vote within two legislative days – likely with a procedural vote coming first on a motion to table or refer to a committee. This would be procedurally similar to what happened with the privileged resolution by Rep. Boebert, R-Colo., to impeach Biden in June of last year. It would also be procedurally similar to what happened to her resolution to oust Johnson last month. 

The vote could happen immediately after Green’s resolution is triggered, while it could also be put off until later in the same day, the next day, or even until the House comes back next week as the chamber is leaving town on Wednesday to allow a congressional delegation to go to Normandy for the anniversary of D-Day. In the case the motion to table or refer were to fail, the House would then vote on a privileged resolution to impeach Biden immediately. 

It does not appear likely at this time that the votes are there to impeach Biden.

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President Biden speaks at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Greene said if Johnson does not move to impeach Biden she will try and force the matter.

“And if he says he won’t bring an impeachment resolution against him, I’ll just drop ’em on the floor,” Green said. 

“And then we can vote and see where everybody stands. So I’m mad, I’m mad…my people at home are mad. Everybody across this country are furious. We don’t want a banana republic. We want an actual legitimate government. We want a real justice system. We don’t have one.”

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

WILMINGTON, Del. — First son Hunter Biden’s criminal trial kicked off Monday in Delaware with jury selection, which revealed that the majority of potential jurors have personally been affected by drug addiction in their own families or social circles. 

“This is Delaware. You can’t swing a cat without hearing something [about the case],” one male potential juror told the court Monday.

President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is facing three felony firearm offenses regarding the 2018 purchase of a .38 revolver from a gun shop in the state. Prosecutors are expected to dive into the first son’s crack cocaine addiction related to the purchase of the handgun amid the case.

Biden has pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S DRUG USE: WHAT THE PROSECUTION NEEDS TO PROVE AND WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW

Hunter Biden and wife Melissa Cohen Biden leave the courthouse after jury selection in his illegal firearm possession trial in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 3, 2024. (Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images)

On Monday, the court heard from more than 60 potential jurors, who appeared before the court individually after filling out a questionnaire related to whether or not they could serve as impartial jurors in the case. By late Monday afternoon, 12 jurors and four alternates were selected from the pool.

The primary body of jurors is composed of six men and six women.

Jury selection lasted the entirety of the day, with the majority of potential jurors telling the court that they have personally experienced addiction issues through their friends and family. Many of the jurors, no matter their racial background, sex or age, responded that they have had a relative who struggled with drug addiction or alcoholism. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S CRIMINAL TRIAL ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES BEGINS WITH JURY SELECTION

Presiding Judge Maryellen Noreika quizzed the jurors one by one about whether their loved ones’ addiction issues would weigh on their ability to fairly assess the case.

First lady Jill Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial in federal court on June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

“It’s the area,” one young woman told the court after describing that in addition to some of her family members struggling with addiction, she’s lost many friends to overdoses.

Others told the court that their loved ones overcame their addiction issues through stints in rehab, while others lamented that members of their immediate family still suffer from addiction.

Prosecutors in the case allege that in October 2018, Biden visited StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington to purchase the Colt revolver but say he lied about his drug addiction when he filled out a form for federal authorities to purchase the gun. Biden’s form was ticked “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances.

JUDGE BARS PROSECUTORS FROM USING SOME SALACIOUS EVIDENCE IN HUNTER BIDEN’S GUN TRIAL

He is facing charges of false statement in purchase of a firearm; false statement related to information required to be kept by federal firearms licensed dealer; possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

The total maximum prison time for the charges could be up to 25 years. Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. 

Hunter Biden was joined by first lady Jill Biden as well as his wife, Melissa Cohen, and his sister, Ashley Biden.

Ashley Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial in federal court on June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Jill Biden showed little emotion throughout court proceedings, smiling and engaging only while speaking to family members, such as daughter-in-law Melissa, or other allies who joined her in court. The first lady rarely took glances at the media or potential jurors when they were collectively brought into the court.

AMERICANS GUILTY OF CHARGES SIMILAR TO HUNTER NEVER GOT ‘SWEETHEART’ DEAL TO KEEP THEM FROM PRISON: CRITICS

Hunter Biden, meanwhile, was seen engaging with his defense team throughout the day, flipping through legal papers and chatting with attorney Abbe Lowell. During court breaks, Hunter Biden hugged and kissed Jill Biden and held his wife’s hand while leaving court.

First lady Jill Biden arrives ahead of Hunter Biden’s trial in federal court on June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

In addition to many jurors telling the court how addiction has impacted their personal lives, others detailed that they have family members or loved ones who own firearms. A handful of jurors told the court they are legal concealed carry holders for self-defense purposes, while others said they disagree with current gun laws and hope to see stricter gun legislation against so-called “assault weapons.” 

HUNTER BIDEN CRIMINAL TAX CASE ASSIGNED TO TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE IN DELAWARE

Noreika peppered the potential jurors with questions regarding whether their views on gun laws would influence them fairly assessing the case. Those who said they could not act impartially were excused from the pool. 

HUNTER BIDEN SCHEDULED TO MAKE FIRST COURT APPEARANCE ON FEDERAL TAX CHARGES IN JULY

Hunter Biden arrives at federal court on June 3, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The case assignment appeared to come as a surprise to many of the potential jurors, who frequently answered that they were aware Hunter Biden was facing an upcoming trial, noting Delaware is a small state, but did not know their jury duty requests were related to the case. 

With jury selection wrapped, the trial will begin in earnest on Tuesday with opening arguments. Prosecutors said at the tail end of the day that their first witness will be FBI Special Agent Erica Jensen.

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Biden is also facing a criminal tax trial in California, which will begin in September, after he was charged with three felonies and six misdemeanors regarding $1.4 million in owed taxes. Biden pleaded not guilty in that case and the taxes have since been paid.

Attorney General Merrick Garland will appear before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning to respond to former President Donald Trump’s claims that FBI agents were “locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger.” during a search of Mar-a-Lago.

Garland will deny suggestions that the Justice Department was controlling the New York hush money case against the former president, according to excerpts of his prepared testimony shared with Fox News, and also push back on the committee’s efforts to hold him in contempt, a measure that passed the committee but has not yet moved to the House Floor.

“Certain members of this Committee and the Oversight Committee are seeking contempt as a means of obtaining — for no legitimate purpose — sensitive law enforcement information that could harm the integrity of future investigations,” Garland plans to say in his testimony.

A spokesperson for the DOJ said in a statement that the attorney general “will lead with the important work the Department has done under his tenure including decreasing homicide rates, prosecuting hate crimes, and fighting international terrorism, but he will also forcefully push back on false narratives regarding the Department’s employees and their work.”

TRUMP LAYS OUT HIS ‘REVENGE’ STRATEGY AFTER CONVICTION MAKES HIM A FELON

Attorney General Merrick Garland will push back on efforts to hold him in contempt. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Last month, Trump claimed in a fundraising email that Biden’s DOJ authorized the FBI to kill him during the 2022 search for classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, in reference to an unsealed FBI document regarding the search. Trump was not home when the FBI executed the search.

“WOW! I just came out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the ‘Icebox,’ and was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, in their illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE,” Trump also wrote on Truth Social.

Trump’s legal team also made a court filing citing the use of force authorization by the DOJ.

But the use of force that Trump’s team cited in the court filing is the standard language used by the DOJ for years, and the same language was used when FBI agents searched President Biden’s home for classified documents.

Garland will say in his testimony that the effort to hold him in contempt “comes as baseless and extremely dangerous falsehoods are being spread about the FBI’s law enforcement operations.”

Special Counsel Jack Smith said Trump’s team omitted the key word “only” in the filing in late May that led to Trump’s accusations that the FBI was prepared to kill him.

“Although Trump included the warrant and Operations Form as exhibits to his motion, the motion misquoted the Operations Form by omitting the crucial word ‘only’ before ‘when necessary,’ without any ellipsis reflecting the omission,” Smith wrote. “The motion also left out language explaining that deadly force is necessary only ‘when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person.'”

HOW TRUMP GUILTY VERDICTS MAY IMPACT THE 2024 REMATCH WITH BIDEN

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

Last week, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon denied Smith’s request to restrict Trump’s speech about law enforcement involved in the case after defense attorneys called it “unconstitutional censorship.” Cannon found that Smith’s prosecutors failed to properly confer with Trump’s lawyers before filing the motion, in violation of court rules.

Smith and Garland said Trump’s statements put law enforcement in danger.

Garland will also testify against claims coming from Republicans that the DOJ had any involvement in the hush money case against Trump in New York, where the former president was convicted on 34 counts for falsifying business records.

The New York case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, not the DOJ. It is a state case, which means Trump could not pardon himself if he wins the presidential election.

The measure to hold Garland in contempt “comes alongside false claims that a jury verdict in a state trial, brought by a local District Attorney, was somehow controlled by the Justice Department,” Garland will say in his testimony. “That conspiracy theory is an attack on the judicial process itself.”

Garland will say the measure “is only the most recent in a long line of attacks on the Justice Department’s work.”

“It comes alongside threats to defund particular Department investigations, most recently the Special Counsel’s prosecution of the former president,” Garland says.

TRUMP GUILTY VERDICT REVEALS SPLIT AMONG FORMER GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY OPPONENTS

Trump made false claims that the Justice Department authorized the FBI to kill him during the 2022 search for classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort. (Getty Images)

He said it also comes as individual career agents and prosecutors “have been singled out just for doing their jobs” and at a time “when we are seeing heinous threats of violence being directed at the Justice Department’s career public servants.”

Garland says these “repeated attacks” on the DOJ’s are “unprecedented and unfounded” and that the attacks will not influence the department’s decision-making.

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“I view contempt as a serious matter,” Garland says. “But I will not jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations.”

“I will not be intimidated,” he adds. “And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”

After nearly five months and more than 100 primaries and caucuses, the 2024 presidential nominating season comes to a close this month.

Voters in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington, D.C., head to the polls Tuesday for both presidential and state primaries. Voters in Iowa, which already held its presidential caucuses, will cast ballots in state primaries.

The White House nominating calendar will wrap up four days later, with Democratic caucuses in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands on June 8.

And while President Biden and former President Trump clinched the Democratic and Republican nominations nearly three months ago, there’s still some drama in the final contests.

WITH THE VERDICT IN AND HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL OVER, TRUMP IS ‘UNLEASHED’

President Biden and former President Trump (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson and Evan Vucci)

Tuesday’s Republicans primaries are the first since Trump was found guilty in his criminal trial in New York City, making history as the first former or current president to be convicted of felony crimes.

It’s also the first round of GOP presidential contests since Trump’s final rival for the nomination – former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley – said she would vote for Trump in the general election, after staying silent for months.

AFTER MONTHS OF SILENCE, WHAT NIKKI HALEY SAID ABOUT TRUMP

Haley, who suspended her campaign in early March, has continued to grab up to 20% of the vote in Republican presidential primaries even though she’s essentially a zombie candidate. Haley will appear on the primary ballot in New Mexico.

The president will likely continue to face a protest vote through the “uncommitted” option on the ballot, as part of protests against his support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

Tuesday’s primaries set up battle for Senate majority

Three states are holding Senate primaries that will set up general election showdowns that may decide whether the Republicans win back control of the chamber.

In reliably red Montana, Tim Sheehy is the clear favorite to win the GOP Senate nomination and challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November.

Tester, whom the GOP considers extremely vulnerable in a state Trump won by 16-points four years ago, is being heavily targeted by Republicans.

Sheehy – a decorated military veteran and successful businessman who is backed by both Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the Senate GOP’s campaign arm – is facing off against two rivals on Tuesday.

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy (Kevin Dietsch/Louise Johns)

It’s been 22 years since a Republican won a Senate election in New Mexico, a one-time swing state that nowadays leans blue. 

The last GOP politician to win was Sen. Pete Domenici, who was re-elected to a sixth term in 2002.

Fast-forward 22 years and now his daughter, businesswoman Nella Domenici, aims to end the losing streak.

The younger Domenici, who has years of experience in the finance industry, including serving as chief financial officer at Bridgewater Associates, will use her powerful political brand and ample name recognition in New Mexico as she challenges Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is running in November for a third six-year term.

Neither candidate faces a serious challenge in Tuesday’s primaries.

SIX SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NOVEMBER’S ELECTIONS

It’s been over a half century since a Republican won a Senate election in blue state New Jersey.

But Republicans believe they have a shot this time around.

A major reason for the optimism is the prospect of a three-way race in New Jersey. Longtime Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who is on trial for federal corruption charges, is not running for re-election as a Democrat. On Monday, Menendez filed a petition with nearly 2,500 signatures to run for re-election as an independent. Polls indicate the embattled senator’s independent bid would potentially take votes away from likely Democratic Senate nominee Rep. Andy Kim.

Sen. Bob Menendez departs the Senate floor in the Capitol, Sept. 28, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Kim, the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, faces labor leader Patricia Campos-Medina and activist Lawrence Hamm in the primary.

The Republican primary will be a test of Trump’s immense clout in contested GOP primaries.

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Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner was endorsed by Trump a couple of weeks ago at a large rally the former president held in Wildwood, New Jersey.

Real estate developer and hotelier Curtis Bashaw is the leading fundraiser in the Republican nomination race. 

He also enjoys an advantage on the primary ballot, as he has the county line in two-thirds of the state’s 21 counties. 

New Jersey has long allowed counties to print ballots that include a prominent party line, which are widely viewed as helping candidates with establishment backing. Kim sued in federal court to overturn the county lines in the Democratic primary. But the GOP county lines were upheld.

Navy veteran Albert Harshaw and former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Murphy are also running in the Republican Senate primary.

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

Attorney General Merrick Garland will appear before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday morning to respond to claims the FBI planned to assassinate former President Trump during a search of Mar-a-Lago, as well as suggestions that the Justice Department was involved in the New York hush money case against the former president.

Garland will also push back on the committee’s efforts to hold him in contempt, a measure that passed the committee but has not yet moved to the House Floor.

“Certain members of this Committee and the Oversight Committee are seeking contempt as a means of obtaining — for no legitimate purpose — sensitive law enforcement information that could harm the integrity of future investigations,” Garland plans to say in his testimony.

A spokesperson for the DOJ said in a statement that the attorney general “will lead with the important work the Department has done under his tenure including decreasing homicide rates, prosecuting hate crimes, and fighting international terrorism, but he will also forcefully push back on false narratives regarding the Department’s employees and their work.”

TRUMP LAYS OUT HIS ‘REVENGE’ STRATEGY AFTER CONVICTION MAKES HIM A FELON

Attorney General Merrick Garland will push back on efforts to hold him in contempt. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Last month, Trump made false claims that Biden’s DOJ authorized the FBI to kill him during the 2022 search for classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, in reference to an unsealed FBI document regarding the search. Trump was not home when the FBI executed the search.

“WOW! I just came out of the Biden Witch Hunt Trial in Manhattan, the ‘Icebox,’ and was shown Reports that Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ, in their illegal and UnConstitutional Raid of Mar-a-Lago, AUTHORIZED THE FBI TO USE DEADLY (LETHAL) FORCE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump’s legal team also made a court filing citing the use of force authorization by the DOJ.

But the use of force that Trump’s team cited in the court filing is the standard language used by the DOJ for years, and the same language was used when FBI agents searched President Biden’s home for classified documents.

Garland will say in his testimony that the effort to hold him in contempt “comes as baseless and extremely dangerous falsehoods are being spread about the FBI’s law enforcement operations.”

Special Counsel Jack Smith said Trump’s team omitted the key word “only” in the filing in late May that led to Trump’s accusations that the FBI was prepared to kill him.

“Although Trump included the warrant and Operations Form as exhibits to his motion, the motion misquoted the Operations Form by omitting the crucial word ‘only’ before ‘when necessary,’ without any ellipsis reflecting the omission,” Smith wrote. “The motion also left out language explaining that deadly force is necessary only ‘when the officer has a reasonable belief that the subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person.'”

HOW TRUMP GUILTY VERDICTS MAY IMPACT THE 2024 REMATCH WITH BIDEN

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

Trump’s team was given until June 14 to reply to a move by Smith to issue a gag order prohibiting Trump from making statements about the FBI.

Smith and Garland said Trump’s statements put law enforcement in danger.

Garland will also testify against claims coming from Republicans that the DOJ had any involvement in the hush money case against Trump in New York, where the former president was convicted on 34 counts for falsifying business records.

The New York case was brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, not the DOJ. It is a state case, which means Trump could not pardon himself if he wins the presidential election.

The measure to hold Garland in contempt “comes alongside false claims that a jury verdict in a state trial, brought by a local District Attorney, was somehow controlled by the Justice Department,” Garland will say in his testimony. “That conspiracy theory is an attack on the judicial process itself.”

Garland will say the measure “is only the most recent in a long line of attacks on the Justice Department’s work.”

“It comes alongside threats to defund particular Department investigations, most recently the Special Counsel’s prosecution of the former president,” Garland says.

TRUMP GUILTY VERDICT REVEALS SPLIT AMONG FORMER GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY OPPONENTS

Trump made false claims that the Justice Department authorized the FBI to kill him during the 2022 search for classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort. (Getty Images)

He said it also comes as individual career agents and prosecutors “have been singled out just for doing their jobs” and at a time “when we are seeing heinous threats of violence being directed at the Justice Department’s career public servants.”

Garland says these “repeated attacks” on the DOJ’s are “unprecedented and unfounded” and that the attacks will not influence the department’s decision-making.

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“I view contempt as a serious matter,” Garland says. “But I will not jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations.”

“I will not be intimidated,” he adds. “And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our jobs free from political influence. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”

Despite Rep. John Rose’s impassioned speech Monday decrying last week’s conviction of former President Trump, all eyes were on the show behind him.  

As the Tennessee Republican spoke on the House floor, his son, 6-year-old Guy Rose, looked directly into the cameras, smiling mischievously from ear to ear. 

Guy Rose smiles at the camera while his dad gives a speech on the House floor.  (House Television via AP)

The younger Rose appeared to fidget a bit then, after looking bored, stuck out his tongue and made a series of silly faces and hand gestures as his father plowed ahead with his speech, railing against the “weaponization of our justice system.”  

It wasn’t long before the youngster became a social media star and a new meme — at age 6.  

SOME FORMER ‘NEVER TRUMP’ VOTERS NOW SAY THEY’RE BACKING GOP NOMINEE AFTER HIS CONVICTION

“He knows something,” Doug Andres, the spokesman for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, tweeted on X with a caption of the young Rose.

“So sorry I was slow responding to your email, I was tied up watching this over and over again,” tweeted Aaron Fritschner, the communications director for Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va. 

This image from House Television shows Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives Monday, June 3, 2024, in Washington, as his son Guy makes a face. (House Television via AP)

Rose himself, seemed to take the incident in stride, joking in an online post: “This is what I get for telling my son Guy to smile at the camera for his little brother.” 

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Guy Rose just graduated from kindergarten last week and is with his dad for the week. Rep. Rose’s youngest son, Sam, 3, and his wife, Chelsea, are back in Tennessee.

All four Congressional leaders extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to a Joint Meeting of Congress.

“I am very moved to have the privilege of representing Israel before both Houses of Congress and to present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us to the representatives of the American people and the entire world,” Netanyahu said in accepting the invitation.

But the decision to invite Netanyahu is anything but puppies and rainbows on Capitol Hill.

EMBATTLED SEN. BOB MENENDEZ TO DITCH THE DEMOCRATS IN REELECTION BID

One party is squarely behind Netanyahu. And one is not. In fact, Democrats who oppose bringing Netanyahu to Capitol Hill to deliver the address even accused House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., of trying to divide Democrats by extending the invitation.

But the war in the Middle East has already cleaved Democrats. It’s a fracture between progressives and supporters of Israel which could split the Democratic coalition – conceivably costing President Biden the election if liberals stay home.

“This is probably one of the most disturbing things I can think Congress can do is to have Netanyahu come,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., one of the first Muslim women ever elected to Congress.

“It’s just unconscionable. His crimes are about to be prosecuted by the ICC (International Criminal Court). The international community is talking about him starving the population of Gaza,” continued Omar. “I don’t think any leader should allow this to happen.”

UNITED STATES – JUNE 15: Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., arrives to the U.S. Capitol for the last votes of the week on Thursday, June 15, 2023.  ((Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))

Yet House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signed on to the invitation.

“The divide is overstated. The Republicans have repeatedly tried to make Israel a partisan, political issue and divide Democrats. And they have failed,” replied Jeffries when asked about consternation surrounding a Netanyahu address.

The Brooklyn Democrat then proceeded to explain how his caucus held together to lift the debt ceiling, avert multiple flirtations with a government shutdown, and aid Ukraine.

However, Jeffries did not cite the vote on the bill to aid Israel in April. The House adopted that package 366 to 58. But 37 Democrats voted nay.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: THERE’S LITTLE CHANCE THAT LAWMAKERS WILL KISS – AND ‘MAKEUP’

However, unlike the majority party, Democrats have not tried to unseat two different Speakers this Congress.

Politics is about contrasts and perspectives. And perhaps that’s how Jeffries attempted to offer a pollyannish view of his party compared to the routine, internecine fisticuffs which paralyzed the majority.

“It’s nothing but puppies and rainbows on the House Democratic Caucus side,” said Jeffries, drawing laughter from the Capitol press corps.

But it’s far from it when it comes to tensions among Democrats about the Middle East and the speech to the Joint Meeting of Congress by Netanyahu. The easy thing for Democrats who disagree with Netanyahu or view him as a threat is to hold a press conference or two, sit out the speech and maybe stage a counterprotest of some type. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., says he wants Congress to “bring the temperature down.” But it’s hard to keep the thermometer in check if everything isn’t puppies and rainbows.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the opening ceremony marking Israel’s national Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem May 5, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (Reuters/ Ronen Zvulun)

“Everybody who comes on that House floor should be respectful of the gathering that is happening, whether we are voting or whether someone is speaking to us. That’s the overwhelming feeling of Democratic leadership,” said Aguilar.

Netanyahu last spoke to Congress in the fall of 2015. And Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., says an appearance by Netanyahu fails to lower the temperature.

“I do think that (his speech) is unconstructive and his attendance is unconstructive of the U.S. goal of trying to establish a ceasefire,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “I don’t think that we should be rewarding individuals who are not as focused or committed to that aim (of a ceasefire) as the U.S. administration is.” 

“She’s wrong,” said Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., when asked about the remarks of Ocasio-Cortez. 

So much for puppies and rainbows.

NYC JEWISH, MUSLIM, CHRISTIAN LEADERS RESPOND AFTER MORE HOSTAGES FOUND DEAD IN GAZA

Schneider is Jewish and one of the most-ardent supporters of Israel in Congress.

“Israel’s our most important ally in the Middle East. One of our best allies in the world. And it’s important for all Members of Congress – Democrats and Republicans – come to hear what the Prime Minister has to say. There’s a lot of things I disagree with. The specifics of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s politics. His policies. And I’ve been open about those. But I have no space between my commitment to support the US-Israel relationship,” said Schneider.

On Ocasio-Cortez’s comments, Schneider said that “too many people in Congress will close their minds on a whole number of issues.” 

Schneider cited the April roll call vote to send assistance to Israel.

“They were wrong for that vote. I believe they vote their conscience. I respect that. And I continue to try to persuade them as to why I think that was a bad decision,” said Schneider. “Hopefully the next time something like this comes up, I can win the argument.”

(Tom Williams/Getty Images)

There will be another time for that. Perhaps this fall when Congress tries to fund the government. Or maybe early next year when a new Congress is in place, President Biden is entering his second term or former President Trump is entering his second term. 

But one thing is for certain, it’s not all puppies and rainbows when it comes to the Middle East for Democrats. And the chasm is deep enough that this issue alone could block Democrats from picking up the House and re-electing President Biden.

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Sure. Republicans suffer their divides, too. But an even deeper schism for Democrats lurks around the corner if Democrats fail to flip the House after the performance of Republicans over the past two years. That’s to say nothing of a possible repeat of former President Trump. If Democrats stumble at the polls this fall, they will tear at each other like limbs from a ragdoll.

As we wrote earlier, everything in politics is about contrasts and perspective. And if Republicans succeed this fall, one can look back at this period for the Democrats as one of “puppies and rainbows” compared to what’s ahead.

Republican Vince Fong of California was sworn into Congress on Monday after winning a special election to complete the remainder of the term of deposed former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Fong was a member of the California State Assembly before running for the House. He was backed by former President Donald Trump and McCarthy, who watched the ceremony in person from the House floor. Fong’s swearing-in gives Republicans a 218-213 majority.

KEVIN MCCARTHY’S GHOST IS HAUNTING HOUSE GOP’S NEXT BIG LEGISLATIVE FIGHT

Fong said that as he has traveled his Central Valley-based congressional district, he heard that Congress must do more to address the U.S.-Mexico border, stop the rising cost of everyday essentials and work to keep communities safe, among other priorities.

Assembly member Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, right, is congratulated by Assembly member Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, as lawmakers honored Fong for his recent election to the House of Representatives, during the Assembly session in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, May 23, 2024. Fong will complete Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s term after defeating Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux in Tuesday’s runoff election for California’s 20th Congressional District seat. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

“I know that our concerns are very familiar with the concerns that all of you have heard,” Fong said. “We must do more to find solutions and deliver results.”

Fong defeated fellow Republican and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux in a special election last month in the 20th Congressional District, in the state’s farm belt.

McCarthy is the only speaker in history to be voted out of the job. About two months after that historic vote, he opted to resign rather than serve out the remainder of his term. He has worked behind the scenes to promote Fong’s candidacy — a political action committee linked to McCarthy steered over $700,000 into the 20th District contest to boost Fong’s campaign.

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Fong said he wanted to especially thank McCarthy, calling him a mentor and friend and saying “he has worked tirelessly for decades on behalf of the constituents of the Central Valley of California and our nation.”