Christian worker files complaint to Trump admin after being fired over pronoun policy


EXCLUSIVE: Spencer Wimmer, a Wisconsin man, is asking the Trump administration to intervene after he says he was fired for refusing to use preferred pronouns that conflict with a person’s biological sex—forcing him, he claims, to choose between his livelihood and his faith.

While the Trump administration has moved to roll back DEI and gender ideology workplace requirements, Wimmer, a devout Christian, argues that private citizens are still experiencing workplace discrimination tied to such policies.

Now, after filing a religious discrimination complaint through the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) to the Trump U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), he said he hopes President Donald Trump will do something about it. 

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Wimmer said that he had worked hard to be a “model employee” during his five years at Generac and was in good standing with the company, having received several positive performance reviews and promotions. He said he expected to have a long, fruitful career at the power equipment company. That is, until he was suddenly pulled into a meeting with human resources and confronted about his refusal to use someone’s preferred pronouns.

‘UNLAWFUL DEI-MOTIVATED’ WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION TO BE ROOTED OUT BY TRUMP’S NEW ACTING EEOC CHAIR

Wisconsin man Spencer Wimmer is asking the Trump administration to fight on his behalf after he says he was forced to choose between his livelihood and "love for God," and was ultimately fired for his religious belief in not using "preferred pronouns" that conflict with a person’s biological sex.  

Wisconsin man Spencer Wimmer is asking the Trump administration to fight on his behalf after he says he was forced to choose between his livelihood and “love for God,” and was ultimately fired for his religious belief in not using “preferred pronouns” that conflict with a person’s biological sex.   (Fox News Digital and Andrew Harrer/Getty Images)

Wimmer says that his refusal to use preferred pronouns is rooted in his deeply held Biblical, religious belief that there are only two genders and that a person cannot switch between one and the other.

He explained that he had prior experience working with transgender people and even had a good working relationship with one of his colleagues who was transgender. However, after Wimmer had to clarify with HR that he could not in good conscience use his transgender colleagues’ preferred pronouns, he was reprimanded for “unprofessional” conduct.

According to WILL, the firm representing Wimmer, Generac HR representatives told him that his request to refrain from using transgender pronouns on religious grounds “did not make any sense.” Wimmer was issued a written disciplinary action note that stated “refusal to refer to an employee/subordinate by their preferred name/pronouns is in violation of the company’s Code of Business Conduct and No Harassment Policy.”

After an entire month in which he said he felt both targeted and bullied for his religious beliefs, Wimmer was fired from his supervisor role at Generac Power Systems on April 2. According to WILL, he was not allowed to collect his personal belongings and was escorted out of the building.

Wimmer described the entire episode as “heartbreaking.”

THE SUPREME COURT APPEARS TO SIDE WITH PARENTS IN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER STORYBOOKS

Trump and Andrea Lucas

Andrea Lucas, President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), vowed to make rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in the workplace a priority.  (Getty/EEOC )

“I was asked to choose between my livelihood and my love for God and my beliefs,” said Wimmer, adding that it was very emotional having everything kind of ripped out from under me.”

In its complaint to the EEOC, WILL argues that Generac violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. WILL asserts that Generac violated Wimmer’s rights despite there being no harassment complaints filed against him.

Cara Tolliver, an attorney with WILL, told Fox News Digital that she believes his case carries a broader significance that could impact Americans across the country.

She said that Wimmer’s case puts recent Supreme Court precedent set in a 2023 case called Groff v. DeJoy to the test, challenging the validity of an employer’s compelled gender affirmation policy against an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

“Employers, I think, have kind of become seemingly fixated on a lot of identity politics in the workplace, including the topic of gender identity,” she said. “But it’s crucial to keep in mind that even where Title VII may provide some protection to employees against workplace discrimination and harassment on the basis of a gender identity, this does not supersede or eliminate Title VII protections against religious discrimination and the fact that religious discrimination is illegal.”

SUPREME COURT ALLOWS TERMINATIONS OF INDEPENDENT AGENCY BOARD MEMBERS FOR NOW

Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court is shown at dusk on June 28, 2023, in Washington, DC (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Wimmer told Fox News Digital that he “never asked Generac to choose between me and then this other individual.”

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“There was absolutely a way for us to work together and have a compromise where we continue to have a professional environment,” he said. “Unfortunately, there are individuals and there are organizations and structures in place that won’t let you have compromise. The fact that you have these beliefs is unacceptable to them. So, no amount of compromise is possible.”

In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, a spokesperson said: “We do not comment on employment matters nor comment on pending litigation.”



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Democratic socialist Mamdani refuses to back Israel as Jewish state in NYC race


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Democratic socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani doubled down on his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel — and refused to say the country has a right to exist as a Jewish state.

Mamdani stayed firm in his support for the Palestinian-led BDS effort, calling it a “legitimate movement,” during a Q&A with Democratic primary candidates hosted by the UJA-Federation of New York on Thursday evening.

“My support for BDS is consistent with my core of my politics, which is non-violence,” the Queens assemblyman said when pressed by Jewish Insider’s editor-in-chief, Josh Kraushaar.

Zohran Mamdani speaking into a megaphone

Zohran Mamdani, New York State Assemblyman and mayoral candidate for New York City, speaks at an emergency rally held by the Working Families Party to criticize the Trump administration, after ICE agents arrested Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark and New Jersey Democratic candidate for governor, at Foley Square in New York, New York, U.S., May 10, 2025. (REUTERS/Bing Guan)

“I think that it is a legitimate movement when you are seeking to find compliance with international law,” he said.

“The effectiveness of tactics of boycott, divestment and sanctions in order to motivate that compliance at the state level, on an individual level and that’s where my support for it comes from.”

The state assemblyman from Queens said he believes Israel has a right to exist. But when pushed on whether it should exist as a Jewish state, he carefully sidestepped.

LAWSUIT ALLEGES ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP LEADERS ARE ‘HAMAS’ FOOT SOLDIERS IN NEW YORK CITY

“I believe Israel has a right to exist, and it has a right to exist also with equal rights for all,” he said.

Mamdani, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed politician, was peppered with questions about his stance on Israel during the event from the UJA-Federation, a massive philanthropic group supporting the Jewish community.

The forum came just days after The Post unearthed a social media clip of the pro-Palestinian assemblyman leading a “BDS” chant during a May 11, 2021, anti-Israel protest.

Despite Mamdani’s open criticism of Israel, the lawmaker received a fairly warm welcome from those in attendance, according to recordings obtained by The Post, which, along with other press, was barred from entry at the door.

Zohran Mamdani speaking at a podium

Candidate for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference while campaigning outside a Subway station in New York City. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)

Those inside the event, which took place some 24 hours after a pro-Palestinian radical gunned down two innocent Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, DC, described the security as “wild,” as organizers revoked the tickets of several people.

During his roughly 20-minute appearance, moderators asked Mamdani about his remarks that, if elected mayor, he would order the NYPD to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister ever set foot in the Big Apple.

“Ultimately, my position is one that I believe our city should be in compliance with international law,” Mamdani said, noting the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the Israeli leader, adding that he’d have the same answer if he was asked the question about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

ICC REJECTS ISRAELI APPEALS, ISSUES ARREST WARRANTS FOR BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, YOAV GALLANT

“What troubles me greatly is that Benjamin Netanyahu has also issued military commands from this very city when visiting it,” he said.

Mamdani campaign spokesman Andrew Epstein said the candidate has been “consistent” in his beliefs regarding Israel.

“Zohran has been consistent in his belief that Israel has the right to exist, a responsibility to adhere to international law, and that he supports non-violent movements to ensure compliance with that law,” Epstein said in a statement Friday.

Zohran Mamdani speaking into a microphone

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during the National Action Network National Convention in New York City, U.S., April 3, 2025. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon) (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

“He was heartened by the warm reception last night to his vision for a New York that’s safe and affordable for everyone.”

Mamdani, who has repeatedly come up second in the polls vying for the Democratic nomination, behind ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has recently been dogged by his anti-Israel rhetoric.

He faced blowback from the Jewish community for failing to sign onto a pair of resolutions recognizing Israel and the Holocaust, in what his campaign wrote off as a procedural error.

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The revelation came just days after he got the endorsement of anti-Israel ex-“Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman in the race for mayor of New York City, which is home to the largest population of Jews outside Israel.

The lawmaker also pushed the “Not On Our Dime Act,” which would have stopped New York nonprofits from supporting any groups that are involved with West Bank settlements.



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Falling gas prices could boost Trump approval ratings as Memorial Day arrives


As Americans hit the road for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, they’re getting good news at the gas pumps.

While gas prices have risen roughly 20 cents per gallon since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, according to GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform, “all 50 states are lower than last Memorial Day.”

And GasBuddy notes that gas prices are at their “lowest seasonal (Memorial Day) level since 2021.”

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that when adjusted for inflation, the average U.S. retail gasoline prices going into Memorial Day weekend are 14% lower than last year, in large part because of falling crude oil prices.

FOX BUSINESS: GAS PRICES HIT 4-YEAR LOW AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Gas prices at a station in the New Hampshire Seacoast at the start of Memorial Day weekend, in Newfields, N.H. on May 23, 2025. GasBuddy reports that gas prices nationwide are at the lowest Memorial Day level in four years.

Gas prices at a station in the New Hampshire Seacoast at the start of Memorial Day weekend, in Newfields, N.H. on May 23, 2025. GasBuddy reports that gas prices nationwide are at the lowest Memorial Day level in four years. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

As of Friday, AAA reported that the national average for regular gasoline stood at $3.20 per gallon.

And while gas prices traditionally increase heading into spring and summer, normally due to increased demand for summer travel and refineries switching to summer gasoline blends – which are less likely to evaporate but are more expensive to produce – GasBuddy expects prices to ease slightly during the next few months heading into Labor Day.

OIL PRICES ARE DOWN OVER LAST SIX MONTHS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR GAS PRICES?

The falling prices at the pump could be good political news for Trump and Republicans aiming to defend their Senate and House majorities in next year’s midterm elections.

“Gas prices fell for the third month in a row,” the White House spotlighted last week, as it argued, “Workers See Relief in President Trump’s Economy.”

Four months into his second tour of duty in the White House, Trump’s poll numbers are slightly underwater, with most, but not all, of the latest national surveys placing the president’s approval rating in negative territory.

That wasn’t the case when Trump was inaugurated in January, when most polls indicated his approval ratings were above water.

Trump in the Oval Office

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing a proclamation in the Oval Office at the White House on April 17, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Four months into his second tour of duty in the White House, most polls indicate Trump’s approval ratings are slightly underwater.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Contributing to the slide over the past couple of months in Trump’s overall approval ratings was his performance on the economy and, in particular, inflation, which were pressing issues that kept former President Joe Biden’s approval ratings well below water for most of his presidency.

Trump’s blockbuster tariff announcement in early April sparked a trade war with some of the nation’s top trading partners and triggered a massive sell-off in the financial markets and increased concerns about a recession.

WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE POLLS FOUR MONTHS INTO HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION

But the markets have rebounded, thanks in part to a truce between the U.S. and China in their tariff standoff as Trump tapped the brakes on his controversial tariff implementation.

Republican strategist Jesse Hunt told Fox News Digital that the current prices at the pump are “a positive development” and that “seeing gas prices where they are is a testament to the energy policy the administration wants to pursue, and it’s going to result in more money being kept in people’s pockets.”

But Daron Shaw, a politics professor and chair at the University of Texas who is the Republican partner on the Fox News poll, noted that “with the exception of gas prices, there hasn’t been much of a reduction in prices.”

family using a shopping cart while buying groceries at the supermarket

Daron Shaw, a politics professor and chair at the University of Texas who is the Republican partner on the Fox News poll, pointing to the cost of grocery items, noted that “prices haven’t come down.” (iStock)

“Prices haven’t come down, and it’s not clear that people will say the absence of inflation is an economic victory. They still feel that an appreciable portion of their money is going to pay for basic things,” Shaw added. “What Trump is realizing is that prices have to come down for him to be able to declare success.”

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Hunt, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential and statewide campaigns, said that Republicans “still have to figure out a way to ease some of the strain on family budgets through everyday goods like groceries. They were able to get eggs under control, which was an issue that threatened them early on in the second administration.”

But pointing to Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package, which narrowly passed the House on Thursday, Hunt said “there is a lot of hope and optimism” that the measure, if passed into law, “will help spur additional investment” and “will provide the sort of growth that you need across the economy.”

Fox Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report. 



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US eases financial restrictions on Syria with GL 25 waiver to stabilize country


The Trump administration on Friday announced sanctions relief for Syria as part of a series of steps to end decades of penalties and to stabilize the country. 

The Treasury Department said it will grant Syria a 180-day waiver, known as GL 25, to ease financial restrictions that target the country’s former rulers in an effort to give its new leaders a chance to rebuild a nation still scarred by more than a decade of civil war. 

It will facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water, and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 

“As President Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Syria must also continue to work towards becoming a stable country that is at peace, and today’s actions will hopefully put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future.”

US AMBASSADOR BARRACK NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA AMID SANCTIONS RELIEF PLAN

Donald Trump in Syria

In this photo released by the Saudi Royal Palace, interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa shakes hands with President Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 14. At right is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.  (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)

The waiver will allow Syria to engage in Syrian reconstruction and other economic activity. The sanctions relief has been extended on the condition that Syrian leaders will not offer a safe haven for terrorist organizations and will ensure the security of its religious and ethnic minorities, the Treasury Department said.

“Today’s actions represent the first step in delivering on the President’s vision of a new relationship between Syria and the United States,” Rubio said in a statement. “President Trump is providing the Syrian government with the chance to promote peace and stability, both within Syria and in Syria’s relations with its neighbors. The President has made clear his expectation that relief will be followed by prompt action by the Syrian government on important policy priorities.”

The move came after Tom Barrack, US Ambassador to Turkey and former advisor to President Donald Trump, announced on Friday that he would be filling the role of U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, while highlighting recent sanctions relief.

TRUMP ASKS SYRIA TO JOIN ABRAHAM ACCORDS, NORMALIZE TIES WITH ISRAEL IN RETURN FOR SANCTIONS RELIEF

FILE - In this June 5, 2014, file photo, a man rides a bicycle through a devastated part of Homs, Syria. (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic, File)

A man rides a bicycle through a devastated part of Homs, Syria.  (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic)

“The cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity of our primary objective — the enduring defeat of ISIS — and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future,” he wrote Friday on X. “In this way, we, together with regional partners including Turkiye and the Gulf, are enabling the Syrian government to restore peace, security, and the hope of prosperity. In the words of the President, we will work together, and we will succeed together.”

Syria’s former autocratic leader, Bashar al-Assad, ruled the country for decades after succeeding his father. Assad’s government, long sustained by Russia and Iran, presided over 13 years of civil war, and collapsed last year during a major offensive by rebel fighters. 

Putin, Assad, Khamenei

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left), Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (center), Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (right). ((Fox News/Getty Images))

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Assad and his family left Syria for Moscow to seek asylum.

The waiver announced on Friday prohibits the new Syrian government from engaging in transactions that benefit Russia, Iran, North Korea or key supporters of the former Assad regime. 



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Attorney General Bondi claims Flores decree incentivizes illegal immigration


In a motion filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the Trump DOJ is moving to dissolve the ‘Flores Consent Decree.’ Attorney General Pam Bondi maintains the decree is incentivizing illegal immigration at the southern border.

The Flores decree has governed the detention and release of migrant children since 1997. The motion, filed by the DOJ and jointed by HHS and the Department of Homeland Security, asks a federal court in southern California to dissolve the decree.

BIDEN-APPOINTED FEDERAL JUDGE KEEPS BLOCKING TRUMP ADMIN FROM NIXING FUNDING FOR LAWYERS FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN

However, the motion to terminate the Flores decree will be heard at a July 18 hearing before US District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles. Judge Gee has presided over the case for years, and it is unlikely she will agree to get rid of the Flores decree, setting up a possible battle before the federal appeals court, and ultimately the Supreme Court.

Pam Bondi

Attorney General Pam Bondi maintains the decree is incentivizing illegal immigration at the southern border. (Anna Moneymaker)

“The outdated Flores consent decree was implemented as a stopgap measure almost 30 years ago but in recent years has directly incentivized illegal immigration at our southern border. Congress and various federal agencies have already solved the problems that Flores was designed to fix, and this consent decree is now an unacceptable restriction on our America-first immigration agenda,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement to Fox News.

FEDERAL JUDGE BUCKS TRUMP ADMIN, DELAYS DISMISSAL OF OF MS-13 LEADER’S CASE

DOJ officials also tell Fox News the idea is to put the power back into the hands of elected officials in Washington, rather than a single federal judge in California.

In the filing the DOJ says the government is moving, “to terminate the FSA completely and with respect to all Defendants, and to dissolve the Court’s injunction of DHS’s regulations for apprehension, processing, care, and custody of alien minors…After 40 years of litigation and 28 years of judicial control over a critical element of U.S. immigration policy by one district court located more than 100 miles from any international border, it is time for this case to end.”

Justice Department

DOJ officials also tell Fox News the idea is to put the power back into the hands of elected officials in Washington, rather than a single federal judge in California. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

More from the filing:

In light of the significant changes in circumstances since this Court entered the FSA 28 years ago, including the promulgation of regulations incorporating the goals of the FSA, and Supreme Court precedent that is inconsistent with continuing such a long-term decree, further continuation of the FSA is no longer equitable or in the public interest.

TRUMP DOJ DROPS BIDEN-ERA LEGAL CHALLENGE TO TEXAS BORDER SECURITY LAW

This Court entered the FSA as a consent decree in 1997 and amended it in December 2001. The FSA has governed the care and custody of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) ever since, notwithstanding intervening legislation by the U.S. Congress and agency regulations. In 2015, this Court expanded the FSA to accompanied children, see Flores v. Lynch, 828 F.3d 898, 906, 909 (9th Cir. 2016), even though it is obvious from the FSA’s terms that the parties did not contemplate their inclusion. Thus, as to accompanied children, the national policy has long been set by a district court (and not the President or Congress), notwithstanding that the consent decree providing the basis for district-court supervision does not claim to regulate this class of aliens. That simply cannot be.

Supreme Court

Judge Gee has presided over the case for years, and it is unlikely she will agree to get rid of the Flores decree, setting up a possible battle before the federal appeals court, and ultimately the Supreme Court. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

During the 28 years that this Court has controlled federal policy regarding the custody of alien children who are in the United States without immigration status, enormous, cardinal changes have occurred: surges of aliens have entered the U.S. in between ports of entry across the southwest border, including large groups of aliens who voluntarily surrendered to Border Patrol—surrenders orchestrated by traffickers; the demographics of aliens arriving at the border have shifted to include significantly higher numbers from countries outside the Western Hemisphere and higher numbers of children; a global pandemic necessitated the government’s utilization of its expulsion authority to protect public health; and the subsequent lifting of the policy led to an upheaval in immigration policy for over two years.

The Executive has not been able to react fully and meaningfully to these changes because the FSA has ossified federal immigration policy.

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Successive administrations have tried unsuccessfully to free themselves from the strictures of the consent decree and this Court’s gloss on it. But detention of juvenile aliens continues to be—as it has been for more than a generation—dominated by the strictures of a 1997 agreement.



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Trump, Rubio plotting to overhaul National Security Council


President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are spearheading plans to overhaul the National Security Council and shift its main functions to other agencies like the State and Defense departments. 

The move is the latest effort to slim down a federal agency, and comes weeks after Trump announced former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz would depart his post at the White House overseeing the agency. Trump announced the same day Waltz was nominated to serve as United Nations ambassador. 

HEGSETH, SIGNAL QUESTIONS DOG WALTZ AS POTENTIALLY PERILOUS UN AMBASSADOR CONFIRMATION HEARINGS LOOM

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio look on during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

The plans to upend the agency would include whittling down the size of the National Security Council, which the Trump White House believes is full of long-term, bureaucratic staffers who don’t align with Trump’s agenda. 

Additionally, the restructuring will move Andy Barker, national security advisor for Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, assistant to the president for policy, into roles serving as deputy national security advisors. 

Axios was the first to report the Trump administration’s restructuring plans. A White House official confirmed Axios’ reporting to Fox News Digital. 

A White House official involved in the planning said that Trump and Rubio are driving the change in an attempt to target Washington’s so-called “Deep State.” 

“The NSC is the ultimate Deep State. It’s Marco vs. the Deep State. We’re gutting the Deep State,” a White House official told Axios. 

NEXT US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? HERE’S WHOM TRUMP MIGHT PICK TO REPLACE WALTZ 

Marco Rubio in Cabinet meeting

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as President Donanld Trump (R) looks on during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2025.  (Getty Images)

The National Security Council is housed within the White House and provides the president with guidance on national security, military, and foreign affairs matters. 

Waltz’s departure from the agency followed his involvement—alongside other administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—in the Signal chat controversy over strike plans against the Houthis in March.

MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK

National Security Adviser

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stand as President Donald Trump (not pictured) meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Since Waltz’s departure earlier this month, Rubio has taken on the role of national security advisor. That’s in addition to leading the State Department, serving as acting archivist, and serving as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which the administration is aiming to dismantle this year. 

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Fox News Digital was the first to report that the State Department planned to absorb the remaining operations and programs USAID runs so it would no longer function as an independent agency. The move requires cutting thousands of staff members in an attempt to bolster the efficiency of the existing, “life-saving” foreign assistance programs, according to a State Department memo Fox News Digital obtained. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 



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Trump administration launches ‘full-frontal assault’ on deadly border cartel


The Trump Treasury Department’s new sanctions are a “full-frontal assault” on one of the deadliest southern border cartels, a local border official told Fox News Digital.

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two high-ranking Cartel del Noreste (CDN) members, Mexican nationals Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, Wednesday.

CDN was one of eight cartels and transnational criminal groups labeled “foreign terrorist organizations” by the Department of State Feb. 20.

Under new sanctions announced this week, all property and interest in properties belonging to De Anda and Gonzalez that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked. 

EXCLUSIVE: ILLEGAL ALIEN WHOSE DEPORTATION WAS PAUSED BY ‘ACTIVIST’ JUDGE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A DISABLED WOMAN

Video footage of drug cartel gun fight

Video footage from a Texas Department of Public Safety surveillance aircraft captured a gun battle between Gulf Cartel factions earlier this year. (Texas Department of Public Safety)

While announcing the sanctions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department is “working toward the total elimination of cartels to make America safe again” and that the Trump administration “will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence.”

“CDN and its leaders have carried out a violent campaign of intimidation, kidnapping and terrorism, threatening communities on both sides of our southern border,” said Bessent. “We will continue to cut off the cartels’ ability to obtain the drugs, money and guns that enable their violent activities.”

ICE BEGINS NEW, NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO ARREST ILLEGAL ALIENS AT IMMIGRATION HEARINGS

Paul Perez, who leads the National Border Patrol Council chapter in the South Texas Rio Grande Valley, told Fox News Digital even though the Trump administration’s border crackdown has dramatically reduced illegal crossings, the cartels, including CDN, continue to present a threat to the lives and safety of American citizens living on the border.

“The threat of cartels is still there,” Perez said in an interview with Fox News Digital. He noted that “the thing about the cartels is that they’re very sophisticated,” explaining they have begun using advanced technology like drones to carry out their operations.

Soldiers patrol for cartel

Soldiers patrol the streets of Aguililla, Mexico, March 11, 2022, after violent cartel activity. (Enrique Castro/AFP/Getty Images)

“They’re not the street gang-level managers,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of people on their side that have been in this industry for a long time. They know how to get their products moving. They know how to get their product across.”

In Mexico, Perez said, the cartels control the border and “act with impunity all along the border,” while the Mexican police and military are unable to stop them.

He said cartel gunfights along the border often lead to cartel members fleeing north into the U.S., where “they’re going to do everything they can to get away and get back. And if that means harming American citizens, then they’re going to do that.”

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When it comes to CDN, Perez said “they engage in grotesque conduct,” such as beheadings and kidnappings and “will harm anybody that gets in their way” regardless of whether they are American or otherwise.

“What I can tell you about the Noreste cartel, they’re no different than any other cartels out there, the Sinaloa cartel. They’re all deadly cartels. They all traffic in fentanyl. They all traffic in drugs. They are trafficking people,” he explained.

TRUMP ADMIN PROMISES TO BE ‘RUTHLESSLY AGGRESSIVE’ IN RESPONSE TO SUSPECTED CARTEL KILLING OF US CITIZEN

Trump signs a Day One executive order

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., including one that designates Mexican cartels as foreign terror organizations.  (Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

By targeting CDN’s leadership, Perez said the Trump administration is effectively weakening the cartel by creating a power vacuum that will cause infighting that will further sap the organization’s strength.

“The cartels are definitely going to feel it,” he said. “So, it’s a full-frontal assault from the United States.

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“That’s the protection that we’re bringing to the border that we weren’t able to bring under President Biden,” he added. 

President Trump, on the campaign trail, and since he’s been in office, has repeatedly said he’s going to do everything he can to protect the United States, to protect its citizens and make sure that there’s nobody around that can do harm to our country. And he’s doing that. He’s taking on the cartels. He’s not afraid of them.

“We want to decimate the cartel activity that’s going on in the United States. So, he’s done what he said he was going to. We support that 100%.”



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Newark, Hoboken among New Jersey cities sued by DOJ for obstructing immigration laws


The Trump administration is suing four New Jersey cities, accusing local officials of obstructing federal law and infringing on efforts to combat illegal immigration through their sanctuary city policies. 

The lawsuit by the Justice Department alleged the cities of Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City and Paterson unlawfully obstructed federal authorities trying to fight illegal immigration. 

Mayors Ras Baraka of Newark, Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken, Steven Fulop of Jersey City and Andre Sayegh of Paterson are named as defendants, along with the four city councils. 

“By intent and design, the Challenged Policies are a frontal assault on the federal immigration laws and the federal authorities that administer them,” the complaint states. 

BLUE STATE POLITICAL BATTLE INTENSIFIES AFTER DEM MAYOR’S ARREST AT ICE FACILITY: ‘OUTRAGED’

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka near an ICE facility

Ras Baraka of Newark speaks to the press near ICE agents at a demonstration outside an immigrant detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey on May 7. The Trump administration is suing Newark and three other New Jersey cities over their sanctuary policies.  (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)

Baraka was recently arrested and charged with trespassing outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in his city. That case was dropped, but U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver was later charged with assault during the protest at Delaney Hall. 

“The lawsuit against Newark is absurd,” Barake said in a statement. “We are not standing in the way of public safety. We are upholding the Constitution, providing oversight, and following the laws and guidelines of the State of New Jersey.”

He said nothing in the city’s policies prevents law enforcement from doing their jobs. “What we refuse to do is turn our city into an arm of federal immigration enforcement, which the courts have already ruled is not our role,” he added. 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth wrote that local policies are designed to “thwart federal immigration enforcement”.

NEWARK MAYOR ARRESTED AT ICE FACILITY CLAIMS HE WAS ‘TARGETED’ AFTER COURT HEARING

“[E]ven where local law enforcement wants to help the United States deal with the nation’s immigration crisis, the Challenged Policies impede them from doing so,” he wrote. “This not only puts the safety of officers at risk, but also endangers the broader communities they are sworn to protect.”

The lawsuit comes after federal charges were filed against Baraka, a gubernatorial candidate, for his role during a May 9 clash involving Democratic politicians at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Newark.

“Recent events have proven that these New Jersey officials care more about political showmanship than the safety of their communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “As I have made clear, this Justice Department does not tolerate local officials in sanctuary cities obstructing immigration enforcement: there is more litigation to come.”

“We will continue to do what we have always done, protect the rights of all our residents, stand on constitutional ground, and reject fear-based politics that divide communities rather than strengthen them,” Baraka said.

DHS SAYS ‘ARRESTS ARE STILL ON THE TABLE’ AFTER NEW JERSEY HOUSE DEMS CAUGHT ON CAMERA ‘STORMING’ ICE FACILITY

Ras Baraka speaks on immigration after arrest at ICE detention center.

Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark, speaks at the State of the People Power Tour in Newark, NJ, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Baraka holds a rally after being arrested at a federal immigration center the week before. (Stephanie Keith for Fox News Digital)

“Hoboken is a community that prides itself on its vibrancy, its cultural diversity, and its inclusivity, and we will continue to stand together as a community for what is fair and just,” Bhalla said in a separate statement. ”The City of Hoboken will vigorously work to defend our rights, have our day in court, and defeat the Trump Administration’s lawlessness. To be clear: we will not back down.”

“Jersey City gets sued for being a sanctuary city — I guess MAGA ran out of conspiracy theories for the week,” Fulop wrote on X in response to the lawsuit. “Here is the truth: Jersey City’s policies protect families, reflect our values and have led to record low crime rates. As governor, I won’t be bullied. We’ll fight this — and win.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Sayegh’s office. 

The Trump administration has targeted sanctuary jurisdictions as it continues to catch and deport criminal illegal immigrants

It has filed lawsuits against cities in New York, Colorado and Illinois over attempts to impede immigration enforcement. 



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Trump sets the ‘gold standard’ for science


The Fox News Politics Newsletter will not be sent out on Monday, May 25th due to the Memorial Day Holiday. We wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day. 

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.  Here’s what’s happening…

Hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners released in swap with Russia, Zelenskyy says

New footage shows Milwaukee judge confronting ICE before allegedly helping illegal immigrant exit

-Vance tells Naval Academy graduates they are facing ‘new’ and ‘very dangerous era’ for US

“Gold standard science”

President Donald Trump signed several executive orders (EOs) on nuclear energy proliferation and an order removing political considerations from public-sector science, as conservatives claimed the latter was scandalized in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump also signed restoring “gold standard science” as the cornerstone of federal research. 

A senior White House official said on Friday there has been a decline in “disruptive research” and investments in biomedical research, along with “serious cases” of fraud and misconduct and the inability to reproduce scientific methods for the purpose of restoring public trust…Read more

trump_nuke

Trump, left, SLO Nuclear Reactor, right (Getty)

White House

‘COULD NOT SPEAK’: Biden struggled to film 2024 campaign videos amid declining health, new book claims: ‘The man could not speak’

RESTRAINING ORDER: Judge temporarily pauses Trump move to cancel Harvard student visa policy after lawsuit

Harvard lawsuit

Harvard is suing the Trump administration

DEADLY SLOGAN: Former Biden diplomat says there’s ‘no question’ ‘Free Palestine’ slogan has become a call for violence

World Stage

BARRACK ON: US Ambassador to Turkey Barrack to assume role of US Special Envoy for Syria

ATOMIC SHOWDOWN: US and Iran clash over uranium enrichment as nuclear talks resume in Rome

Ayatollah Khamenei and Donald Trump

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Donald Trump (Getty Images)

Capitol Hill

‘WATER TORTURE’: Dems call budget bill ‘bureaucratic water torture’ as GOP ‘glad to have the ball in our court’

‘ABOUT TO FIND OUT’: Sen. Mike Lee accuses Chicago mayor — who called Trump a ‘monster’ — of ‘bragging about’ violating the law

Across America 

‘HEARTBREAKING’: Wisconsin man fired for refusing to use preferred pronouns appeals to Trump administration

WALL WORKS: Republican AGs visit US-Mexico border wall as Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ clears expansion funding

Border wall San Diego

This image shows the border wall separating Mexico from the U.S. in San Diego Sector. (Fox News)

SHIFTING GEAR: Blue-state Republican ‘thankful’ for move to scrap gas-car ban as Newsom vows court fight to save it

SOROS UNDER FIRE: Alex Soros blasted for condemning shooting of Israelis while funding anti-Israel groups

TIMELINE TWIST: RFK Jr. backtracks on timeline for determining cause of autism in CNN interview

TERROR IN DC: Father of suspect accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers in DC was guest at Trump’s joint address
 

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.



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Barrack to support Trump’s Middle East vision as new Syria Special Envoy


Tom Barrack, US Ambassador to Turkey and former advisor to President Donald Trump, announced on Friday that he would be filling the role of U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, highlighting recent sanctions relief.

In a post on X, Barrack said he will be assuming the role to support Secretary of State Marco Rubio “in the realization of the President’s vision” for the country.

President Trump has outlined his clear vision of a prosperous Middle East and a stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors,” Barrack wrote in the post. 

Tom Barrack smiles outside Brooklyn court

Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and former advisor to President Donald Trump, will serve as U.S. Special Envoy for Syria. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

TRUMP ASKS SYRIA TO JOIN ABRAHAM ACCORDS, NORMALIZE TIES WITH ISRAEL IN RETURN FOR SANCTIONS RELIEF

On May 13, the president committed to lifting the United States’ sanctions against Syria to allow the new government to stabilize the country. 

U.S. sanctions were first administered on Damascus in 1979, when it was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Barrack said the cessation of sanctions against Syria will “preserve the integrity of our primary objective — the enduring defeat of ISIS,” and give the people of Syria a chance to recover after the Bashar al-Assad regime was ousted by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham last year.

People celebrate in Damascus after fall of Assad regime

People wave guns in the air as they gather to celebrate the fall of the Syrian regime in Umayyad Square on Dec. 8 in Damascus, Syria.  (Ali Haj Suleiman/Getty Images)

BIDEN ADMIN LIFTS $10M BOUNTY ON THE HEAD OF LEADER OF ISLAMIST GROUP NOW IN CHARGE IN SYRIA

Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S. and U.N.-designated terrorist organization, separated from al Qaeda in 2016.

Nearly 1,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria to fight ISIS, and about 10,000 ISIS fighters are being held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Soldiers in Syria

U.S. Army soldiers prepare to go out on patrol from a remote combat outpost on May 25, 2021, in northeastern Syria. U.S. forces, part of Task Force WARCLUB operate from combat outposts in the area, coordinating with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in combatting residual ISIS extremists and deterring pro-Iranian militia. (John Moore/Getty Images)

US DIPLOMATS IN DAMASCUS FOR FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 10 YEARS FOLLOWING FALL OF ASSAD REGIME

“In this way, we, together with regional partners including Türkiye and the Gulf, are enabling the Syrian government to restore peace, security, and the hope of prosperity,” Barrack wrote. “In the words of the President, we will work together, and we will succeed together.”

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Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.



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Vance tells Naval Academy graduates of ‘new and very dangerous era’ facing America


Vice President JD Vance told graduates at the United States Naval Academy on Friday that they are embarking on a mission in a “new and very dangerous era for our country” as adversaries such as China and Russia are “determined to beat us in every single domain.” 

Speaking in Annapolis, Vance said the Trump administration has “reversed course” in U.S. foreign policy as there will be “no more undefined missions” and “no more open-ended conflicts.” 

“We’re turning to a strategy grounded in realism and protecting our core national interests. Now, this doesn’t mean that we ignore threats. But it means that we approach them with discipline and that when we send you to war, we do it with a very specific set of goals in mind,” Vance said. 

“In the wake of the Cold War, America enjoyed a mostly unchallenged command of the commons — airspace, sea, space, and cyberspace. But the era of uncontested U.S. dominance is over. Today we face serious threats in China, Russia, and other nations determined to beat us in every single domain,” he added. 

WILL VANCE REMARK ABOUT US BAILING ON UKRAINE ENCOURAGE PUTIN TO SINK NASCENT PEACE TALKS 

Vice President JD Vance speaks at U.S. Naval Academy graduation

Vice President JD Vance speaks during the U.S. Naval Academy’s graduation and commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Friday, May 23. (AP/Stephanie Scarbrough)

“You will be leaders of men and women in our armed forces,” Vance said. “So while President Trump and I congratulate you on this incredible achievement, I also thought it would be appropriate to tell you a bit about how the president and I think of your mission in this new and very dangerous era for our country.” 

The vice president said past U.S. administrations carried out a “long experiment in our foreign policy that traded national defense and the maintenance of our alliances for nation-building and meddling in foreign countries’ affairs, even when those foreign countries have very little to do with core American interests.” 

“Following the collapse of the Soviet Union… for a brief time, we were a superpower without any fear. Nor did we believe any foreign nation could possibly rise to compete with the United States of America,” he continued. 

TRUMP REVERSES COURSE ON MIDDLE EAST TECH POLICY, BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO COUNTER CHINA? 

JD Vance hands a diploma

Vice President JD Vance, left, hands a diploma to a graduate during the U.S. Naval Academy’s graduation and commissioning ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Friday, May 23. (AP/Stephanie Scarbrough)

“And so our leaders traded hard power for soft power. We stopped making things, everything from cars to computers to the weapons of war, like the ships that guard our waters and the weapons that you will use in the future. Why did we do that? Well too many of us believed that economic integration would naturally lead to peace by making countries like the People’s Republic of China more like the United States,” Vance said. “Over time, we were told that the world would converge toward a uniform set of bland, secular universal ideals regardless of culture or country. And those that didn’t want to converge, our policymakers would it make it their goal to force them by any means necessary.” 

“So instead of devoting our energies to the rise of… competitors like China, our leaders pursued what they assumed would be easy jobs for the world’s preeminent superpower. How hard could it be to build new democracies in the Middle East? Well almost impossibly hard, it turns out, and unbelievably costly,” Vance told the graduates. 

Vance said, “We must be, all of us, not just smarter,” but now “we got to make sure that [when] we send our troops to war, we do it with the right tools.”  

JD Vance speech to Naval Academy graduates

Vice President JD Vance speaks on Friday in Annapolis, Md. (AP/KT Kanazawich)

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“We can no longer assume our engagements will come without cost. That’s why the Trump administration is investing in innovation, rewarding risk-takers at the Department of Defense and streamlining weapons acquisitions for the new century,” he said during his speech. 



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GOP attorneys general tout border security gains at Yuma wall after Trump return


Republican attorneys general from 11 states visited the U.S.-Mexico border wall in remote Yuma, Arizona, this week, touting a more than 90% decrease in illegal crossings since President Donald Trump began his second term.

Their visit came a day before the House narrowly passed Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which in part allocates $46.5 billion to revive construction of the wall, which at its current stage covers just a quarter of the approximately 1,900-mile-long stretch separating the United States from Mexico. In Yuma, a city of just 110,000 people, local officials briefed the Republican attorneys general of Kansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Alabama, Montana, Iowa and Indiana on how an average of 1,500 people were illegally crossing the border a day during the first six months of the Biden administration. That’s dropped to about four daily illegal crossings since Trump took office.

In addition to the border wall itself, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach — chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association – told Fox News Digital the administration needs other “force multipliers,” especially with the task of carrying out the “largest interior removal since the Eisenhower administration.” He announced an additional three GOP states entered into 287(G) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which means local and state deputies and officers are trained to exercise federal law enforcement powers, including making immigration-related arrests, initiating removal processes, conducting investigations and tapping into ICE databases. 

BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL TARGETS BORDER HUMAN, DRUG TRAFFICKING WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Republican AGs give a thumbs up at the border wall

Republican attorneys general from 11 states visited the border wall in Yuma, Arizona, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Danielle Wallace/Fox News Digital)

“The thing the Trump administration needs the most right now is force multipliers,” Kobach said. “Even if we doubled the number of Border Patrol agents at ICE stations, we still wouldn’t have enough. This border wall, which I’m looking at, is one force multiplier at the border. The other big force multiplier is state and local law enforcement signing 287(g) agreements and then helping ICE in the interior. And that’s where the red states are leading the way.” 

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said 540 kilograms of fentanyl and 850 kilograms of cocaine were trafficked into the Palmetto State, originating from Mexican drug cartels. One kilo alone is enough to kill half a million people. 

“This is the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night. I have two teenage kids in high school. When you hear about parents losing a kid in an overdose, it really strikes at your core. And so it’s not just about law enforcement, it’s about national security,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “As a 29-year veteran of the Army, an Iraq war veteran. I think in terms of national security, as well as law enforcement. This right here, what happens here, President Trump’s policies here have empowered local law enforcement and local and state prosecutors like myself to be able to more effectively combat the illicit activity, starting with Mexican drug cartels and gangs like Tren de Aragua.” 

Wilson said it is important to fortify a “digital border,” noting how Mexican drug cartels, Chinese nationals and other illicit criminal organizations launder the proceeds of human and drug trafficking and other crimes using platforms such as WeChat. Wilson has partnered with North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, and attorneys general from four other states in a bipartisan effort to target the Chinese app allegedly linked to the international fentanyl trade. 

Republican AGs at the Yuma border

Republican attorneys general hold up makeshift fencing used during the Biden administration surge in Yuma, Arizona, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Danielle Wallace/Fox News Digital)

The 11 Republican attorneys general in Yuma highlighted the importance of making the trip to the southern border despite their home states not directly bordering Mexico. Under the Biden administration, the Republicans argued that every state became a border state with the trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly drugs, as well as people across the border. 

TOM HOMAN APPLAUDS ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’, SAYS LEGISLATION WOULD ‘SOLIDIFY THE SUCCESS’ AT THE BORDER

“In the dark days of the Biden administration, this part of the border saw 1,500 illegal crossings a day. Today? Just four. That’s leadership,” Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said. “In Kentucky, we lost 1,400 lives last year to drugs coming over this border. That’s not abstract—it’s empty chairs at kitchen tables. I’m here to thank the men and women who wear the badge, who’ve made this border secure again.”

“Alabama may not be a border state, but we’ve seen the cost of an open border – fentanyl deaths, rising crime. The difference now? It’s not the law that changed, it’s the leadership,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said. “Border encounters are down 93%, gotaways down 95%. That’s the result of letting immigration enforcement do their jobs. We’re no longer the last line of defense—we’re partners in restoring the rule of law.”

“When federal officials can’t do their jobs, every state becomes a border state—even Indiana,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “We were the first non-border state to sue the Biden administration over its lawless immigration policies. Now, under new leadership, morale at the border has skyrocketed. I’m here not just for our law enforcement, but for the teachers overwhelmed by the fallout, for the parents and professionals caught in a broken system. Enough is enough.”

Border wall in Yuma, Arizona

A stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border wall is seen in Yuma, Arizona, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Danielle Wallace/Fox News Digital)

A stop on the tour included seeing pallets of $2 million worth of border wall supplies paid for under Trump’s first term that the Biden administration prevented federal contractors from erecting – something Kobach categorized as “dereliction of duty” and “deliberate efforts to keep our border open.” The Republican attorneys general also heard from the local hospital system, which incurred $26 million in unreimbursed care costs during a six-month period between December 2021 and May 2022 primarily due to treating migrants. At the peak of the crisis, approximately 350,000 illegal aliens crossed the border through the Yuma sector in a single year under the Biden administration. 

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The surge caused $1.2 million in losses to three family farms in the region, as migrants camped out and defecated around crops. Local officials underscored the national food security risks, given that Yuma produces 2,500 semi-loads of leafy greens per day during peak season. The Marine Top Gun School brings thousands more U.S. Marines to Yuma every six months, but live-fire drills had to be shut down due to the surge in illegal crossings near ranges, local officials told the attorneys general, highlighting how military readiness was also impacted due to the Biden border crisis. 



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Trump tax cuts preserved while SALT deduction cap raised in contentious 215-214 vote


Senate reaction to the House’s passage of its “big, beautiful bill” was sharply divided, with Democrats warning of long-term harm to the working class and Republicans arguing it would help that very group.

Republicans’ reconciliation bill dismantles the American Dream and strips health care, food assistance, and more away from millions of hardworking Americans,” Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., fumed in a Thursday statement.

“Republicans are taking a chainsaw to critical services that American families depend on and using them as a piggy bank for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.”

Durbin, who is retiring after a four-decade career in office, quipped that billionaires “win” and American families “lose – all thanks to President Donald Trump.”

REPUBLICANS READY LATE-NIGHT SESSION ON TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AFTER GOP MUTINY

The number-two Democrat urged four unnamed Senate Republicans to break with their party and have the “good sense to join Democrats” to stop the bill from reaching the White House.

Two Republicans unlikely to heed that call were Sens. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who both offered a “well done” verbal back-pat to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Marshall said the Senate must deliver the bill to Trump for America’s betterment, as Graham cited the border security provisions in the legislation and welcomed the bill to his side of the Capitol.

Back in Durbin’s camp, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took to the Senate floor to condemn the “dead of night” vote and claimed Republicans hoped “nobody would notice” their “rotten to the core” bill.

Schumer was up late Wednesday, unsuccessfully forcing about a half-dozen motions-to-recess or adjourn as the Republicans held the Senate open to begin the process of undoing California’s emissions waivers granted by former President Joe Biden.

DEMS WARN HOUSE REPUBLICANS WILL PAY PRICE AT BALLOT BOX FOR PASSING TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans celebrated passing Trump's "big, beautiful bill" on Thursday. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans celebrated passing Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” on Thursday.  (Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pointed Fox News Digital to recent comments on the bill, in which he said its goal is truly to “make life better for people so they can afford to pay their mortgage, they can afford to put gas in the car, and afford for their groceries.”

“That’s why we’re doing this. This is part of our comprehensive economic plan,” Thune said.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., echoed the “cloak of darkness” sentiment to Fox News Digital, saying the bill will “terminate health care for nearly 14 million Americans” and is “not what the people of Wisconsin signed up for.”

“You can bet I’m going to fight it,” Baldwin said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ronald Wyden – the Oregon Democrat and ranking member of the Finance Committee – called the bill a “full-scale assault on Americans’ health and safety.”

This bill means kids will go hungry, seniors will face greater abuse and neglect in nursing homes, people with disabilities will lose care at home, and millions of working Americans will be subjected to humiliation and bureaucratic water torture just to get health care,” Wyden said.

“Millions will lose their health insurance, and many more will find it harder to get health care, leading to untold suffering and quiet deaths,” Wyden added.

Maryland Democrat Angela Alsobrooks told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the Big Beautiful Bill Act will account for the largest food stamp cuts in history.

“[It’s] beautiful for whom? Certainly not the millions of Americans who rely on SNAP to feed their children and on Medicaid to get their health care,” Alsobrooks said, adding the GOP seems “obsessed” with seeing the “poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer.”

Alsobrooks said the majority of her fellow Old Line State residents agree with her sentiments.

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., echoed Alsobrooks’ concerns about SNAP and Medicaid.

“It’s a terrible bill and every senator should reject it,” Welch said.

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When reached for comment, fellow Vermonter Bernie Sanders directed Fox News Digital to a 20-minute floor speech the democratic socialist made a few days ago.

“At a time when the richest people have never had it so good, they see Republican leadership working overtime to make the billionaire class even richer,” Sanders said.

“At a time when a majority of Americans are struggling to put food on the table and pay for health care, they see Republican leadership making life even more difficult for average Americans.” 

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., said conversely she is grateful to Trump and Johnson for their “diligent work.”

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that the Senate will carefully consider the House’s final product and work to craft final legislation that meets the chamber’s rules and prevents the “biggest tax hike in American history,” if the Trump Tax Cuts were to expire.

New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim released a video message to constituents about the passage on Thursday, calling it one of the most dangerous bills in history.

“I want you to pay attention,” he told Jerseyans, citing “disastrous things” in the legislation.

Thune and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, are expected to make changes to the bill, but they hope to keep them minimal to preserve the “delicate balance” struck by the House, Thune said.

The upper chamber hopes to have the final product to Trump by Independence Day.



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Trump may block California’s new gas car ban as state weighs legal challenge


President Donald Trump could soon sign into law a joint congressional resolution scrapping California’s Environmental Protection Agency waiver that requires an end to gasoline-powered car sales by 2035. It’s a move provoking pushback from Golden State leaders in Sacramento.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats have argued that it is an illegal use of the Congressional Review Act, whereas Republicans, including state legislators, say the move is a necessary step toward curbing regulation in the state.

“I’m thankful that the folks in Washington, D.C., had common sense with something the governor doesn’t have here in California,” State Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Thursday, adding that “people can’t afford” a transition to electric vehicles.

SENATE GOP VOWS VOTE TO END BIDEN EPA WAIVER GRANTED TO PUSH DRIVERS TO EV CARS

traffic at night on highway

Motorists drive cars and other vehicles during the late afternoon commute on December 16, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

“We don’t have enough energy capacity. The worst thing that can happen in California right now is everybody plugs in an electric car. We have rolling blackouts. We’re talking about rolling blackouts just from the heat this summer, not alone adding millions and millions of cars that would add electric vehicles to it. And we don’t have the infrastructure either,” the Republican added, saying that he’s glad “the federal government weighed in.”

At a news conference on Thursday morning, Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta said they plan on suing the Trump administration, which they’ve done more than 20 times, over the likely move.

Part of the legal argument being made by the Golden State is that the House Government Accountability Office and the Senate parliamentarian said that a waiver does not technically count as a rule, which created a debate over what can be done under the Congressional Review Act, according to The Hill

35 DEMOCRATS VOTE WITH GOP TO BLOCK BIDEN RULE ALLOWING NEWSOM’S GAS CAR BAN

Sen. Thune with Sen. Barrasso, left; Newsom, right

Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, believes the Senate action to kill the EPA waiver is an illegal misuse of the Congressional Review Act. (Getty)

Newsom said that the electric vehicle manufacturing market has made significant gains in California and that the state is a leader in “innovation” in wanting to pivot to electric, specifically citing air quality.

In the short term, the state is also facing concerns about rising gas prices with the expected closures of two California refineries, an issue the governor said he’s been on top of to avoid issues.

When Fox News Digital asked Newsom whether he thinks rising prices would encourage consumers to switch to electric vehicles, he said that Californians are ultimately in the driver’s seat.

CONGRESS CAN STOP CALIFORNIA’S RADICAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANDATES THAT HURT THE ENTIRE NATION

EV car charging

Electric vehicle at a charging station (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“I think that’s up to consumers, but the cost benefits of electric vehicles are well-established and continue to be well-reinforced as it relates to uncertainties around supply chains, wars of aggression by Russia, and by the vagaries of the kind of political machinations you see in the Middle East and self-dealing that we see. We are simply hostages to decisions that are made without you talking about any input from taxpayers or citizens. I’d rather have a little bit more agency in this country as it relates to our energy future,” Newsom added.

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In Washington, Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., is touting his resolution’s success.

“This is a bipartisan national repudiation of the utter insanity Newsom has inflicted on our state,” he posted to X. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. 



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Harvard sues Trump administration over termination of student visa program


Harvard is taking the Trump administration to court over its decision to terminate the university’s student visa program. 

Harvard said the policy will affect more than 7,000 visa holders — nearly a quarter of the student body — and is a “blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act,” per its court filing.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved to terminate the program after Harvard allegedly failed to provide it with the extensive behavioral records of student visa holders the department requested. DHS offered Harvard 72 hours on Thursday to come into compliance with the request and re-enter into the visa program. 

As of now, Harvard may no longer enroll foreign students in the 2025–2026 school year, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status to reside in the U.S. before the next academic year begins. 

University President Alan Garber said a motion for a temporary restraining order to put the policy on pause while their court case against it plays out would be filed next.

Harvard president Alan Garber

Harvard University President Alan Garber said a motion for a temporary restraining order to put the policy on pause while their court case against it plays out would be filed next. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM TERMINATING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ LEGAL STATUS

“It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the “ideology” of its faculty and students,” Harvard wrote in its complaint. 

The records requested include any footage of protest activity involving students on visas and the disciplinary records of all students on visas in the past five years. 

Requested records also include footage or documentation of illegal, dangerous or violent activity by student visa holders, any records of threats or the deprivation of rights of other students or university personnel.

Harvard called the new policy “pernicious” and accused the Trump administration of departing from “decades of settled practice and come without rational explanation.” It claimed the policy was “carried out abruptly without any of the robust procedures the government has established to prevent just this type of upheaval to thousands of students’ lives.” 

Kristi Noem hearing

“Consequences must follow to send a clear signal to Harvard and all universities that want to enjoy the privilege of enrolling foreign students, that the Trump administration will enforce the law and root out the evils of antisemitism in society and campuses,” said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. (Getty)

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in response to the suit, “This lawsuit seeks to kneecap the President’s constitutionally vested powers under Article II.”

“It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments,” she said. “The Trump administration is committed to restoring common sense to our student visa system; no lawsuit, this or any other, is going to change that.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday that in April, she requested the records related to visa-holding students, and Harvard’s counsel did not provide adequate information to meet the demand. 

After the DHS general counsel asked again for the information, Harvard provided an “insufficient, incomplete and unacceptable response,” she said. 

Harvard protesters show Palestine occupation sign

Student visa holders will not be allowed to study at Harvard next year over campus protests under a new DHS policy. (Brett Phelps/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BEGINS NEW WAVE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VISA REVOCATIONS: ‘NO ONE HAS A RIGHT TO A VISA’

“Consequences must follow to send a clear signal to Harvard and all universities that want to enjoy the privilege of enrolling foreign students, that the Trump administration will enforce the law and root out the evils of antisemitism in society and campuses,” said Noem.

In April, Harvard took action to prepare for the potential of the drastic policy change, announcing it would allow foreign students to accept admission to both Harvard and a foreign university as backup amid the Trump administration’s threats to move to block Harvard’s authorization to host them. Typically, students must accept enrollment at Harvard by May 1 and cannot commit to another university. 

At least a dozen Harvard students have had their authorization to study in the U.S. revoked over campus protest activity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress Tuesday the administration has probably revoked “thousands” of student visas by this point and would “proudly” revoke more. 

It is the latest development in the brewing battle between the Trump administration and some of the nation’s most prestigious universities. 

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The administration has already frozen close to $3 billion in federal funding to the university, largely dedicated to research, and launched investigations across the departments of Justice, Education and Health and Human Services. They claim Harvard has not adequately responded to campus antisemitism in protests or moved to root out diversity, equity and inclusion practices. 



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Trump hosts lavish dinner for top meme coin investors at his golf club


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President Donald Trump hosted a swanky dinner last night for the top investors of his $TRUMP meme coin project, telling them “The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators and we’re bringing them back into the USA where they belong,” reports said. 

The event at the Trump National Golf Club Washington DC in Potomac Falls, Va., was open to the 220 largest buyers of Trump’s meme coin, with the top 25 getting “an ultra-exclusive private VIP reception with the President.” 

The Wall Street Journal, citing blockchain analytics firm Inca Digital, reported that around $148 million worth of $TRUMP was purchased by investors to win seats at the dinner, where guests had to pass background checks. 

“The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators, and we’re bringing them back into the U.S.A. where they belong,” it quoted Trump telling the audience Thursday night, who dined on filet mignon and halibut. 

TRUMP CRYPTO CHIEF SAYS WE ARE IN THE ‘GOLDEN AGE’ FOR DIGITAL ASSETS, ‘CLEARING THE DECK’ OF BIDEN BARRIERS 

Guests at Trump event in northern Virginia

An unidentified guest wears a mask as he arrives at Trump National Golf Club where a private dinner was hosted by the president on Thursday, May 22, in Sterling, Va.  (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Protesters gathered outside the club holding signs that said “stop crypto corruption” and “no corrupt fools.” 

“The past administration made your lives miserable,” Trump was also quoted by the New York Times as saying, in reference to President Biden’s regulations against cryptocurrency. 

“There is a lot of sense in crypto. A lot of common sense in crypto,” Trump reportedly added. “And we’re honored to be working on helping everybody here.” 

According to participants’ posts on social media, Trump spoke for about half an hour before dancing to the song “YMCA.” 

Despite the White House insisting that Trump would be attending the event “in his personal time,” he stood behind a lectern with the presidential seal. 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS STORM OUT OF CRYPTOCURRENCY HEARING, ALLEGING TRUMP ‘CORRUPTION’ 

Protest outside of Trump dinner

An activist calls out an attendee of an exclusive dinner at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 22. (Kevin Wolf/AP Content Services for Our Revolution)

Three days before Trump took office on Jan. 20, he announced the creation of the $TRUMP meme coin, describing as a way for his supporters to “have fun.” 

Trump’s meme coin saw an initial spike in value, followed by a steep drop. Its creators, which include an entity controlled by the Trump Organization, have made hundreds of millions of dollars by collecting fees on trades, according to the Associated Press. 

Critics have raised concerns that the president’s connection with cryptocurrency ventures could open the door to conflicts of interest and influence peddling. 

TRUMP LAUNCHES HIS OWN CRYPTOCURRENCY MEME COIN 

Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., speaks outside the Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 22. (Kevin Wolf/AP Content Services for Our Revolution)

When asked by a reporter Thursday if “anyone in the White House or in the White House counsel’s office advise the president against holding this sweepstakes, whereby people who spent the most money on his Trump coin would then have access to the president at this time”, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “is abiding by all conflict-of-interest laws that are applicable to the president.” 

“And I think everybody, the American public, believe it’s absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency,” she added. “This president was incredibly successful before giving it all up to serve our country publicly. And not only has he lost wealth, but he also almost lost his life. He has sacrificed a lot to be here, and to suggest otherwise is, frankly, completely absurd.” 

The biggest investor in Trump’s meme coin, Chinese billionaire Justin Sun – who spent more than $40 million — told the New York Times outside of the event Thursday that “I’m very excited to meet him and discuss about crypto’s future.” 

Among those protesting outside the golf club were Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon. 

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“This is the crypto corruption club,” Merkley was quoted by the Times as saying. “This is like the Mount Everest of corruption.” 

FOX Business’ Eric Revell and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 



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Trump administration expands deportation efforts with new ICE tactic


Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have launched a nationwide initiative to begin arresting illegal immigrants at their immigration and asylum hearings, Fox News has learned.

The effort targets illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. fewer than two years. The DHS strategy is to drop their immigration case, arrest the migrant, then place them into expedited deportation proceedings.

The initiative requires the DHS to drop the cases because migrants cannot be put forward for expedited removal if they have a pending case.

ICE sources who spoke with Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity say Americans should expect to see “a lot more” of these kinds of arrests.

HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT

ICE agents making an arrest

ICE officers will begin arresting migrants when they appear for their immigration and asylum hearings. (ICE)

The new policy is likely to lead to a spike in deportations of migrants who have not committed crimes aside from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The Trump administration has so far focused its efforts on deporting illegal immigrants who have been convicted of other serious crimes.

News of the policy comes as the Department of Homeland Security is in multiple court battles regarding its deportation efforts.

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the DHS had violated a court order in sending a plane full of eight illegal immigrants to South Sudan this week.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the migrants — all of whom are convicted of crimes ranging from homicide to robbery — were not properly given “credible fear interviews.” The interviews allow migrants being deported to a third-party country to argue that being sent there would endanger them.

Murphy said he is investigating whether the deportees can conduct their interviews in South Sudan rather than returning to the U.S. immediately.

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Murphy previously found that any plans to deport people to Libya without notice would “clearly” violate his ruling regarding third-party deportations, which also applies to people who have otherwise exhausted their legal appeals.



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Nancy Pelosi silent on support for ban on congressional stock trading


Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., says she supports banning stock trading for sitting members of Congress “100%,” saying, “we shouldn’t be voting on things we can benefit from financially.”

Though supportive of efforts to curb the practice of trading by members of Congress, Mace, a staunch conservative, told Fox News Digital that she is not surprised the effort has been unsuccessful so far.

“It’s Washington. Washington is doing what it always does,” she said, adding, “The establishment rules and … when you see the kind of returns members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are getting that the average American isn’t, something doesn’t add up.”

According to Quiver Quantitative, Mace has no reported stock trading activity and has a net worth of $3.4 million.

WATCH: Leftist protesters flood Capitol Hill office building as ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill vote looms

Rep. Nancy Mace, left; right; Rep. Nancy Pelosi

While former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, right, declined to answer questions on a congressional stock-trading ban, Rep. Nancy Mace said she supports such a proposal. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images | Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I support it 100%. I don’t trade stocks,” said Mace. “I think I have learned since I’ve been up here that we can be market makers, and when we do bills, or we vote on things, or we do legislation, we shouldn’t be voting on things that we could benefit from financially.”

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meanwhile, declined to comment on her stance.

According to Quiver Quantitative, the former speaker of the House, who has a net worth of a little over $261 million and, as of April 28, was reported as holding $119.9 million in stocks, has been heavily criticized for engaging in lucrative trading.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether she would support banning lawmakers from trading stocks, Pelosi ignored the question and continued walking. 

HAWLEY REIGNITES ‘PELOSI ACT’ PUSH TO BAN LAWMAKERS FROM TRADING STOCKS

Rep. Nancy Pelosi closeup shot

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks with Katie Couric on Oct. 24, 2024 in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)

This comes after Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., introduced legislation earlier this month that would ban congressional stock trading, serving as the House companion bill to Sen. Josh Hawley’s, R-Mo., “PELOSI Act” in the Senate.

Alford’s proposed bill would ban lawmakers and their spouses from holding, purchasing or selling individual stocks while in office, but it allows investments in diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or U.S. Treasury bonds. If passed, current lawmakers would have 180 days to comply with the legislation. Likewise, newly elected lawmakers must achieve compliance within 180 days of entering office.

Under the proposed legislation, lawmakers who continue to make wrongful transactions would be required to hand over any profits they made to the U.S. Treasury Department. The House or Senate ethics committees could also impose a fine on such lawmakers amounting to 10% of each wrongful transaction.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has also endorsed a stock trading ban, saying “a few bad actors” have ruined Americans’ trust in lawmakers on the issue. President Donald Trump himself endorsed the same ban for members of Congress in an interview with Time magazine last month.

“I watched Nancy Pelosi get rich through insider information, and I would be okay with it. If they send that to me, I would do it,” he said of a trading ban.

CALLS TO BAN CONGRESSIONAL TRADING PERSIST AMID RECENT STOCK MARKET VOLATILITY 

Trump signing executive order; NYSE trading display

Photos of President Donald Trump signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House next to photos of the New York Stock Exchange as investors and markets reacted to the news of Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. (Getty Images)

Democrats in the House of Representatives have also expressed support for a ban, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., throwing his weight behind the proposal last week.

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Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., meanwhile, told Fox News Digital that he has an alternate solution that would allow legislators to trade stocks but would mandate that members of Congress wishing to do so to “put their money in escrow and announce the stock trade 24 hours before they make it.”

“Then they have to legally go through with the trade. So instead of not using the insider information, let’s give it to everybody and let them front run the elected officials here,” he said, smiling.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.



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White House promises those who killed Israeli embassy employees will face justice


Those responsible for the fatal attack against two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington, D.C., Wednesday will be prosecuted to the “fullest extent of the law,” according to the White House. 

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were departing an event at the Capital Jewish Museum Wednesday evening when a gunman opened fire and killed them. The two were slated to get engaged next week in Jerusalem, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a White House press briefing. 

A pro-Palestinian man authorities identified as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago was arrested, according to officials. 

“The evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society,” Leavitt told reporters Thursday. “I spoke to the attorney general this morning. The Department of Justice will be prosecuting the perpetrator responsible for this to the fullest extent of the law. Hatred has no place in the United States of America under President Donald Trump. Everyone here at the White House is praying for the victims, friends and families during this unimaginable time.”

Karoline Leavitt in press briefing

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., May 22, 2025.  (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Yaron, born in Israel but who grew up in Germany, has a father who is Jewish. However, his mother is a Christian and the family is considered Christian. Milgrim was an American employee the Israeli embassy employed. 

Leavitt’s comments echo similar sentiments from President Donald Trump and other leaders in the administration, who have asserted that the attack amounts to an act of antisemitism

Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s comments echo similar sentiments from President Donald Trump and other leaders in the administration, who have asserted that the attack amounts to an act of antisemitism.  (Rick Scuteri/The Associated Press)

“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” he wrote in a Truth Social post. “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”

Likewise, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that those responsible for the attack would encounter consequences. 

marco rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that those responsible for the attack would encounter consequences.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC. Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice,” Rubio wrote on X on Thursday.

Additionally, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said he met Milgrim in May at his agency’s headquarters. 

“I just met Sarah two weeks ago in my office at EPA HQ. She struck me as a young woman filled with life and positivity,” Zeldin said in a post on X. “Heartbroken to learn she was one of two tragically murdered last night by a Jew-hating radical screaming ‘Free Palestine’. May Sarah and Yaron rest in peace.”



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White House slams Democrats as ‘radical’ after House passes ‘one big, beautiful bill’


White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday declared that the Democratic Party “has never been more radical and out of touch with the needs of the American people” after voting against President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.” 

Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package was passed by the House of Representatives by a razor-thin 215-214 vote early this morning.  

“Every single Democrat in the House of Representatives voted against all of these common-sense and massively popular policies. The Democrat Party has never been more radical and out of touch with the needs of the American people,” she said. “The one big, beautiful bill is the final missing piece toward ushering the Golden Age of America. The Senate should pass this as quickly as possible and send it to President Trump’s desk for a final signature.” 

Leavitt hailed the legislation as “delivering the largest tax cut in American history for middle-class families, the working class and small businesses.” 

The Trump administration and Republicans hope to reduce the national debt with the bill by cutting approximately $1.5 trillion in government spending. The U.S. government is over $36 trillion in debt and has spent $1.05 trillion more than it has collected in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Treasury Department.

Leavitt also said it will “permanently secure the border by delivering the largest border security investment in history, funding at least 1 million annual removals of illegal aliens to carry out the largest deportation campaign ever, finishing the Trump border wall and giving pay raises and bonuses for our incredible ICE and Border Patrol agents.” 

DEMOCRATS PREDICT TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WILL COST MANY REPUBLICANS THEIR SEATS 

Karoline Leavitt at press briefing

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)

Two House Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill — Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio. 

When asked by a reporter Thursday if Trump thinks both lawmakers should be primaried, Leavitt said, “I believe he does.” 

WINNERS, LOSERS AND GRAB-BAGS FROM HOUSE GOP’S NARROW PASSAGE OF ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ 

House Speaker Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., announces the final vote total after the House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump’s big bill of tax breaks and program cuts after an all-night session at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. (Television via AP)

“And I don’t think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress. ‘What’s the alternative?’ I would ask those members of Congress. Did they want to see a tax hike? Did they want to see our country go bankrupt?” Leavitt continued. 

“That’s the alternative by them trying to vote no. And the president believes the Republican Party needs to be unified. And the vast majority of Republicans clearly are, and are listening to the president. They are trusting in President Trump, as they should, because there’s a reason he’s sitting in this Oval Office. It’s because he’s the unequivocal leader of the Republican Party, not just a president for Republicans, but all Americans,” she added. 

Rep. Thomas Massie talks to reporters

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., speaks to reporters following a series of votes at the U.S. Capitol on March 11. He was one of two House Republicans to vote against the bill on Thursday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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“The president’s approval rating is at an all-time high right now. That’s because he knows how to deliver, and Republicans like Thomas Massie and others should take note,” Leavitt also said. 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Elizabath Elkind contributed to this report. 



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