NationalWatch

A federal judge has ruled the Trump administration cannot enforce an executive order requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship on federal voter registration forms, a decision the administration defends as a lawful effort to protect election integrity.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., on Friday found the requirement unconstitutional, writing that the president “lacks the authority to direct such changes.”

“The first question presented in these consolidated cases is whether the president, acting unilaterally, may direct changes to federal election procedures,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in her opinion. 

“Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes.”

CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS LAUNCH VOTER ID BALLOT PUSH, NEED 875K SIGNATURES BY DEADLINE

However, a spokesperson for the White House told Fox News Digital Trump acted within his legal powers.

“President Trump has exercised his lawful authority to ensure only American citizens are casting ballots in American elections,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital in an email. “This is so commonsense that only the Democrat Party would file a lawsuit against it.

“We expect to be vindicated by a higher court.”

The judge sided with the plaintiffs — including the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Democratic National Committee and the League of Women Voters Education Fund — arguing the Constitution “assigns no direct role to the president in either domain.”

NEARLY ALL REPUBLICAN AGS ADD FIREPOWER TO TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP PUSH

The ruling says the U.S. Election Assistance Commission is permanently blocked from adding the requirement to the federal voter form, according to The Associated Press.

The lawsuit will continue as the judge examines other parts of Trump’s order, according to The Associated Press.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order mandating that anyone registering to vote provide government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship.

The order also directed the attorney general to enter into information-sharing agreements with state election officials to identify cases of election fraud or other election law violations and conditioned federal election-related funds on states complying with federal election integrity measures.

TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKS CITIZENSHIP FOR NON-CITIZEN VOTERS

“There are other steps that we will be taking in the coming weeks,” Trump said just before signing the order. “We think we’ll be able to end up getting fair elections.”

Kollar-Kotelly previously issued a preliminary injunction in April, and another federal judge blocked the same March 25 executive order in June after a separate challenge brought by Democratic state attorneys general, The Associated Press reported.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Illinois lawmakers passed a bill on Friday prohibiting federal agents from making immigration arrests near courthouses.

The measure also allows lawsuits when people believe their constitutional rights were violated during civil immigration arrests.

The legislation, approved largely along party lines, was sent to Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. His office said he supports the idea and will review the proposal when it reaches his desk.

According to the bill, civil damages for false imprisonment could be imposed when a migrant attending a court hearing or appearing as a party or witness to a legal proceeding is arrested.

BLUE CITY JUDGE CITES ‘FEAR OR OBSTRUCTION’ IN BLOCKING ICE COURTHOUSE ARRESTS DURING COURT PROCEEDINGS

Supporters of the bill say courts must be accessible to everyone to seek resolutions to violations of their rights, but even one of the measure’s top sponsors acknowledges it will face an uphill battle in court.

“It’s not just about the constitutionality of the law, which I think is sound, but it’s the reality that the courts are stacked against us,” Democrat Senate President Don Harmon said. “The federal government can try to remove it from state courts to federal courts. They can try to substitute the government itself for the individual defendants, but that’s not a reason not to try.”

Earlier this month, a judge in Cook County, which includes Chicago, issued an order blocking immigration arrests at county courthouses, citing concerns about “fear or obstruction” while migrants attend court proceedings. The order prohibits immigration authorities from making civil arrests of any “party, witness, or potential witness” during court appearances.

The federal government, however, contended that “there are no legal sanctuaries where you can hide and avoid the consequences for breaking the law.”

The Trump administration’s immigration agenda aims to detain suspected illegal migrants as part of the president’s mass deportation policies. But witnesses have reported numerous incidents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detaining people regardless of citizenship or legal status.

“No one should have to choose between seeking justice and risking their freedom,” said Democrat state Sen. Celina Villanueva, who is co-sponsoring the bill. “Courthouses must be places where people can resolve disputes, testify and support loved ones, not sites of fear or intimidation.”

The measure also requires hospitals, day care centers and higher education institutions to create policies detailing how they would handle immigration agents inside their facilities.

Earlier this year, the federal government reversed a Biden administration policy prohibiting immigration arrests in sensitive locations such as hospitals, schools and churches.

Other states have made similar efforts to protect migrants against federal raids.

FEDERAL JUDGE LIMITS ICE ARRESTS WITHOUT WARRANT, PROBABLE CAUSE

California has restricted immigration enforcement action in courthouses since 2017. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state cannot control federal immigration action, but “the state has a responsibility to provide safe and secure access to court facilities to all residents regardless of immigration status.”

In Connecticut, state Supreme Court Chief Justice Raheem Mullins issued a policy in September banning warrantless arrests inside state courts, and prohibited the use of face coverings, often worn by ICE officers to shield their identities, in judicial buildings.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Judges, staff, litigants, members of the public, they all must be able to conduct their business in our courthouses without fear of disruption,” Mullins said.

Other bills introduced by various local governments and Congress also seek to ban face coverings for immigration agents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance leaned into an internet joke at his own expense this Halloween, posting a short video of himself wearing a curly brown wig to mimic a meme that’s followed him for months.

In the TikTok clip, filmed at the Naval Observatory residence, Vance opens the door in a dark suit and red tie, smiling as he tells trick-or-treaters, “Happy Halloween, kids… remember, say thank you!” The line is a playful callback to the “you didn’t say thank you” meme before he spins under purple lights to the eerie Twilight Zone theme.

The 41-year-old vice president’s video racked up more than 250K likes and 14M views within hours, an extraordinary number for a political post, and drew thousands of comments across Instagram, X and Facebook.

Vance first became the butt of the “fat JD with curly hair” meme after a tense White House exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. Critics edited a photo of Vance with exaggerated features and wild hair, pairing it with captions like “you didn’t say please” or “you didn’t say thank you.”

VANCE PAUSES NORTH CAROLINA SPEECH FOR BOY WHO SAID HE ‘SKIPPED SCHOOL’ TO ASK FOR A SELFIE

Rather than ignore the ridicule, Vance embraced it. Earlier this week, the White House X account joined the online fun, posting mock “costume package” images of political figures including a “JD Vance Costume” that jokingly “does not include the fat JD curly hair.” Vance’s own Halloween post essentially completed the gag by adding that missing piece himself.

Within hours, the vice president’s post was trending. Screenshots flooded social media, with one user calling him “the best VP ever,” and another saying “JD just won 2028,” and Elon Musk responded simply with a laughing emoji.

Even some critics gave credit. One commenter on X said, “he did the meme lol.” Users quickly remixed the Halloween look with the original meme, adding jump cuts and effects as it spread across platforms.

JD VANCE RESPONDS TO HAKEEM JEFFRIES’ CLAIM SOMBRERO MEME IS ‘RACIST’

For a White House that thrives on viral content, Vance’s light-hearted stunt fits seamlessly into the Trump administration’s digital playbook. The comms shop for President Trump has long embraced meme culture and rapid-fire online humor, sometimes even powered by AI.

By Friday night, Vance’s Halloween post was still climbing past 14M views.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

For now, JD Vance has done what few politicians manage, turning a meme into a personal win and proving that, at least on Halloween, even the vice president can laugh along with the internet (in a wig).

The office of Vice President JD Vance did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

President Donald Trump said Friday his administration has asked federal courts to clarify whether it can legally release Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments as the government shutdown continues.

In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said government lawyers had raised doubts about whether existing funds could be used for the November distribution and that two courts have issued conflicting opinions on the matter.

“Our Government lawyers do not think we have the legal authority to pay SNAP with certain monies we have available, and now two Courts have issued conflicting opinions on what we can and cannot do,” Trump wrote. “I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.”

The president said he had instructed administration attorneys to ask the courts for clarification “as soon as possible.”

SCHUMER, DEMS CALL ‘BULL—-‘ ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FOOD STAMP SHUTDOWN THREAT

“If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding, just like I did with Military and Law Enforcement Pay,” Trump added. “The Democrats should quit this charade where they hurt people for their own political reasons, and immediately REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.”

Trump urged food stamp recipients to contact Senate Democrats, writing, “If you use SNAP benefits, call the Senate Democrats, and tell them to reopen the Government, NOW! Here is Cryin’ Chuck Schumer’s Office Number.”

SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides aid to about 42 million Americans each month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Funding for the program depends on congressional appropriations, which have lapsed during the current shutdown.

USDA CHIEF WARNS ‘WE’RE RIGHT AT THE CLIFF’ AS 40 MILLION AMERICANS BRACE FOR FOOD STAMP CUTOFF

The president made his comments one day before the scheduled Nov. 1 payment date for many recipients. The USDA has not publicly confirmed whether benefits will be issued if the courts do not provide new guidance.

Trump has repeatedly accused Democrats of prolonging the shutdown to gain political leverage, while Democrats say the White House could reopen the government by signing a short-term spending bill already passed in the Senate.

In his post, Trump referenced his earlier actions to protect military and law enforcement paychecks during the standoff, calling it his duty to “ensure Americans don’t go hungry.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

No court filings related to SNAP funding had been publicly docketed as of Friday afternoon.

The White House referred Fox News Digital to President Trump’s Truth Social post when pressed for comment.

Economic imperative or executive overreach? That is the question the Supreme Court is preparing this week to confront, in one of its most monumental appeals over the scope of executive power, a time-sensitive challenge to President Donald Trump‘s expansive import tariffs over most countries.

The justices will hear oral arguments Wednesday over lawsuits from a coalition of small businesses and several Democratic-led states, who say Trump has abused his authority by declaring a “national emergency” to impose levies on nearly every country in the world.

At issue is whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) gives the president that power.

TRUMP CUTS CHINA TARIFF AFTER XI SIGNALS TOUGHER FENTANYL ENFORCEMENT, RARE-EARTH PAUSE

Lower federal courts have ruled against the Executive Branch, but Trump’s Justice Department warns “denial of tariff authority would expose our nation to trade retaliation without effective defenses.”

The financial and political stakes are enormous, with potential immediate effects on the domestic and global economies. Businesses and industries, large and small, are nervously watching how the Court will act.

“The Supreme Court will decide whether or not Congress, in fact, gave the president the fairly broad authority that he’s claimed to impose [tariffs] on, in a way that no president has used it before,” said Thomas Dupree, a leading appellate attorney and a former top Justice Department official. “Not to say that’s necessarily impermissible, but it is something that the Supreme Court has not seen in recent years and is going to weigh in on whether or not he’s overstepped the authority that he has under the law.”

The final word

The consolidated, expedited appeals will be the first major test on the merits of the White House’s aggressive second-term agenda to remake large swaths of the federal government, and the outsized role this president has so far played.

The administration has been winning most of the emergency appeals at the Supreme Court since January dealt only with whether challenged policies could go into effect temporarily, while the issues play out in the lower courts — including immigration, federal spending cuts, workforce reductions and transgenders in the military.

In doing so, the 6-3 conservative majority has reversed about two dozen preliminary nationwide injunctions imposed by lower federal courts, leading to frustration and confusion among many judges.

Now those percolating petitions are starting to reach the Supreme Court for final review — and legal analysts say the bench may be poised to grant broad unilateral powers to the president.

The justices fast-tracked the administration’s appeal over sweeping tariffs on nearly every country, which were blocked by lower courts.

A high court ruling on the merits could come quickly, perhaps within weeks. Both sides have urged a quick decision, since the U.S. has been engaged in active, ongoing trade negotiations with dozens of countries over the past months.

This could be the start of several high-profile merits appeals over Trump’s executive actions.

In December, the justices will decide whether to overturn a 90-year precedent dealing with the president’s ability to fire members of some federal regulatory agencies like the Federal Trade Commission. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS DEFECT, REJECT TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON CANADIAN GOODS

And in January, the power of President Trump to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors will be tested in another major constitutional showdown. For now, the Biden-appointed Cook will remain on the job.

Other appeals that could be added to the high court argument docket include birthright citizenship and other immigration-related petitions, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies in educational institutions and the environment.

The law in question

Congress is given the power under the Constitution’s Article I to “lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises.”

But when Trump in February began issuing a series of executive orders, he relied on the IEEPA, which gives the president the power — under a self-declared national economic emergency — to “investigate, block during the pendency of an investigation, regulate, direct and compel, nullify, void, prevent or prohibit, any acquisition, holding, withholding, use, transfer, withdrawal, transportation, importation or exportation of, or dealing in, or exercising any right, power, or privilege with respect to, or transactions involving, any property in which any foreign country or a national thereof has any interest.”

The Trump Justice Department says the choices are stark.

“President Trump and his advisors have determined that erroneously invalidating the IEEPA tariffs, ‘would have catastrophic consequences for our national security, foreign policy, and economy,'” wrote U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, who will argue the case before the justices. Citing Trump’s own words, “The President has emphasized: ‘If the United States were forced to unwind these historic agreements … the economic consequences would be ruinous, instead of unprecedented success.”

But the plaintiffs claim no president until now in the law’s five decades has ever used it to impose “sweeping worldwide” tariffs.

“Context, history and common sense all support a more modest understanding of that provision — one that leaves the President ample tools to address emergencies but does not delegate Congress’ tariffing power wholesale,” wrote Benjamin Gutman, Oregon’s solicitor general, who will argue the case for the state plaintiffs. “This Court should reject the President’s bid to seize that power for himself.”

Two categories of tariffs involving a variety of products are being contested: The first are “trafficking tariffs,” on goods from Canada, China and Mexico, imposed after the Trump administration said those nations have not done enough to reduce the flow of fentanyl.

The second, broader category, labeled “reciprocal tariffs,” involves tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on products from virtually all countries.     

The arguments

The Supreme Court will hold at least 80-minutes of scheduled oral arguments in its marble-lined courtroom, but the public session is expected to last much longer.

The justices will almost certainly have many questions of counsel from both sides, since they will be confronting a range of novel legal and constitutional questions over Trump’s tariff authority.

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT FOR URGENT RULING ON TARIFF POWERS AS ‘STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER’

The arguments — audio of which will be streamed live on the court’s website — will consist of the bench posing questions, comments and hypotheticals to lawyers from the federal government, private business and the states.

After the public sessions, the justices will meet privately — perhaps later Wednesday — and vote on the case, at least preliminarily.

The majority and any dissenting opinions will be assigned, and the court go begin articulating a ruling that will serve as precedent for this and future disputes over executive authority.

The court will have no shortage of information to ponder. In addition to the written briefs filed by the opposing parties, about four dozen “amicus” briefs have been filed, offering a range of legal positions from advocacy groups, other state governments and legal and economic scholars.

The impact

The unpredictable, ongoing rollout of tariffs has created global economic uncertainty and fears of higher consumer prices, but Trump has also used them as political leverage to pressure countries into negotiating new trade deals.

“A big fraction of the Supreme Court’s docket will present the question, can President Trump do: fill in the blank? And that includes imposed tariffs,” said Dupree. “Trump is pushing at every limit and the Supreme Court this term is going to be telling us whether he’s exceeded those limits. That is going to be the story of so much of what the Supreme Court is deciding this term is whether the president has [acted] within or has exceeded.” 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Of more immediate focus, the tariff cases will offer a tantalizing “first look” guide of how broadly the conservative majority high court views Trump’s muscular view of presidential power, a template for almost certain future appeals of his executive agenda.

The cases are Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (24-1287);  Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc. (25-250).

President Trump announced Friday that renovations have been completed on the Lincoln Bedroom bathroom in the White House, revealing the redesigned space in a series of posts on Truth Social.

The bathroom, which was last updated in the 1940s with a green tile design, has been reimagined with black-and-white marble — a look the President described as more fitting for the Lincoln era.

“I renovated the Lincoln Bathroom in the White House. It was renovated in the 1940s in an art deco green tile style, which was totally inappropriate for the Lincoln Era,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday.

PHOTOS: THE MAKING OF TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, A LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS

Trump added, “I did it in black and white polished statuary marble. This was very appropriate for the time of Abraham Lincoln and, in fact, could be the marble that was originally there!”

The President shared multiple photos on Truth Social of the remodel, which showcased the bathroom’s marble walls and gold fixtures.

“The Refurbished Lincoln Bathroom in the White House — Highly polished, Statuary marble!” Trump said in one of the posts.

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF TRUMP PREPARING TO HIT MILITARY TARGETS INSIDE VENEZUELA

The office and cabinet room once used by America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, has been known as the Lincoln Bedroom since 1945, when President Harry S. Truman directed that furnishings from Lincoln’s era be placed there, according to the White House Historical Association.

The room is located in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House.

WHITE HOUSE MAKEOVERS HAVE LONG SPARKED CONTROVERSY, WELL BEFORE PRESIDENT TRUMP’S $200M BALLROOM

The bathroom renovation follows Trump’s recent announcement that construction crews had begun tearing down part of the East Wing to make room for his privately funded White House ballroom, a project that’s been in the works for months.

The ballroom is estimated to cost $250 million and will be financed jointly by Trump and private donors.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a July 31 briefing.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Military veterans in Congress are criticizing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for dodging questions on whether he will forego his paycheck as government workers go without pay due to the ongoing shutdown.

Reps. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and Tom Barrett, R-Mich., each of whom served in the U.S. Army, said they would give up their paychecks for the duration of the shutdown, citing concern for American service members.

The three took aim at Jeffries for not saying whether he would do the same.

As the government shutdown enters its fifth week, Jeffries was asked on CNN on Wednesday night if he would defer his paychecks during the shutdown in light of TSA agents and other federal workers having to work without pay. Jeffries dodged the question, saying, “I’ll be commenting on that shortly.”

JOHNSON REJECTS PUSH FOR MILITARY PAY FIX AS SHUTDOWN FIGHT INTENSIFIES

“I understand the sacrifice that people are making, including Capitol Police officers here, and I’m going to conduct myself accordingly given that sacrifice,” Jeffries added, to which the CNN host pressed, “So, that sounds like a yes, that you will defer your paycheck?”

Jeffries answered, “Well, I’ll have more to say about that shortly, but I think consistent with the values that I just articulated.”

In response, Evans, who served as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, called Jeffries’ dodge an “insult to Americans” that “just reiterates their unserious and irresponsible legislating and proves how out of touch they are from those they are supposed to serve.”

HOUSE GOP BLOCKS DEMS’ MILITARY PAY BILL AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREATENS CHECKS

“As a former cop and soldier who still lives paycheck to paycheck, I understand firsthand the severity and impact that this Democrat-led shutdown has caused our country to endure, and is why I’ve chosen to defer my pay and stand in solidarity with every federal employee who misses a paycheck until the Democrats decide to work with Republicans to reopen our government,” Evans told Fox News Digital.

He added that “while thousands of dedicated and hardworking Americans continue to work tirelessly without a paycheck to keep America safe and running, Democrats continue to be noncommittal when asked about deferring their own pay amid the government shutdown.”

Meeks, who retired as a lieutenant colonel, told Fox News Digital that if Jeffries “cared half as much about working families as he does about his own salary, the government would already be open.”

“While 42 million Americans face losing their SNAP benefits and our troops go unpaid, Hakeem Jeffries is still cashing a paycheck,” she said.

FLIGHT DELAYS WORSEN AS UNPAID AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FEEL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PAIN

“Hakeem Jeffries is so out of touch that he thinks he should be compensated for shutting down the government and causing the American people to suffer,” added Barrett, a 22-year veteran.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“This type of hypocrisy is exactly what I came to Washington to fight against,” he said. “It’s time for him to drop this ‘rules for thee and not for me’ attitude and make a decision: pay our federal employees or pass on his paycheck like the rest of us.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ office for a response but did not receive a comment by the time of publication. 

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…

-‘Scary Movie’ Jay Jones: GOP turns Democratic AG hopeful’s scandals into Halloween costumes

-GOP hopeful warns socialist mayoral candidate in Minneapolis is a ‘copy-paste’ of Mamdani

-As Congress grows older, debate heats up over when to step aside

Johnson warns against Trump’s demand for Senate to go ‘nuclear’ to end shutdown

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., warned against President Donald Trump’s demand for the Senate to invoke the “nuclear option” to end the government shutdown.

Johnson was asked during his Friday press conference about a late-night Truth Social post in which Trump demanded the Senate get rid of the filibuster and its 60-vote threshold to ram through the GOP’s federal funding bill by a simple majority.

“Look, I’ll just say this in general, as I’ve said many times about the filibuster, it’s not my call. I don’t have a say in this. It’s a Senate chamber issue,” Johnson said. “But the filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it.”…READ MORE.
 

White House

SNAP SHOWDOWN: Two judges rule Trump admin must keep SNAP benefits in place as shutdown drags on

TOXIC WATERS END: Trump EPA slashes 12 years off sewage cleanup crisis that has rocked California for decades

LICENSE TO VOTE: Former VP Kamala Harris advocates for lowering the voting age

RED WAVE RISING: Trump, Youngkin hold tele-rally for Virginia GOP ticket; presidential Sears endorsement remains withheld
 

World Stage

TABOO TOPIC: Trump and Xi skip Taiwan talk despite years of war preparations

CASH PIPELINE: Bombshell report shows foreign charities dumped billions into US political advocacy groups, ‘erode’ democracy

Capitol Hill

SHUTDOWN STANDOFF: Senate talks show signs of progress as government shutdown grinds into 2nd month

FOLLOW THE MONEY: Unearthed records expose Swalwell campaign’s ‘bizarre inconsistency’ in payments to California man

WHO BLINKS FIRST: Johnson raises shutdown stakes on Schumer as food stamp deadline, Obamacare cliff loom

Across America 

IN THE BALANCE: Cuomo picks up endorsements, rises in polls as comeback campaign nears finish line

HIDING THE TRUTH: Alvin Bragg dodges mentioning signature Trump case as he campaigns for DA re-election

‘DISAPPOINTED’: Dem appointed supreme court justice in hot seat over politically charged Halloween display

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

President Donald Trump and Gov. Glenn Youngkin headlined a Thursday tele-rally for the entire Virginia Republican ticket, as the commander-in-chief has yet to formally endorse Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ gubernatorial bid.

Earle-Sears – who is vying to succeed the term-limited Youngkin – the ticket includes Richmond broadcaster John Reid for lieutenant governor, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and the entire GOP caucus in the House of Delegates who hope to win an uphill battle to gain the three seats needed to take back the majority.

Recent polls showed Miyares with the highest current statistical shot of winning his race, leading scandal-plagued former Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk. while Reid is tied or within the margin of error of state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield.

Earle-Sears, however, remains several points behind former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger – though her campaign previously stated they view the race as much closer.

RAMASWAMY ENDORSES WINSOME EARLE-SEARS FOR VIRGINIA GOVERNOR, RALLY PLANNED NEXT WEEK IN SWING SUBURB

A source familiar with the event said Youngkin urged Virginians to support the full ticket, emphasizing that Earle-Sears would continue the “commonsense, conservative leadership that has delivered results under Governor Youngkin.”

Youngkin and Trump made a clear contrast between the Republican ticket’s platform and the “extreme, far-left policies” of past governors incredibly clear.

NEW POLL IN KEY SHOWDOWN FOR VIRGINIA GOVERNOR INDICATES SINGLE-DIGIT RACE

Fox News Digital reached out to the Republican National Committee for further comment on Trump’s appearance, while a source familiar with the rally said the event closely mirrored one four years ago that helped propel Youngkin past statistically favored Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

“The president did a tele-rally for [Youngkin] the day before his election and he won by 60,000 votes – that was the difference.”

Youngkin did overperform expectations in both red and blue areas that election.

TOP GOP GROUP DROPS BIG MONEY INTO VIRGINIA SHOWDOWN AFTER DEM AG NOMINEE’S VIOLENT TEXTS GO VIRAL

Although Youngkin didn’t win any of the Washington, D.C., collar counties — including Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church — he narrowed Republican deficits there compared to past elections.

That improvement, paired with overwhelming margins in deep-red southwestern counties like Lee, Wise, Dickenson, and Tazewell, helped secure his victory.

Both Youngkin and Trump expressed hope that Earle-Sears could replicate that formula against the favored Democrat, Spanberger.

TRUMP VOICES SUPPORT FOR GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, ADMITS SHE HAS ‘TOUGH RACE’

But Trump has declined to officially endorse Earle-Sears during this cycle.

He did, however, endorse Jack Ciattarelli for governor of similarly blue-leaning New Jersey – though the former assemblyman has been trending better in polls than Earle-Sears.

A source familiar with Youngkin’s 2021 run noted that the two men were at arm’s length throughout most of the campaign.

TRUMP YET TO ENDORSE IN VA GOVERNOR’S RACE – BUT ALSO KEPT YOUNGKIN AT ARM’S LENGTH

Republicans often face a delicate balancing act — energizing their base and attracting independents without galvanizing staunchly anti-Trump voters in Virginia’s most densely populated areas.

Earle-Sears has, however, drawn in popular pinch-hitters from out of state in recent days:

On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier – a rising star in that state’s Republican circles who helped engineer Alligator Alcatraz and is battling blue states over sanctuary policies – headlined a rally for Sears in New Baltimore.

Uthmeier was joined by Earle-Sears, Miyares – and Dels. Ian Lovejoy, R-Nokesville, and Geary Higgins, R-Lovettsville, who both face tough races as the Democratic diaspora from Washington moves farther west into some of Virginia’s more conservative confines.

Lovejoy said the election will decide one of the “simplest” but most important questions: “Who is in charge of your children?”

Virginia House Minority Whip Michael Webert, R-Warrenton, also spoke – warning voters that not only is Virginia’s governorship up for grabs but also the future of their very federal representation for years to come.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“A million people have already voted and didn’t know we were going to have this,” Webert said.

“This is an issue for our election. Is that not disenfranchising voters? All the reason, all of you … need to vote.”

The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Thursday that it has shaved off additional months from construction efforts to resolve a chronic sewage crisis seeping into the San Diego area from Mexico. 

“The Trump Administration is doing everything in its power to urgently and permanently deliver the 100% solution to the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis that the residents of Southern California have demanded for decades,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Thursday in a press release provided to Fox News Digital. 

Sewage has been flowing into San Diego from across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, going back decades. The situation has been described as a crisis by local leaders and residents, as the sewage impacts the city’s tourism and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, where Navy SEALs train. 

SEALs, who are required to spend hours in the ocean as part of their training, have reported serious illnesses from the contaminated water, including acute gastrointestinal illnesses. 

MEXICO TO DUMP MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF SEWAGE INTO TIJUANA RIVER, US CONTINUES TO BE A DUMPING GROUND: OFFICIAL

The crisis is blamed on outdated wastewater infrastructure that was strained by the skyrocketing population in Tijuana, Mexico, which has increased by approximately 188% from 1990 to 2025 alone, according to figures compiled by the Mexican government and local universities. 

The EPA announced Thursday that it completed a 100-day review of all projects associated with correcting the sewage crisis and wastewater infrastructure along the border, and found it had shaved the timeline of completion for two other projects by another nine months, meaning roughly 12 years in total construction time was cut from the project. 

“Important new progress to report on the efforts to implement a permanent, 100% solution to end the decades long Tijuana River Sewage Crisis: Today, EPA is announcing a nine month total reduction in the timelines for two additional key projects on the Mexico side of the border: Rehabilitation of Pump Station 1 and reconstruction of the Tijuana River Gates,” Zeldin posted to X of the announcement. 

EPA CHIEF ZELDIN LAUNCHES TALKS WITH MEXICO TO END SEWAGE HITTING SAN DIEGO, NAVY SEALS: ‘OUT OF PATIENCE’

Cleaning up the Tijuana, Mexico, sewage crisis was among Zeldin’s top priorities in the early months of his tenure as EPA chief, traveling to San Diego and Mexico in April to assess the situation and meet with local leaders. 

Zeldin and his Mexican government counterpart, Secretary of the Environment and National Resources of Mexico Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in July that streamlined the two governments’ efforts to correct the crisis. 

The Memorandum of Understanding allows the Minute 328 agreement, which is a 2022 agreement between the U.S. and Mexico through the International Boundary and Water Commission to address the sewage crisis with 17 sanitation infrastructure projects. 

TRUMP EPA CHIEF TO ‘CONFRONT CRISIS’ OF MEXICAN SEWAGE POLLUTING SAN DIEGO AREA BEACHES

The Trump EPA said the Minute 328 agreement “did not go far enough to achieve the 100% solution San Diego area residents so desperately demand,” sparking the Trump administration to launch a full review of the projects and streamline their completion. 

July’s Memorandum of Understanding included Mexico designating millions of dollars in unused Minute 328 funding to the wastewater projects, as well as hashing out a reduced timeline for completion of the remaining Minute 328 projects, and mapping out other projects for Mexico to prepare for a further increase to Tijuana’s population in the coming years. The MOU established that all Minute 328 projects must be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2027. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Reducing timelines for existing infrastructure projects is a sign of great progress and demonstrates how both the United States and Mexico are faithfully upholding their agreed-upon responsibilities from July’s MOU,” Zeldin said Thursday. “Through intensive collaboration, we were able to cut through red tape, identify efficiencies, and overcome bureaucratic hurdles. While substantial construction work lies ahead, this represents a crucial step in our commitment to protect American communities from cross-border pollution.”

There has been a noticeable shift in the Senate over the last week, with lawmakers on either side of the aisle talking more about how to get out of the government shutdown.

But it’s not blanket optimism and neither side is ready to announce that an off-ramp to the 31-day shutdown has been finalized. And ultimately, how well the bipartisan talks are going depends on who you ask.

Republican and Democrat rank-and-file members, particularly members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, have started talking more as the week has progressed. There are talks of extending the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to allow time to finish appropriations bills, and Senate Democrats are socializing a package of funding bills among their members.

JOHNSON WARNS AGAINST TRUMP’S DEMAND FOR SENATE TO GO ‘NUCLEAR’ TO END SHUTDOWN

However, the reality is that Senate Democrats again blocked the GOP’s CR for a 13th time, and lawmakers only got one chance to vote on the bill before leaving Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

And Senate Democrats are still largely entrenched in their position that expiring Obamacare subsidies must be dealt with before the government reopens, even with the offer of a vote on the matter after the CR is passed.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was encouraged by Senate Democrats socializing spending bills on their side of the aisle, but he still contended that given the amount of time it takes to process funding bills on the floor, the best option was to reopen the government.

“Unfortunately, doing all that takes a while,” Thune said. “Even if you got consent, it still, it’d take a while to move those bills across the floor. So we’ve got to reopen the government.”

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said that his Democratic counterparts were beginning to realize that time was running out to actually fund the government through the appropriations process, which is a generally bipartisan affair in the upper chamber given the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

When asked if he felt closer to an end to the shutdown now than a month ago, he said, “Yes.”

“I was hoping we’d break the logjam this week, and if we don’t get it done this week,” Hoeven said, “I’m sure hoping it gets done next week.”

THUNE, GOP REJECT PUSHING ‘RIFLE-SHOT’ GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILLS DURING SHUTDOWN

However, the conversations have not yet evolved into high-level talks with Republican and Democratic leadership, nor have they made their way into the Oval Office.

Thune noted earlier in the week that President Donald Trump offered to speak with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., next week — only after the government reopens.

“They always say, ‘Do it later, do it later,’” Schumer said. “Later, to quote Martin Luther King Jr., and his letter from the Birmingham Jail, means never.”

And Trump, for many Senate Democrats, will be a key player in how the shutdown ends. They argue that his input is inevitably the end-all-be-all for an agreement Republicans might concoct on the Hill.

SCHUMER, DEMS CALL ‘BULL—-‘ ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FOOD STAMP SHUTDOWN THREAT

“Ultimately, you need him,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said. “I mean, this is — they’re not going to move until Trump tells them to move. So until you hear something real from Donald Trump, it doesn’t feel like anything is real.”

And Republicans view that the only true way that the shutdown ends is if Schumer unlocks the votes needed to break the filibuster threshold in the Senate, or if a handful of Senate Democrats defect.

“Well, I don’t know what else to do,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. “I voted 13 times to open the government up. Most of my colleagues have, I think probably the shutdown is not going to end until my friend, Senator Schumer, takes his ego out back and shoots it.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Still, lawmakers believe that talks are good and need to continue in order for the off-ramp out of the shutdown to be finished.

That, plus the added pressure of food benefits running dry for millions, federal workers going without pay and flights getting delayed or canceled, could see both sides move closer toward the middle.

“There’s talks about talks,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said. “But we need talks to yield results, right?”

When asked if there had been any progress, Murkowski said, “I’ll go check,” before the senators-only elevator door slid shut. Lawmakers left town for the weekend shortly after.

When President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, the two leaders talked about trade and drug trafficking — but avoided the one issue that could most likely draw their nations into war: Taiwan.

Both sides have reasons to keep tensions low. Trump’s administration is seeking Chinese cooperation on border enforcement and drug trafficking, while Xi faces growing economic pressures at home. Yet even as diplomacy aims for calm, U.S. defense planners have long prepared for potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

Tensions have only deepened in recent years. Washington has approved high-profile arms sales to Taiwan, U.S. lawmakers such as then–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have made high-profile visits, and former President Joe Biden repeatedly pledged to defend the island — only for aides to later clarify that the United States still adheres to its long-standing “One China” policy.

Meanwhile, China has dramatically increased military pressure on Taiwan through large-scale drills that simulate a blockade and invasion. The People’s Liberation Army now conducts near-constant air and naval operations encircling the island — exercises that have become larger, more complex, and more frequent. What once served as symbolic shows of force now resemble rehearsals for cutting off Taiwan’s access to the outside world.

TRUMP, XI MEET IN EFFORT TO RESOLVE TRADE TENSIONS SPARKED BY US TARIFFS

The silence from Trump and Xi contrasted sharply with the noise of those military preparations on both sides of the Pacific.

Taiwan watchers have been left guessing about just how much the United States would come to the island’s defense if China invaded — an intentional policy known as strategic ambiguity that Trump has taken to a new level.

The president earlier this month predicted optimistically that China would not invade Taiwan.

“I think we’ll be just fine with China. China doesn’t want to do that,” he said. “As it pertains to Taiwan — and that doesn’t mean it’s not the apple of his eye, because probably it is — but I don’t see anything happening.”

Compared with other conflict zones, Trump has said little about the prospect of war in the Indo-Pacific, leaving allies and adversaries alike uncertain about how far he would go to defend Taiwan.

Some analysts who favor strong U.S. support for Taiwan were relieved the issue didn’t surface, given concerns Trump might trade the island’s interests for economic concessions — such as looser Chinese mineral export restrictions, larger agricultural purchases or cooperation on curbing the precursor chemicals fueling America’s fentanyl crisis.

RUBIO SAYS COMMITMENT TO TAIWAN WON’T CHANGE AMID TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA

“I think it’s a good thing that Taiwan didn’t come up,” said Raymond Kuo, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. “There’s been a lot of concern in Taiwan, especially recently, that it would be sold out for some kind of U.S.–China grand bargain.”

Matthew Kroenig, vice president of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said he viewed the omission as “neutral,” though he would have preferred the president restate the One China policy while warning Beijing to “knock off its almost daily military coercion and gray-zone activities against Taiwan.”

Kuo noted that Taiwan has sharply increased its defense spending as tensions rise, boosting its budget by roughly 75 percent in the past two years and now allocating a greater share of government funds to defense than the U.S. does proportionally. Still, he warned that production delays in U.S. weapons deliveries — including a backlog that exceeded $20 billion at the start of this year — could weaken Taiwan’s ability to keep pace with China’s military modernization.

Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, said she wasn’t surprised Taiwan stayed off the formal agenda. “There were so many trade issues that were really top of mind for both sides,” she said. “Concerns about a ‘grand bargain’ over Taiwan always seemed far-fetched.”

But Kavanagh cautioned that the United States and China cannot indefinitely avoid the subject. “Things have escalated significantly in recent years, and the long-time understandings around the One China policy and strategic ambiguity have started to erode,” she said. “It’s important for both sides to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful means of resolving their differences.”

She added that the military balance in the region has shifted “rather quickly in China’s favor,” making U.S. deterrence less credible if tensions continue to climb. “The time to pivot to Asia has probably passed,” Kavanagh said, suggesting Washington must now focus on managing competition rather than reversing it.

Inside Trump’s administration, analysts say those competing instincts are visible. “There are really two China policies,” Kroenig said. “The trade folks are looking for deals, while the defense and national-security professionals are focused on the China threat — especially the threat to Taiwan.” That divide mirrors Washington’s broader struggle to reconcile economic engagement with military deterrence.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Kroenig added that Trump’s unpredictability may itself be part of his deterrent strategy. “It keeps our adversaries guessing and worried,” he said. “It may be unlikely that China would attack Taiwan under his watch.”

Still, Trump’s meeting with Xi offered little clarity on where the president ultimately stands on Taiwan — or how he would respond if Beijing tested the limits of U.S. commitment to the island’s security. For now, both leaders appear content to keep the most volatile issue in their relationship unspoken. The quiet may help avert confrontation in the short term — but it leaves one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints lingering just beneath the surface.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., warned against President Donald Trump’s demand for the Senate to invoke the “nuclear option” to end the government shutdown.

Johnson was asked during his Friday press conference about a late-night Truth Social post in which Trump demanded the Senate get rid of the filibuster and its 60-vote threshold to ram through the GOP’s federal funding bill by a simple majority.

“Look, I’ll just say this in general, as I’ve said many times about the filibuster, it’s not my call. I don’t have a say in this. It’s a Senate chamber issue,” Johnson said. “But the filibuster has traditionally been viewed as a very important safeguard. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t think our team would like it.”

Sixty votes are required in the Senate to overcome a filibuster and proceed with debate and a final vote on most pieces of legislation. Senate Democrats attempted to get rid of it when they last held the majority in order to pass reforms that they accused Republicans of blocking, but they were blocked by more moderate members of their own party.

JOHNSON TURNS UP SHUTDOWN PRESSURE ON DEMOCRATS AS GOP UNEASE GROWS

If Republicans successfully got rid of it now with a move colloquially known as the “nuclear option,” Johnson warned Democrats would then use that standard in the future to pass progressive policies while sidelining the GOP.

“The Democrats, look, they’ve said what they would do. They would pack the Supreme Court. They would make Puerto Rico and D.C. states. They would ban firearms. They would do all sorts of things that would be very harmful for the country, and the safeguard in the Senate has always been the filibuster,” Johnson said. “But again, not my issue, not something I get to even weigh in on.”

The shutdown is in its 31st day after Senate Democrats blocked the GOP from advancing its short-term federal funding bill 13 times since Sept. 19.

At the current tallies, five more Senate Democrats are needed to vote with Republicans to overcome the filibuster.

TRUMP URGES GOP TO ‘END THE SHUTDOWN’ BY GOING NUCLEAR ON SENATE FILIBUSTER

Trump, apparently fed up with the impasse, posted late on Thursday night, “It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!”

“Just a short while ago, the Democrats, while in power, fought for three years to do this, but were unable to pull it off because of Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Never have the Democrats fought so hard to do something because they knew the tremendous strength that terminating the Filibuster would give them,” Trump wrote.

“Well, now WE are in power, and if we did what we should be doing, it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, Country destroying ‘SHUT DOWN.’ If the Democrats ever came back into power, which would be made easier for them if the Republicans are not using the Great Strength and Policies made available to us by ending the Filibuster, the Democrats will exercise their rights, and it will be done in the first day they take office, regardless of whether or not we do it.”

Johnson said he interpreted it as Trump expressing his frustration with the situation.

“What you’re seeing is an expression of the president’s anger at the situation. He is as angry as I am, and the American people are, about this madness,” Johnson said. “He just desperately wants the government to be reopened so that all these resources can flow to the people who need it so much.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

While the Senate GOP went nuclear once already this year to approve Trump’s nominees, the likelihood that they do it again, especially to gut the filibuster, is low.

“[Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s] position on the importance of the legislative filibuster is unchanged,” Thune’s spokesperson Ryan Wrasse said in a statement.

FIRST ON FOX: One of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is raising eyebrows over a “bizarre inconsistency” in his campaign’s Federal Election Commission filings that list several different reasons for payments to a Haitian American staffer, totaling over $360,000.

FEC filings from Swalwell for Congress and his Remedy PAC, dating back to 2021 and as recently as last month, show over 75 payments to an individual named Darly Meyer, with various reasons given for the disbursements. Individual payments vary from as little as $53 to over $12,000. 

Based on the payments, Meyer has earned varying amounts each year, including over 27 payments last year that added up to over $120,000. He is also on pace to make over $120,000 in 2025.

The FEC filings list several different reasons for the payments, ranging from travel expenses, car service to security services to salary. There are also several payments to Meyer for things like “personal travel expense reimbursement,” “event flowers reimbursement” and postage.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S NYC MAYORAL CAMPAIGN TOOK FOREIGN CASH, RAISING COMPLIANCE QUESTIONS

Besides working for the Swalwell campaign, Meyer also owns a limousine service called CYD Global Car Service based in North Hollywood. According to the company’s website, it offers professional chauffeurs, corporate shuttles and limousine services, with an emphasis on luxury travel.

He is also an administrator of a Facebook group called “CaliHaitians – Haitians in Az, Ca, Nv, Hi, Or, Wa,” which bills itself as a “progressive community” of Haitians living in the United States, which has over 3,000 members. The “about” page goes on to say that the group is “selective” about who can become a member, saying they want to forge a “closer bond” with “head members of groups/organizations that are able to provide professional services to strengthen the community.” 

“Lastly, in forging a strategic partnership and casting a wider net for the betterment of Haiti and its children outside of the country, we invite head members of other organizations or groups boasting 500+ members to join us,” the Facebook group continued.

In addition to Meyer, the group includes multiple other administrators, including a woman named Guerline Jozef, the co-founder and executive director of Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), which bills itself as “working to end racist border policies like the Remain in Mexico Policy, Title 42, and the border-to-prison-and-deportation pipeline” and helps illegal migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Swalwell campaign to inquire about the various classifications and asked what Meyer’s role is on his staff since the payments switched from “Security Services” to “Salary.” Swalwell did not comment on the reason for the different classifications, simply saying that “Darly protects me and my family.” 

Swalwell also took to X, writing that Fox News Digital “emailed and asked why I’ve spent $350,000 on security” and saying, “Maybe I should send [the reporter] the bill?” Fox News Digital reviewed online records from California’s Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, but it does not appear that Darly has a security license.

When Fox News Digital reached out to Meyer about the payments, he replied, “No comment.” 

AOC DROPS THOUSANDS ON LUXURY HOTELS WHILE ‘FIGHTING OLIGARCHY’ WITH SANDERS, FILINGS REVEAL

Hans von Spakovsky, a former FEC commissioner and now senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that “this is the type of bizarre inconsistency that should catch the attention of the FEC.”

Von Spakovsky added that the irregularities should “cause the agency’s auditing arm to investigate whether these were legitimate payments to a legitimate contractor.”

This is not the first time Swalwell has raised eyebrows over his campaign expenditures. According to FEC filings through the years, Swalwell’s campaign has reported a multitude of expenditures on luxury car services, expensive restaurants and lavish, luxury hotels, including in Dubai, Berlin, Paris, London and others.

Fox News Digital previously reported on Swalwell’s campaign dropping tens of thousands of dollars on Just Dreaming Yacht Charters, a San Francisco agency that offers “relaxing and luxurious” private yachts for up to 40 passengers, as a fundraising expense. In October 2023 his campaign spent nearly $17,000 with the company.

‘SQUAD’ DEM SPENDS EYE-POPPING AMOUNT ON LUXURY LIMO SERVICES IN ONE YEAR

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to its 2023 year-end filings, Swalwell’s campaign reported three payments for nearly $1,700 in Dubai at the five-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, considered a “global icon of Arabian luxury.”

Swalwell’s campaign spent nearly $90,000 on travel expenses during the last three months of 2023 alone, including at various other hotels such as 1 Hotel San Francisco, Austin Proper Hotel and the Times Square Edition.

In 2022, Swalwell’s report showed that his campaign doled out nearly $60,000 in travel expenses over six weeks between April and May, including $1,752 at the five-star Hotel La Maison Champs-Elysées in Paris.

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican accused Google and its AI of targeting conservatives with false allegations and fake news stories, including allegations of a sexual assault that never happened.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital that Google’s large language model AI Gemma allegedly produced false and defamatory allegations against conservatives, including herself.

Specifically, she alleged that the AI generated a fabricated sexual assault allegation against her and a series of links to fake news articles to support the false claim.

BLACKBURN SAYS TRUMP SUPPORT WAS ‘COMMON THREAD’ AMONG LAWMAKERS REPORTEDLY TARGETED BY JACK SMITH

Her letter to Pichai came on the heels of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing earlier this week that zeroed in on “jawboning,” the practice of government officials using indirect coercion to get tech companies, like Google or social media platforms, to censor posts or speech.

During the hearing, Blackburn went after Google Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy Markham Erickson over AI “hallucinations” that allegedly produced false allegations against conservative activist Robby Starbuck.

AI hallucinations are when a generative AI or large language model, like Gemma, creates false, misleading or inaccurate information that is then presented as fact.

GOVERNMENT ENTERS LONGEST FULL SHUTDOWN IN US HISTORY WITH NO END IN SIGHT

Starbuck sued the company after Google’s AI tools allegedly linked him to false accusations of sexual assault, child rape and financial exploitation.

That spurred her to enter a prompt into Gemma asking, “Has Marsha Blackburn been accused of rape?”

The AI then produced a story, she wrote, that alleged that during her run for Tennessee State Senate in 1987 she had a sexual relationship with a state trooper, and that, “the trooper alleged that she pressured him to obtain prescription drugs for her and that the relationship involved non-consensual acts.”

Blackburn noted, however, that she ran for seat in 1998 and that, “There has never been such an accusation, there is no such individual, and there are no such news stories.”

GOOGLE HIT WITH LAWSUIT OVER AI ‘HALLUCINATIONS’ LINKING CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST TO CHILD ABUSE CLAIMS

“This is not a harmless ‘hallucination,’” she said. “It is an act of defamation produced and distributed by a Google-owned AI model. A publicly accessible tool that invents false criminal allegations about a sitting U.S. senator represents a catastrophic failure of oversight and ethical responsibility.”

She charged that there was a consistent pattern of bias against conservatives by Google’s AI, and whether on purpose or the result of “ideologically biased training data, the effect is the same: Google’s AI models are shaping dangerous political narratives by spreading falsehoods about conservatives and eroding public trust.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Blackburn demanded that by Nov. 6, Google provide how the company identifies how and why Gemma generated the false claims about her, what steps Google has taken to prevent political or ideological bias in AI, what guardrails failed to stop this incident, and what Google will do to remove defamatory material and prevent similar occurrences.

“During the hearing, Mr. Erickson said, ‘[large language models] will hallucinate,’” she said. “My response remains the same: Shut it down until you can control it.”

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

President Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot this year, but New Jersey voters are sending him a message. More are negative toward Trump than positive by 11 percentage points, and more than twice as many say their vote in this year’s gubernatorial race will be to express opposition to the president rather than to show support. 

That helps Democrat Mikie Sherrill best Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 52% to 45% heading into the last few days of the campaign, according to a Fox News poll of New Jersey likely voters. Her 7-point lead is just outside the poll’s margin of sampling error. Earlier this month, Sherrill was ahead by 5 points, and in September she was up by 8 points. 

FOX NEWS POLL: CAPITALISM REMAINS MORE POPULAR THAN SOCIALISM, YET MAJORITIES SUPPORT TAXING THE WEALTHY

“It’s a cliché, but it’s true, this race is all about turnout, so the big question is whether Trump supporters show up when he’s not on the ballot,” says Daron Shaw, a Republican who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “Sherrill’s supporters seem like they are going to turn out, but the evidence is mixed for those backing Ciattarelli. If the MAGA base comes around during this final weekend, the Democratic advantage narrows considerably.”

This analysis is among likely voters.

Among those who say they are extremely enthusiastic about voting this year, Ciattarelli is ahead by 5 points – but among those either extremely or very enthusiastic, it’s Sherrill by 4. That’s because more Republicans feel extremely enthusiastic (52%) than Democrats (40%). 

Some 93% of Ciattarelli’s backers feel certain they will vote for him compared to 91% for Sherrill, while 8% overall say they could switch their pick before voting. Only 3% say they will vote for someone other than these two major party candidates or are undecided on their choice.

FOX NEWS POLL: DESPITE DIP IN APPROVAL, CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS STILL OUTPERFORM DEMOCRATS

There’s a 17-point gender gap, as Sherrill leads by 16 points among women, while it’s Ciattarelli +1 point among men.

Ciattarelli is favored by 4 points among White voters and by 10 points among men without a college degree. Fully 98% of self-identified MAGA supporters are backing him.

Sherrill is preferred by 48 points among non-whites, 24 points among voters younger than 45, and 16 points among those with a college degree.

Some 97% of Democrats support Sherrill, while Ciattarelli gets 92% among GOPers. Seven percent of Republicans say they are backing Sherrill compared to only 1% of Democrats voicing support for Ciattarelli. (There are too few independents to break out.)

More New Jersians think Sherrill is honest and trustworthy than say the same about Ciattarelli.

He’s in negative territory by 6 points on this measure (47% honest vs. 53% dishonest), while she’s in positive territory by 13 points (56% vs. 43%).

It’s about the same for their favorability ratings. Sherrill has a net positive rating by 9 points (54% favorable vs. 45% unfavorable). Ciattarelli’s rating is underwater by 6 points (46% vs. 52%). Some 28% have a strongly favorable view of each candidate, but by a 9-point margin more have a strongly unfavorable opinion of Ciattarelli than Sherrill.

On handling top issues, voters trust Ciattarelli on crime by 3 points. Sherrill is favored by wider margins to handle the cost of living (+8), taxes (+9), energy costs (+10), and healthcare (+16).

The candidates are vying to fill the seat of term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who won re-election in 2021 by beating Ciattarelli by 3 points.

Voters have mixed feelings about Murphy, as 49% view him favorably and 48% negatively.

For Trump, it’s 44% favorable (31% strongly) vs. 55% unfavorable (48% strongly). 

Among voters who have a strongly favorable view of Trump, 63% say they are extremely enthusiastic about voting in the governor’s race, while that number is only 39% among those who have a strongly unfavorable view him. 

While 16% of New Jersey voters say one reason for their vote is to show support for Trump, more than twice as many are voting to show opposition (35%). About half say the president is not a factor in their vote. 

Two-thirds of Sherrill supporters say their vote is to express opposition to Trump compared to one-third of those backing Ciattarelli, who say theirs is to show support.

“Every four years, New Jersey gets the spotlight as the country looks for indications of which way the political winds are blowing,” says Anderson. “The degree to which the election is a harbinger is debatable, but regardless of the outcome, it’s clear Sherrill will get support from some who are more interested in signaling opposition to Trump than in electing her governor.”

The last time the New Jersey governor’s mansion stayed with the same political party for three consecutive terms was 1961.

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted October 24-28, 2025 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,107 New Jersey registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (121) and cellphones (728) or completed the survey online by following a link received via text message (258). There was a subsample of 956 likely voters. Results based on both the registered voter and likely voter sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Likely voters are identified based on past vote history and self-reported likelihood of voting. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: PHILADELPHIA, PA – Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin is confident his party’s investment in 2025’s most consequential elections will pay off.

“I do expect that we’ll win those elections in New Jersey and Virginia,” Martin said in an exclusive national interview with Fox News Digital, pointing to the only two states holding gubernatorial contests this year. “We feel pretty bullish about our chances.”

Democrats are looking to rebound from last year’s setbacks – when the party lost control of the White House and Senate and failed to win back the House majority – with strong showings in next week’s races. 

The New Jersey and Virginia contests are viewed as early tests of President Donald Trump‘s agenda and as a barometer for next year’s midterm elections, when Democrats hope to win back control of Congress.

FIVE KEY RACES TO WATCH IN NEXT WEEK’S ELECTIONS

The DNC has dished out over $7 million – a party record – for get-out-the-vote and organizing efforts this summer and autumn in New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, where Democrats are fighting to retain three state supreme court seats. 

“I’ve always taken the position that every election matters, whether it’s an on year off year, whether it’s a local election, a federal election, every inch of ground that we gain here adds up,” Martin emphasized.

Martin said that since Trump returned to the White House in January, “there’s been 45 elections on the ballot. Democrats have overperformed in all of them to the tune of about 16 percentage points on average.” While confident, he added that “we’re not taking anything for granted.”

DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN NOMINEES IN CRUCIAL GOVERNOR’S RACE TOUT SURGE IN EARLY VOTING NUMBERS

Asked what a ballot box setback would mean for Democrats, Martin said his focus is on “turning out every single vote we can over these next several days left to make sure we do win.”

He reiterated, “I do expect that we’ll win those elections in New Jersey and Virginia. We have terrific candidates who are running great campaigns.”

Martin spoke during a two-day campaign swing through Pennsylvania, ahead of return stops to boost voter turnout in New Jersey and Virginia.

In blue-leaning New Jersey, polls show a tight race between Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill and GOP rival Jack Ciattarelli, who is vying in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

Asked why Republicans feel bullish about their chances to capture the Garden State’s governor’s office, Martin told Politico in a recent interview that “New Jersey is the best place, probably, for Donald Trump to actually stop the Democratic momentum — or at least minimize the Democratic momentum that we’ve seen throughout this year.”

Presented with his comments, Martin said that “we expect this race to be close, and it certainly seems like it will be close.”

And he noted that “history is not on our side in the sense that we’ve never elected, at least in 50 years, a Democrat to a third term in the governorship” in New Jersey.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS

Still, he argued that Sherrill “is running a really strong campaign on a message that’s resonating with New Jerseyans.”

In Virginia, recent controversy in the state’s attorney general race has complicated Democrats’ efforts to hold the governor’s mansion, forcing nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, to defend against GOP attacks. Polls had shown Spanberger with a solid lead over Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. 

The controversy centers on Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones, who apologized for texts sent in 2022 comparing then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, saying that if given two bullets, “he would use both” on the Republican lawmaker. 

Republicans have demanded Jones withdraw from the race. 

“Let me be very clear, I immediately condemned those vile and indefensible comments and text messages that he made and called on him to apologize,” Martin said. “He needed to apologize to Virginians, which he did.”

Asked by Fox News Digital if he should have called for Jones to step aside, Martin said, “That’s not up to me to decide. That’s up to Virginians to decide whether or not his comments were disqualifying, and they’ll make their decision in a few days.”

Martin also called Pennsylvania’s state supreme court retention elections in Pennsylvania “critical for our party, because what we’ve seen over many years now is attempts by billionaire donors and special interests to buy Supreme Court seats throughout the country, and it’s an attempt actually to thwart our democracy.”

“The reality is, is for us, this is a critical election for the National Democratic Party, because if they win here, if these billionaire donors are able to win these three Supreme Court races, they will certainly take this on the road and try to do this everywhere else in the country,” Martin warned.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Republican National Committee (RNC), asked to respond to Martin’s remarks, pointed to its fundraising edge. 

“Ken Martin has turned the DNC into a debt-ridden circus run by radicals — and we sincerely hope he keeps up the great work, RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels argued in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Regardless of what happens next Tuesday, it won’t be because of anything Ken Martin did. The DNC is broke, desperate, and wasting its last dollars trying to save face in blue states, and even then, Democrats are struggling to hold on.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday met with his Chinese counterpart in Kuala Lumpur, using the high-profile encounter to reaffirm that the United States will “stoutly defend” its interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

Hegseth characterized the session with Chinese Admiral Dong Jun as “good and constructive.” The pair met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defense summit, which convened top military officials from across the region. 

The Pentagon chief said he raised concerns about China’s growing aggression in the South China Sea and around Taiwan – as well as its posture toward American allies and partners.

“I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth wrote on X. “The United States does not seek conflict, but it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so.”

TRUMP, XI MEET IN EFFORT TO RESOLVE TRADE TENSIONS SPARKED BY US TARIFFS

China’s Defense Ministry responded in measured terms, reiterating Beijing’s long-held stance that Taiwan’s reunification with the mainland is an “unstoppable historical trend.”

The meeting face-to-face marked the first in-person meeting between the two defense leaders since a video call in early September. It signaled continued efforts on both sides to manage a tense relationship even as disputes over Taiwan, maritime boundaries and navigation rights persist.

Hegseth said the U.S. will “continue discussions with the People’s Liberation Army on matters of mutual importance.”

Hegseth also announced a 10-year defense cooperation framework with India following talks with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh — part of Washington’s push to expand security and technology ties with New Delhi as a counterweight to Beijing’s influence.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The secretary later met with Malaysia’s defense minister, reaffirming the two nations’ commitment to upholding maritime security in the contested South China Sea, where China’s expansive territorial claims overlap with those of several Southeast Asian countries.

ASEAN defense ministers will continue talks Saturday with dialogue partners including the United States, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea and Russia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia have asked a federal judge in Nashville to dismiss his criminal case entirely, arguing in a new filing Thursday that the Trump administration failed to provide the necessary discovery or to allow key witness testimony during a two-day evidentiary hearing next week. 

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw scheduled the upcoming hearing to weigh Abrego Garcia’s request that his criminal case be dismissed on the grounds of “vindictive” and selective prosecution by the government. 

Crenshaw ruled earlier this month that Abrego Garcia had established a “realistic likelihood” of vindictiveness in his criminal case, which was initiated by the Justice Department while he was detained in El Salvador earlier this year.

US JUDGE VOWS TO RULE ‘SOON’ ON ABREGO GARCIA’S FATE AFTER MARATHON HEARING

Abrego Garcia’s lawyers noted in Thursday’s filing that after a judge finds a “realistic likelihood” of vindictiveness in a case — as Crenshaw did earlier this month — a rebuttable presumption arises for the government, which then bears the burden of providing “objective, on-the-record explanations” to show the case was not brought for retaliatory purposes.

If the government fails to do so, the indictment should be dismissed completely, his lawyers said, arguing that the Trump administration had stonewalled them by refusing to allow witnesses to testify or hand over relevant discovery information.  

It is unclear how, or when, Crenshaw will rule on the motion to dismiss or whether he would opt to cancel next week’s hearing in light of the allegedly unclear submissions by the Trump administration. 

More information could be revealed Friday afternoon, after lawyers for all parties participate in a counsel-only conference set by the judge.

Still, the request comes as Abrego Garcia’s dueling criminal and civil cases have emerged as a major flashpoint in the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown. 

Justice Department officials told another federal judge in Maryland on Monday they have no plans to allow Abrego Garcia to remain in the U.S. to stand trial in Tennessee. Instead, they said they will seek to remove him as quickly as possible to a third country, possibly Liberia.

ABREGO GARCIA REMAINS IN US FOR NOW AS JUDGE TAKES CASE UNDER ADVISEMENT

Lawyers for the Trump administration also told the same federal judge in Maryland earlier this month that they had identified three African countries — Uganda, Ghana and Eswatini — as suitable third country locations to deport Abrego Garcia, pending dissolution of an earlier court order keeping him in the U.S. They have since changed the country of removal to Liberia, lawyers for the administration testified on Monday. 

It is unclear whether Liberia has agreed to accept Abrego Garcia.

Separately, Crenshaw had ordered additional discovery and a two-day evidentiary hearing for Trump officials to rebut the allegations of vindictive and selective prosecution and to make the case that they did not act with genuine animus in bringing the criminal case against Abrego Garcia. 

A federal grand jury indicted Abrego Garcia in May on two counts related to immigrant smuggling, stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.   

Though Judge Crenshaw has appeared skeptical of the government’s timeline and earlier assertions, it is unclear whether he would go as far as to grant Abrego Garcia’s effort to toss the criminal case completely — at least for now. 

In the new filing, lawyers for Abrego Garcia argued that the Trump administration has failed to comply with any discovery obligations despite the court order weeks earlier or even identified which categories of documents they plan to produce for next week’s hearing.

JAMES COMEY SEEKS TO DISMISS HIS CRIMINAL CASE, CITING ‘VINDICTIVE’ PROSECUTION

Lawyers for the Justice Department asked Judge Crenshaw earlier this week to review certain categories of evidence privately, or in camera, before deciding what materials the government must turn over to Abrego Garcia’s legal team for consideration next week.

These actions were the basis of Thursday’s new motion to dismiss the criminal indictment outright. 

“Although the defense bears no burden at the evidentiary hearing while the presumption remains unrebutted — and we believe it will continue to be unrebutted on the limited evidence the government is apparently prepared to offer — the defense is entitled to cross-examine the government’s witnesses, which requires the timely, prehearing production of documents to the defense,” Abrego Garcia’s lawyers said in their filing.

They also noted the government’s ongoing attempt to quash subpoenas from two senior Trump administration officials to testify next week, including the second-highest-ranking Justice Department official, Todd Blanche. 

Crenshaw’s ruling earlier this month named Blanche directly on several occasions, which could present a significant hurdle for the Trump administration as it seeks to quash his subpoena.

Still, the road ahead will likely be difficult for both defense attorneys and the Justice Department. 

FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BARS ABREGO GARCIA FROM DEPORTATION TO UGANDA

It is notoriously difficult to have a case dismissed on the grounds of selective or vindictive prosecution, and few attempts have made it to the discovery phase, meaning the outcome in Abrego Garcia’s case is far from clear. 

Existing precedent requires a defendant to prove both that prosecutors acted with genuine animus in bringing the case and that prosecutors singled the defendant out because of that animus. 

Selective prosecution requires the defense to prove that “similarly situated” persons have not been prosecuted. 

Trump officials, for their part, have railed against the “activist” judges whom they argue are blocking their agenda and impinging on the president’s executive branch authorities.

Earlier this week, Judge Crenshaw ordered the Justice Department to provide the court with communications regarding the government’s decision to prosecute the criminal case against Abrego Garcia and what “factual circumstances” motivated the change in the government’s position. 

‘CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

He also admonished DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi for failing to limit their comments on Abrego Garcia’s ongoing criminal case in Tennessee, a violation of local court rules, and ordered prosecutors to notify all Justice Department and DHS employees to prevent future public remarks.

“Government employees have made extrajudicial statements that are troubling, especially where many of them are exaggerated if not simply inaccurate,” Judge Crenshaw said Monday. 

FIRST ON FOX: Two major phone carriers took sharply different paths when former special counsel Jack Smith’s team subpoenaed phone records tied to Republican lawmakers in 2023, according to the redacted subpoenas and letters first shared with Fox News Digital.

The documents, provided by the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reveal Verizon’s compliance and AT&T’s resistance when faced with Smith’s requests, which were part of Arctic Frost, the FBI probe that led to Smith bringing election charges against President Donald Trump.

The 12 phone numbers on the subpoena to Verizon are redacted and replaced by Grassley’s office with the names of the lawmakers associated with them. They include one House member and 10 senators, including Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fl., whose name was not previously reported.

AT&T received a similar request, according to a second subpoena. The company told Grassley the subpoenaed phone records were associated with two lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, according to a source directly familiar with the matter. The source said AT&T declined to disclose the second person.

REPUBLICANS CLAIM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ‘ENEMIES LIST’ UNEARTHED FROM ARCTIC FROST INVESTIGATION

Accompanying the two subpoenas were gag orders, signed by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of Washington, D.C., that directed the two phone companies not to disclose the subpoenas to the lawmakers for one year. Prosecutors can seek such gag orders to temporarily keep investigative matters confidential.

The phone companies also wrote letters to Grassley, first shared with Fox News Digital, explaining how they handled the subpoenas they received, revealing two different approaches.

Verizon justified complying with the subpoenas, saying they were “facially valid” and contained only phone numbers, not names. Verizon said that with the “benefit of hindsight” and recent discussions with the Senate Sergeant at Arms, which handles congressional phone services, it has modified its policies so that it puts up more of a challenge to law enforcement requests pertaining to Congress members.

AT&T, meanwhile, did not comply with the subpoenas.

“When AT&T raised questions with Special Counsel Smith’s office concerning the legal basis for seeking records of members of Congress, the Special Counsel did not pursue the subpoena further, and no records were produced,” David Chorzempa, general counsel for AT&T, wrote.

The release of copies of the subpoenas and new details from phone companies comes after Grassley published earlier this month a one-page FBI document indicating the existence of the subpoenas and naming most of the senators. They included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley, Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson and Cynthia Lummis.

Cruz later revealed that he was in the mix, and Scott announced on Thursday that he too was a target.

Grassley said Wednesday that Smith’s subpoena to Verizon included Cruz’s office’s landline. In Verizon’s letter to Grassley, it noted that there were no records to give Smith pertaining to the landline request.

The two subpoenas to Verizon and AT&T sought toll records for a four-day period surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. They did not include the contents of phone calls or messages, which would require a warrant, but they did include “[call] detail records for inbound and outbound calls, text messages, direct connect, and voicemail messages” and phone number subscriber and payment information.

News of the subpoenas sparked an outcry from the senators, who claimed Smith improperly spied on them and that Arctic Frost was “worse” than the Watergate scandal. The lawmakers have raised numerous constitutional concerns, including claims that the subpoenas violated the speech and debate clause, which gives lawmakers an added layer of immunity from investigations.

JACK SMITH DEFENDS SUBPOENAING REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ PHONE RECORDS: ‘ENTIRELY PROPER’

Smith, in response, said in a letter through his lawyers that he mentioned subpoenaing senators’ phone records in his public, final special counsel report and that the subpoenas were narrowly tailored to the four-day period and “entirely proper.”

Smith has asked House and Senate lawmakers to allow him to testify before them in a public hearing to speak about his special counsel work. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, however, wants to question Smith behind closed doors and Grassley has said he needs more information before he hosts Smith in a public setting.

The DOJ has issued subpoenas for lawmakers’ information in the past, but former inspector general Michael Horowitz cautioned against it except in limited circumstances in a report published last year, saying that doing so “risks chilling Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Horowitz’s warning came in response to the first Trump administration subpoenaing phone records of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and dozens of congressional staffers from both parties as part of an investigation into classified information being leaked to the media.

Despite enjoying additional constitutional protections, members of Congress can still be investigated and prosecuted. Former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez’s phone records were seized while he was serving in office. Menendez is now serving in prison after being found guilty by a jury last year of corruption charges.

Read copies of the letters from Verizon and AT&T and the subpoenas below. 

App users: 

Click to read the Verizon letter

Click to read the Verizon subpoena

Click to read the AT&T letter

Click to read the AT&T subpoena