NationalWatch

In her first interview since announcing her bid for Alaska governor, Bernadette Wilson, a former radio host and longtime conservative figure in Alaska, spoke to Fox News Digital about the issues in the race and working with the Trump administration on energy development.

Wilson, a lifelong Alaskan who was born on the Kenai Peninsula and grew up in Anchorage, is a political outsider. Even so, politics does run in her family. Her great-uncle Wally Hickel served as governor, first in the 1960s as a Republican and again in the early 1990s as a member of the Alaska Independence Party.

She noted she comes from a long line of business people, including her grandfather, who “built a good chunk” of the state’s largest city.

“I myself own a garbage company … and we are celebrating our ninth year in business,” she said. She added that her entrepreneurial experience and knowledge of state politics through her family history and own career in radio and activism is a good mix.

RANKED CHOICE VOTING RANKLES ELECTION SEASON

Wilson opposes ranked choice voting, in which votes are tallied in a hierarchical manner through several rounds. Conservatives in the red state blamed ranked choice voting for the election of former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. Incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited.

“Ranked choice voting disenfranchises voters. We see that it is … so confusing to them. We see people who don’t understand the process, and it absolutely has got to go. That is mission-critical,” she said.

In other states, ranked choice voting has had mixed reviews. In Virginia, proponents on the right credited it with helping the state party select businessman Glenn Youngkin as its nominee for governor in 2021, which led to a major Republican upset that fall.

ALASKA CAN BE CURE FOR NATION’S ILLS WITH HELP FROM TRUMP ADMIN: GOVERNOR SAYS

Energy is the most important economic topic for Alaska, and Wilson said she looks forward to working with the Trump administration on its stated plan for a domestic energy renaissance if she’s elected.

“Energy is obviously huge for Alaska. Under the Biden administration, Alaska was sanctioned more times than … the country of Iran,” she said.

“We have the ability to lead the rest of the country [in this field].”

Asked about another Trump-related topic, the ongoing tit-for-tat with Canada over claims to make it the 51st state and Ottawa’s bipartisan outrage at American tariffs, Wilson said, as governor, she would want to work on cross-border infrastructure projects.

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“Obviously, Canada sitting right along the border to Alaska has a huge impact for us. And so getting a railroad through Canada would definitely be a great No. 1 priority when it comes to our interaction with that particular country,” she said.

Wilson faces Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and State Sen. Click Bishop, R-Fairbanks, in the 2026 contest.

President Donald Trump and his motorcade were greeted by dozens of mounted camels after his plane landed in Qatar Wednesday morning as he continues his four-day trip to the Middle East. 

“We appreciate those camels,” Trump said Wednesday while meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. “I haven’t seen camels like that in a long time. And really, we appreciate it very much.”

The motorcade traveling from the Doha airport to the Amiri Diwan, which serves as the central hub of the Qatari government, also included red Tesa Cybertrucks in an apparent nod to Tesla CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk, as well as men on horseback. 

SAUDIS DEPLOY MOBILE MCDONALD’S FOR TRUMP’S TRIP TO THE KINGDOM

Trump signed a series of agreements with al-Thani Wednesday as part of the trip, including a purchasing agreement by Qatar for Boeing aircraft, as well as letters of intent and “joint cooperation” between Qatar and the U.S. 

Trump arrived to Doha Wednesday morning, and met with local leaders as well joined a Qatari State Dinner. 

TRUMP SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH QATAR ON DEFENSE AND BOEING PURCHASES

Wednesday’s deals follow Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia Tuesday, when he signed a “strategic economic partnership” with Saudi Arabia for energy, defense, mining and space-based agreements that amount to $600 billion. Trump said the deal could lead to the creation of two million jobs in the U.S.

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Saudi Arabia also welcomed Trump with grand gestures, including sending fighter jet escorts to welcome Air Force One to the ground and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeting Trump on the tarmac. 

The Saudis also rolled out a mobile version of Trump’s beloved fast-food joint, McDonald’s, in Riyadh during his trip. 

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard moved the presidential daily brief staff from the CIA to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Fox News Digital confirmed. 

A senior intelligence source told Fox News Digital that the director of National Intelligence “has always controlled” the presidential daily brief (PDB) and that Gabbard “is just moving it physically to ODNI from CIA in a streamlining effort and a continuity of workforce.” 

The PDB, according to the intelligence community, is a daily summary of high-level, all-source information and analysis on national security issues produced for the president and key cabinet members and advisers. It is coordinated and delivered by the ODNI with contributions from the CIA as well as other elements from the intelligence community. It has been presented to the president since 1946.

GABBARD FIRES ‘DEEP STATE’ HEADS OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE COUNCIL TO ROOT OUT ‘POLITICIZATION OF INTEL’

The move comes after Gabbard, on Tuesday, also moved the National Intelligence Council from the CIA to ODNI. NIC, according to senior intelligence officials, has always been a DNI component. 

“It makes sense for them to be physically located at DNI,” a CIA official told Fox News Digital. 

Another senior intelligence official pointed to Gabbard’s confirmation hearing, in which she said her “priority was to deliver timely, accurate and actionable intelligence as the President’s principal intelligence advisor.” 

“The PDB staff and the NIC are the primary apparatus that feeds her this advisory material, so moving them physically closer gives her the best support,” the official said. “In other words, having them in closer proximity gives her less lag time and faster responsiveness to fill that role as principal intelligence advisor.” 

DNI GABBARD REFERS INTEL OFFICIALS TO DOJ FOR PROSECUTION OVER ALLEGED LEAKS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

The official added: “Both moves are about providing the President more timely and actionable intelligence.” 

The moves come as Gabbard has taken steps to root out leakers and alleged “deep state holdovers” who officials say are politicizing intelligence analysis and “trying to sabotage President Trump’s agenda.” 

FLASHBACK: BIDEN CAMPAIGN, BLINKEN ORCHESTRATED INTEL LETTER TO DISCREDIT HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY, EX-CIA OFFICIAL SAYS

So far, Gabbard has referred three intelligence community professionals to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution over alleged leaks of classified information. Fox News Digital first reported on those criminal referrals in April. 

An ODNI official at that time told Fox News Digital that the intelligence community professionals allegedly leaked classified information to the Washington Post and The New York Times. 

Fox News Digital, on Tuesday, exclusively reported that Gabbard had fired the top officials leading National Intelligence Council, whom whistleblowers described as “radically opposed to Trump.”

Gabbard fired Mike Collins, who was serving as the acting chair of the National Intelligence Council, and his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof, Tuesday, senior intelligence officials told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out Langan-Riekhof for comment and did not immediately hear back, and couldn’t immediately find contact information for Collins. 

Collins also has whistleblower complaints against him for political bias and “deliberately undermining the incoming Trump administration,” officials said. 

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They added that Collins was closely associated with Michael Morrell, the former deputy director of the CIA who worked to write a public letter in 2020 claiming that Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,” and to get signatures from top ex-intelligence officials. 

As for Langan-Reikhof, officials said she has been a “key advocate” for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and is someone who whistleblowers allege is “radically opposed to Trump.”

It’s hard enough to know what you want. It’s even harder to know what others want. But what if what you want hinges on what somebody else wants…and they aren’t sure what they want?

Hence the conundrum now facing Congressional Republicans as they try to approve the “big, beautiful bill.”

GOPers are waiting for President Trump to push for very specific items to be in the bill – or fall by the wayside.

Congressional Republicans are aligned closely with the President and willing to bend to his wishes. But it complicates things when Trump calls for what he termed a “tiny” tax increase for the super wealthy.

TRUMP SAYS TAX RAISES ARE ‘GOOD POLITICS,’ DISMISSING GOP CRITICS

“People would love to do it. Rich people. I would love to do it, frankly. Giving us something up top in order to make people in the middle income and the lower income brackets [have] more. So, it’s really a redistribution,” said the president.

First, President Trump suggested a form of rations, limiting how many pencils kids need or how many dolls a little girl should have. That puzzled free marketeers in the GOP.

Now, to use his phrase, “redistribution.”

You understand how much heartburn this gives capitalists in Congress. But what’s worse is the mixed messaging.

When writing on Truth Social about creating a higher tax bracket for the wealthy, the president muddled his instructions for lawmakers:

“Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” declared President Trump.

CIVIL WAR THREATENS GOP OVER MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKES IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

This exasperated Congressional Republicans who oppose raising any taxes – a long-held tenet of the Republican Party. 

In another political universe, taxing the wealthy would be – at best – a trial balloon. So, most Congressional Republicans decided it was time for this to pop.

“No, we are not going to do tax increases,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., on Fox Business.

“We don’t want to raise taxes on anybody. I mean, we’re about lowering taxes on Americans,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Fox.

But President Trump’s Republican Party is very different from the Reagan Republican Party. The GOP shifts to where Trump wants it. Just consider the approach to tariffs compared to free trade.

TRUMP PUSHES TAX HIKES FOR WEALTHY AS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ DEADLINE LOOMS

President Trump broadened the party’s base in the last election. The GOP is no longer dominated by big business, titans of commerce and the well-to-do. Part of the president’s appeal was the blue-collar coalition he cobbled together. And his fundamental economic message on taxes resonated with millions of voters. That’s why his top advisers say Trump is sticking to campaign promises.

“President Trump has made it clear that he has his priorities, like no tax on tips. No tax on overtime. No tax on Social Security,” said National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Fox.

However, revenue generated from new taxes on the wealthy could help cover the cost of spending cuts.

“We need to see what we need to do with the math to make sure that we are doing the country well fiscally and that we don’t just add to the debt,” said Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.

But Republicans are frustrated after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., shrank the size of the tax cuts and spending reductions.

The tax breaks were supposed to be around $4.5 trillion at one point. They dwindled to $4 trillion. They were angling to lock in $2 trillion in tax cuts. They’re scaled back to $1.5 trillion.

‘HARD NO’: MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE PROPOSAL HAS HOUSE REPUBLICANS DIVIDED

“Republicans talk a big game in campaigns,” lamented House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. “If we’re not able to bend the curve on mandatory spending, then we will send a very bad signal to the bond markets.”

But regardless of what’s in the package, the White House is expecting Congressional Republicans to ultimately vote yes on the “big, beautiful bill.”

“The president has great political instincts. That’s why he’s back in the Oval Office,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

But that’s what Congressional Republicans found so vexing. The president may have great political instincts. But the marching orders were far from clear.

Trump conceded that a tax hike may be controversial politically.

Congressional Republicans suffer from political PTSD. They remember another Republican President who made one of the most famous political promises of all time. And then broke it.

“No new taxes,” intoned the late President George H.W. Bush in his address to a Joint Session of Congress in 1989.

But Bush famously reversed himself as part of a 1990 budget pact. That was not necessarily the reason “Bush 41” lost reelection in 1992 to former President Clinton. And President Trump was sure enough to point that out on social media.

TRUMP SLAMS REPUBLICAN ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ OPPOSING BUDGET BILL, PREDICTS MASSIVE US TAX INCREASES IF IT FAILS

“The Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election!” wrote Trump.

The “Perot Effect” certainly deprived George H.W. Bush of a second term more than breaking the “no new taxes” promise. But that doesn’t mean that Republicans aren’t skittish about voting for tax increases.

And regardless, the legislative product that emerged from the Ways and Means Committee markup this week lacked the type of tax hike dangled by President Trump.

That said, Congressional Republicans certainly have their opinions about what they think of the developing “big, beautiful bill.”

“A growing number of us, we don’t want smoke and mirrors. We want real cuts,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. “$2 trillion (in cuts) is really a teardrop in the ocean.”

“You’ve got front-loaded tax [cuts]. Backloaded spending restraint,” groused Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. “Medicaid reforms and work requirements don’t kick in for four years.”

“It’ll be ironic and sad in a way that conservatives will be voting for the largest increase in the debt ceiling,” mused Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. “I have a feeling it’s going to be wimpy on the spending cuts and maybe a little wimpy on the taxes, too.”

So, at least some Republicans grasp what they want in the bill. And they’re willing to take direction from the president. That’s why clear direction from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. will be key next week as the House tries to pass the measure.

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Members will say they can’t vote for the bill because it has this or excludes that. But they just might be able to vote yea if President Trump knows what he wants – and makes that clear to lawmakers.

Mexican officials said Wednesday that 17 family members of drug cartel leaders crossed into the United States last week as part of a deal between a son of the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Trump administration.

Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed a report by independent journalist Luis Chaparro that family members of Ovidio Guzmán López had entered the U.S. Lopez, the son of imprisoned Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was extradited to the U.S. in 2023. 

Among the family members allowed into the U.S. was Guzman’s former wife, Griselda López Pérez. 

CONSERVATIVE GROUP’S ROADMAP SHOWS HOW TRUMP CAN USE MILITARY TO THWART CARTELS 

In a radio interview, García Harfuch said it was clear to Mexican authorities the deal was made during negotiations between Guzmán López and the U.S. government.

“It is evident that his family is going to the U.S. because of a negotiation or an offer that the Department of Justice is giving him,” García Harfuch said.

None of the family was being pursued by Mexican authorities. 

Video footage posted online Tuesday by Spanish-language outlet Radio Formula shows Guzmán’s family carrying luggage as they wait to be processed at the Tijuana/San Diego border crossing. They reportedly packed $70,000 in cash with them.

SINALOA CARTEL TAKES ROOT IN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS: WHERE ARE THEY?

The confirmation by García Harfuch came the same day the office of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced it was charging a number of top cartel leaders with “narcoterrorism” for the first time since the Trump administration declared a number of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

“Let me be direct, to the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, you are no longer the hunters, you are the hunted,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California said. “You will be betrayed by your friends, you will be hounded by your enemies and you will ultimately find yourself and your face here in a courtroom in the Southern District of California.”

Guzmán López, 35, also known as “the Mouse,” is one of the four of Guzmán’s sons known as “Los Chapitos,” who ran the Sinaloa Cartel in their father’s absence. At his peak, the elder Guzmán was one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world, turning the Sinaloa Cartel into a major force and one of the largest groups responsible for illegal drugs pouring into the U.S. 

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He was arrested and extradited to the U.S. in 2017 and convicted of drug trafficking and other crimes. He is imprisoned in Colorado. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Missouri’s near-complete abortion ban could possibly return if a new ballot measure just passed by the state legislature gets approval from voters.

The GOP-controlled Missouri Senate passed a proposed constitutional amendment Thursday, which would repeal an earlier constitutional amendment passed by voters last year that enshrined abortion protections in the state’s constitution. Democrats sought to fillibuster the move Wednesday, but Republicans used procedural rules to get around it, according to The Associated Press.

The proposed amendment, which passed in Missouri’s GOP-controlled House last month, would go on the state’s ballots in Missouri’s 2026 general election. 

However, the amendment could be voted on sooner if Missouri’s Republican governor chooses to call a special election on the issue.

ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION

“Senate Republicans are overturning the will of the voters and pushing to bring an Abortion Ban back to Missouri. This new ballot item will ban abortion and take away a right that voters secured just six months ago,” the Missouri Senate Democrats X account posted Wednesday.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, several Republican states had trigger laws on the books that immediately went into effect and imposed stricter abortion regulations at the state level. Missouri was one of those states, and was among the first in the nation to enact a post-Roe abortion ban. 

Missouri’s trigger law made all abortions in the state illegal, except during circumstances when the life of the mother is at risk.

SENATOR INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO REIN IN WIDELY USED, CONTROVERSIAL ABORTION PILL

But, in 2024, a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion protections into the state’s constitution ultimately repealed Missouri’s trigger law. The ballot measure, known as Amendment 3, was voted on in November and passed, but by a very narrow margin.  

Missouri Republicans sought to include messaging in the ballot amendment that explicitly says it will repeal Amendment 3, but it did not pass, according to the Missouri Independent. 

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If the latest ballot measure advanced by Republican legislators passes, it would include exceptions for rape and incest.

Ben Cohen, one of the co-founders of the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, was arrested on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon during a Senate hearing involving Health and Human Services (HHS) Department Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

United States Capitol Police (USCP) confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Cohen was among seven people arrested after they disrupted the hearing. While Cohen was only arrested on charges of obstruction, others involved in the protest were arrested for resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, Capitol Police said. 

However, it is unclear how many people were charged with the more severe violations.

WATCH: NEWARK MAYOR COMPARES SELF TO BIBLICAL HERO IN WAKE OF ICE PROTEST ARREST: ‘THIS IS OUR DAVID MOMENT’

“RFK kills people with hate!” a protester yelled during the hearing as Kennedy delivered his opening statement. 

“RFK kills people with hate!” the chant continued, with more voices joining in. “RFK kills people with hate!”

Multiple people were eventually escorted out of the room, and  Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), paused the hearing. 

In video of the disruption posted on X by The Daily Caller, Cohen can be seen being forcibly pulled out of the hearing room by a Capitol Police officer.

MOOD FLIPS AT COLUMBIA U AFTER QUASHING OF LATEST PROTEST, TRUMP PRESSURE TAKES HOLD

“Members of the audience are reminded disruptions will not be permitted while the committee conducts its business. Capitol Police are asked to remove the individuals from the hearing room,” Cassidy said as Cohen was being wrangled out of the room.

“That was a made-for-C-SPAN moment,” Cassidy quipped after things settled down.

Wednesday wasn’t the first time Cohen has been arrested while protesting in the nation’s capital. In 2023, he was arrested outside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for blocking the entrance to the Department of Justice (DOJ) building in Washington, D.C., where he was protesting the detainment of Julian Assange. 

Ben & Jerry’s is frequently a target of Republicans, who have slammed the company and its founders over their support of progressive activism and politicians. They are also frequent critics of Trump.

DHS WARNED NOT TO ARREST HOUSE DEMS AFTER NJ PROTEST TURNED TENSE

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Ben & Jerry’s has been known for its left-leaning advocacy since its founding in 1978, and the Vermont-based ice cream maker was able to maintain an independent board of directors to continue its progressive activism even after it sold to Unilever in 2000.

One of those moments included a decision by Ben & Jerry’s in 2021 that ended the sale of its products to Israelis in the West Bank, which the company refers to as “Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

Fox Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got into a heated debate with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., during a hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday after the senator accused Kennedy and the Trump administration of delaying critical cancer care for one of her constituents named Natalie.

Kennedy told Murray he wanted to do “everything” in his power to help her constituent, telling the senator repeatedly to contact his office to go over the individual’s case. But his answers were not adequate for the senator, leading Kennedy to eventually question whether the Washington state Democrat actually cared about her constituent, Natalie. 

“Mr. Secretary, one of my constituents — her name is Natalie Phelps — she’s a mom of two from Bainbridge Island in Washington state. She has been fighting aggressive stage four colorectal cancer for nearly five years now. Her best hope now is a clinical trial she’s participating in at the [National Institutes of Health’s] Clinical Center,” Murray said in her opening line of questioning directed at Kennedy. 

BEN & JERRY’S CO-FOUNDER ARRESTED PROTESTING SENATE HEARING: ‘RFK KILLS PEOPLE WITH HATE’

“But because of the thoughtless mass firing of thousands of critical employees across NIH and HHS that you carried out, Natalie’s doctors at that clinical center have told her they have no choice but to delay her treatment by an additional four weeks.”

Murray added that those four weeks of delayed care “could mean the difference between life and death” for Natalie. She also demanded Kennedy give a “specific” number of how many employees have been cut at NIH’s clinical center.

“I can’t tell you that now, Sen. Murray,” Kennedy responded. “What I can tell you is that if you contact my office tomorrow, I’ll look specifically into that.” 

However, that answer from Kennedy was “not acceptable” to the senator.

“That is not acceptable. I want an answer,” Murray shot back, eventually demanding Kennedy provide her an update on Natalie’s case within 24 hours.

DEM LAWMAKER SEETHES RFK JR’S ‘LEGITIMACY’ AS HHS SECRETARY HAS ‘EXPIRED’ IN HEATED EXCHANGE

“Wouldn’t you rather get her into that clinical trial as fast as you can?” Kennedy shot back.

“Absolutely,” Murray said.

“All right, so if you contact my office tomorrow, this is a …,” Kennedy said before Murray cut him off.

“Natalie is sitting there waiting for treatment, you’re here to …” Murray said before Kennedy interjected to remind her he was trying to help with Natalie’s circumstances.

“I’m offering to help here, but you don’t care. You don’t care about Natalie,” Kennedy told Murray, noting during the hearing he wanted do “everything in [his] power to try to get Natalie into [the clinical trial quicker.]”

FDA’S LATEST MAHA MOVE WOULD WIPE OUT KIDS’ FLUORIDE PRESCRIPTIONS AS HEALTH RISK EVIDENCE MOUNTS

The spat ended with Murray pivoting to a different question tied to the Trump administration’s cuts, which Kennedy spent much of Wednesday on Capitol Hill fielding questions about. Kennedy also participated in a separate House hearing Wednesday that covered the matter and other issues HHS faces.

Kennedy told lawmakers he didn’t know of any agency head who wants to see budgets slashed, but he pointed out he is not the president, who, Kennedy said, has a “broader vision” than he does when it comes to spending priorities.

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“We must spend smarter,” Kennedy said Wednesday in response to inquiries about the Trump administration’s cuts at HHS. “We will shift funding away from bureaucracy toward direct impact.”

Harvard University President Alan Garber has agreed to voluntarily take a 25% reduction in pay for the 2025-26 school year, amid funding cuts imposed by the Trump administration, amounting to about $2.2 billion.

A Harvard University spokesperson told Fox News about the pay cut, adding that other leaders across the institution are making their own voluntary contributions, given the significant challenges the school faces.

The university announced a hiring pause in March, also asking “schools and administrative units to scrutinize discretionary and non-salary spending, reassess the scope and timing of capital renewal projects, and conduct a rigorous review of any new multi-year commitments,” the spokesperson noted.

Additionally, schools within the central administration at Harvard announced there would be no merit pay increases for faculty and staff for fiscal year 2026, which runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The school also paused non-essential capital projects and spending.

HARVARD SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER ‘UNLAWFUL’ MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET CUTS

This is not the first time Garber has taken a voluntary pay reduction. In April 2020, then-Provost Garber took a voluntary 25% pay cut as the school faced financial challenges caused by the pandemic.

The Harvard Crimson reported that past presidents have made up to $1 million annually.

Harvard has become a target of Trump’s broader crackdown on universities, much of which is in response to last year’s anti-Israel unrest that erupted on campuses across the country.

TRUMP FROZE FUNDING FOR HARVARD. MONEY TO THESE UNIVERSITIES MAY ALSO BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

On April 11, the Trump administration sent a letter to Garber and Harvard Corporation Lead Member Penny Pritzker outlining the institution’s failures and a list of demands from the White House. In the letter, the administration accused Harvard of failing to uphold civil rights laws and to foster an “environment that produces intellectual creativity.”

The Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if Harvard did not reform governance and leadership as well as its hiring and admissions practices by August of this year. The letter emphasized the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid admitting students who are “hostile” to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism.

HARVARD PRESIDENT SAYS HE HAS ‘NO CHOICE’ BUT TO FIGHT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Harvard refused to comply with the demands, with Garber saying that “no government… should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

The Trump administration then froze $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard and is reportedly looking to slash another billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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The university later filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its “unlawful” freezing of funds.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

A lone House Democrat pushing to impeach President Donald Trump has backed down from his effort to force a vote on the measure – after pressure to do so from fellow liberals.

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., aimed to force a vote on his seven articles of impeachment against Trump this week, via a mechanism known as a privileged resolution that forces the House to reckon with a piece of legislation within two days of being in session.

Democratic leaders made their opposition to the effort known, however, with House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., telling reporters he believed it was a “distraction.”

Thanedar later announced on X that he would back off trying to force the vote.

ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION

It comes after Democrats including House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, D-Texas, pushed back on the effort. He said he would vote against the measure and called it “unserious,” according to Punchbowl News.

“This doomed impeachment vote is not about holding Trump accountable, but instead seems to be about the interest of the bill sponsor,” Casar said.

House GOP leaders had planned a vote to table the measure, a procedural motion blocking a House-wide vote, but called it off after Thanedar apparently missed his window to force the vote.

Thanedar said in a statement on X afterwards, “In the fifteen days since I filed seven articles of impeachment against President Trump, he has committed more impeachable offenses, most dangerously, accepting a $400 million private jet from Qatar, which even Republican Members of Congress have called wrong.”

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

“So, after talking with many colleagues, I have decided not to force a vote on impeachment today. Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me,” Thanedar said.

Later, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said the situation “speaks for itself” when asked whether he pressured Thanedar to drop the motion.

Thanedar’s resolution has caused a modest political headache for Democratic lawmakers, at a time when the party has struggled with messaging in the wake of the 2024 election.

“I have said before from this podium, this is not the right approach we should be taking,” Aguilar said at his weekly press conference. “I’ll join members of the leadership team in voting to table that motion.”

Thanedar acknowledged his colleagues’ concerns about his move during his own press conference Wednesday morning, though he insisted it would not deter him.

“Even some Democrats call me a lunatic, just like the president has called me lunatic,” the Michigan Democrat said.

“But they have never said, nobody has said to me, ‘Mr. Thanedar, the seven articles of impeachment that you presented to the U.S. Congress, they’re a piece of s—. They’re not good. You missed it, missed the point. They are not legally right.’ They didn’t do that. No one says that.”

However, Aguilar said hours later that it was not the right time to push an impeachment effort.

“This is such an impactful moment, and our colleagues are locking themselves in a room for 24 hours to protect and defend healthcare. We shouldn’t be talking about this proposal that is not right, not timely,” Aguilar said, referring to the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s meeting on budget reconciliation, which has been ongoing since 2 p.m. Tuesday.

“This president is no stranger to impeachments, he’s been impeached twice. Impeachment is a tool that can be used, but it takes weeks, months to do. Right now the issue of the day is, will hill Republicans stand up and support healthcare in this country?”

Hours before the expected vote, NBC News reported that House Democratic leaders pressed Thanedar not to show up for the chamber’s 5 p.m. vote series – which would have meant he could not force the vote.

Republicans, meanwhile, seized on the disarray.

“House Democrats have demonstrated once again they are willing to abuse the Constitution in their effort to impede the agenda of the American people,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement before the vote.

“Their latest sham impeachment charade against President Trump is another embarrassing political stunt. Today, House Republicans will move promptly to discard it.”

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When reached for comment on Thanedar’s push on Tuesday, White House spokesperson Liz Huston told Fox News Digital, “Every action taken by President Trump and his administration is fully lawful and firmly rooted in the will of the American people. President Trump is doing exactly what he promised: securing our border, bringing in trillions of dollars in investment to America, and restoring common-sense leadership.”

“Meanwhile, Democrats are once again showing where their true priorities lie — siding with illegal immigrants over the safety, security, and well-being of hardworking American citizens. This desperate impeachment stunt is nothing more than a reckless political act that the American people see right through,” the White House said.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report

EXCLUSIVE: As Republican state financial officers across the country move to rid the government of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and environmental, social  and governance (ESG), Fox News Digital spoke to Utah’s state treasurer about the importance of bringing meritocracy and fiduciary responsibility back to markets and investments. 

“ESG introduces another motive or another motivation to address societal issues through the capital markets or through investment, and when you do that, you violate the fiduciary standards that all of us as financial officers are committed to,” Utah State Treasurer Marlo Oaks told Fox News Digital at the State Financial Officers Foundation conference in Orlando, Florida. 

“And, so, because of that dual mandate, you really have problems when you’re managing money for other people. If a single person wants to do it or a family wants to invest their money that way, that’s their choice. But when you are managing money for other people, we don’t have that choice. We have an obligation to do what’s in their financial best interest.”

Oaks has been at the forefront of the fight against ESG, an investing principle critics say companies and institutions utilize to enact “woke” agendas, authoring several letters on the subject. 

WHITE HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS OVER $2B IN SAVINGS FROM DEI CUTS DURING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FIRST 100 DAYS

“When you talk about managing money for the benefit of other people, which is what a lot of state treasurers do, we have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the beneficiary,” Oaks explained. “So, we have the duty of loyalty and a duty of care.

“And it is really focused on the financial outcomes for the beneficiaries. They are depending on this money for their retirement, and, so, it is our financial obligation or fiduciary obligation to act in their best interests.”

Oaks said firefighters, teachers and police officers who depend on state pensions end up being harmed when states or companies are investing based on factors other than protecting investors. 

DEI IS DEAD. HERE’S WHAT SHOULD COME NEXT

“ESG introduces another motive or another motivation to address societal issues through the capital markets or through investment, and when you do that, you violate the fiduciary standards that all of us as financial officers are committed to,” Oaks said. 

Oaks and the other Republicans at the SFOF conference have also been vocal opponents of DEI measures and praised President Trump for his efforts to roll back DEI in government. 

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Oaks told Fox News Digital ESG and DEI are closely related and that his opposition to DEI also links back to the desire to do what’s best for shareholders in his state.

“DEI — diversity, equity, inclusion — that’s really the S portion, the social portion of ESG, and, again, it’s important because a lot of the push by activist folks in the financial markets is to push an agenda onto corporate America, to have them adopt policies at companies that really are not in the best interest of the companies. And companies have a fiduciary obligation to their shareholders,” Oaks said. 

“When they introduce things like DEI, you change hiring practices, not for merit-based, it moves to other discriminatory hiring practices and ultimately harms companies and their financial output. And, so, that ultimately harms the teachers, the firefighters, the police officers that you’re trying to help with their retirement.”

Oaks was one of two dozen state financial officers who sent a letter in March to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), asset managers, proxy advisors and public companies, sounding the alarm on the financial risk of prioritizing a political agenda, like DEI, over financial returns. 

Oaks told Fox News Digital that when DEI is introduced at the state financial officer level, “we are potentially introducing financial harm.” 

“And we’ve seen that with companies like Target, like Bud Light, you know, other companies that have adopted policies that are not in the financial best interest of the shareholders. They have harmed the shareholder value, and that ultimately harms the outcomes that these hardworking public servants and teachers, et cetera, that have worked so hard, retire with the money that they need.”

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report

Lawmakers on Tuesday approved portions of a bill that would massively roll back Biden-era energy programs. 

The House Energy and Commerce Committee met to discuss the Republican-backed legislation that would initiate billions of dollars in spending cuts.

The money would come from unspent funds from the Democrats’ 2022 climate law, Politico reported. 

NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS: ALASKA’S ENERGY, SECURITY POLICIES ARE THE GUIDE FEDS NEEDS AMID TRANSITION, GROUP SAYS

Democrats pushed back on provisions they said would raise energy prices by repealing Inflation Reduction Act programs and allow heavy polluting industries to skip portions of the federal permitting process, the news outlet reported. 

“We’re considering a reconciliation bill that picks winners and losers and elevates expensive, outdated and inefficient sources like coal over cheap, American-made energy like solar, wind and storage,” said Democratic California Rep. Scott Peters. 

BIDEN GREEN ENERGY PROJECT HALTED BY TRUMP ADMIN RELIED ON RUSHED, BAD SCIENCE, STUDY FINDS

On Sunday, House lawmakers laid out plans to phase out key clean energy tax credits, slashing billions in spending related to electric vehicles and renewable energy and fast-track gas exports as part of a GOP push to pass a multitrillion-dollar budget to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda, Reuters reported. 

The bill would repeal Environmental Protection Agency rules, including one that would slash allowed emissions for light- and medium-duty vehicles starting with 2027 models.

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Also included are measures to speed permitting for liquified natural gas exports and directing $2 billion for the Energy Department to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

A Michigan judge ruled on Tuesday that the state’s 24-hour waiting period and informed consent rules restricting abortion were unconstitutional.

The waiting period, which allows abortion-seekers to consider their options before the procedure, was voted into the state constitution by Michigan voters in 2022, before being challenged in a 2024 lawsuit filed by abortion rights groups.

“The mandatory delay exacerbates the burdens that patients experience seeking abortion care, including by increasing costs, prolonging wait times, increasing the risk that a patient will have to disclose their decision to others, and potentially forcing the patient to forgo a medication abortion for a more invasive procedure,” state Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel wrote in her opinion.

SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL

Patel also ruled it was unconstitutional to ban nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants from performing abortions.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a post on X that she was “overjoyed” with the decision.

“I’m overjoyed to say that the Michigan Court of Claims has seen these restrictive provisions for what they are: an unconstitutional overreach that infringes on our constitutional right to make our own reproductive health decisions,” Whitmer wrote. “Today’s ruling reaffirms what we already know: reproductive health decisions belong between a patient and their doctor, not the government. I’m proud to know that this Women’s Health Week, we can celebrate by protecting and expanding women’s fundamental rights and freedoms.”

TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES LEADING CHARGE ON NEW MULTISTATE LAWSUIT OVER HHS CUTS

Michigan Catholic Conference President and CEO Paul Long said the intent of the proposal was to grant constitutional protections to “an industry that places itself above the health and safety of women and the lives of pre-born children.”

“This decision is a tragic reminder that the normalization of abortion in Michigan exists to the detriment of some 31,000 children every year who will never have the opportunity to experience the gift and blessings of life,” Long wrote in a statement. “Now, more than ever, we encourage others to envision a world where human life at every stage – from conception to a natural end – is truly cherished and protected, where expecting mothers are supported with love and care and have access to maternal needs, regardless of the circumstance of the pregnancy.”

‘GENDER-AFFIRMING’ TREATMENTS DON’T BENEFIT YOUTH, SAYS PEDIATRICIANS GROUP: ‘IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES’

The court upheld a rule that requires abortion providers to screen for signs of coercion.

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If the decision is appealed, the case would be elevated to the Michigan Court of Appeals.

While Democrats have largely ridiculed President Donald Trump‘s decision to accept a $400 million jet from the Qatari royal family on behalf of the U.S. government, Republicans have raised national security concerns and admitted they have not been briefed on the details of the deal.

Fox News Digital asked Senate Republicans for their reaction to Trump deciding to accept the luxury Boeing jet from Qatar. While Trump continues his diplomatic trip through the Middle East, House Republicans are busy finalizing his “big, beautiful bill” at committee markups on Capitol Hill. 

“I actually haven’t paid attention to it,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said. “I’m sorry to be so out of the loop on that. I’ve just been thinking about Medicaid and about what the House is sending over.”

And Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, another Trump ally, said she didn’t know enough about the deal to comment on it when pressed by Fox News Digital. 

DEMS CONDEMN TRUMP’S JET DEAL, CALL $400M GIFT ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’

“I need to find out from the administration what exactly is going on,” Ernst added. 

TRUMP DEFENDS QATAR JUMBO JET OFFER AS TROUBLED BOEING FAILS TO DELIVER NEW AIR FORCE ONE FLEET

Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine, Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Eric Schmitt of Missouri also admitted they don’t know the details of the deal. 

However, Collins, a Republican with a willingness to buck the party on certain issues, seemed to align more with Democrats’ reaction to the gift, saying she suspected there could be issues within the GIFT Act, which prohibits federal employees from accepting gifts from foreign governments. 

Democrats have pointed to the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution as proof the Qatari gift is “unconstitutional.” The emoluments clause states that no elected official should accept a gift from a foreign country without consent from Congress. 

“My concern is his safety,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla, told Fox News Digital. “Qatar supports Hamas. The Hamas leaders live in Qatar, so my concern is the safety of the president. How are we going to know that the plane is safe?”

The U.S. Department of Defense is expected to retrofit the Boeing 747-8 luxury jet to be used as Air Force One. Some Republicans still have national security concerns. 

“Qatar has a relationship with China, a relationship with Hamas. That would scare me,” Scott admitted. 

But Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo, said a “free plane” sounds like a “good deal for the government.”

The Trump administration has continued to defend Qatar’s gift to the United States. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed it was not “Trump’s plane” and that it was donated to the U.S. Air Force. 

On Wednesday morning, Trump signed a series of agreements with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, which included a Qatari purchasing agreement for 160 American Boeing planes, defense agreements and a declaration of cooperation between the countries. 

Trump defended his decision to accept the Qatari jet Tuesday, saying it would be “stupid” not to and emphasizing that he accepted it on behalf of the U.S. government, not himself. 

“The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME! It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive. Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done,” Trump said on Truth Social Tuesday. 

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“This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump added.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about plans to discuss the deal with Congress. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is proposing freezing undocumented adult enrollment in full-scope Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, a fact sheet the governor’s office provided to Fox News Digital indicates.

The document notes that the proposed freeze would take effect “no sooner than January 1, 2026,” and would apply “to new adult applicants over age 19.” People would not “be kicked off their health care,” according to the document.

It also notes that the Golden State governor is proposing a $100 per month premium for Medi-Cal enrollees 19 and up with “unsatisfactory immigration status,” which “refers to people whose immigration status makes them ineligible for federally funded Medicaid, including people with lawful status and the undocumented” — this would take effect Jan. 1, 2027, under the proposal.

NEWSOM UNVEILS AGGRESSIVE PLAN TO CLEAR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS ACROSS CALIFORNIA: ‘NO MORE EXCUSES’

The proposed moves are being partially blamed on President Donald Trump.

“Trump’s pendulum swings on tariffs have slowed the economy and weakened state revenues by a staggering $16 billion,” the document declares.

NEWSOM DEBUTS RAPID-RESPONSE WEBSITE AS CRITICS ACCUSE HIM OF PRIORITIZING PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS

Newsom “refuses to turn his back on hardworking Californians, especially when it comes to their basic health care needs,” the release states. “But because of the $16 billion Trump Slump and higher-than-expected health care utilization, the state must take difficult but necessary steps to ensure fiscal stability and preserve the long-term viability of Medi-Cal for all Californians.”

GAVIN NEWSOM REMOVES AD AFTER BEING KNOCKED FOR USING UKRAINE FOOTAGE WHILE BRAGGING ABOUT CALIFORNIA

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Newsom, who has served as governor since early 2019, survived a gubernatorial recall election in 2021.

American leaders bear responsibility for vilifying police officers, following the death of a sheriff’s deputy who was “mowed down by a bloodthirsty criminal” in Cincinnati, according to Vice President JD Vance. 

Vance said that supporting law enforcement requires both policy and moral leadership, while he remembered Hamilton County, Ohio, Special Deputy Larry Henderson during a law enforcement breakfast Wednesday at the vice president’s residence. 

“Larry Henderson lost his life because he was doing his job and keeping people safe,” Vance said Wednesday. “And when I think about why that senseless crime happened, obviously you’ve got to place blame on the guy who committed the crime.

“But I also think a lot of the blame falls on American leadership, who for too long, have made our police officers out to be enemies, instead of the great public servants that all of us know that they are,” he said. 

‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’: GOP SENATOR UNLEASHES BILL WITH SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FOR HARMING POLICE 

A car hit Henderson while he directed traffic near the University of Cincinnati during a graduation ceremony on May 2. 

Rodney Hinton faces charges of aggravated murder, and authorities claim he deliberately drove into Henderson after police officers shot and killed Hinton’s 18-year-old son May 1. Hinton’s son was allegedly armed and in the middle of fleeing the scene of a stolen vehicle investigation when he was shot. 

Hinton pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday, and a judge set the trial date for February 2026. 

Hinton “intentionally murdered a retired deputy who was working special duty at a graduation just because he was a police officer,” according to the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police President Jay McDonald. 

Meanwhile, Vance reassured law enforcement officials at the breakfast that President Donald Trump backs them. 

“So know from the president on down, this administration stands behind you guys,” Vance said. “We love you guys. We know that you’re out there doing a good job for us. And I think that moral leadership matters just as much as the public policy. But from this administration, you’re, of course, getting it both.”

COP KILLER DIES AFTER ‘BOTCHED’ FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION; WITNESS IN THE ROOM REVEALS HOW IT HAPPENED

Vance pointed to a recent executive order Trump signed in April that aims to bolster resources for law enforcement officers, and includes provisions that would provide legal resources for officers who “unjustly” encounter fees tied to their official duties, and said the Trump administration wants to implement reforms that make it easier for police officers to do their jobs. 

“We want to make it harder for people to sue police officers when they’re acting appropriately in the line of duty,” Vance said. “We want to make sure so that when you guys are out there keeping us safe and you’re of course worried about all the bad guys, you’re also not worried about bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., preventing you from doing the job that the American people need you to do.” 

POLICE GROUP SLAMS GOFUNDME FOR OHIO FATHER ACCUSED OF KILLING DEPUTY LARRY HENDERSON

Henderson’s death has prompted lawmakers to initiate reform. 

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, introduced the Larry Henderson Act into the Senate Monday, which would require those found guilty of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer to serve at least a 20-year sentence. That is up from the one to eight years in prison currently in place. 

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“Enough is enough,” Moreno said in a Monday statement. “Anyone who assaults one of our men or women in blue needs to face severe consequences, period.” 

During National Police Week, Vance is also scheduled to speak at the 44th annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service Thursday at the U.S. Capitol. 

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report. 

A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge arrested in April for allegedly helping a man evade immigration officers in her court could face up to six years in prison if convicted, according to an indictment handed down Tuesday by a federal grand jury.

Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI officials last month for allegedly “knowingly” helping an undocumented immigrant in her court evade ICE authorities and telling the officers in her court that they needed a warrant. On Tuesday, she was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges of concealing a person from arrest and on obstruction of justice charges, under 18 U.S.C. Section 1505 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1071, respectively. 

The indictment accuses Dugan of “falsely” telling federal officials in April that they needed a warrant to come into her court during a scheduled appearance by Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an undocumented Mexican national who was in court on three misdemeanor battery charges.

Dugan told the officers to proceed to the chief judge’s office to obtain a warrant, according to the criminal complaint, and she then escorted Flores-Ruiz through a side door to evade federal agents. 

MILWAUKEE COUNTY JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN INDICTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY HELPING ILLEGAL ALIEN EVADE ICE

If found guilty of both charges, Dugan could face up to six years in prison and up to $350,000 in fines.

She will appear in court on Thursday and is expected to enter a plea of not guilty, as indicated by a statement from her legal team on Tuesday.

“Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge,” her lawyers said, adding that their client further “asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court.”

Dugan’s arrest and criminal charges have become a political lightning rod at a time when the Trump administration has moved to take sweeping actions to crack down on its immigration enforcement priorities. 

Her actions, while controversial, have also attracted an all-star legal defense team to argue in court on her behalf. 

Last month, her defense team tapped former Bush-era solicitor general Paul Clemente to represent her.

WISCONSIN JUDGE ACCUSED OF OBSTRUCTING ICE COULD FACE YEARS IN PRISON, DOJ HAS ‘UPPER HAND’: FORMER PROSECUTOR

Clemente, who was also on Trump’s short list of Supreme Court nominees during his first term, is a well-respected litigator who has argued more than 100 cases before the Supreme Court. 

He is also not the only Bush-era powerhouse representing her in court. Steve Biskupic, a former U.S. attorney and a George W. Bush appointee, was tapped last month to head up the team, as first reported by Law.com. Others include Craig Mastantuono of Mastantuono Coffee & Thomas and Jason Luczak and Nicole Masnica of Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown.

Still, Dugan’s actions have also sparked fierce backlash from Trump administration officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who have vowed to hold her accountable for her actions. 

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“She will be held accountable for that,” Noem told Fox News in an interview Tuesday night. “That was a great decision, coming forward, to recognize that nobody can facilitate breaking the law. 

“We shouldn’t be able to allow that in this country, and we need to make sure that even judges are held accountable for their actions,” she added.

Fox News’s Michael Dorgan and Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., will introduce legislation that would ban congressional stock trading on Wednesday, 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.

“As public servants, we should hold ourselves to a higher standard and avoid the mere appearance of corruption,” Alford said in a statement. “Unfortunately, too many members of Congress are engaging in suspicious stock trades based on non-public information to enrich themselves.”

“These gross violations of the public trust make clear: we must finally take action to ban members and their spouses from owning or selling individual stocks,” he added.

CBS ANCHORS SALUTE OUTGOING ’60 MINUTES’ PRODUCER, SAY EFFORT TO SETTLE TRUMP LAWSUIT TIED TO CORPORATE MERGER

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.

CBS ANCHORS SALUTE OUTGOING ’60 MINUTES’ PRODUCER, SAY EFFORT TO SETTLE TRUMP LAWSUIT TIED TO CORPORATE MERGER

President Donald Trump himself endorsed banning trading 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.

“You’ll sign it?” the reporter pressed.

“Absolutely,” Trump responded.

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

Read the full text of Alford’s legislation below (App users click here)

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has “lost his confidence” and suggested that “there’s something wrong” with the New York Democrat.

Trump made the remarks while traveling to Qatar for the second leg of his Middle East trip when reporters aboard Air Force One asked about Schumer’s threats to block the president’s Justice Department political appointees until the senator gets answers about a jumbo jet gift from Qatar’s royal family.

“Schumer is Schumer,” Trump said. “You know, he’s become a Palestinian. Something wrong with him? I don’t know, I’ve known him a long time and there’s something wrong. He’s lost his confidence, totally. And there’s something wrong with him. I don’t know what it is with Schumer.”

Schumer called the Qatari gift a “grave national security threat” on the Senate floor on Tuesday. 

ALLIES TURN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR ACCEPTING LUXURY JET FROM QATAR 

“News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take. This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat,” the top Democrat said.

“So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers,” he added. 

TRUMP DEFENDS QATAR JUMBO JET OFFER AS TROUBLED BOEING FAILS TO DELIVER NEW AIR FORCE ONE FLEET 

Trump has defended the U.S. preparing to accept a jumbo jet gift from Qatar’s royal family to serve as a temporary Air Force One as Boeing failed to roll out a new Air Force One fleet in a timely manner.  

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“We’re very disappointed that it’s taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One,” Trump said Monday morning. “You know, we have an Air Force One that’s 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it’s not even the same ballgame.”  

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump asked Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to fully normalize relations with Israel in exchange for sanctions relief. 

In a readout of the pivotal Wednesday meeting for Syria, Trump encouraged al-Sharaa to sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel, tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria, deport “Palestinian terrorists,” help the U.S. prevent the resurgence of ISIS and assume charge of ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria. 

Some 10,000 ISIS fighters are imprisoned in the region, where the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, is charged with keeping them locked up. 

The U.S. has about 1,400 troops stationed in Syria to fight ISIS. 

Trump said Tuesday it was a “dream” for Saudi Arabia to join the accords, but predicted Riyadh would do so in its own time. The kingdom has long insisted it would not do so until there was a path for Palestinian statehood. 

Trump announced Tuesday he would lift sanctions on Syria and meet with its new leader, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head. 

TRUMP SAYS HE’LL DROP SANCTIONS ON SYRIA IN MOVE TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS

“In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that we must all hope will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace,” he said. “So I say good luck, Syria.”

Al-Sharaa and his group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led Bashar al-Assad’s ouster last year. His group was founded as an al Qaeda offshoot, before separating from the terrorist group in 2016. 

The breakthrough announcement came as Trump is traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, whose government leaders were widely expected to press Trump to release the sanctions to help Syria’s economy. 

“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria. “I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special.”

TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST TOUR BEGINS WITH SYRIA LOOMING AS STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY

Trump said both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Erdoğan had encouraged him to lift the sanctions. 

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“Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” Trump quipped. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who said he was inclined to support sanctions relief, warned Israel is still “extremely concerned about the state of play in Syria.”