NationalWatch

President Biden and former President Trump will both head to the southern border on Thursday as the besieged southern border becomes a top political issue — and as the nation is gripped by a wave of stories of violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

The violent crime and those arrests, all made in the last two weeks, are in addition to additional migrant chaos in places like New York City — where the city has declared itself overwhelmed by the numbers it is seeing, has been subjected to a number of migrant-related crimes and is now reconsidering its sanctuary city policies.

A Venezuelan illegal immigrant is being charged with the murder of a nursing student out for a jog in Georgia.

WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES

A Salvadoran illegal immigrant is being charged with murder in the death of a 2-year-old child in Maryland.

A Honduran illegal immigrant is being charged with the rape of a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint in Louisiana.

A Venezuelan illegal immigrant was arrested in connection with a sexual assault on a minor in Virginia

A Honduran illegal immigrant is being charged with multiple counts related to child pornography in Virginia.

These charges come after a record FY 23 that saw over 2.4 million migrant encounters and a December in which encounters soared over the 300,000 mark in history. Recent polling, including one this week by Gallup, shows voters see the large number of illegal immigrants coming into the U.S as a “critical” threat to the country.

Biden, whose administration remains under heavy fire for its handling of the crisis now into its third year, will travel to Brownsville, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. He will meet with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders.

The White House said he will renew his calls for Congress to pass a bipartisan border agreement, which would have increased staffing at the border as well as tightening asylum rules, moved to tackle fentanyl smuggling and increased funding to communities and NGO’s receiving migrants. 

SALVADORAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO MARYLAND MURDER OF 2-YEAR-OLD BOY

“He will discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border in decades,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said aboard Air Force one. “He will reiterate his calls for Congressional Republicans to stop playing politics and to provide the funding needed for additional U.S. Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology and more.

Meanwhile, the White House told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that it encourages cooperation with ICE from local law enforcement, including those in “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

“We welcome local law enforcement’s support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose a risk to national security or public safety,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday in response to a question about its stance on sanctuary cities. “When a local jurisdiction has information about an individual who could pose a threat to public safety, we want them to share that information with ICE.” 

“Just since May 12, DHS has removed or returned more than 565,000 individuals – the vast majority of whom crossed the Southwest Border. 565,000 removals and returns is more than every full fiscal year since 2013,” they said.

7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES

Trump, who has made restoring order to the border one of the main thrusts of his 2024 presidential bid, will be in Eagle Pass, the center of an ongoing stand-off and court battle between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the administration over border-related issues including setting up of razor-wire and a new anti-illegal immigration law.

Trump and Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for the crisis, saying its rollback of Trump-era policies and implementation of “open border” policies have fueled the crisis and allowed the entry of millions of illegal immigrants.

“Joe Biden ignored the southern border and denied that a crisis existed for years – but now, he’s pretending to change his tune when it’s politically convenient,” said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel in a statement. “There’s no doubt: Biden’s open border policies have led to criminals entering our country, deadly fentanyl in our communities, and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. No matter how he spins it, every state is a border state under Joe Biden.”

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Trump has promised an aggressive turn away from Biden-era policies and towards greater enforcement. Trump has promised to continue wall construction, a return to the Remain-in-Mexico policy and greater deportations. 

“When I am your President, we will immediately Seal the Border, Stop the Invasion, and on Day One, we will begin the largest deportation operation of illegal CRIMINALS in American History!” Trump said this week on TruthSocial.

FIRST ON FOX – Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis and her former lover Nathan Wade are facing two ethics complaints from a conservative government watchdog group based on their court testimony on allegations they had an ‘improper’ affair.

The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) is requesting that the Georgia state bar open disciplinary proceedings against the Fulton County DA and Wade for violations of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.

AAF is alleging Wade lied under oath about his relationship with Willis, and alleging that Willis admitted to keeping campaign money for personal use on the witness stand. 

“To ensure that the citizens of Fulton County and the State of Georgia understand that the Bar will not countenance any violation of its ethics by those charged with upholding it, we urge you to revoke Ms. Willis’ license to practice law and permanently bar her from practicing law,” adding the same request in a separate complaint against Wade.

KEY WITNESS IN FANI WILLIS CASE TESTIFIES HE MAY HAVE LIED IN TEXTS ABOUT FRIENDS’ AFFAIR

The complaint against Willis notes that on Feb 15. 2024 she testified before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee and was questioned regarding her reimbursement of Wade and her use of cash with no bank or transaction receipts. Willis was asked where the cash originally came from, to which she replied:

“Cash is fungible. I’ve had cash for years in my house. So for me to tell you the source of where it comes from … when you go to Publix and you buy something and you get fifty dollars and you throw it in there. It’s been my whole life. When I took out a large amount of money during my first campaign, I kept some of the cash of that.”

AAF claims that Willis’ “admission” represents “the admission of a clear violation of Georgia Campaign Finance law.” The portion of that law they say is applicable states that, “Nothing in this Code section shall permit or authorize a candidate to utilize campaign funds for the purpose of making gifts, loans, or investments directly to: (A) The candidate…”

“The statute is unambiguous – and the facts are not in dispute – as Ms. Willis described in her testimony, she placed the money that was intended for her campaign into a “fungible” slush fund with other moneys that she would use for various other purposes, including reimbursing her boyfriend for leisure travel,” the complaint states. 

FANI WILLIS’ TESTIMONY WAS ‘BELLIGERENT’ AND COULD DAMAGE HER CREDIBILITY, FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS

The complaint also states that her “keeping some of the cash” was a “willful intentional act and denied the citizens of Georgia the ability to exercise effective oversight over her campaign.”

“It is unreasonable to believe that a barred attorney running for public office would not have been aware that the strict reporting guidelines of Georgia campaign finance law existed to protect the public’s right to oversee elections and that she had an obligation to scrupulously abide by them,” the complaint states. 

The complaint against Wade alleges that he lied under oath on more than one occasion. When asked on an interrogatory to “describe each instance in which you have had sexual relations with a person other than your spouse during the course of the marriage,” and he said, “none.”

Wade testified that his marriage “was irretrievably broken in 2015” but that he and his wife agreed to delay a divorce for the sake of their children. 

“First it is simply not credible that Mr. Wade did not know that he had sexual relations with Ms. Willis when he replied to the interrogatories above in his divorce case. Put simply, it is clear Mr. Wade knew that he had had sex with Ms. Willis, and he knew that at the time he was still married, and he simply lied in the interrogatories,” the AAF complaint states. 

FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT TIMING OF AFFAIR WITH TRUMP PROSECUTOR

“Whether he was married was not a complicated question. In fact, he was the plaintiff in a divorce case, a case that cannot proceed without the parties being married. As an officer of the court, this is simply unacceptable. It is challenging to think of a more clear-cut example of ‘dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation,’” the complaint says.

The complaint goes on to say that Wade’s “rationale for not answering the interrogatories truthfully under questioning shows a whole lack of understanding of the law that makes him unfit to practice law in the State,” deeming him a risk to future potential clients.

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“The Bar owes the profession and the public a duty to guard the practice from charlatans and incompetents. Any simple reading of Mr. Wade’s testimony quickly reveals that he is so grossly unfamiliar with the simple understanding of a legal concept like marriage that the risk he and his incompetence poses to vulnerable members of the public requires his exclusion from the profession,” it states. 

Willis and Wade did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

The Supreme Court offered divided thoughts and a measure of confusion on Wednesday over whether the federal government can ban so-called bump stocks, a device that increases the firepower of automatic weapons.

The case, Garland v. Cargill, presents whether a “bump stock” device is a “machine gun” as defined by federal law because it is designed and intended for use in converting a rifle into a weapon that fires “automatically more than one shot… by a single function of the trigger.” 

After a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 60 people dead and 500 more wounded, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued an interpretive rule concluding that “bump stocks” are machine guns.

The Trump administration initiated a ban on the devices — reversing earlier regulations — and President Biden’s Justice Department is now defending it in court.

GOP SENATOR INTRODUCES BILL TO DEFEND GUN DEALERS FROM BIDEN’S ‘GUN-GRABBING AGENDA’: ‘EXTREMIST POLICIES’

Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, sued the government after he was forced to surrender several “bump stocks” under the ATF’s rule. He says the agency overstepped its administrative authority to impose a ban, absent any congressional action.

“It really goes back to… freedom. And it goes back to just the basics of something that my customers and myself legally purchase. The government should not have that power, that authority in an administrative agency… to come back and ban that. You know, something that Congress has not banned. That’s going to be a job that’s reserved for Congress,” Cargill said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The conservative high court majority has been generally supportive of the Second Amendment in recent years, and several justices suggested the government here overstepped its power.

But the nearly 90 minutes of oral arguments signaled the nine-member bench viewed the case as more about regulatory authority and less about expanded gun rights.

The justices’ questions were focused mainly on exactly how bump stocks work, and their functional effect.  

“I can certainly understand why these items should be made illegal, but we’re dealing with a statute that was enacted in the 1930s, and through many administrations, the government took the position that these bump stocks are not machine guns,” said Justice Neil Gorsuch. “And then you adopted an interpretive rule, not even a legislative rule, saying otherwise that would render between a quarter of a million and a half million people federal felons.”

Justice Samuel Alito called that “disturbing.” 

“These are the kind of weapons that Congress was intending to prohibit because of the damage they cause,” said Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. “It’s really not about the operation of the thing. It’s about what it can achieve, what it’s being used for… The function of this trigger is to cause this kind of damage, 800 rounds a second or whatever.”  

A bump stock is an attachment that replaces a semi-automatic weapon’s standard stock, the part of the long weapon that rests on the shoulder.

TEXAS GUN STORE OWNER SAYS SUPREME COURT SHOULD LIMIT GOVERNMENT ‘POWER’ IN ‘BUMP STOCK’ BAN CASE

As the shooter applies forward thrust on the barrel, the device harnesses the recoil energy so that the trigger will “bump” against the stationary finger, which then allows another round to be fired. The effect is more rapid shots than with a standard stock.

Bump stocks came into circulation early this century, one of a number of devices that can be attached to semi-automatic weapons.

The carnage at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Nevada — where the gunman fired more than a thousand rounds from 14 semi-automatic rifles outfitted with bump stocks — prompted the Trump administration to quickly ban them. 

GUN OWNERS DUNK ON SHAQ FOR SPONSORING FIREARM BUYBACK EVENT IN RED STATE: ‘ABSOLUTELY NOT’

Before that, the ATF for more than a decade had determined the devices did not convert them into machine guns, which have been illegal to own for nearly a century. 

The ATF says more than a half-million bump stocks were in circulation when the federal ban came into effect five years ago, requiring them to be turned in or destroyed. 

The focus of arguments came down to a technical inquiry into how gun triggers are enhanced by the addition of a bump stock. Several on the court admitted watching videos of bump stocks in a simulated environment, as part of the briefs submitted in the case.

Both sides presented radically different ideas of just how these accessories work.

The government told the justices bump stocks allow a gun user to fire “automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.”

Lawyers for the gun dealer argued that despite enhancing the firepower, the effect was still a manual, not an automatic function.

“The entire point of this device is that you exert forward pressure and you have your finger on the trigger, and then a torrent of bullets shoots out,” said Justice Elena Kagan. “So I don’t understand why it’s any different from pushing a button and holding the trigger.”

After attorney Jonathan Mitchell suggested bump stocks might help someone with a medical condition, Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked, “Why would even a person with arthritis, why would Congress think they needed to shoot 400 to 7- or 800 rounds of ammunition under any circumstance?”

But other questions from the bench went back to what legislators have not done on this issue.

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“Intuitively I am entirely sympathetic to your argument, and it seems it’s functioning like a machine gun would,” said Justice Amy Coney Barrett, “but looking at that definition, the question is, why didn’t Congress pass that legislation to cover this more clearly?”

The technical analysis undertaken during arguments was not without its hiccups.

“This is totally confusing,” said Alito at one point. Jackson used the same word on several other occasions.

“Now I’m completely lost,” added Sotomayor at one point.

Cargill, an Army veteran, is being defended in court by the New Civil Liberties Alliance.

“If a federal agency can issue a rule that makes people felons for owning a device the agency had repeatedly and consistently approved as lawful for more than a decade, then everyone’s liberty is truly in jeopardy,” said Mark Chenoweth, the group’s president.

Supporters of the ban say it saves lives.

“Fully automatic firearms — and conversion devices — are already heavily regulated under federal law, with good reason,” said Esther Sanchez-Gomez, litigation director at the Giffords Law Center. “ATF’s classification of bump stocks as machine guns is simply common sense, and in line with congressional intent to regulate workarounds to the machine gun regulations.”

A ruling is due by early summer.

A New York Appeals Court judge has denied former President Trump’s request to delay payment of the $464 million owed to the state after Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, but said he will temporarily allow the 2024 front-runner and his sons to continue running their business during the appeals process.

Trump and his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were barred earlier this month from operating their business in New York for a range of two to three years. Trump was also found liable for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in the civil fraud case brought against him, his family and the Trump Organization by New York Attorney General Letitia James. 

TRUMP BARRED FROM OPERATING BUSINESS, ORDERED TO PAY OVER $350 MILLION IN NY CIVIL FRAUD CASE

The former president is appealing the ruling.

On Wednesday, though, a New York Appeals Court judge ruled that the former president must post a bond for the full amount of the judgment and the independent director of compliance will be appointed.   

The judge will temporarily allow Trump and his sons to continue running the business as they appeal the decision.

The filing is a temporary order before the motion goes before the full Appeals Court. James’ brief to the panel is due March 11, and Trump’s replies are due March 18.

The ruling comes after New York Judge Arthur Engoron handed down his decision earlier in February after a months-long trial beginning in October and stemming from James’ lawsuit alleging the former president inflated his assets and committed fraud. 

Engoron ruled that Trump and other defendants were liable for “persistent and repeated fraud,” “falsifying business records,” “issuing false financial statements,” “conspiracy to falsify false financial statements,” “insurance fraud” and “conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.” 

The judge also barred Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump from serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or legal entity in New York for two years. 

TRUMP VISITS MANHATTAN COURT TO BLAST NYAG CASE, PRAISES APPELLATE RULING IN HIS FAVOR

Engoron also “permanently” barred defendants Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, and former corporate controller Jeffrey McConney from “serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State” and as a director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York for three years. 

James brought the lawsuit accusing Trump and the Trump Organization of fraudulent business practices. The court proceedings were contentious, with Engoron repeatedly placing Trump under a partial gag order to prevent him from criticizing court staff.

James had sought $370 million, plus 9% interest in penalties from Trump. Any awarded funds would go to the New York State Treasury, unless directed elsewhere by the state comptroller.

Trump dismissed the trial as a “witch hunt” throughout the process, accusing both Engoron and James of serving as political operatives for Democrats. Trump’s legal team also repeatedly blasted the lack of a jury in the trial.

“There was never an option to choose a jury trial,” a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital last month. “It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened.”

Trump and his family denied any wrongdoing, with the former president saying his assets had been undervalued. Trump’s legal team insisted that his financial statements had disclaimers, and made it clear to banks that they should conduct their own assessments.

JUDGE IMPOSES PARTIAL GAG ORDER IN TRUMP ORG TRIAL, BLOCKING PARTIES FROM VERBAL ATTACKS AGAINST COURT STAFF

Trump has said his financial statements were “perfect,” and stressed that the bank loans were repaid and “as happy as can be.”  

Throughout the trial, Trump attorneys brought witnesses, including former Deutsche Bank top executives, who testified the banks sought additional business from Trump, whom they viewed as a “whale of a client.”

Trump’s defense also brought in expert witnesses, including New York University accounting professor Eli Bartov, who reviewed the Trump financial statements at issue in the case and said he found no evidence of accounting fraud.

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Bartov testified last month that Trump’s financial statements did not violate accounting principles, and he suggested that anything problematic — like a huge year-to-year leap in the estimated value of his Trump Tower penthouse — was simply an error.

“My main finding is that there is no evidence whatsoever of any accounting fraud,” Bartov testified. Trump’s financial statements, he said, “were not materially misstated.”

President Biden was declared a “healthy, robust 81-year-old,” following his physical examination.

The White House released the results of Biden’s physical exam on Wednesday afternoon, after he took Marine One to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to receive the examination.

In a release from Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the Physician for the President, Biden was declared fit to “successfully execute the duties of the presidency.”

“President Biden is a healthy, active 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” the release said.

KJP SAYS REPUBLICANS ‘GETTING IN THE WAY’ OF SECURING BORDER, DENIES BIDEN’S VISIT IS POLITICAL

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In the note for Biden’s physical exam, Dr. O’Connor found that the president’s physical exam was “essentially unchanged from baseline.”

“The President feels well and this year’s physical identified no new concerns,” the release said.

O’Connor noted that while Biden’s gait remains stiff, it “has not worsened” since last year.

“The President’s arthritic changes remain moderate to severe, but still do not result in nerve root compression significant enough that they would warrant specific treatment,” the release said.

O’Connor also said that Biden’s skin cancer, which was removed last year, had not spread and that the president was fitted with a new prescription for his contact lenses.

Dr. SIEGEL SAYS BIDEN NEUROLOGICAL EXAM SHOULD BE RELEASED

The doctor also detailed the 81-year-old President’s use of a CPAP machine to treat his sleep apnea.

“Given the importance of efficient sleep for anyone, but certainly for a senior executive, we revisited the issue last spring, and conducted a formal sleep study,” the release said. “This study confirmed my suspicions that the President would benefit from optimizing his sleep efficiency with PAP.”

The President’s physical exam comes after the White House confirmed that Biden would not take a cognitive test as part of his examination.

“I’m just gonna say what Dr. O’Connor said to me about a year ago when [Biden’s physical] was released,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “The president proves every day [in] how he operates and how he thinks, by dealing with world leaders, by making difficult decisions on behalf of the American people – whether it’s domestic or it’s national security.”

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Recent polling has found that Biden’s age is a major issue for a majority of not only Americans in general, but also Democrat voters. 

A recent poll from ABC/Ipsos found that 86% of Americans believe Biden is too old to serve another term, including 73% of Democrats.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday downplayed the notion that President Biden’s trip to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday was political and blamed Republicans for making the crisis worse. 

President Biden and his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, are both scheduled to make dueling trips to the border on Thursday. Biden will visit Brownsville, while Trump will visit Eagle Pass, an area that has seen high levels of illegal crossings and has become a flashpoint in an ongoing battle between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration.  

Responding to a reporter’s question that Biden’s visit was merely in reaction to Trump’s visit – during an election year, no less – Jean-Pierre said the president’s schedule couldn’t just be upended on such short notice. 

“[The president] has said that when Republicans rejected that Senate bipartisan bill on border security, on the immigration policy to fix a broken system that has been broken for decades, he said he was going to take it directly to the American people and also at the same time, hear from law enforcement and frontline personnel who deal with this issue every day,” Jean-Pierre said. 

President Biden, despite reversing many Trump-era border policies upon taking office, has repeatedly said his hands are tied on the border issue, saying the matter must be solved via legislation. 

A bipartisan Biden-backed border security deal crafted by Senate negotiators amid an unprecedented surge in immigration collapsed in early February after Trump signaled his disapproval. That, in turn, has given the White House fodder to accuse Republicans of not taking the border issue seriously. 

WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE, AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES

Jean-Pierre said Republicans, having rejected the deal, are “getting in the way” when it comes to fixing the border. 

“This is not about politics for this president. This is about how we’re going to fix an issue that the majority of Americans care about, a broken immigration system, the challenges at the border. That’s why the president thought it was important to go at this time,” Jean-Pierre said. 

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich noted that the administration has often criticized Republicans who go to the border to hold similar press conferences, writing them off as “publicity stunts” and “photo ops.”

Jean-Pierre said Biden’s visit was “very different,” and repeated her assertion that Republicans “constantly get in the way.” 

“They consistently get in the way of what the president is trying to do to get more resources,” Jean-Pierre said. “They are turning this into a political stunt by listening to Donald Trump and saying that they need to kill it.” 

On the suggestion that Biden just happened to be going to the border during an election year, despite it being a problem for the past three years, Jean-Pierre pointed to Biden’s “comprehensive immigration policy” implemented on day one of his presidency. 

“He did that on the first day. That was his first piece of legislation. I would hope the American people would see how serious this president was or is about fixing this issue,” she said. 

MARYLAND COUNTY TO OPEN ICE COOPERATION AFTER PAST STONEWALLING, RELEASE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

After taking office, Biden signed two executive orders on immigration and pledged to roll back many of the policies put in place by his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. Within a few months, Biden took more than 90 actions related to the border. 

Under the president’s stewardship, illegal immigration has skyrocketed to historic levels. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) report for fiscal 2023 showed that the number of illegal immigrants on the non-detained docket soared from 3.7 million in FY 2021 to nearly 4.8 million in FY 2022 to nearly 6.2 million in FY 2023. 

Thursday will mark Biden’s second visit to the border since taking office. The area he is visiting, the Rio Grande Valley, which includes Brownsville, gives Biden a platform where illegal crossings have dropped sharply. 

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The area is also a friendly congressional district that – as noted by Border Patrol Union President Brandon Judd – historically hasn’t seen much illegal traffic, in large part due to the infrastructure Trump provided while in office, and more recently due to the actions of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott since Biden took office. 

A history-making, record-setting former U.S. treasurer is being celebrated in her Ohio city this week as she marks the 30th anniversary of her swearing-in ceremony.

Democrat Mary Ellen Withrow, 93, plans six appearances Thursday and Friday around Marion, about 50 miles north of Columbus, to mark the occasion. The city is also home to a museum collection of her memorabilia.

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

Withrow was nominated by former President Bill Clinton and sworn in March 1, 1994.

The first person to serve as a local, state and federal treasurer, Withrow served in her Washington role until 2001. She has her signature on more U.S. currency than any other person, setting a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records.

The anniversary festivities include an appearance on WGH Talk radio Thursday to discuss her life and career, as well as appearances Thursday and Friday at four area middle and high schools, including Elgin, on whose school board she got her start in politics in 1969.

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Withrow plans to deliver her original acceptance speech at a celebratory reception Friday at the Kingston Residence that is open to the public.

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump’s 2024 Republican primary rival Nikki Haley is backing the Supreme Court’s decision to take up his immunity case and “settle it once and for all,” arguing that commanders-in-chief should not be “entirely immune” from criminal penalties.

“The Supreme Court should take up this question and settle it once and for all.  No person should be entirely immune from penalties for crimes committed, not even a president – not Clinton, not Biden, and not Trump,” Haley told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

In a win for the former president, the court agreed to review whether he has immunity from prosecution in the Special Counsel’s federal election interference case. The court, stacked with three justices nominated by Trump, moved to expedite the matter, planning to begin arguments the week of April 22 and producing a ruling by late June. Trump’s criminal trial has been put on hold pending resolution of the matter.

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO EXTEND DELAY IN ELECTION CASE, CLAIMING PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY

Sen. Ron Johnson R-Wis., applauded the development, telling Fox News Digital, “The fact that the Supreme Court took it up is pretty telling.” 

Discussing the delay in Trump’s federal election interference case as a result, Johnson claimed, “I think these very partisan prosecutions, that’s what they’re designed to do.” The Supreme Court’s agreement to hear the appeal is likely to push Trump’s federal trial into the late summer or early fall, not far from the November presidential election.

“They are election interference to a far greater extent than anything Russia or China ever could hope to accomplish,” he continued.

The senator was hopeful the court’s choice signaled some resistance to the “election interference,” but noted, “We’ll see how the Supreme Court rules.”

Trump foes, meanwhile, criticized the Supreme Court for being willing to hear the case.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., claimed the court is “placing itself on trial” with the decision and questioned “whether the justices will uphold the fundamental American value that no one is above the law – not even a former president.” 

Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., also slammed the court’s plan to review Trump’s claim of presidential immunity. “Delaying the January 6 trial suppresses critical evidence that Americans deserve to hear,” she wrote on X. 

TRUMP TRIAL DELAYED IN CASE STEMMING FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION

“Donald Trump attempted to overturn an election and seize power. Our justice system must be able to bring him to trial before the next election. SCOTUS should decide this case promptly,” she added. 

Cheney was a part of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack before her House term ended. She ran for reelection but was defeated in her Republican primary by Rep. Harriet Hageman. R-Wyo. 

An impeachment manager for Trump’s second impeachment trial, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., predicted the Supreme Court taking up the case could help guarantee a “blue wave” in November.

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“My view of the SCOTUS action: if the trial is delayed until after November, we will see THE LARGEST BLUE WAVE IN HISTORY,” Lieu wrote on X. “If November becomes a referendum on whether Trump faces justice, then Democrats will absolutely flip the House. keep the White House and expand the Senate.”

Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said on the social media platform that the Supreme Court decision will “help Donald Trump run out the clock and avoid justice.”

An Illinois judge announced late Wednesday that former President Trump has been removed from the state’s 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot, citing his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots.

Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter barred Trump from the Illinois ballot one month after the anti-Trump challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. Illinois goes to the polls March 19.

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Illinois is now the third state where Trump was booted from the ballot, after Colorado and Maine. 

But those decisions were paused pending the appeal of the Colorado case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The murder of a Georgia nursing student allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant who was previously arrested in New York City is the “direct result” of recent New York City laws that severed ties between the NYPD and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Republican Councilman Joe Borelli argued. 

“It is a direct result of the City Council passing legislation that limits cooperation. If those laws were not enacted, the Department of Corrections would have given ICE the opportunity to issue a detainer against Jose Ibarra,” Borelli told Fox News Digital in a phone interview this week. 

Georgia nursing student Laken Hope Riley, 22, was discovered beaten to death earlier this month after going for a run on the University of Georgia’s campus. The Augusta University student crossed paths with illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra, according to authorities, and died from blunt force trauma to the head. 

Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was granted border “parole,” which allows noncitizens to temporarily enter the country due to an emergency or humanitarian reason, authorities have said. Ibarra soon made his way up to New York City, where he was arrested in August and “charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,” according to ICE. 

7.2M ILLEGALS ENTERED THE US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES

The NYPD, however, has said it does not have a record of Ibarra’s arrest. 

Typically, when ICE learns an illegal immigrant is arrested on criminal charges, the agency will issue a detainer that requests the local police department hold the suspect until ICE can take over and begin deportation proceedings. 

In Ibarra’s case, ICE said he was released by the NYPD before a detainer could be issued. 

New York City, however, is a “sanctuary city” with relatively recent laws passed by City Council severing many ties between the NYPD and ICE. 

LAKEN RILEY CASE: HECKLERS SHOUT DOWN ATHENS MAYOR AS HE DENIES SANCTUARY CITY, ANNOUNCES PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDS

“A woman is dead in Georgia because the New York City Council passed local laws barring the NYPD from cooperating with ICE, and as such the suspect was released without any notification to federal law enforcement,” Borelli tweeted this week, accompanied by a list of laws that restricted local cooperation with the immigration agency. 

Under a pair of 2014 laws, the local Department of Corrections and NYPD were restricted from complying with ICE detainers under certain conditions. The DOC, for example, is only allowed to comply with an ICE detainer if it is accompanied by a warrant from a federal judge and if the suspect has been convicted of a violent crime in the last five years. 

LAKEN RILEY MURDER IGNITES DEMANDS TO HIRE MORE CBP AGENTS, REDIRECT $15B DEMOCRAT IRS PAYDAY TO BORDER

“Our city is not served when New Yorkers with strong ties in the community are afraid to engage with law enforcement because they fear deportation. Today, we send another message to Washington that the time to act has come to provide relief to so many individuals who contribute to our nation’s growth,”  Mayor Bill de Blasio said when the two laws were enacted. 

“I’d like to thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the City Council for passing this legislation, which further establishes New York City as a leader in immigration reform.”

Similar reforms continued under the de Blasio administration, including in 2017, when the City Council passed a bill prohibiting “City agencies from partnering with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enforce federal immigration law.” 

“The de Blasio Administration today announced the issuance of citywide guidance and new NYPD protocols to clarify and institutionalize the City’s policy that it will not voluntarily cooperate with federal immigration enforcement activities, and will only coordinate in limited circumstances, including where there is a public safety risk,” a press release from the de Blasio administration stated of the law at the start of 2018. 

Borelli, who has served on City Council representing portions of Staten Island since 2015, argued “it’s interesting to see people trying to backtrack on the impact that these laws have on the cooperation between ICE and city law enforcement.”

GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT CONFIRMED TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

“But the proof is in the pudding,” he said. 

The New York Republican pointed to comments made by local politicians when the laws were passed, arguing that Democrats wanted to sever communication between local law enforcement and federal authorities when involving illegal immigrants.

“The day we start helping ICE is the day we lose the public trust, which is why this guidance and protocol is so critical,” a former NYC council member said in 2018, when de Blasio announced the prohibition of city agencies partnering with the Department of Homeland Security when related to immigration laws. 

Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams also supported the measure in 2018, when he served as Brooklyn borough president. 

LAKEN RILEY CASE: GEORGIA AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY MURDER SUSPECT IN CUSTODY IN NURSING STUDENT’S SLAYING

“It is important for our police officers and City employees to have clear guidance and protocol on how to interact with federal immigration enforcement, especially considering the overaggressive behavior of ICE agents. Public safety for all of our residents must come first,” Adams said, according to the de Blasio-era press release. 

Following Laken Riley’s murder, Adams said this week that he supports altering city laws that would open the doors to New York City officials working with federal authorities on immigration matters involving violent suspects or repeat offenders. 

“I want to go back to the standards of the previous mayors who I believe subscribed to my belief that people who are suspected of committing serious crimes in this city should be held accountable,” Adams told reporters at City Hall Tuesday. 

“We should not be allowing people who are repeatedly committing crimes to remain here, and we cannot collaborate with ICE in the process,” the mayor added. 

Adams has repeatedly spoken out in support of keeping New York City as a sanctuary city, saying illegal immigrants in the Big Apple should not live in fear of receiving city services, such as attending a school, due to their immigration status. 

When asked about Borelli’s comments and the laws passed by City Council under his administration, de Blasio told Fox News Digital in a statement that it’s time for “tougher border policies.” 

“I trust the NYPD, and they say they never encountered the accused individual. But it’s sickening that a young, promising life was cut short. Any way you slice it, we need tougher border policies and comprehensive immigration reform,” de Blasio said. 

The former mayor also pointed Fox Digital to an opinion piece he wrote this month, in which he proposed accepting “Republican demands for greater border security in exchange for full funding of a humane and functioning asylum process,” along with “spending billions to create the facilities necessary on the Mexican side of the border, including the concessions and incentives the Mexican government would require in order to accept this plan.” 

Borelli argued the push by the City Council to sever ties with federal authorities back when de Blasio was in office evolved from Democrats in the city wanting to resist what they saw as a “Trump agenda” on immigration. 

“This was a reaction by the de Blasio administration and the City Council to push back on what they saw as the Trump agenda. And as long as they were doing what they could to oppose Trump, they didn’t care,” he said. 

Borelli said the local legislation is now backfiring as New Yorkers and others question the laws’ logic. 

“It’s completely backfired when people start to question, ‘What is the logic of having people who are here illegally in the first place, and then commit crimes against New Yorkers and others?’ There’s limited rationale for keeping them here, even if you were a progressive who is sympathetic to people coming here in the first place,” Borelli said. 

Laken Riley’s murder has shocked many Americans and heightened outrage about the Biden administration’s border policies. More than 7 million illegal immigrants have flooded the nation since President Biden took office in 2021, a figure larger than the population of 36 individual states, a Fox News Digital analysis previously found. 

Riley was reportedly so badly beaten during the murder that her skull was disfigured, investigators reported in an affidavit. 

“He’s a sick puppy,” Borelli told Fox Digital when asked about the brutal attack. “[He] would not have withstood screening, we hope, if we had a proper system of vetting and deporting people.”

Ibarra is in custody and was charged with the felonies of malice murder, murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and concealing the death of another, as well as the misdemeanor of physically hindering a 911 call, according to the affidavit filed Feb. 23. 

LAKEN RILEY MURDER: MEDIA OUTLETS FOCUS ON LONE JOGGERS, DOWNPLAY SUSPECTED KILLER’S IMMIGRATION STATUS

New York State Senate Republicans on Wednesday announced the renaming of legislation that would allow local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE. The legislation will now be known as “Laken’s Law” in memory of Riley. 

“Because of New York law, because of New York sanctuary state laws, local law enforcement do not notify federal immigration officials when they take someone into custody, even if they’re here — especially when they’re here illegally,” Republican New York state Sen. Robert Ortt said at a press conference Wednesday.

“So, Laken Riley’s murderer, albeit an alleged murderer, was in custody, law enforcement custody, and he was released without notification to ICE, to federal authorities, because of policies and laws passed by Democrats here in New York State,” 

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Ortt argued that if legislation allowing law enforcement to work with ICE were in place back when Ibarra was arrested by the NYPD, Riley “would be alive today.”

“It’s not an opinion. It’s not what I think. I’m not split. It’s a fact. If this was the law of the State of New York, she’d be alive today. Her family would have a daughter today,” he said. 

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review whether former president Donald Trump has immunity from prosecution in the Special Counsel’s federal election interference case, an election-year dispute that will have blockbuster legal and political implications for the nation.

The justices have fast-tracked the appeal, and will hear oral arguments in late April, with a ruling on the merits expected by late June. Trump’s criminal trial has been put on hold pending resolution of the matter.

This will be the second time this term the High Court will hear a case involving the presumed Republican presidential nominee. Separate arguments were held earlier this month over whether Trump can be kicked off the Colorado primary ballot over claims he committed “insurrection” in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots.

The high court was considering an emergency appeal filed by former President Trump to extend the delay in the trial stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election interference case, arguing that he has presidential immunity to protect him from prosecution.

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO EXTEND DELAY IN ELECTION CASE, CLAIMING PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY

That request came just days after a D.C. appeals court ruled the former president and 2024 GOP front-runner is not immune from prosecution in Smith’s case.

The request was for temporary relief, to stay or block the appeals court mandate from taking effect, which would give the Trump legal team more time to file an appeal to the Supreme Court on the merits of whether a former president deserves immunity from criminal prosecution for actions while in office.

Smith, days later, requested that the U.S. Supreme Court reject Trump’s bid to delay his trial. 

Though the special counsel’s filing does not explicitly mention the upcoming November election or Trump’s status as the Republican primary front-runner, prosecutors described the case as having “unique national importance” and said that “delay in the resolution of these charges threatens to frustrate the public interest in a speedy and fair verdict.”

The trial stemming from Smith’s case against Trump has been on hold pending resolution of the immunity question.

“If the prosecution of a President is upheld, such prosecutions will recur and become increasingly common, ushering in destructive cycles of recrimination,” the Trump request stated. “Criminal prosecution, with its greater stigma and more severe penalties, imposes a far greater ‘personal vulnerability’ on the President than any civil penalty.”

The request added, “The threat of future criminal prosecution by a politically opposed Administration will overshadow every future President’s official acts — especially the most politically controversial decisions.”

TRUMP NOT IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION IN 2020 ELECTION CASE, FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES

The request states that the president’s “political opponents will seek to influence and control his or her decisions via effective extortion or blackmail with the threat, explicit or implicit, of indictment by a future, hostile Administration, for acts that do not warrant any such prosecution.”

“This threat will hang like a millstone around every future President’s neck, distorting Presidential decision-making, undermining the President’s independence, and clouding the President’s ability ‘to deal fearlessly and impartially with’ the duties of his office.'” 

Trump’s lawyers added, “Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the Presidency as we know it will cease to exist.” 

TRUMP TRIAL DELAYED IN CASE STEMMING FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION

The decision comes after Washington, D.C., federal Judge Tanya Chutkan officially delayed the trial, which was set to begin on March 4 — a day before the critical Super Tuesday primary contests, when Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Vermont vote to select a GOP nominee.

Chutkan said in December that she does not have jurisdiction over the matter while it is pending before the Supreme Court, and she put a pause on the case against the Republican 2024 front-runner until the high court determines its involvement.

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Smith charged the former president with conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights. Those charges stemmed from Smith’s investigation into whether Trump was involved in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and any alleged interference in the 2020 election result.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in August 2023.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

The White House is calling for “sanctuary” cities and jurisdictions across the U.S. to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in turning over criminal illegal immigrants for deportation, just as there is renewed scrutiny over such policies in the wake of several high-profile crimes committed by illegal immigrants who had previously been released by local law enforcement despite pleas from ICE. 

“We welcome local law enforcement’s support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose a risk to national security or public safety,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday in response to a question about its stance on sanctuary cities. “When a local jurisdiction has information about an individual who could pose a threat to public safety, we want them to share that information with ICE.” 

“Just since May 12, DHS has removed or returned more than 565,000 individuals – the vast majority of whom crossed the Southwest Border. 565,000 removals and returns is more than every full fiscal year since 2013,” they said.

Sanctuary cities either limit or outright forbid law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers – which are requests from the agency that ICE be notified ahead of their release from state custody and allowed to transfer illegal immigrant criminals into custody. This week it was revealed by ICE that the alleged killer of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley was previously arrested in NYC, but that he was released before ICE could issue a detainer.

SALVADORAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO MARYLAND MURDER OF 2-YEAR-OLD BOY

Separately, there have been other alleged crimes committed by illegal immigrants, including an arrest in connection to the murder of a 2-year-old in Maryland, who had detainers lodged against them but were not honored by authorities. ICE announced this week the arrest and conviction of a Guatemalan illegal immigrant for the sexual assault of a child in Boston. He has been released despite ICE lodging a detainer against him.

Biden will travel to the southern border in Brownsville, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday. He will meet with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders. The White House said he will renew his calls for Congress to pass a bipartisan border agreement, which would have increased staffing to the border as well as tightening asylum rules and increasing funding to communities and NGO’s receiving migrants.

NYC MAYOR CONTINUES CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITY AMENDMENT TO ALLOW DEPORTATION OF VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

“He will discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border in decades,” a spokesperson said. “He will reiterate his calls for Congressional Republicans to stop playing politics and to provide the funding needed for additional U.S. Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology and more.”

Proponents of sanctuary policies argue that they are not obligated to help federal immigration enforcement and that it can encourage otherwise-lawful illegal immigrants to talk to police if they do not fear deportation. As a result, there are now sanctuary jurisdictions across the U.S.

GEORGIA MURDER SUSPECT CONFIRMED TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

As a presidential candidate in 2020, Biden had appeared supportive of such policies In a March 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Biden answered “no” when asked if “undocumented immigrants” arrested by local police should be turned over to immigration officials.

In his first days in office, Biden’s administration announced a 100-day moratorium on all deportations, which was eventually blocked by a federal judge. It also reversed Trump-era limits on DOJ funding grants that were tied to cooperation with immigration enforcement, meaning that they excluded sanctuary cities.

But Biden’s ICE has continued to criticize sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with them. Acting ICE Director Patrick Lechleitner recently told Fox News that such jurisdictions are “inherently more unsafe.”

“It is a concern, and I’m very baffled by it,” he said.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas previously told mayors in 2022 that he would be seeking to convince leaders to change their policies.

“Some of your cities, by reason of past history, have declined to cooperate with immigration authorities in the removal, the apprehension and removal of individuals, even if those individuals pose a public safety threat. And I do not mean to suggest that distrust, if that is one of the concerns underlying policies such as that, I don’t mean to do assert that that distrust is not earned,” he told the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Mayorkas emphasized that under the administration, immigration enforcement is limited to recent border crosses, public safety threats and national security threats unlike under the Trump administration.

“But what I want to communicate to you is that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, the agency of today and what it is focused upon, and what it is doing, is not the agency of the past. We are not engaged in indiscriminate enforcement, but we are focused on making our communities safe and allowing those who have been contributors to it and productive members of it, to allow them to continue in their contributions and their productivity,” he said.

“And so, I will be coming to you and asking you to reconsider your position of non-cooperation and see how we can work together,” he said.

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There are some indications that some sanctuary city leaders are now reconsidering their positions. NYC Mayor Eric Adams has said multiple times this week that he wants to soften the policy.

“I don’t believe people who are violent in our city and commit repeated crimes should have the privilege of being in our city,” Adams said on Tuesday. 

He added, “You don’t have the right to be in our city and tarnish the overwhelming number who are here following the rules.” 

 

A group of Democrats who started a movement in opposition to President Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza sent a clear message in the Michigan primary, exceeding the amount of votes the group was aiming for and complicating the key battleground state ahead of this year’s general election.

“Yesterday was a resounding victory,” Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who joined the “Listen to Michigan” movement, said during a news conference Wednesday claiming victory for the movement.

The comments come following the movement’s push to have Democratic voters select “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s Democratic primary surpassed the group’s expectations, with just over 101,000 people selecting the option, according to Associated Press numbers as of Wednesday afternoon. That mark was more than 10 times the group’s stated goal, which was to get 10,000 people, or roughly the same as the margin of victory in the 2016 election in the state, to select the option.

POLL SHOWS BIDEN’S LEAD OVER TRUMP SHRINKING IN 2024 MATCHUP AS CONCERNS OVER PHYSICAL FITNESS GROW

Despite the apparent resounding success, Biden easily captured the state and gained 115 delegates while hauling in over 81% of the vote, further solidifying his grasp on the nomination and setting up a likely rematch with former President Donald Trump in November.

“I want to thank every Michigander who made their voice heard today. Exercising the right to vote and participating in our democracy is what makes America great,” Biden said in a statement after the Michigan victory while warning that there is “much left to do” to defeat Trump in November. “You’ve heard me say many times it’s never a good bet to bet against the United States of America. It’s never a good bet to bet against Michiganders either. This fight for our freedoms, for working families, and for Democracy is going to take all of us coming together. I know that we will.”

Meanwhile, Listen to Michigan supporters have warned they are willing to continue growing the movement ahead of the general election, a potential headache for the Biden campaign in a battleground state that has seen close margins in the last two presidential elections.

JAMES CARVILLE FRETS OVER ‘UNCOMMITTED’ PROTEST VOTE AGAINST BIDEN IN MICHIGAN: ‘HUGE PROBLEM’

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a Biden campaign spokesperson noted that the share of uncommitted votes, 11%, was actually in line with the previous time an incumbent was on the ballot in the state in a Democratic primary, which was during the 2012 re-election campaign of Former President Barack Obama. Nevertheless, the spokesperson stressed that the campaign is still working hard to earn the votes of holdouts and will continue working towards peace in Gaza.

But the movement started by Listen to Michigan may not be in Biden’s rearview mirror after Michigan, with the group saying activists in future primary states have reached out about joining the cause.

“Two of the states where organizers have reached out specifically are Minnesota and Washington State,” a Listen to Michigan spokesperson said during Wednesday’s news conference. “We have our eye on those states… and are ready to have conversations with anybody organizing for an anti-war future.”

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The organization has also brushed off suggestions that it may at least indirectly help Trump regain the presidency, arguing that it is up to Biden to earn their votes.

“We are not electing Donald Trump. President Biden is the one seeking the highest office, and he is the candidate who’s facing off against Donald Trump,” Hammoud said. “He has to earn the votes of the constituency that he’s trying to serve.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Americans questioned why Nikki Haley is still in the Republican primary as GOP front-runner former President Trump continues to dominate elections, even in the former South Carolina governor’s home state.

“She probably should drop out,” Pete told Fox News while on Music City’s famous Broadway street. “I understand what she’s doing, I understand why she’s doing it, but she needs to get out.”

But Jodi said “she should still stay in the race.”

“She’s a better candidate than Trump,” she added.

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Haley is the only remaining challenger to Trump, who is so far undefeated heading into Super Tuesday on Mar. 5, when voters in 16 states will cast their ballot this primary season. Most recently, Trump earned over 40% more votes than Haley in Michigan on Tuesday and beat her by 20% in her home state on Saturday.

“I think she has absolutely no chance against the man,” Oscar told Fox News the day before Michigan’s primary. “I voted in the New Hampshire primary … When Trump won, I think that was a defining moment where everybody realized that he’s going to be the candidate once again.”

“I really don’t know what she’s doing,” he continued. “She’s out of control.”

Similarly, Scott said, “she needs to get out” of the race. “It’s just a waste of money for her to stay in,” he added.

KOCH-BACKED NETWORK DROPS FUNDING FOR NIKKI HALEY CAMPAIGN AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA DEFEAT

Several people said funding from big donors has kept her in the race. Since the start of the primaries, the largest Haley-aligned super PAC has received donations from Wall Street megadonors, big names like billionaire Charles Koch’s political network, Americans for Prosperity Action and even a top Democratic donor, Reid Hoffman.

“She’s getting funded by the other side. That’s what they do.” George said. “If they can’t win their side, they will fund somebody else’s side just to try to get her in.”

But Dan said he had “no idea why there would be any money behind her whatsoever.”

“She’s got no path to victory,” he continued. 

Theresa said: “She’s just been encouraged by a lot of the anti-Trump people to stay in. It just hurts the party, I think.” 

Some said Haley was only staying in the race to swoop in as the nominee if Trump, for some reason, becomes ineligible amid his ongoing legal battles. Trump is fighting four separate lawsuits and dozens of felony charges while seeking to lock up the Republican presidential nomination.

“I think she’s just staying in hopes that something happens with Trump,” Scott told Fox News. “Whether it’s legal issues or something that’s going to knock him out.“

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Similarly, Pete said the only reason she refuses to drop out is because “we don’t really know what’s going to happen with Trump.”

“I like Trump,” he said. “Will he be there? I hope he’s there in the end, but I can’t guarantee he will be.”

But Josh said Haley’s effort “seems pointless.”

“It seems like an inevitable match-up between Trump and Biden again at this point,” he told Fox News, “which I don’t really think anyone wants. So it’s surprising that that continues to happen.”

Representative democracy remains a favorite system of governance around the globe, but its appeal is slipping on the eve of elections in much of the world, according to a survey of 24 democratic countries by the Pew Research Center released Wednesday.

While a median of 77% across the 24 surveyed countries said representative democracy was a “good” system of government, higher than any other alternative, a median of 59% told pollsters they were dissatisfied with how democracy was working in their own country. In the 22 countries where data was available from 2017, the last time Pew asked about democracy, the share describing democracy as a “very good” system was down in half of them.

“People do like representative democracy. But you see here in lots of different ways people are really frustrated with how it’s performing,” said Richard Wike, managing director of Pew’s Global Attitudes research. “There’s a real disconnect between people and their representatives.”

ARGENTINA’S BUDGET BACK IN BLACK WITH $589M BUDGET SURPLUS IN JANUARY

Across the 24 countries — all democracies — a median of 74% said they don’t believe elected officials care what people like them think. Only 10 of the 24 national leaders on the survey had favorable ratings from half or more of the public.

But the alternatives were seen as even worse. Only six opposition leaders got favorable reviews, and a median of 42% of respondents said no political party in their country represents their viewpoint. People in the political center were more likely to report not feeling like a party represents their views.

The poll comes as the world’s democracies prepare for a titanic year, with elections scheduled in more than 50 nations that represent half the world’s population. That includes Indian elections this spring, European Union-wide elections in June and the November presidential election in the United States.

The voting comes as support for more authoritarian forms of government are on the rise. The Pew survey found that in eight of the surveyed countries, support for a “strong leader” who can make decisions without court or legislative interference increased since 2017.

Those countries included Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Kenya and Argentina, where Javier Milei, a self-described “anarcho,-capitalist” whose supporters call him “the madman,” won that country’s presidential election in November, after the Pew survey work was completed earlier last year. Overall, just under one-third typically backed some sort of authoritarian system across the surveyed countries.

Support for a strong leader also rose in India, which stood out as the country with the highest level of support for that form of government, with 67% of those surveyed ranking it as a good system, an increase of 12 % from when Pew asked the question in 2017.

India’s popular prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been criticized for eroding that country’s democratic and secular traditions with his Hindu nationalist party. But the country’s residents also reported a high level of satisfaction with democracy in the poll, and Wike said the two factors are intertwined in India.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI ARRIVES IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ON HIS SEVENTH TRIP TO THE NATION

“These authoritarian models have more support there,” Wike said. “That gives authorities some foundation of public support they can draw on.”

The poll found support for a strong leader increased the most in Mexico, where it jumped 23% since 2017. At the same time, Mexico was one of three countries where support for democracy increased — Brazil and Poland were the other two.

Support for more authoritarian leadership tended to be strongest among those with lower levels of education and income, as well as those on the ideological right. Poorer countries registered higher support for autocratic systems, including military rule. Having the military in control of governing also was backed by about a third of all residents in eight of what Pew called more “middle-income” countries, such as Mexico, India, Indonesia and South Africa. Overall, though, military rule is the least popular form of government, with a median of just 15% supporting it.

The U.S. is an outlier in multiple categories, including its support for more autocratic systems.

It was the wealthiest country surveyed, and while its support for autocratic systems was well below majority level — only 15% back military rule and 26% back a strong leader system — they were higher than half the other countries in the poll.

That comes as former President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, has continued to speak warmly about authoritarian leaders, such as China’s Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Wike said the U.S. also stands out for its polarization over questions of whether more diverse representation would improve the country’s policies. A median of 50% across the surveyed countries believe policies would improve if more women were elected, while in the U.S. that share was only 42%.

Across the surveyed countries, a median of 46% believed electing more younger adults to office would improve policies, while in the U.S. that share was 38%, the second-lowest recorded after Japan. The U.S. also registered the largest ideological gap on the question, with 7 in 10 liberals saying younger leaders would improve conditions and only 2 in 10 conservatives agreeing.

While representative democracy was the most popular system, direct democracy, in which citizens themselves vote on major issues, was close behind, with a median of 70% saying it would be a good way to run their country. Pew also found an increase in support for a system run by experts rather than elected officials, with a median of 58% backing that model.

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Pew surveyed 30,861 people in 24 countries between February and May 2023. The margin of error varied by country.

FIRST ON FOX: A top House Republican is warning that President Biden’s recent moratorium on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports over climate concerns could hit U.S. small businesses the hardest.

House Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, R-Texas, penned a letter Wednesday morning to President Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, warning of the “detrimental impacts” the policy will have on small businesses, the U.S. economy broadly and America’s strategic interests worldwide. In the letter, Williams demanded answers to a series of questions about the administration’s actions.

“Currently over 90 percent of oil and natural gas extractors are small businesses, and the Committee seeks a deeper explanation of this decision and its impacts on those businesses and U.S. strategic priorities,” Williams wrote to Biden and Granholm, adding that the administration appears intent on making it hard for small fossil fuel operators to “to compete and earn a living.”

“This export decision will force the U.S. to turn its back on our European allies and push them back into the hands of the Russian Federation,” the Small Business Committee chair continued. “This not only works against the U.S.’ strategic interests, but creates challenges for businesses, large and small, that had planned to export their products to Europe and Asia over the coming years.”

TIKTOK ACTIVIST SAYS HE ADVISED WHITE HOUSE ON BIDEN’S NEW NATURAL GAS MORATORIUM

Williams added that small U.S. natural gas producers have taken advantage of the opportunity to replace Russian gas in global markets. In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago, U.S. LNG largely filled the void left by Russian natural gas as U.S. allies sought to wean off Russian exports and punish the nation’s economy, a plan Biden endorsed at the time.

In December 2023, more than 87% of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe, U.K., or Asian markets.

DOZENS OF FORMER TOP FEDERAL OFFICIALS CALL ON CONGRESS TO STRIKE DOWN BIDEN’S NATURAL GAS CRACKDOWN

“It is important for agencies to examine small businesses’ interests — which make up 99.9 percent of all businesses in the U.S. — when making such an impactful decision. America’s small businesses deserve to have their voices heard and considered,” Williams wrote.

In January, Biden ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) to pause pending permits for LNG export facilities while federal officials conduct a rigorous environmental review assessing the projects’ carbon emissions, which could take more than a year to complete. The action is a major victory for activists who have loudly called for such a move, which they said would help combat global warming.

STATE AGS WARN BIDEN’S NATURAL GAS MORATORIUM VIOLATES FEDERAL LAW, DEMAND REVERSAL

The president confirmed the pause on LNG permitting was a part of his sweeping climate agenda, adding the action “sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.” He also took aim at “MAGA Republicans” for willfully denying the “urgency of the climate crisis.”

However, the move was blasted by industry groups, former federal officials and bipartisan lawmakers, who noted energy exports, in addition to aiding allies in Europe and Asia, bolster domestic energy production and boost the U.S. economy.

HOUSE DELIVERS BLOW TO BIDEN’S CLIMATE AGENDA, VOTES AGAINST NATURAL GAS MORATORIUM

Fossil fuel industry groups recently cited research indicating that LNG exports could add as much as $73 billion to the U.S. economy by 2040, create 453,000 American jobs and increase U.S. purchasing power by $30 billion.

Critics of Biden’s action also argued it would not help the environment since global consumers will, as a result, likely revert to greater reliance on coal or Russian gas, both of which are dirtier than U.S. LNG.

“Holding exports of American LNG, which meet U.S. environmental standards, in favor of European and Asian coal or Russian LNG, is likely to harm the environment more than simply approving these exports,” Williams wrote.

While it remains unclear which proposed projects the action will affect, a senior administration official said at least two have a larger capacity and two have a smaller capacity. Another official added that the pause implemented Friday will only impact projects that have gone through FERC’s lengthy approval process and are ripe for DOE approval.

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According to federal data, there are 11 projects that have been green-lit by FERC but are not yet under construction. An additional four projects are pending before FERC and two are in the pre-filing stage. Those six projects would not be impacted by the pause since they are not before the DOE yet but would be impacted if approved by FERC.

The White House and DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lara Trump officially announced her candidacy for co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Wednesday.

Her announcement comes days after current RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced that she will resign on March 8, following the Super Tuesday primaries. Trump is among several loyalists former President Trump has supported to take over key roles at the RNC.

Lara wrote to committee members on Wednesday, saying she is “proud to have the endorsement of my father-in-law and 45th president, Donald J. Trump, for this position and understand the fundamental importance of this role.”

“In the coming days, I look forward to connecting with you, the members of the RNC, and hopefully earning your vote,” she added.

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The former president has also endorsed North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to replace McDaniel as chair of the RNC, and senior adviser Chris LaCivita to become chief operating officer.

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Lara Trump laid out her priorities to turbocharge the organization, which has been struggling to keep up with its Democrat counterpart’s massive fundraising numbers.

“We have to legally ballot harvest everywhere we possibly can,” she said at a campaign rally last week.

She has also argued that “every single penny” the RNC receives should go toward ensuring her father-in-law is elected in November, as well as expanding the Republican majority in the House of Representatives and flipping the Senate from Democratic control.

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McDaniel formally announced her resignation plans on Monday, saying it was traditional for a presidential candidate to make changes.

“It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the Republican National Committee for seven years as Chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our Party,” McDaniel said in a statement. “I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a Chair of their choosing. The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.”

Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst has introduced legislation to protect gun owners from what critics have called a Biden administration crackdown on gun dealers as part of a larger anti-gun push by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The bill, introduced on Tuesday, will “provide firearm licensees an opportunity to correct statutory and regulatory violations, and for other purposes” and says the “Attorney General may not bring an enforcement action to revoke, or deny a renewal of, a license for a violation of any provision of this chapter or any implementing regulation thereof on the basis of a self-reported violation.”

Ernst’s bill comes as gun dealers across the country have cried foul over hundreds of licenses being taken away by Biden’s ATF and suggesting that they are being unfairly targeted for political reasons over paperwork errors as part of an agenda to combat gun violence which President Biden has vocally pushed.

“We were making $1 million a year, now it’s less than $100,000,” Anthony Navarro, a gun dealer who lost his license in 2022 after receiving three warnings for legal violations since 2009, told Wall Street Journal. “This policy is designed to be a backdoor violation of the Second Amendment.” 

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Ernst says the bill aims to ensure the government works with gun dealers to comply with the law rather than shut them down. 

“Biden’s ATF has had it out for gun owners since day one,” the Iowa Republican senator said in a statement. 

“For years, the Biden administration has cracked down on law-abiding gun dealers to advance its gun-grabbing agenda, even preventing small businesses from making a living. Rather than helping dealers comply with the law, Biden’s ATF has created more hurdles to legally sell guns, so it can turn around and revoke licenses for inconsequential, so-called ‘violations.’ While Joe Biden’s ATF has avoided critical oversight on its FFL abuse for over a year, I am proud to stand up for law-abiding Iowa gun dealers.” 

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The bill would create a safe harbor for gun dealers to self-report violations, require the ATF to work with gun dealers to fix violations, and allow for a direct judicial review of license revocations.

“Senator Joni Ernst’s ‘FIREARM’ Act will help restore confidence that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will fulfill its mission as a regulatory agency over the manufacture and sale of firearms rather than being used as a political tool by special interests,” Lawrence G. Keane, National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President & General Counsel, said in a statement. 

“For too long, the firearm and ammunition industry has seen the ATF turned into a sledgehammer to carry out the extremist policies of antigun administrations. This damages the cooperative relationships between firearm retailers, who are often the frontline preventing illegal straw purchases of firearms, and the ATF, who enforces laws to safeguard our communities. NSSF is thankful for Senator Ernst’s leadership to provide remedies that repair this necessary public trust in our federal agencies.”

Similar legislation is also being worked through in the House by GOP Rep. Darrell Issa. 

“From the beginning, this Administration has sought to undermine the Second Amendment and weaponize federal agencies against law-abiding citizens and family-owned small businesses targeted for being a part of the lawful firearms industry,” Issa said in a statement. “This has delivered a transparently unfair assault on the fundamental rights of our fellow Americans, and that’s why my friend Senator Ernst and I are introducing the FIREARM Act. It’s time to stop this abuse of power and prevent it from ever happening again.”

Last fiscal year, 122 gun dealers had their licenses revoked by the ATF which is up from 90 the year before and 27 in 2021, Wall Street Journal reported.

During the Trump and Obama presidencies, the number of licenses revoked never exceeded 81. 

“ATF’s core mission is to protect the public from violent crime, particularly crimes involving the use of firearms,” ATF Spokesperson Kristina Mastropasqua told Fox News Digital in a statement. “An essential part of this mission is ensuring that federal firearms licensees (FFLs) comply with applicable federal laws and regulations, particularly the implementing regulations of the Gun Control Act of 1968. FFLs are one of the first lines of defense against gun crime and are often a source of critical enforcement information that helps law enforcement identify straw purchasers and disrupt illegal firearms trafficking schemes. However, FFLs who willfully break the law put public safety at risk.”

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“Accordingly, in June 2021, Attorney General Garland announced a Gun Crime Prevention Strategy as part of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, which included an enhanced regulatory enforcement policy aimed at preventing the diversion of firearms from lawful commerce by ensuring a consistent enforcement response to certain willful violations of the federal firearm regulations and laws. Specifically, absent extraordinary circumstances, the policy provides that ATF will issue a notice of license revocation when an inspection results in a preliminary finding that an FFL has willfully committed one or more of the following violations: (1) transferring a firearm to a prohibited person; (2) failing to conduct a required background check; (3) falsifying records, such as a firearms transaction form; (4) failing to respond to an ATF trace request; or (5) refusing to permit ATF to conduct an inspection.”

The statement continued, “This enhanced regulatory enforcement policy did not alter the statutory or regulatory provisions applicable to the FFL revocation process. While the policy identifies specific violations that may result in ATF issuing a revocation notice, it is limited to the initial step in the revocation process—the issuance of a notice. Whether issued pursuant to the enhanced regulatory enforcement policy or for other violations of the law, a revocation notice initiates additional procedural rights for FFLs, including the right to an administrative hearing, and if applicable, the right to judicial review. License revocations do not become final until the FFL receives notice and an opportunity to respond or waives those protections.”

Self-help guru Marianne Williamson returned to the 2024 presidential race on Wednesday, just weeks after announcing the suspension of her campaign.

Williamson made the announcement in a video statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Williamson said she returned to the race because she feels President Biden is a vulnerable candidate to put up against former President Donald Trump.

“As of today, I am unsuspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States,” Williamson said. “I had suspended it because I was losing the horse race. But something so much more important than the horse race is at stake here, and we must respond.”

“Right now, we have a fascist standing at the door. Everybody’s all upset about it. Well, we should be upset about it. But we’re not going to defeat the fascist by–well, by what? What is President Biden offering?” she asked. “What is he saying beyond, ‘You know, the economy is doing really well.’?”

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“We’re still in this. Let’s do this. This is serious,” she added. “We need to say to the American people, ‘we see your pain,’ and we need to say to Donald Trump, ‘we see your B.S.’”

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Williamson originally suspended her campaign on Feb. 7, dropping out of the race without making an endorsement.

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Williamson first ran for president in 2019 — also against Biden and a slew of other Democrats — and announced in early 2023 that she would be challenging the president again in 2024.

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Williamson was one of two prominent Democratic candidates who have attempted to challenge Biden’s re-election. Along with her is Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who has blasted the Democratic Party for refusing to consider alternatives to Biden.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.