NationalWatch

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.

BIDEN CAMPAIGN TROLLS TRUMP’S ‘WEAKEST OPERATION IN RECENT HISTORY’ AMID LAGGING CAMPAIGN CASH

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.

LARA TRUMP UNLEASHES ON NIKKI HALEY AMID RNC FEUD, REFUSAL TO DROP OUT OF GOP PRIMARY RACE

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.

WATCH: TRUMP CONDEMNS ALEXEI NAVALNY’S DEATH AS ‘HORRIBLE THING’ AFTER FACING SHARP BACKLASH FROM HALEY

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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.” 

CALIFORNIA BILLY CLUB BAN STRUCK DOWN BY COURT ON SECOND AMENDMENT GROUNDS

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.” 

GUN RIGHTS IN BATTLEGROUND STATE TAKE CENTER STAGE AHEAD OF 2024: ‘SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED’

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.’?”

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN LAYOFFS, VOWS TO REMAIN IN RACE: ‘REALLY TOUGH DAY’

“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.’”

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON APOLOGIZES TO BILL MAHER FOLLOWING ‘PERSONAL’ SPAT ON HIGHER EDUCATION: ‘OKAY, I’M SORRY’

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

DEAN PHILLIPS DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM CAMPAIGN OPERATIVE WHO REPORTEDLY PAID $1 FOR AI-GENERATED BIDEN DEEPFAKE

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.

Indiana can now enforce a law banning minors from seeking gender-transitioning treatments after a federal appeals court ruled to remove a temporary injunction issued by a judge last year, which kept the ban from going into effect last summer.

A three-judge panel from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago handed down the decision on Tuesday. Two of the judges were appointed by presidents Reagan and Trump, while the third judge was appointed by President Biden.

The bill, which was signed by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on April 5, 2023, was set to become law on July 1, 2023, but was blocked by a judge a month prior following a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.

U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued the injunction, which halted the parts of the law prohibiting minors from accessing hormone therapies and puberty blockers, and prohibiting Indiana doctors from communicating with out-of-state doctors about transgender-related treatments for minors. The law’s ban on gender-transitioning surgeries for minors was still allowed to take effect.

INDIANA GOV. HOLCOMB GREENLIGHTS TRANS PROCEDURE BAN FOR MINORS

On Tuesday, the ACLU of Indiana issued a written statement in response to the appeals court’s ruling, describing it as “heartbreaking” for transgender minors, their families and doctors.

“As we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all the transgender youth of Indiana to know this fight is far from over,” the statement read. “We will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated and Indiana is made a safer place to raise every family.”

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita did not share those sentiments and praised the court’s decision in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday evening.

“Our commonsense state law, banning dangerous and irreversible gender-transition procedures for minors, is now enforceable following the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeal’s newest order. We are proud to win this fight against the radicals who continue pushing this horrific practice on our children for ideological and financial reasons,” he wrote.

OHIO BANS ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE’ FOR MINORS, RESTRICTS TRANSGENDER ATHLETES DESPITE GOP GOVERNOR VETO

The ACLU of Indiana filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of four minors undergoing gender-transitioning treatments and a doctor providing such care. The organization argued that the ban violates the Constitution’s equal protection guarantees and strips parents of the right to make medical decisions for their children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, among other medical groups, claim minors can safely seek gender-transitioning treatments if they are being administered properly.

Representatives from the state’s only hospital-based gender health program at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis told legislators last year that doctors do not perform or provide referrals for genital surgeries for minors, according to The Associated Press. The hospital was not involved in the lawsuit opposing the ban.

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Twenty-two other states have also enacted laws restricting or banning gender-transitioning treatments for minors. They are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

The bans are in limbo in some of those states as a federal court ruled Arkansas’ ban is unconstitutional and temporary injunctions were placed on the laws in Idaho and Montana.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Instead of trying to keep their seats in Congress, two North Carolina politicians are vying for a high-profile office closer to home: state attorney general.

The career path that Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop and Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson are trying to follow was once a rarity but has become more common across the country as the attorney general position has become more prominent — and taken a more partisan tone.

The North Carolina race is among the most closely watched of the 10 attorney general elections across the U.S. this November. Bishop is the only Republican running in the swing state, but Jackson faces two other Democrats in the March 5 primary.

STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICIALLY CALLS ON KAMALA HARRIS TO INVOKE 25TH AMENDMENT, REMOVE BIDEN FROM OFFICE

Differences between the candidates are stark. The attorney general has, among other things, a role in how to enforce state laws and whether to defend them when they’re challenged in court. And the North Carolina candidates couldn’t be more different in their approaches.

Jackson said he could, for example, follow the path taken by the Democratic incumbent and refuse to support a law adopted last year that bans most abortions after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. “I see the job as standing up for people in defense of their fundamental rights,” Jackson said in an interview. “I’m prepared to stand up to the state legislature.”

Bishop, on the other hand, said he would defend the law and others — even if he disagreed with them — unless “it is unconstitutional beyond any reasonable argument.”

Their state is one of six where the incumbent won’t be on the ballot, including Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and West Virginia. Incumbents are expected to try to keep their jobs in Indiana, Missouri, Montana and Vermont.

Most of the states with elections are dominated by one party, but purple Pennsylvania has a crowded April primary ballot for both Republicans and Democrats.

___

The attorney general job has been a springboard to higher office for so long that there’s a joke that “AG” stands for “aspiring governor.” Current North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is running for governor, as are the top government lawyers in Washington and West Virginia. Former President Bill Clinton and current Vice President Kamala Harris have attorney general on their resumes, alongside a long list of governors and senators.

But over the past decade, a pipeline from Congress to attorney general has developed. Five sitting attorneys general — Maryland’s Anthony Brown, Minnesota’s Keith Ellison, Arkansas’ Tim Griffin, Idaho’s Raul Labrador and Indiana’s Todd Rokita — were all previously in Congress.

It’s a big change.

“You don’t have to go find 218 people to get a vote,” Ellison, a Democrat who was previously a six-term member of Congress, state lawmaker and director of a public interest law firm, said in an interview. “You say, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do, team.’”

Ellison said that his time in Congress helped him get to know the federal agencies he often interacts with now, but that his time as a trial lawyer was also important in preparing him for his current job.

___

Duties vary by state but generally include roles as criminal prosecutor — representing the state in court and protecting consumers, with the latter often carried out through multi-state lawsuits against companies.

Attorneys general have in recent years been on the front line of lawsuits and settlements against drugmakers and others over the toll of prescription opioid painkillers; and most of them joined together last year to sue Facebook parent company Meta, claiming that features on its social media platforms are addictive.

It’s become more common over the past two decades, however, for attorneys general to join with colleagues only from their party to challenge federal government policy — mostly those put in place by presidents from the opposite party.

NEW YORK AG TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER TRUMP FRAUD RULING: ‘JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED’

Bishop, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus who joined Congress after winning a special election in 2019, said that with an often gridlocked Congress, presidents are using regulations to create policy — and overstepping their bounds.

“It’s often falling to AGs to protect fundamental rights and to stop regulatory overreach,” he said.

Bishop said he supports the effort by the Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana to bar the FBI and other government agencies from contacting social media platforms such as Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, to urge that content be removed. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on the case on March 18.

There have also been partisan broadsides against businesses. Last year, 13 GOP attorneys general warned CEOs of the 100 biggest U.S. companies that there could be legal consequences for using race as a factor in hiring and employment practices. But that hasn’t led to litigation so far.

Meanwhile, during Donald Trump’s presidency, Democrats repeatedly sued over policies such as a ban on travel to the U.S. from several mostly Muslim countries and allowing more employers to opt out of providing birth control coverage by claiming religious or moral objections. Democratic attorneys general also defended former President Barack Obama’s health insurance overhaul in court when Trump’s administration wouldn’t.

___

Jackson, a TikTok-savvy politician in his first term in Congress, decided to enter the race after redrawn congressional maps removed him from the district west of Charlotte he’s representing.

It would have taken him years to build up seniority to have significant power in the House. But the job he’s seeking now is different, he said: “You reach your full influence upon being elected to attorney general,” he said.

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Also on the primary ballot are Democrats Satana Deberry, a progressive district attorney, and Tim Dunn, a private-practice lawyer. Jackson has a major fundraising lead and the support of the Democrats in North Carolina’s congressional delegation.

James Tierney, a former attorney general in Maine, one of the seven states where attorneys general are appointed rather than elected, teaches about the office at Harvard Law School. He said people with the job need to be careful not to take only partisan action because it can weaken the office’s clout.

“If an AG acts like a congressman, they’re going to get treated like a congressman,” he said, “and they won’t get the deference from judges and the bar that an attorney general deserves.”

Indiana can now enforce a law banning minors from seeking gender-transitioning treatments after a federal appeals court ruled to remove a temporary injunction issued by a judge last year, which kept the ban from going into effect last summer.

A three-judge panel from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago handed down the decision on Tuesday. Two of the judges were appointed by presidents Reagan and Trump, while the third judge was appointed by President Biden.

The bill, which was signed by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on April 5, 2023, was set to become law on July 1, 2023, but was blocked by a judge a month prior following a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.

U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued the injunction, which halted the parts of the law prohibiting minors from accessing hormone therapies and puberty blockers, and prohibiting Indiana doctors from communicating with out-of-state doctors about transgender-related treatments for minors. The law’s ban on gender-transitioning surgeries for minors was still allowed to take effect.

INDIANA GOV. HOLCOMB GREENLIGHTS TRANS PROCEDURE BAN FOR MINORS

On Tuesday, the ACLU of Indiana issued a written statement in response to the appeals court’s ruling, describing it as “heartbreaking” for transgender minors, their families and doctors.

“As we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all the transgender youth of Indiana to know this fight is far from over,” the statement read. “We will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated and Indiana is made a safer place to raise every family.”

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita did not share those sentiments and praised the court’s decision in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday evening.

“Our commonsense state law, banning dangerous and irreversible gender-transition procedures for minors, is now enforceable following the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeal’s newest order. We are proud to win this fight against the radicals who continue pushing this horrific practice on our children for ideological and financial reasons,” he wrote.

OHIO BANS ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE’ FOR MINORS, RESTRICTS TRANSGENDER ATHLETES DESPITE GOP GOVERNOR VETO

The ACLU of Indiana filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of four minors undergoing gender-transitioning treatments and a doctor providing such care. The organization argued that the ban violates the Constitution’s equal protection guarantees and strips parents of the right to make medical decisions for their children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, among other medical groups, claim minors can safely seek gender-transitioning treatments if they are being administered properly.

Representatives from the state’s only hospital-based gender health program at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis told legislators last year that doctors do not perform or provide referrals for genital surgeries for minors, according to The Associated Press. The hospital was not involved in the lawsuit opposing the ban.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Twenty-two other states have also enacted laws restricting or banning gender-transitioning treatments for minors. They are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

The bans are in limbo in some of those states as a federal court ruled Arkansas’ ban is unconstitutional and temporary injunctions were placed on the laws in Idaho and Montana.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Biden was projected to win Michigan’s Democratic primary on Tuesday despite pushback from Arab-American voters opposed to his support for Israel’s war in Gaza, and the president said it would “take all of us coming together” to defend American freedom and democracy.

His easy win in Michigan, according to a projection from The Associated Press, marked his fourth primary victory in as many states as he seeks the Democratic nomination.

“I want to thank every Michigander who made their voice heard today,” Biden said in a statement. “Exercising the right to vote and participating in our democracy is what makes America great.”

The landslide victory comes despite a movement among the state’s Arab-American population to “Abandon Biden” and vote “uncommitted” on primary ballots in protest of his support of Israel’s war in Gaza. The effort was backed by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who said Tuesday she was proud to vote against Biden in the primary while calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, where Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists continue to fight following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish State.

BIDEN WINS MICHIGAN DESPITE PUSHBACK FROM ARAB-AMERICAN VOTERS

The president’s victory on Tuesday helped him inch closer to securing his party’s nomination and setting up a potential rematch with former President Trump, who defeated former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley in the Republican primary.

“Four years ago, it was Michigan’s diverse coalition that came together to reject Donald Trump’s MAGA extremism and sent me and Kamala to the White House,” Biden said. “Because of Michiganders, we’ve been able to work hand in hand with Governor Whitmer and the incredible Democratic leaders in Michigan’s congressional delegation to deliver enormous progress.”

He continued: “I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with UAW workers last year as they led the fight for the wages and benefits they deserve. We took on Big Pharma and are lowering the cost of prescription drugs for nearly 2 million Michigan seniors. We’re investing in our world-class auto industry and are finally making big corporations pay their fair share after Trump rigged the economy for special interests and gave handouts to his wealthy friends. And we’re fixing our crumbling bridges and roads while creating thousands of good-paying, union jobs right here in Michigan after Trump shipped them overseas.”

RASHIDA TLAIB ‘PROUD’ TO NOT VOTE FOR BIDEN IN MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

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Biden said “for all of this progress, there is so much left to do” while criticizing Trump for “threatening to drag us even further into the past as he pursues revenge and retribution.”

“[Trump] proudly brags that he is the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned in this country,” Biden said. “Because of Donald Trump, women’s lives are at risk, doctors face the prospect of criminal penalties for doing their jobs, and families desperately trying to have children are having access to fertility treatments ripped away. Now, Donald Trump wants to ban abortion nationwide – including here in Michigan.”

“You’ve heard me say many times it’s never a good bet to bet against the United States of America,” the president said. “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.”

Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed to this report.

Hunter Biden will appear for his highly-anticipated and long-awaited deposition Wednesday on Capitol Hill as part of the impeachment inquiry against his father, President Biden.

The first son is expected to take questions from lawmakers and congressional investigators behind closed doors before the House Oversight and Judiciary committees.

The deposition is expected to begin at 10 a.m.

Hunter Biden’s expected testimony comes after his uncle, President Biden’s younger brother James Biden, testified last week as part of the impeachment inquiry. James Biden testified that President Biden “has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest” in his business ventures. 

BIDEN MET WITH CHAIRMAN OF CHINESE ENERGY FIRM HUNTER DID BUSINESS WITH IN 2017, EX-ASSOCIATE TESTIFIES

House Republicans have heard testimony from a number of the first son’s former business associates, like Tony Bobulinski, who testified before the committees earlier this month that Joe Biden was involved in the family’s business ventures. He also testified that he personally met with him. 

House Democrats and the White House have criticized the inquiry as baseless, but Republicans insist they have just scratched the surface of the investigation into Biden family businesses.

“The House Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means Committees have unearthed a record of evidence revealing Joe Biden was ‘the brand’ his family sold to enrich the Bidens,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky, said in statement Tuesday. “Joe Biden knew of, participated in, and benefited from these schemes. Joe Biden attended dinners, spoke on speakerphone, showed up to meetings, and had coffee with his son’s foreign business associates. 

“In fact, we’ve documented how Joe Biden has met with nearly all of his son’s foreign business associates as they were collectively funneling millions to the Bidens. Our committees have the opportunity to depose Hunter Biden, a key witness in our impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden, about this record of evidence. This deposition is not the conclusion of the impeachment inquiry. There are more subpoenas and witness interviews to come.” 

He added that the committee will continue to investigate to “determine whether articles of impeachment are warranted.”

Days before Bobulinski’s testimony, another former business associate, Rob Walker, testified that Joe Biden met with the chairman of the Chinese energy firm CEFC that his brother and son did business with. 

After Walker’s testimony, the House Oversight Committee said it was able to “now confirm Joe Biden met with nearly every foreign national who funneled money to his son.” 

Also last week, congressional investigators heard testimony from a former business associate of Hunter’s — Jason Galanis, who is serving a 14-year prison sentence. Galanis testified during a rare transcribed interview from an Alabama prison that Joe Biden was allegedly considering joining the board of a joint venture created by Hunter Biden and his business associates with ties to the Chinese Communist Party after he left the vice presidency.

Joe Biden’s involvement would bring “political access in the United States and around the world,” he claimed. 

JOE BIDEN ‘ENABLED’ FAMILY TO SELL ACCESS TO ‘DANGEROUS ADVERSARIES,’ TONY BOBULINSKI TESTIFIES

Hunter Biden was first subpoenaed to appear for a closed-door deposition in November. The deposition was slated for Dec. 13, but the first son defied the subpoena. Instead of appearing to testify, he held a press conference on Capitol Hill during which he defended himself and his father, saying the president “was not financially involved in my business.”

Ahead of his subpoenaed deposition, Hunter Biden had offered to testify in a public setting.

Comer and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, rejected his request, noting that the first son would not have special treatment and pointing to the dozens of other witnesses who have appeared as compelled for their interviews and depositions. Comer and Jordan vowed to release the transcript of Hunter Biden’s deposition.

But after he defied the subpoena, the committees in January passed resolutions to hold the first son in contempt of Congress for defying the congressional subpoena. Before those resolutions were able to be considered by the House Rules Committee and the full House, Hunter Biden’s attorneys offered to discuss scheduling a new deposition for the first son — something House Republicans were willing to do.

HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH AFTER RISK OF BEING HELD IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS

The president’s son’s deposition comes after years of congressional investigations into his business dealings, beginning in September 2019 in the Senate. That investigation was led by senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

Hunter Biden’s business dealings and foreign relationships came under heightened scrutiny in the fall of 2019 during the first impeachment of former President Trump.

Trump was impeached after a July 2019 phone call in which he pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine, specifically Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings and Joe Biden’s successful effort to have former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin ousted.

FLASHBACK: GRASSLEY, JOHNSON SHARE HUNTER BIDEN’S CHINA-LINKED BANK RECORDS WITH US ATTORNEY LEADING CRIMINAL PROBE

Hunter Biden was quietly under federal investigation, beginning in 2018, at the time of the call, a probe prompted by suspicious foreign transactions.

Trump’s request was regarded by Democrats as a quid pro quo because millions in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen. Democrats also said Trump was meddling in the 2020 presidential election by asking a foreign leader to look into a Democratic political opponent.

Republicans had been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings, specifically with regard to Burisma Holdings. House Republicans, who were in the minority at the time, made several requests to subpoena Hunter Biden for testimony and documents related to the impeachment of Trump and his business dealings that fell at the center of the proceedings.

FLASHBACK: GOP-LED COMMITTEES RELEASE INTERIM REPORT ON HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA PROBE

Biden has acknowledged that when he was vice president he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings, and Hunter had a highly lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month. The vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid at the time if Shokin was not fired.

“I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion.’ … I looked at them and said, ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Biden recalled the conversation during an event for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018.

“Well, son of a b—-, he got fired,” Biden said during the event. “And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.”

Biden allies maintain he pushed for Shokin’s firing when he was vice president due to concerns the Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption, and they say that his firing, at the time, was the policy position of the U.S. and international community.

FLASHBACK: HUNTER BIDEN ‘TAX AFFAIRS’ UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION; LINKS TO CHINA FUNDS EMERGE, SOURCES SAY

Now, as part of the impeachment inquiry, Republicans are investigating any involvement Joe Biden had in his son’s business dealings.

Last year, the federal investigation into Hunter Biden that began in 2018 also came under heightened scrutiny when two IRS whistleblowers claimed politics were influencing prosecutorial decisions throughout the years-long probe.

Those allegations sparked congressional investigations and, ultimately, the impeachment inquiry. They also put pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland to give then-U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss special counsel authority.

WEISS SAYS HE ‘WASN’T GRANTED’ SPECIAL ATTORNEY AUTHORITY IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE DESPITE REQUEST: TRANSCRIPT

Special counsel Weiss indicted the first son on federal gun charges in Delaware last year. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to those charges. His attorneys are attempting to have that case dismissed.

Also last year, Weiss charged Biden with nine federal tax charges, which break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors for $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid.

Weiss charged Hunter Biden in December, alleging a “four-year scheme” in which the president’s son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.

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Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His attorneys are also seeking to have that case dismissed.

Several national polls in recent weeks suggest that President Biden is suffering from an enthusiasm gap when it comes to how excited his Democratic base and voters in general are to support him in November.

A Monmouth University poll conducted earlier this month showed that only 32% of registered voters feel at least somewhat enthusiastic about Biden’s candidacy and that number stands at just 62% among Democrats. 

The same number of registered voters, 32%, say they are at least somewhat confident in Biden’s physical and mental ability to be president.

The same poll shows that confidence in Biden’s abilities among Democrats has dropped significantly to 72% after standing at 91% in 2020. 

BIDEN APPROVAL PLUMMETS TO NEAR CARTER LEVEL: GALLUP

The Monmouth poll also shows Biden with a meager 39% approval rating and that he is under water on several issues with voters, including jobs, immigration and foreign policy.

The weak approval rating is backed up by other polls as evidenced by the Real Clear Politics average showing that his approval rating has been under 50% since August 2021. 

According to Gallup, Biden is significantly losing support from key demographics, including young voters, Black voters and Hispanic voters.

Gallup explained that most of the decline in Black voters referring to themselves as Democrats has been in the last few years.

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

“Most of the decline has been recent, with the net-Democratic ID for this group falling 19 points from a 66-point advantage in 2020,” Gallup said. “At that time, 77% of Black adults favored the Democrats and 11% the Republicans, so the 2023 findings represent an 11-point decrease in Democratic affiliation since 2020 and an eight-point increase in Republican affiliation.”

Mainstream news outlets have taken notice of the enthusiasm numbers, including the New York Times editorial board, which wrote earlier this month that Biden “needs to do more to show the public that he is fully capable of holding office until age 86.”

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Also in February, prominent election handicapper Nate Silver warned that Biden is “losing now and there’s no plan to fix the problems other than hoping that the polls are wrong.”

The Biden campaign pointed Fox News Digital to “several indicators of enthusiasm” they have seen in favor of the president.

“In the Nevada primary, we saw higher turnout than 2008 – despite that being a far more competitive election,” Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said. “The email from the First Lady after the Hur report was our best performing email since the launch.”

Hitt also pointed to Biden winning “more votes in NH as a write in candidate than Obama did in ‘12” and highlighted that Obama was on the ballot and Biden wasn’t.

“January was our best grassroots fundraising month ever, we doubled the number of small-dollar donors from December,” Hitt added. “We brought in over $1M in donations following President Biden’s speech marking the anniversary of the January 6th insurrection.”

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

President Biden plans to visit the southern border in Brownsville, Texas, this week, though apprehensions in the sector are some of the lowest across the border, according to recent data.

On Monday, Border Patrol agents apprehended 4,752 illegal immigrants along the southern border from California through Texas, according to a chart provided to Fox News by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) source.

Some places saw triple-digit numbers, including Eagle Pass Station in the Del Rio Sector, which reported 511 apprehensions; Ajo Station in the Tucson Sector, which reported 481 apprehensions; and Santa Teresa Station in the El Paso Sector, which reported 473 apprehensions.

In fact, 15 of the 35 border stations reported triple-digit numbers, while the rest of the stations reported apprehensions on Monday in the double digits.

BIDEN, TRUMP TO MAKE US-MEXICO BORDER STOPS THURSDAY AS MIGRANT CRISIS ROILS ELECTION

Of the remaining 20, the Brownsville Station in the Rio Grande Valley Sector reported 12 apprehensions on Monday.

The illegal immigrant activity in Brownsville is nearly nonexistent.

Still, Biden is expected to travel to the area on Thursday to meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement and local leaders.

The same day, former President Trump is to travel to Eagle Pass, Texas.

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

The two cities are about 325 miles apart.

Biden is expected to use his trip to talk about the importance of passing the Senate’s bipartisan border security agreement, according to a White House official, who added that the president 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.”

In January 2023, Biden visited the border in El Paso, Texas, getting what was considered a watered-down version of the border crisis.

BORDER PATROL UNION RIPS BIDEN OVER BORDER CRISIS: ‘YOU OWN THIS CATASTROPHIC DISASTER’

The number of illegal immigrants that were crossing into the U.S. from Mexico in El Paso appeared to have plummeted at the time, and the Central Processing Center, which was previously overwhelmed with immigrants, was no longer at its capacity of about 1,000 migrants, and the migrant camps suddenly vanished, CBP sources said.

According to a Fox News analysis published last week, nearly 7.3 million migrants are known to have illegally crossed the southwest border since Biden took office. 

That number is greater than the population of 36 individual states. It comes from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which has already reported 961,537 border encounters in the current fiscal year, which runs from October through September. If the current pace of illegal immigration does not slow down, fiscal 2024 will break last year’s record of 2,475,669 southwest border encounters — a number that by itself exceeds the population of New Mexico, a border state.

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The total number of southwest land border encounters since Biden assumed office in 2021 is 7,298,486, CBP data shows.

White House officials did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Danielle Wallace and Bradford Betz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, is weighing in on what is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races this year, making a not-so-surprising endorsement of who he’d like to see join him and his colleagues in winning control of Congress’ upper chamber for Republicans.

“Kari Lake is a battle-tested warrior who will secure the border and advocate for policies that put the American people first,” Vance told the Daily Caller, who first reported his plans to endorse the former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and television anchor next week.

“Kari is running against a far-left Democrat who has been a rubber stamp for all of Joe Biden’s destructive policies that have gutted the middle class. I am proud to endorse Kari as the next U.S. Senator for Arizona,” he added, referencing Phoenix area Rep. Ruben Gallego, the likely Democrat nominee.

DEMS THRUST KARI LAKE, MCCAIN FEUD INTO SPOTLIGHT AS CRUCIAL SENATE BATTLE HEATS UP: ‘NO PEACE, B—-!’

Lake told the outlet she was “humbled” to receive the endorsement, which comes just two weeks after she got the official backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the official campaign arm for Senate Republicans, which rarely endorses candidates before a primary takes place.

The conservative firebrand is also being backed by former President Donald Trump, Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Burgess Owens, R-Utah.

Barrasso, a member of Republican Senate leadership, is expected to join Lake for campaign stops in Arizona this week.

DEMOCRAT IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE UNDER FIRE FOR PAST AMNESTY, SANCTUARY CITY ‘SUPPORT’ AS BORDER CRISIS SPIRALS

The race is widely seen as one of the best flip opportunities for Republicans, alongside West Virginia, Ohio, Montana and Nevada. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority with the support of incumbent independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and her fellow independent Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Angus King, I-Maine.

In recent cycles, races in the state have been decided within tight margins, including in 2022 when incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly defeated Republican businessman Blake Masters by less than 5%, a 2020 special election when Kelly defeated appointed Republican Sen. Martha McSally by less than 3%, and in 2018 when Sinema defeated McSally by just over 2%.

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Lake’s only major opponent in the Republican primary is Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, and, should she become the nominee, will likely face Phoenix-area Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego in the general election.

Early polling of a hypothetical matchup between Lake and Gallego suggests a tight race, even when including Sinema, who has not yet said whether she will run for re-election after announcing her departure from the Democrat Party in Dec. 2022.

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

Former President Trump will win the Michigan Republican Primary Tuesday night, winning yet another early contest and additional delegates — bringing him one step closer to being able to formally secure the GOP nomination.

The Associated Press projected Trump will win the primary shortly after polls closed Tuesday night. 

With the Michigan win, Trump has claimed victory in every primary and caucus of the 2024 GOP presidential primary cycle. 

Trump, who will likely secure the GOP nomination by next week after the Super Tuesday primary contests, dominated the Iowa caucuses, left New Hampshire with a commanding victory, swept caucuses in Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands, won South Carolina with a “bigger win” than he anticipated.

MICHIGAN PRIMARY PUTS MAJOR BATTLEGROUND STATE IN PLAY FOR 2024

Trump needs 1,215 delegates to formally secure the nomination. 

Both Republican and Democratic voters in Michigan hit the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the state-run primaries.

Republican voters on Tuesday had their choice from Trump, the clear frontrunner, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — the only two GOP candidates in the race — and others who have since dropped out, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

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

There are 16 delegates at stake.

Trump called into the Michigan GOP Watch Party Tuesday night shortly after the race was called in his favor. 

“I just want to thank everybody. This was a great day,” Trump said, pointing to the state’s autoworkers, saying Democrats “destroyed the autowork business,” but vowed to “bring it all back into Michigan” if elected. 

“I just want to thank everybody…the numbers are far greater than we even anticipated,” he said, adding that he will “be doing a lot of campaigning over the next couple of months.” 

“I can tell you this November cannot come fast enough,” Trump said. “We have the worst president in history–the most incompetent and the most corrupt president, and we can’t let this continue.” 

“So that day, November 5th, and January 20th is when we take over,” Trump said, referring to Election Day and Inauguration Day. “We’re going to make America great again, greater than ever before.” 

Democratic voters also had their chance to vote in the primary, casting ballots for President Biden or his Democratic challengers, Rep. Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson. Those voters also had the option to cast an “uncommitted” vote.

A Lubbock, Texas, federal judge ruled Tuesday that lawmakers unconstitutionally passed the $1.7 trillion government funding bill in 2022 when they did so under a pandemic-era rule allowing members of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on the matter by proxy instead of in person.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, requested the courts block a provision of the funding bill that gave pregnant workers stronger legal protections.

U.S. District Judge Wesley Hendrix reviewed the request and issued a “limited” ruling on one of two provisions Paxton sought to have blocked.

Hendrix, appointed by former President Trump, ruled the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was wrongfully passed, blocking the law from being enforced against the state as an employer.

TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON SAYS STATE WON’T COMPLY WITH BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ORDER TO REOPEN PARK TO FEDERAL AGENTS

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, enacted in December 2022, requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers.

In his ruling, Hendrix noted that his injunction is only applicable to state government employees.

Paxton filed a lawsuit last year, arguing the federal spending package was unconstitutionally passed because over half of the House of Representatives were not physically present to provide a quorum, yet they still voted by proxy.

EAGLE PASS MAYOR SAYS SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TEXAS, FEDS OVER BORDER CONTROL IS ‘FRUSTRATING,’ A ‘CONSTANT STRUGGLE’

In May 2020, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, helped get a rule in place allowing lawmakers to vote by proxy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Republicans took control of the House in 2022, they ditched the proxy rule after challenging it in court unsuccessfully.

Hendrix said in a 120-page ruling that for over 200 years leading up to the voting proxy rule’s adoption, Congress understood that the majority of members of the House or Senate were required to be physically present to have a quorum to pass legislation, as stipulated under the Constitution’s quorum clause.

TEXAS AG PAXTON SUES NGO AIDING MIGRANTS, ACCUSES IT OF ENCOURAGING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

“Supreme Court precedent has long held that the Quorum Clause requires presence, and the Clause’s text distinguishes those absent members from the quorum and provides a mechanism for obtaining a physical quorum by compelling absent members to attend,” he wrote.

Paxton said Congress acted “egregiously” when it passed the $1.7 trillion funding bill.

“Congress acted egregiously by passing the largest spending bill in U.S. history with fewer than half the members of the House bothering to do their jobs, show up and vote in person,” Paxton said. “Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi abused proxy voting under the pretext of COVID-19 to pass this law, then Biden signed it, knowing they violated the Constitution. This was a stunning violation of the rule of law. I am relieved the court upheld the Constitution.”

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Reuters reported that Texas Public Policy Foundation lawyer Matthew Miller said the ruling “correctly” concluded a physical quorum was required to vote.

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Hendrix also found in his ruling that Texas did not have standing to challenge $20 million appropriated in the bill to fund a pilot program providing case management and other services to noncitizens during immigration removal proceedings.

Reuters contributed to this report.

President Biden secured another Democratic Primary victory in Michigan despite late pushback from Arab-American voters upset over the president’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

Biden won Michigan easily Tuesday, according to a projection from the Associated Press, claiming his fourth primary victory as he inches closer to securing the Democratic nomination. There were 117 pledged delegates up for grabs in the battleground state.

The landslide victory comes despite a movement among the state’s Arab-American population to “Abandon Biden” and vote “uncommitted” on primary ballots in protest of Biden’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza.

RASHIDA TLAIB ‘PROUD’ TO NOT VOTE FOR BIDEN IN MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

The protest was supported by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who said Tuesday that she was “proud” to vote against the president in the primary election while calling for a “ceasefire” of hostilities in Gaza.

“Hi everyone, it’s Rashida. I was proud today to walk in and pull a Democratic ballot and vote uncommitted. We must protect our democracy, we must make sure that our government is about us, about the people,” Tlaib said in a video message shared by Listen To Michigan, a group supporting the protests against Biden in the primary. “When 74% of Democrats in Michigan support a ceasefire yet President Biden is not hearing us, this is the way we can use our democracy to say listen.”

Nevertheless, Biden emerged victorious again in his bid to represent the Democratic Party for another presidential election, setting up a potential rematch with former President Donald Trump.

NATO MEMBERS BRACE FOR TRUMP WIN AS RECORD NUMBER OF MEMBERS MOVE TO MEET SPENDING PLEDGES

Michigan promises to be a key swing state in that potential rematch, having voted for Trump in 2016 by under one percentage point before flipping to Biden in 2020 by less than three percent.

The president, who has yet to lose a state in this year’s primary, will now shift his focus to “Super Tuesday,” when voters in 14 states and American Samoa will head to the polls to vote for their preferred presidential candidate.

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The results continue to lead to an all-but-certain rematch in 2024, with Biden expected to easily win the Democratic nomination and faceoff with Trump, who has a commanding lead in the GOP primary.