NationalWatch

The White House may be courting controversy with President Donald Trump’s plans to accept a luxury jumbo jet from the Qatari government, worth $400 million, as the potential new Air Force One — but his administration wouldn’t be the first to welcome lavish gifts from foreign leaders.

The practice goes all the way back to the founding of the country in 1776, with U.S. leaders receiving all manner of exotic and expensive gifts from royalty and heads of government around the world.

Abraham Lincoln politely declined a gift of a herd of elephants from the King of Siam, modern-day Thailand, in 1862. But he kept “a sword of costly materials and exquisite workmanship,” a photo of the monarch’s family and two elephant tusks, according to a letter Lincoln sent to King Mongkut.

QATAR OFFERS TRUMP JUMBO JET TO SERVE AS AIR FORCE ONE

In 1880, Queen Victoria sent an intricately carved, 1,300-pound wooden desk to President Rutherford Hayes that was constructed from the oak timbers of the HMS Resolute, an Arctic exploration vessel. The desk was still in use in the Oval Office under the Biden administration but was temporarily removed in February for refinishing, according to reports.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill presented Franklin D. Roosevelt with a painting he did of Marrakech’s Koutoubia Mosque in 1943. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt bought the work in New Orleans for $2.95 million as a gift for his then-wife Angelina Jolie, who sold it a decade later for $11.5 million.

Richard Nixon accepted a gift of two giant pandas from China in 1972 following the U.S. president’s visit to the Communist country. Female panda Ling-Ling and her male mate Hsing-Hsing were given to the National Zoo in Washington D.C.

In 1997, President Clinton and wife Hillary received the gift of a handmade rug with their pictures woven into the tapestry as a gift from Azerbaijan’s leader, Heydar Aliyev. The six-by-five-foot rug was completed in a single day by a team of 12 women, according to reports.

President George W. Bush received 300 pounds of raw lamb in 2003 as a goodwill gesture from Argentina’s then-president, Nestor Kirchner. Bush also received a puppy from Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. At the end of his presidency, Bush and his wife Laura then bought the two-month-old Bulgarian Goran shepherd, named Balkan of Gorannadraganov, from the government and gave it to friends in Maryland.

His father, George H.W. Bush, was gifted a Komodo dragon by the President of Indonesia in 1990.

FREE RIDE: ALLIES, EVEN LAURA LOOMER, TURN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR ACCEPTING LUXURY JET FROM QATAR

One of the most lavish and controversial gifts was a gold and diamond snuff box given to Benjamin Franklin after his nine-year diplomatic tour of duty in France.

In 1785, King Louis XVI gave the Founding Father the elaborate parting gift, which featured a miniature image of the monarch encrusted with 408 diamonds “of a beautiful water.”

It raised questions about corruption and foreign influence on officials in the newly formed American government, wrote Fordham Law professor Zephyr Teachout in her 2014 book, “Corruption in America: From Benjamin Franklin’s Snuff Box to Citizens United.”

Despite the hand-wringing over whether the gift entailed undue foreign influence, Franklin insisted upon keeping the box. The incident later contributed to the passage of the Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits federal government officials from accepting any gift from the representative of a foreign state without the consent of Congress.

Franklin’s daughter Sarah, who inherited the snuff box, gradually removed the diamonds to sell or give to family members. Hundreds of years later, only one diamond remained. The box is now at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.

Federal law requires executive branch officials to disclose any gift from a foreign government valued at $480 or more. Presidents are allowed to keep gifts to display at a presidential library, but cannot keep them for personal use unless they pay the fair market price.

Trump has said that the $400 million new Air Force One plane would be donated to his presidential center or library after his term.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Despite his administration’s insistence that the jet is a gesture of goodwill to the U.S. government, ethics watchdogs have raised concerns about transparency and foreign influence, particularly given Qatar’s efforts to bolster its profile in Washington over the past decade.

More recently, Trump received a sword, dagger and three robes lined with white tiger and cheetah fur from Saudi Arabia’s royal family on his first trip abroad as president in 2017.

The president held onto the items until he left office and did not disclose them as gifts but gave them to the General Services Administration. The pieces were later seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which found that the fur was fake, according to reports.

The House committee tasked with writing the U.S. tax code is meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance one of the most significant portions of President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.”

A sweeping piece of legislation unveiled by the House Ways & Means Committee on Monday would follow through on Trump’s campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, as well as permanently extending the president’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), among other provisions.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he wants House Republicans to pass their version of Trump’s bill by Memorial Day or “shortly thereafter,” as he told Fox News Digital in an interview late last month.

House and Senate Republicans are working on Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to sideline the minority by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to a simple majority, provided the legislation at hand deals with spending, taxes or the national debt.

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

Ways & Means Committee lawmakers are expected to meet for at least several hours on Tuesday to mark up debate on the bill. 

It could go even longer, however. A Ways & Means Committee markup meeting in 2021, when Democrats were trying to pass Build Back Better, lasted over 35 hours over four days due to Republicans dragging the process out in opposition to then-President Joe Biden’s progressive tax policies.

Democrats are expected to put up an aggressive fight on Tuesday as well, having already accused Trump of trying to cut taxes for the wealthy while gutting critical programs for low-income Americans.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., a member of the committee, posted on X on Monday, “Going over line-by line last minute 389-page amendment to the Republican tax bill in our committee today. They have provisions that touch everyone: the richest people get huge tax cuts, working people lose their healthcare and future generations get the bill because it adds $5 trillion to the national debt!”

However, Republicans have insisted their tax bill champions the working and middle classes, pointing to Trump’s elimination of tips on tax and overtime pay as evidence points.

A portion released by the House Ways & Means Committee over the weekend would increase the current maximum Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $2,500. Trump’s TCJA had doubled the maximum from $1,000 to $2,000 in 2017.

It would also boost the maximum deduction for qualified business income, a tax provision known as 199A, from 20% to 22%. That would largely affect small business owners whose entities are taxed under individual income tax rates.

Trump’s promise to eliminate taxes on Social Security for retirees is tackled via giving seniors a higher standard deduction.

“It puts the interests of low-income, working families ahead of the wealthy by expanding tax relief to those who need it the most – including the President’s priorities of no tax on tips and overtime pay and additional relief for America’s seniors,” House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement.

The legislation also cracks down on big colleges and universities, including Ivy Leagues like Harvard University, which are locked in a battle over free speech with the White House. It is targeting those larger schools with higher excise taxes, which are federal duties paid on net earnings of the schools’ investments.

That rate is currently 1.4%, but the legislation would bring it to as high as 21% for the largest schools, like Harvard and Yale University.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS RELEASE TAX PLAN FOR TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

The nearly 400-page legislation must pass the Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday before being added back to a larger legislative framework, which will include similar bills from 10 other House committees dealing with policies under their jurisdiction.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The House Energy & Commerce Committee, for instance, is also meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance its portion of the bill. The broad-ranging committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid, Medicare, energy production and telecommunications.

The House Agriculture Committee, which oversees federal food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is meeting Tuesday evening to advance its portion.

The full House and Senate must pass identical versions of the final bill before it gets to Trump’s desk for a signature.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has not even hit the four-month mark yet in his second tour of duty in the White House, but that is not stopping Democrats from already looking ahead to the 2028 presidential campaign.

The very early moves in the next White House race by potential presidential contenders are clearly underway.

The latest comes from 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who later served as Transportation secretary in former President Joe Biden’s administration. He is headlining a town hall with veterans on Tuesday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Iowa’s caucuses for half a century kicked off both major political parties’ presidential nominating calendars until the Democratic National Committee (DNC) demoted the Hawkeye State on their 2024 schedule.

TRUMP’S APPROVAL RATINGS SLIDE, BUT DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S POLLS HIT ALL-TIME LOWS

Another potential contender, two-term Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, late last month, gave the keynote address at a major state party fundraising gala in New Hampshire, the state that for a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House.

Even though he says he is not laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore later this month will headline a major state party fundraising dinner in South Carolina, which the DNC anointed last cycle as their lead-off contest on the primary calendar.

Also making noise is two-term Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who said recently he would consider running for president if he felt he could successfully unite the country.

WHAT BERNIE SANDERS SAID IN A FOX NEWS DIGITAL INTERVIEW 

Additionally, progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York grabbed plenty of attention the past couple of months, co-headlining a slew of large rallies across the country with longtime progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, which sparked plenty of 2028 speculation.

The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since last November’s election setbacks, when Republicans won back control of the White House and the Senate and defended their fragile House majority. Republicans additionally made gains among Black and Hispanic voters as well as younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party’s base.

Since Trump’s return to power, an increasingly angry and energized base of Democrats has been pushing for party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president’s sweeping and controversial agenda during the opening months of his second administration.

Democrats are not only looking ahead to next year’s midterms, when they hope to make ballot box gains, but also to the next presidential race.

“There was a sense of hopelessness earlier this year among Democrats, as Trump came in with his wrecking ball, and it seemed like there was nothing but futile opposition to him,” longtime Democratic strategist and communication Chris Moyer told Fox News. “So thinking about a presidential race with potential candidates is a way to get some hope back and look towards a future that doesn’t include Trump.”

Moyer, a veteran of a handful of Democratic presidential campaigns, said the race is “wide open, and it won’t be long before we see clear maneuvering from a litany of candidates.”

The results of the 2026 midterm elections will have a major impact on the shape of the next White House race, too.

For now, however, here is an early look at Democrats considered to be potential 2028 presidential contenders.

Kamala Harris

After lying low as the Biden administration came to a close, former Vice President Kamala Harris has picked up the political pace of late, including headlining a major DNC fundraiser last week in New York City.

Among her campaign options that she is weighing is a 2026 run for the open governor’s seat in her home state of California and another bid in 2028 for the White House.

A source in the former vice president’s political orbit confirmed to Fox News Digital two months ago that Harris had told allies she would decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a 2026 gubernatorial campaign.

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before joining Biden’s 2020 ticket and winning election as vice president.

Additionally, Harris would be considered the clear frontrunner for governor in heavily blue California in the race to succeed term-limited Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom.

However, early polling in the 2028 Democratic nomination race indicates that Harris would be the frontrunner, thanks in part to her name recognition within her party.

While there are plenty of voices within the party who would like to move on from the Biden/Harris era following Trump’s sweeping victory, and there is little history of Democrats yearning for past defeated presidential nominees, Trump has re-written the rules when it comes to defeated White House contenders making another run. 

Potential buyers’ remorse of a second Trump administration could boost the 60-year-old Harris in the years to come.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York

The progressive “rock star” and best-known lawmaker among the so-called “Squad” of diverse House Democrats in October turned 35, the minimum age to run for president.

Some Democrats argue that a riveting messenger with star power is needed as the party’s next nominee, and Ocasio-Cortez is guaranteed to grab plenty of attention if she ultimately decides to run.

There is also speculation the four-term federal lawmaker from New York City may primary challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York when he is up for re-election in 2028.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was a top surrogate for Biden during the president’s re-election bid. With the blessing of the White House, the two-term California governor debated then-Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year on Fox News. 

Newsom’s travels on behalf of Biden brought him to New Hampshire and South Carolina, two crucial early voting states on the Democratic Party’s nominating calendar.

After Harris, his friend and fellow Californian, replaced Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, the governor continued — after a pause — his efforts to keep Trump from returning to the White House.

While Newsom and California’s Democrat-dominated legislature took action to “Trump-proof” the Golden State, the governor has also worked with Trump on key matters, including January’s wildfires that devastated parts of metropolitan Los Angeles.

Newsom also appears to have moderated on some issues and invited well-known Trump allies Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his weekly podcast.

The 57-year-old Newsom, who is term-limited, completes his duties in Sacramento at the end of next year, right around the time the 2028 presidential election will start to heat up.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has become a leading voice in the Democrats’ opposition to Trump and has taken steps to Trump-proof his solidly blue state.

“You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker told reporters of his efforts to protect Illinois.

Pritzker was also a high-profile surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris during the 2024 cycle. Those efforts brought Pritzker to Nevada, a general election battleground state and an early-voting Democratic presidential primary state, and New Hampshire.

Additionally, the governor’s recent trip to New Hampshire sparked more 2028 buzz.

However, before he makes any decision about 2028, the 60-year-old governor must decide whether he will run in 2026 for a third term steering Illinois.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan

Two-term Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer grabbed plenty of attention and became a Democratic Party rising star in 2020 when she feuded with Trump over COVID-19 federal assistance and survived a foiled kidnapping attempt.

Trump, at the time, called her “that woman from Michigan.”

Along with Newsom and Pritzker, Whitmer’s name was floated as a possible replacement for Biden following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June, before the president endorsed Harris and the party instantly coalesced around the vice president.

Whitmer was a leading surrogate for Biden and then for Harris and made a big impression on Democratic activists during a stop this summer in New Hampshire on behalf of Harris.

However, Whitmer was criticized by some in her party for appearing to cozy up to Trump during a White House visit earlier this spring.

The 53-year-old governor is term-limited and will leave office after the end of next year.

Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania

Gov. Josh Shapiro, the 51-year-old first-term governor of Pennsylvania, was on Harris’ short-list for vice presidential nominee.

Even though the vice president named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Shapiro remained a top surrogate on behalf of his party’s 2024 national ticket. 

However, his two-day swing in New Hampshire during the final full week ahead of Election Day did raise some eyebrows and 2028 speculation.

After Harris lost battleground Pennsylvania to Trump, there was plenty of talk within the party that Harris had made the wrong choice for her running mate.

Shapiro, who has a track record of taking on the first Trump administration as Pennsylvania attorney general, is expected to play a similar role with Trump back in the White House.

The governor will be up for re-election in 2026.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is considered by many to be another Democratic Party rising star.

The 46-year-old Army veteran, Rhodes Scholar and CEO of the charitable organization the Robin Hood Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic was elected two years ago.

Even though Moore said in a recent interview on “The View” that he’s “not running” in 2028, speculation persists, fueled in part because of his upcoming stop in South Carolina.

Moore will be up for re-election in 2026. 

Pete Buttigieg

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who surpassed expectations during his 2020 Democratic presidential nomination run, was a very active surrogate on behalf of Biden and later Harris, during the 2024 cycle.

He helped raise a lot of money for the Democratic Party ticket, including heading a top-dollar fundraiser in New Hampshire.

The 43-year-old former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and former naval officer who served in the war in Afghanistan, is considered one of the party’s biggest and brightest stars. He was known as a top communicator for the administration, including making frequent appearances on Fox News.

Fueling buzz about a potential 2028 presidential run, Buttigieg passed on a 2026 Senate bid in his adopted home state of Michigan and made a high-profile stop in Iowa on Tuesday.

Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, 47, who was elected governor in 2019 and then re-elected in 2023 in red-state Kentucky, was also on Harris’ longer list for potential running mates.

Beshear made plenty of new friends and contacts as he ventured to New Hampshire last month to headline the state Democratic Party’s annual fall fundraising gala.

He served as Kentucky’s attorney general before running for governor.

Beshear said last week in an interview with local state WDRB that “if you’d asked me a couple years ago if this is something I’d consider, I probably wouldn’t have. But I don’t want to leave a broken country to my kids. And so, if I’m somebody that can bring this nation together, hopefully find some common ground, it’s something I’ll consider.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, 55, is a major player in Washington as the Democratic minority in the Senate fights back against the second Trump administration.

Warnock, who won Senate elections in 2020 and 2022 in battleground Georgia, served as senior pastor at the famed Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached.

He is up for re-election in the Senate in 2028.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is considered one of the party’s most talented orators.

Thanks to his 2020 run, Booker made plenty of friends and allies in such early states as New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Booker made headlines six weeks ago by delivering a record-breaking 25-hour and 5-minute marathon speech from the floor of the Senate. The speech protested the sweeping and controversial moves so far by Trump during his second administration, as well as the operations of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. 

The 56-year-old senator is up for re-election in 2026.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut

Since the November election, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been very vocal about the steps Democrats need to take to win back working-class voters.

First elected to the House in 2006 and later to the Senate in 2012, the 51-year-old Murphy cruised to re-election this year by nearly 20 points, which means he would not have to decide between a re-election bid and a White House run in 2028.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California

Rep. Ro Khanna, 48, was a tireless surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris. 

He has been a regular visitor to New Hampshire in the past couple of years, including a high-profile debate last year against then-GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Khanna has grabbed plenty of attention so far this year as he has held town halls in Republican-controlled congressional districts and targeted Vice President JD Vance with events in the vice president’s home state of Ohio and at Yale Law School, where both politicians earned their legal degrees.

Stephen A. Smith

The 57-year-old sports TV personality, sports radio host, sports journalist, and actor has grabbed a ton of attention this year as he has mulled a White House run and has even grabbed Trump’s attention.

Mark Cuban

Another potential contender with plenty of star power is Mark Cuban.

The billionaire business mogul and part-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks’ was a high-profile surrogate for Harris during her presidential election campaign.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, 67, who at the beginning of the year finished up his eighth and final year as governor, took his name out of the Harris running mate speculation early in the process last summer.

Cooper served 16 years as North Carolina’s attorney general before winning election as governor.

The former governor is being heavily recruited by Democrats to try and flip a GOP-held Senate seat in North Carolina in next year’s midterms.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, 65, is halfway through her second term steering New Mexico.

The governor, a former member of Congress, was a high-profile and busy surrogate on behalf of Harris during the final weeks of the 2024 campaign.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

The 61-year-old Minnesota governor, who served as Harris’ running mate, has two years remaining in his second term in office.

While the vice presidential nominee’s energy and enthusiasm on the campaign trail this year impressed plenty of Democratic strategists, the final results of the election will make any potential future national run for Tim Walz difficult.

Walz has said he is not thinking of 2028, but he has been very busy so far this year heading events across the country, and an upcoming stop in South Carolina is fueling more White House buzz.

Three other names keep coming up — Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey and former Chicago mayor, former congressman, former White House chief of staff and former ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, and Sen. Ruben Gallego of battleground Arizona.

FIRST ON FOX: The first election cycle of President Donald Trump’s second term poses an opportunity for the GOP to make electoral inroads in two Democrat-leaning states, a Republican campaign group said in a memo being released Tuesday.

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) announced Tuesday that Republicans will take an offensive posture in the lead-up to the November elections in the Democrat-leaning states of Virginia and New Jersey. The group hopes to take the lessons learned from Democrat gains seen following Trump’s first electoral victory in 2016 to create a more winning strategy for the first election cycle of Trump’s second term.

“While the 2025 races in Virginia and New Jersey will be challenging, we have the opportunity – and strategy – to avoid a 2017 relapse,” RSLC President Edith Jorge-Tuñón wrote in a memo released Tuesday outlining the group’s strategy for the states. “We have learned from our past experiences and are ready to fight smarter. With the right resources, we can break through Democrat strongholds, make strides in key districts, and disrupt the Left’s plan to gain unchecked momentum heading into 2026.”

THESE ARE THE 2025 ELECTIONS TO WATCH AS TRUMP RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE

New Jersey and Virginia will be seeing several important statewide elections later this year, including elections for governor and several races for various key House seats that could prove pivotal for the balance of power in these states. 

Both states will also see local races this year for major school districts, such as Virginia’s Loudoun County, as well as some races for municipal government employees, such as Jersey City mayor and Richmond City commonwealth attorney.

GOP LAWMAKERS DEMAND LOUDOUN COUNTY SCHOOLS INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ‘ATTACKS’ AGAINST PARENTS

The RSLC strategy says that in both Virginia and New Jersey, Republicans plan to focus on Democrats’ legislative shortcomings on issues such as taxes, crime and education through digital ad campaigns, as opposed to focusing on defending the Trump administration’s actions.

“Riding the momentum of the 2016 presidential win, Republicans in 2017 were caught off guard as Democrats successfully nationalized local races, linking GOP candidates to federal dysfunction,” the group’s strategy memo stated. “With President Trump returning to the White House, Democrats are licking their chops and not being shy about it. They are confident that his comeback will bolster their efforts to change the power dynamics, positioning 2025 as a pivotal moment for a significant political realignment. It’s up to us to prove them wrong.”

The RSLC said it also intends to continue to push robust absentee ballot and early voting initiatives in Virginia and New Jersey as part of its strategy for 2025 in these states.

The RSLC said it plans on reaching out to “low-propensity Republican voters,” noting this strategy helped Republicans in Virginia prevent Democrats from increasing their legislative majorities in 2023. 

LIBERAL WINS FIRST MAJOR 2025 STATEWIDE BATTLEGROUND ELECTION IN RACE TURNED INTO TRUMP-MUSK REFERENDUM

A nearly $1 million absentee and mail-in ballot initiative was launched by the RSLC in New Jersey last year, which the group said helped boost GOP engagement in a state that political experts have said is inching its way toward becoming a swing state. 

This effort, along with other initiatives in New Jersey, like targeted digital advertising, has helped Republicans establish “a strong foundation for competitive performance” in key battleground areas in the state, the RSLC said. The group said it is hoping to build on this in 2025, particularly in New Jersey House Districts 3, 8, 11 and 30. 

“The RSLC enters the 2025 election cycle with a clear understanding of the challenges ahead. Gaining ground in Virginia and New Jersey will be difficult, but Republicans are far better positioned than we were in 2017,” the RSLC strategy memo said in its concluding remarks.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Republican State Leadership Committee and its affiliated PACs are making substantial investments in both states—not just to maintain our positions but to prevent Democrats from gaining the momentum they will need to pose a serious challenge in 2026. Every seat we contest and every message we communicate this year is significant. The effort to avoid a repeat of 2017-2018 has already begun—with a smarter, more prepared Republican Party ready to succeed in 2025 and beyond.”

President Donald Trump criticized former President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday for allowing “lawlessness to permeate our country” while announcing Peace Officers Memorial Day and police week.

Trump proclaimed Thursday as Peace Officers Memorial Day, continuing a 63-year tradition of honoring fallen officers on May 15. He also declared this week as National Police Week, beginning this past Sunday and going through Saturday.

“This week and always, we honor the courageous men and women serving in law enforcement and memorialize those who sacrificed their lives defending the thin blue line,” he wrote in the proclamation.

In the presidential action, Trump also called out the Biden administration for its “reckless, soft-on-crime policies,” which he said made it harder for police officers to do their jobs.

CELEBRATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DURING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK 

“A nation in chaos ceases to be a citadel of liberty. Tragically, the previous administration allowed lawlessness to permeate our country, making it harder for our law enforcement officers to do their jobs,” the president wrote in the order. “Their reckless, soft-on-crime policies emboldened criminals and thugs; wreaked havoc on the sanctity of our homes, businesses, and public spaces; instilled fear; and jeopardized public trust.”

Trump continued by saying he is fulfilling the promises that he campaigned on to make America safe again, including taking authority at the border and “restoring the rule of law in communities nationwide.” 

He also said that under his administration, all available resources will be utilized to ensure that officers will be equipped and trained to be the best they can be, qualified officers will be retained and recruiting will focus “on the basis of meritocracy.”

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW COPS WE HAVE THEIR BACKS 

Trump also called on Congress to codify his executive order mandating the death penalty for those who murder a police officer and to pass a bill enhancing protections for police officers.

“I stand in steadfast solidarity with those who defend our freedoms and the families who love and support them,” Trump said. “We pray for those who grieve the fallen and pledge that their lives, legacies, and sacrifices will forever be remembered by our grateful Nation.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Governors have been asked to direct that the American flag be flown at half-staff on Thursday, and Trump has called on all Americans to observe National Police Week with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

On border security, support for Israel and diplomacy with President Donald Trump, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has bucked the Democratic Party on key issues since assuming office in 2022. 

A string of media reports emerged this month detailing Fetterman’s alleged cognitive decline and waning support within the Democratic Party. A New York Magazine report sparked questions about Fetterman’s mental stability. Subsequent reports by the Associated Press, detailing an outburst during a union meeting, and by Politico, which indicated he is losing traction among Pennsylvania Democrats, were slammed by several of his Capitol Hill colleagues as a coordinated smear campaign.

In an era of partisan politics, Fetterman has embraced bipartisanship with newly elected Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa. When McComrick was elected in November, the Pennsylvanians traded jabs for joint dinners as Fetterman built his reputation for being willing to reach across the aisle. Fetterman also met with Trump’s controversial Cabinet picks and worked with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., to pass the Laken Riley Act this year. 

While Fetterman, who suffered a stroke during his 2022 Senate campaign, shut down questions about his mental fitness amid the relentless reports, it’s not the first time a Democrat has been targeted after falling out of line with the party. 

LEAKS TO MEDIA ABOUT FETTERMAN ARE A COORDINATED SMEAR CAMPAIGN, HILL COLLEAGUES SAY

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., faced the ire of the Democratic Party earlier this year when he joined Fetterman in voting to pass the Republicans’ spending bill and avoid a government shutdown. Schumer, currently Senate minority leader, was slammed by progressive Democrats while the future of party leadership hangs in the balance. 

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR SAYS THERE ‘NEEDS TO BE SPACE’ FOR FETTERMAN IN PARTY AS REPUBLICANS COME TO HIS DEFENSE

Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., was once a Democrat but later registered as an independent. While she continued to caucus with her party, Sinema ruffled liberal feathers by opposing efforts to eliminate the filibuster rule and opposed former President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan.

In 2022, Sinema said she was leaving the party, adding that “nothing will change about my values or my behavior.”

Sinema became the first senator to switch parties since the late Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter – then Republican – famously announced that “my change in party will enable me to be re-elected” in 2009.

Soon after Sinema came now-former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. Long seen as a moderate thorn in the side of the increasingly liberal Democrats, Manchin often clashed with his former party on environmental issues, given the Mountain State’s reliance on the fossil fuel industry.

Things came to a head in Charleston when then-Gov. Jim Justice held up his bulldog Babydog backward in the legislative chamber and told actress Bette Midler – who had trashed the state over one of Manchin’s such votes – to “kiss her heinie.”

Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party until her comments and behavior drew the ire of party elders like Hillary Clinton. The anti-interventionist Gabbard, who had appeared in the Moscow media, was anonymously slammed by Clinton in 2019 when she said that “somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary” was a “favorite of the Russians.” An advisor later said Gabbard was the figure in question.

Since then, Gabbard has gone on to make a full partisan 180, becoming a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

During Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s, D-Calif., historic speakership, another Democrat famously bucked the party and ultimately retired soon after trying to proverbially oust the queen.

North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler became disaffected by the liberal progression of the party and mounted an unsuccessful challenge to Pelosi’s leadership role after Democrats suffered massive losses in the 2010 midterms.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP   

Shuler, a former then-Washington Redskins quarterback, had been the leader of the moderate Blue Dog Democrat caucus when he took aim at the speakership.

Fetterman’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Saudi Arabian fighter jets appeared to escort Air Force One as President Donald Trump arrived in the country on Tuesday for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“Air Force One about to go wheels down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with Saudi F-15 fighter jets bringing us in. On behalf of President Trump, THANK YOU!” White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino posted on X while sharing a video of jets flying alongside the U.S. president’s plane.

Two jets flew on the left side of AF1 and three flew on the right.

Scavino also shared a video of the crown prince greeting Trump on a purple carpet after he landed at King Khalid International Airport. The two leaders had a coffee ceremony shortly after greeting one another.

The president brought a slew of administration leaders with him, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Trump arrived at the Royal Court in Riyadh at around 5:30 a.m. EST where he was welcomed with a ceremony and then participated in greetings with Saudi officials and U.S. guests. Trump is expected to have lunch and meetings over a three-hour period.

House Republicans have seemingly dropped plans for a new millionaire’s tax hike to pay for other priorities in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

The Ways and Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, released nearly 400 pages of legislation on Monday, setting the stage for permanently extending Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), as well as a host of other new Trump tax priorities.

That includes no taxes on tipped and overtime wages, both of which are accomplished via new tax deductions.

For Trump’s promise to cut taxes on seniors’ Social Security, the legislation temporarily increases the standard tax deduction that seniors are allowed to take, effective the end of last year through the beginning of 2029.

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

It would also raise the debt limit by $4 trillion – something Trump specifically asked Republican lawmakers to deal with before the U.S. runs out of cash to pay its debts sometime this summer, risking a national credit default.

Notably absent from the sweeping piece of legislation is a proposal floated last week that would have established a new tax bracket for people making $2.5 million per year or more, taxing them at 39.6% – which was the top tax rate before TCJA lowered it to 37%. 

Conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity and the Heritage Foundation fiercely fought any notion of a tax increase on the wealthy.

It was also publicly opposed by a number of leading Republican figures like former Speaker Newt Gingrich and ex-Vice President Mike Pence, along with Pence’s interest group, Advancing American Freedom.

Several House GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital last week they could not support a millionaire’s tax hike. 

Two people familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital on Monday that they did not expect it to be included before the bill advanced through committee on Tuesday.

But Republicans find other cost-savings in the legislation, including stripping tax-exempt status from “terrorist-supporting organizations” and using artificial intelligence (AI) software to identify and root out improper Medicare payments.

The bill would also dramatically reduce tax breaks for professional sports team owners, a measure known as amortization, which allows those owners to write off a portion of their purchase price.

Republicans also target large private colleges and universities, including Ivy Leagues, with higher excise taxes, which are federal duties paid on net earnings of the schools’ investments.

That rate is currently 1.4%. But the legislation would bring it to as high as 21% for the largest schools, like Harvard University and Yale University – as Trump continues to battle the Ivy League over their funding.

The Ways and Means Committee is expected to advance its portion of the legislation on Tuesday afternoon.

It’s just one part of Trump’s so-called “one big, beautiful bill,” which Republicans are working to pass via the budget reconciliation process.

By lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, it allows the party controlling Congress and the White House to entirely skirt the minority and pass sweeping pieces of legislation – provided they deal with the national debt, taxes or spending.

BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY

Trump wants Republicans to use it to pass his agenda on taxes, the border, immigration, energy and defense.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is currently more than $36 trillion in debt.

House Republicans have pledged to find between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion in cost savings in other areas to offset the cost of Trump’s new priorities and put the U.S. on a better fiscal path.

The tax legislation also increases the maximum allowed child tax credit (CTC) from $2,000 to $2,500, and includes added tax relief for small business owners who file their company under individual income tax brackets.

It also includes a modest victory for blue state Republicans in increasing the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap from $10,000 to $30,000 for both single filers and married couples. Married taxpayers filing separately get a cap of $15,000.

That maximum amount gets phased out if a person’s income exceeds $400,000, back down to $10,000 once a person’s income hits $500,000.

SALT deductions are primarily aimed at helping people in high-cost-of-living areas, particularly people in the suburbs of Democratic strongholds like New York and Los Angeles.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Republicans representing those areas have said increasing the $10,000 SALT deduction cap is critical to them remaining in office – and therefore to the GOP keeping the House majority.

Several SALT Caucus Republicans balked at a $30,000 cap last week, blasting it as insufficient. It’s not clear if they will hold up the final bill over it. At least one member of their group, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital she could agree to the new threshold.

The Monday release comes after Republicans unveiled a portion of their tax plan over the weekend. Other details like SALT deduction caps and potential new tax brackets were still being worked out.

U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, filed paperwork on Monday to run for Iowa governor in the 2026 election.

Feenstra, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2020, filed the paperwork for “Feenstra for Governor” with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, which is needed to launch a gubernatorial campaign, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

The congressman is seeking to replace Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who said last month she would not run for a third term in 2026. Feenstra has been considering a gubernatorial run since Reynolds’ announcement.

THIS LONGTIME REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2026

“I’ll tell you right now, I’m focused on fulfilling and making sure that we get Trump’s agenda completed,” Feenstra told reporters on April 23. “However, I always want to do what’s best for our state, and I will continue to look at all aspects of what that looks like.”

Feenstra has not publicly announced a campaign for governor.

The GOP primary in the Hawkeye State could potentially be crowded, although former state Rep. Brad Sherman is the only Republican to have officially joined the race after he launched his campaign in February.

DOGE SENATOR TELLS OUTDOORS GROUP TO ‘GO FISH’ AFTER DISCOVERING MASSIVE GRANT TIED TO HIGH SALARIES

But others have taken steps toward a gubernatorial bid, including Iowa state Sen. Mike Bousselot, who launched an exploratory committee last month, as well as Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and House Speaker Pat Grassley — the grandson of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — who each said they are considering a run for governor.

Iowa Auditor Rob Sand filed paperwork on Monday to run in the state’s Democratic primary.

Feenstra is the only U.S. House member from Iowa considering a run for governor. The other three — U.S. GOP Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn — all said they will not launch a gubernatorial campaign.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Before he was elected to the U.S. House in 2020, when he defeated then-incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve King in the Republican primary, Feenstra served as a state senator since 2009. Before that, he was Sioux County treasurer from 2006 until 2008.

Hell hath now frozen over. 

President Donald Trump’s decision to accept a $400-million plane from Qatar, as a gift, has prompted stinging criticism from Laura Loomer.

She’s the hard-right activist who specializes in getting the president to fire top officials and withdraw nominees, or at least claims credit for doing so.

If you’ve lost Loomer, you’re losing the argument.

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

Not according to Donald Trump. He told reporters yesterday that this was a “great gesture” by Qatar, done because “we keep them safe,” referring to Qatar and the UAE, which he’ll be visiting after Saudi Arabia.

He said the maintenance costs on the 40-year-old Air Force One planes are astronomical, and noted that the Reagan Library has such a plane. The decommissioned Qatar aircraft will go to a future Trump Library.

But the Gipper’s plane didn’t come from Qatar.

“How are we supposed to ever see the US under the Trump admin designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization,” Loomer wrote, “if the US is now going to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar to fly the US President and his staff around on?”

Calling the episode a “stain” on his tenure, she added: “I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits. The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members. The same proxies that have worked with the Mexican cartels to get jihadists across our border.”

The media are in an uproar as well, and the story has only grown bigger since it was first reported by ABC News.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR ‘IMMEDIATE’ ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP

Of course, the luxury 747 will have to be upgraded with secure communications and military equipment. That would take at least till the end of the year. 

But one Pentagon official told the New York Times “we’re talking years, not months.”

Trump consulted Elon Musk, the DOGE leader and head of SpaceX, who told him that the plane could be delivered in a year.

Two loyalists – Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington – approved the arrangement, according to the Times. Trump toured the 747 in February when it was parked at the Palm Beach airport.

There was a Plan B that got derailed. The Qataris offered to donate the plane immediately to the future Trump Library.

But administration lawyers said that would violate the Constitution’s emoluments clause – which as Beltway insiders know, bars any federal official from accepting personal gifts from a foreign nation without the approval of Congress. 

The president’s “flood the zone” approach has ensured that this isn’t the only story out there.

He announced that after two days of talks, the U.S. and China reached a 90-day agreement that would reduce tariffs on Beijing from 145% to 30%, and Chinese tariffs would be cut to 10%.

It’s clear that Trump blinked. Having tanked the markets (which soared yesterday), he was under enormous pressure to undo the damage. So now we’re back to square one, roughly where we might have been without igniting a global crisis.

TRUMP SAYS ‘TOTAL RESET NEGOTIATED’ WITH CHINA DURING TARIFF TALKS IN GENEVA

But perhaps Xi Jinping blinked as well. His government was feeling the impact of the sky-high tariffs as well. The Chinese, with considerably less enthusiasm, said the “mistake” would only lead to further negotiations.

Trump also was able to announce a cease-fire in the escalating war between India and Pakistan, thanks to some weekend diplomacy by Marco Rubio and JD Vance.

Trump also was able to announce that Hamas was freeing the last living American hostage being held by the terrorist group.

Trump also sided with Vladimir Putin, who wants to meet for peace talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who first wants a 30-day cease-fire, so that Moscow doesn’t continue the killing and gain more territory while stalling on any pause in the fighting.

Trump also was able to unveil a plan that he says will lower the cost of prescription drugs by 30 to 80%.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

But circling back to the 747, the president chided ABC’s Rachel Scott when she tried to question him about the plane:

“You’re ABC fake news, right? Only ABC — well, a few of you would… Let me tell you, you should be embarrassed asking that question. They’re giving us a free jet. I could say, ‘No, no no, don’t give us. I want to pay you a billion, or 400 million, or whatever it is’ Or I could say, ‘thank you very much.'”

Scott tried again: “Respectfully, sir, as a businessman, some people may look at this and say, have you ever been given a gift worth millions of dollars and then not —”

“It’s not a gift to me, it’s a gift to the Department of Defense,” Trump said. “And you should know better, because you’ve been embarrassed enough, and so has your network. Your network is a disaster. ABC is a disaster.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Whether the president is right or wrong, it seems like these are legitimate questions. And the media are always a great foil for him. So I don’t see him backing down. 

Conservative author, media figure and former Treasury official Monica Crowley was confirmed late Monday to become assistant secretary of state and chief of protocol with the rank of ambassador.

Crowley, who was a longtime former Fox News contributor and foreign affairs analyst, previously served in the first Trump administration and received the Alexander Hamilton Award from the Treasury Department during that time.

“Monica will be the administration representative for major U.S. hosted events, including America’s 250th birthday in 2026, the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028,” President Donald Trump said in a December statement announcing her nomination.

Crowley holds a doctorate in international relations from Columbia University.

DNC VICE CHAIR SLAMS TRUMP AS PUNK, WOULD-BE DICTATOR IN FIERY PA TOWN HALL

The Arizona native grew up in New Jersey and began her career in former President Richard Nixon’s post-presidency, when she worked as a research assistant.

Her book, “Nixon Off the Record,” was published in the wake of that role.

She joined Fox News Channel in 1996 – the same year it hit the airwaves – and often appeared with host Sean Hannity on “Hannity” and its predecessor “Hannity & Colmes,” with the late Alan Colmes.

WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT ICE DETENTION CENTER?

She also starred in one episode of “House of Cards,” where she played herself – and also hosted the syndicated “Monica Crowley Show.”

She has received several other awards, including Woman of the Year in 2010 from the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women.

During Trump’s first term, she backed out of a National Security Council role when allegations of plagiarism in her doctoral dissertation surfaced. Crowley rejected the claims as a “hit job.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The U.S. Travel Association lauded her nomination, saying that she will serve a “pivotal role” in the Trump administration.

“The speed with which this decision was made gives us great confidence that … Trump will seek to maximize the opportunities of the decade of sports and events that lies ahead,” said CEO Geoff Freeman.

“Landmark moments [she will be involved in planning] will attract millions of travelers to America and showcase the best of our great nation while creating a lasting benefit to our economy.” 

The Pentagon is ending gender transition treatment for transgender troops, according to a new memo, as officials move to enforce President Donald Trump’s plan to boot transgender troops out of the U.S. military.

Under the instructions, the Defense Department is prohibiting any new hormone treatments or surgical procedures for transgender troops, according to the memo, Reuters reported.

“I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance,” Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Stephen Ferrara wrote in the memo.

HEGSETH ORDERS DEADLINE FOR TRANS SERVICE MEMBERS TO LEAVE MILITARY: ‘OUT AT THE DOD’

One transgender service member described the move as “the latest slap in the face” to honorably serving troops.

“If there was any doubt left, there is not anymore: transgender service members are no longer entitled to the same standard of medical care as their peers,” the service member told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted.

Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his opposition to gender transition treatment for transgender troops when he re-posted an article on X that said the Pentagon would resume treatments for transgender troops and their dependents.

BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR MILITARY RECRUITS WITH MEDICAL ISSUES TO LAND DEFENSE JOBS

“If this is true – we will find any way possible to stop it,” Hegseth wrote. “Taxpayers should NEVER pay for this lunacy.”

Since being confirmed as Pentagon chief, Hegseth has embraced efforts to eliminate diversity initiatives, particularly those applying to transgender troops.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court gave the green light for the Trump administration to implement its ban on transgender troops in the military, allowing the Defense Department to discharge thousands of current transgender troops and deny new recruits as legal challenges against the move continue to play out in court.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A memo released last week revealed that Hegseth issued instructions to begin kicking out transgender troops who do not voluntarily leave by June 6.

Trump had signed an executive order in January shortly after returning to the White House that reversed a Biden administration policy that had allowed transgender troops to serve.

Officials have said there are 4,240 U.S. active-duty and National Guard transgender troops, although some transgender rights advocates say the number may be even higher.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Former President Donald Trump is embarking this week on a high-stakes tour of the Persian Gulf region, targeting business deals and strategic partnerships with three oil-rich nations: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The trip marks Trump’s first major foreign visit of his new term and comes as nuclear negotiations with Iran drag on and as war continues between Israel and the Palestinian terror organization, Hamas, in the Gaza Strip. While business is the official focus, the backdrop is anything but calm.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the mission as part of Trump’s broader vision that “extremism is defeated [through] commerce and cultural exchanges.”

Under President Joe Biden, U.S. relations with Gulf states cooled, particularly after Biden vowed to make Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But Trump has reversed course, embracing a more transactional approach that has warmed ties with regional leaders.

“The overall goal here is that the United States is reminding our Middle East allies that we’re here to stay,” said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. “We’re here to promote our joint interests rather than the abandonment policies under the previous administration.”

Big money, big expectations

Saudi Arabia has already pledged $600 billion in U.S. investments, spanning weapons purchases, technology transfers, artificial intelligence and the stock market. Trump has said he believes the Saudis may ultimately commit up to $1 trillion.

While Saudi leaders aim to diversify their economy away from oil, those massive investments still depend on oil revenues, which could be threatened by Trump’s push to lower global energy prices.

TRUMP STRAINS RELATIONSHIP WITH NETANYAHU AS MIDDLE EAST POLICY INCREASINGLY ISOLATES ISRAEL

In addition to economic deals, Trump and bin Salman are expected to discuss a possible civil nuclear program and expanded defense cooperation. Such agreements were once linked to a potential Abraham Accords-style normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

But Riyadh has made clear it won’t recognize Israel unless Palestinian statehood is on the table, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has staunchly opposed. No stop in Israel is scheduled during Trump’s tour.

“Israeli normalization in any Saudi-U.S. project is an outdated option,” said Saudi geopolitical analyst Salman Al-Ansari. “The second Trump administration is doubling down on its strategically autonomous Middle East policy.”

In a possible goodwill gesture ahead of the trip, Hamas released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, a move Trump called “monumental” in the push to end the Gaza conflict.

And as the UAE seeks to boost its ties with the U.S. and become a global AI leader by 2030, it’ll need American microchips. The UAE has gone even further than the Saudis, promising $1.4 trillion in U.S. investments over the next decade focused on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing and energy. 

Biden had tightened curbs on AI exports to keep such technologies out of the hands of adversaries at a time when China drew closer to Middle Eastern states, especially the UAE. 

On Thursday, the U.S. announced Trump would rescind the Biden-era restrictions. 

Itinerary: Three days, three power centers

Trump’s whirlwind Gulf visit begins Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he’ll headline the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum alongside Saudi ministers, White House crypto czar David Sacks and other business leaders.

On Wednesday, he’ll attend a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting before flying to Qatar for talks with Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and a visit to the U.S. military’s Al Udeid Air Base.

Thursday’s final stop is Abu Dhabi, where Trump will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

4TH ROUND OF US-IRAN TALKS ENDS AS TRUMP SET TO EMBARK ON HISTORIC MIDDLE EAST TOUR

The Qataris are pulling out all the stops to impress: They’ve offered Trump the use of a royal Boeing 747-8, typically reserved for the Qatari royal family, to serve as Air Force One.

Since being named a major non-NATO ally by Biden in 2022, Qatar has deepened its ties with the U.S., hosting American troops and mediating sensitive negotiations, including ongoing back-channel talks between Israel and Gaza.

Doha also maintains close contact with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who ousted Bashar al-Assad and is now seeking sanctions relief and normalized ties with the West.

“Regional leaders will have an opportunity to address the situation directly with the president,” said regional expert Jonathan Bass. “Trump is the only man that can lead the way.”

Iran watching closely

While a fourth round of Iran nuclear talks in Oman over the weekend failed to produce a breakthrough, Tehran is expected to keep a close eye on Trump’s Gulf meetings.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made unannounced visits to both Saudi Arabia and Qatar ahead of Trump’s arrival, likely in hopes of passing messages through those governments to Washington.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

But all three of Trump’s host nations, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, remain wary of Iran’s ambitions.

“The region needs to openly address the problem of the IRGC,” said Bass, referring to Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “The IRGC is trying to undermine every single country in the region.”

President Donald Trump endorsed his former critic Jack Ciattarelli for governor of New Jersey on Monday.

“Jack Ciattarelli is a terrific America First Candidate running to be the next Governor of a State that I love, NEW JERSEY!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said Ciattarelli has gone “ALL IN” and that, if elected, he would work closely with the Trump administration to grow the economy, cut taxes and regulations, help secure the border, stop migrant crime, protect veterans, advance American energy and more.

“Also, Jack is the Republican Candidate who is best positioned to STAND TALL against the Radical Left Democrats and, most importantly, ensure a Big Victory in this Very Important Gubernatorial Election, an Election that is being closely watched by the entire World because, we are ending WOKE, and all of the other NONSENSE that goes along with it, AND NOBODY WANTS TO SEE IT COME BACK!,” Trump continued in his endorsement.

AGITATORS CLASH WITH POLICE, ARRETS MADE AS CLERGY MEMBERS DESCEND ON NEWARK ICE FACILITY

Ciattarelli responded to the endorsement on X, saying he was “truly humbled and honored to receive President Trump’s very strong endorsement today. It’s time to unite our party, win big in November, and make New Jersey affordable and safe again.” Ciattarelli finished his post by saying “When I am Governor, we will.”

Trump and Ciattarelli appear to be turning a new leaf. Ciattarelli was once a harsh Trump critic, going so far as to call Trump a “charlatan” and saying he was “not fit to be President of the United States” back in 2015.

NEWARK MAYOR ARRESTED AS DEM CONGRESS MEMBERS STORM NEW JERSEY ICE PRISON TO CONDUCT ‘OVERSIGHT VISIT’

Ciattarelli seems to have changed his stance on Trump since those comments and was even seen at Trump’s Wildwood, New Jersey, rally in 2020 shaking hands and taking photos with event-goers. 

Ciattarelli appeared to gain popularity, and in 2021 came within three points of defeating Democratic incumbent Governor Phil Murphy. 

Now, he will face Bill Spadea, a conservative radio host, and State Senator Jon Bramnick in the June 10 Republican primary.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Spadea reacted to Trump’s endorsement of Ciattarelli.

“Donald Trump’s endorsement comes after a years long effort by Jack to lie about his own record,” Spadea said in part. “My resolve to fight for the people of New Jersey has never been greater. I intend to continue fighting for the America First agenda because that is what’s best for the state and our nation.”

The New Jersey Democratic Governors Association (DGA) also blasted the endorsement.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“This endorsement just confirms what we already knew: Jack Ciattarelli would put Donald Trump before New Jersey,” DGA Communications Director Sam Newton said in a statement. ” As Governor, Ciattarelli would bring Trump’s agenda of higher costs and chaos to Trenton – instead of fighting to protect New Jersey’s freedoms and working to make life more affordable.”

Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to Nick.Butler@Fox.com.

Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka, who was arrested for trespassing while protesting at a federal immigration facility last week, said Monday during a televised gubernatorial debate that his actions were “absolutely” an effective way to protest the president’s immigration clampdown.

Baraka has denied he did anything wrong despite federal authorities arresting him for trespassing at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark on Friday. 

During Monday’s debate among Democrat candidates in New Jersey’s open governor’s race, he doubled down on the assertion he did nothing wrong. 

“We haven’t interfered with federal law enforcement,” Baraka said early on in the debate when moderators turned their questioning to Friday’s incident at the ICE detention facility in Newark. “We didn’t go down there to protest. We actually went down there to have a press conference. And the Congress has oversight. And they began to exercise their oversight. It was escalated by Homeland Security. They made an arrest because they got a call to do so. And that’s what happened.”

WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT AN ICE DETENTION CENTER?

Baraka’s arrest occurred during a protest at Delaney Hall attended by three members of Congress, who said they were in attendance to perform their congressionally-mandated oversight duties related to federal detention facilities. The three lawmakers were outside the facility with a group of protesters when the gates opened to allow an ICE bus in. The lawmakers then rushed through the gates and past security, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security. 

The arrest came as activists had been calling for access to the facility for days, which is a privately run facility that was revamped as an immigration detention facility this year.  

“We’re not asking for anything that’s incorrect. We ask them to obey our laws,” Baraka said after the incident. “To obey the policies and rules here in the city and the state of New Jersey, not to run roughshod over the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Fourteenth Amendment and everybody on this soil who deserves due process.”

NEWARK MAYOR SPEAKS AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM HSI FACILITY

During Monday night’s debate, the other gubernatorial candidates were asked if they thought Baraka’s tactics were “effective” the same way he does and whether they would have done things differently. While, for the most part, all the candidates tip-toed around the question, instead choosing to tout their bona fides in supporting immigration and challenging President Donald Trump, some did express support for Baraka.

“I’m not saying I would do anything differently,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the four-term Democrat representing the state’s 11th Congressional District. “I don’t think the mayor was trespassing. In talking to my congressional colleagues, he was invited in. They asked him to leave, he left, and then he got arrested.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“Ras didn’t do anything wrong,” Steve Fluop, the mayor of Jersey City and another candidate for New Jersey governor, said in direct response to the moderators’ question about whether they agreed with Baraka’s tactics. 

The rest of the candidates did not directly answer the question before the moderators moved on to the next topic.

The Pentagon is immediately halting all gender transition treatments for transgender troops as it moves to remove them from the military, according to a new memo. 

“I am directing you to take the necessary steps to immediately implement this guidance,” Stephen Ferrara, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, wrote in a memo dated May 9.

Now the Pentagon will only cover mental health and counseling for gender dysphoria. All other gender dysphoria-related treatments will be referred to the private sector. 

All scheduled and planned transgender surgeries will be canceled, but cross-sex hormone therapy for service members that began prior to the memo may be continued until they separate to prevent health complications. 

Last week, transgender troops were given between 30 and 60 days to leave or risk being removed “involuntarily.” 

PETE HEGSETH DIRECTS MILITARY ACADEMIES THAT ALL FUTURE ADMISSIONS WILL BE BASED SOLELY ON MERIT

Active-duty service members have until June 6, one month after the court’s ruling, to leave the military. Reservists have until July 7. 

The development follows a Supreme Court order that allowed a previously blocked ban on transgender military service to move forward.

The Supreme Court’s decision effectively paused a lower court’s injunction, clearing the way for the Defense Department to implement the policy. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the ruling allows the department to resume policies focused on “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added in that memo that those diagnosed with or showing symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may choose to leave voluntarily. If they do not, they may face mandatory separation.

PETE HEGSETH SAYS WEST POINT PROFESSOR WHO RESIGNED OVER TRUMP ADMIN EDUCATION OVERHAUL ‘WILL NOT BE MISSED’

The Supreme Court did not rule on the underlying legal arguments but allowed President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order barring transgender individuals from military service to take effect.

A lower court had temporarily blocked the policy, but Trump administration officials argued that delaying its implementation could harm operational readiness.

Officials defending the policy have said it supports the military’s need for unit cohesion, readiness, discipline and cost efficiency.

Trump’s executive order also directed the Pentagon to revise its medical standards to emphasize combat preparedness and eliminate the use of gender identity-based pronouns within the department.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The blanket ban on transgender individuals serving in the military had previously been lifted under President Barack Obama in 2014.

The latest policy shift comes as Pentagon leadership under Hegseth moves to dismantle most diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Last month, he stated that 99.9% of DEI-related policies had been removed. He also announced changes to fitness standards to ensure male and female troops are held to the same requirements for combat readiness.

Harvard University President Alan Garber on Monday sent a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticizing the Trump administration’s actions against the school while noting both groups share “common ground” on a number of issues. 

“We share common ground on a number of critical issues, including the importance of ending antisemitism and other bigotry on campus,” Garber said. “Like you, I believe that Harvard must foster an academic environment that encourages freedom of thought and expression, and that we should embrace a multiplicity of viewpoints rather than focusing our attention on narrow orthodoxies.”

However, Harvard’s goals are undermined and threatened “by the federal government’s overreach into the constitutional freedoms of private universities and its continuing disregard of Harvard’s compliance with the law,” Garber said. 

CALIFORNIA SHERIFF SLAMS ‘MERITLESS’ UCLA STUDENT LAWSUIT AGAINST POLICE WHO DISMANTLED ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT

“Consistent with the law and with our own values, we continue to pursue needed reforms, doing so in consultation with our stakeholders and always in compliance with the law,” he wrote. “But Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government.”

Garber’s remarks are in response to a scathing letter last week from McMahon telling the university that it will no longer be eligible for federal grants over its handling of antisemitism on campus. 

“Receiving such taxpayer funds is a privilege, not a right,” she wrote. “Yet instead of using these funds to advance the education of its students, Harvard is engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law. Where do many of these ‘students’ come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country – and why is there so much HATE?”

ISRAEL’S PRESIDENT RELEASES BLISTERING STATEMENT ON US UNIVERSITY ENCAMPMENTS: ‘RESURGENCE OF ANTISEMITISM’

“These are questions that must be answered, among many more, but the biggest question of all is, why will Harvard not give straightforward answers to the American public?” she added. 

The Trump administration has frozen $2.2 billion in funding to the university and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. 

TRUMP SAYS HE’LL REVOKE HARVARD’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

In his letter, Garber listed some of the actions Harvard has taken to address issues on campus, including installing new deans and clarifying the school’s discipline structures and procedures. He noted that Harvard, like many universities, has work to do to foster intellectual diversity on campus. 

Garber also pushed back on McMahon’s claims that Harvard is a “partisan” institution. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I must refute your claim that Harvard is a partisan institution. It is neither Republican nor Democratic,” he wrote. “It is not an arm of any other political party or movement. Nor will it ever be. Harvard is a place to bring people of all backgrounds together to learn in an inclusive environment where ideas flourish regardless of whether they are deemed ‘conservative,’ ‘liberal,’ or something else, a place where assumptions and claims are tested and challenged, respectfully and thoughtfully, in pursuit of knowledge and truth.”

A federal judge on Monday denied an injunction request to prevent the Department of Homeland Security and Internal Revenue Service from partnering to permit U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) to access taxpayer information to locate illegal immigrants subject to deportation. 

The order by U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich came amid a lawsuit by Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, an immigrant-rights aid group, against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 

“At its core, this case presents a narrow legal issue: Does the Memorandum of Understanding between the IRS and DHS violate the Internal Revenue Code? It does not,” Friedrich wrote in his order. 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TELLS FEDERAL JUDGE IT MIGHT INVOKE STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE

An earlier memorandum of understanding between DHS and the IRS outlines a process to ensure that sensitive taxpayer data information is protected while allowing law enforcement to pursue criminal violations, a senior Treasury Department official said at the time the deal was reached in April. 

The Treasury Department is committed to protecting the privacy of law-abiding taxpayers, but a criminal exception obligates the agency to assist law enforcement, the official told Fox News Digital at the time. 

The deal would allow ICE to submit the names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS, who could then cross-check those immigrants’ tax records and provide the immigration agency with current address information.

“The Court agrees that requesting and receiving information for civil enforcement purposes would constitute a cognizable injury, but none of the organizations have established that such an injury is imminent,” Monday’s order states. “As the plaintiffs acknowledge, the Memorandum only allows sharing information for criminal investigations.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

As the Memorandum provides, its purpose is to establish procedures enabling “requests for addresses of persons subject to criminal investigation,” the order said. 

The agreement comes as President Donald Trump has continued to ramp up the deportation effort he promised on the campaign trail.

President Donald Trump and his allies have railed against federal judges for blocking key executive orders in his second term, accusing so-called “activist” judges of overstepping their authority and blocking him from delivering on some of his top policy priorities.

Some of Trump’s most sweeping executive orders and actions have been blocked or paused by federal courts to allow for a full hearing on the merits. But the system of checks and balances also means these rulings can be reviewed – either through appeals to the Supreme Court or by Congress, which has the power to pass laws or expand certain executive branch authorities.

It’s all part of an expressly designed system of government that affords each branch, including the presidency, plenty of options for review. 

The Framers “made clear that no one in our system of government was meant to be king– the president included – and not just in name only,” U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell of the District of Columbia said in a ruling earlier this year.

But that’s not to say Trump is without options. Here’s how he could seek to push back against the wave of court actions. 

100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT

Lay of the land

Since taking office, Trump’s executive orders have been challenged by hundreds of lawsuits in federal court, though not all have been successful, and some remain in the earlier stages of review.

Plaintiffs have sought to block the dismantling of certain federal agencies, to restore board heads and inspectors general fired by Trump, and to restrict the access of Elon Musk’s government efficiency agency, DOGE, among other things. 

But like the groups filing the lawsuits, the Trump administration also has the ability to appeal any lower court decisions it views as unfavorable or going beyond the scope of the federal court.

In the interim, it can seek an emergency stay to restore the executive order until the case can be heard on its merits.

The Supreme Court has agreed to do so in several major cases. It sided with Trump in removing two federal board members he had fired earlier this year, and which a lower court had reversed.  

Last week, the Supreme Court lifted a lower court order that paused Trump’s ban on transgender military members from taking effect – allowing his order and related policies to proceed, at least for now. 

BOASBERG GRILLS DOJ OVER REMARKS FROM TRUMP AND NOEM, FLOATS MOVING MIGRANTS TO GITMO IN ACTION-PACKED HEARING

Working with Congress

The Trump administration can seek more lasting change by working with the Republican majorities in both houses of Congress to codify its biggest policy priorities, shielding the level of review currently afforded to the courts in the absence of any legislation.

According to the Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Register, a president’s executive order can be revoked or modified only by the president or via the legislative branch, if the president was acting on authority that had been granted by Congress.  

Plaintiffs in federal court have alleged that Trump’s recent executive actions are beyond the scope of what has been authorized by Congress – and, in the absence of clearly written laws, federal judges do have broad authority to interpret the lawfulness of the executive’s actions. 

Critics of the courts have pushed for Congress to curtail this power – either by stripping the funding for federal courts, impeaching judges or eliminating judicial seats, among other things. 

“When federal judges take off their judicial robes and climb into the political arena and throw political punches, they should expect powerful political counterpunches from the Article III project,” Mike Davis, the founder and president of the Article III Project, or A3P, told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

“And when the federal judiciary loses its legitimacy, it loses everything,” Davis said. 

But these steps are highly controversial, and it’s unclear if they could garner the broad support needed from both the House and Senate. 

HERE’S WHY DOZENS OF LAWSUITS SEEKING TO QUASH TRUMP’S EARLY ACTIONS AS PRESIDENT ARE FAILING

Other options

Options available to the White House are more limited by the Constitution. The president can appoint federal judges, but he cannot fire them. The executive branch is also responsible for enforcing court rulings and may either slow-roll or de-prioritize decisions the president disagrees with. 

Meanwhile, Trump allies have also sought to push back on the power of the courts in other, more unorthodox ways.

The America First Legal Foundation, a pro-Trump legal group founded by White House aide Stephen Miller in between Trump’s first and second terms, filed a lawsuit against Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in his capacity as the official head of the U.S. Judicial Conference, and Robert J. Conrad, the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, earlier this month. 

The lawsuit accuses both parties of performing certain regulatory actions that go beyond the scope of the “core functions” of the judiciary – and which they argue should put them under the thumb of the executive branch. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“An American president is not a king – not even an ‘elected’ one – and his power to remove federal officers and honest civil servants like plaintiff is not absolute,” Howell said in a case involving the reinstatement of two fired federal board members earlier this year. 

A senior staffer for California Rep. Sara Jacobs’ office was the victim of an armed carjacking in a popular Washington, D.C., neighborhood on Friday afternoon, according to a Metropolitan Police Department report. 

Metro Police announced on Sunday two arrests in the armed carjacking that occurred on Friday afternoon in a Harris Teeter parking lot in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood. 

In addition to the victim’s personal items, the senior staffer’s government-issued iPhone, MacBook, ID and Capitol parking pass were identified as missing in the police report obtained by Fox News Digital. Jacobs’ office did not provide comment but confirmed the devices were immediately wiped.  

On Friday, around 12:08 p.m., the suspects approached the victim as they exited their car, demanding the victim’s car keys, according to Metro Police. When the staffer refused, one of the suspects brandished a handgun and obtained the keys before the suspects fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, police said.

FAMILY OF MOM MURDERED IN RITZY DC SUBURB DECADES AGO GETS JUSTICE AS PERP NOBODY EXPECTED PLEADS GUILTY

Officers recovered the victim’s car and a firearm on Saturday, and then arrested two suspects. According to police, a 15-year-old juvenile male of Washington was charged with armed carjacking, and a 14-year-old juvenile male of Maryland was charged with carrying a pistol without a license and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

WOMAN ARRESTED FOR DRIVING INTO FESTIVAL CROWD HOURS AFTER EXPLOSION ROCKED SAME EVENT

As of Sunday, police are still searching for two outstanding suspects whose photos were captured during the incident by surveillance cameras. 

Navy Yard is a popular Washington neighborhood located south of the U.S. Capitol and home to the Washington Nationals baseball stadium. While the neighborhood has transformed over the past decade into an urban hub for congressional staffers and young professionals, it has also been the subject of criticism for its crime. 

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he was walking to the Navy Yard Metro Station for a transit safety event last month when he learned a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) police officer had just been stabbed in the face. 

The WMATA confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital and said the suspect stabbed the officer “with a sharp metal object” after they did not pay their fare at the station. 

President Donald Trump vowed to clean up Washington while speaking at his “Make America Great Again” rallies on the 2024 campaign trail. Since returning to office this January, Trump has committed to creating a “crime-free capital.”  

“We’re cleaning up our city. We’re cleaning up this great capital,” the president said. “And we’re not going to have crime, and we’re not going to stand for crime,” Trump said at the Department of Justice earlier this year. 

The Jacobs staffer did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo and Andrew Margolis contributed to this report.