NationalWatch

A federal judge on Friday issued a temporary pause on the Trump administration’s plans to restructure various government agencies and cut tens of thousands of federal workers because the government overhaul was not authorized by Congress.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston put a 14-day pause on the mass layoffs, siding with a group of unions, non-profits and local governments after they filed a lawsuit on April 28.

Illston said Trump may broadly restructure federal agencies, but only in “lawful ways” with approval from Congress.

“The President has the authority to seek changes to executive branch agencies, but he must do so in lawful ways and, in the case of large-scale reorganizations, with the cooperation of the legislative branch,” Illston said. “Many presidents have sought this cooperation before; many iterations of Congress have provided it.”

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN FROM DISMANTLING 3 AGENCIES

A federal judge issued a temporary pause on the Trump administration’s plan to restructure various government agencies and carry out mass layoffs. (Reuters/Leah Millis)

“Nothing prevents the President from requesting this cooperation—as he did in his prior term of office,” the judge continued. “Indeed, the Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime.”

Illston’s ruling was the broadest of its kind against administration efforts to overhaul the federal government, which have been led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

In February, Trump directed agencies to work with DOGE to identify targets for mass layoffs as part of the administration’s plans to restructure the government.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS

The ruling was the broadest of its kind against administration efforts to overhaul the federal government, which have been led by Elon Musk and DOGE. (AP Images)

The president instructed agencies to eliminate duplicate roles, unnecessary management layers and non-critical jobs, as well as to automate routine tasks, close regional field offices and reduce the use of outside contractors.

The group of plaintiffs said the administration’s “unlawful attempt to reorganize the federal government has thrown agencies into chaos, disrupting critical services provided across our nation.”

“Each of us represents communities deeply invested in the efficiency of the federal government – laying off federal employees and reorganizing government functions haphazardly does not achieve that,” the groups said in a statement.

Illston scheduled a hearing for May 22 for a potential longer preliminary injunction. She said plaintiffs are likely to suffer irreparable harm without the temporary restraining order, which she said preserves the status quo.

Trump had directed agencies to work with DOGE to identify targets for mass layoffs. (Getty Images)

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The judge said the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of some of their claims. They accuse Trump of exceeding his authority and say that DOGE, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management exceeded their authority and violated administrative law.

“The Court here is not considering the potential loss of income of one individual employee, but the widespread termination of salaries and benefits for individuals, families, and communities,” Illston wrote.

Reuters contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The White House is blasting Democrats for “prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens,” after “outright breaking the law” and storming an ICE facility in New Jersey.

On Friday, Reps. Rob Menendez Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman and LaMonica McIver, all New Jersey Democrats, entered ICE’s Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, N.J. and were held up inside the first checkpoint, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News.

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, DHS said.

The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Ras Baraka, was arrested at the ICE detention facility where the three members of Congress also stormed the gate, demanding they be allowed to conduct an “oversight visit.”

IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER

Baraka, a top Democratic gubernatorial candidate, was arrested at the scene for trespassing, authorities said. 

The White House is blasting the Democrats, telling Fox News Digital they are “crossing the line.”

“As always, Democrats are prioritizing the welfare of illegal aliens over American citizens – except now they’re crossing the line between meaningless political street theatre and outright breaking the law,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital.

BLUE CITY MAYOR SAYS ICE ARRESTS OF DANGEROUS CRIMINALS ARE NOT ‘FOCUSED ON MAKING US SAFER’

Activists have demanded entry into the facility in recent days, saying the GEO Group, the building’s new owner, is unlawfully preventing it from being inspected. A lawsuit filed on behalf of the City of Newark on April 1 alleges that GEO Group failed to permit entry to safety inspectors and violated city construction code, including by conducting electrical and plumbing renovations without proper oversight.

Members of Congress bust into ICE detention facility in New Jersey (X / @RepBonnie)

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The Department of Homeland Security said the allegations by Newark politicians that Delaney does not have the proper permitting is false. 

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google after it changed the label for the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps platform to match U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to amend the name of the body of water, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday.

Sheinbaum said at a press briefing that the lawsuit had been filed against the tech giant, without providing additional details.

The lawsuit comes after Sheinbaum threatened in February to sue Google for the name change.

MEXICAN PRESIDENT SIGNALS POSSIBLE LAWSUIT AGAINST GOOGLE OVER GULF OF AMERICA NAME CHANGE

Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google after it changed the label for the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps platform. (AP/Fernando Llano)

“We are going to wait. We are already seeing, observing what this would mean from the perspective of legal advice, but we hope that they will make a revision,” Sheinbaum said at the time.

Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry has also previously sent letters to Google urging it not to relabel the oceanic basin as the Gulf of America.

Trump signed an order on his first day back in the White House in January to rename the northern part of the gulf to the Gulf of America. The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico, and Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S.

Trump signed an order on his first day back in the White House in January to rename the northern part of the gulf to the Gulf of America. (Daniel Torok/Chief White House Photographer)

Mexico has argued that the Gulf of America label should only apply to the part over the U.S. continental shelf. The U.S. has control over about 46% of the gulf, Mexico controls about 49% and Cuba controls about 5%, according to Sovereign Limits, a database of international boundaries.

“What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the U.S. continental shelf,” Sheinbaum said in February.

The gulf appears in Google Maps as the Gulf of America within the U.S., as the Gulf of Mexico within Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) everywhere else. It had been called the Gulf of Mexico for more than 400 years.

GOOGLE MAPS, FAA OFFICIALY ACKNOWLEDGE GULF OF AMERICA AFTER TRUMP DECLARATION: ‘ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL?’

Google Maps began using Gulf of America for users in the U.S. shortly after Trump’s order. (AP/Google Maps)

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Google Maps began using Gulf of America for users in the U.S. shortly after Trump’s order, citing its “longstanding practice” of following the U.S. government’s lead on these matters. In cases where official names vary between countries, Google’s policy says users will see their official local names.

In February, the Mexican president shared a response from Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, Cris Turner, who said the company would not change its policy after Trump’s order.

Sheinbaum’s announcement of the lawsuit comes after House Republicans passed the Gulf of America Act in a 211-206 vote, marking the first step in codifying Trump’s order. The legislation now heads to the Senate.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Google for comment. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a top House ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand with a national following, is passing on a 2026 Senate run.

The three-term conservative lawmaker who represents a solidly red district in northwest Georgia, in a lengthy statement announcing her decision that was posted to social media on Friday night, took aim at Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, a top GOP target whom Republicans view as extremely vulnerable in next year’s midterm elections.

But Greene saved much of her venom for fellow Republicans, many of whom feared a polarizing campaign if Greene became the party’s 2026 nominee in Georgia, and for the institution of the Senate itself.

“Someone once said, ‘The Senate is where good ideas go to die.’ They were right. That’s why I’m not running,” Greene wrote as she announced her decision.

THIS POPULAR CONSERVATIVE GOVERNOR PASSES ON A 2026 SENATE RUN

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, said she won’t run for Senate. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

And Greene argued, “Here’s the hard truth: the Senate doesn’t work. It’s designed to obstruct the will of the people and protect the Uniparty’s grip on power. Nearly everything requires 60 votes to pass, and even when we have a majority, a pack of Republican Senators always votes “no” on the bills that matter most.”

FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND

Greene’s announcement came four days after two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s top recruit in battleground Georgia, revealed that he would also pass on a Senate bid.

Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia also said he would not run for Senate. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The popular conservative governor, who is term-limited and prevented from seeking re-election in 2026, was the GOP’s dream candidate to take on Ossoff, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority in next year’s elections.

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S AIMING FOR IN 2026

Greene, in her statement, claimed, “Beating Jon Ossoff? That would be easy. He’s a silver-spoon progressive who’s never held a real job or worried about putting a roof over his family’s head.”

“So, Jon Ossoff, you can stop with the fundraising emails and campaign ads claiming I’m your opponent. I’m not running,” she added.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., speaks during an interview at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Marietta, Georgia. The first-term Democrat is running for re-election in the 2026 midterms. (AP)

While criticizing Ossoff, Greene turned up the volume on her own party, including “the same elites who scoffed at me when I first ran for Congress in 2020.”

“Most elected Republicans, propped up by consultants and rich donors, fail to deliver on their campaign promises. Why? Because their donors and handlers don’t want change. They want to protect their own interests, not yours,” Greene charged.

She took aim at “the Republicans who see Trump as a speed bump,” and argued that “polling has become so dishonest that most people barely pay attention to it anymore. Voters are sick of the consultants who keep getting rich whether we win or lose.”

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Greene described herself as “effective, fearless, and relentless, not because I serve the Republican Party, but because I serve the American people.”

But she added that “I won’t fight for a team that refuses to win, that protects its weakest players, and that undermines the very people it’s supposed to serve… To the elite retreaters, the consultants, and the establishment: consider this your warning.”

In the wake of Kemp’s announcement, GOP Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents coastal Georgia, launched a Senate campaign this week. Other Georgia Republicans expressing interest in running are Reps. Mike Collins and Rich McCormick, state Insurance Commissioner John King, state Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and State Sen. Greg Dolezal.

Georgia-based Republican consultants tell Fox News they expect a crowded and competitive primary.

Greene, earlier this year, said that she was also considering a run for Georgia governor. And in her statement, she didn’t rule out a gubernatorial run in the race to succeed Kemp.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday sent a memo to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, saying that all future admissions will be based solely on merit. 

“The Department owes it to our nation, our Service Members, and our young Americans applying to the MSAs to ensure admissions to these prestigious institutions are based exclusively on merit,” Hegseth wrote in a memo to the academies. 

He added that this would ensure that only the “most qualified candidates” would be admitted.

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

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday sent a memo to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy, saying that all future admissions will be based solely on merit.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“Selecting anyone but the best erodes lethality, our warfighting readiness, and undercuts the culture of excellence in our Armed Forces,” he wrote. 

He said the secretaries of the military departments would have 30 days to certify that there will be no consideration of race, ethnicity or sex in applications and that they will be based on merit only. 

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

He said merit can be weighted by athletic talent, prior military service, performance at an MSA preparatory school, or other similar experience.

West Point cadets saluting.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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“The Department must remain steadfast in its pursuit of excellence and never compromise the high standards at our MSAs,” he concluded. “A strong officer corps is essential to ensuring the United States military remains the most lethal the world has ever known.” 

A Massachusetts suspect was charged this week with attempting to assassinate a cabinet nominee, the U.S. Department of Justice said. 

Ryan Michael English, 24, was arrested in January after allegedly attempting to bring a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the U.S. Capitol to assassinate then-Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent during his nomination.

On Thursday, English was charged with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building.

English had an initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon.

PHOTOGRAPHER WINS PULITZER FOR ICONIC PHOTO OF BULLET SPEEDING BY TRUMP’S HEAD DURING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

A Massachusetts suspect was charged this week with attempting to assassinate a cabinet nominee, the U.S. Department of Justice said.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Prosecutors said that English had also originally plotted to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and was inspired by United HealthCare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione. 

English walked up to a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 27 and allegedly stated, “I’d like to turn myself in,” according to initial charging documents. 

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was allegedly English’s target.  (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

English claimed to have two Molotov cocktails and two knives and expressed being there “to kill Scott Bessent,” according to court documents. Federal prosecutors said English left home in Massachusetts and traveled to Washington with the intent of killing Hegseth, whom the suspect referred to as a “Nazi,” and Johnson, and burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank near the White House. 

Capitol Police officers found a folding knife and two improvised incendiary devices made of vodka bottles with a grey cloth affixed to the top inside English’s jacket during a search. 

Prosecutors said that English had originally plotted to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, pictured, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (Getty Images/AP)

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They found a green lighter in another pocket. 

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

American author, speaker and theologian Bishop Robert Barron was at the Vatican this week to witness the election of a new pope, and he shared his thoughts with Fox News Digital about Cardinal Robert Prevost’s “intriguing” new papal name.

Papal names are often very symbolic with regard to how a Pope will serve as the leader of the Catholic Church. Typically, Pope’s select the names of predecessors they admire or want to emulate. Prevost ultimately went with Leo XIV in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903.

“He could have been Francis II, and we would have said, ‘Oh, there he is clearly in the line of Francis.’ He could have been John Paul III, then we would have thought, ‘Oh, he’s very much in that more conservative line.’ He could have been John XXIV, and we say ‘Oh, now he’s a real revolutionary liberal, et cetera,'” Barron said. “The fact that he went back, well over 100 years, to this very interesting and pivotal figure … our new pope was saying, I too, want a critical engagement with the modern world, not simply a ‘no,’ but also not simply a ‘yes,’ not simply an acquiescence to it.”

CARDINAL DOLAN DESCRIBES POPE XIV AS ‘CITIZEN OF THE WORLD,’ WILL BUILD BRIDGES WITH TRUMP

From left to right: Pope John XXIII, Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis I, Pope Leo XIV (Getty Images/Fox News)

Barron pointed out that Leo XIII was a pivotal figure due to the timing of his reign, which came during a moment when the Church was contending with the tremendous political and philosophical upheavals of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the French and American Revolutions, and the introduction of philosophies such as Marxism. 

“The church’s first reaction [to these changes] was very negative. It was a great ‘no’ to modernity. By the end of the 19th century, I think, with a certain distance and a certain critical intelligence, the church was willing to enter into a more, call it, creative engagement with modernity. And I think Pope Leo the 13th represents precisely that,” Barron said. 

The bishop pointed to the Rerum Novarum to further his point, an encyclical letter issued by Pope Leo XII in 1891.

BEARS STAR CALEB WILLIAMS ISSUES TWO-WORDED REACTION TO POPE LEO XIV’S ELECTION

“In that document, [Leo XII] is a fierce opponent of Marxism, a fierce opponent of socialism and communism, a great defender of private property and of the market economy,” Barron said. “So you say, ‘Okay, there’s that great ‘no’ to the left-wing economic revolutions.’ At the same time, in that same letter, [Leo XII] comes out strongly in favor of the right to form unions. He comes out very strongly in favor of what we call the universal destination of goods.”

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV (Right) took his papal name from the late-19th century Pope Leo XIII (Left). (Getty Images/Fox News)

“In fact, Pope Leo says in that letter, once the requirements of necessity and propriety have been met in your life, the rest of what you own belongs to the poor,” Barron continued. “That’s not a just a standard, boring, mainstream point of view. That’s a pretty revolutionary statement. But notice the lovely balance in that letter between ‘yes’ to private property, the great ‘no’ to socialism and Marxism, but the great ‘yes’ to the universal destination of goods. Leo sets the tone thereby for the rest of Catholic social teaching that followed him.”

In conclusion, Barron said he thinks Prevost’s selection of Leo XIV makes the new pope “a very interesting player” in terms of the debate between the Right and the Left in politics. 

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“[Leo XVI] doesn’t fit – and I’ve said this 1,000 times – he and other great representatives of Catholic social teaching don’t fit into our categories of left and right,” Barron said. “They don’t fit into Democrat-Republican, they’re in a space beyond those distinctions. So, I think that’s what’s perhaps most interesting about him.”

Vice President JD Vance refused to talk politics about the newly elected pope on Friday, calling his election a “great thing.”

“So many people my entire lifetime have said you’re never going to have an American pope,” Vance told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt after being asked for his reaction to his election. “Obviously, now we do, so I think that’s a great thing.” 

Vance added that “We don’t know a whole lot about him, but I just wish him the best, right? I’m a Catholic. He’s now the head of the Catholic Church, and we’ll pray for his wisdom, for his good decisions, and his good health, and hope that he has a long and successful papacy.”

The vice president told Hewitt that something like the election of a new pope can often become “discolored” by politics. 

INCLUSIVE TONE OF NEW POPE ISN’T SITTING WELL WITH SOME IN TEH ‘AMERICA FIRST’ MOVEMENT

JD Vance refused to talk politics about the newly elected pope on Friday, calling his election a “great thing.” (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Alberto PizzoliAFP via Getty Images)

“People are asking is he a conservative or is he a liberal,” Vance continued. “Will he attack President Trump and J.D. Vance on certain things, and hasn’t attacked Democrats on other things.”

He said his thoughts on that were that it’s hard to “fit a 2,000-year-old institution into the politics of 2025 America.”

Vance added that as a Catholic convert, he tries “not to play the politicization of the Pope game. I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love. I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all and through it all, and that’ll be the way that I handle it.”

Vance’s remarks came after news spread of an X account linked to Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, that reposted articles earlier this year criticizing the Trump administration on its deportation push. 

He also agreed with Hewitt that it was “disappointing” that reporters asked cardinals in a press conference about Leo’s election about Trump. 

FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION

Vance met with the late Pope Francis last month.  (Vatican Media via AP, HO)

“The Church is so much bigger than politics,” he said, adding that most of the millions of Catholics in the U.S. aren’t worried about whether the pope is liberal or conservative. 

He continued, “There are a lot of views the Catholic leadership holds that are, you know, you might consider on the right side of the spectrum. There are a lot of views they’re going to hold that might be more traditionally on the left side of the spectrum. And then there are a lot of views that don’t map easily onto politics at all.”

Vance said that although the church touches on public policy from time to time, “that’s not really what it’s about.”

“I think it would be better for all of us if we allowed the Church to be about the saving of souls and didn’t try to fit it into a pre-ordained political box,” he concluded.

Pope Leo XIV was elected to succeed Pope Francis on Thursday after the former’s death last month after a health battle. 

President Trump quickly congratulated Leo on his selection on Thursday. 

The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8.  (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope,” he wrote in Truth Social Post. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

However, other conservatives like Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump’s first administration and a Catholic, called Leo the “worst pick ever.” 

Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that “the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis.”

Conservative radio host Charlie Kirk said in a video on X, “Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about.”

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Kirk added that “overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.”

As Republicans search for avenues to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, some Republican lawmakers involved in the process have floated the idea that the nation’s highest earners could see a tax increase in order to usher in cuts for lower-earners. 

For his part, the president is sending signals he tends to agree.

“You know, they’ll go around saying, ‘Oh, this is so terrible.’ What you’re doing is you’re giving up something up top in order to make people in the middle income and the lower income brackets save more. So it’s really a redistribution,” Trump told reporters when asked what his response would be to those Republicans opposed to tax increases on the wealthy.

“I would love to be able to give people in a lower bracket a big break by giving up some of what I have,” the president added.

TRUMP’S TAX HIKE PROPOSAL IS ‘DÉJÀ VU’ OF GEORGE H.W. BUSH’S ‘READ MY LIPS’ MOMENT, EXPERTS SAY

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 9, 2025, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

He also noted that the move is just “good politics,” dismissing comparisons some political experts have made to one-term Republican President George H.W. Bush, whose broken promise to Republicans that there would be “no new taxes” following his 1988 election victory has been blamed Bush’s failed re-election efforts. 

“Read my lips: No new taxes,” Bush Sr. said during his acceptance speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Subsequently, in the face of a ballooning deficit, Bush Sr. ultimately cut a deal with Democrats that raised taxes.

“A lot of people say, don’t do it because of the fact that you have the Bush statement about ‘Read my lips.’ But he lost because of Ross Perot, he didn’t lose because of that statement,” Trump said. “I actually think it’s good politics to do it where richer people give up. And it’s a very small – it’s like a point – but they give it up to benefit the people on lower income.”

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

In a post on his Truth Social platform earlier Friday, Trump struck a slightly more cautious tone about the alleged concern that his willingness to increase taxes on the highest earners could spell trouble for him electorally the way it did for Bush Sr. 

He complained that Democrats would point to it repeatedly in an effort to discredit him. However, Trump still contended that the elder President Bush lost because of more than just his broken tax promises, and added that while Republicans should probably not increase taxes on the wealthy, he would be okay with it if they were to do so.

Political experts compared President George H.W. Bush to President Donald Trump after Trump signaled his support for a small tax hike for those at the top.  (Pool/Getty Images)

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“The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election,” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. 

“NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!”

The Trump White House is taking aim at Minnesota leaders for not honoring an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer, as an illegal immigrant charged in a criminal vehicular homicide case is not yet in custody.

Ecuadorian national German Adriano Llangari Inga is facing numerous felony and misdemeanor charges for drunk driving last August, which resulted in a crash killing Victoria Eileen Harwell, and hurting her teenage daughter and sister, according to local media outlets.

“An illegal immigrant drove drunk, killed an innocent mother, and is now on the run because Democrats didn’t do their most important job: protect their constituents,” Alex Pfeiffer, White House Principal Deputy Communications Director, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. 

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MURDERERS COULD FACE DEATH PENALTY UNDER NEW GOP BILL

This split shows President Donald Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. (AP)

“This is precisely why the Trump Administration is taking action to hold these so-called ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions accountable,” he added.

“U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on German Llangari Inga, 35, of Ecuador, with the Hennepin County Jail, Minnesota, Aug. 4, 2024, after he was arrested for criminal vehicular homicide,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The Hennepin County Jail did not honor the detainer and released Llangari without notification to ICE Aug. 6, 2024, and he remains at large. Llangari initially entered the United States in June 2016, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, issued an order of expedited removal and placed into removal proceedings.”

The Sheriff’s Department said that they were following the rules put forth by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on immigration-related matters.

FOX NEWS RIDES ALONG AS FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL BEGINS ENFORCING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS ON STATE ROADS

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“As per guidance from the MN Attorney General’s Office, HCSO cannot lawfully hold individuals in custody based solely on an administrative detainer issued by the Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If a judicially-signed warrant is presented to HCSO, ICE will be notified when it becomes the holding agency. In the absence of such a warrant, individuals must be released once all criminal charges or holds have been resolved. HCSO is committed to working with federal and local partners and honoring the constitutional rights of all individuals.”

Fox News Digital contacted Mayor Jacob Frey’s office, the Minneapolis Police Department, and Ellison’s office for comment.

DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED FOR VOWING TO MAKE MAJOR CITY ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey earlier this year said that “Minneapolis will continue to be a safe haven for undocumented immigrants” and added, “We do not enforce federal immigration law.” (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP, File)

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order last month, cracking down on “sanctuary jurisdictions” that could be at risk of losing federal funding if they do not make changes to their immigration policies, particularly with how certain cities interact with federal law enforcement on immigration cases.

“The term ‘sanctuary city’ is very amorphous, and that’s part of the problem in Trump’s use of it,” Frey told MPR News in an interview last month. 

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“In Minneapolis, we do not enforce federal immigration law, because that’s not our job. We have a separation ordinance in our city that says that our police and our public officials will not collect information as to whether an individual is documented or not. And because we don’t collect any information, our response when Trump or others come asking is very simple: We don’t have any.”

In addition to Frey, several Democratic Minnesota officials defended the state’s sanctuary laws, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who said, “If you are an undocumented immigrant, please know that you are in my thoughts and that I will keep fighting.”

“With President Trump’s immigration policies targeting sanctuary cities like Minneapolis, the fear of ICE raids is very real, and our communities are on high alert,” Minnesota State Sen. Omar Fateh said in January after Trump was sworn in. “Now is the time for bold leadership that stands firm in our progressive values and puts our communities first.”

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

–Veteran advocacy leader defends Trump’s shake-ups at VA, calls for reform to support veterans

-Trump pushes tax hikes for wealthy as ‘big, beautiful bill’ deadline looms

-Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dead at 85

Trump-district Dem Deletes History of Love for Left

FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat running for Congress in New Jersey who has been positioning herself as a moderate to unseat the sitting Republican in a pro-Trump district, has deleted several social media posts promoting progressive candidates and causes.

Democrat Rebecca Bennett, who is running in the Democratic primary to unseat GOP Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, is a Navy veteran and current member of the Air National Guard who has been labeled by local media as a “moderate” in a race the Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean Republican.”

A Fox News Digital review of Bennett’s X account, which was created in July 2011 and recently converted from @BigRedBecks to @RebeccaForNJ07, shows several deleted posts that seemingly drift away from the “moderate” label, including praise of progressive Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren…READ MORE 

Dem. House candidate Rebecca Bennett deleted several tweets praising progressive politicians (Rebecca Bennett for Congress/Getty)

White House

‘I DON’T KNOW HER’: Trump claims ‘I don’t know her’ and ‘listened to’ RFK about surgeon general pick who’s getting MAGA pushback

WORKHORSES: Rubio just got an additional job in Trump’s administration — and he’s not the only one with multiple hats

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the VA Doug Collins, President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel.  (Getty Images)

‘WITCH TRIAL’: Letitia James town hall derailed by Trump supporter’s question: ‘Will you apologize?’

Pope Leo XIV

NOT EVERYONE’S PLEASED: Inclusive tone of new pope isn’t sitting well with some in the America First movement

‘SUPER-HAPPY DAY’: Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova grad, introduces himself adorned in symbolism, proverbial religious devotion

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (Remo Casilli/Reuters)

HOLY HOMILY: Pope Leo gives first homily as American pontiff, says loss in faith has led to crisis in humanity

World Stage

MILITARY MIGHT: Russia’s Putin hosts China’s Xi at massive Moscow military parade on Red Square

NOT OUR FIGHT: Vance says India-Pakistan conflict ‘none of our business’ as Trump offers US help

Capitol Hill

‘NORMALIZING HOODIES’: OpenAI’s Sam Altman thanks Sen John Fetterman for ‘normalizing hoodies’

Sen. John Fetterman’s sartorial choices meet AI developer Sam Altman’s liking. (Getty)

‘A DISGRACE’: Dems erupt after Trump fires the Librarian of Congress

Across America 

‘WARNING’: $8 gas? New study reveals it may come to a blue state next year, triggering bipartisan concern

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: Newsom debuts rapid-response website as critics accuse him of prioritizing presidential ambitions

‘OUTRAGEOUS’: Columbia suspends anti-Israel agitators after takeover, spreading of pamphlets glorifying alleged terrorist

Protest stickers were put on the doors at Butler Library at Columbia University’s campus on May 7, 2025 in New York City. Pro-Palestinian protesters held a demonstration inside the Butler Library on Columbia University’s campus, disrupting finals week. ( Indy Scholtens/Getty Images)

‘VERY PLEASANT CONVERSATION’: Blue state governor touts meeting with CCP official cozying up to Dems: ‘Grateful for the opportunity’

‘AUTHORITARIAN ETHOS’: Columbia faculty rights group condemns university’s handling of library takeover

ZERO TOLERANCE: Republican DA bucks blue state’s ‘broken sentencing’ with tough-on-crime approach

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

Discussions over a potential tax hike for ultra-wealthy Americans are threatening to foment a civil war among Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Some GOP lawmakers, as well as conservative groups that are frequently in touch with congressional Republicans, have been loudly voicing opposition to any tax increases. 

Meanwhile President Donald Trump and his allies are signaling that the idea could be a way to pay for significant tax breaks targeting middle and working-class Americans.

“Raising taxes on one bracket is a slippery slope. What will stop future tax increases on middle-income earners as the federal government accumulates more and more debt?” a senior House GOP aide told Fox News Digital. “Republicans certainly shouldn’t be the party leading this effort.”

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

A side-by-side of the U.S. Capitol and former President Donald Trump. (Getty Images/AP Images)

But the idea found support among more populist Trump allies like House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md.

“Personally, I’ve always believed that if we can’t find spending reductions elsewhere, we should look at restoring the [pre-2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)] tax bracket on million dollar income to help pay for the President’s agenda,” Harris wrote on X.  

It comes after Trump signaled to GOP leaders that he was open to raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy to offset the cost of new policies eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay and retirees’ social security.

A source familiar with the president’s thinking told Fox News Digital that to accomplish those goals, as well as preserving Medicaid for millions, Trump is considering a new top income tax bracket of 39.6% for single taxpayers making $2.5 million or more per year.

The TCJA lowered the tax rate for the top income bracket — currently $609,350 for single filers — to 37%, a cut that’s expiring at the end of this year.

Trump himself toyed with the idea publicly on Truth Social Friday morning, though made clear he saw the potential drawbacks.

“The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election,” Trump posted, referencing ill-fated comments by late former President George H.W. Bush.

“NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, are working to usher Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ through Congress. (Getty Images)

Discussions about raising taxes have traditionally been anathema to mainstream Republican beliefs.

But it’s now a direction the GOP will have to contend with as Trump continues to bring more middle- and working-class people into the party base – but disagreements on the wisdom of such a move remain.

“‘Tax the rich’ is a tired slogan with no evidence of spurring economic growth, as higher taxes on any group hinder innovation and investment,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital on Friday.

“We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. Ultimately, I don’t think this will even happen. We must focus on cutting spending and downsizing government, not raising taxes.”

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

Several Republicans told Fox News Digital late last month that they were wary of raising taxes – including Reps. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., and Tim Moore, R-N.C. Spokespeople for both said their opinions are unchanged as of Friday morning.

“When we passed what was called the Tax Cuts Jobs Act of 2017, we did lower taxes for everybody. We reduced the tax rates. We condensed the brackets,” Kustoff said. “And what we saw is, that lifted everybody. And the U.S. Treasury still saw revenues continue to grow. So I don’t want to see taxes raised on anybody.”

Moore told Fox News Digital, “I do not support any tax increases. I think that we do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.”

Moreover, nearly 200 past and present House Republicans signed onto a pledge to oppose all tax increases, run by think tank Americans For Tax Reform.

But another Republican, Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital that day, “I would want to see some numbers behind it and how it would have an effect on the economy.”

“What I’ve heard from people in the upper tax brackets is, you know, they’re willing to pay more as long as they know that it’s paying the debt down. They don’t want to see it go towards more spending,” Stutzman said.

It’s one of several ongoing debates over how to advance Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to advance a massive piece of fiscal policy legislation while sidelining the minority by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES

Republicans are working to use the maneuver to advance Trump’s priorities on border security, immigration, energy, national defense and taxes, as well as raising the debt ceiling.

On taxes, expected to be the costliest portion, Republicans want to extend Trump’s 2017 TCJA cuts expiring in 2026 as well as implement his aforementioned newer policies.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a longtime Trump ally, told Fox Business’ Stuart Varney on Friday, “We are not going to do tax increases.”

But it’s not clear how many of those Republicans will change their minds if Trump begins exerting pressure on such tax hikes.

Meanwhile, conservative groups like The Heritage Foundation and Americans For Prosperity (AFP) are already exerting pressure on Capitol Hill to resist any tax hikes.

Rep. Marlin Stutzman said, ‘What I’ve heard from people in the upper tax brackets is, you know, they’re willing to pay more as long as they know that it’s paying the debt down.’ (Getty Images)

“Republicans have a chance to lock in pro-growth tax policy and reignite prosperity for a generation of Americans – something every conservative can agree on. There is no appetite anywhere for raising taxes on anyone,” AFP Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner told Fox News Digital.

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“The sooner Republicans can get back to this broad consensus – keeping taxes low, while cutting wasteful spending – the sooner they’ll all start to see the benefits, both economically and politically.”

The House Ways & Means Committee is expected to meet on Tuesday to advance the tax portion of the package, so its details – including the potential tax hike – will be released in the coming days.

Republican leaders hope to have a bill passed in the House of Representatives by around Memorial Day, with a final bill on Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July.

With razor-thin margins in the House and Senate, the GOP can afford precious little dissent if they are going to meet their goals.

President Donald Trump is “determined to continue with a “10% baseline tariff” against all countries despite his announcement this week of a trade deal with the United Kingdom, the White House said Friday. 

“The president is committed to the 10% baseline tariff, not just for the United Kingdom, but for his trade negotiations with all other countries as well,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. 

“Permanently? Even after the deals are done. Like, that is going to remain?” Leavitt was asked by Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich. 

“The president is determined to continue with that 10% baseline tariff,” Leavitt responded. 

TRUMP UNVEILS NEW UK TRADE DEAL, CALLS IT ‘INCREDIBLE DAY FOR AMERICA’ 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens during a briefing with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on Friday, May 9, in Washington, D.C.  (AP/Alex Brandon)

Trump announced a new trade deal Thursday with the U.K., calling it “an incredible day for America.”  

Trump told reporters at the White House that “today’s agreement with the U.K. is the first in a series of agreements on trade that my administration has been negotiating over the past four weeks.”  

“With this deal, the U.K. joins the United States in affirming that reciprocity and fairness is an essential and vital principle of international trade.  

“They’ll also be fast-tracking American goods through their customs process so our exports go to a very, very quick form of approval,” the president added, noting that “The final details are being written up in the coming weeks.” 

TRUMP CONFIRMS TRADE DEAL WITH UK: ‘FULL AND COMPREHENSIVE’ 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Feb. 27. (Carl Court – Pool/Getty Images)

As of April 5, the U.S. has imposed a 10% reciprocal tariff on imports from the U.K. 

The Trump administration’s 25% global tariff on cars took effect on April 3, impacting all imported vehicles, even from traditional U.S. allies, including the U.K. A 25% tariff on U.S. imports of steel, aluminum and derivative products took effect on March 12.  

Prior to April 2025, most U.K. goods exported to the U.S. were subject to standard, relatively low tariffs, mostly ranging from 0 to 2.5%, with higher rates only for specific products like steel, aluminum, and some vehicles. The U.K., meanwhile, imposed tariffs on U.S. imports based on the World Trade Organization’s “Most Favored Nation” or MFN rules. 

President Donald Trump, along with Vice President JD Vance and Peter Mandelson, British Ambassador to the United States, third from left, listen as Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain speaks on the speakerphone in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday, May 8, following Trump’s U.K. trade deal announcement. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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The U.K.’s average MFN applied tariff rate was 3.8% in 2023, according to the most recent data available. The UK has some high tariffs that affect U.S. exports, such as rates of up to 25% for some fish and seafood products, 10% for trucks, 10% for passenger vehicles, and up to 6.5% for certain mineral or chemical fertilizers. 

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

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump Friday signed an executive order to establish a national center for homeless veterans with redirected funds previously spent on services for illegal aliens, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The president’s order directs the secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish the National Center for Warrior Independence on the Veterans Affairs campus in West Los Angeles. 

TRUMP TO HOST MILITARY PARADE TO CELEBRATE ARMY’S 250TH BIRTHDAY, HONOR ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS

Los Angeles has approximately 3,000 homeless veterans — more than any other city in the country, and accounting for about 10% of all homeless veterans in America, according to the White House. 

President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

“The new National Center for Warrior Independence will help them and other veterans like them rebuild their lives,” the White House said. 

The center will allow veterans from around the nation to seek and receive care, benefits and services “to which they are entitled,” the White House said. 

The order redirects funds previously spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens to constructing, establishing and maintaining the new center. 

“The Center will promote self-sufficiency through housing, substance abuse treatment, and support for productive work for the veterans housed there,” the White House explained. 

The White House said the goal is to house up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the center by 2028.

TRUMP TO CREATE TASK FORCE TO PLAN ‘EXTRAORDINARY CELEBRATION’ FOR 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA’S INDEPENDENCE

The order also directs the secretary of Housing and Urban Development to use vouchers to support homeless veterans and instructs the secretary of Veterans Affairs to “restore accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).” 

The order also instructs the VA to take action against individuals who have committed misconduct and to investigate and rectify the Biden administration’s decision to “rehire and reinstate back pay for employees previously fired for misconduct.” 

The order also ensures that veterans will have access to increased options for care, benefits and services —including reduced wait times for Veterans Health Administration appointments through options such as expanded hours, weekend appointments and virtual healthcare.

The order also directs a feasibility study at the Manchester VA Medical Center to expand services to support a full-service medical center in New Hampshire. 

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“President Trump strongly believes that every veteran deserves our gratitude, and that the federal government should treat veterans like the heroes they are,” the White House said. 

The order comes a week after the White House announced that Trump will host a military parade in June to honor military veterans and active-duty service members and commemorate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. 

The parade is scheduled for June 14, the 250th birthday of the United States Army. 

Transgender troops have between 30 and 60 days to self-separate from the military after a court order allowed the ban on their service to move forward, according to a Thursday memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD,” Hegseth wrote on X, along with a video announcing the new deadline. 

Approximately 1,000 service members have self–identified as having gender dysphoria and will begin the voluntary separation process, according to the Pentagon. 

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

SUPREME COURT STAYS LOWER COURT RULING, ALLOWING TRUMP TRANSGENDER BAN TO PROCEED

Transgender troops have between 30 and 60 days to self-separate from the military after a court order allowed the ban on their service to move forward, according to a Thursday memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

“The Secretary is encouraged by the Supreme Court’s order staying the lower court’s injunction, allowing the Department of Defense to carry out its policies associated with ‘Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,’” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement celebrating the ruling and announcing the new timeline. 

“In accordance with policy now reinstated, service members who have a current diagnosis or history of or exhibit symptoms consistent with gender dysphoria may elect to separate voluntarily,” Hegseth said, adding that if they chose not to do so by the deadline, they would be removed “involuntarily, if necessary.”

HEGSETH SAYS HE’S SIGNING MEMO ON COMBAT ARMS STANDARDS FOR MEN AND WOMEN

A transgender woman speaks as military veterans and their supporters protested against President Donald Trump’s policies in March. (Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The high court ruling was a victory for the White House, even as the justices did not address the underlying merits of the case or President Donald Trump‘s Jan. 27 executive order banning transgender service members from the U.S. military.

A lower court had issued an injunction on the policy. The Trump administration argued that delaying the policy could pose a threat to U.S. military readiness.

Trump officials have argued that the transgender military policy “furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs.”

READ THE MEMO BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

An executive order signed by Trump in January ordered Hegseth to update medical standards to ensure they “prioritize readiness and lethality” and take action to “end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns” within the DOD.

It says that expressing a “gender identity” different from an individual’s sex at birth does not meet military standards. 

A categorical ban on transgender service members was lifted in 2014 under then-President Barack Obama.

Between Jan. 1, 2016, and May 14, 2021, the DOD reportedly spent approximately $15 million on providing transgender treatments (surgical and nonsurgical) to 1,892 active-duty service members, according to the Congressional Research Service. 

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The transgender ban is part of a broader push by the new Pentagon leadership to root out any policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). 

Last month, Hegseth announced that “99.9%” of DEI-related policies had been eliminated at the Defense Department, as he raised standards for fitness tests and moved to ensure the combat fitness test held men and women to the same standards. 

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.

Sparks are flying over taxes that primarily affect Republicans representing districts in Democrat-controlled states, sending tensions skyrocketing as GOP lawmakers negotiate President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.”

The fight more specifically is about state and local tax deductions, colloquially known as SALT. 

Republican lawmakers representing high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities had been pushing leaders to raise the current cap on SALT deductions – $10,000 for both single filers and married couples – in Trump’s bill.

However, on Thursday night, leaders of the House’s SALT Caucus emphatically rejected what they said was an offer from GOP leaders to raise that deduction to $30,000.

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

Rep. Mike Lawler, left, and other New York Republicans are pushing House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, for a higher SALT deduction cap in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” (Getty Images)

“We’ve negotiated in good faith on SALT from the start— fighting for the taxpayers we represent in New York. Yet with no notice or agreement, the Speaker and the House Ways and Means Committee unilaterally proposed a flat $30,000 SALT cap — an amount they already knew would fall short of earning our support,” the statement said.

“It’s not just insulting — it risks derailing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. New Yorkers already send far more to Washington than we get back — unlike many so-called ‘low-tax’ states that depend heavily on federal largesse. A higher SALT cap isn’t a luxury. It’s a matter of fairness. We reject this offer.”

The statement was signed by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y.

However, not all of their delegation is on board.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., whose district spans a sliver of south Brooklyn and all of Staten Island, told Fox News Digital first that she could support a $30,000 cap.

“Everyone needs to advocate for the needs of their district. Tripling the deduction to $30,000 will provide much-needed relief for the middle-class and cover 98% of the families in my district,” she said.

However, a spokesperson for Johnson pointed out that there was no commitment made on any number.

Press secretary Athina Lawson wrote on X alongside a report that Johnson “acknowledged” the $30,000 number, “To add vital, missing context: What the Speaker actually said is this is one number among others in ongoing discussions amongst members.”

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, another New York Republican, said she would be fine with a $30,000 cap. (ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

She referenced comments Johnson made to reporters on Thursday when asked about the figure. “I’ve heard that number, and I’ve heard others as well.”

“It’s still an ongoing discussion amongst the members,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to handicap it because I’m not sure exactly what that is, but there’s a lot of analysis that’s going into it.”

The Republican majorities in the House and Senate are working on advancing Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to move a massive piece of legislation without the opposing party’s input, provided it deals with budgetary and other fiscal matters.

It is a massive effort across multiple committees of jurisdiction.

The Ways & Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, is expected to unveil its portion of the bill within days. 

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

A meeting to advance that legislation is expected Tuesday afternoon, people familiar with the planning told Fox News Digital.

Malliotakis is the only member of the committee who is also a member of the SALT Caucus.

Republicans in California, New York and New Jersey have been pushing for the reconciliation bill to lift the SALT deduction cap, which was first implemented in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Some lawmakers have proposed lifting the cap to as high as $100,000, which Republicans in other areas have largely rejected.

The blue state Republicans pushing for a larger deduction have argued the issue is critical for their constituents. 

House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith’s panel is tasked with the taxwriting portion of the bill. (Tom Williams)

They are also the most vulnerable lawmakers in the House GOP Conference, and their seats are key to Republicans holding onto their slim majority.

Republicans in favor of raising the SALT deduction have also pointed out that while it benefits people in high-cost-of-living areas outside big cities, it is those states that send more tax dollars back to Washington for programs that ultimately benefit the entire country.

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However, others in conservative circles have pushed back on their efforts.

“The Republican margin is so small in the House that a handful of New England Republicans have a lot of sway over this bill and are pushing to raise that deduction,” said Marc Short, an alumnus of Trump’s first administration who played a key role in the 2017 tax negotiations.

“I think from a tax perspective, what’s unfair about that is you’re basically taking much of middle America that live in states that are better governed and asking them to subsidize the residents in states that are poorly managed and continue to generate huge deficits.”

The morning after his election, Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history — presided over his first Mass.

In a nod to his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, Leo pledged to align himself with “ordinary people” and pointed to a loss of religious faith for contributing to “appalling violations of human dignity.”

“A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society,” the new pope said in his homily delivered at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday. 

However, the message from the pope – who, like his predecessor, appears to hail from the more inclusive and progressive wing of the Catholic Church – does not appear to be receptive to some in the “America First” movement.

FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on May 8, 2025. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

The founder and leader of the movement, President Donald Trump, on Thursday quickly praised the selection of Leo, who was Chicago-born but has lived much of his adult life in Peru.

“It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Additionally, Vice President JD Vance, only the second Catholic vice president in U.S. history, congratulated the new pope, adding, “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”

PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FIRST AMERICAN POPE LEO XIV AN ‘HONOR’ FOR US, ‘VERY HAPPY’

However, thanks to a paper trail of weighing in on major American lighting rod issues such as illegal immigration, gun control, and even the 2020 death of George Floyd – which sparked nationwide protests targeting police brutality towards minorities – the new pope was bound to be controversial among some of Trump’s millions of MAGA supporters.

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump’s first administration and a conservative Catholic, wrote, “Worst pick ever,” in responding on social media to the new pope’s election.

That sentiment from Bannon, and much harsher words from some far-right podcasters and social media influencers, was likely fueled in part by apparent past posts from the new pope – which could not be independently verified by Fox News – that were critical of the Trump administration’s sweeping and controversial immigration policies.

Pope Francis, days before his death, meets with Vice President JD Vance, left, and his delegation during an audience at Casa Santa Marta on April 20, 2025 in Vatican City. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that “the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis.”

LIVE UPDATES: CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIV

However, influential conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, a MAGA world rock star and Trump ally who leads the powerful Turning Point USA youth organization, was more measured.

“Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about,” Kirk said in a video posted on X.

Kirk added that “overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.”

Popular conservative commentator and radio host Hugh Hewitt seemed receptive to the new pope.

Trump has warmly embraced American Catholics in recent years and captured nearly 60% of the Catholic vote in last year’s presidential election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. Four years earlier, former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, narrowly captured the Catholic vote.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend Pope Francis’ funeral on April 28, 2025 at the Vatican. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Among those Catholics who supported Trump is former New Hampshire state House Speaker Bill O’Brien, who is one of the state’s two members on the Republican National Committee.

O’Brien told Fox News that he’s “very respectful of the votes of the conclave, and I’m also proud that we do have a pope from America.”

“I certainly would have liked to have seen someone more in the tradition of Pope Benedict, who held more closely to the traditional doctrines of the church,” O’Brien said. “But I’m not sure that Pope Leo is really established now in terms of where he will be. And the fact that he criticized Trump, I suppose that probably shows a less than developed political sense than it does a doctoral sense, which is more important.”

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O’Brien noted that “any pope, any religious figure for that matter, is going to be concerned about those who are powerless in our society, and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean he’s given intense thought to the importance of national borders.”

He additionally emphasized that “I’m thrilled about where he comes from, and I’m hopeful about where he’s going.”

FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat running for Congress in New Jersey who has been positioning herself as a moderate to unseat the sitting Republican in a pro-Trump district, has deleted several social media posts promoting progressive candidates and causes.

Democrat Rebecca Bennett, who is running in the Democratic primary to unseat GOP Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, is a Navy veteran and current member of the Air Force National Guard who has been labeled by local media as a “moderate” in a race the Cook Political Report ranks as “Lean Republican.”

A Fox News Digital review of Bennett’s X account, which was created in July 2011 and recently converted from @BigRedBecks to @RebeccaForNJ07, shows several deleted posts that seemingly drift away from the “moderate” label, including praise of progressive Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

“Love her,” Bennett said in a now-deleted post about Warren in 2019. 

BIDEN DENIES HE LEFT 2024 RACE TOO LATE TO STOP TRUMP, SAYS IT WOULDN’T HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE

Democratic House candidate Rebecca Bennett deleted several posts praising progressive politicians. (Rebecca Bennett for Congress/Getty)

“I love everything about this,” Bennett said in a now-deleted post praising a video mashup of Warren to the tune of a Taylor Swift song. “(Except the misogyny that makes it real…) #TeamWarren.”

Bennett has also removed posts praising former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was defeated by President Donald Trump, not only nationally, but also narrowly with voters in Kean’s district by just over one percentage point. 

“Let’s Goooooo,” Bennett wrote in a now-deleted post after Harris was announced as then-former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020. 

If elected, Bennett would serve alongside Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who she praised in 2020, calling him the “best senator.” That post has since been deleted. 

VANCE, CONSERVATIVES BLAST OMAR OVER RESURFACED ‘FEARFUL OF WHITE MEN’ CLIP: ‘GENOCIDAL LANGUAGE’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024. ( SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

During the civil unrest and rioting that erupted after the death of George Floyd in 2020, Bennett posted on X that she agreed in a now-deleted post with a comment from former Obama campaign strategist David Plouffe, where he said House Democrats should “hold hearings” and investigate law enforcement officials responding to the riots.

Bennett also deleted a post that appears to support the first impeachment of President Trump.

“Officially a @JasonCrowCO6 fan,” Bennett posted on January 21, 2020 as the impeachment trial was unfolding where Crow ultimately voted to impeach. “I’m a vet who also didn’t have the equipment I needed to do my job, so this is personal for me too. #ImpeachmentTrial.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Bennett’s team to inquire about the motivation behind deleting the X posts. 

Bennett’s announcement video, which is almost two minutes long, does not mention that she is a Democrat.

Democrat Rebecca Bennett, running in the Democratic primary to unseat GOP Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., pictured here, in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. (Getty Images)

In a statement to Fox News Digital, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said, “It’s clear Rebecca Bennett is desperately trying to run away from her past and cover up her radical, out of touch agenda.”

“But New Jersey voters see right through her act and know exactly who she is: a radical scam artist who can’t be trusted.”

Bennett’s team, in a statement to Fox News Digital, did not address why the posts were removed but dismissed the criticism from the NRCC. 

“It’s no surprise to see the NRCC and conservative news outlets start attacking Rebecca, because they know she is a serious threat to beat Congressman Tom Kean next November and flip NJ7,” Dan Bryan, senior advisor to the Bennett campaign, said. 

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“Rebecca and her campaign will continue to ignore recycled bad faith attacks from right-wing outlets and focus on her record serving this country and Congressman Kean’s failure to deliver for working families in our district.”

Bennett is not the first New Jersey Democrat running for Congress to face scrutiny over deleted social media posts.

Sue Altman, who was defeated by Kean in 2024, faced heated criticism for deleting social media posts that were critical of law enforcement. 

The race in NJ-07 will be closely watched in next year’s midterm elections given the thin majority Republicans currently hold in the House of Representatives, where the GOP currently holds 220 seats compared to 215 for the Democrats.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., a potential 2028 presidential candidate, launched a new fact-check website on Wednesday targeting “right-wing misinformation,” as a new poll found more than half of California registered voters believe he is more focused on becoming president than delivering for Californians. 

Newsom’s campaign apparatus described the new fact-check website as a “rapid-response website to set the record straight about the Golden State” and President Donald Trump. 

A new survey conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found that 54% of California registered voters believe Newsom is more focused on his personal presidential ambitions than solving the ongoing problems at home in the Golden State. 

“By a more than a two-to-one margin (54% to 26%), most voters believe that as Newsom serves out his final two years as governor, he is devoting more of his attention to things that might benefit himself as a possible candidate for president than to governing the state and helping to solve its problems,” according to the results of the poll completed April 21-28 among 6,201 registered voters in California. 

TRUMP DARES NEWSOM TO RUN IN 2028, SLAMS RECORD ON LA WILDFIRES

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, has rejected President Donald Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House. (Getty Images/AP)

Newsom’s campaign, in a press release announcing the new fact-checking endeavor, touted California as the fourth-largest economy in the world, and said the blue state’s population is growing, crime rates are at historic lows and California is leading the nation in clean energy and tech innovation. 

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“This site is for everyone sick of the BS about California. We’re done letting the MAGA trolls define the Golden State. We’re going on the offense and fighting back — with facts,” Newsom said. 

Newsom’s latest endeavor targets misinformation from the devastating Los Angeles fires this year and other state issues, including crime, climate, the economy, immigration, energy and housing. California is often ridiculed by Republicans as a representation of the demise of Democratic states. Such was the case last month when a California lawmaker proposed a bill to allow state college and university students to sleep in their cars amid the blue state’s housing crisis. 

The California politician has long been rumored to harbor presidential ambitions. He was one of several names floated as a potential Democratic nominee replacement for President Joe Biden before Biden suspended his re-election campaign last summer and ultimately chose former Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Newsom also campaigned for Biden and Harris in key battleground states, acting as a surrogate for both candidates when their names were on the top of the ticket. 

First lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff watch as President Joe Biden raises the hand of Vice President Kamala Harris on July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Newsom launched a podcast this year embracing political dialogue across party lines, following Democrats losing the White House and the Senate and failing to regain the House of Representatives in 2024. Newsom has invited Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, onto his podcast in an attempt to show he is open to “criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another.” 

The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 election that Democrats didn’t prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough. 

But Newsom’s willingness to soak up the national spotlight as Democrats look for someone to lead the party into the next generation may have backfired among his California constituents. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets President Donald Trump on the tarmac in California following the Los Angeles fires. (Pool)

Newsom is one of several Democratic governors trying to balance diplomacy with rejecting Trump’s agenda during the president’s second term. Newsom has spoken out against Trump’s tariff policies and executive orders while reaching across the aisle to secure disaster relief following the Los Angeles fires earlier this year. 

The poll found a majority of California voters believe the state would be negatively impacted by Trump’s overhaul of the federal government, as 64% believe Trump’s tariffs would negatively impact California business and agriculture and over 50% believe Trump’s policies would have a negative impact on education. 

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Meanwhile, Californians are split on Newsom’s job performance, with 46% both approving and disapproving of his job as governor and 45% reporting they are not confident in “his ability to be effective in looking out for California’s interests when dealing with the Trump administration.”

“The Governor is focused on one thing: his job — driving L.A.’s recovery, confronting the housing crisis, and taking Donald Trump to court over his disastrous tariffs that are raising costs for families and blowing a hole in California’s budget,” Newsom’s office told Fox News in response to the new polling. 

President Donald Trump said he does not know his new nominee for U.S. surgeon general, telling reporters Thursday that he relied upon the recommendation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Trump withdrew the nomination of his first pick for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, this week and instead nominated Dr. Casey Means. The president, upon announcing her nomination, said she has “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials.” 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES MAHA ADVOCATE CASEY MEANS WILL BE NEW SURGEON GENERAL NOMINEE

When asked Thursday about Means and why he tapped her for the role, the president said Kennedy recommended her. 

“Because Bobby thought she was fantastic, brilliant woman who went through Stanford — wanted to be academic instead of physician,” the president said. 

“I don’t know her, I listened to Bobby,” Trump added. “I think she’ll be great.” 

President Donald Trump has picked Dr. Casey Means to be his nominee for surgeon general. (White House/Fox News)

FLASHBACK: TRUMP’S SURGEON GENERAL PICK TOUTED AS ‘FIERCE’ MAHA ADVOCATE BEFORE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Means, a vocal “Make America Healthy Again” proponent, played a significant role in helping shape the administration’s agenda surrounding health alongside her brother, Calley Means. 

She has made a name for herself as a wellness influencer alongside her brother. In 2024, both Casey and Calley co-wrote a book about the chronic disease epidemic titled “Good Energy,” and Casey is also the co-founder of a health-tech company called Levels.

Calley Means was previously tapped by the administration to serve as a top special advisor to Kennedy. 

When asked about Dr. Casey Means and why he tapped her for the role, President Donald Trump said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommended her. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

It is unclear why Nesheiwat’s nomination was pulled. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for more information and did not immediately receive a response. 

Meanwhile, in a follow-up post on X, Nesheiwat also said she was “looking forward” to continuing to support Trump while working closely with Kennedy “in a senior policy role.” 

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“My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed,” Nesheiwat concluded in her public social media remarks.  

Nesheiwat is the sister-in-law of recently fired National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, whom the president indicated he will now be nominating to be the next ambassador to the United Nations after dropping his initial nominee, New York GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.