NationalWatch

President Donald Trump said it was “disappointing” that Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he will not support the president’s nominee to serve as U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., Ed Martin. 

“It’s disappointing because, you know, I know that he’s very talented,” Trump said from the Oval Office Wednesday afternoon while taking questions from the media during a swearing-in ceremony for the U.S. ambassador to China, David Perdue. “Crime is down in Washington, D.C. Street crime, violent crime by 25%. And, that’s, people have seen they’ve noticed a big difference.” 

Tillis sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is overseeing the confirmation process of Martin. The nominee has served as interim U.S. attorney since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration but is facing a May 20 deadline to be confirmed. 

Martin met with Senate lawmakers Monday, and Tillis told reporters Tuesday he wouldn’t support Martin, throwing the nomination into limbo on the committee that is composed of 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats. 

TILLIS PUTS ONUS ON TRUMP TO AVOID BOASBERG PICKING US ATTORNEY AFTER MARTIN’S NOMINATION APPEARS SUNK

“I’ve indicated to the White House I wouldn’t support his nomination,” Tillis told reporters Tuesday. 

If an interim U.S. attorney is not confirmed by the Senate within 120 days, however, judges on the federal district court for that district could name a new interim U.S. attorney until the role is filled. Trump antagonist Judge James Boasberg, an Obama-appointed judge at the center of legal efforts targeting Trump’s deportation efforts, is the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 

“I didn’t know that.… I feel very badly about it,” Trump continued on Wednesday. “Only in the sense that, in this short period of time that he’s been there, crime is down 25% in Washington, D.C., but that’s really up to the senators. If they, you know, feel that way, they have to vote the way they vote, they have to follow their heart and they have to follow their mind.”

When asked Tuesday if Tillis is comfortable with the left-wing court picking an interim U.S. attorney, his office told Fox News Digital it is the office’s understanding that Attorney General Pam Bondi can pick an acting replacement, bypassing involvement from federal judges. 

DEADLINE LOOMS ALLOWING LEFT-WING COURT TO SELECT US ATTORNEY AS STATE AGS URGE CONFIRMATION OF TRUMP PICK

“Our understanding is that if the Senate does not confirm a U.S. attorney before an acting U.S. attorney’s term expires, the attorney general can still pick the next acting replacement as long as it is done before the original appointment expires under 28 USC 546,” a spokesman for Tillis’ office told Fox News Digital Tuesday. 

The code referenced says, “If an appointment expires under subsection (c)(2), the district court for such district may appoint a United States attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled. The order of appointment by the court shall be filed with the clerk of the court.”

TRUMP NOMINATES JAN. 6 DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR TOP PROSECUTOR ROLE IN DC

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice about the statute Wednesday, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Martin previously worked as a defense attorney and represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, which Tillis took issue with, he told reporters Tuesday. Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 criminal defendants upon taking office.

TRUMP NOMINATES JUDGE TO SERVE AS NEXT US ATTORNEY FOR SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

“Mr. Martin did a good job of explaining the one area that I think he’s probably right, that there were some people that were over-prosecuted, but there were some, 200 or 300 of them that should have never gotten a pardon,” Tillis said. “If Mr. Martin were being put forth as a U.S. attorney for any district except the district where Jan. 6 happened, the protest happened, I’d probably support him, but not in this district.”

Trump and his administration have rallied support for Martin as his confirmation process comes down to the wire. 

“His approval is IMPERATIVE in terms of doing all that has to be done to SAVE LIVES and to, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.

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“Ed Martin will be a big player in doing so and, I hope, that the Republican Senators will make a commitment to his approval, which is now before them.”

Former Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to China Wednesday, with President Donald Trump remarking on the timing of the ceremony as trade talks between the two nations are set to kick off. 

“We’re swearing in our next ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. What timing, David. What timing? Only you could have picked this timing,” Trump quipped as Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepared to swear Perdue in. 

The Senate confirmed Perdue April 29 in a 67–29 vote. His swearing-in ceremony comes as China and the U.S. set to begin trade talks following Trump’s tariffs on the nation in recent months. 

“Our new ambassador brings to this position a lifetime of experience at the highest levels of business and politics,” Trump said. “And he is at the highest level. Over four decades in business, he rose to lead several major American corporations, including as the president and CEO of the footwear giant Reebok, where he did very well and did a great job. And later the CEO of Dollar General. Likewise, he did a great job. David also lived and worked in Singapore and Hong Kong for several years, developing a wealth of experience negotiating and doing tremendous business deals for lots of different leaders that he worked with.” 

SCOTT BESSENT SAYS US DOESN’T WANT TO DECOUPLE FROM CHINA AHEAD OF SCHEDULED MEETING WITH CHINESE COUNTERPART

Trump told Perdue to “say hello to President XI when you’re over there.”

The Trump administration has leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods as the president looks to bring parity to the nation’s chronic trade deficit with foreign countries. Trump paused his April 2 reciprocal tariff plan on dozens of nations in April as countries called on the administration to make trade deals, but he upped the ante on China as the country rebuked Trump’s trade policies with tariffs of its own, including 125% duty taxes on U.S. goods. 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are scheduled to meet with Chinese counterparts over the weekend in Switzerland to discuss economic matters, Bessent said on Fox News Tuesday. 

CHINA’S ECONOMIC WOES THREATEN REAL WAR AMID TARIFF BATTLE

“We have shared interests,” Bessent said. “This isn’t sustainable, as I said before, especially on the Chinese side — and, you know, 145%, 125% is the equivalent of an embargo. We don’t want to decouple — what we want is fair trade.” 

China’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday that officials were “evaluating” an offer from the Trump administration to hold trade talks on the 145% U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

“The U.S. has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” the statement said, according to Reuters. 

US OFFICIALS TO MEET WITH CHINESE COUNTERPARTS IN SWITZERLAND AMID TRADE WAR

“Attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and extortion would not work,” the statement added. 

Trump and the administration previously have said they were willing to hold trade negotiations with China, including the president saying April 8, “We are waiting for their call. It will happen.”

Trump continued during the ceremony that Perdue would help lead the charge to end the flow of deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl into the U.S., an issue Trump has railed against while leveraging tariffs on China to end the illegal drugs from entering the U.S. 

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“They have to stop fentanyl from coming in,” Trump said. “And that’ll be a very big part. And I had that understanding with President Xi before I left, last time. And we had a deal, and he would have honored the deal. But when Biden came in, of course, nothing ever happened with him. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing. But that would have saved a lot of lives at election caused us a lot of lives and a lot of heartache. The fact that we went through four years of misery, and you look at what’s coming through the border and, the job of getting murderers out of our country, so many, so many bad things happened.” 

 Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report. 

Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik grilled the president of Pennsylvania’s Haverford College during a congressional hearing Wednesday over disciplinary action on campus-related antisemitism since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Haverford College President Wendy Raymond tried to sidestep Stefanik’s question of whether there had been any disciplinary action taken against a student group that was accused of antisemitism at the college. Raymond said the group’s statements were “repugnant” and indefensible, though did not elaborate on potential discipline.

“I’m asking about the disciplinary action,” Stefanik repeated. “You were the one university president who failed to lay out if any disciplinary action has been taken, if any suspensions or expulsion. So I am asking you, was there any disciplinary action taken?”

Raymond again denounced the group’s statements, but said she would not speak to individual cases. When pressed on whether the college took “any” disciplinary measures related to antisemitism, Raymond began to sidestep again before answering, “Yes, there have been some.” 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LAYS OFF AROUND 180 STAFF AFTER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVOKES GRANTS

Stefanik then asked about a mathematics professor at the college who allegedly made an antisemitic post online and whether the college launched an investigation or took any disciplinary action against the educator.

“Respectfully, representative, I will not be talking about individual cases,” Raymond responded.

“Respectfully, President of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in the positions as president of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions,” Stefanik said.

ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS OCCUPY UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON BUILDING, 30 ARRESTED

Stefanik was referencing her grilling of Ivy League college administrators from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, her alma mater, in December 2023 regarding whether “calling for the genocide of Jews” violates the respective school’s codes of conduct. The school leaders, however, waffled in their responses.

“It can be, depending on the context,” Harvard’s then-President Claudine Gay responded to the question.

“Antisemitic speech when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation – that is actionable conduct, and we do take action,” Gay said when pressed to answer “yes” or “no” if calls for the genocide of Jews break school rules. 

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Both Gay and Penn’s then-President Liz Magill resigned from their high-profile positions shortly after the hearing, while footage of the exchanges spread like wildfire on social media.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance previewed the next round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks on Wednesday, saying President Donald Trump would be “open” to sitting down with Chinese and Russian officials in the future to prevent proliferation.  

U.S. and Iranian officials are scheduled for a fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman in the coming days. Trump will visit the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates next week. 

At the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, former German ambassador to the U.S., Wolfgang Ischinger, asked Vance if the administration would “go for zero enrichment” by Tehran and noted the unresolved “Gaza issue.” 

TRUMP TEASES ‘VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE’S ‘ON EDGE OF MY SEAT’

Vance cited “two big issues” with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name of the Iran nuclear deal secured in 2015 during the Obama administration. 

Trump has said the flawed deal did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb. The vice president on Wednesday added that former President Barack Obama’s agreement had “incredibly weak” enforcement regarding inspections, and he, therefore, didn’t believe “it actually served the function of preventing the Iranians from getting on the pathway to nuclear weapons.” 

Secondly, Vance said the Trump administration believes there were some elements of the Iranian nuclear program that were actually “preserved” under the JCPOA.

“Yes, there weren’t nuclear weapons. Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon,” Vance said, arguing the deal “allowed Iran to sort of stay on this glide path towards a nuclear weapon if they flip the switch and press go.” 

“We think that there is a deal here that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy,” Vance said ahead of the talks. “That would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they can get a nuclear weapon. And that’s what we’re negotiating towards. And as the president has said, that’s Option A.” 

If Option A is “very good for the Iranian people,” Vance offered that Option B “is very bad.” 

“It’s very bad for everybody. And it’s not what we want, but it’s better than Option C, which is Iran getting a nuclear weapon. That is what is completely off the table for the American administration. No ifs, ands or buts,” Vance said. 

ISRAEL SAYS TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST VISIT IS THE ‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’ FOR HOSTAGE DEAL 

Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview that aired Sunday that he would only accept “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program. 

The vice president on Wednesday said the Trump administration’s broader objective is to prevent nuclear proliferation, noting that he believes the president would be “open” to sitting down with China and Russia down the road. 

“If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, which country then next gets a nuclear weapon, and then when that country gets a nuclear weapon, which country after that? We really care not just about Iran, but about nuclear proliferation,” Vance said. “The president hates nuclear proliferation. I hate nuclear proliferation. And I think that the president would be very open to sitting down with the Russians and the Chinese and saying, ‘look, let’s get this thing in a much better place. Let’s reduce the number of nuclear weapons that are in the world writ large.’ That’s obviously not a conversation for tomorrow. That’s a conversation, God willing, for a few years from now.” 

“But there is no way you get to that conversation if you allow multiple regimes all over the world to enter this sprint for a nuclear weapon,” Vance added. “And we really think that if the Iran domino falls, you’re going to see nuclear proliferation all over the Middle East. That’s very bad for us. It’s very bad for our friends. And it’s something that we don’t think can happen.” 

As for negotiations with Iran, Vance gave a grade of “so far, so good,” thanking intermediaries, including the Omanis, for ensuring that the talks are “on the right pathway.” 

“But this is going to end somewhere, and it will end either in Iran eliminating their nuclear program — their nuclear weapons program,” Vance said. “They can have civil nuclear power. Okay. We don’t mind that. But let me ask this basic question – which regime in the world has civil nuclear power and enrichment without having a nuclear weapon? And the answer is no one.” 

“So our proposition is very simple. Yes, we don’t care if people want nuclear power. We’re fine with that. But you can’t have the kind of enrichment program that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon. And that’s where we draw the line.” 

Trump announced on Tuesday that the U.S. military, which has been bombing Iran-backed Houthis since March 15 to defend freedom of navigation, would stop its strikes on the Yemen-based terror group, which communicated it does “not want to fight” anymore. The Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile launched from Yemen that struck near the main terminal of an Israeli airport last weekend hours before the Israeli Cabinet voted to expand fighting in Gaza. 

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From the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump also teased a “very, very big announcement” happened before his Middle East trip, but declined to clarify the subject, besides saying it “wasn’t necessarily about trade.” 

EXCLUSIVE: The House of Representatives is taking a hard look at the state of the U.S. air traffic control system and what it needs to modernize.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee on the House’s committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, told Fox News Digital he would be leading a bipartisan series of closed-door conversations on the issue.

“We are going to start holding roundtables with stakeholders to implement this plan,” Nehls said in an interview.

It comes after a blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport reportedly caused a roughly 90-second outage to its air traffic control screens.

REAL ID DOCUMENTS HELD UP IN MAIL ACCORDING TO AMERICANS WHO ENROLLED BEFORE DEADLINE

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that operators at Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at the busy New York City-area airport, “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them.”

Nehls said a primary focus of the roundtables would be formulating a plan on how to spend the $12.5 billion the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approved toward air traffic control (ATC) modernization.

The funds were marked for ATC as part of the budget reconciliation process, through which Republicans are passing a massive bill advancing a host of Trump administration priorities.

HIDDEN REAL ID HASSLES FACING AIRLINE TRAVELERS AND STATES TO AVOID

“We’ve got $12.5 billion. How are we going to spend it? Who’s going to spend it?  What it needs to be spent on, what should be the priority? So we are bringing in these stakeholders, these experts from all different areas,” Nehls said.

“We’re bringing in these individuals that know about a lot dealing with a lot of this technology, they’re the first group that is coming in to talk about, you know, what do we do about fiber optics.”

He was referring to reports that the blackout was caused by a fried piece of copper wire, which Nehls said was an example of the outdated system ATC was running on.

The first meeting of the panel, which will include two Republicans and two Democrats, is set for early June, he said.

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“We’re going to meet with new stakeholders to provide the guidance. And I’m going to do a lot of listening. I’m not going to do a whole lot of talking,” Nehls said. “So we can make a very deliberate and informed decision on how we’re going to spend the money with taxpayer money to modernize the system. So I think that’s a step in the right direction.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for comment.

Despite President Donald Trump‘s administration confirming that a plan to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz is already underway, San Francisco politicians are dismissing it as an unserious “distraction.”

“From Day One, the Trump Administration has made clear that it will no longer tolerate the dangerous and deranged serial offenders who wreak bloodshed and mayhem in American communities,” White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“At President Trump’s direction, Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Burgum, and other administration leaders have already begun identifying necessary steps to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz and Make America Safe Again.”

As the Trump administration takes its first steps to open the infamous Alcatraz, California politicians Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Daniel Lurie agree the plan is “not a serious one.”

TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS

“Looks like it’s distraction day again in Washington, D.C.,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not a serious one,” Pelosi said on social media on Sunday. 

TRUMP FLOATS REOPENING ALCATRAZ – HERE’S HOW MUCH REVENUE THE NOTORIOUS PRISON GENERATES

“I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi said it right about Alcatraz. This is not a serious proposal,” Lurie said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. 

Alcatraz has worn many hats in its history, including as a military prison, federal prison, Civil War fortress, bird sanctuary, the first West Coast lighthouse and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement, according to the National Park Service. Alcatraz is most renowned for housing federal inmates, including notorious gangster Al Capone – whom Trump himself often evoked on the campaign trail.

“I’ve been indicted more than Al Capone,” Trump often remarked while campaigning for president in 2024 at his “Make America Great Again” rallies, referring to his 34-count felony conviction for falsifying business records. Capone was indicted on at least 23 counts of federal income tax evasion. 

Alcatraz is a staple tourist attraction in San Francisco, attracting 1.2 million visitors a year. As part of San Francisco’s National Park Service, exhibits include an exploration of the island’s history as a military prison and federal penitentiary, while also sharing insight into its 19-month occupation by Native Americans protesting the U.S. government’s Termination Policy, which aimed to end federal supervision over American Indian tribes.

However, Trump has his own plan for Alcatraz, announcing on Truth Social on Sunday that he wants to “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!”

“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” Trump said. 

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“That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” 

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has called on the Department of Justice and the FBI to “immediately investigate” a string of anonymous pizza deliveries sent to judges’ homes.

In the event that the DOJ and the FBI have already initiated investigations, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also asked Attorney General Pam Bondi and Kash Patel for an update on those efforts. 

“In recent months, federal judges and their relatives have received anonymous deliveries to their homes,” Durbin wrote in a letter to Bondi and Patel on Tuesday. “These deliveries are threats intended to show that those seeking to intimidate the targeted judge know the judge’s address or their family members’ addresses. The targeted individuals reportedly include Supreme Court justices, judges handling legal cases involving the Administration, and the children of judges. Some of these deliveries were made using the name of Judge Esther Salas’s son, Daniel Anderl, who was murdered at the family’s home by a former litigant who posed as a deliveryman.”

JUDGE WHOSE SON WAS KILLED REACTS TO SHOCKING ATTACK ON NEVADA JUDGE 

“These incidents threaten not only judges and their families, but also judicial independence and the rule of law,” Durbin wrote. “It is imperative that the Justice Department (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate these anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and that those responsible be held accountable to the full extent of the law.”

Durbin asked that Bondi and Patel provide “information on any steps that DOJ or the FBI have taken to protect the judges and their families who have received anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and to prevent further anonymous or pseudonymous deliveries and other threats.” His letter also highlighted “the essential role that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) plays in protecting the federal judiciary and urge you to ensure that the size of the USMS workforce is not reduced.” 

The Democrat said USMS Acting Director Mark P. Pittella reportedly sent a letter on April 15 to more than 5,000 USMS employees offering them the opportunity to resign. 

“In the midst of increasing threats of violence against judges, it is inappropriate and unacceptable to reduce the size of the agency tasked with protecting the federal judiciary and the judicial process,” Durbin wrote. “Accordingly, I ask you to commit to fully supporting USMS and to maintaining or increasing its current number of employees.” 

The letter further asked that Bondi and Patel brief the committee and provide responses to a series of questions by May 20, including how many anonymous pizza deliveries have been sent to judges’ homes or the homes of their family members since Jan. 20 – President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day; whether each matter prompted an investigation and if not, why; and how many suspects have been identified and if there’s any reason to suspect coordination. 

Durbin said any responses with “classified or law-enforcement sensitive material” should be sent to the committee Democrats under a separate cover.

‘60 MINUTES’ SEGMENT PAINTS TRUMP AS THREAT TO COUNTRY’S LEGAL SYSTEM AMID LAWSUIT 

The letter only named one impacted judge – U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. 

Salas’ 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, was murdered on July 19, 2020, at the family’s home in North Brunswick, New Jersey. The gunman, who posed as a FedEx delivery driver, also critically wounded Salas’ husband. The suspect was identified as Roy Den Hollander, a self-proclaimed anti-feminist lawyer who previously appeared in Salas’ courtroom. Authorities said Den Hollander died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in upstate New York days after killing Daniel. 

Before the shooting, Salas had handled high-profile cases, including those involving Jeffrey Epstein and the Real Housewives of New Jersey stars Teresa and Joe Giudice.

Last month, Salas told news outlets that she and other judges have received strange pizza deliveries at their homes, with at least 10 of them having her son’s name on the order. 

In March, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s family members reported receiving strange pizza deliveries to separate households, Newsweek reported. Authorities said Barrett’s sister also received a bomb threat. 

J. Michelle Childs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit also claimed in a podcast last month that a mysterious pizza delivery had arrived at her door. 

“Federal judges are receiving anonymous deliveries as an intimidation tactic. It’s an ongoing threat… and it’s increasing,” Durbin wrote on X. “Some deliveries are even using the name of a judge’s son who was murdered by a former litigant posing as a deliveryman. Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel must investigate.” 

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“Judges are facing ongoing and increasing threats… even against their families,” Senate Judiciary Democrats said on X. “Pam Bondi must commit to fully supporting the Marshals Service and—at minimum—maintaining the current size of its workforce.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and the FBI for comment early Wednesday. 

The FBI referred Fox News Digital to the U.S. Marshals Service, which declined to comment. 

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., has launched a bid to win a Senate seat held by longtime lawmaker Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who announced in late April that he would not seek reelection.

Krishnamoorthi is joining an already crowded field that includes Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has the support of Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., is also reportedly considering a bid of her own. However, Krishnamoorthi enters the race with a sizable $19 million campaign war chest, according to Politico. 

DICK DURBIN, NO. 2 SENATE DEMOCRAT, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION

In an announcement video posted Tuesday on his campaign’s X account, Krishnamoorthi vowed to stand up to “bullies like Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” though the latter left the White House last week. The congressman portrayed the president as a leader who is “ignoring the Constitution” and is “out for revenge.”

DEMOCRAT REP OPTIMISTIC OF POLICY CHANGES TO KEEP FENTANYL OUT OF US

The congressman highlighted his family background as a first-generation American whose parents “were able to use food stamps and public housing to move us into the middle class.” He also referenced his close ties to former President Barack Obama, saying that he “showed that Illinois will give you a shot even when you have a funny name.” He then touted his A+ rating from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and F rating from the National Rifle Association.

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“I’ll never be quiet while billionaires like Elon Musk and a convicted felon deny the dreams of the next generation for their own egos and personal profit,” Krishnamoorthi said in the video. He also vowed to “make America work for working people.”

Krishnamoorthi was first elected to Congress in 2016 and currently serves as the ranking member of the Select Committee on the CCP. He is also the ranking member on the Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered to help out with the development of the Obama Presidential Center, which has been plagued by huge cost overruns and delays, with the project’s embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies drawing significant attention recently.

Trump, who reshaped city skylines with towering skyscrapers throughout his business career, linked DEI to the problems at the massive Chicago project, which has seen costs spiral from an initial $350 million to $830 million in 2021, with no new updated figures available. 

“Look, President Obama, if he wanted help, I’d give him help because I’m a really good builder and I build on time, on budget. He’s building his library in Chicago. It’s a disaster,” Trump said at the White House alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 

OBAMA LIBRARY, BEGUN WITH LOFTY DEI GOALS, NOW PLAGUED BY $40M RACIALLY CHARGED SUIT, BALLOONING COSTS

Trump was speaking about the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act — passed to boost domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing – and its DEI provisions when he pivoted to the Obama Presidential Center. 

“[Obama] said something to the effect, ‘I only want DEI, I only want woke,’” Trump said. “He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns. A job is stopped. I don’t know, it’s a disaster. And I don’t like that happening because it’s bad for the presidency that a thing like that should happen. He’s got a library that’s a disaster.”

Construction is still under way at the 19.3-acre site which will consist of a 225-foot-tall museum, a digital library, conference facilities, a gymnasium and a regulation-sized NBA court. 

From the outset, the project touted “ambitious goals” for certain construction diversity quotas, with its contracts allocated to “diverse suppliers,” 35% of which were required to be minority-based enterprises (MBEs).

WATCH: The Brian Kilmeade Show: Obama Presidential Center rocked by $40M racial bias lawsuit

A $40.75 million racially charged lawsuit filed earlier this year by a minority contractor against the project’s structural engineer shined a spotlight on the DEI-driven aspect of the project. The structural engineers claimed the minority contractor lacked sufficient qualifications and experience to perform its work, resulting in delays.

Trump on Tuesday said Obama was paying for prioritizing DEI over meritocracy. 

“And he wanted to be very politically correct and he didn’t use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers that I love Marco,” Trump said, switching into his trademark deeper tone while addressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

MUSK’S DOGE TERMINATES LEASE AT OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY SITE

“I love those construction workers but he didn’t want construction workers. He wanted people that never did it before and he’s got a disaster in his hands. Many millions of dollars over budget and I would love to help him with it or somebody else I could recommend professionals, but it was not built in a professional manner.”

Emily Bittner, the vice president of communications at the nonprofit Obama Foundation, said Trump’s remarks were not based in facts and that the center itself is not involved in the lawsuit, nor did it delay the timeline of the facility which is set to open in 2026. The Obama Foundation oversees the center’s development and will also be housed at the center when it opens. 

“Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world,” Bittner told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas’ legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders.”

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Bittner said the hundreds of workers on site every day are a testament to the center’s progress and added that the project is being funded privately and not by the taxpayer. 

The library at the center will be a digital one and not a physical one like other presidential libraries have, which are federally funded and have size restrictions. 

Obama’s current presidential library is in Hoffman Estates in the northwest of Chicago and is expected to move to College Park in Maryland later this year. 

Democrat Angus King III, a son of U.S. Sen. Angus King Jr.’s, I-Maine, has announced a bid for the Maine governorship.

“I’m Angus King, and if you know my dad, you know my values,” the gubernatorial hopeful said in a campaign video.

His father previously served as governor of the state from early 1995 until early 2003, and has served in the U.S. Senate since early 2013.

SEN. ANGUS KING: A ‘DECLARATION OF CONSCIENCE’ ON DONALD TRUMP’S 100TH DAY

“Ever since the day we met in Skowhegan, I’ve known Angus has something special. He’s always been hard-working, smart, engaged, and caring, and I’m so proud of who he is today and the work he’s set out to do,” Sen. King said, according to Angus King III’s campaign website, which notes that he was born in Skowhegan.

“He’s a builder and an optimist who knows Maine and doesn’t quit until the job is done. He’s been building things to take care of people and make the world a better place throughout his life, and I think his combination of smarts, experience, and character will make him an excellent governor of Maine. In fact, I’m sure he’ll be in the top two governors named Angus ever,” the senator added. 

6 US GOVERNORS TO OPEN TALKS WITH CANADIAN PROVINCIAL LEADERS ON TARIFFS

Current Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who is currently serving her second consecutive term, may not run again in 2026.

The Maine constitution stipulates, “The person who has served 2 consecutive popular elective 4-year terms of office as Governor shall be ineligible to succeed himself or herself.”

CENSURED MAINE LAWMAKER URGES SUPREME COURT INTERVENTION AS TRANSGENDER ATHLETE DOMINATES GIRLS’ TRACK MEET

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Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows announced a gubernatorial bid earlier this year and is also running as a Democrat.

The United States has had 20 years to roll out REAL ID. 

Starting today, passengers must have a REAL ID or another accepted form of identification, like a passport, to travel domestically in the country. 

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill spoke with Fox News Digital about how their home states implemented the final phase of REAL ID, as President Donald Trump‘s administration signaled there would be no deadline extensions. 

“I had to go through all that to get it on my license, and that was a year or two ago,” Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn, said. “Tennessee put that into effect a long time ago. If there’s a hard deadline now, people better get on the stick.”

While some Republican lawmakers expressed concern to Fox News Digital about their constituents not knowing or being able to get a REAL ID in time, most agreed REAL ID was a step in the right direction for national security. 

PANDEMIC, PRICE TAGS AND PRIVACY CONCERNS: WHY IT TOOK 20 YEARS TO IMPLEMENT REAL ID

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called REAL ID a “better way to prove who you are, and make sure there’s less fraud in the country.” 

‘EXPECT WAIT TIMES’: TRUMP ADMIN SIGNALS NO EXCEPTIONS AFTER KENTUCKY ASKS FOR REAL ID EXTENSION

“It’s important that every state does the same thing,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said. “We can’t have some states doing one thing, some states doing the other. This is the United States of America, the last time I looked. We’re going to do it. Let’s all do it the same, do it the right way, take care of business, and go from there.”

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., told Fox News Digital that Colorado has not had any problems with REAL ID, adding, “Colorado’s gotten a lot of things wrong, but on REAL ID, I think they did a good job.”

Other states have not been as successful in their REAL ID rollouts. 

Kentucky lawmakers, including Kentucky’s Senate Transportation Committee Chair Jimmy Higdon and 27 state Senate leaders, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on April 17 requesting a delay on REAL ID enforcement, citing concerns among Kentuckians “who are still unable to access driver’s licensing services due to limited appointment availability and long lines for walk-ins.” 

The Trump administration confirmed in a statement to Fox News Digital that states would need to comply by the May 7 deadline, despite Kentucky’s delay request. 

“What I’m concerned about is that constituents who may not be aware of the REAL ID requirement or that didn’t have time to get their REAL ID, will show up at an airport to go on a flight and realize they can’t fly domestically anymore without that REAL ID,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said. 

Malliotakis said she has been trying to get the word out to her community that passengers will either need to get a REAL ID or travel with their passport starting Wednesday. 

“I think the government needs to be more proactive and do advertisements. I would urge DHS and TSA to be doing that to get the word out there, so people can get their REAL ID as soon as possible,” she added. 

However, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., took the criticism a step further, telling Fox News Digital that REAL ID “has not really been talked a whole lot about in Congress, and we’re starting to get questions from constituents.”

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“We want to make sure that people have the ability to make accommodations, but the question is whether or not we even need this. We haven’t even had that debate in Congress. We should,” Schmitt added, despite Congress passing the REAL ID Act in 2005. 

Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., had a different take. “Get the yellow star on your driver’s license, it’ll help you down the road.”

EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made a high-profile arrest on Monday in Maryland.

DHS told Fox News Digital that Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez, 38, is a “validated MS-13 gang member” from El Salvador who had no visas “approved or pending” at the moment of his arrest.

“ICE Baltimore arrested Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez an MS-13 gang member with an Interpol Red Notice. He first entered the country illegally in 2005 and was deported. He then reentered our country at an unknown date before he was arrested by HSI Baltimore in 2014. He was issued a notice to appear and released back into Silver Spring, MD,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

An Interpol Red Notice is put out by the international legal group asking to “locate and provisionally arrest” somebody. It’s not considered an “international arrest warrant,” but it’s meant to make sure a person is taken into custody for further legal action, according to Interpol’s website. The Red Notice database has over 6,500 individuals.

FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING

The arrest comes as the Department of Homeland Security marks 100 days with Secretary Kristi Noem at the helm as of Monday.

“This criminal illegal gang member and suspected terrorist should have never been released into our country. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, he is off our streets and will soon be out of our country,” McLaughlin continued.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

The latest arrest comes as ICE touts over 65,000 illegal alien removals and over 66,000 arrests since Trump took office in January, including thousands with existing criminal convictions on top of being in the United States illegally.

DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: ‘SAFEST OPTION’

“The brave men and women of ICE protect our families, friends and neighbors by removing public safety and national security threats from our communities,” ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. “During President Trump’s first 100 days, ICE alone has arrested over 65,000 illegal aliens — including 2,288 gang members from Tren de Aragua, MS-13, 18th Street and other gangs. Additionally, 1,329 were accused or convicted of sex offenses, and 498 were accused or convicted of murder.”

Many alleged gang members have been to CECOT in El Salvador, which has garnered praise, but it’s also ignited a major debate about who qualifies for due process.

US INTEL AGENCIES SAY VENEZUELAN REGIME DOESN’T DIRECT TREN DE ARAGUA GANG, UNDERCUTTING TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT

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The Trump administration has made the argument that members of designated foreign terrorist organization, which includes MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, do not go through the same legal processes, whereas many others, including Democrats, have argued to the contrary.

Meanwhile, encounters at the border have taken a nosedive in recent months. 

President Donald Trump is fighting several new battles at once with a flurry of initiatives that are causing consternation around the globe.

And that’s not even counting the trade war he launched.

Hollywood is in a state of panic, and bewilderment, over Trump’s vow to slap 100% tariffs on any film made outside the United States – even if they’re American-made movies.

Some countries, such as Canada – not yet the 51st state, though Trump made the pitch to visiting Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday before they held their meeting – offer lucrative incentives to lure American filmmakers, with shoots in Toronto made to look like New York or L.A. 

CARNEY SAYS CANADA IS NOT FOR SALE, TRUMP REPLIES, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER’

Gavin Newsom urged Trump to support a $7.5 billion federal tax incentive for the film industry, far larger than California’s own $330 million credit. 

Trump called Newsom “grossly incompetent” for allowing the film industry “to be taken away from Hollywood.”

I would blame streaming services most of all; people have gotten accustomed to watching movies and TV shows on their phones and laptops, whether it’s Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Max, Hulu or others.

And naturally, Trump and the blue-state governor, who obviously has presidential aspirations, would wind up in a blame game.

Trump also wants to rebuild the infamous Alcatraz prison.

The San Francisco island, called “the Rock,” was used as a federal jail from 1934 until 1963, when it was shut down because of the massive costs. Gangsters such as “Machine Gun” Kelly and Al Capone, who Trump frequently likes to cite, were held there.

“When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,” Trump posted.

Since those breaking out had to swim a mile in frigid waters to reach San Francisco, there has never been a successful escape. Most have died.

TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS

But I view this move as largely symbolic. It’s hard to imagine that Trump will be able to foot the bill – though Pam Bondi insists it will save money – and the island will remain a tourist attraction.

And then there’s the tale of Pope Donald.

Trump is now trying to dismiss the AI image, which I’m sure you’ve seen.

“You mean they can’t take a joke? You don’t mean the Catholics, you mean the fake news media? The Catholics loved it.”

“I had nothing to do with it,” Trump said. “Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the Pope, and they put it out on the Internet.”

So he’s both minimizing the picture and distancing himself from it – not an easy maneuver.   

But Fox’s Jacqui Heinrich asked him why the controversial image was later posted on the official White House account. Trump retreated to saying he wanted to have “some fun.”

TRUMP POSTS AI IMAGE OF HIMSELF AS POPE AMID VATICAN’S SEARCH FOR NEW PONTIFF

Many Catholics, especially in the leadership, are livid over what they see as sacrilegious.

Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi posted: “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown.”

The New York State Catholic Conference, as noted by the Washington Post, posted: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”

The bishop of Springfield, Ill. wrote: “The Bible tells us, ‘Make no mistake: God is not mocked’ (Galatians 6:7). “The Pope is the Vicar of Christ. By publishing a picture of himself masquerading as the Pope, President Trump mocks God, the Catholic Church, and the Papacy…”

Meanwhile, Trump did something else this week that may have surprised people.

He took the same position on the abortion pill mifepristone as the Biden administration. 

In a court filing, the Trump team asked a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit from three conservative attorneys general aimed at seriously restricting access to the pill. 

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

And it was filed in Texas before Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who has a history of opposing abortion, as deputy counsel of a conservative, deeply religious law institute.

Doesn’t that mirror the accusation by the right against liberals, that a single judge can impose his or her will on the country by careful venue-shopping?

Trump, of course, takes credit for the end of Roe v. Wade by appointing the three Supreme Court justices who comprised the 6-3 conservative majority.

The administration’s filing does not deal with the merits of the case. It makes a procedural argument that the suit does not meet the legal standard to be heard by a Texas court. 

Judge Kacsmaryk, relying in part on an 1873 law, ruled that the AGs of Idaho, Missouri and Kansas can continue their lawsuit because “plaintiffs are likely to suffer irreparable harm if the motion is not granted. At least two women died from chemical abortion drugs just last year.” 

If the Trump administration succeeds on appeal, it would at the least slow down restrictions on a drug that the FDA first approved in 2000.

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Abortion may have faded quite a bit as a front-line political issue. But Trump still has the ability to surprise – and to drive the news agenda.

BALTIMORE, MD – A federal judge on Tuesday refused to change her order requiring the Trump administration to bring back a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker deported to El Salvador, citing due process protections.

At a hearing Tuesday in Baltimore, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, rejected the government’s request to amend her earlier ruling which ordered the government to return Daniel Lozano-Camargo, a 20-year-old Venezuelan, to U.S. soil.

But she also agreed to pause the ruling for 48 hours – enough time for the government to ask the 4th Circuit to take up the case.

If the court declines, Gallagher said she will amend her ruling to set a formal timeline for the government to return the 20-year-old migrant to the U.S.

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

This decision “strikes the right balance between giving the government the ability” to appeal to the higher court as they see fit – and also allows plaintiffs to seek due process in U.S. courts, Gallagher said.

Lozano-Camargo, previously referred to in court documents as “Cristian,” was deported to El Salvador in March under the Trump administration’s early wave of Alien Enemies Act deportations.

Gallagher ruled in April that the government violated a 2024 settlement between DHS and a group of young asylum seekers, including Lozano-Camargo. Under that deal, DHS agreed not to deport the migrants – all of whom entered the U.S. as unaccompanied children – until their cases were fully heard in court.

Last month, Gallagher said Lozano-Camargo’s deportation was a “breach of contract,” since his asylum case had not yet been heard, and ordered the U.S. government to facilitate his release.

Gallagher reiterated her previous decision on Tuesday. She also emphasized it has nothing to do with the strength of his asylum request, in a nod to two apparent low-level drug offenses and a conviction as recently as January. Rather, she said, it is about allowing him the process under the law, and under the settlement struck with DHS.

That settlement agreement “requires him to be here and have his hearing,” she said.

TRUMP-ALIGNED GROUP SUES CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS IN EFFORT TO RESTRICT POWER OF THE COURTS

Gallagher noted that his removal without adjudication in a U.S. court “pre-judges the outcome,” with no ability for his attorneys to challenge the case in court. 

The Trump administration told the court that it had determined that Lozano-Camargo was eligible for removal under the Alien Enemies Act, citing his earlier arrest and conviction for cocaine possession in Houston this year. 

On Monday, lawyers for the administration told the court that his designation as an “alien enemy pursuant to the AEA results in him ceasing to be a member” of the class that had negotiated a settlement.

At the status hearing Tuesday, Gallagher made clear her decision was based solely on due process protections. 

The government is “measuring utility using the wrong yardstick” in this case, she said, adding that it is not a case of whether Lozano-Camargo will eventually receive asylum – it’s a question of process.

Process, she said, is important for various reasons – noting that even when outcomes in certain criminal cases or trials seem obvious, individuals are still entitled to a trial under U.S. law. 

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“We don’t skip to the end and say, ‘We all know how this is going to end so we’ll just skip that part,'” she said. 

The administration’s appeal to the 4th Circuit, should it choose to file it, is due by Thursday afternoon.

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…

-Identity of second wrongfully deported Maryland man revealed as Trump admin fights his return to US

–Trump admin removes Biden-era transportation safety board vice chair

–Supreme Court flare-ups grab headlines as justices feel the heat

SCOTUS Lets Trump Pentagon Trans Ban Take Effect, for Now

The Supreme Court has sided with the Trump administration in lifting a lower court’s order that paused the Pentagon’s transgender military ban.

In a short order on Tuesday, the high court handed the White House win as Trump seeks to unmake the Biden-era diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) agenda. The court stayed a lower court order, allowing the Pentagon policy to take effect. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied the administration’s appeal and kept the lower court injunction in place. 

At issue in the suit, Shilling v. United States, is President Donald Trump’s January executive order banning transgender military members. The order required the Department of Defense to update its guidance regarding “trans-identifying medical standards for military service” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.”…READ MORE

White House

‘SPRING-LOADED’: Loeffler flips script on media’s Trump tariffs narrative by revealing what small businesses are saying

COLD FRONT: Canadian PM Carney to meet Trump at White House after election influenced by annexation threats

TRUMP REPORT CARD: Where Donald Trump stands with Americans 15 weeks into his second presidency

‘LOVE’ TO SEE IT: Trump says he’d ‘love’ a Gavin Newsom 2028 POTUS run — but predicts it would go up in flames

Campus Controversies

SICKO GYNECOLOGIST: Columbia settles for $750M with victims of convicted sex criminal Dr. Robert Hadden

CAMPUS UNREST: Anti-Israel protesters occupy University of Washington building, 30 arrested

‘DEEPLY CHALLENGING TIME’: Columbia lays off around 180 staff after Trump administration revokes grants

World Stage

SILENT TREATMENT: US has yet to launch trade negotiations with China, Treasury secretary says

51ST STATE: 6 US governors to open talks with Canadian provincial leaders on tariffs

MISPLACED BLAME?: US intel agencies say Venezuelan regime doesn’t direct Tren de Aragua gang, undercutting Trump admin: report

CCP’S CLUTCHES: China and Egypt wrap first joint military exercise as Beijing looks to cozy up to American allies

ACTIVE THREAT: Israel calls to evacuate Yemen airport amid fight with Houthis

‘ENTIRELY DESTROYED’: Israeli minister says Gaza will be ‘entirely destroyed,’ Palestinians forced into other countries

DOWN, BUT NOT OUT: German conservative’s bid for chancellor falls short, a first in more than 75 years

Capitol Hill

‘FALSE BILL OF GOODS’: Dems pushing AOC, Sanders fall flat with young voters as Gen Z sees through it: RNC youth chair

‘CORRUPTION’: House Democrats storm out of cryptocurrency hearing, alleging Trump ‘corruption’

SKIPPING THE LINE: Jasmine Crockett accused of ‘abusing her power’ at airport boarding gate

‘SICK’: Vance, conservatives blast Omar over resurfaced ‘fearful of white men’ clip: ‘Genocidal language’

PAY TO STAY: Democrat floats work visa suggestion in response to Trump admin’s $1,000 self-deportation offer

Across America 

‘FAILED LEADERSHIP’: Blue state Republican calls on county sheriffs to defy sanctuary law, Dem governor rumored for 2028 run

‘TURNED A BLIND EYE’: Experts sound the alarm over ‘shocking’ study showing significant risk to women who take abortion pills

OPTIONS: Will other forms of transportation require passengers to have REAL ID after May 7 deadline?

2024’S LAST RACE: Federal judge orders NC to certify Supreme Court election results with Democrat leading

KAMALA’S CASH: Kamala Harris takes next step in return to political stage

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

President Donald Trump’s sudden halt to U.S. airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi militants is drawing praise as a potential breakthrough – and doubts over whether it will last.

Trump on Tuesday at the Oval Office marked the formal end of “Operation Rough Rider,” a 50-day bombing campaign that targeted more than 1,000 sites across Yemen.

“The Houthis have announced that they don’t want to fight anymore,” Trump said during remarks at the White House. “They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore. And that’s what the purpose of what we were doing. So… we will stop the bombings.”

Bard Al-busaidi, the foreign minister of Oman, who has been involved in peace negotiations, confirmed that talks had led to a ceasefire agreement. “In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping.”

US STRIKES ON YEMEN CONTINUE AFTER HOUTHI MISSILE HITS BY ISRAELI AIRPORT; TERROR GROUP VOWS ‘AERIAL BLOCKADE’

While Trump portrayed the ceasefire as a straightforward military win, experts say the path to this moment was built on deliberate diplomatic escalation – namely, a dual-pronged threat against both the Houthis and their Iranian backers.

“This was about linking Houthi aggression directly to Iran,” said Can Kasapoglu, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. “The Trump administration signaled clearly: any further attacks would bring consequences for Tehran as well. That was the actual key to success.”

The campaign’s origin in March followed a surge in Houthi attacks on international shipping and the dramatic escalation last weekend, when a missile from Houthi-controlled territory landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. That prompted a retaliatory Israeli airstrike on Yemen’s main airport in Sana’a, which military officials say crippled Houthi air capabilities.

Lt. Col. Eric Navarro, director of the Red Sea security initiative at the Middle East Forum, called the ceasefire “a product of overwhelming pressure,” pointing to precision U.S. strikes on Houthi command-and-control infrastructure and weapons depots, paired with Israeli air assaults.

“They saw the writing on the wall,” Navarro said. “I would argue that this is the kind of pressure that needs to be applied over time – not just to the Houthis, but also to the Iranian regime.”

From a military standpoint, Trump’s campaign leveraged significant assets, including bombers flying from Diego Garcia and two U.S. aircraft carriers operating in the region. That show of force, combined with clear diplomatic signaling, appears to have catalyzed the ceasefire – at least for now.

TRUMP CLAIMS HOUTHIS ‘DON’T WANT TO FIGHT’ AND SAYS US WILL STOP BOMBING CAMPAIGN

Still, not all analysts see the Houthis as a grave threat or the campaign as a necessary use of force.

“Trump’s surprise announcement that the U.S. will stop airstrikes against the Houthis is the right decision, regardless of whether the group stops targeting U.S. vessels,” said Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities. “The Houthi threat was always more hype than substance.”

Kelanic argued the group’s attacks on shipping “neither damaged the U.S. economy nor contributed to inflation, which actually went down during the militant group’s assaults throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.” In her view, “the Houthis’ biggest achievement was tricking the U.S. into wasting some $7 billion of its own resources by bombing them.”

“Trump’s bold choice shows there are offramps from endless escalation in the Middle East,” she added.

ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS: REPORT

Jon Hoffman, a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, said, “Washington’s open-ended and congressionally unauthorized strikes against the Houthis for targeting shipping in the Red Sea was the epitome of strategic malpractice, neglecting the origins of the conflict (the war in Gaza) and failing to deter the group while squandering billions in taxpayer dollars.”

Military analysts remain skeptical about the Houthis’ long-term reliability. 

“I am always worried about groups like the Houthis sticking to anything they say,” said Navarro, warning that the ceasefire could simply be a pause to rebuild their capabilities. “We need to remain vigilant… and adopt a broader strategy that includes not just military tools, but economic and informational pressure, and support for local alternatives to Houthi control in Yemen.”

Still, the Trump administration is framing the halt as a strategic victory that demonstrates how military power, when wielded with diplomatic clarity, can yield tangible political results.

“Massive WIN. President Trump promised to restore the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and he used great American strength to swiftly deliver on that promise. The world is safer with President Trump in charge,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

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“If they can deliver this,” said Kasapoglu, “it would be a major, major victory for the Trump administration.”

Whether the ceasefire holds – or proves to be merely a lull in a longer conflict – remains to be seen. But for now, the bombs have stopped, and Washington is claiming a win.

Lawmakers spoke out to Fox News Digital on Tuesday as chaos ensued at one of the nation’s busiest airports.

“Our team has reached out to the FAA to get answers on what steps they’re taking to resolve this situation,” said Sen. Andy Kim, a Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee who also represents the Garden State, where the airport is located.

“Your family deserves to know that when you fly, you’ll be safe and you’ll get there on time. We’ll keep pressing to make sure it happens,” Kim said.

Across the aisle, West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito lamented the “very outdated” air traffic control system and spoke of the shortage of controllers.

DUFFY CONFIRMATION HEARING MARKED BY BIPARTISANSHIP, PLEDGE TO VISIT HELENE-DEVASTATED STATES

“[That] makes for the turmoil we’re seeing at Newark,” Capito told Fox News Digital.

“I would like to see more accountability at FAA, which is why I have proposed to Commerce Committee Chairman Cruz’s team a public-facing dashboard to show FAA’s progress in updating their systems as well as hiring more controllers.”

While Democrats like DNC Chairman Ken Martin mocked USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy over the latest air travel-related crisis, Capito countered that the Wisconsin Republican recognizes the challenges America’s skies face.

“I support his efforts to finalize a plan that I hope to review soon,” she said.

NEW JERSEY DEMS SEEK TO BAR IMPRISONED BOB MENENDEZ FROM PUBLIC FUTURE OFFICE, AS GOP TARGETS HIS PENSION

Martin tweeted, “In case you missed it, Sean Duffy, there were near misses at DCA [Ronald Reagan-Washington National Airport in Crystal City, Va.], air traffic control screens are going dark at Newark, and America’s air travel system is falling apart under your and Donald Trump’s watch.

“Anyway, hope the tacos were good,” he added, apparently referring to a photo Duffy posted on X posing with steak tacos his wife prepared for dinner.

Late Tuesday, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., a former Newark mayor, wrote a lengthy letter to Duffy saying that given “the serious consequences for our nation’s aviation system, it is critical that the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) take all necessary steps to identify and address the underlying causes of the ongoing flight disruptions.”

“I appreciate that the USDOT has already responded to this ongoing situation by identifying the importance of technology upgrades across the entire air traffic control system, and I am committed to supporting these efforts in Congress,” Booker wrote.

“However, I ask that you also immediately direct additional staff and resources in order to restore regular operations at EWR in the days ahead. This is of particular importance as the busy summer travel season approaches, which will put further pressure on EWR and the region’s airspace. Specifically, I request that you take additional steps to address the staffing shortages at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility, which have contributed significantly to the repeated suspension and interruption of flight operations at EWR.”

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., another committee member, told Fox News Digital maintaining America’s “busiest and most advanced airspace in the world” requires a skilled workforce and dependable technology.

“The radar outages at Newark put air traffic controllers in an impossible situation, endangered incoming flights and demonstrated the urgent need for modernization of our systems,” said Moran, who along with senators John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., introduced the Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act to bolster that workforce sector.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital later Tuesday that, as a “member of the Senate Transportation Committee, this is deeply concerning to me. The Biden administration spent years funding anything other than important upgrades and updates to outdated FAA technology.

“I think many of us will be asking questions about how this occurred and how we can work with Secretary Duffy and Chairman Cruz to fix it. The flying public deserves to know that they are safe and secure when flying in American airspace.”

On the Democratic side, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said: “The ongoing situation at Newark Airport is yet another example of the tremendous strain our aviation system is under — something I’ve been raising the alarm on for years —and it further underscores the urgent need to invest in updated air traffic control systems and equipment, not cut FAA’s funding and workforce.

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“As ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I have questions about both Newark and the recent incident near the Pentagon. Congress needs answers. The safety of the flying public depends on it.”

In a lengthy statement obtained by Fox News and Fox Business, the FAA acknowledged that “several major airlines are facing ongoing flight disruptions at New Jersey’s Newark-Liberty International Airport as the facility contends with ongoing staffing and technology issues.”

“Last week, air traffic controllers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility in Philadelphia lost radar and radio signals while directing planes to Newark for nearly 90 seconds, causing significant delays and flight cancellations that remain ongoing,” the statement continued.

“We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency.”

When reached by Fox News Digital, a representative for Duffy pointed to an interview the secretary gave earlier in the day to Fox Business’ “The Evening Edit.”

“I love Democrats who are now all concerned about air traffic control,” Duffy said. 

“They spent $1.2 trillion in the Biden-Buttigieg era; $1 .2 trillion on American infrastructure, and they didn’t spend anything on air traffic [control] and they knew it was getting old and needed a massive rebuild. They didn’t do it. Now they’re complaining during the Trump administration, we’re the ones that are.”

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration’s Health and Human Services Department (HHS) sent out reinstatement notices to staff members who were part of a federal healthcare program for 9/11 survivors, following a reduction in force at HHS and its subagencies as part of Trump’s efforts to optimize the federal government. 

The administration announced in mid-February that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would face cuts that would reduce the agency’s workforce by roughly one-tenth. As part of that reduction in force, 16 workers at the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) were let go, an HHS official confirmed. 

The move spurred concern from both Democrats and Republicans.

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

New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, whose district in the Hudson Valley is home to many 9/11 first responders, reportedly indicated after the cuts that he was actively communicating with the Trump administration about them. 

“This political chaos is jeopardizing the healthcare of heroes,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., added in a Sunday statement about the 16 fired WTCHP workers.

After political pressure in early April, the Trump administration eventually restored WTCHP Administrator Dr. John Howard to his role as head operator of the program, according to Lawler, and today all the staff members at WTCHP who were let go as part of the administration’s DOGE efforts have been reinstated. 

One of the 16 total staffers who were swept up in the cuts had already accepted a resignation buyout offered by the Trump administration.

“We appreciate the department’s swift action to address these notices and return critical program staff to work to help assist and provide ongoing services,” Howard said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We’re ready to serve the more than 133,000 responders and survivors of the 9/11 attacks who are served by this program along with other critical programs in NIOSH.” 

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The federal program, which is housed within the (CDC), was established by Congress in 2010 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. It is operated by the CDC’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

The program was developed to provide healthcare services to 9/11 victims, first responders and others involved in support services during the attacks who were exposed to harmful contaminants that day, as many were forced to inhale toxic dust and debris as they attempted to save lives. 

The program, which was extended in 2015, is slated to run until 2090 and aims to ensure that patients directly affected by the 9/11 attacks in New York, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, have zero out-of-pocket costs for any health complications that came as a result of the 9/11 attacks.

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“The chaos we see throughout the administration we’re seeing 10 times over at the World Trade Center program,” Schumer said over the weekend ahead of the reinstatements, according to New York’s Spectrum News NY1. “We hear people are being fired, then we hear they’re being restored; then we hear they’re being fired, then they’re being restored.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced charges Tuesday against five illegals in an alleged human smuggling attempt gone wrong that resulted in at least three deaths, including a 14-year-old boy from India.

According to the attorney’s office, witnesses observed an overturned panga boat at a beach in Del Mar, California, on Monday. The statement said bystanders and San Diego lifeguards attempted rescue efforts, and law enforcement officials recovered three bodies, including a 14-year-old boy identified in court records as “P.P.B.”

The boy’s mother and father and two others were rescued and are hospitalized. The father is in a coma. The deceased child’s 10-year-old sister is still “missing at sea” and presumed dead.

Two Mexican nationals, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 30, and Jesus Juan Rodriguez Leyva, 36, were arrested at the beach and were charged with bringing in aliens resulting in death and bringing in aliens for financial gain. They face possible death sentences or life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the first charge and penalties of ten years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and a $250,000 fine for the second.

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U.S. Border Patrol agents later identified two vehicles involved, apprehended the drivers and recovered eight of the remaining nine migrants missing from the boat, leaving only the 10-year-old child unaccounted for.  

The U.S. attorney’s office charged the three Mexican nationals caught allegedly transporting the migrants — Melissa Jenelle Cota, 33, Gustavo Lara, 32, and Sergio Rojas-Fregosa, 31 — with transportation of illegal aliens. They face maximum sentences of ten years in prison and $500,000 fines.

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Rojas-Fregoso, identified as having previously been deported Dec. 19, 2023, is also facing an additional two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said “the drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business.”

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Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego, said “yesterday’s heartbreaking events are a stark reminder of the urgent need to dismantle these criminal networks driven by greed.”

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“Human smuggling, regardless of the route, is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. Smugglers often treat people as disposable commodities, leading to tragic and sometimes deadly consequences, as we saw in this case,” Gibson said. 

“The HSI, along with the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and other partners from the Marine Task Force, remains firmly committed to holding those responsible accountable for these senseless deaths.”

President Donald Trump’s new special envoy to the Middle East was sworn in by Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday in an Oval Office ceremony.

Speaking before the swearing-in, Trump praised Witkoff, who was instrumental in securing an extended ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the return of 33 hostages, including two Americans, who were being held by Hamas. 

Trump said Witkoff has “been with me, more or less, one way or the other, every step of the way,” adding that he has “absolute confidence and support and trust” in his Middle East envoy’s ability to secure key deals in the realm of foreign diplomacy, such as ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hamas and between Ukraine and Russia. 

Though Witkoff is a real estate businessman by trade, Trump said he “quickly established himself as one of the toughest, smartest and best negotiators in the business,” which is why he chose him for the important role of special envoy to the Middle East.

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“As a businessman, he’s admired and respected by all, and now Steve is putting his talents to work for America’s special envoy to the United States and making a lot of progress. Our country is blessed to have a negotiator of such skill and experience who really selflessly steps up to the plate, puts himself forward all the time,” the president said.

Trump did note there was somewhat of a learning curve for Witkoff when it came to foreign government relations but said he has been “figuring it out” at a lightning pace. 

“It takes him about an hour to figure it out,” Trump said. “After that, he’s brutal. He does a great job.” 

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Trump noted Witkoff has already been active over the last several months, meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders from Iran. 

“He’s working tirelessly to end the bloody and destructive conflicts,” said Trump, touting Witkoff’s success so far in negotiations with various world leaders.

After the ceremony, Trump took questions from reporters, addressing a range of topics, including the just-announced ceasefire between the U.S. and the Houthis. When asked about conflicting reports indicating the Houthis do not plan to stop attacking Israel, Trump said that the terror group’s surrogates have indicated “very strongly” that “they want nothing to do with [the United States].”  

Trump was also asked questions about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and, in particular, about the release of the remaining 21 living hostages. 

“This is a terrible situation. We’re trying to get the hostages out. We’ve gotten a lot of them out,” Trump told reporters, noting it is also just important to find and return the bodies of those already killed by Hamas. 

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He shared that two weeks ago a couple whose son died as a hostage came to him and said, “Please, sir, my son is dead. Please get us back his body.” 

“They wanted his body. He’s dead,” Trump said from the Oval Office after Witkoff’s confirmation. “They know. He said they wanted his body as much as you would want the boy if he was alive. It’s a very sad thing.”

Trump also commented on Iran and its potential development of nuclear weaponry. The president said definitively that “they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.”

“This is really crunch time. I would tell you, for Iran and for their country, this is a very important time for Iran. This is the most important time in the history of Iran, for Iran, and I hope they do what’s right,” Trump told reporters. 

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“I’d love to see a peace deal, a strong peace deal. … We want it to be a successful country,” he added. “We don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that. But they can’t have a nuclear weapon. And if they choose to go a different route, it’s going to be a very sad thing. And it’s something we don’t want to have to do, but we have no choice.”