NationalWatch

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has “no plans” to leave the Democratic Party but if it officially became the “anti-Israel party,” count him out.

“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel,” he said Wednesday at the Hill Nation Summit in Washington, D.C.

“If our party ever becomes, and just makes it official, the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me.”

The news comes as Fetterman and fellow Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., launch a rare joint fundraising PAC called “Common Ground PA” this month, according to FEC filings, and Fetterman’s breaks from Democratic Party votes have become increasingly apparent since he was elected in 2022 and took office Jan. 3, 2023.

SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE ‘LAST MAN STANDING’ IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

“Though I was elected as a Democrat, I’m proud to serve all Pennsylvanians,” Fetterman wrote in a May op-ed, delivering the age-old mantra that he has not changed from his principles, the party has. “It has become increasingly lonely to serve in that way, but I firmly believe it’s what is needed.

“My party cannot simply be the opposite of whatever President Donald Trump says. The president could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays, and my party would suddenly hate them. Such pointless pile-ons and attacks are unproductive. The American people want us to work together to find solutions on issues they and our country face.”

His lines in the sand, he wrote, had been laid bare on:

• Israel
• Open borders
• Party toxicity
• Anti-Trump reflex
• Obstruction and government shutdowns
• Defund the police
• Lack of “working across the aisle”
• Poor candidate vetting
• Rejection of voter ID

JOHN FETTERMAN’S FALL FROM HERO TO HERETIC EXPOSES DEMOCRATS’ HARD LEFT TURN

The push away from Israel has become a “long-term concern” that he “can’t understand” and might ultimately become the ultimate red line for him, he told the Hill Nation Summit.

“You look at the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries,” he said. “It’s becoming more … anti-Israel and hostile to people.”

Fetter declined to discuss what he called “private conversations” with Republicans on a potential party switch, but he wrote in May he would first become independent.

“Being an independent voice that works with the other side to deliver for Pennsylvanians might put me at odds with the party that I have stayed committed to and have no plans to leave — but I will continue to put the commonwealth and the country first,” he wrote.

“Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.”

WHY TRUMP, GOP ARE COURTING JOHN FETTERMAN, WHO INSISTS HE’LL REMAIN A DEMOCRAT

The latest vow to break from Democratic Party votes is his rejection of the amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that would cut off $3.3 billion in annual security assistance to Israel.

He is also increasingly concerned about the primary election successes of progressive candidates who have been sharply critical of Israel – evidence of what he views as a troubling shift inside his party.

Democrats are “trying to ingratiate ourselves with that segment of the base of our voters” that are “intensely, intensely anti-Israel,” he warned Wednesday.

Fetterman also raised concerns about Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s performance in polling for the Michigan Senate primary, warning that Democrats could be forced to spend more heavily in the battleground state if El-Sayed becomes the nominee against former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who narrowly lost Michigan’s 2024 Senate race.

“Rogers just barely, barely lost in ’24,” Fetterman said.

“If El-Sayed wins, then that puts Michigan much more in play for us and would require us to spend more money. What’s defined El-Sayed is the more anti-Israel and hostile-to-Israel thing.”

Fetterman also criticized El-Sayed and other progressive candidates over past support for the “defund the police” movement, arguing that his party risks repeating political mistakes from the 2024 election.

“Now here’s more Democrats to ‘defund the police,’” he warned. “Here we are back to part of the worst impulses that we just can’t resist.

“We forgot the crazy things that we said, and that cost us the election in 2024. Now we want to revisit that — if anything they’re coming back in the strongest kind of terms. Look at the people who are winning.”

The senator also took aim at fellow Democrats who backed progressive Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner before Platner ended his campaign following allegations that he raped a woman in 2021.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., forcefully supported Platner, which left him “angry,” he said, questioning why Democrats embraced him as the evidence mounted.

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“Why did you push these people? Why did you buy in and then plunge that most consequential Senate race now into chaos?” Fetterman asked, arguing that it is now “more difficult” to defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins and win control of the narrowly held Senate.

“Where’s the accountability?” Fetterman asked. “Imagine if I would have done that and pushed that kind of individual.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s Senate office and campaign officials for further comment.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is calling for more information about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., prolonged absence from the Senate, while Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., urged people to “leave Mitch alone” as questions about the Kentucky Republican’s health persist.

“Somebody needs to do something,” Tuberville told Fox News Digital. “Somebody needs to come out.”

McConnell finally broke his silence on his previously undisclosed medical conditions that have kept him absent from the Senate since he was first hospitalized on June 14. In a post to social media, McConnell said he would not be returning to the Senate floor just yet due to doctors’ orders, but vowed he would return to “finish the job” before his announced retirement at the end of his term.

MITCH MCCONNELL BREAKS SILENCE ON MYSTERY HOSPITALIZATION AFTER GRAHAM’S DEATH

Tuberville said no additional information from Senate leadership about a timeline for when McConnell may come back or the status of his health has been given out internally to his colleagues.

“We didn’t get any information today in our luncheon,” Tuberville said Tuesday. “I don’t know what’s going on, but you know that’s not my business.”

Meanwhile, Kennedy vehemently defended McConnell, dismissing rumors that the 84-year-old senator was in a vegetative state, or even dead, as some had speculated a more serious condition than what was disclosed.

“Look, I believe Mitch,” Kennedy said. “I don’t believe all these stories that he’s brain dead and all of that. People need to get a life.”

‘THIS IS NOT NORMAL’: AOC UNLOADS ON MCCONNELL’S PROLONGED ABSENCE

In his post, McConnell claimed that his childhood fight with polio contributed to a fall that left him “briefly unconscious” and hospitalized last month — when some speculated he had suffered cardiac arrest. He said he was then hit with a “mild case of pneumonia” while in recovery, extending the healing process.

“I think he had a fall, and Mitch is not 29 anymore,” Kennedy said. “And he’s recuperating from it, and he’ll be back as soon as he can.”

He continued, “That’s what he said, and I take him at his word.”

MCCONNELL WAS FOUND ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ IN HOME LAST MONTH AS CONDITION REMAINS UNKNOWN

While Tuberville also expressed his well-wishes for McConnell’s recovery, he said more information about his timeline for return needs to be shared before the Senate begins August recess — when senators will take a break to head back to their home states from Aug. 8 to Sept. 13.

“He’s gonna need to come back probably before this three-week session’s over with, because then we’re off for like five weeks,” Tuberville said.

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Tuberville said Republicans will need McConnell back as the Senate prepares for votes on President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda before lawmakers leave for the August recess. McConnell has not indicated when he expects to return.

“We’re gonna need him, because the Democrats are not gonna give us any votes,” Tuberville said.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is headed for a second straight day of grilling in the Senate, and his path to confirmation still remains cluttered with two key Republicans keeping tight-lipped on whether they’ll support him.

Blanche’s first day was fraught with questions about the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) handling of millions of documents related to the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, known as the Epstein Files, the now-defunct anti-weaponization fund and whether he would operate the DOJ as a tool of retribution for President Donald Trump.

Two Republicans on the committee hold the key to Blanche’s success, Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, and so far, neither has committed to voting for him.

TRUMP’S DOJ PICK IN TROUBLE AS GOP CONCERNS THREATEN CONFIRMATION

Cornyn, who has taken issue with the nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund and the underlying settlement reached by Trump and his family and the IRS, which Blanche acknowledged was still “enforceable” but was not moving forward, was noncommittal on how he would vote.

Cornyn, who has taken issue with the nearly $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, created under Trump’s IRS settlement to compensate people who claimed they were victims of government “weaponization,” which Blanche acknowledged was still “enforceable” but not moving forward, was noncommittal on how he would vote.

“Well, I don’t know what other information’s gonna be coming in,” Cornyn said. “The hearing is not even halfway done. And so, you know, I don’t have to make a decision now, so I’m not.”

Blanche received heat throughout the hearing for being Trump’s former personal defense lawyer, and quickly corrected himself when asked by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., if he considered himself the president’s friend.

TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘REAL RESULTS’

“I’m his lawyer — was his lawyer, and now I’m the deputy attorney general,” Blanche said.

When asked about the slip-up, Cornyn said, “I think he’s trying to walk the line.”

“I think he’s trying to walk a very difficult line,” he said.

Tillis’ primary concern, similar to Cornyn’s, is the anti-weaponization fund and whether it is truly dead and gone.

He declined to say whether he would support Blanche, but noted that when asked if he was willing to work on legislation to put a permanent end to the fund, Blanche said, “Yes.”

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON $1.8 BILLION ‘SLUSH FUND’ THAT KILLED HIS AGENDA, SPURRED REPUBLICAN REBELLION

“I think that’s a pretty strong indication that he and the administration are OK with [it],” Tillis said. “Does anybody really believe that the nominee for attorney general would answer that question if he didn’t think that he had the support of the president to end this?”

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats on the panel are dug in against him.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the top-ranking Democrat on the committee, browbeat Blanche for his handling of the Epstein Files release and whether he would actually meet with Epstein survivors.

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“Anyone who can represent a known pathological liar like Donald Trump can have no integrity,” Durbin said. “You can’t have integrity if you represent Donald Trump, because he is such an inveterate liar. And that person, of course, should never, never, never be attorney general.”

And Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., admitted that Blanche was, “qualified … as someone who has been a prosecutor.”

“But given his legal experience, he should have known better than to be willing to tolerate or support the weaponization of the department,” Coons said. “Using it as a tool not to follow the facts and the law, to pursue justice, but to carry out a retribution agenda by President Trump.”

President Donald Trump announced he will deliver a Thursday night address that he suggested will focus on “free and fair elections,” teasing what he called one of the most important speeches of his presidency while offering few details about what he plans to unveil.

“As usual, anonymous sources are speculating about what President Trump will say during his speech on Thursday evening,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “The truth is, nobody knows yet what President Trump will ultimately say, which is why everyone should tune in.”

Trump has teased the contents of his speech without fully revealing what it will be about. “It will be a potpourri,” a senior advisor told Axios, adding that Iran is something the president “wants to address.”

The address is expected to begin at 9 p.m. ET from the White House. 

TRUMP HOLDS WASHINGTON HOSTAGE OVER SAVE ACT AS MIDTERM CLOCK TICKS ON GOP CONTROL

Trump has touted his speech as being “really big news” and called for the country to “to shape up.”

“Thursday is, it doesn’t get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country,” Trump said while in the Oval Office Tuesday. “We’ll be discussing other things too. But it’s going to be a very big announcement.”

The White House did not respond to questions about which administration officials are expected to attend the speech. Fox News Digital also reached out to the FBI and CIA about whether FBI Director Kash Patel or CIA Director John Ratcliffe will be present. 

TRUMP THREATENS TO EXPAND STRIKES ON IRAN, SAYS POWER PLANTS ARE NEXT TO GO: ‘HIT THEM HARD’

The address also comes against a volatile foreign policy backdrop, after negotiations over an Iran memorandum collapsed and the U.S. resumed strikes on Iranian targets.

CENTCOM announced another round of strikes on Iran on Wednesday morning, marking the fifth straight day the U.S. launched attacks on the country. 

Iran has fired back with numerous attacks on U.S. allies in the Middle East, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

U.S. forces reinstituted a naval blockade on Iran Tuesday afternoon.

TRUMP TAKES UNUSUAL STEP, LETS BIPARTISAN HOUSING BILL BECOME LAW UNSIGNED AMID SAVE PRESSURE CAMPAIGN

Gas prices surged during the early days of the Iran conflict, then fell in June as crude oil slipped to roughly $69 a barrel before climbing again to nearly $80 a barrel Monday.

While Trump also suggested Iran would be addressed, he repeatedly indicated Tuesday that election integrity would be a centerpiece of his remarks.

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Trump has been laser focused on passing the SAVE America Act which includes Trump’s long-sought voter ID and citizenship verification — which Republicans say is key to ensuring elections are safe and secure.

Endorsements from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a pro-LGBTQ+ advocacy group, are raising questions about whether the candidates they’ve endorsed hold the same beliefs as the organization — stances that could fly in the face of attempts to paint a moderate image.

The endorsements highlight the struggle candidates face to manage their associations — especially on topics and in areas that may draw controversy.

Among their stances, HRC has a few that put it solidly in the progressive camp.

TALARICO CAMPAIGNS WITH SURGEON WHO OPERATED ON TRANSGENDER MINORS: ‘WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING’

The organization has supported gender-affirming care for minors in the form of puberty blockers and hormone therapy. It has also opposed state restrictions on their implementation and has promoted elementary school lessons on gender identity, resisted efforts to restrict Critical Race Theory and promoted removing police from schools.

“Our goal is to ensure that all LGBTQ+ people, and particularly those of us who are trans, people of color and HIV+, are treated as full and equal citizens within our movement, across our country and around the world,” the organization states on its website.

The organization has advocated fiercely against virtually all LGBTQ+ restrictions.

In one such case, after the Supreme Court ruled that parents had a right to pull their children out of LGBTQ+ classes and lessons, HRC blasted the decision.

“This decision elevates the religious beliefs of some parents, who believe that being LGBTQ+ is wrong, over any acknowledgement in the classroom that LGBTQ+ young people and their families exist,” the organization said in a statement.

In 2026, the organization endorsed 11 Democratic newcomers and 18 incumbents in battleground districts.

Among them, HRC has endorsed members like Rep. Josh Riley, D-N.Y., Derek Tran, D-Calif., and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, — all of whom won their races by less than five points.

WATCH: SURFACED VIDEOS OF DEM SENATE CANDIDATE BACKING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ CONTRADICT RECENT DENIALS

Those members did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital on whether they stood by HRC’s positions.

Headed into the midterms, HRC framed their success as key to taking pressure off of the LGBTQ+ community from the Trump administration.

“Our community is facing an all-out assault on our rights and its coming from a congressional majority bowing to Trump and his MAGA followers. They’re trying to strip away our freedoms and push us back into the closet while doing nothing to meet the urgent needs of the American people,” the group’s president, Kelley Robinson, said in a statement.

In the past, some of the candidates HRC has endorsed have framed their appreciation as a matter of shared interest in anti-discrimination.

That was the way Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., acknowledged their endorsement of him in a 2023 special election.

“I am grateful for the support and endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign. This will be a tough race, and the support of HRC, which has been dedicated to anti-discrimination research, advocacy and education for more than 40 years, means a great deal to me,” Suozzi said.

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HRC has renewed its endorsement of Suozzi in the 2026 midterms.

The organization did not immediately respond to questions about what factors go into their endorsement process or whether they ask candidates for permission before publicly endorsing them.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back Wednesday against claims that the Justice Department has closed the book on Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, insisting prosecutors remain prepared to pursue anyone who can be criminally linked to the late financier’s sex-trafficking operation if new evidence emerges.

“There are no closed investigations,” he said. “If we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month that there’s an individual that we can investigate, indict and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe it, we will.”

Blanche’s comments came during his Senate confirmation hearing amid continued scrutiny of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

The Justice Department, then led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the FBI concluded a review in July 2025 that found no evidence of a so-called “client list” belonging to Epstein and no basis for further public disclosures. The findings sparked renewed calls — including from some of President Donald Trump’s supporters — for the full release of the remaining Epstein files, a process Blanche later oversaw and defended amid mounting criticism.

TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘REAL RESULTS’

Blanche drew a distinction between the department’s completed review of the existing Epstein files and its authority to pursue new criminal cases. While the prosecutions of Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019, and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell have concluded, Blanche said the Justice Department remains willing to investigate and prosecute any additional individuals if credible evidence warrants it.

He also rejected suggestions that the department has neglected Epstein’s victims, saying DOJ officials have met with representatives of more than 30 victims since the review began and would continue speaking with anyone who comes forward.

MELANIA TRUMP’S EPSTEIN REMARKS TURN UP THE HEAT ON DOJ, ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE TO DO MORE

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“We will never not talk to victims,” Blanche said. “We will never not do everything we can to prosecute anybody that committed any crimes against any of these women.”

He encouraged any victims or their attorneys with additional information to contact the FBI, reiterating that the department would “100%” investigate any new evidence that could support criminal charges.

Later in the hearing, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., pressed Blanche to apologize directly to Epstein’s victims for the Justice Department’s handling of the file release after roughly 1% of released documents required corrected redactions.

“Any mistake that we made should not have been made,” Blanche said. “Yes, I am sorry that in about 1% of the documents mistakes were made.”

He added that DOJ immediately pulled affected documents, corrected the errors and dedicated around-the-clock attorneys to issue redactions.

Blumenthal also urged Blanche to personally meet with Epstein survivors. Blanche responded that he had “never said I can’t meet with them,” adding that if victims are represented by counsel, meetings would be coordinated through their attorneys.

“Of course, I can meet with them,” Blanche said. “I’m the acting attorney general of the United States.”

The Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files was also top of mind for Republican senators as Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., asked Blanche whether additional people identified in the Epstein files could face charges.

Blanche said prosecutors reviewing the evidence had not identified evidence that other men participated in Epstein’s trafficking operation, while stressing that “that does not mean it didn’t happen.”

“If there’s anybody out there, victim or otherwise, that has information, I beg them to come forward,” Blanche said.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., also questioned Blanche about his interview with Ghislaine Maxwell in July 2025, asking whether it had led to any additional criminal charges. Blanche replied that it had not. 

Blanche declined to say whether the interview led to any new investigations, saying the Justice Department does not comment on the existence of investigations.

Booker further pressed Blanche about his interview with Maxwell, asking whether he or anyone else at DOJ had discussed the possibility of a presidential pardon, clemency or Maxwell’s later transfer to a minimum-security prison camp. Blanche denied that any of those topics were discussed with Maxwell or her attorneys.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., is brushing off calls to debate his Republican rivals in Florida’s gubernatorial race, arguing his opponents remain stuck in single digits while he holds a commanding lead ahead of the Aug. 18 primary.

“I’ve been consistent,” Donalds told Fox News Digital when asked about criticism of his refusal to participate in debates. “These guys are in single digits. They stay in single digits.”

Donalds has argued there is no reason to debate given the large lead he has maintained throughout the campaign leading up to the primary.

JOE LOMBARDO CRUISES PAST SIX GOP CHALLENGERS TO SECURE NEVADA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION

The Florida Republican, retiring from the House to run for governor, has consistently polled at roughly 50%, with all his opponents trailing far behind in single digits. His campaign has also vastly outraised the rest of the field, collecting over $90 million.

“They should spend their time going to see the people of Florida because they’re not getting much support at all,” Donalds said.

Donalds entered the race with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, giving him a major boost among MAGA voters. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is term limited, has not formally endorsed a candidate.

Donalds’ opponents include Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and investor James Fishback. The three participated in a debate earlier this month — without Donalds — though he was mentioned consistently throughout conversations.

Fishback has raised eyebrows with unconventional moves throughout his campaign. from using Tinder to “meet young female voters where they are” and proposing a “sin tax” that drew the ire of multiple women on OnlyFans.

WATCH: MACE SAYS TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT HASN’T SEALED SC GUBERNATORIAL RACE: ‘IT’S A DOG FIGHT’

Fishback recently attempted to disrupt one of Donalds’ campaign events, where the controversial candidate stood outside and shouted for Donalds to participate in a GOP gubernatorial debate.

“Another stunt,” Donalds told Fox News Digital about Fishback showing up to his event. “Another stunt with people trying to get attention as opposed to, you know, taking their mission, their vision, their ideas to the people of Florida to earn support.

“I’m not going to play with stunts. I’m not going to engage in that stuff.”

Fishback pushed back on Donalds’ criticism, telling Fox News Digital he has spent more time meeting with voters than any other candidate in the race.

“I’m the only campaign in Florida history running for governor that has met voters in all 67 counties,” Fishback said. “I have done twice as many events as Byron Donalds in just the last month.”

On Donalds’ refusal to debate, Fishback argued voters deserve to see the candidates face off.

“That’s what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris tried to do,” Fishback said. “And it seems that he’s closer to them than he is to Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump, who consistently engage in debate. Voters deserve candidates who are willing to debate before them.”

TRUMP ENDORSES JOHN JAMES IN MICHIGAN GOVERNOR RACE AS GOP RIVAL EXITS PRIMARY

Fishback also appeared unfazed when asked about his single-digit polling, compared to Donalds as the frontrunner in the race.

“The only poll that matters is Aug. 18, 2026. Election night,” he said.

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Florida’s primary election will be held Aug. 18, and Donalds is still projected to be far ahead in the polls compared to the remaining GOP candidates.

“We’re in a really good position, but we take nothing for granted, so just keep working,” Donalds said.

Of the many political crusades the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., undertook, few were as front of mind for him than crippling Russia’s war machine in its conflict with Ukraine.

Yet during the last year-and-a-half of President Donald Trump’s second term, momentum behind a bone-crushing sanctions package against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin would start and stop, with hopes rising and falling for its proponents every few months.

Earlier this year, Graham had similarly gotten a green light from the White House for a different iteration of the package.

SENATE DEMS DRAW RARE LINE AGAINST MUST-PASS PENTAGON BILL

“It’s never going back on the shelf because President Trump believes he needs it,” Graham told Fox News Digital at the time. “I think he needs it.”

Hours before his death, he again got confirmation that the White House supported his and Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s, D-Conn., latest offering.

“Senator Graham and I were told, very authoritatively, literally just a couple of hours before his death, that the White House was OK with this,” Blumenthal said. “We were exalted, he was as exuberant and as over the moon as I’ve ever seen him.”

And on Tuesday, the same day that Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., was sworn in, Blumenthal and a bipartisan group of over a dozen senators unveiled the long-awaited Russia sanctions package.

“I guess I’m going to begin by channeling my inner Lindsey Graham to say, ‘This is a big effing deal,’” Blumenthal said.

LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER CARRIES ON LATE SENATOR’S WORK, BECOMING SOUTH CAROLINA’S FIRST FEMALE SENATOR

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 is the culmination of more than a year of work and closed-door negotiations across the aisle and with 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It’s one that this time many senators believe it can pass.

Many of the core aspects of the legislation are the same: direct sanctions on Putin, Russian officials and Russian military leaders, up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports, tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy, like China and India, and allowing Trump flexibility for when to turn off some aspects of the sanctions.

Key changes to the newly unveiled package include adding a “national interest certification” for Trump’s sanction waiver authority and incorporating sanctions on the myriad ships and tankers that comprise Russia’s “shadow fleet” hauling energy exports under the radar.

EUROPE BANKROLLS PUTIN’S WAR MACHINE EVEN AS NATO RACES TO BOLSTER DEFENSES

A source familiar with the negotiations to craft the package noted that “this is the only product that currently has buy-in from everybody.”

“And it’s likely the only product that is going to move forward and put pressure on Russia the way we would all like to see it,” they said.

Still, the political winds in Washington, D.C., can shift at a moment’s notice.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that he believed “anything is a candidate” to fall victim to external political fights, like Democrats blocking the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) over the Iran war or Republicans fearing another shutdown.

Then there’s the question of what could happen to the package in the House.

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“Anything you send to the House right now probably has the possibility of other things getting attached to it, but I’m hoping, at least over here, there’s some critical mass behind this,” Thune said.

Meanwhile, lawmakers who support the tranche of sanctions view it as a lasting mark of Graham’s legacy in the Senate, and one of the key pieces of work that he left unfinished after his sudden passing on Sunday.

“I’ve known this man for 32 years, and I’m willing to say this is Lindsey Graham’s greatest achievement when it comes to saving lives,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said.

Trump administration officials and conservatives torched a California judge’s sentence for an illegal immigrant trucker who killed three people in a fiery California semi-truck collision, after he was given less than five years behind bars.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who called the sentencing a “slap on the wrist,” said his agency will not stop “until ALL illegal alien truckers are put out of business and held accountable,” while the Department of Homeland Security said immigration officials were standing by to arrest the trucker “upon his release, so he is never allowed back on our roads.”

Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian national who federal authorities said was in the United States illegally, was sentenced Tuesday to four years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence stemming from an October 2025 crash on Interstate 10 in San Bernardino County, California. Singh’s semitruck plowed into slow-moving traffic, killing three people and injuring several others, while dashcam video showed him never applying the brakes before impact.

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“This is a wildly insufficient punishment for a foreign national, in our country illegally, who killed 3 people with a truck,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said.

“Despite taking the lives of 3 people in a horrific eight-vehicle crash, criminal illegal alien Jashanpreet Singh was given a SLAP ON THE WRIST prison sentence of less than 5 years in sanctuary California,” DHS said following news of Singh’s sentencing. “Illegal aliens like this killer should NEVER be allowed behind the wheel or on our nation’s roads. ICE stands ready to arrest Singh upon his release so he is never allowed back on our roads to take another innocent life.”

“5 years is a slap on the wrist for KILLING 3 AMERICANS,” the Transportation Secretary added. “If California followed the rules, illegal aliens like Jashanpreet Singh wouldn’t be driving 80,000 pound missiles down our roads We won’t stop until ALL illegal truckers are put out of business and held accountable.”

Singh crossed the southern border in California’s El Centro Sector in March 2022 and was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration pending an immigration hearing, according to federal sources. He later obtained a California commercial driver’s license in June 2025, according to the Department of Transportation.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKERS ACCUSED OF MOWING DOWN AMERICANS IGNITE FURY OVER LOOPHOLES UNLEASHING DEADLY ROADS

Federal officials had previously warned California about compliance issues involving commercial driver’s licenses and directed the state to pause new licenses to non-citizens and review existing licenses to make sure they complied with federal requirements. Fox News Digital previously reported that Singh should have been disqualified under an emergency DOT policy, while California officials said his eligibility was based on federally approved employment authorization documents.

Meanwhile, during an April debate among candidates for California governor, several running as Democrats said they would fight the Trump administration’s push to get California police officers to begin issuing English proficiency tests for big rig drivers in the state because it’s racist. 

“Racial profiling is illegal. And, in fact, picking on people based on the color of their skin in the state of California, is illegal,” Democrat megadonor and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer said when asked if he would support a policy enforcing police to issue road-side language proficiency tests to truck drivers.

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“Is that officer asking everyone he pulls over to explain those road signs? Or, is he asking only people who look like me? If he’s doing that, then he’s violating the law,” former Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Beccera said, slamming a police officer in a short local news clip that was played by debate moderators showing an officer issuing a field test to determine if a commercial driver who spoke Spanish could understand road signs.

But then-Republican California gubernatorial hopeful Sheriff Chad Bianco, who was forced to bow out after not qualifying for the general election in the state’s nonpartisan June primary, slammed his Democratic opponents for pulling the race card. 

“Let’s stop with this whole racism thing, and racial profiling and all of this garbage. We have to get over this. You either violated the law or you didn’t. End of story,” Bianco said. “Consequences for bad behavior.”

It was 2:35 am et Sunday.

The phone rang, yanking me out of deep slumber.

Calls like these are never good.

In the split second before I answered the phone, my mind traveled to the obvious place for any journalist who covers Capitol Hill and gets a call at that hour.

LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71

Surely it was about former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

McConnell has been out of service and nowhere to be found for weeks — after being hospitalized with an unspecified illness. The internet was rife with conspiracy theories and conjecture. And, considering the dearth of information, I suspected the worst.

My longtime colleague Jodie Curtis was on the line when I picked up. Jodie is a senior figure at Fox, forced into weekend overnight assignment editor duty because of an illness. Jodie calling to tell me that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was dead.

“Graham?” I asked incredulously. “Not McConnell?”

Emerging from my stupor, I instinctively presumed this might be about the infirm, Kentucky Republican. You’d have better odds presuming that overnight call was about McConnell than hitting an exacta wheel at Churchill Downs.

My instincts immediately kicked in.

What if this was psy-ops by the Russians, Chinese or Iranians. A rouse. A hoax. A hack.

I told my colleague to just wait a moment while we confirmed. It would be easy to get this wrong.

Back in the 1990s, lawmakers “killed” comedian Bob Hope on the House floor, prematurely announcing his death during special orders speeches. Yours truly – and everyone else in Washington – prematurely reported the death of the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH). She suffered from a catastrophic brain aneurism. Yet after they removed the Congresswoman from life support, she continued to live for a few hours before dying.

However, it became clear that Lindsey Graham was indeed dead. I was quickly on the air. When asked about the shock of Graham passing, I invoked a Native American adage: Death comes. And it’s always out of season.

Lindsey Graham was gone. But who would succeed him on Capitol Hill?

Think all in the family. At least for now.

Sens. Katie Britt (R-AL) and Tim Scott (R-SC) both implored the late senator’s kid sister Darline Graham to follow her brother. President Trump believed it would be a fitting tribute to the senator. So did South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) – who was in charge the appointment.

“It’s my honor to ask his sister to finish his work now,” said McMaster.

Darline Graham is a political neophyte. Lindsey Graham adopted his sister after their parents died – and Darline was a teenager.

“Lindsey has always been there for me. And now I will be there for him,” said now Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC).

Lindsey Graham was his sister’s caretaker. Now she’s the caretaker of his Senate seat until January.

But who’s next?

South Carolina has a small Congressional delegation. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) quickly excluded himself from the immediate running, noting the importance of remaining in the House. Plucking one of South Carolina’s House GOP members and appointing them to the Senate is a problem for the narrow Republican majority. The Constitution bars appointments to the House. So McMaster would have diminished the GOP’s slim majority had he picked a House member to fill in for Lindsey Graham. It would take months to conduct a special election to fill the vacant House seat.

Appointing Darline Graham solves that problem.

Reps. Russell Fry (R-SC), Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Ralph Norman (R-SC) are all interested in running for the full term. South Carolina will hold a snap primary in mid August. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. Lindsey Graham had just secured the Republican nomination for a fifth term last month.

President Trump’s influence will play an outsized role in who gets the nod. He’s already singled out Fry.

But the election will look a little different this fall. November will mark the first time since the mid-1950s that either Lindsey Graham or late, legendary Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC) isn’t on the ballot in the Palmetto State.

The Senate met for the first time Monday afternoon since Graham’s passing.

“Lord, we remember with gratitude his commitment to the responsibilities entrusted to him and the many ways he sought to serve the people of this country. Give comfort, strength and peace to his family, friends, colleagues and all who mourn his passing,” prayed Senate Chaplain Barry Black.

The Senate shrouded Graham’s desk with a black cloak. A bouquet of white roses rested on the desk, signifying a new beginning without a Senate titan.

“The halls of the Senate already feel empty without him,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).

‘THIS IS NOT NORMAL’: AOC UNLOADS ON MCCONNELL’S PROLONGED ABSENCE

Well wishers left notecards and flowers outside Graham’s office in the Russell Senate Office Building.

Senators praised Graham’s tenacity.

“He didn’t want to just argue about things. He wanted to actually solve things,” said Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on Fox.

Even until the end.

Over the weekend, Graham appeared to forge a deal on a Russia sanctions measure.

“This could be well, this could well be the end of the war in Ukraine. It could put all the pressure on Russia to finally end their illegal war of aggression,” predicted Sen. Angus King (I-ME).

Lindsey Graham first won a seat in Congress in 1994 as part of the “Republican Revolution.” That’s the historic class which flipped control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Graham and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) are the only members from that 1994 class still serving in Congress.

Graham earned a national profile barely four years after arriving in Washington. House GOP leaders tapped Graham to serve as one of the House “managers,” prosecuting articles of impeachment for President Clinton in the Senate.

“Impeachment is not about punishment,” argued Graham before the Senate in January, 1999. “Impeachment is about cleansing the office.”

Three years after that, Graham left the House. He became one of 100 in the Senate. But his colleagues conceded that the institution felt hollow at just 99.

“I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end, he has just changed his address. And that one day, Mr. President….” said Thune on the floor, pausing for ten seconds. “We will laugh together again.”

The Leader’s voice then cracked as he fought back tears.

“Mr. President, I yield the floor,” Thune whispered.

By Tuesday afternoon, Darline Graham became the 2,022nd senator in American history. But the first to immediately succeed her brother.

“He always said that his greatest accomplishment was the way that Darline turned out,” said Britt.

“I’m glad that there will be another Sen. Graham and that Darline will serve with us,” said

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE). “That’ll allow for some continuity.”

Graham’s passing leaves a Congressional chasm.

“It will be difficult to pass anything without Sen. Graham because he’s been such a significant voice in the Senate,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).

It’s unclear if any of that will fall to the Senate’s newest member.

LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER CARRIES ON LATE SENATOR’S WORK, BECOMING SOUTH CAROLINA’S FIRST FEMALE SENATOR

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Darline Graham joined her brother’s side when he briefly ran for President in 2015. She says Lindsey taught her how to ride a bike while growing up.

“He would hold on to the bicycle as I pedaled. And he’d run along beside of me. Give me a big push and shout ‘Keep pedaling! Keep pedaling!’ said the new senator. ” And then he was the one who comforted me when I stopped pedaling and fell off the bicycle.”

Today, Darline Graham is again hopping onto that bicycle to finish Lindsey Graham’s term.

You can almost hear the late senator, in his “upstate” twang shouting to his sister “Keep pedaling! Keep pedaling!”

Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony has an unusual plan to rev up the Silver State’s entertainment business: space tourism. And with Elon Musk having significant business interests in the state, Anthony won’t have to look far to find the man to do it.

Anthony’s background has been anything but boring. He had a nearly three-decade career in law enforcement, was a regent in the state’s higher education system and served as a longtime Las Vegas city councilman. 

He ran a spirited campaign for mayor of Las Vegas and, since 2022, has served alongside Gov. Joe Lombardo, leading the Silver State. The Lombardo/Anthony ticket was the only one in America in which Republicans defeated an incumbent Democratic governor and lieutenant governor.

Recently, Anthony sat down with Fox News Digital at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to discuss his career, the Nevada economy and electoral prospects in 2026 in what is shaping up to be one of the tightest gubernatorial races in the country.

JOE LOMBARDO CRUISES PAST SIX GOP CHALLENGERS TO SECURE NEVADA REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION

Anthony promotes the state as a mecca for the entertainment business, touting a light regulatory touch and a thriving climate for entrepreneurship. He’s particularly bullish on professional sports and the nascent space tourism industry.

“If you look at 10 years ago, we didn’t have one major sporting activity here in Nevada. They actually would not come here because they thought there would be illegal gambling and corruption and bribery and so on and so forth. In 10 years, we’ve become the sports capital of the world. Baseball is coming. We have hockey. We have football. We’re going to have basketball coming. F1. NASCAR. We have women’s basketball, on and on and that just kind of cropped up.

“The thing about Las Vegas is anything can happen here, so it’s really not up to me as a lieutenant governor to decide what’s the next big thing in tourism. It’s the tourist industry that has to decide what’s the next big thing. 

REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND

“One thing that is of interest is space tourism. I think that might be a future here in Nevada because we have a lot of open land where … somebody like Elon Musk can shoot rockets up into outer space, hang out up there for a while, have some drinks. Hang out with friends.

“What an experience that would be to see the Earth from up there and actually make it a tourist kind of an adventure. So, those are the kind of things that we’re constantly thinking about, but it’s the private sector that needs to do it. And I am very much in favor of allowing our entrepreneurs to come up with the next best thing and to support them.”

Anthony credits his lengthy career with the Las Vegas Metro Police for giving him the problem-solving foundation to launch a successful political career:

“You know, most people think of the policing that they see on television. High-speed pursuits, gunfights, bar fights, chasing people down dark alleys and arresting serious criminals. And that is a big part of policing. But, really, 90% of police work is really solving problems. Going into neighborhoods, finding out what are the issues in those neighborhoods, helping those neighbors solve issues to make their quality of life a lot better.

“I’ve learned that that’s really what I should be doing as an elected official. My job is to go out there and talk to people and find out what the state can do, what a county could do, what a city could do to make their lives better; helping folks live the American dream and not causing problems like higher taxes, higher regulations, getting in their way, those sorts of things. So, that’s really what I learned about police work.”

President Trump has endorsed the Lombardo/Anthony ticket, and he believes the new no tax on tips policy will prove to be a major electoral boost come November.

“Well, President Trump has endorsed the governor. President Trump has endorsed me. He was just here a couple of months ago to talk about his no taxes on tips, which was a huge thing here in Nevada.

TRUMP ENDORSES NEIGHBORING STATE LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS FOR RE-ELECTION

“I think President Trump will be here. He’s welcome anytime to come to the great state of Nevada and talk to folks in Nevada. When he was campaigning, he would have events with 5,000 or 6,000 people attending. So, we have a good relationship with him. We want to have a relationship with him, and I believe he’ll be here to talk about some of the great things his administration is doing, not only in the country, but how it’s impacting Nevada in a positive way.”

Anthony noted that his political philosophy is heavily shaped by his immigrant parents from Cyprus who instilled the values of hard work, self-reliance and fiscal responsibility.

“When they came to the United States, and they didn’t have anything, all they could do was find a job and get married and raise a family. … No. 1: you work hard. 

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“No. 2: you don’t ask the government for anything. You want them to protect you, you want to have roads. But you don’t ask them for welfare. You don’t ask them for unemployment checks. You don’t ask them for food stamps. So, that’s not something that they thought the government would do.

“Their responsibility was to work hard, raise a family, buy a home and live the American dream. That taught me a lot. And that’s really how I’ve continued my public service. I am here to support Nevadans in ways that they want support, but I’m not here to carry them. They need to carry themselves, and I think they understand that.”

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran has released an American woman who he said was “wrongfully detained” in the country for the past year and a half.

She was identified as Iranian-American citizen Dena Karari by her attorney Jared Genser, who confirmed her release to Fox News. She was reportedly accused of espionage over her work with an American nonprofit helping impoverished children.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the woman was detained in December 2024, during the Biden administration and was recently allowed to leave Iran. 

“Iran has allowed an American Citizen, who was wrongfully detained in December of 2024 under the ‘presidency’ of Sleepy Joe Biden, to leave the Country,” Trump wrote.

TRUMP REVIVES HIS DECADES-OLD IRAN WARNING AS US RAMPS UP MILITARY PRESSURE: ‘REMARKABLY CONSISTENT’

Karari is reportedly now safely outside Iran and in good condition following her release, according to Trump.

Her release marks the first time an American has been freed from Iranian custody since 2023, and represents a notable development amid ongoing military confrontations between Washington and Tehran.

Following her release, Trump thanked Iran for what he described as a “gesture of goodwill.”

“The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” he wrote.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN CEASEFIRE IS ‘OVER’ AFTER IRANIAN ATTACKS TRIGGER MASSIVE US RESPONSE

Gesner released a statement shortly after Trump’s announcement, saying she had been “trapped in Iran on bogus charges of collaboration with a hostile state and espionage” but is now on her way back to the United States.

According to Genser, Karari was targeted after Iranian authorities linked her to the Children of Mehr Foundation, a U.S.-registered nonprofit that provides books, literacy programs and other humanitarian assistance to impoverished children in rural Iran.

Under the regime, affiliations with U.S.-based organizations operating inside Iran are often viewed with heightened suspicion and can lead to accusations of security-related offenses.

Genser clarified that Karari was never formally imprisoned but was effectively held in Iran through a “coercive exit ban.” She was reportedly interrogated dozens of times by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and “suffered enormous physical and psychological hardship.”

“We urge Iran to drop all the remaining charges against those who worked locally in support of the Children of Mehr Foundation, who are innocent and committed no crimes,” Genser said. “And I personally call on Iran to release both all wrongly imprisoned Americans and those subjected to coercive exit bans and all Iranian political prisoners.”

PENCE COMMENDS TRUMP FOR WINNING FREEDOM OF BEIJING’S ZION CHURCH PASTOR EZRA JIN FROM CHINESE DETENTION

Sources previously told Fox News Digital in January 2026 that Iran may have been holding more than eight American citizens and residents in custody, exceeding publicly available data that listed five American hostages in Iran.

Two of the current hostages include Kamran Hekmati, a 61-year-old Jewish man held since May 2025, and Reza Valizadeh, a 49-year-old journalist and dual Iranian-American national held since March 2024.

A U.S. State Department official previously told Fox News Digital that “President Trump is working to secure the release of detained Americans around the world.”

“The Iranian regime has a long history of unjustly and wrongfully detaining other countries’ citizens as hostages for use as political leverage. Iran should release these individuals immediately,” the official said.

US HOSTAGES IN IRAN FACE HEIGHTENED RISK AS PROTESTS SPREAD, EXPERTS SAY NUMBER HELD MAY EXCEED ESTIMATES

According to United Against Nuclear Iran, Tehran detains foreign nationals on vague charges and uses them as “bargaining chips” to extract concessions from other countries, such as securing the release of frozen financial assets locked up by international sanctions.

Iran has frequently targeted individuals who hold both American and Iranian citizenship, as Tehran does not recognize dual nationality and often treats dual citizens solely as Iranian nationals, limiting their access to U.S. consular assistance, United Against Nuclear Iran said.

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During the most recent major prisoner exchange in September 2023, the U.S. secured the release of five Americans who had been detained in Iran for years. In exchange, the U.S. approved the transfer of $6 billion in frozen funds.

Fox News’ Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this report.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz publicly defended his vote to pardon  a Laotian national who had been under a final removal order after losing legal status following a child-sex-crime conviction convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 10-year-old girl after the Trump administration deported him to Laos last week.

Tou Lue Vang, 42, received a pardon from Minnesota’s Board of Pardons on June 10. Last Friday, the Trump administration announced that Vang’s legal status had been revoked and that he had been deported to his home country of Laos.

Asked about the deportation, Walz questioned what the move accomplished.

EXPOSED DOCS REVEAL WHY TIM WALZ BOARD AWARDED REPEAT CHILD RAPIST PARDON: ‘NO FUTURE’

“Did that make us any safer?” Walz said Tuesday, according to KTTC. “Did that make the children that are left behind any more stable?”

“Did it improve the idea that we can’t all be judged by our worst day?” he added.

“And I want to be very clear,” Walz continued. “These are horrific crimes. They often are.”

ALLEGED CUBAN INFLUENCE OPERATIVE, FAMILY IN FEDERAL CUSTODY AFTER RUBIO REVOKES LEGAL STATUS

Walz also said Vang’s pardon was not about immigration policy, noting that the Board of Pardons had denied clemency to other applicants facing immigration-related consequences.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Vang’s deportation Friday, telling Fox News Digital: “Americans should never have to live in fear that foreign sex predators — shielded from deportation by their own elected officials — could endanger them or their children.”

“That’s why I terminated his legal status in the United States,” Rubio continued. “Vang has now been removed from our country and will never pose a threat to any American ever again.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SOCCER COACH WHO USED ALCOHOL AND DRUGS TO SEXUALLY ABUSE KIDS LEARNS FATE

Fox News Digital previously reported that Vang admitted to repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl over a period of several years beginning when she was 10 years old.

Vang entered the United States through California in 1994 and was granted legal status during the Clinton administration. Between 2002 and 2004, he repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim in St. Paul, Minnesota. The first assault occurred when she was in the fourth grade. After his conviction, federal officials said Vang lost legal status and was placed under a final removal order.

The Minnesota Clemency Review Commission recommended a pardon for Vang. The Board of Pardons — made up of Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson — later granted the pardon.

The pardon drew criticism from federal immigration officials and Republican lawmakers. Walz defended the decision by citing the victim’s support for Vang’s pardon, among other factors, according to KSTP. A spokesperson for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office told MPR News that the pardon did not protect Vang from deportation.

At the time, Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized the decision.

“Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon an illegal alien convicted child rapist so he can remain in our country is disgusting,” Bis said.

“These are the criminal illegal aliens he and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting,” she added.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz’s office for additional comment.

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

FIRST ON FOX: Former Vice President Mike Pence is calling on Congress to rename Sen. Lindsey Graham’s signature Russia sanctions legislation after the late South Carolina Republican, telling Fox News Digital there would be “no more fitting tribute” to one of the Senate’s most influential national security hawks.

In an exclusive interview, Pence said Graham’s years-long push for tougher sanctions against Russia should become both his legislative legacy and a permanent reminder of his unwavering support for Ukraine and America’s allies.

Pence argued Congress has a rare opportunity to honor Graham by passing the bipartisan sanctions package he spent years championing and sending it to President Donald Trump with the senator’s name attached.

GRAHAM REPORTEDLY REFUSED MEDICAL HELP BEFORE SCHEDULED TV APPEARANCE

“I also believe it’d be altogether fitting to put Sen. Lindsey Graham’s name on that bill,” Pence told Fox News Digital. “Send it to the president, have him sign it into law.”

Pence said Graham viewed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as one of the defining geopolitical challenges of the era and believed economic pressure was essential to forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate.

“He never had any illusions about who we were dealing with — with Vladimir Putin,” Pence said.

The former vice president, who has traveled to Ukraine twice since Russia’s invasion, said Graham understood that Ukraine represented “a frontier of freedom” and consistently pushed both Republican and Democratic administrations to stand firmly with America’s allies.

When asked whether the sanctions legislation could ultimately become Graham’s greatest achievement, Pence said it may well define how history remembers the longtime senator.

“I think it could be,” Pence said.

EUROPE BANKROLLS PUTIN’S WAR MACHINE EVEN AS NATO RACES TO BOLSTER DEFENSES

He pointed to Graham’s decades-long advocacy for Israel, Ukraine and a stronger NATO alliance, saying the senator remained remarkably consistent throughout his public career.

Pence said Graham also played an important role in encouraging NATO allies to increase defense spending during the first Trump administration, while remaining one of Israel’s fiercest advocates on Capitol Hill.

For Pence, however, Graham’s final legislative push is inseparable from one of their last conversations together.

He still remembers the meeting vividly.

Pence and his wife, Karen, had just landed at Reagan National Airport and were making their way through the terminal when they spotted Graham heading toward another gate.

As he almost always did, Graham began by asking about Pence’s family.

The senator wanted updates on Pence’s son, a Marine Corps fighter pilot, and his son-in-law, a Navy fighter pilot. Pence said Graham never forgot to ask about them.

But after briefly catching up, the conversation shifted to the issue occupying Graham’s attention in his final months.

“We went straight into a conversation about Ukraine sanctions,” Pence recalled.

Pence thanked Graham for leading the effort and mentioned a Wall Street Journal opinion piece supporting tougher sanctions against Russia.

Graham immediately leaned in.

“He did one of those — puts his finger in my chest — and said, ‘You just stay on this. This is the way we’re gonna get this done. This is the way you bring Putin to the table.'”

The two men embraced before heading toward separate gates.

“We parted with a handshake and a hug,” Pence said.

LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71

Looking back, Pence said that brief airport encounter perfectly captured the man he had known for decades.

Graham enjoyed talking about family and could always be counted on for a joke, Pence said, but the personal conversation rarely lasted long before he returned to public policy.

“He was a very serious legislator,” Pence said. “He was a man who was deeply committed to policy.”

Pence said Graham’s convictions never changed, whether the issue was supporting the military, standing with Israel, protecting unborn life or confronting authoritarian regimes like Russia, Iran and China.

“He never wavered,” Pence said.

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The former vice president said he learned of Graham’s death Sunday morning and remains deeply saddened by the loss of someone he first came to know during the Republican Revolution of the 1990s before serving alongside him in Congress and later in the Trump administration.

“I was taken aback by the news,” Pence said. “I really, really have a heavy heart to this hour.”

Pence said he hopes lawmakers finish the work Graham dedicated years to advancing.

“I really do believe there would be no more fitting tribute to the life and vision of Senator Lindsey Graham than for Congress to pass and the president to sign the tough Russia sanctions bill,” Pence said.

“I’m going to continue to champion that in the days ahead.”

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A Florida congressional candidate and former U.S. Marine is facing backlash after posting a video calling President Donald Trump “the Antichrist” and saying the president “must be killed.”

William Upham, a Republican write-in candidate for Florida’s 5th Congressional District who describes himself on X as a prosecutor “running to fix a broken political system,” opens the nearly seven-minute video by saying he entered the race to restore bipartisanship, return power to the working class and “fix our broken political system.”

The tone quickly shifts, however, as Upham says he has come to believe the country is “broken” and that America is engaged in a spiritual battle.

TWO YEARS AFTER BUTLER, THREATS AGAINST TRUMP KEEP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN SHARP FOCUS

“We are led by a president who is the enemy of God,” Upham says before citing Bible passages and discussing the oath he took as a Marine officer to defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

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He then claims there is “no doubt” Trump is “the Antichrist.”

“He is a false messiah, and he is your enemy and he must be killed,” Upham says.

BUTLER MAN’S ONLINE RANTS TO KILL TRUMP END IN GUILTY PLEA AFTER FBI PROBE

Later in the video, Upham urges viewers to question whether they are “worshiping a false idol” before concluding, “President Trump is the Antichrist. And he will be killed and sent to hell. God will prevail against evil.”

The U.S. Marine Corps quickly condemned Upham, saying he was medically discharged on May 30, 2025.

“The Marine Corps is aware of the disturbing statements made by William Upham,” the service wrote on X. “The comments made by Upham are a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold and are not in keeping with the service’s values.”

TRUMP FACES UNPRECEDENTED THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

The U.S. Secret Service also acknowledged the comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the comments made by a congressional candidate in Florida, and we investigate anything that can be perceived as a threat toward one of our protectees,” a spokesperson said. “Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”

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Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao also condemned the remarks, writing on X: “Unacceptable. William Upham is no longer a Marine and does not represent our values or ethos.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI, the White House and Upham’s campaign for comment.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tuesday after agents fatally shot a Colombian national during a Maine operation, sparking criticism from opponents who contrasted her response with her silence on high-profile murders committed by illegal immigrants.

Harris called for “an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation” into the death of 26-year-old Joan Sebastian Guerrero.

Guerrero was shot Monday after attempting to flee ICE officers in a vehicle during an operation targeting an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

“Joan Sebastian Guerrero should still be alive,” Harris wrote Tuesday on X. “This is the second time in a week that ICE agents have killed someone who — by their own admission — was not the subject of their operation. Now Sebastian is dead, his killing witnessed by his three-year-old daughter wearing her Bluey pajamas.

MAINE ICE SHOOTING VICTIM WAS NOT TARGET OF ARREST WARRANT, SEN. KING’S OFFICE SAYS AFTER EARLIER DHS ACCOUNT

“This cannot be acceptable in America,” Harris continued. “Anyone responsible for wrongdoing must be held accountable.”

Harris’ comments quickly sparked criticism online, with many users pointing to her role overseeing the Biden administration’s efforts to address the root causes of migration from Central America, a position Republicans frequently referred to as the administration’s “border czar.” 

During the Biden administration, federal officials estimated that roughly 2 million known “gotaways” entered the U.S. after crossing the border illegally and avoiding capture.

ICE officers were conducting surveillance Monday morning at the last known address of an illegal immigrant with a final order of removal in Biddeford, Maine, when Guerrero allegedly fled in a vehicle after officers attempted to make contact, according to Homeland Security. 

“The vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon,” the department said in a statement. “The driver of the vehicle was struck, and emergency services were immediately contacted. He passed away from his injuries.”

An eyewitness told Maine’s Portland Press Herald that Guerrero appeared to drive toward federal agents before shots were fired.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Guerrero was not the intended target of the operation.

However, the department said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Guerrero had illegally crossed the border during the Biden administration in September 2023. It is unknown if he was awaiting asylum, but he was granted a work permit in May 2025.

“To be clear, work authorization does not confer legal status in the United States,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

ICE AGENTS INSTRUCTED TO END MOST VEHICLE STOPS IN MAJOR POLICY SHIFT

Many commentators also argued Harris and other leading Democrats have been far less vocal in publicly mourning Americans killed by illegal immigrants than in condemning ICE enforcement actions. 

Some critics cited the 2024 death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was killed by Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra after he illegally entered the U.S. Others referenced Maryland mother Rachel Morin, who was raped and murdered by Salvadoran illegal immigrant Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez.

“I will start giving a f— about the illegals killed by ICE when Democrats start giving a f— about Americans killed by illegals,” one X user wrote.

Unlike in the killing of Guerrero, Harris did not make a social media post paying tribute to Riley or Morin’s death. Harris did not publicly acknowledge the death of those young women at the hands of illegal immigrants until pressed by Fox News host Bret Baier in an Oct. 24, 2024, interview.

WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES

“First of all, those are tragic cases,” Harris said after Baier asked whether the Biden administration bore any responsibility for the deaths. “There’s no question about that. I can’t imagine the pain that the families of those victims have experienced for a loss that should not have occurred.”

The deaths of Riley and Morin became a flashpoint issue for Republicans during the 2024 presidential campaign and throughout the Trump administration’s push to tighten immigration enforcement.

Social media users also pointed to angel families, who are relatives of Americans killed by illegal immigrants who have become prominent advocates for stronger border security and immigration enforcement. The families frequently have appeared alongside President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers at campaign events, the White House and on Capitol Hill to highlight crimes committed by people in the country illegally.

Harris’ statement follows another July post she made after a separate fatal ICE shooting in Houston involving Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, whom the Department of Homeland Security also said attempted to ram federal officers with his vehicle during a traffic stop.

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“Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s family called him ‘El mundo entero’ — the whole world,” Harris wrote Thursday. “Doug and my prayers are with Lorenzo’s wife, his three sons, and all those who loved and knew him. I join his son Ronaldo in calling for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation.”

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

The Democratic side of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee dais sat empty Wednesday as Republicans questioned witnesses at a hearing on “Exposing Fraud in America,” prompting GOP lawmakers to accuse the minority of ducking a politically uncomfortable issue.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the ranking member on the committee, was the only Democrat seen at the hearing’s opening statement and then appeared to leave sometime before Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., began his questioning of witnesses Nick Shirley, James O’Keefe and Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette.

Otherwise, the Democratic side of the dais was completely vacant.

FTC CHIEF ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF ‘TRYING TO PROTECT THE FRAUDSTERS’ BY WITHHOLDING DATA FROM TRUMP ADMIN

Fox News Digital reached out to every Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, but none responded by press time. Fox News Digital also reached out to Paul for his reaction.

Republicans and conservative commentators quickly criticized the Democrats’ absence, amid ongoing scrutiny of fraud cases in Minnesota, California and other states.

Besides Peters – who did not stay for the main portion of the hearing – Democrats on the panel include Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Andy Kim of New Jersey, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan.

OWNER OF DAYCARE IN VIRAL NICK SHIRLEY VIDEO CHARGED IN $4.6M DAYCARE FRAUD SCHEME, PROSECUTORS SAY

At one point, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, pointed out the elephant — or donkey — missing from the room.

When Paul turned to call on Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to offer his questions, Moreno said that a Democrat is supposed to be given time to question witnesses after a Republican finishes.

“If there were a Democrat here, yes,” Paul replied. “So there’s no Democrats presence at a hearing about fraud,” Moreno said, leading Paul to state for the record, “there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of interest across the aisle.”

The lack of attendance from the Democrats drew criticisms online.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. labeled the no-show Democrats “cowards” in an X message.

Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner asked Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., about the optics of Democrats’ half-circle of empty seats on Wednesday.

“They don’t want to know the truth about this … You look at these areas that have just basically turned a blind eye and have let people move forward with fraud,” Blackburn said.

TOP FEDERAL PROSECUTOR CALLS CALIFORNIA A ‘FRAUDSTER’S PARADISE,’ WARNS STATE OFFICIALS COULD FACE CHARGES

Blackburn previously introduced legislation that would make defrauding the federal government a denaturalizing and deportable offense, she said.

Florida political reporter Eric Daugherty commented that the Senate held an important “anti-taxpayer fraud meeting… with Nick Shirley and James O’Keefe, and … every single Democrat seat is empty.”

“One hundred percent of Democrats on the committee were invited – 0% showed up. The party of fraud,” Daugherty declared.

During the hearing, Shirley sounded off about what he and his reporting partner David Hoch discovered as they visited various, largely Somali-owned day care center addresses in Minneapolis.

“When we talk about fraud, we are talking about money stolen from hardworking, law-abiding, taxpaying citizens,” Shirley said.

“This issue has nothing to do with political parties, because no dollar says Republican or Democrat on it. When a fraudster commits fraud, he or she steals from all of us. The worst part is that fraud affects the most vulnerable and needy, as they rely the most on government services,” he said, going on to describe a 43-minute video he composed from touring such sites with Hoch in Minneapolis.

Shirley and Hoch’s work later earned them a State of the Union invitation from Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn.

With the Democratic dais vacant, Shirley went on to note that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced in January 2026 that he would not seek a third term and the daycare organization with the highest level of government funding purportedly pleaded guilty to fraud and the largest “autism fraud” bust in history has occurred in Minnesota.

“Elon [Musk] was right when he said, ‘The fraudsters always complain the loudest’,” he said.

James O’Keefe testified about his work in Los Angeles, where he and his journalists recorded 28 exchanges with election petition circulators offering money or drugs in exchange for ballot signatures.

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“They campaign in this building (The Capitol) about freedom and protecting democracy, preventing disenfranchisement, and how nobody is above the law,” O’Keefe testified.

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“But if those principles are not enforced when they are violated in broad daylight, they are not principles at all. They are slogans.”

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is putting prominent Democrats, including potential presidential contenders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, on blast for hosting webinars and sharing resources on how illegal immigrants can “defy” ICE.

Mullins’ comments come after President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday morning that ICE would resume making vehicle stops after a one-day pause following two officer-involved shootings in Maine and Texas. DHS had sent agents nationwide a notice the day before, instructing them to cease vehicle stops until further notice.

Commenting on the quick reversal, Mullin emphasized in a social media post that the agency’s “#1 goal is to keep our officers safe and get criminals OFF our streets.” He said that DHS officers are currently facing a more than 1,300 percent increase in vehicle attacks.

Mullin noted that “this reckless illegal alien activity comes after sanctuary politicians held webinars and shared resources for how to openly defy [ICE].”

TRUMP REVERSES DHS POLICY, ORDERS ICE TO RESUME VEHICLE STOPS AFTER ONE-DAY PAUSE

Among the Democrats Mullin named were Ocasio-Cortez and Newsom, two of the most prominent leaders in the party who are both widely rumored to be weighing presidential runs in 2028.

The DHS chief alleged that Ocasio-Cortez hosted a webinar “providing tips for illegal aliens to evade arrests at homes, workplaces, or in public.”

Ocasio-Cortez’s office hosted a “Know Your Rights With ICE” webinar last year. During the webinar, which was broadcast from the congresswoman’s Facebook page, migrant viewers were informed of how to deal with ICE search requests if officers come calling to their homes or place of work. Ocasio-Cortez did not take part in the webinar. She did, however, upload tips to Instagram, via posters in both English and Spanish, and called on her followers to share the posters widely and study them.

“Our strategic advantage in this moment is our strength in numbers,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “It is time to use it. In nearly every way, we outnumber those who want to abuse their power and keep people in fear. The truth is, they cannot come after us all. That is why they actively USE and create fear: to get us to give up in advance and withdraw from public life without them lifting a finger.”

She also called on her followers to print out the posters and “tape them up in your workplace or keep them by your door.”

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS ERUPT OVER 2028 ENDORSEMENT AS AOC SPECULATION GROWS: ‘DANGEROUS PATH’

“So if ICE comes to your workplace or home, whether you are a citizen or noncitizen – YOU can defend your community and our constitution by exercising your rights,” she wrote.

Meanwhile, Mullin charged Newsom of having “released guides and sanctuary laws advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest.”

Since Trump’s return to office, Newsom has signed several measures expanding California’s sanctuary policies, including a $50 million package funding immigrant legal defense and lawsuits against the Trump administration, legislation attempting to ban ICE agents from wearing masks during operations and new restrictions on immigration enforcement at schools and public hospitals.

Newsom’s office also published “Know Your Rights” materials instructing immigrants and Californians on how to recognize ICE agents and how to respond to arrests. The factsheet urged people not to assault or obstruct federal agents but to record and document their activity. The document was published in 15 languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Spanish.

Newsom, along with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, also a Democrat, launched an online portal for people to report “potentially unlawful activity” by federal agents.

In response to Mullin’s critique, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Newsom’s office, told Fox News Digital that “this wouldn’t be necessary if the Trump Administration actually trained ICE officers on the public’s Constitutional rights and ensured those rights are respected.”

“There is nothing more American than making sure everyone is aware of their rights,” she said, adding, “We follow the law. The Trump Administration should try it — train your agents and stop the deaths.”

CALIFORNIA DEMS ACCUSED OF PUTTING SANCTUARY LAW OVER MIGRANT CHILD WELFARE CHECKS: ‘REAL CHILDREN’

Besides Newsom and Ocasio-Cortez, Mullin also called out Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., for posting a video “calling on illegal aliens to make a plan for ICE encounters” and Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass for issuing “multilingual flyers and online resources advising illegal aliens on how to evade arrest.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to Ocasio-Cortez, Goldman and Bass for comment.

Mullin emphasized that “illegal aliens will be arrested and deported wherever they are.”

In light of Democrats’ rhetoric towards ICE, the secretary added, “We remind illegal aliens attempting to evade arrest is dangerous.”

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In a social media post re-shared by DHS on Wednesday morning, Trump wrote that pausing ICE vehicle stops would be “playing right into” criminals’ hands.

“We must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” he wrote, adding, “The Radical Left Dumocrats would like to see this done, but it won’t happen on my watch. I.C.E. be judicious, fair and smart, and go back and do your very important job.”

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, opened part of her questioning of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday by asking whether he had ever requested sexual favors or committed sexual harassment — reviving a confirmation-hearing question that has repeatedly drawn mockery from conservatives.

“Low IQ @maziehirono begins her questioning of @DAGToddBlanche —an esteemed professional with an honorable record in public service—by asking, ‘Have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors?’ What a joke,” wrote the official White House Rapid Response account on X.

Hirono recently held the same line of questioning during the confirmation hearing for Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum last year. Hirono began introducing the questions in 2018, inspired by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement.

TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘REAL RESULTS’

“Since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature,” Hirono asked.

“No, Senator,” Blanche responded.

“Have you ever faced discipline or entered into a settlement relating to this kind of conduct?” she followed up.

MIKE DAVIS: WHY SENATE MUST IGNORE OBAMA JUDGE’S ATTACK ON AG NOMINEE TODD BLANCHE

“No, Senator,” Blanche responded.

Social media users swiftly mocked Hirono’s opening line of questions.

“Raise your hand if you’re tired of @maziehirono’s favorite Senate Judiciary line of questioning,” posted the Republican National Lawyers Association on X.

“The White House is RIPPING deranged Sen. Mazie Hirono (D) for demanding AG Todd Blanche answer, ‘have you ever made unwanted requests for s*xual favors’ BLANCHE: ‘…no, senator..,’” wrote Right Line News Chief Content Officer Eric Daugherty on X.

“WTF? What a stupid thing to ask out of nowhere,” Daugherty added.

“She does it to EVERYONE, SHEIS ABSOLUTELY NUTS,” added one user.

DEMOCRAT POLITICOS RERUN UNDERHANDED LEFTIST PLAYBOOK IN EFFORT TO TORPEDO TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE

Hirono wrote in 2018 that she is “asking nominees to our courts, under oath, whether or not they have a history of sexual assault or harassment.”

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“Like in other industries, our judges are in positions of power & #TimesUp,” she posted on X at the time.

She first used the line of questioning during the confirmation hearing for judicial nominee Kurt Engelhardt during the first Trump administration.

Former special counsel Jack Smith was thrust back into the spotlight Wednesday during Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing, as Sen. John Kennedy pressed the Justice Department over newly revealed allegations related to the Biden-era special counsel’s review of lawmakers’ text messages. 

“Would you check for me first if [Smith] read my emails and … number two, how he got them. And number three … what emails did he get of Senator Grassley and I mean … what were they limited to, if at all,” asked Kennedy, referring to Smith’s prior investigation into President Donald Trump that allegedly swept up text messages from 44 members of Congress. 

“Did he get emails from Senator Grassley talking about his corn harvest and, and all that? And who did he share them with? Do you know if Mr. Smith shared my emails with Attorney General Garland,” he continued.

BIDEN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S ‘RUNAWAY TRAIN’ SCOOPED UP SENSITIVE LAWMAKER INFO: ‘ABUSE OF POWER’

Kennedy was referring to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announcing Tuesday that records provided to the committee showed Smith’s team obtained and reviewed text messages involving 44 current and former lawmakers as part of the Trump election probe. Kennedy was not among the list of 44 lawmakers released by Grassley’s office. 

Operation Arctic Frost, the Biden-era FBI probe that Grassley says formed the basis of Smith’s election case against Trump, initially examined the alleged false electors scheme following the 2020 election. Grassley and other Republicans have been investigating whether the probe reflected improper weaponization of federal law enforcement against Trump and his allies.

Blanche confirmed to Kennedy that the DOJ is investigating.

TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE RACKS UP MASSIVE SUPPORT AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘REAL RESULTS’

Kennedy asked Blanche how DOJ officials could get ahold of messages without probable cause.

“There are checks in place that should make it extraordinarily difficult for a prosecutor to, collect and review a senator’s emails or a congressman’s emails or a lawyer’s emails or other folks that have privileged protections associated with their communications,” said Blanche. “Those checks and balances should always be used.”

Grassley’s office said in the press release that Smith’s investigative team bypassed an internal filter review process meant to keep privileged materials from being swept into a criminal prosecution.

“Bypassing a Filter Team evades consideration of additional privileges, such as attorney-client privilege,” stated the release.

The records were provided by the Trump Justice Department in a full-scale probe of Operation Arctic Frost.

Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri also addressed critics, claiming Trump’s DOJ is the “most troubled” justice department in history pointing to weaponization of Biden DOJ’s investigation.

DEMOCRAT POLITICOS RERUN UNDERHANDED LEFTIST PLAYBOOK IN EFFORT TO TORPEDO TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE

“We lived through Jack Smith, and the chairman has just revealed new revelations, of course, that he was reading text messages,” said Schmitt. “By the way, Jack Smith testified under oath he didn’t do that. He testified that they just had the phone logs. We know that’s not true.”

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“Now, Jack Smith should be subject to prosecution for lying to Congress. So this weaponization, let’s draw a distinction. When you go after your political opponents, that is a weaponization,” he added.