NationalWatch

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced on Wednesday the administration is on track to have the primary border wall, from the Pacific to the Gulf of America, completed by June 2027.

He added all contracts will be out by the end of this month, noting the department is making “great progress.”

Mullin’s comments came as he testified before the House Homeland Security Committee about his department’s 2027 fiscal year budget. He testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee Tuesday.

BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION SURGES AHEAD AS ILLEGAL CROSSINGS PLUMMET TO HISTORIC LOWS

However, Mullin clarified the primary wall is separate from the secondary wall.

“The primary wall is the first wall up because of the way the cartels adjust… they’re thugs and they’re terrorists,” Mullin said. “We have to push out a secondary wall because they’ve been going in and cutting the wall, and before we can respond to some of these remote areas, they’ve been able to get through.”

He said that every mile of fencing the department puts up, “the smaller the choke point gets for criminals to cross.”

THE NEW HIGH-TECH TOOL TRUMP IS USING TO SECURE OUR BORDER

To combat the potential break-ins, Mullin said the secondary 150-foot walls will be placed in certain locations, in addition to a smart wall, which will tell the department how many people are there.

“The smart wall is pretty impressive and we can put a drone in the sky and immediately keep eyes on them,” he said. “We’re well within track. The secondary wall — we feel like if we can continue to have the progress we have and the partnerships we’re having, we will probably complete that in the summer of 2028. All of it will be fully completed.”

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Mullin noted he has made multiple trips to oversee the wall construction and used aircraft to fly over “a tremendous amount of it.”

“We have some Democrat members that [have] had some concerns — some Democrat senators, congressmen — every one we try to address immediately,” he said.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, a Democratic member of Congress known for his repeated attempts to impeach President Donald Trump, sparked blacklash online after accusing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin of racism.

When Mullin began defending himself, Green cut him off.

“Shut up,” Green barked.

The moment immediately drew condemnation online with the Republican National Committee’s official X account, reposting a clip of the interaction, calling it “UNHINGED.”

DEM REP. AL GREEN, BOOTED FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS, DOUBLES DOWN ON IMPEACHMENT

The moment and reactions to it underscore how many of Green’s theatrical stunts to protest the Trump administration have turned into online sensations, drawing questions of where effective pushback to the administration begins and at what point it runs the risk of inflaming unwanted attention.

Green, 80, recently lost a primary election to newcomer Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, when a new redistricting map put the two Democratic lawmakers on a collision course to represent Texas’ 18th Congressional District.

Green has positioned himself as one of the party’s most consistent adversaries of the Trump administration, having spearheaded at least six different impeachment efforts and calling on other Democrats to more visibly resist the president’s agenda.

Earlier this year, Green was removed a second time from a State of the Union Address for displaying a sign reading “black people aren’t apes.”

In Wednesday’s hearing, Green noted that then-Senator Mullin had been one of many Republicans who tried to snatch away his sign.

“A racist would depict people of color as apes. A racist would take offense at a peaceful protest. This was a peaceful protest, Mr. Secretary,” Green said, holding up a photo of the moment.

VOCAL ANTI-TRUMP DEM REVEALS WHICH INDUSTRY IS TRYING TO OUST HIM FROM HOUSE SEAT: ‘I WAS A TARGET’

After Mullin tried to interject, Green continued to ask that Mullin be silenced. When Mullin continued, the congressman tried to ask the Republican chair to force Mullin’s compliance.

“Reclaiming my time. Ask him to shut up. It’s my time. Tell him to shut up,” Green said.

Benny Johnson, a political commentator, blasted Green’s attempt to block Mullin’s response in his own post to X.

“This is the modern Democratic Party in one clip. Green’s response? ‘Shut up, up, up, up. Shut up.’ No respect. No argument. No facts. No substance. Just “shut up” and a temper tantrum. This is all they have left,” Johnson said.

The Libs of TikTok, a conservative influencer account, similarly called the moment an embarrassment for Democrats.

“Rep. Al Green (D) has a complete MELTDOWN, calling DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin a “racist” before telling him to “SHUP UP” Thank God this unhinged lunatic was voted out,” the account wrote.

Eric Daugherty, another conservative media personality, also celebrated an impending end to Green’s time in Congress.

“Insufferable Rep. Al Green (D) just went on a BERSERK RANT and DHS Sec. Mullin took NO BS,” Daugherty wrote. “Al Green just lost his House seat. GOOD RIDDANCE!”

DEMS THROW HOUSE INTO CHAOS AFTER 10 MODERATES JOIN GOP TO PUNISH AL GREEN

After a moment, Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., gaveled the room into silence.

“No — the gentleman will suspend,” Garbarino said. “There will be no addressing anyone’s character in a negative way.”

Before the hearing got going again, Mullin got in one last jab at Green.

“Evidently, his constituents heard enough of him because they voted him out,” Mullin said.

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After being instructed to stay away from making attacks of character during the hearing, Green continued with his remarks.

“I will speak into the microphone so that I may be heard. I ask that any person who desires to interrupt me shut up,” Green said one last time.

After delays spurred by shock announcements from the Trump administration, Senate Republicans have officially launched their play to fund immigration enforcement. 

The upper chamber took the first step in the last leg of the process to advance a roughly $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol after being derailed by the administration’s surprise “anti-weaponization” fund. 

It comes after uncertainty over whether acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s testimony under oath that the administration was “not moving forward with the fund” would be enough to satisfy skeptical Republicans.

GOP LEVERAGES ICE FUNDING PACKAGE TO MAKE TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND ‘NEVER EXIST’

Republican leaders hope that the unity on display Wednesday afternoon carries through the forthcoming “vote-a-rama,” where Democrats, and some Republicans, are considering several amendments to ensure that the nearly $2 billion fund is dead and never returns.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged that there may be some Republicans who weren’t satisfied with Blanche’s testimony, and reiterated that the main goal was to “get the base bill across the finish line.” 

“Hopefully, all of our members who have amendment ideas will, as they think through that, and they have the opportunities to have conversations… about their ideas, keep in mind we need to keep the bill together and make sure we’ve got 50 votes for it,” Thune said. 

GOP DEMANDS TRUMP KILL CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND BEFORE REVIVING ICE FUNDING PACKAGE

The fund, announced last month as part of a settlement between the Trump family and the Internal Revenue Service, received strong pushback from Republicans who feared that without proper guardrails, people convicted of assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill could access the taxpayer funds.

Republicans who were irate at the fund are still deciding whether they’ll support amendments, and beyond that, whether they will support final passage from the upper chamber. 

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wanted a guarantee from leadership that his add-on to permanently kill any attempt at an “anti-weaponization” fund would at least get a vote. And if there’s no language that makes its way into the package that addresses the fund, he said, “It’s going to be hard for me to vote yes.”

“I mean, I think we got to know this is a huge political liability,” Tillis told reporters. “I said it was stupid on stilts a week or two ago.”

Senate Democrats intend to take advantage of any lingering fractures among Republicans with a plethora of amendments on the fund, along with other issues like the war in Iran and affordability. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said, “Whenever we go into a vote-a-rama, Democrats will be ready.” 

TRUMP ADMIN BACKS OFF CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND, CLEARING PATH FOR GOP TO RESTART AGENDA

“Every vote, every amendment we bring to the floor will demonstrate that Democrats are standing up for the American people, and Republicans are selling out to Donald Trump,” Schumer said.

Meanwhile, the “anti-weaponization” fund, along with scrapped funding for security upgrades to President Donald Trump’s ballroom, became a distraction from the reconciliation package’s primary purpose.

Republicans turned to the process after congressional Democrats refused to fund immigration enforcement absent stringent reforms — that dispute led to the longest government shutdown in history. 

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But the march to fund ICE and Border Patrol has been marred at times by infighting, either within the Senate GOP or with the administration, that has threatened to blow up the exercise.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Republicans were “moving in the right direction,” despite the issues that have cropped up. 

“We need to get border security funded, we need to get Immigration and Customs Enforcement funded,” Barrasso said. “And the Democrats continue to stand — and I am sure they will today — stand with illegal immigrant criminals over the safety and security of the American people.”

You always knew Lady Elaine Fairchilde would sow chaos on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” when she uttered the incantation “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang!”

Lady Elaine was the mischievous puppet on the show who bore a resemblance to Rod Stewart. She often waved around her boomerang if someone in the Neighborhood of Make Believe ticked her off, and she would literally flip the neighborhood upside down with her “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang!”

That’s where we stand with things these days on Capitol Hill.

The vote margins are really tight in both the House and Senate. Republican lawmakers are frustrated with the President over the war and the economy. That’s to say nothing of the now-abandoned $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund. Then there are lawmakers who the president helped unseat in their primaries: Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La. And now President Trump is insisting on a primary challenge against Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., in 2028 over her support of Massie, and he didn’t back Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, who ended up losing his primary, too.

HOUSE GOP TENSIONS ERUPT AS REPUBLICANS TURN ON EACH OTHER HEADING INTO YEAR’S END

We haven’t even gotten into various skirmishes between the president and retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., over the January 6th riot, or the investigation into former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. And there are pockets of resistance within the party from Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine — with the latter facing a competitive re-election bid this November.

With all of that, there is a “disaffected caucus” of Republicans now serving on Capitol Hill.

In addition, some Senate Republicans are seething at the White House actively working against Cornyn and Cassidy. Some congressional Republicans on the ballot this fall are now trying to put some real estate between themselves and a president growing unpopular within his own party on Capitol Hill.

Senate Republicans are forging ahead to finally fund ICE and Border Patrol. Threats to attach language to curb the anti-weaponization fund derailed those efforts in late May. Republicans now believe they can keep everyone in line and pass that bill without lawmakers abandoning ship. Republicans may struggle to pass an additional measure focused on reducing the cost of living, cutting taxes, reducing gas prices, paying for the war in Iran or even funding the government this fall. Lawmakers have to approve a renewal of a controversial spy program known as FISA Section 702 before mid-month. But that’s grown more complicated after the president installed Bill Pulte — who has no background in national security — as interim director of national intelligence.

This is why some Republicans believe that the legislative process could be stymied.

These disgruntled Republicans could make things pretty hard for the GOP brass and President Trump for the rest of the year. And like Lady Elaine Fairchilde on Mr. Rogers’ show, any one of them could proclaim “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang” and turn the entire congressional neighborhood upside down.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., spoke with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday. The South Dakota Republican says Blanche was “very definitive” about the end of the compensation fund. Thune said he thought that it would help clear the way to pass the ICE/Border Patrol bill.

REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN

“I’m not guaranteeing that happens yet. We’re still continuing to have conversations with our members,” said Thune. “Everything comes down to a function of math. It’s ‘Do we have the votes? Do we have 50 votes to execute on getting a bill like that across the floor?’”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met with President Trump on Monday and discussed the weaponization fund which threw Capitol Hill into a tizzy two weeks ago.

“I believe that it is off the table for consideration,” said Johnson about the fund.

The speaker communicated to the president how the fund made passage of an ICE/Border Patrol bill exponentially more challenging.

“I told them that it was a difficult prospect right now given our vote tallies,” said Johnson.

Blanche was declarative when testifying about the DOJ budget request before the House Appropriations Committee.

“We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” said Blanche.

TRICK OR TREAT: CONGRESS FACES ‘CHAMBER OF HORRORS’ AS GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEADLINE LOOMS

But Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., wasn’t convinced.

“Is there any way that you could put this in writing?” she asked Blanche. “I think they would love to be reassured that this fund will not progress.”

“I’m not trying to be flippant with you. I’m just saying. I’m telling you it’s not (moving forward),” replied Blanche.

Meng asked if she could have something on paper.

“There’ll be a transcript of what I say here so that will be in writing,” said Blanche.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wasn’t impressed by the announcement, either.

“Trump has not killed this slush fund. He has not revoked the special tax immunity he gave himself and his family. He has not ended the corruption. He hit a temporary roadblock. That’s it. Any toothless promise by Trump is worthless. His promises are worthless. The only way to end this scheme is abolish it by law,” said Schumer.

HOUSE GOP FEARS PRIMARY LOSERS COULD JEOPARDIZE RAZOR-THIN MAJORITY

At his hearing, Blanche reiterated that President Trump’s “settlement agreement” with the IRS over the leak of his tax returns remains intact.

This infuriated Democrats.

“You just gave the president’s family tax immunity to the tune of about $100 million,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the Appropriations panel.

And that’s where the GOP’s disgruntled caucus may come in.

Congressional Republican resistance to President Trump has grown in recent weeks. For instance, Cassidy cast the pivotal ballot allowing a procedural vote on an Iran war powers measure to forge ahead. This came after Cassidy lost his Senate primary to Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., and former Rep. John Fleming, R-La.

That said, lots of lawmakers rarely deviate from their customary political convictions – even if they’re on their way out the door. Over the years, I’ve had a number of people suggest to me that various members might be willing to vote for this or that in a lame-duck session after they either lost or are retiring. However, history shows they don’t change. Lawmakers usually remain loyal to their convictions and constituents – even as they exit. They don’t suddenly support something or oppose something – just because they are short-timers and their vote could help the party or their leadership.

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By the same token, lawmakers with one foot out the door don’t undergo a magical conversion if they’re angry at losing and vote one way or another for spite.

But rarely have we had a Congress where the votes in both bodies are so marginal. And even if it’s just a lawmaker or two who strays, it wouldn’t take much to pull a Lady Elaine Fairchilde, holler “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang” and turn Capitol Hill upside down.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed his past clash with Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump’s newly tapped acting intelligence chief, after senators pressed him Wednesday over reports that he once threatened to punch him at a dinner party.

“Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch them in the face,” asked North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday, referencing reports from 2025 that Bessent threatened Pulte during a dinner. 

“No sir, I actually said I was going to kick his ass,” the secretary quipped. 

The exchange during the Treasury’s budget hearing renewed scrutiny of earlier reports detailing a clash between the two men, coming just days after Trump announced that the Federal Housing Finance Agency director would take on one of the government’s most sensitive national security responsibilities.

DEM LASHES OUT AT BESSENT DURING HEATED COMMITTEE HEARING EXCHANGE: ‘EXCUSE ME’

Reports at the time found that Bessent allegedly accused Pulte of undermining him with the president and threatened to punch him in the face while at a dinner in September. But as senators pressed him about Pulte’s elevation to acting director, Bessent downplayed the flared tempers and revealed that he called Tuesday to congratulate him.

“Many teams squabble in the locker room and go out in the field,” responded Bessent when asked if he was comfortable with Pulte’s appointment.

When asked at the time about the alleged dinner quarrel, Bessent commented in September that it is not unprecedented to have Cabinet members to have physical altercations. 

“Treasury secretaries dating back to Alexander Hamilton have a history of dueling,” Bessent said in a CNBC interview.

DC DINNER TURNS CHAOTIC AS CODEPINK ACTIVISTS CORNER TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: ‘BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS’

Trump tapped Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte after former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she would step down last month to support her husband following his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.

TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Pulte will remain FHFA director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the new post.

Bessent also made headlines in April 2025 for an alleged face-to-face with SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk.

The two men reportedly entered into a shouting match while in the West Wing over who would lead the IRS, Axios reported at the time.

Democratic lawmakers have expressed their disagreement with the Pulte pick, calling his qualifications into question.

“Trump’s appointments of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence appears to have been a hastily considered backroom deal based on loyalty to Trump, not the security of our nation,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“What exactly are Bill Pulte qualifications? Does he have a national security background? The answer would be no. Does he have a military background? The answer would be no. Does he have a law enforcement background? The answer would be no,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

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He added, “What qualifies Bill Pulte to hold one of the most important national security positions for the United States of America? One thing, apparently, that Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how reckless, vengeful or unlawful Donald Trump’s demand may be.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department and DNI for comment.

President Donald Trump suffered a rare defeat in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after Democrats joined by a handful of Republicans voted to sharply curb his war powers in Iran. 

Lawmakers voted 215-208 to withdraw troops from using military force against Iran absent congressional authorization. 

All Democrats present voted for the measure to effectively halt the U.S. military campaign against Iran. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Warren Davison, R-Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Tom Barrett, R-Mich., were the lone Republicans to buck the president and support the war powers resolution.

Massie, an ardent foe of the president who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, and Davidson, a libertarian-aligned lawmaker have criticized the war in Iran. Fitzpatrick and Barrett are both facing potentially difficult re-election bids in swing districts.

SWING-DISTRICT REPUBLICAN BREAKS WITH TRUMP, PUSHES LIMITS ON IRAN WAR

A majority of Republicans, however, sided with the president as Democrats sought to put them on the record.

“It’s just a total BS vote. I think there’s no Democrat, no Republican that can tell you what forces they would want pulled from Iran,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., told Fox News. “They just want a stupid political vote, which is what this is.”

The successful war powers vote is largely a symbolic loss for Trump given an expected presidential veto and the lack of a veto-proof majority.

Even if Congress did cobble together a supermajority to force the president’s hand, it’s unclear whether Trump would ultimately withdraw U.S. forces.

Trump administration officials have repeatedly argued the 1973 War Powers Resolution requiring congressional oversight of military action is unconstitutional. 

The Senate advanced a similar resolution curbing the president’s war powers in May. But Democrats in both chambers have not yet gotten behind a bicameral measure that could be sent to Trump’s desk. 

US ALLY KUWAIT CONDEMNS ‘BRUTAL AND ONGOING IRANIAN ATTACKS’ AFTER AIRPORT WAS HIT

The GOP defections come as a growing number of Republicans have started to sour on the president’s handling of the war. For weeks, Trump has floated a potential deal with Iran to end hostilities, but both sides have continued to trade strikes amid stalled negotiations.

Roughly six in ten voters oppose military action against Iran, according to a Fox News poll published in May. However, 72% of respondents said the U.S. is winning the war.

Some Republicans argued the war powers resolution would undermine efforts to end the conflict, which they said has largely subsided since the first ceasefire was announced in early April.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s much of a war at this point,” Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., told Fox News. “I know there’s some skirmishes back and forth, but we’ve got to give President Trump the latitude to negotiate.”

“So people who are trying to get in his way, I think, are being a little foolish right now,” he added. “The war for all intents and purposes ended back in April.”

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Republican leadership initially delayed the vote on the Democratic-led resolution in late May following attendance issues among GOP lawmakers.

“We had a vote because of this president’s war of choice that was going to pass. We had the votes. Without question, and they knew it,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., who led the resolution, told reporters following the scrapped vote.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that he plans to nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice.

In a video posted to social media by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, Trump can be seen announcing that he will nominate Blanche for the position after he assumed the role on an interim basis following former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s firing in early April.

“Tomorrow I’m instructing Dan [Scavino] and everybody else that’s involved in that very complicated process, which is gonna go, I think, very quickly, that we are going to make him permanent Attorney General,” Trump said in the video, which was recorded during a Rose Garden Club Dinner on Wednesday evening at the White House.

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This is a developing story; please check back for updates.

House Democrats scored a rare victory on Wednesday after the chamber voted to advance a security package providing new military aid for Ukraine and imposing steep sanctions on Russia.

The Democrat-sponsored legislation cleared a procedural vote 218-204 with all Democrats present voting in the affirmative. Seven members of the House Republican conference supported the measure in a notable display of defiance against GOP leadership. 

The defecting Republicans included Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Max Miller, R-Ohio, and Joe Wilson, R-S.C. Additionally, Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., an independent who caucuses with Republicans, also voted to advance the bill. 

The security package would reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO, authorize more than $1 billion in new military assistance, support Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction, and impose new sanctions on Russia and entities that support its war effort if Moscow continues the war, among other provisions. 

ANOTHER NATO ALLY SIGNS ONTO EUROPEAN NUCLEAR UMBRELLA AS CONTINENT BOOSTS SELF-DEFENSE

The measure now heads for a vote on final passage, where it is expected to pass as soon as Thursday. 

Its fate in the Republican-controlled Senate remains uncertain, where a bipartisan effort to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia has stalled for more than a year despite overwhelming support. Trump is expected to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.

The vote came after Democrats and a handful of Republicans teamed up to force consideration of the legislation over the objections of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who controls the floor. 

Fitzpatrick, Bacon and Kiley crossed party lines to sign the Democratic-led discharge petition, a legislative maneuver that allows lawmakers to trigger a vote on legislation with majority support.

“This is our opportunity to provide the leverage that could prove decisive in ending this conflict on acceptable terms in a way that will deter future Russian aggression,” Kiley, an independent lawmaker, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

“It’s just inconceivable that we should not be having additional sanctions against working with Putin,” Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., who supported the underlying bill’s advancement, told Fox News. “Over and over again, we need to be standing with the courageous people of Ukraine.”

“We need to stop what Putin is doing, which is trying to resurrect the Soviet Union,” he added.

6 HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEFY TRUMP ON KEY AGENDA ITEM IN DEM-PUSHED VOTE

The measure was vigorously opposed by Republican leadership, who argued the pro-Ukraine measure was poorly drafted and undermined the administration’s efforts to end the years-long conflict, which has been estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands.

The bill calls for NATO countries to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP prior to NATO’s Washington Summit — an event that occurred nearly two years ago in July 2024. Trump also secured a newer commitment from allies in 2025 to hike defense spending to 5% of their economic output over the course of a decade. 

Additionally, the legislation mandates that Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a taxpayer-funded outlet, have its funding restored after the Trump administration sought to cut off the outlet’s congressionally approved funding in 2025. Federal courts later ordered the funding restored amid an ongoing legal battle.

The Russia-Ukraine war has continued with no end in sight, despite Trump’s vow to end the conflict upon returning to office.

Proponents of the Ukraine Support Act argue that the legislative branch should pressure the Trump administration to take a harder line against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“This is the moment for Congress to assert itself,” Kiley told Fox News Digital. “We’re seeing just further brutality on the part of Russia now, and so I think that if Congress gets involved in a meaningful way, it could provide the decisive leverage to finally bring about a resolution.”

The successful discharge petition is the latest instance in which a majority of lawmakers have worked around Johnson’s opposition to put legislation on the floor. 

“Democrats have repeatedly governed in the minority as if we were in the majority, and we’re going to do so again this week,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Tuesday, arguing his party is displaying support for “the free world, for democracy, for truth and the Ukrainian people” by forcing a vote on the security package. 

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The use of discharge petitions, a rarely used tool historically deployed by the minority, has exploded under Johnson’s leadership.

A coalition of Democrats and a handful of Republicans has used the legislative maneuver to force votes on legislation compelling the release of the Epstein files, extending legal protections to Haitian nationals and overturning a regulation targeting federal employees’ collective bargaining rights.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Wednesday’s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing “a circus” after Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., questioned him about a pair of shoes he received as a gift from President Donald Trump.

The exchange came after Jacobs criticized Rubio’s testimony regarding the recent conflict with Iran, arguing that he was unwilling to acknowledge facts.

“Mr. Secretary, it seems like you have an issue admitting facts… You couldn’t admit the shoes the president bought you were too big,” she said.

Rubio appeared puzzled by the remark.

DEMS’ HEARING MELTDOWNS A PLAY TO THE BASE, ANALYSTS SAY, AS TRUMP NOMS KEEP PUSHING BACK IN VIRAL MOMENTS

“I don’t know about the shoes. I mean, [Trump] gave me some Florsheim shoes that are actually pretty good, they fit fine, I don’t know what she’s talking about,” he said.

Jacobs then returned to the topic moments later, complimenting Rubio’s footwear.

“Your shoes look very nice today, Mr. Secretary,” she told him.

“How can you see them? They’re way down here. We’re talking about shoes. Are you guys kidding me? I mean, is this the Foreign Affairs Committee or is this, like, a circus? What is this?” Rubio responded.

RUBIO CRACKS UP AT TRUMP’S REACTION TO NATO LEADER CALLING PRESIDENT ‘DADDY’

The exchange came amid a combative hearing in which Democratic lawmakers repeatedly challenged Rubio over the Trump administration’s handling of foreign policy, including the recent conflict with Iran.

Earlier in the hearing, Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., questioned Rubio about whether Trump’s personal financial interests could have influenced decisions related to military action against Iran.

Rubio forcefully rejected the suggestion.

“Not once. Just to be clear, not a single time, not even for a millisecond, has the president ever discussed his personal economics and relations to war or any public policy that he’s made, for that matter,” Rubio said. “And I’ve been in every one of his foreign policy meetings for the most part.”

RUBIO SLAMS ‘FALSE’ INTELLIGENCE LEAKS DOWNPLAYING SUCCESS OF TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES

As Democratic lawmakers continued pressing Rubio throughout the hearing on issues ranging from Trump’s finances to allegations of corruption within the administration, the secretary grew increasingly frustrated with the tenor of the proceedings.

Later in the hearing, Rubio again complained that lawmakers were not allowing him enough time to answer questions.

“What kind of thing is this? What is this? You know, you get asked questions for five minutes and you don’t get time to answer. It’s not a hearing,” Rubio said.

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As the exchange continued, he added, “Is this a dunk tank? What is this?”

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Scandal-plagued democratic socialist Graham Platner’s continued controversies have led his former primary rival to speak out and remind Mainers that she remains on the ballot despite having suspended her campaign.

Platner has been hit with one controversy after another, though he remains the heavy favorite heading into next Tuesday’s primary contest, as his only active opponent, David Costello, has failed to gain traction.

But Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who suspended her campaign for Senate earlier this year, dropped a potential bombshell in comments to a Lewiston Sun-Journal columnist by suggesting Democrats could still vote for her in their effort to unseat 30-year incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, New England’s last remaining federal Republican officeholder.

“People have the impression that I withdrew or dropped out,” Mills said, according to columnist Steve Collins.

“I simply suspended active campaigning. I am still on the ballot,” said Mills — an outspoken Trump critic who got publicly reprimanded by the president during a White House lunch earlier this year over the subject of biological men in girls’ sports.

DEM PRIMARY TURNS UGLY: MILLS UNLEASHES BRUTAL ATTACK ON SANDERS-BACKED PLATNER IN CRUCIAL SENATE SHOWDOWN

While fundraising struggles were cited in Maine media reports as a key reason Mills paused her campaign, Platner has charged ahead through one controversy after another.

His “Totenkopf” chest tattoo — one used by German Nazi concentration camp guards — has been the controversy most frequently cited by Republicans, while his campaign also became embroiled in a separate controversy when a consultant asked Massachusetts-based sports media personality David Portnoy to collaborate on an anti-private-equity campaign against the Boston Red Sox front office.

Portnoy balked at the suggestion, citing his Jewish faith and Platner’s Nazi tattoo.

Platner also defended himself after a Reddit post resurfaced in which he called former Pennsylvania lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Teddy Daniels a “dumb motherf—-er” for being badly wounded in a Taliban siege, blaming “poor marksmanship” by the Afghan terrorists for the Republican’s survival.

Otherwise dormant since April 30, Mills’ campaign X account sprang back to life June 1 with a post commemorating Pride Month.

PLATNER CONTROVERSIES FUEL SPECULATION ABOUT LITTLE-KNOWN MAINE BALLOT REPLACEMENT PROVISION

“Everyone deserves the freedom to live authentically and marry who they love without fear. I’m proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community, today and every day,” Mills said.

Meanwhile, Steve Collins wrote in the column containing Mills’ comments that an increasing number of female independent and Democratic voters in Maine are troubled by Platner’s scandals.

He wrote that their collective umbrage is “more likely to kill [Platner’s] campaign… than greedy millionaires.”

Susan Collins’ counterpart in the Senate is registered Independent Sen. Angus King Jr., who caucuses with Democrats and reliably votes with them.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign and Mills’ office for comment.

The Pine Tree State’s primary is June 9.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., suddenly found himself on the defensive at a budget hearing on Wednesday when, amid levying accusations of the Trump administration’s “corrupt” dealings, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent fired back by bringing Wyden’s son’s investments into the exchange.

“We would like to hear what Adam Wyden and Jeffrey Epstein talked about,” Bessent said, referring to unearthed emails drawing a connection between the senator’s son and the disgraced financier.

“Did your son and Jeffrey Epstein talk about pole dancing as he begged him for money?”

The moment continues the political fallout for the many names associated with Epstein that — despite not amounting to proof of wrongdoing — continue to prompt embarrassment and scandal at even the smallest mention.

TOP FIERY MOMENTS AS DEMOCRATS CLASH WITH TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT IN CHAOTIC HILL HEARINGS

Epstein, a former financier, died while in prison on charges of sex trafficking minors in 2019, leaving behind questions of whether he facilitated illegal sexual encounters for his vast network of rich and powerful figures.

Amid public demands for transparency on the matter, the Department of Justice released troves of documents on Epstein late last year, unveiling a slew of new names with all manner of ties to the infamous figure ranging from purely innocuous to alarming.

Among them, emails surfaced indicating that Adam Wyden, Ron Wyden’s son, went to Epstein, hoping to gain his support for a business venture.

UNEARTHED EMAILS REVEAL DEM SENATOR’S SON WANTED EPSTEIN TO JOIN HIS FUND: ‘ENJOYED OUR CONVERSATION’

“Jeffrey, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and hope my passion and dedication for my business came through in the meeting. I live and breathe this business and take my returns, integrity and reputation quite seriously,” the younger Wyden said in an email in April 2016.

“I intensely appreciate like-minded individuals and would very much look forward to having you join us at the fund.”

The emails came after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida in 2008.

It’s unclear what the business venture discussed by Adam Wyden and Epstein may have been or what, specifically, had been discussed in their conversations.

Even so, Bessent reminded viewers that the younger Wyden had a history of investing in off-color markets at Wednesday’s hearing.

DEMOCRATS ARE HAMMERING REPUBLICANS ON EPSTEIN, BUT ONE SENATOR BRUSHED OFF THE ISSUE YEARS AGO

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“Your son’s largest investment position was Rick’s Cabaret,” Bessent said, referring to a series of strip clubs.

Wyden, who has widely panned the Trump administration and its many officials for their own connections to Epstein, didn’t respond to Bessent’s jabs.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday touted Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud efforts and claimed Republicans are uncovering enough government fraud to potentially balance the federal budget, while accusing Democrats of resisting investigations because they are “in on the act.”

In a Truth Social post, Trump praised Vance and Republican officials for what he described as a nationwide effort to identify fraud and waste in government spending.

“Vice President JD Vance and Republicans are doing a great job hunting down Fraud in the various States,” Trump wrote. “Billions of Dollars is being found, and we’ve just started!”

Trump’s comments come as the administration has sought to highlight anti-fraud efforts led by Vance. In April, Fox News Digital reported that Vance’s newly created anti-fraud task force had identified nearly $6.3 billion in government contracts believed to be tied to potentially fraudulent businesses.

Officials said nearly 400 businesses would be required to prove they had legitimate operations and physical addresses.

JD VANCE’S TASK FORCE FLAGS NEARLY $6.3B IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS GOING TO POTENTIALLY FRAUDULENT BUSINESSES

The president argued that the amount of fraud being uncovered could have major implications for federal spending and taxes.

“If we found it all, we would literally be able to balance the Budget, and simultaneously reduce Taxes, cutting them even more than I have already done, which is a RECORD!” Trump wrote.

Trump did not provide evidence that fraud findings identified by Republicans would be sufficient to eliminate the federal deficit. While the president argued uncovering fraud could eventually balance the budget, the administration has not publicly released figures showing identified fraud totals approaching the size of the annual federal deficit.

BESSENT SAYS MINNESOTA FRAUD RECOVERY COULD HELP FUND TRUMP’S $1.5T DEFENSE PLAN

The anti-fraud task force was established by executive order in March, and is chaired by Vance. The administration has said the initiative is designed to identify fraud, waste and abuse across federal programs and government contracts as part of a broader effort to reduce spending and strengthen oversight.

Trump also sharply criticized Democrats, saying he was surprised efforts to uncover fraud had not received bipartisan support.

“Amazingly, Dumocrats are fighting us all the way,” Trump wrote. “This is something that I am surprised at, because I thought this would be a Bipartisan effort.”

JD VANCE WARNS BLUE STATE OFFICIALS COULD FACE PRISON OVER BILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD EPIDEMIC

Trump went on to suggest Democrats may oppose such investigations because they have a vested interest in preventing further discoveries.

“It’s looking like they’re in on the act,” Trump wrote.

The president further claimed Democrats do not want Republicans to uncover what he described as “Hundreds of Billions of Dollars of FRAUD!”

Trump later compared Democratic opposition to anti-fraud efforts with several other issues that have become central themes of his political messaging, including transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, mail-in ballots, voter identification requirements and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting.

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The administration has made rooting out waste, fraud and abuse a recurring focus of its messaging as it seeks to reduce government spending and defend broader fiscal policy initiatives.

Democrats have argued Republicans frequently conflate fraud, waste and policy disagreements when discussing federal spending reductions and have questioned whether projected savings touted by the administration can ultimately be realized.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was caught on video calling Homeland Security Sec. Markwayne Mullin a “racist” during a House committee meeting Wednesday focused on department funding.

Following the initial outburst, Green proceeded to tell Mullin to “shut up.”

The Homeland Security secretary could be seen cocking his head in apparent surprise, as Green continued the verbal attack, repeating “shut up.”

“Did you just tell me to shut up,” Mullin asked.

DEMS THROW HOUSE INTO CHAOS AFTER 10 MODERATES JOIN GOP TO PUNISH AL GREEN

As the sound of the gavel rang out, Green shouted back, “It’s my time.”

“I’m not going to let anybody call me a racist chairman,” Mullen calmly told Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-New York, who serves as the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Green denied making the comment before again asking Garbarino to “tell him to shut up.”

The chairman called for the encounter to be suspended following Green’s escalation at the House gathering.

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Green has a history of aggressive outbursts, having been ejected from President Donald Trump’s primetime address to a joint session of Congress for a second year in a row in February.

He was recently defeated in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District by freshman Rep. Christian Menefee.

President Donald Trump carried Ohio by more than 11 percentage points in 2024, but a new Fox News survey finds his standing in the Buckeye State has deteriorated — a development that is benefitting Democrat Sherrod Brown in the Senate race. 

By a 15-point margin, Ohioans view Trump negatively: 42% hold a favorable opinion and 57% an unfavorable one. That’s more than a 20-point swing compared to his +6 net positive rating (52-46%) in the November 2024 Ohio Fox News Voter Analysis election survey.

The poll of Ohio voters, released Wednesday, finds Trump’s ratings are about on par with views of Republican incumbent Senator Jon Husted (41% favorable, 50% unfavorable), while challenger and former Ohio Senator Brown is viewed significantly more positively (53% vs. 44%).

That helps Brown outperform Husted by a 53% to 45% margin in the race to fill the state’s Senate seat.  His 8-point lead is outside the poll’s margin of sampling error.  

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI REGULATION AS URGENT, RANK SAFEGUARDS AHEAD OF INNOVATION

Brown garners fully 98% support among Democrats compared to Husted’s 86% among Republicans.  Brown also receives backing from outside the democratic base: 31% of non-MAGA Republicans and 13% of all Republicans.  Only 2% of Democrats pick Husted. 

Husted is favored by White evangelical Christians (+32 points), rural voters (+11), and White men without a college degree (+7).  Brown is preferred by voters under age 35 (+33), independents (+18), and women (+14). 

Non-white voters favor Brown by 58 points, while the race is a dead heat among White voters (49% each).  And the candidates are nearly tied among voters ages 45 and over (49-48%), while Brown leads by 23 points among those under age 45.

The candidates are competing for the Senate seat Husted currently holds after being appointed to replace JD Vance when Vance became vice president. Brown is hoping to return to the U.S. Senate after he narrowly lost his seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024. 

About 7 in 10 of both Brown’s (73%) and Husted’s supporters (69%) are certain of their choice. Overall, about one in four say they may change their mind before voting. 

FOX NEWS POLL: ‘RESILIENT DISCONTENT’ DEFINES THE US MOOD AT 250TH ANNIVERSARY

By a 6-point margin, more Democrats (82%) than Republicans (76%) say they are extremely or very motivated to vote this November. 

Most Brown supporters, 68%, describe their vote as mainly for him rather than against Husted (30%).  Those who are backing Husted are less enthusiastic about their candidate, with 58% saying their support is mainly for him rather than against Brown (39%).

In a state Trump carried with 55% of the vote, the survey finds being too close to him is now more of a liability than being too liberal.  Some 39% of Ohioans are concerned Brown is “too liberal,” including 13% of his supporters. For Husted, 46% overall are worried he is “too close” to Trump, including 10% of his backers. 

Inflation dominates, with 43% saying it is the most important issue in their Senate vote.  All others trail far behind, including healthcare (12%), immigration and border security (11%,) political divisions (9%), jobs (8%), Iran (7%), abortion and crime (4% each).  Notably, inflation is the top issue among independents (50%), Democrats (44%), Republicans (40%), MAGA (34%), and 2024 Trump voters (39%).

Voters focused on inflation favor Brown by 14 points, as do healthcare voters by 44 points, while those prioritizing immigration and border security go for Husted by 76.

On their family’s financial situation, 39% of Ohio voters say they are falling behind, up from 32% who said the same in the 2024 FNVA survey.  The largest number, 49%, say their family is holding steady, down 9 points.

“There’s good reason for the Democrats to be bullish on Ohio,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The state remains solidly Republican, but Democrats are united against Trump allies and independents prefer Brown.”

In the race for governor, Ohio voters are divided: half back Democrat Amy Acton (50%) and nearly half favor Republican Vivek Ramaswamy (49%). Fourteen percent who prefer Brown in the Senate race cross-party lines to support Ramaswamy. 

Most Democrats (93%) go for Acton, while most Republicans favor Ramaswamy (89%). Independents back Acton by 8 points (51-43%).

Nearly twice as many Acton supporters (38%) as Ramaswamy backers (21%) say their vote is mainly “against” the other candidate.

Seven in 10 of each candidate’s supporters are certain of their choice.

Although views of Acton are positive by 9 points (46% favorable vs. 37% unfavorable), 16% are unable to rate her. Ramaswamy’s ratings are positive by 1 point (45-44%), while Vance’s are underwater by 7 (45-52%), and opinion splits on sitting GOP Gov. Mike DeWine (48-48%).

By more than 2-to-1, Buckeye voters oppose having an AI data center built in their area (32% favor, 65% oppose).  That opposition is across the political spectrum, as majorities of Democrats (72%), independents (64%), and Republicans (59%) are against building data centers.

Conducted May 28-June 1, 2026 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,015 Ohio registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file.  Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (109) and cellphones (653) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (253).  Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher.  In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.  Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population.  Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100. 

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., lashed out at towel-clad Republican staffers outside the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) headquarters this week after they confronted him and other top Dems over their support for scandal-plagued Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.

Video obtained by Fox News Digital shows the Republican protesters, including staffers from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), dressed in towels to mock a sexually suggestive Kik profile photo of Platner that showed the Democratic Senate hopeful shirtless with a towel around his waist.

“Do you support Graham Platner even though he’s on Kik?” one protester asked Sanders outside the DSCC headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Platner and other top Dems were seen entering and exiting to meet with the embattled candidate ahead of his June 9 primary.

Platner’s campaign has been dogged by controversies, including a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol that he has since covered up, resurfaced Reddit posts that blamed rape victims, pushed racial stereotypes, mocked a Purple Heart veteran, and encouraged political violence, among other controversial comments on the popular blogging platform.

WATCH: DEM SENATORS EXCUSE PLATNER’S CONDUCT AT CRISIS HUDDLE WITH EMBATTLED MAINE CANDIDATE

Meanwhile, Platner’s issues continued just days ahead of his primary after it was reported Platner had exchanged sexually-explicit text messages with other women during his marriage and had an active Kik profile featuring a shirtless mirror selfie with a towel around his waist, a photo GOP staffers appeared to mock outside the DSCC by showing up in towels. Kik is an anonymous messaging app linked to child exploitation cases, which child-safety groups have criticized as a “predator’s paradise.”

Chants of “Platner is a creep!” and “Delete your Kik!” alongside signs that read “PEDO PLATNER MESSAGED KIDS” could be seen in video of the demonstration caught by Fox News Digital.

“Are you with the Republican party?” Sanders shot back in response to the protester’s question about Platner’s Kik account.

CORY BOOKER ADMITS GRAHAM PLATNER ‘HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER’ FOLLOWING LATEST SCANDAL

“It doesn’t matter,” the protester returned before Sanders lashed out about Republican “morality” amid the heated back-and-forth.

“Are you talking about morality and corruption? With President Trump?” Sanders shouted at the protesters as he pointed back at them. “Have a nice day,” he said before walking off.

Fox News Digital has found no evidence that Platner communicated with minors on Kik. The controversy surrounding the account centers on the app’s child-safety reputation, the sexually suggestive profile photo and its emergence alongside separate reporting about Platner’s sexually explicit messages with women during his marriage.

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Meanwhile, Platner has disputed portions of the reporting surrounding his personal life, while his wife has criticized the disclosure of private details about their marriage. He has also apologized for past online comments and said the tattoo, which he has since covered, was obtained years ago without knowledge of its Nazi associations.

The confrontation outside the DSCC underscored the increasingly public effort by Republicans to turn Platner’s controversies into a liability for national Democrats, including Sanders and other top party figures who have continued to stand by him ahead of Maine’s June 9 Democratic Senate primary.

A campaign staffer for congressional candidate Stefany Shaheen repeatedly shoved a pastry into the camera of an America Rising tracker as he questioned her about whether she supported Graham Platner’s U.S. Senate campaign. Shaheen did not respond.

Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Maine’s open Senate seat, has faced a string of controversies over the past year. Reports from last month revealed that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with up to a dozen women while married. The scandal follows earlier scrutiny over inflammatory past Reddit posts and a tattoo resembling the Nazi-era Totenkopf symbol, which Platner has said he did not understand was associated with the SS when he got it.

Shaheen is running for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, a seat left open by Rep. Chris Pappas’ Senate bid to succeed her retiring mother. Although neither Shaheen nor her mother, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., has publicly supported Platner, Republicans seized on Shaheen’s refusal to answer questions about him.

“Nepo baby Stefany Shaheen had the chance to condemn Graham Platner’s vile behavior. Instead, she chose to stay radio silent while her staffer attacked a questioner with a donut,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told Fox News Digital. “Granite Staters deserve a representative who doesn’t glaze over simple questions and whose team knows not to weaponize a baked good.”

LONGTIME DEMOCRAT SENATOR’S DAUGHTER TAKES AIM AT TRUMP, MUSK, RFK JR, IN LAUNCH FOR KEY HOUSE SWING SEAT

Fox News Digital reached out to Stefany Shaheen’s campaign for comment.

Despite Platner’s mounting controversies, several prominent Democrats have continued to stand by him. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have all maintained their support for Platner’s campaign, arguing that control of the Senate remains the party’s top priority heading into November.

“The issue right now is not Graham Platner’s marriage. The issue right now is how we address the crises facing working families in this country,” Sanders said of the sex scandal plaguing Platner’s campaign.

WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM

Sanders endorsed Platner just two weeks after he launched his campaign. Throughout the campaign trail, Platner has echoed Sanders’ calls to take on billionaires but has stopped short of labeling himself a democratic socialist.

Schumer endorsed Platner just hours after Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign and dropped out of the race in April.

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Democratic leaders have continued to support Platner while emphasizing the importance of reclaiming the Senate. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said “so much is riding on Democrats taking control of the Senate,” while Schumer has repeatedly framed the race in terms of defeating Susan Collins and winning back the chamber.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully pushed back Wednesday against a Democratic lawmaker’s suggestion that President Donald Trump may have considered personal financial interests when making decisions related to the recent conflict with Iran.

Rubio called the allegation “completely false” and said he has never heard the president discuss his own finances in connection with war or foreign policy.

The exchange came during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, when Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., pressed Rubio about whether he warned Trump that military action against Iran could increase costs for Americans and whether the president’s personal stock holdings created a potential conflict of interest.

HOW TRUMP HANDED THE DEMOCRATS A GIFT BY SEEMING TO DISMISS FINANCIAL WORRIES OF AMERICANS

“Not once. Just to be clear, not a single time, not even for a millisecond,” Rubio said. “Has the president ever discussed his personal economics and relations to war or any public policy that he’s made, for that matter? And I’ve been in every one of his foreign policy meetings for the most part.”

Rubio’s remarks came after Meeks questioned whether Trump had been warned that “personal stock purchases and companies profiting from the war that he launched could present a conflict of interest.”

“I’m not aware of the president’s stock purchases,” Rubio responded. “I don’t deal that. And I don’t even know what you’re saying is true.” 

When Meeks asserted that Trump’s financial information was public, Rubio replied, “You say so. I don’t read the president’s financial disclosure, but I don’t believe that.”

Meeks’ line of questioning followed the release of Trump’s annual financial disclosure, which showed more than 3,600 securities transactions executed in investment accounts managed for the president’s benefit during the first quarter of 2026. 

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on Meeks’ line of questioning. Trump representatives have said the accounts are managed by outside financial professionals and that the president does not direct individual trades.

The hearing also featured a tense back-and-forth after Meeks repeatedly asked whether Rubio warned Trump that the conflict could drive up costs for gas, food, travel and shipping. 

Rubio declined to provide a direct yes-or-no answer, telling the congressman, “I don’t do yes or no answers.”

As Meeks continued pressing him, Rubio responded, “You’re running out your five minutes. Did you? I don’t do yes or no. Quiet. You want to ask me a question? I’ll answer.”

Meeks did not cite a specific stock purchase or financial transaction connected to the U.S. operation against Iran during the hearing.

TOP FIERY MOMENTS AS DEMOCRATS CLASH WITH TREASURY SECRETARY BESSENT IN CHAOTIC HILL HEARINGS

As Democratic lawmakers repeatedly challenged Rubio throughout the hearing on issues ranging from Trump’s finances and decision-making to broader allegations of corruption within the administration, the secretary grew increasingly frustrated with the tenor of the proceedings.

“Is this the Foreign Affairs Committee, or is this like a circus? What is this?” Rubio asked during one exchange.

At another point, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., showed videos he argued depicted Trump falling asleep during meetings and accused Rubio of misleading Congress when he denied it.

“I’ve never seen him fall asleep,” Rubio responded, later defending Trump’s work habits by saying the president “literally doesn’t sleep” and “works day and night, long hours every single day.”

Lieu also questioned Trump’s cognitive fitness, prompting Rubio to fire back that “we had a cognitively impaired president in office a few years ago,” an apparent reference to former President Joe Biden.

Later in the hearing, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., accused the administration of a lack of transparency surrounding Venezuela oil contracts and alleged corruption involving Trump allies. Rubio called the accusations “false” and “defamatory” and repeatedly complained that lawmakers were not allowing him to answer questions before reclaiming their time.

“What kind of thing is this? What is this? You know, you get asked questions for five minutes and you don’t get time to answer. It’s not a hearing,” Rubio said.

As the exchange continued, Rubio added, “Is this a dunk tank what is this?”

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Rubio made the earlier “circus” remark during a separate exchange with Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., in which the congresswoman criticized his handling of the administration’s foreign policy and referenced a pair of shoes Trump had allegedly given him. Rubio responded that the shoes fit fine before expressing disbelief that the committee was discussing footwear.

“Are you guys kidding me?” Rubio said.

GOP Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee said a communications staffer was reprimanded after making a “stupid” and “hurtful” social media post.

“Earlier today while working on the farm, my phone began going crazy because of a post made by a member of my comms team. The post was stupid, hurtful and a complete distraction from my America First focus. The employee has been reprimanded,” Ogles said in a post on Tuesday night.

The House Republican appears to have been referring to a post on his @RepOgles X account that read, “Homosexuality has no place in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month.”

REPUBLICAN SAYS ‘MUSLIMS DON’T BELONG IN AMERICAN SOCIETY,’ DRAWS FIERCE DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH

Fox News Digital reached out to Ogles’ office on Wednesday.

Gov. Bill Lee signed a resolution that cleared the Tennessee state legislature to designate June 2026 as “Nuclear Family Month.”

CHICAGO COLLEGE REMOVES LGBTQ PRIDE FLAG OVER INSTITUTIONAL NEUTRALITY CONCERNS

“Homosexuality exists. In America. In fact Andy, you have family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and constituents who are gay and lesbian. It doesn’t make them less than or somehow unworthy of being an American. What an absolutely idiotic statement to make,” Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York wrote on X.

Ogles’ post appears to have been deleted from X.

On Monday, Lawler wished a “Happy Pride Month” to those who celebrate it in June.

MAMDANI MARKS PRIDE MONTH, SAYS HONORING ‘QUEER AND TRANSGENDER’ CONTRIBUTIONS WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 30 DAYS

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“June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate love, acceptance, and the freedom to be yourself. Happy Pride Month to all who are celebrating!” Lawler declared in a post on X.

Senate Republicans may need more convincing from the Trump administration that the “anti-weaponization” fund is officially dead, even after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spelled out its doom on Tuesday. 

Many Republicans demanded that the administration make it crystal clear that not only was the nearly $2 billion fund done, but that it would never come back. And at stake is a multibillion package to fund immigration enforcement operations. 

During a closed-door meeting Tuesday, Senate Republican leadership assured members that Blanche would lay out the fate of the fund, and hoped that it would be enough to quell dissent among the ranks. 

TRUMP ADMIN BACKS OFF CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND, CLEARING PATH FOR STALLED GOP IMMIGRATION BILL

And he did during a hearing in the House, where he repeatedly said that the administration was not moving forward with the fund.

“The reasons for the fund, I think, remain as important as they were before, but we are not moving forward with the fund,” Blanche said. 

The fund was announced last month as part of a settlement between the Trump family and the Internal Revenue Service, and pitched as a mechanism for people who felt they were targeted by the government to get a financial kickback. Republicans were concerned that without proper guardrails, people convicted of assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill could access the taxpayer cash flow.

Some in the GOP wanted President Donald Trump to come out and officially kill the fund. 

“I assume if Blanche is saying it, the president must agree,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said.

GOP DEMANDS TRUMP KILL CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND BEFORE REVIVING ICE FUNDING PACKAGE

But some Republicans want an even more concrete show from the administration that it’s actually dead and gone. 

“I’m not sure that’s gonna be good enough for some people,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. 

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., contended that if the administration really meant it, it would support legislation to permanently prevent the fund from returning in any form. He planned to push an amendment to the broader, roughly $70 billion reconciliation package that would make sure of that.

“I just feel like we just need to do a Wayback Machine and just pretend like this never existed and take whatever steps are necessary to make sure it can never exist or disperse,” Tillis said. “Not in the current environment.” 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that Blanche previewed his remarks on the fund to him, and hoped that it would be enough to unite the fractured Republicans to move forward with budget reconciliation this week. 

GOP’S PRIMED FOR PRIMARY SEASON PAYBACK ON TRUMP’S MOST AMBITIOUS, CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

“I think, as I’ve conveyed to you before, everything comes down to a function of math,” Thune said. “It’s do we have the votes? Do we have 50 votes to execute on getting a bill like that across the floor? Because we have to have Republicans hanging together in order to do that.”

Republican leadership hopes to launch the process on Wednesday in order to get the roughly $70 billion package to the House by the end of the week. 

Some Republicans are hopeful that it will be enough to get the process back on track. 

“If it goes like we’re told it will go, well, there’s a reasonable possibility, then we will move pretty quickly to the reconciliation,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. 

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Part of the issue is that if Republicans aren’t on the same page, several Democratic amendments that would both tackle the fund and halt momentum for the package could pass.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was one of several critics of the fund, and she hoped that Blanche would make it “crystal clear that the administration is not going to proceed” with the issue. Whether she or others in the same camp would vote against amendments remained an open question. 

“I’m not going to predict what’s gonna happen to a very fluid situation,” Collins said.

The judge who ordered President Donald Trump‘s name removed from the Kennedy Center is married to an attorney who has represented a former anti-Trump FBI lawyer, served as counsel to the House Jan. 6 committee and currently represents former President Joe Biden — relationships that Trump blasted as clear conflicts of interest following the ruling.

Trump claimed in a heated Truth Social post that U.S. District Court of D.C. Judge Christopher Cooper’s wife, Amy Jeffress, a former Obama-era Justice Department attorney turned top lawyer of Trump’, encouraged her husband to reject Trump’s Kennedy Center renovation plans and remove his name from the building.

He pointed to Jeffress’ past and current clients, which include some of his most prominent critics, as evidence that she is “a Radical Left Democrat” who is influencing her husband to rule against him.

“Trump Hating Judge wants to keep it open because his wife probably told him to do so!” Trump wrote of Cooper, referring to his rejection of Trump’s plans to close the Kennedy Center for two years for renovations.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP’S NAME REMOVED FROM KENNEDY CENTER, SAYS ONLY CONGRESS CAN RENAME IT

Cooper issued his ruling on May 29, finding that the Kennedy Center board exceeded its legal authority when it voted to rename the institution to include Trump’s name. He ruled that only Congress can change the institution’s name based on the Kennedy Center’s founding statute, which makes clear that the venue is dedicated to President John F. Kennedy.

Trump also alleged Jeffress “doesn’t use the ‘Cooper’ name because they, as a couple, don’t want people to know that she has a Conflict of Interest with an important Judge.”

The president pointed to Jeffress’ professional background, which included serving as a counselor to Attorney General Eric Holder during the Obama administration. Trump and his allies have accused the Obama administration of politicizing intelligence about Russian interference in the 2016 election and promoting allegations of ties between Trump’s campaign and the Kremlin. The FBI named its investigation into Russia’s alleged ties to Trump’s campaign Crossfire Hurricane.

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Thousands of text messages exchanged between Peter Strzok, a senior investigator on the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane probe, and his then-lover Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer and adviser to Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, became public in 2018. Although Page was not involved in the Russia investigation, the pair’s anti-Trump messages prompted criticism from some who argued the exchanges revealed political bias within the FBI.

Jeffress represented Page during congressional scrutiny of the FBI’s handling of its investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for official State Department business. Page was not involved in the Clinton email investigation itself.

She later represented Page again in a civil lawsuit against the FBI and the Justice Department, in which she argued that the disclosure of the text messages was improper.

Years later, Jeffress served as outside counsel to the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, advising members on legal issues involving evidence, witness testimony and executive privilege claims. The committee examined the causes of the riot, efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and Trump’s actions leading up to the attack.

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The president also pointed to Jeffress’ law firm, Hecker Fink LLP, formerly known as Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP, which represented E. Jean Carroll in her civil lawsuit against him.

Since July 2025, Jeffress has served as Biden’s personal attorney and is representing the former president in a lawsuit seeking to block the Justice Department from releasing transcripts and audio recordings of Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents.

“Amy is totally wired into the Left System, from her husband down, and it is impossible for me to be treated fairly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He has a total Conflict of Interest, and should be brought up on charges for not revealing these facts.”

Appointed by President Barack Obama, Cooper has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C., since 2014.

The criticism facing Cooper is not the first time he has been accused by Trump or his allies of having a potential conflict of interest. Cooper previously drew scrutiny during Special Counsel John Durham’s prosecution of former Clinton campaign-linked attorney Michael Sussmann, with critics arguing that he should have recused himself because his wife, attorney Amy Jeffress, represented former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, a figure tied to the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

The Sussmann case stemmed from Durham’s probe into the origins of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Prosecutors alleged that Sussmann falsely told the FBI he was not acting on behalf of any clients when he presented allegations about a purported communications channel between the Trump Organization and Russia’s Alfa Bank during the 2016 election. Cooper rejected Sussmann’s effort to dismiss the case before trial and allowed Durham’s prosecution to proceed, but a jury ultimately acquitted Sussmann in May 2022 after a two-week trial overseen by Cooper.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Cooper’s office, Jeffress, a representative for former President Joe Biden, Page, a representative for Garland, and Hecker Fink LLP for comment.

Cooper and Jeffress have been married since 1999. Their wedding was officiated by former Biden Justice Department Attorney General Merrick Garland, who at the time was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.