NationalWatch

Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was “grateful” after Pope Leo XIV sought to ease tensions with President Donald Trump and indicated he had no interest in engaging in a public dispute.

The pontiff said earlier Saturday that coverage of remarks he made during a recent trip to Africa had created “a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects.” He added that the speech in question had been prepared weeks before any response from Trump, pushing back on suggestions it was directed at the president.

Vance, who is Catholic and met Pope Leo at the Vatican in 2025, welcomed the pontiff’s latest comments. Earlier in the week, Vance had suggested the pope should “be careful” when weighing in on theological and political matters, underscoring the tensions that had emerged.

“While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict — and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen — the reality is often much more complicated,” Vance said.

“Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day. The president — and the entire administration — work to apply those moral principles in a messy world. He will be in our prayers, and I hope that we’ll be in his.”

POPE LEO SAYS REMARKS ABOUT WORLD BEING ‘RAVAGED BY A ​HANDFUL OF TYRANTS’ WERE NOT AIMED AT TRUMP: REPORT

There appeared to be tension after Pope Leo delivered remarks in Cameroon in which he criticized those who “manipulate religion” for political and military gain.

“Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo said.

The words were interpreted by some as tied to the Trump administration’s stance on the conflict with Iran, helping to spark a broader dispute between the White House and the Vatican.

TRUMP ACCUSES POPE LEO OF BEING ‘TERRIBLE’ ON FOREIGN POLICY OVER PONTIFF’S ANTI-WAR COMMENTS

The pope also criticized rhetoric surrounding the conflict, at one point calling comments about potentially targeting Iran’s “whole civilization” “truly unacceptable.” Trump responded by calling the pontiff “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

The disagreement unfolded over several days, with senior administration officials defending the president and offering their own criticism of the pope’s remarks, further amplifying the clash.

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Despite the escalating perceived tension, the pope said Saturday that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate the president and emphasized that he would continue preaching a message centered on peace, justice and brotherhood.

“Much of what has been written since then has been commentary on commentary trying to interpret what has been said,” the pope said.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she is not a millionaire and blamed a major accounting error after a congressional financial disclosure listing her assets as high as $30 million drew scrutiny from Republicans and a congressional watchdog.

An amended filing reviewed by The Wall Street Journal shows Omar and her husband’s assets were between $18,004 and $95,000, a sharp drop from an earlier disclosure that estimated their holdings between $6 million and $30 million.

“The amended disclosure confirms what we’ve said all along: The congresswoman is not a millionaire,” Omar spokesperson Jacklyn Rogers told the Journal, adding that the filing was corrected “as soon as the discrepancy was identified.”

The revised disclosure came after the Office of Congressional Conduct requested additional information earlier this year, according to the Journal.

TRUMP RIPS ‘CROOKED’ ILHAN OMAR AS HOUSE RAMPS UP INVESTIGATION INTO EXPLODING NET WORTH

Omar’s attorney said in a letter to the watchdog that the inaccurate filing was unintentional and stemmed from reliance on accountants.

“As the busiest of people, it is very common for members and their spouses to rely on learned professionals like accountants to make calculations and determinations that appear on public filings,” the attorney wrote, according to the Journal. “While the error is of course unfortunate, there is nothing untoward and nothing illegal has occurred.”

The amended filing shows Omar reported between $102,503 and $1,005,200 in income in 2024 from assets she and her husband own, according to the Journal. Documentation attached to the attorney’s letter showed $213,200 in distributions to her husband from his venture capital management firm and $3,000 from a winery.

COMER TO SAY TIM WALZ ‘ENABLED FRAUD,’ FAILED WHISTLEBLOWERS IN BOMBSHELL MINNESOTA HEARING

A 2025 email between Omar’s husband and his accountant valued the venture capital firm at $7.9 million and the winery at $1.5 million, though he owns roughly one-third of both businesses, according to tax documents cited by the Journal.

The updated disclosure also shows Omar has between $15,001 and $50,000 in student loan debt and a similar amount in credit card debt.

The discrepancy had already drawn scrutiny from House Republicans, who questioned how such a large swing in reported assets went unflagged.

In a February letter to Omar’s husband, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., raised concerns about financial disclosures showing the value of two companies, eStCru LLC and Rose Lake Capital, surged from tens of thousands of dollars in 2023 to as much as $30 million in 2024.

Comer said the sudden increase “raises concerns that unknown individuals may be investing to gain influence,” and requested financial records tied to the businesses.

Omar’s office pushed back, describing Comer’s request as “a political stunt” and part of a campaign “meant to fundraise, not real oversight,” according to The Associated Press.

A 2025 financial disclosure filing had previously listed Omar’s husband’s business interests in the millions, including a winery valued between $1 million and $5 million and a venture capital firm valued between $5 million and $25 million.

Those valuations were later revised in the amended filing, with the businesses listed as having no net value once liabilities were factored in, according to the Journal.

Omar, a progressive Democrat originally from Somalia and member of the “Squad,” has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump since first being elected in 2018 and has long been a target of Republican criticism.

Trump has suggested that Omar benefited from Minnesota’s sprawling welfare fraud scandal involving many people from the Somali community, a claim she has denied.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton weighed in on the amended filing, questioning how previously unreported liabilities wiped out millions in reported assets:

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“Ilhan Omar says her congressional financial reports have massive accounting error,” Fitton wrote on X. She and her husband only worth 18k-86k, NOT $6 million-$30 million! Previously unreported ‘liabilities’ erase wealth!”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Omar’s office for comment and will update this story with any response.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that the Trump administration is sanctioning a senior Nicaraguan official over alleged human rights violations.

Rubio said the U.S. is designating Vice Minister of the Interior Luis Roberto Cañas Novoa for his role in “gross violations of human rights” under the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, marking what he said was the latest effort to hold the regime accountable.

“The Trump administration continues to hold the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship accountable for brutal human rights violations against Nicaraguans,” Rubio said in a post on X. “I’m designating Nicaraguan Vice Minister of the Interior Luis Roberto Cañas Novoa for his role in human rights violations.”

RUBIO TESTIFIES IN TRIAL OF EX-FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN ALLEGEDLY HIRED BY MADURO GOVERNMENT TO LOBBY FOR VENEZUELA

The designation was made under Section 7031(c), which allows the State Department to bar foreign officials and their immediate family members from entering the United States due to involvement in significant corruption or human rights abuses.

The State Department has said the Ortega-Murillo government has engaged in arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial killings following mass protests that began in April 2018.

“Nearly eight years ago, the Rosario Murillo and Daniel Ortega dictatorship unleashed a brutal wave of repression against Nicaraguans who courageously stood against the regime’s increased tyranny, corruption, and abuse,” the statement reads.

The State Department said that the sanction marked the anniversary of the 2018 protests, after which more than 325 protesters were murdered in the aftermath.

A panel of U.N.-backed human rights experts previously accused Nicaragua’s government of systematic abuses “tantamount to crimes against humanity,” following an investigation into the country’s crackdown on political dissent, according to The Associated Press.

The experts said the repression intensified after mass protests in 2018 and has since expanded across large parts of society, targeting perceived opponents of the government.

TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF VISA RESTRICTION POLICY IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Nicaragua’s government has rejected those findings.

The designation follows a series of recent U.S. actions targeting the Ortega-Murillo government. In February, the State Department sanctioned five senior Nicaraguan officials tied to repression, citing arbitrary detention, torture, killings and the targeting of clergy, media and civil society.

Earlier this week, the department also announced sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Nicaragua’s gold sector, including two of Ortega and Murillo’s sons, accusing the regime of using the industry to generate foreign currency, launder assets and consolidate power within the ruling family.

The State Department said the move is part of ongoing efforts to hold the Nicaraguan government accountable for its actions.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Nicaraguan government and its embassy in Washington for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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The Trump administration has taken an increasingly aggressive posture in the Western Hemisphere in recent months, including a Jan. 3, 2026, operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The U.S. has also carried out a series of strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the region, part of a broader crackdown tied to regional security and narcotics enforcement efforts.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz slammed President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at a conference for progressives in Spain on Saturday, accusing Trump of being a “feeble-minded, trigger-happy president” who has “no exit plan” for the ongoing conflict with Iran. 

Walz delivered the criticism after a crowd at the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization event in Barcelona heard video messages from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani about affordability and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaking about the “illegal and dangerous wars being waged by Netanyahu and Trump in Iran and Lebanon.” 

“We’ve got a feeble-minded, trigger-happy president who plunged us into a war where no threat was present, with no clear objectives and no exit plan. We need to call that what it is. That’s fascism. Or at least it’s fascist curious as they would be,” Walz said.  

“Look, it’d be easy to stand up here and just bash Donald Trump. He’s an easy target. And if you know me, we don’t get along very well,” Walz added. “But we’ve got a lot of bigger fish and bigger problems to fry in this room, because the truth is, authoritarianism is not just confined to the United States. It’s everywhere.”

JD VANCE TELLS POPE LEO XIV TO ‘STICK TO MATTERS OF MORALITY’ AND STAY OUT OF US PUBLIC POLICY

Walz also said “Many of you might know me as the guy who isn’t currently the Vice President of the United States, and all I have to say about that is I’m very sorry about that.” 

“But unlike our current vice president, I’m not here to arrogantly lecture or scold you. I’m not here to pick up a fight with the Pope, and I’m not here to host a rally for some local wannabe dictator. Instead, I’m here to say thank you and to share some thoughts on what we can do to be part of a progressive movement that moves all of our countries forward,” he continued. 

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

GOV. TIM WALZ SAYS HE’D ‘BEAT THE S— OUT OF’ JD VANCE IN A DEBATE REMATCH

Walz told the crowd at one point in his speech, “Please don’t give up on the American people.” 

“Go ahead and give up and condemn that monstrosity that sits in our White House,” he added in reference to Trump. “Keep the pressure on. Keep calling it out. Keep standing up to it. Keep naming it. But know there are more good people that stand on the right side of history. There are more good people that care about equality, that understands it’s not America First, it’s humanity first. It’s all of us together.” 

The 2-day Global Progressive Mobilization conference described itself on its website as a “necessary alternative to conservative and far-right forces.” 

Prior to Walz’s remarks, Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Spain.

“Has anybody looked at how badly the country of Spain is doing. Their financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely horrendous. Sad to watch!!!” Trump wrote Saturday. 

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Begona Gomez, the wife of liberal Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, also was formally charged this week with corruption following a years-long probe into charges she and her husband deny, according to Deutsche Welle. 

The U.S. Navy released photos Saturday of “fresh meals” being served onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli as it pushed back against claims of food shortages on Middle East warships. 

Images have emerged purportedly showing meager meals being served to sailors during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, but the claims are being rejected at highest levels of the Pentagon, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blasting them as “fake news.” 

“Fresh meals. Full service. Mission ready. Sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli continue to receive regularly prepared meals at sea — no interruptions, no shortages,” the Navy wrote on X on Saturday morning. 

It shared photos showing full plates of food being served to sailors. One image showed boxes of food supplies stacked to the ceiling onboard one of the ships.

HEGSETH EXCORIATES MEDIA, LIKENING THEM TO ‘PHARISEES’ IN TRUMP DEFENSE

“Recent reports alleging food shortages and poor quality aboard our deployed ships are false,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said Friday. 

“Both USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli have sufficient food onboard to serve their crews with healthy options. The health and wellbeing of our Sailors and Marines are my top priority, and every crew member continues to receive fully portioned, nutritionally balanced meals,” he added. 

LIVE UPDATES: IRAN REVERSES COURSE ON REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, SIGNALS WARNING TO US

“The U.S. Navy is correct. More FAKE NEWS from the Pharisee Press,” Hegseth said in response to Caudle’s statement.  

“My team confirmed the logistics stats for the Lincoln & Tripoli. Both have 30+ days of Class I supplies (food) on board. NavCent monitors this everyday, for every ship,” Hegseth said. “Our sailors deserve — and receive — the best.”

U.S. Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper also said Friday that the reports are “blatantly false.” 

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“Our service members are absolutely being fed across the region. This is an absolute priority,” Cooper told reporters.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday that he said “directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs.”

“The executive order I’m signing, we’re actually signing the executive order today, is really a moment,” Trump said. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patients.”

The president said the executive order would implement “historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.” 

“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,” Trump said, citing the veteran suicide rate.

VETERANS CROSS BORDER FOR FORBIDDEN PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENT THAT’S CHANGING LIVES AFTER COMBAT

“And the nice part is we’re actually doing this early, but it has been going on. Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that. This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved,” Trump continued.

The president said “in 2024, a study from Stanford University, 30 special operation veterans with traumatic brain injuries underwent — it’s called ibogaine treatment — ibogaine, remember the name,” noting that they “experienced an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”

“In Texas, Republican leaders have already committed $50 million to the ibogaine research. And today, the federal government is making a $50 million research investment in its own. And so that was just approved just last night,” Trump announced.

“We’re also opening a pathway for ibogaine to be administered to desperately ill patients under the right to try law,” Trump said.

“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life, just lead a happier life,” he added.

DEMENTIA RISK COULD BE TIED TO YOUR MINDSET AND OUTLOOK ON LIFE, STUDY SUGGESTS

A paper published in the journal Chronic Stress said ibogaine is a “psychoactive indole alkaloid which is extracted from the Tabernanthe iboga rainforest shrub and has been used for centuries in Central Africa for initiatory rituals.”

“Ibogaine treatment is reported to alleviate a spectrum of mood and anxiety symptoms and is associated with self-reported improvements in cognitive functioning in individuals with substance-use disorders. During treatment, ibogaine allows the evocation and reprocessing of traumatic memories and occasions therapeutic and meaningful visions of spiritual and autobiographical content, which are of central relevance in addressing PTSD-related psychological content,” it added.

“Under the executive order, HHS will accelerate research approval and access to new mental health treatments, including psychedelic therapies such as ibogaine. We’re taking this decision, this decisive step to confront one of the most urgent public health challenges facing our nation – the mental health crisis,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “More than 14 million Americans live with serious mental illness, and 1 in 4 adults experiences a diagnosable disorder each year. Suicide has risen by more than 30% over the past two decades, with another peak in recent years. Among veterans, more than 6,000 died by suicide each year since 2001. We have lost far more veterans to suicide than to combat.”

“At the same time, millions of Americans living with depression, PTSD, addiction and other conditions do not respond to existing treatments. We owe it to our warfighters and veterans to turn over every stone to alleviate the emotional and mental health blowback from their deployments,” he added.

Podcaster Joe Rogan, who was in the Oval Office with Trump on Saturday, also said “I want to say that I’m here because of the man to my left, Bryan Hubbard [CEO of nonprofit Americans for Ibogaine] and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry came on my podcast.”

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“They told me how impactful this medicine is. And having that conversation with them, millions of people got a chance to hear their story, hear the stories of all the different people that have had life-changing experiences from it,” Rogan said.

Burger lovers take warning: neighborhood cookouts could be more expensive this summer, thanks to conflict in the Middle East.

Global tensions are pushing up energy prices, resulting in higher costs for beef and the propane used to fuel backyard grills — just in time for Americans getting ready for barbecue season.

“The impact of ongoing challenges in the Middle East on energy prices impacts nearly every facet of the U.S. economy and beef-cattle are not immune,” Glynn Tonsor, a professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, told Fox News Digital.

THE SINGLE CRUSHING PROBLEM AMERICAN CATTLE RANCHERS WISH TRUMP WOULD FIX INSTEAD

Ranchers rely on energy at nearly every step of their process, from fueling tractors in the field to using trucks to transport cattle, and those higher costs are often passed on to consumers, Tonsor explained.

Those pressures are showing up at the pump. The national average for a gallon of gas now stands at approximately $4.09, up roughly 93 cents from just one month ago, according to AAA, with costs climbing across nearly every region.

Diesel, a key fuel for freight and shipping, has climbed to $5.61, up about $2.03 over the past year, making it more expensive to move cattle and beef across the country.

The ripple effects go far beyond beef.

Propane, the fuel powering many backyard grills, is also getting more expensive as global energy markets tighten, in part, because countries in the Middle East are such major suppliers to the world.

U.S. propane prices at the Mont Belvieu hub, the industry benchmark for this type of power, have surged nearly 19% since the conflict began in late February.

BEEF PRICES ARE CLOSE TO RECORD HIGHS — BUT AMERICANS AREN’T CUTTING BACK

But higher energy costs are only part of the story.

Cattle supply remains slow to respond. Unlike oil or metals, where supply can be increased relatively quickly, cattle production takes years to ramp up after a dip.

The U.S. cattle herd is now at its smallest size in 75 years, which is keeping the supply tight following years of drought, rising costs and an aging ranching workforce resulting in producers needing to cut back.

That tight supply is already pushing prices higher — and the Iran conflict is only proliferating the issue.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the average price of beef in grocery stores climbed from about $8.70 per pound in March 2025 to $10.08 a year later — an increase of roughly 16%.

Subsequently, even if energy prices ease, beef prices likely won’t be quick to follow.

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For shoppers, that means prices may remain high — or climb further — depending on whether consumers keep coughing-up cash for steak and burgers, or opt to switch to cheaper alternatives.

Much of that comes down to forces far beyond Americans’ backyard that continue to shape the cost of firing up the grill this summer.

A former lead hostage negotiator under the first Trump and Biden administrations warned that the Iranians are tougher negotiators than the Russians, Chinese and even the Taliban, noting that several Americans are still wrongfully detained in Iran and should be included in any peace talks. 

Roger Carstens, the U.S. former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, said in an interview with Fox News that six American citizens are being held captive in Iranian prisons — each of them previously held in Evin prison in Tehran, known for its harsh conditions. He said the Iranians will likely use the American hostages as a “sweetener” to ensure negotiations go in “the direction of Iran” as the United States seeks a nuclear deal and permanent ceasefire. 

“Strangely, the Russians, the Chinese, the Taliban, the Venezuelans, when you start getting into hostage discussions, they tell the truth and they stick to what they promise. You can do a handshake deal with the Taliban, and they’re going to follow through,” Carstens said. “The Iranians. Absolutely not.”

While Carstens remains confident that U.S. negotiators can secure the return of the six Americans, he stated that Iran is unlike any other foreign government he’s worked with and can’t be trusted.

MORNING GLORY: THE US-IRAN NEGOTIATIONS IN ISLAMABAD BECAME REYKJAVÍK 2.0

He said the Iranians are the sort of negotiators likely to pull a “fast one” right up until the last moment.  

“You cannot trust the Iranians up until the last second,” Carstens said. “If you were landing a plane in either Geneva or even Tehran, to get your Americans, you better be out there with a clipboard making sure that the people coming on the plane are the people that you bargained for.”

Only two of the American hostages have been publicly identified: Kamran Hekmati, 61, and Reza Valizadeh, 49.

Hekmati is a Jewish American who also holds Iranian citizenship. He was imprisoned 11 months ago after being charged and convicted of visiting Israel in the past 10 years.

Like Hekmati, Valizadeh holds dual Iranian and American citizenship. He previously worked for the U.S.-funded Radio Farda, covering corruption and election manipulation in Iran. Valizadeh was arrested in September 2024 during a visit to see family and was sentenced after being convicted of working with a hostile government.

SEN TIM SHEEHY: GOLD STAR FAMILIES DESERVE JUSTICE. THIS $15B FROM IRAN IS A START

Carstens suggested it was unlikely there was any time for the Americans and Iranians to discuss the release of the six Americans during the 21-hour marathon peace talks in Pakistan earlier this month. 

MEET IRAN’S HARDLINE SPEAKER WHO THREATENED TO BURN US FORCES — REPORTEDLY TEHRAN’S POINT MAN FOR TALKS

“I think the Iranians are going to be smart enough to keep these people healthy and ready to throw on to a negotiating table,” Carstens said. “The question in my mind during these negotiations is not whether they’ll be at risk or pulled off, but rather, what’s it going to take, and how will we, the United States, value them [the hostages]?”

President Donald Trump does not mention the release of American hostages in his four objectives for ending the Iran war. Carstens is calling for the return of the hostages to be a fifth objective.

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“Let’s make this an official ask, and when we go in, not only ask for it officially, but hold ourselves accountable to getting the job done,” Carstens said. “The good news is Trump has a great record in bringing Americans home.”

A senior White House official told Fox News Digital that future peace talks with Iran are under discussion, but nothing has yet been scheduled.

“President Trump is always concerned about Americans detained abroad, which is why he has brought over 100 individuals — a record number — home from around the world,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for additional comment.

Amid ongoing hostilities with Iran, Democrats brushed off past calls from some figures in their party for U.S. armed forces to “refuse illegal orders,” even as they broadly maintained that President Donald Trump’s use of the military is on shaky footing without lawmaker approval.

“The troops are in no way to blame for this illegal war. Responsibility lies solely and simply with the president,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.

“We support the troops always. They’re following orders,” Rep. Daren Soto, D-Fla., said. “This is about a debate of whether we should be there or not.”

The comments come just months after six members of Congress with military backgrounds urged service members to disregard unconstitutional directives.

GOP BLOCKS BOOKER-LED PUSH TO CURB TRUMP’S MILITARY AUTHORITY IN IRAN

“You must refuse illegal orders,” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said. “Don’t give up the ship.”

The six lawmakers included: Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo.

The lawmakers did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment when asked about what those calls meant in the context of the conflict with Iran.

ONE MONTH AT WAR WITH IRAN — CAN WASHINGTON DEFINE VICTORY?

Efforts to pass a war powers resolution that would curb Trump’s military powers in Iran have failed amid a steep partisan divide over whether the president’s actions fall within what the Constitution permits without congressional approval.

A war power resolution that would have forced Trump to remove U.S. forces from Iran failed in the House of Representatives in a 213-214 vote on Thursday.

Democrats, citing the War Powers Act of 1973, note that the law requires a president to secure approval from lawmakers before engaging in a conflict that goes past 60 days.

FETTERMAN BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATS, SAYS TRUMP’S MILITARY STRIKES ON IRAN HAVE ‘MADE THE WORLD SAFER’

“The president says it’s an ‘excursion’ which it’s not,” Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said. “We have to call it for what it is. It is a war.”

Republicans and other advocates for the conflict have noted the war with Iran hasn’t hit that mark yet.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in rebuffing challenges to the president’s authority.

DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO GRIND SENATE TO A HALT TO FORCE PUBLIC IRAN HEARINGS

“I’ve been the only Democrat who has supported Epic Fury,” Fetterman said, referring to the Iran conflict’s operational name.

“And now we’re 48 days into this. None of this has been illegal,” he added.

Even so, Democrats have blasted the president for dragging the country into a conflict that they say is far from a meaningful resolution.

Blumenthal called on the administration to provide lawmakers with more information about a possible timeline for resolution and more details about the conflict’s status.

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“One of the complaints — and it’s bipartisan — we don’t have any accurate information about how the blockade is going, what the costs of the war are, even in a classified setting,” Blumenthal said.

Although Trump has said U.S. and Iran talks are working towards ending the conflict for good, it remains unclear if ceasefire talks will render a permanent cessation of hostilities.

Analilia Mejia, a one-time labor organizer backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, is headed to Congress.

Mejia, running on a platform that emphasized Medicare for All, a $25 minimum wage with the first $40,000 tax-free, a wealth tax, abolishing ICE and holding President Donald Trump and his administration accountable, convincingly defeated Republican candidate Joe Hathaway in Thursday’s special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

With her nearly 20-point victory, Mejia will fill the final eight months of the term of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the more moderate Democratic representative who stepped down from Congress in November after winning New Jersey’s gubernatorial election.

Mejia, who is likely to align herself with the so-called “Squad” of younger, diverse and progressive House Democrats, called herself the “sassy new member of Congress” in her victory speech.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

The special election came as the GOP clings to a fragile House majority. Republicans would have relished the opportunity to pick up the seat, but they faced a steep uphill climb to flip the suburban district Sherrill won by 15 points in her 2024 re-election and carried by roughly the same margin in last year’s gubernatorial election.

Hathaway, a former Randolph Township mayor and current council member who was unopposed for the GOP congressional nomination, aimed to paint Mejia as too far to the left for the district. He told Fox News Digital the choice for voters was “between a common sense, practical independent leader who’s gotten things done at the local level in New Jersey and knows the issues, contrasted with someone who’s running on pure ideology, far left-wing ideology, Squad-backed ideology.”

“I think we have the right math, the right bipartisan coalition to come together to win this thing on April 16,” an optimistic Hathaway predicted.

But Hathaway came up far short, given the rough political climate facing Republicans and the traditional headwinds for the party in power.

THIS PROGRESSIVE ORGANIZER WINS SPECIAL ELECTION, EARNING TICKET TO CONGRESS

Mejia, on Thursday night, pushed back against the claims she’s a radical.

“My opponent has spent his whole campaign calling me names and saying my ideas are too radical. But we know, that is a mind trick, on brand for a spin doctor, but easily countered if you just open your eyes,” Mejia said. “It is not radical to say that one of the wealthiest nations in the world should do more to protect the health of its people.”

Here’s a closer look at Mejia and where she stands on the issues.

Who is Analilia Mejia

Mejia was born in New Jersey and is the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants.

After working as a union organizer, Mejia served as national political director on the 2020 Sanders presidential campaign. She later worked in the Department of Labor in former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Mejia pulled off an upset in the February Democratic primary, narrowly edging out a more moderate rival, former Rep. Tom Malinowski, in a field of 11 candidates. While Mejia was the clear choice of the party’s left flank, the rest of the field divided the moderate and center-left vote.

Besides the backing of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, Mejia was also endorsed by other top progressive leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

PROGRESSIVES NOTCH ANOTHER WIN OVER DEMOCRATIC MODERATES AS SANDERS-AOC ALLY NEARS CONGRESS

Mejia’s nomination victory was another big boost for the left against the establishment since now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, sent shock waves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.

Immigration

Mejia repeatedly took aim at Trump’s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration and called for scrapping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency most visible in the aggressive tactics used in the administration’s massive deportation effort.

REPUBLICAN SEEKS BLUE-STATE BREAKTHROUGH, DISTANCES FROM TRUMP WHILE TAKING AIM AT ‘SOCIALIST’

“I say abolish ICE now,” Mejia said on the campaign trail. “You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.” 

After her primary victory, Mejia gave credit to her stance on immigration in the wake of backlash against the Trump administration following the January fatal shootings in Minnesota by federal agents of two U.S. citizens protesting immigration operations.

“I think the fact that I was bold and unafraid to speak the truth was incredibly important,” she told reporters. “I think voters feel that they want to have a representative that actually represents them, and they cannot watch what’s happening in Minnesota, what happened in Chicago, what happened in California, what happened in Morristown across this district.”

Supreme Court

Mejia, like many on the left, has railed against rulings by the conservative-dominated Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court has been captured by right-wing radicals who care more about doing Trump’s bidding than the rule of law,” Mejia charged on her campaign website.

She supported “articles of impeachment against Justices Thomas and Alito” for what she says is “their corruption and conflicts of interest.”

Mejia also backed “term limits for newly appointed Supreme Court justices, a binding code of ethics with real enforcement for all federal judges.”

And Mejia said she would support “expanding the courts if necessary to restore balance.”

Student Loan Debt

On her campaign website, Mejia stated, “We’re going to cancel all student loan debt.”

And she pledges that she’ll “fight to make college tuition-free at community colleges and trade schools for everyone.”

Taxes and Minimum Wage

As part of her “economy for everyone agenda,” Mejia argued, “If you work 40 hours a week, you should make at least $40,000 a year, and you shouldn’t pay a dime in federal taxes on that first $40,000.”

And she highlighted that she helped lead the fight in New Jersey to “win the $15 minimum wage.”

“With the cost of living rising every day, it’s time to raise the minimum wage at the national level to $25/hour,” Mejia emphasized on the campaign trail.

Israel

Malinowski, an assistant secretary of state in former President Barack Obama’s administration who later represented a neighboring congressional district in northern New Jersey from 2018 to 2022 before losing re-election, was considered the front-runner in the Democratic nomination race heading into primary day.

But Malinowski was the target of a slew of attack ads put out by a group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which opposed Malinowski because he said he supports conditions on aid to Israel.

The AIPAC-aligned super PAC United Democracy Project dished out more than $2.3 million to take aim at Malinowski, even though AIPAC had previously supported Malinowski in his past congressional elections.

But the AIPAC strategy backfired, because Mejia is much tougher on Israel than Malinowski.

Mejia was the only candidate in the race who raised her hand at a forum in January when asked if they agreed with human rights groups who charge Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

Jewish voters make up a key part of the district’s electorate, and Hathaway, in the only debate in the general election, claimed Mejia was antisemitic, noting she has said Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

“She blamed Israel for the attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7,” Hathaway said. “I think Jewish individuals across this district, Republican or Democrat, are very afraid of this kind of rhetoric.”

Mejia pledged to “protect the rights of Jewish constituents” and said her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza should not be conflated with antisemitism.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mejia said, “Joe Hathaway’s inability to distinguish between criticism of a government or government official and bigotry is troubling and disgusting in equal measure.”

Mejia last week wrote that she was “honored” after being endorsed by the liberal pro-Israel political group J Street PAC. But her acceptance of the endorsement triggered pushback on the left, with the North Jersey Democratic Socialists of America calling her move a “heel turn.”

Hathaway told Fox News Digital, “I’ve spoken to more members of the Jewish community who have told me they’ve never voted for a Republican in their life, who are going to vote for me in this race. I mean, that shows you where the Jewish community is on the importance of this race and how they are not aligned with Mejia … and her platform.”

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It appears Hathaway was right: Some towns with heavy Jewish populations swung significantly to the right in Thursday’s election.

But it wasn’t nearly enough to help Hathaway blunt Mejia’s overall support.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris this week blasted President Donald Trump for the surge in gas prices triggered by the U.S. war with Iran.

But four years ago, the then-vice president said that soaring gas prices sparked in part by the Russian invasion of Ukraine were the “price to pay for democracy.”

“Here in North Carolina and around the country, gas prices are too high,” Harris wrote this week in a social media post. “This is a direct result of Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran, and the American people are paying the price.”

The Wednesday post featured a video of Harris delivering remarks while standing outside in front of a sign displaying fuel prices at a gas station in North Carolina.

HARRIS STOPS IN KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE AFTER LEAVING DOOR WIDE OPEN TO 2028 RUN

“We’ve got a president who is paying more attention to what he thinks is in his best political interests and personal interests, as opposed to what is in the best interest of working people in America,” Harris declared at the end of the brief video.

The average price of regular gasoline surged to over $4 per gallon following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, which were launched on Feb. 28. Iran’s military has been decimated, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top Iranian officials were killed during the month-and-a-half-long war.

In response, Iran targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply to a halt and sending global fuel prices sharply higher.

Trump’s attacks on Iran have provided Democrats with political ammunition amid their focus on affordability and persistent inflation. The issue has also boosted them to overperformance at the ballot box in two special congressional elections this month.

DEMOCRATS POUNCE ON $4 PER GALLON GAS – BLAME TRUMP’S IRAN WAR FOR ‘BROKEN PROMISE’

The attacks have also upset some in Trump’s MAGA base, who feel the president has broken his 2024 campaign promise to avoid foreign military entanglements.

The current gas prices in the U.S. are the highest in four years.

Speaking during a press conference in Bucharest, Romania during that gas price surge in 2022 during the early months of the Russia-Ukraine war, Harris said the U.S. was “committed in everything we are doing” in support of Ukraine.

“And yes, the president did say in the State of the Union, there is a price to pay for democracy — got to stand with your friends — and as everybody knows, even in your personal life, being loyal to those friendships based on common principles and values, sometimes, it’s difficult — often, it ain’t easy.” 

“But that is what the friendship is about — shared values,” Harris said. “So that’s what we’re doing.”

FOX BUSINESS: OIL PRICES PLUNGE AFTER STRAIGHT OF HORMUZ REOPENS

Republicans at the time blamed then-President Joe Biden‘s administration for the high gas prices, just as Democrats are now blaming Trump.

But a major difference in the two situations is that while Trump ordered the U.S. strikes on Iran, the Biden administration came to Ukraine’s aid after Russian launched a widescale military invasion.

The White House at the time repeatedly blamed Russian leader Vladimir Putin for record-high gas prices in the U.S., even coining the surge the “#PutinPriceHike” and vowing that Biden would do everything he could to shield Americans from “pain at the pump.”

But Trump and Republicans capitalized on inflation, using it as a key issue in the sweeping 2024 election victories, when they won back the White House and Senate and held their House majority.

Democrats are hoping to turn the tables in this year’s midterm elections by spotlighting affordability as they aim to flip the House and Senate.

And Harris, who lost to Trump in the 2024 election after replacing Biden as the Democratic Party’s nominee, has left the door wide open to a 2028 White Houser run.

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The White House pushed back against this week’s jab from Harris.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers argued, “No one cares or believes what Kamala Harris says because Americans remember the economic pain caused by the Biden-Harris administration’s very unpopular and costly Green New Scam. Kamala’s anti-energy dominance agenda sent electricity prices soaring more than 30 percent in just four years, and the average gas price across the country skyrocketed to $5 in just one year.”

President Donald Trump said the first releases from a Pentagon study on UFOs will come out “very, very soon.”

Speaking at a rally at Dream City Church in north Phoenix on Friday night hosted by Turning Point USA and Turning Action, Trump told the audience it seemed like the right crowd to hear about the study because Arizonans are “really into that.”

The comments come as interest in unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, continues to grow in Washington, with lawmakers pushing for greater transparency and the Department of Defense expanding efforts to investigate unexplained incidents.

“I figured this was a good crowd because I know you people. You’re really into that. I don’t know if I am,” the president told them.

UFO TASK FORCE EYED AS LAWMAKER WARNS OF STRANGE OBJECTS IN SKIES AND WATERS DEFYING KNOWN TECHNOLOGY

He said he recently spoke with War Secretary Pete Hegseth about releasing the study’s findings to the public before giving the crowd a brief tease of what he saw.

“We found many very interesting documents, I must say,” Trump said. “And the first releases will begin very, very soon. So, you can go out and see if that phenomenon is correct.

“You’ll figure it out. Let me know,” he added. “But we’ve had a lot of questions. It’s something that — it really captivates the mind, there’s no question about it.”

EXPLOSIVE NEW DOCUMENTARY PROBES ’80-YEAR GLOBAL COVERUP’ OF UFO SECRETS

Trump said in February he would direct the release of government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life and unidentified aerial phenomena.

The president said at the time there was “tremendous interest” in the topic following remarks from former President Barack Obama, whom Trump said shared classified information suggesting aliens are real.

“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

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Interest in UAPs has grown significantly in recent years, attracting increased scrutiny from federal lawmakers and defense officials. 

In 2023, Congress enacted the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act, while the Department of Defense created the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office to investigate these incidents more thoroughly.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Gold Star father Darin Hoover says a new Pentagon review of the deadly Abbey Gate bombing finally feels different after years of what he described as “crickets” from the Biden administration — but he is still asking whether critical information was deliberately kept from military families and the public.

Hoover, whose son, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin “Taylor” Hoover, was among the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing during the Afghanistan withdrawal, told Fox News Digital that for years families got little more than a “canned” response.

“For the first three-and-a-half years… we weren’t getting anything from the prior administration. It was crickets,” Hoover said. “The only thing we all got was a canned letter saying how sorry they were. There was not anything individual mentioned about any of the kids.”

Former President Joe Biden checked his watch during the dignified transfer of U.S. service members lost at Abbey Gate, which included 11 Marines, one Army soldier and one Navy sailor.

WATCH: PRESIDENT TRUMP REVEALS FAMILIES OF SLAIN US SERVICE MEMBERS URGED HIM ‘FINISH THE JOB’

His frustration comes as the Pentagon’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel says it has completed the substantive phase of interviews with senior military and civilian leaders, and is now preparing findings and recommendations for a final report expected “in the coming months.”

The panel reviewed more than nine million documents, according to chairman Sean Parnell. By contrast, a prior Pentagon review examined roughly 3,000 documents.

Parnell said the earlier review was “significantly narrower in scope” and “over-classified at the highest levels, which effectively kept the most critical and relevant information from public scrutiny.”

That contrast is exactly what has Hoover demanding answers.

“The 3,000 pages… doesn’t even make a ripple,” Hoover said. “Now we’ve got over a million pages being reviewed. Why was everything so top-secret that none of us could see it? They owe us the answers.”

OUR FALLEN HEROES’ FAMILIES DESERVE MORE THAN OUTDATED SURVIVOR BENEFITS

Asked directly whether he believes key information was withheld, Hoover did not hesitate.

“Yes, absolutely, information was kept from us,” he said.

“That smells exactly like a cover-up,” he added. “What is it that they saw, or what did they feel needed to be hidden so nobody could know what it was?”

A Pentagon spokesperson referred Fox News Digital to a statement from Parnell when asked for comment.

In that statement, Parnell said the panel was established by War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the direction of President Donald Trump “to conduct the most comprehensive military after action review in modern history.”

MEDAL OF HONOR FOR STAFF SGT MICHAEL OLLIS AFTER 13 YEARS BRINGS BITTERSWEET ‘VALIDATION,’ SISTER SAYS

He said the panel has interviewed key figures involved in the planning and execution of the withdrawal, including retired Gen. Mark Milley and retired Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., among other senior officials.

“This will be the most thorough, transparent, and honest accounting the American people have received of what happened in August 2021,” Parnell said. “Our purpose is to identify failures in decision-making, so that we may prevent the United States from ever repeating this tragedy.”

Hoover said accountability should mean real consequences for those in command if the new review finds failures.

“If they did something wrong or failed to act, they should no longer be allowed to lead where life and death is at stake,” he said.

“I would love to see pensions taken away… and if possible, I’d love to see people go to jail,” he added.

TRUMP CALLS FAMILY OF STAFF SGT OLLIS TO CONFIRM MEDAL OF HONOR AWARD

He also argued the bombing exposed a broader system failure between civilian and military agencies.

“The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing,” Hoover said. “And it all got stalled somewhere in the middle.”

“And our kids did the best they could with the tools they were given,” he added. “They did a phenomenal job.”

Other official reviews have previously documented breakdowns surrounding the withdrawal. A State Department review found failures in crisis planning and preparation for worst-case scenarios, while Milley later described the evacuation timeline as “too slow and too late.”

Hoover said what makes this moment different is President Trump’s engagement with the families and Hegseth’s promise of a broader accounting.

“He spent 45 minutes with us… gave us his full undivided attention,” Hoover said.

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He added that after years of silence, simply being included now matters. Hoover noted that the trial of the ISIS-K-linked figure accused of giving the final approval for the bomber to detonate is set to begin Monday in Alexandria, and some of the Abbey Gate families plan to attend.

“We’re coming up on Memorial Day,” Hoover said. “Please, please, please remember them. Honor them. Don’t forget how we got here, why we got here and live a life worthy of the sacrifices that have been made.”

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will read from 2 Chronicles 7 during a nationwide Bible-reading event this week, a passage organizers say was deliberately reserved for the president because of its decades-long role as a call to prayer in America.

Trump is set to read 2 Chronicles 7:11–22 from the Oval Office as part of “America Reads the Bible,” a weeklong event marking 250 years of the Bible in America and featuring nearly 500 participants reading Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

Organizers said Trump’s section was not assigned at random.

The event’s online schedule shows the 2 Chronicles 7:11–22 reading was reserved as a “special guest” slot during a prime evening hour on Tuesday, alongside figures like former HUD Secretary Ben Carson and members of Congress.

BEN CARSON POINTS TO GEN Z CHURCH REVIVAL AS YOUNG AMERICANS PUSH BACK ON SECULAR CULTURE

“We needed somebody special to read Second Chronicles chapter seven,” Bunni Pounds, founder and president of Christians Engaged, told Fox News Digital.

“As my director and I were praying over different sections of scripture, it came to us that this is such a critical passage for the body of Christ,” she said.

Pounds said the passage, particularly verse 14, has been central to American prayer life for decades, often invoked during times of national reflection.

WHITE HOUSE MARKS HOLY WEEK, EASTER WITH DAYS OF PRAYER CENTERED ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

“It comes at a time where the Israelites were experiencing hardship and God spoke and said, ‘If my people that are called by my name would humble themselves and pray,’” Pounds said. “We’ve prayed this scripture for at least the last 50 years of American history on National Day of Prayer and other moments in this country.”

Verse 14 reads, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

“And so we instantly said — who needs to read that? The President of the United States,” she added. “We set it aside for him and have been praying for that for the last year.”

TRUMP SAYS ‘AMERICA NEEDS GOD’ IN GOOD FRIDAY MESSAGE AS HE TOUTS ‘RESURGENCE OF RELIGION’

Pounds said Trump’s participation sends a broader message about faith in American life.

“I think he’s sending a message that faith matters in this country, and that it’s important not only personally, but for our nation overall,” she said.

She added that the selected Scripture speaks to the country’s current moment.

WHITE HOUSE EGG ROLL FOR EASTER CELEBRATES ‘PATRIOTIC SPIRIT,’ AMERICA’S FARMERS AND THE USA’

“We’re making a statement during this week as America reads the Bible, that there is so much in the Bible that we can gain wisdom and discernment from, there is so much that can heal our families, that can rescue us from depression and anxiety and can heal our inner cities and heal our land… I believe the president’s saying that by reading this scripture specifically,” Pounds said.

The White House echoed that theme in a presidential message commemorating the event, calling the Bible “indelibly woven into our national identity” and urging Americans to “rediscover” its role in shaping the nation.

The event, held in partnership with the Museum of the Bible, will run from April 19 through April 25, and include nearly 500 Americans participating in a public reading of the entire Bible.

WHITE HOUSE FAITH ADVISOR SAYS AMERICANS ARE LEAVING ORGANIZED RELIGION BUT NOT LOSING FAITH IN GOD

According to Pounds, all participants will read from the King James Version Easy Read edition, which was licensed for the event’s livestream and a later audiobook version from the week’s readings.

The event will feature a wide range of participants, including actress Patricia Heaton, Candace Cameron Bure, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and House Speaker Mike Johnson, each reading portions of Genesis during the opening hours.

Readers range from elected officials and pastors to single parents and small business owners, reflecting what Pounds described as a nationwide cross-section of Americans.

Worship music will accompany each hour of the readings, with different ministries and organizations partnering throughout the event.

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Pounds said viewers watching Trump’s reading from the Oval Office will notice the weight of the moment.

“They’re going to see how passionate he is about it, how deliberate he was,” she said. “It really struck me to see the leader of the free world reading scripture from the Oval Office.”

“There’s a humility on him… and I don’t believe that he would have read it if he didn’t believe it,” she added.

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

“America Reads the Bible” begins 9 a.m. ET Sunday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended comments about President Donald Trump‘s mental health following a tense exchange during a congressional hearing.

During Friday’s hearing, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) addressed Trump’s recent social media posts, pointing to an AI-generated image that critics said depicted him as Jesus Christ and his criticism of Pope Leo as evidence he is mentally unwell.

“Millions of Americans are questioning this president’s mental fitness, his emotional stability, and whether he can carry out the duties of his office. Do you share their concerns about his mental health?” Takano asked Kennedy.

Kennedy began to answer, saying, “I call your attention to…” before the representative cut him off and demanded a more direct response.

SEN BERNIE SANDERS CALLS ON RFK JR TO RESIGN FOLLOWING DEPARTURE OF CDC OFFICIALS

“Mr. Secretary, my question was: Do you share their concerns about his mental health?” Takano reiterated. “We need a leader that we know has full command of his mental faculties and is emotionally stable as he sends uniformed American men and women into harm’s way.”

“Millions of Americans are now wondering if this president is delusional and thinks he is Jesus Christ,” he continued. “Mr. Secretary, given everything that I’ve shown you today, will you insist that President Trump undergo an assessment of his mental fitness and his emotional stability?”

“Absolutely not,” Kennedy quickly interjected.

RFK JR AND TOP DEM CLASH DURING HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘THIS IS ABOUT KIDS’

Takano followed up by asking whether Kennedy would support invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows for a transfer of power if the president dies, resigns, or is incapacitated.

“There hasn’t been a president who is more sane or stable …” Kennedy began to answer before the congressman interrupted him again.

“Mr. Secretary, my question is would you vote to invoke the 25th Amendment,” Takano said.

TRUMP STANDS BY RFK JR. AFTER HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘I LIKE THE FACT THAT HE’S DIFFERENT’

The heated exchange came one day after Kennedy engaged in a shouting match with Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., over previous comments he made about Black children.

“Mr. Secretary, you’ve already admitted that you are not a board-certified physician, and you’ve already admitted you did not go to medical school. Have you ever reparented or parented, I should say, a Black child?” Sewell said, referencing his appearance on a 2024 podcast.

As the two argued back and forth, Kennedy claimed he never made those remarks and refused to answer her question.

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The exchanges mark a pattern of escalating confrontations as Kennedy faces continued scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers.

Fox News Digital’s Elaine Mallon contributed to this report.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University medical graduate student from Turkey whose charges were dropped after DHS detained her for allegedly “[engaging] in activities in support of Hamas,” has self-deported to Turkey, according to sources familiar with the matter. 

Ozturk self-deported from the U.S. late Thursday night on a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, according to sources familiar.

Ozturk was detained by ICE in Somerville, Massachusetts, in March 2025, sparking a battle between the Trump administration and a federal judge over her detainment.

The Tufts graduate student was living in the U.S. under an F-1 student visa, which the Trump administration revoked around March 21, 2025. At the time her visa was revoked, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Trump administration were cracking down on student visas for students who were involved in protests and demonstrations regarding Israel and Palestine.

JUDGE WHO BLASTED TRUMP AS ‘AUTHORITARIAN’ BLOCKS US FROM DEPORTING PRO-PALESTINIAN CAMPUS ACTIVISTS

“After 13 years of dedicated study, I am very proud to have completed my Ph.D. and to return home on my own timeline,” Ozturk said in a statement. “The time stolen from me by the U.S. government belongs not just to me, but to the children and youth I have dedicated my life to advocating for. With them in mind, I am choosing to return home as planned to continue my career as a woman scholar without losing more time to the state-imposed violence and hostility I have experienced in the United States – all for nothing more than co-signing an op-ed advocating for Palestinian rights.”

Ozturk co-authored an opinion piece on March 26, 2024, that was published in Tufts Daily, a student newspaper on campus.

“Credible accusations against Israel include accounts of deliberate starvation and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide,” the op-ed read. 

The authors, including Ozturk, were critical of the university’s response to anti-Israel protests, saying that the university should publicly acknowledge Palestinian suffering. 

Rubio specifically referenced opinion pieces in a statement surrounding the revoking of student visas, notably after the arrest of Ozturk on March 25, 2025.

DHS SAYS COLUMBIA STUDENT TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IS ILLEGAL ALIEN WHOSE VISA WAS TERMINATED UNDER OBAMA ADMIN

“If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason why you’re coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus — we’re not going to give you a visa,” Rubio said.

Trump’s Department of Justice also weighed in on Ozturk’s self-deportation.

“Attending elite colleges and universities in the United States is a privilege afforded to foreign students who respect our values and follow our laws,” a DOJ official told Fox News. “Rümeysa Öztürk chose not to abide by those simple conditions, and as a result left the United States – something the Administration sought to accomplish from the beginning. We will continue to seek the deportation of any foreign student who abuses their opportunity to study in America by engaging in vile antisemitism, harassment, or other illegal behavior.”

Following Ozturk’s arrest, she was transferred to Methuen, Mass., then Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Vermont before she was sent to the South Louisiana ICE processing facility, according to reports.  

Protests erupted at Tufts and across the country over her arrest, and two months later she was released on bail.

ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATOR MAHMOUD KHALIL ONE STEP CLOSER TO DEPORTATION WITH IMMIGRATION BOARD RULING

The legal battle continued between the Trump administration and Ozturk, who was legally represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), until Feb. 9 when Biden-appointed Boston immigration Judge Roopal Patel terminated deportation proceedings. 

Patel ruled that the Department of Homeland Security lacked the legal grounds to deport her. 

“I grieve for the many human beings who do not get to see the mistreatment they have faced brought into the light,” Ozturk said in a statement released by her attorneys after the ruling. “When we openly talk about the many injustices around us, including the treatment of immigrants and others who have been targeted and thrown in for-profit ICE prisons, as well as what is happening in Gaza, true justice will prevail.”

THE US GOVERNMENT TARGETED ME FOR MY POLITICAL SPEECH. IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU, TOO

The Trump Department of Justice fired Patel, among other immigration judges, last week.

Since Patel ruled as an immigration judge and not a federal Article III judge, the Trump administration and the executive branch has authority over her tenure.

The White House issued a press release on April 9, titled: “Era of Amnesty Is Over: President Trump Restores Rule of Law to Immigration Courts,” in which the administration touted “the most aggressive and successful immigration enforcement overhaul in modern history.”

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“President Trump promised to end the open borders nightmare — and he is delivering on that promise with unrelenting force. The era of catch-and-release, mass releases, and activist judicial amnesty is over,” the White House statement reads.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is not expected to step down this term and has already hired all four law clerks for the upcoming annual term despite speculation the high court justice was weighing retirement, multiple sources said.

Alito “is not stepping down this term and is in the process of hiring the rest of his clerks for the next term,” a source told Fox News Digital. Two other sources told Fox News that Alito is not retiring this term, which lasts until the Supreme Court’s new year kicks off in October.

Justices tend to hire their clerks two to three years in advance, although that process is not necessarily indicative of a justice’s retirement plans.

The revelation that Alito is reportedly not planning to step down comes after President Donald Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo he is “prepared” to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise. Trump added he has a shortlist of nominees in mind, though he did not mention any names.

TRUMP REVEALS HE HAS MULTI-PICK SCOTUS PLAN READY AS RETIREMENT SPECULATION HEATS UP

“In theory, it’s two or three, they tell me — if you just read statistics — it could be two, could be three, could be one,” Trump told Bartiromo. “I don’t know. I’m prepared to do it. But when you mention Alito, he is a great justice.”

Trump said he thinks Alito, who has sided with him on most high-profile cases, is “in very good physical health” and called him “one of the great justices of our time.”

“Justice Alito is an unbelievable justice,” Trump said.

JONATHAN TURLEY: KAMALA HARRIS BACKS RADICAL PLAN TO BLOCK TRUMP SCOTUS PICKS

Rumors about Alito, 76, potentially retiring have grown because of his age, his two-decade tenure on the bench and speculation that he may want to make sure a conservative successor is confirmed by the current Republican-led Senate before the upcoming midterm elections. Former President George W. Bush nominated him for the nation’s highest court in 2005. 

The rumors were further fueled when it was revealed Alito was treated last month for dehydration after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner. A Supreme Court spokesperson clarified at the time that the justice was “thoroughly checked” and quickly returned to the bench.

TRUMP DISMISSES CALLS FOR ALITO, THOMAS TO STEP DOWN FROM SUPREME COURT, CALLING THEM ‘FANTASTIC’

Justice Clarence Thomas, an appointee of President George H. W. Bush, has drawn less retirement speculation despite being one year older than Alito at 77 and in his own lengthy tenure. Thomas has been a conservative fixture on the court for more than three decades and holds a record as the second-longest serving justice in history.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters earlier this week he would recommend Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Mike Lee, R-Utah, as top candidates if Alito were to retire. Grassley said he hoped Alito would not step down but said his committee is “fully prepared” to process a nominee before the midterm elections. 

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Tuesday the GOP majority would be able to fill a Supreme Court vacancy quickly.

“That’s a contingency I think around here you always have to be prepared for. And if that were to happen, yes, we would be prepared to confirm,” Thune said.

Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report. 

A congressional hearing featuring the victims of crimes tied to illegal immigration erupted into a tense confrontation Thursday.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., drew fierce backlash from grieving mothers and Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, for appearing to dismiss their tragedies while pivoting to attacks on “MAGA Republicans.”

The fiery exchange happened during a hearing focused on “The Human Toll of Sanctuary Policies,” during which Johnson claimed the victims’ families’ comments were a “Steve Miller-approved” stunt with the sole purpose of “stir[ring] up passion and prejudice against immigrants who are people of color.”

SLAIN COLLEGE STUDENT’S MOTHER VOWS ‘FIGHT FOR JUSTICE’ AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN CHICAGO KILLING

After offering brief condolences to the families of victims allegedly killed and critically injured by illegal immigrants, Johnson immediately pivoted to a partisan attack, arguing the committee should instead be holding hearings on the “human toll” of the “Trump MAGA tax cuts,” Trump’s foreign policy with Iran or the “cover up of the Epstein files.”

He went on to list a string of violent crimes committed by White men and noted the death of Renee Good, who was killed by federal authorities in January while protesting immigration enforcement.

“I’m not minimizing the tragedy that is before us today with you three women, but the other tragedies at the hands of non-immigrants are just as important,” Johnson said.

He also accused the Republican majority of strategically “sandwich[ing]” a Democrat witness between the victims’ families for “dramatic effect.”

Gill fired back, calling Johnson’s tirade “one of the most disgusting testimonies I have ever heard” and blaming Democrat lawmakers for the tragedies during four years of open borders under the Biden administration.

DHS SLAMS CALIFORNIA ‘SANCTUARY’ COUNTY AFTER MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY 2 HONDURAN NATIONALS

However, the most stinging reply to Johnson’s comments came from Jen Heiling, the mother of victim Brady Heiling, 18, who was killed along with his girlfriend, Hallie Helgeson, 18, in 2025, when an illegal immigrant from Honduras was allegedly driving the wrong way on I-90 while intoxicated, crashing into the teens’ car.

“You can put me in whatever order, in whatever seat. My tragedy is never going to be OK,” Heiling told Johnson. “Today’s our day. Hear us. Leave your butts in your seat. I don’t want to hear your butts.”

She described how her 11-year-old and 16-year-old children are still waiting for the teens to come home, noting that her garage stall remains empty because her son’s car is still being held as police evidence.

“We can’t pick a headstone because that makes it too real. But you can sit here and tell us about what kind of hearing this should be,” Heiling said. “Renee Good is not the same as angel families. She made a choice. … Brady and Hallie didn’t get a choice. … They were living [by] American laws … and they were stolen by somebody who doesn’t care.”

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Patricia Fox, mother of Carissa Aspnes, who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant, followed Heiling’s remarks by shooting back at Johnson’s comments about race, noting, “I don’t know if anybody has noticed, but I am not White. I wake up Brown every day.”

“I’m not sure what race has to do with any of this,” Fox said. “There’s four kids that we talked about today, and y’all can’t seem to stay on topic for what — an hour of your time. 

“Today, we’re talking about sanctuary policies and how they have wrecked our families. Y’all come and y’all feed Carissa. You get her up from her bed using a crane, and then you tell me and lecture me what this hearing should be about.”

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political action committee spent more than $1.5 million buying thousands of copies of his new memoir — accounting for about two-thirds of all copies sold nationwide — according to campaign finance filings. 

The PAC spending helped propel Newsom’s memoir, “Young Man in a Hurry,” onto the New York Times bestseller list and is raising new scrutiny as his national profile builds ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.

In November, the Campaign for Democracy Committee launched a book campaign asking donors to contribute any amount to the PAC to receive the memoir when it was released on Feb. 24. Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told the New York Times that the PAC bought about 67,000 copies—representing a substantial portion of the 97,400 total sold.

“We were thrilled with the response,” Click told the New York Times. “Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work.”

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The PAC made two payments totaling over $1.5 million to Porchlight Book Company, according to a FEC filing posted on Wednesday and reviewed by Fox News Digital. The governor will not receive royalties from the books sold through the campaign, the New York Times reported. 

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When asked about the book’s ranking on the best seller list, a New York Times spokesperson explained the outlet places a dagger symbol on the list to indicate when a book’s ranking has been influenced by a bulk purchase.

“When The Times has reason to believe that sales of a book include a mix of organic and bulk sales, the book’s best-seller ranking is accompanied by a dagger. That’s what we did with the Newsom book,” Nicole Taylor, spokesperson for The Times, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Newsom but did not immediately reply. 

Book promotion is common among politicians, but Newsom’s PAC spending outpaces similar political committee purchases. The Republican National Committee, for example, spent about $100,000 in 2019 purchasing Donald Trump Jr.’s book, the New York Times noted in its report.  

GOV GAVIN NEWSOM: FROM PRIVILEGE TO HEARTBREAK, MY LIFE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

Newsom’s memoir is focused on the challenges he faced in his upbringing, addressing his battle with dyslexia and having divorced parents, as well as his political career. 

Newsom’s book tour, which included visiting cities across the nation, drew criticism from conservatives for the Democrat governor allegedly putting himself over leading California. 

Chairwoman of the California Republican Party Corrin Rankin told Fox Digital, in response to the book campaign, she believes Newsom is trying to “rebrand his national image” while abandoning issues at home, as recent data underscores ongoing challenges in the state.

Social media commenters have not shied away from mocking Newsom over the book sales, including Republican California gubernatorial candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton. 

“Gavin Newsom’s ‘bestseller’ memoir just got the ultimate California treatment: his PAC dropped $1.56 million of donor cash to buy 67,000 free copies and mail them to anyone who donated any amount,” Hilton posted to X on Thursday. “That’s two-thirds of all print sales. Nothing says ‘Young Man in a Hurry’ like rigging your own book numbers with political slush funds while California burns.”

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Newsom is considered a top potential 2028 presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, though he has not confirmed whether he will officially throw his hat in the ring. 

One month after President Donald Trump ordered a government-wide halt on artificial intelligence firm Anthropic’s technology following a clash with the Pentagon, the company’s CEO is back at the White House for high-level talks — as officials reconsider whether a system they sidelined over national security and political concerns may be too important to ignore.

A source familiar with the meeting told Fox News White House chief of staff Susie Wiles met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Friday. 

Anthropic’s new artificial intelligence model, Mythos Preview, is considered so advanced that the company has restricted its release, limiting access to a small group of partners over concerns about potential misuse.

The meeting signals a rapid reversal inside the Trump administration, as officials weigh whether a system previously flagged as a national security risk could also be critical to defending U.S. infrastructure — exposing a growing internal tension over how to handle powerful AI tools with both defensive and offensive potential.

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The talks come despite a recent clash inside the Trump administration, as officials reconsider a company the Pentagon flagged as a supply chain risk. Its ties to former Biden officials and past criticism of Trump by its CEO have added a political dimension to the debate over whether its technology should return to government use.

That potential and the risks that come with it already have triggered tensions inside the U.S. government.

Pentagon clash, legal fight and reversal put Anthropic back in play

The meeting comes after a sharp break between Anthropic and the Pentagon earlier in 2026.  

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated the company a national security “supply chain risk,” effectively cutting it out of military systems and barring contractors from using its technology.

Anthropic is now challenging the designation in court, after filing multiple lawsuits against the Pentagon and other federal agencies arguing the “supply chain risk” label is unlawful and retaliatory. 

The designation, which effectively bars contractors from using Anthropic’s technology and has been compared to measures typically reserved for foreign adversaries, already has faced conflicting rulings in federal court, with one judge temporarily blocking parts of the policy while an appeals court declined to halt its enforcement. The legal fight is ongoing, leaving contractors and agencies navigating uncertainty over whether and how Anthropic’s systems can be used.

The move followed a dispute over how the Pentagon could use Anthropic’s AI. 

The company declined to grant open-ended authorization for “all lawful purposes,” instead insisting its systems not be used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. While Pentagon officials said they do not rely on AI for either purpose, they rejected being constrained by a private company’s restrictions.

Trump then directed federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s models altogether, escalating the standoff beyond the Defense Department into a government-wide halt.

Now, just weeks later, the company is back in high-level talks with the White House as officials weigh whether its new Mythos system — despite the earlier ban — could shift the balance of cyber defense and attack.

Political ties and past criticism may complicate White House talks

The dispute also has taken on a political dimension.

Amodei previously has drawn attention for his criticism of Trump, at one point likening him to a “feudal warlord” in a pre-2024-election Facebook post, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

In an internal message posted on Anthropic’s Slack platform and later leaked to The Information, Amodei suggested the Trump administration’s dispute with the company was driven in part by its refusal to offer what he described as “dictator-style praise.” 

The message, written during a rapid escalation of tensions in early March, later was cited by the Wall Street Journal and other outlets. Amodei subsequently apologized for the tone, saying the post did not reflect his considered views.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REJECTS ANTHROPIC BID TO BLOCK PENTAGON BLACKLIST IN AI DISPUTE

When asked about Anthropic’s governance, hiring and broader political ties, a White House official said the administration “continues to proactively engage across government and industry to protect the United States and Americans,” including “working with frontier AI labs to ensure their models help secure critical software vulnerabilities.”

The official added that “any new technology that would potentially be used or deployed by the federal government requires a technical period of evaluation for fidelity and security,” and said “the collective effort of all involved will ultimately benefit industry, and our country, as a whole.”

Beyond the immediate dispute, the company’s broader ties to Washington also have drawn attention.

Anthropic’s governance structure has also drawn attention as the administration weighs closer engagement. The company is overseen in part by an independent “Long-Term Benefit Trust,” an unusual mechanism designed to give nonfinancial stakeholders influence over corporate decisions. 

The trust holds special voting shares that allow it to appoint and eventually control a majority of the company’s board, with members drawn from national security, public policy and global development backgrounds.

Current trustees include Clinton Health Access Initiative CEO Neil Buddy Shah, Carnegie Endowment president Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, a Democrat who was appointed to the California Supreme Court by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014, and Center for a New American Security CEO Richard Fontaine — who advised John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. The group is a mix of policy and national security leaders that underscores the company’s deep ties to Washington and global policy circles.

Anthropic’s backers also have placed it at the center of overlapping tech, policy and political networks. 

Early funding for the company included investments from figures such as Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, both longtime Democratic donors, and a major early investment from Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX.

At the same time, the company has since attracted a broad range of major institutional investors — including Amazon, Google and Microsoft — reflecting its growing role in the global AI race and complicating efforts to characterize it along purely political lines.

The company also has brought on several officials from the Biden administration into key policy roles, further embedding Anthropic in Washington’s AI policy ecosystem. Among them is Tarun Chhabra, a former National Security Council official who now leads the company’s national security policy work, as well as other advisers and staff with experience shaping federal AI and technology strategy.

Anthropic also has sought to build ties across party lines as it expands its presence in Washington. 

The company employs policy staff with Republican backgrounds, including legislative analyst Benjamin Merkel and lobbyist Mary Croghan, and in February added Chris Liddell — a former deputy White House chief of staff under Trump — to its board. It has contributed $20 million to Public First Action, a bipartisan group that backs candidates from both parties who support AI regulation.

The company has also faced criticism from within the Trump administration. 

White House AI adviser David Sacks has accused Anthropic of pursuing a “regulatory capture” strategy, arguing the firm is using concerns about AI safety to push rules that could benefit its own position while slowing competitors. 

Anthropic has pushed back on those claims, saying its approach reflects genuine concerns about the risks posed by advanced AI systems.

Anthropic declined to comment on the White House meeting and questions about its political ties.

JUDGE FREEZES TRUMP ADMIN MOVE AGAINST AI FIRM, FUELING BATTLE OVER SECURITY AUTHORITY

New AI system could reshape cyber warfare, raising alarms inside US government

The new technology could help developers identify and fix long-standing security flaws, but it could also give hackers a powerful new tool to target U.S. businesses and government systems.

“Given the rate of AI progress, it will not be long before such capabilities proliferate, potentially beyond actors who are committed to deploying them safely,” Anthropic said in its announcement. “The fallout — for economies, public safety, and national security — could be severe.”

Anthropic has not released Mythos publicly, instead limiting access through a program called Project Glasswing, where a select group of companies use the model to scan critical systems for vulnerabilities.

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The company says the system has already uncovered thousands of previously unknown flaws — some decades old — underscoring both its defensive value and the risk it could be used to accelerate cyberattacks if the technology spreads.

Fox Business’ Edward Lawrence contributed to this report.