NationalWatch

FIRST ON FOX: A number of conservative groups and former border officials are urging Republican lawmakers to reject a potential compromise on border funding that falls short of the House signature legislation passed this year — as the clock ticks down on a potential deal.

Negotiations are ongoing between Republicans, Democrats and the Biden administration over a $106 billion supplemental spending agreement for the border, Israel and Ukraine. Republicans have demanded policy changes, including asylum limits, to restrict the entry of migrants into the U.S. as part of the deal.

Republicans in the House and conservative groups have called for the inclusion of the entirety of H.R. 2 — the House signature legislation passed in the chamber this year which ramps up border security, restarts border wall construction, brings back the Remain-in-Mexico policy and limits the use of asylum and humanitarian parole among other sweeping changes.

REPUBLICANS SEE PROGRESS IN BORDER TALKS, BUT UNCLEAR IF DEAL WITHIN REACH AS CRISIS RAGES

A Senate working group released a slimmer version of proposals taken in part from H.R. 2, but that was rejected by the White House and Senate Democrats. This week it was reported that the administration was open to a Title 42-type expulsion authority in certain circumstances, expanded expedited removal and a broadening of immigration detention. Those proposals drew optimism from some Senate Republicans, even as some Democrats and immigration activists condemned them.

However, the conservatives — who are part of a coalition that previously warned Congress against “watering down” H.R. 2, — say that it falls short of what is required to fix the ongoing crisis at the border which has hit historic highs in terms of migrant encounters.

Kevin Roberts, president of Heritage Action, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that “years of backroom deals and weakness from Congress have given us the worst illegal immigration crisis in American history” and that Americans are “sick and tired” of secret negotiations that end in “do-nothing bills.”

“The border is in chaos because of Biden’s intentional destruction of the enforcement measures that discouraged illegal immigration. Lawmakers cannot trust this administration with more money and more power to make up the rules as they go. Conservatives have already passed a plan to secure the border. H.R. 2 gets the job done,” he said. “Anything less would be a defeat for the American people and the rule of law.” 

“Allowing the Biden administration to use a Christmas deadline and false promises of border security to pass billions in foreign funding is unacceptable. Conservative members of Congress shouldn’t take these negotiations seriously—the American people surely do not,” he said.

Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center and a former DHS official, dismissed reported claims by the Biden administration that it would deport and detain more.

“That’s current law, which they’ve ignored for three years. That’s neither a ‘concession’ nor credible,’ she said.

CONSERVATIVE COALITION WARNS GOP LEADERS AGAINST ‘WATERING DOWN’ BORDER MEASURES TO CLINCH SPENDING DEAL

Tom Homan, a former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a Heritage visiting fellow, called the policies in H.R. 2 a “no-brainer”

“Because we proved they worked under the Trump administration and implementing these policies resulted in the most secure border of my lifetime,” he said. “Why would anyone negotiate proven success? Now is the time to be strong and act. 

“The FBI has publicly stated that the threat stream to this nation is very high. The time for negotiating is over,” Homan said. “We can no longer accept the Democrats delaying action on Israel and Ukraine because continuing an open border national security failure is more important to them.”

Former acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan accused Senate Democrats of “negotiating with themselves to water down what they already agreed was the path to success.” 

“Throwing more money at the crisis and begging the current administration to enforce the laws they have disregarded for three years, without the inclusion of the policy changes contained in H.R. 2, is not a solution – it’s failure. What’s happening at our borders is not about immigration – it’s about our ability to safeguard our nation against a vast set of complex threats pouring across them,” he said. “When did it become acceptable to ‘compromise’ on protecting and defending our borders and our sovereignty?”

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AGAIN TOP 10K IN SINGLE DAY AS LAWMAKERS EYE NEW BORDER LIMITS

Chris Chmielenski, President of the Immigration Accountability Project, said that the proposal “falls short” of addressing the crisis and warned that “any Republican that goes along will join the Biden Administration in owning it.” The only way to end the crisis, he said, is to pass H.R. 2.

“Then, and only then, will a loud and clear message be sent around the world that the U.S. border is closed,” he said.

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Lawmakers are due to leave Washington on Thursday for the holiday break, it is unclear if a deal will be reached before then. Meanwhile, sources confirmed to Fox News this week that encounters breached the 10,000 mark at the southern border in a single day on Tuesday.

President Biden is experiencing a collapse in enthusiasm among Democratic voters in Michigan, according to a new poll. 

Just 27% of Democrats in the Great Lake State say there are “enthusiastic” for Biden as their party’s presidential nominee, according to the Washington Post-Monmouth poll. 

Approximately 51% of Democratic voters in the state say they would be “satisfied” with Biden as the Democratic nominee, and 19% say they would be “dissatisfied” or “upset.”

HUNTER BIDEN FACES BACKLASH AFTER DEFYING SUBPOENA WITH PRESS CONFERENCE ‘STUNT’: ‘HOLD HIM IN CONTEMPT’

By contrast, approximately 45% of Michigan Republicans report being “enthusiastic” about former President Trump as their party’s nominee.  

Approximately 31% of GOP voters in the state say they would be “satisfied” to have Trump as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.

About 21% of Michigan Republicans say they would be “unsatisfied” or “upset” with Trump leading the party into the election.

SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are increasingly unsatisfied with the prospect of a Biden-Trump rematch in 2024.

Approximately 56% of U.S. adults report they would feel “very” or “somewhat” dissatisfied with Biden as the Democratic nominee. 

Meanwhile, about 58% of U.S. adults say they would feel dissatisfied with Trump representing the GOP.

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Approximately 42% of respondents said they view Biden favorably, compared to 36% for Trump.

The Post-Monmouth poll surveyed 1,066 potential voters in Michigan between Dec. 7 and Dec. 11. Its reported margin of error is +/-4.4%. 

The Associated Press-NORC poll surveyed 1,074 US adults selected via the NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel. It was conducted between Nov. 30 and Dec. 4 and reports a margin of error of +/-4%.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will be unveiling his trucking policy next week at Iowa 80, famously dubbed the “World’s Largest Truckstop.”

“Truckers are a crucial link in the American supply chain that power America’s economy. They’re not just haulers of goods — they’re the guardians of freedom on our highways. Last year, we watched as the ‘Freedom Convoy’ in Canada unmasked the perils of government overreach – speech was censored, peaceful protesters were arrested, and big banks froze personal funds,” Ramaswamy said in a press release first obtained by Fox News Digital. “Those Canadian truckers taught the world a valuable lesson about the power of civil protest against an out-of-control totalitarian government.” 

“On Thursday, Dec. 21, join me at Iowa 80, the World’s Largest Truckstop, where I will lay out my detailed plan for how we support our truckers and ensure freedom for all,” he said. 

RAMASWAMY SWIPES ‘GOP ESTABLISHMENT’ IN IOWA FOR SUPPORTING CO2 PIPELINES AS PART OF CLIMATE ‘HOAX’

Ramaswamy will be joined by officials from CDL (commercial driver’s license) Drivers Unlimited, the group representing roughly 4.7 million CDL drivers in the U.S., according to the campaign. 

In an outline of his trucking policy, Ramaswamy says he will direct his Department of Transportation (DOT) and its Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to focus on “promoting driver retention” rather than driver recruitment for “economic efficency,” citing a 2019 study showing a whopping 91% turnover rate among CDL drivers including changes between carriers. 

Ramaswamy vows his administration will “promote driver safety through comprehensive mental health policies, truck parking safety, and common-sense hours of service regulation.” He also intends to combat efforts on a state level to “limit the freedom of CDL drivers as independent contractors and use investigatory power to crack down on broker fraud.”

RAMASWAMY LAUNCHES $1 MILLION AD BUY IN EARLY PRIMARY STATES BLASTING POLITICIANS ‘LEADING US INTO WORLD WAR III’

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Ramaswamy is hoping to defy expectations at the Iowa Caucus next month as he vies for the GOP nomination.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls shows the biotech entrepreneur trailing at 5.3% behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 15.7%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 19.7% and former President Trump, who continues to dominate the field with a whopping 50% support among primary voters. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said Wednesday that he hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the abortion pill.

Ramaswamy appeared in Des Moines, Iowa for a CNN town hall, where anchor Abby Phillip asked him about the Supreme Court’s decision to hear a case that could potentially restrict access nationwide to the abortion drug Mifepristone. Ramaswamy said the case is less about abortion and more about administrative law and the FDA approval process, arguing the agency exceeded its authority by approving mifepristone in 2000.

“It’s my opinion — it’s the Supreme Court’s that’ll matter, but I’m pretty sure they’re going to come down right where I am on this — that the FDA exceeded its statutory authority in using an emergency approval to approve something that doesn’t fit Congress’ criteria for what actually counts as an emergency approval,” Ramaswamy told voters at the town hall.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to consider appeals from the Biden administration and drug manufacturer Danco defending several actions by the FDA intended to make it easier to acces and use mifepristone in the wake of overturning Roe v. Wade last year. 

WATCH: RAMASWAMY’S TOP MOMENTS ON DEI, IMMIGRATION, TAX REFORM, JAN.6 AT CNN TOWN HALL: ‘THIS IS IMPORTANT

In overturning Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion and that the matter should be decided by the states. In the aftermath, 14 states have banned abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and two others have banned abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of gestation. 

Mifepristone, known by the brand name Mifeprex, is a pill taken with misoprostol in a two-drug regimen that first deprives an unborn baby of hormones it needs to stay alive and then causes cramps and contractions to expel the dead fetus from the mother’s womb. This process is sometimes referred to as a medication abortion or, by critics, as a chemical abortion. 

According to Danco, more than 5 million women have used Mifeprex in the United States since the FDA approved its use in 2000. The popular drug is 97% effective in terminating early pregnancy, although the company says 3% of women who take it will require surgical intervention for ongoing pregnancy, heavy bleeding, incomplete expulsion or other reasons such as patient request. 

WATCH: DESANTIS’ TOP MOMENTS ON ISRAEL, IMMIGRATION, TRUMP AND HALEY AT CNN TOWN HALL: ‘AN EASY ANSWER’

Pro-life doctors, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, have challenged FDA approval of mifepristone on the grounds that the agency inappropriately expedited the drug’s approval with mixed success in lower courts. 

The Biden administration and the maker of the drug are asking the high court to reverse an appellate ruling that would cut off access to the drug through the mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal. The restrictions include shortening from the current 10 weeks to seven weeks the time during which mifepristone can be used in pregnancy. The nine justices rejected a separate appeal from abortion opponents who challenged the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone as safe and effective in 2000.

Ramaswamy said the case is a “symptom” of “what’s going on in the administrative state.” 

TRUMP HOLDS MASSIVE LEAD IN IOWA 5 WEEKS FROM CAUCUSES THAT KICK OFF GOP RACE: POLL

“The people who we elect to run the government, they’re not even the ones who actually run the government right now. It’s the bureaucrats in those three letter agencies that are pulling the strings today,” he said at the town hall. 

Ramaswamy said that if voters disagree with his position, they should turn to the “Democratic process” and expand abortion access “through the front doors of Congress,” pledging that if he’s elected president he will “rescind those unconstitutional federal regulations that Congress never actually passed.” 

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In a statement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that overturning the FDA’s decisions on the abortion pill “threatens to undermine the FDA’s scientific, independent judgment and would reimpose outdated restrictions on access to safe and effective medication abortion.” 

“This Administration will continue to stand by FDA’s independent approval and regulation of mifepristone as safe and effective. As the Department of Justice continues defending the FDA’s actions before the Supreme Court, President Biden and Vice President Harris remain firmly committed to defending women’s ability to access reproductive care,” she said. 

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy appeared in Des Moines, Iowa for a CNN town hall on Wednesday night and not only addressed a broad range of topics but also repeatedly clashed with CNN anchor Abby Phillip. 

Ramaswamy battles CNN’s Abby Phillip over Jan. 6

The most contentious moment of the hour-long town hall was when Phillip attempted to grill Ramaswamy over his recent comment referring to Jan. 6 as an “inside job.”

As Ramaswamy accused the government of systemically lying in recent years and claimed that federal agents were within the crowd on Jan. 6, he mocked Phillip’s interruptions as proof that “the establishment doesn’t approve this message.”

“I know it’s very uncomfortable for you. I know this is an uncomfortable issue for many people but we have to do the truth here,” Ramaswamy told the CNN anchor. 

Ramaswamy’s comments were repeatedly welcomed with applause by the GOP-friendly audience as Phillip continued sparring with the White House hopeful. 

WATCH: DESANTIS’ TOP MOMENTS ON ISRAEL, IMMIGRATION, TRUMP AND HALEY AT CNN TOWN HALL: ‘AN EASY ANSWER’

Ramaswamy vows to end birthright citizenship, lays out plan for deportations

Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants, laid out his hard-line immigration policies. He began by repeating his vow to send the military to secure the southern border but quickly pivoted to his proposal to “ending the illegal incentives to be here.”

“End birthright citizenship for the kids of illegal migrants to whom the 14th Amendment does not apply, end federal funding to sanctuary cities using our own taxpayer money to pay effectively for breaking the rule of law,” Ramaswamy said. “I do believe that anybody who’s in this country illegally needs to be returned to their country of origin. Not because they’re all bad people. In fact, many of them are good people… So this is not a value judgment about those people. It’s a value judgment about this country. We’re founded on the rule of law. And as a father of two sons in the White House, I can’t look them in the eye and tell them they have to follow the rules when our own government isn’t following its own rules.”

The political outsider explained that he could implement such mass deportations by invoking an obscure law called 287 G he says allows local law enforcement to carry out warrants issued by ICE. He also clarified that ending birthright citizenship of illegal immigrants would take effect after he takes office rather than be retroactively applied to those already born in the U.S. 

Ramaswamy says ‘If you hit us, we hit you back ten times harder’

Ramaswamy was asked by an Iowa voter about how he’d be able to balance an authentic approach on the world stage while maintaining a “presidential demeanor.” He responded by saying he wants to act as president the way he wants his sons to view him. 

“Am I going to tell my kids to go to school and be a bully? No, I’m not. But I’m gonna tell them if somebody bullies you or hits you, you’re gonna hit them back ten times harder. And that’s the way I’m going to lead this country,” Ramaswamy said. “As we say in our family- you have to be strong enough to protect your kindness. So if you watch those debates carefully, I don’t engage in four-letter words. I mean, there are other candidates who have called me dumb, scum and worse that I’m not going to repeat here. I didn’t go after them but if they’re gonna come after me, I’m not going to be a president whether it’s Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin or anybody else who’s going to roll over. When I’m leading the United States, the same rule applies. If you hit us, we hit you back ten times harder.”

TRUMP HOLDS MASSIVE LEAD IN IOWA 5 WEEKS FROM CAUCUSES THAT KICK OFF GOP RACE: POLL

Ramaswamy proposes 12% flat tax 

The GOP hopeful was asked about his past support of dramatically increasing the inheritance tax, telling Phillip it’s not part of his policy platform. 

“What we need is a 12% flat tax across the board,” Ramaswamy said. “Ordinary income, capital gain, corporate, flatten it out.” 

“And here is how we get money back for the system: end the croniest deductions, the deductions and the loopholes and the rebates that corporations, special interests have lobbied in. It’s about $700 billion a year, just the tax compliance costs, just the out-of-pocket costs not counting the time you spend preparing your taxes. Give that back to the people,” he continued. 

Ramaswamy says DEI discourages diversity of viewpoints 

Ramaswamy was quick to reject the premise of a question from a Drake University professor who asked how he would promote “diversity and inclusion” and advance “underrepresented groups” in his administration and in the private sector. 

“So I think the Diversity Equity Inclusion agenda has been abused. In the name of diversity, we have at many of our universities totally sacrificed diversity of thought,” he said. “In the name of equity, we’ve perpetuated a lot of inequity and inequality of opportunity through affirmative action and otherwise. In the name of inclusion, we’ve created a new culture of exclusion where certain points of view aren’t welcome. So especially in a university setting, what do I care about? Diversity of viewpoint. This is important, actually, I think diversity of viewpoint is part of what this country was built on. Well, the best way to foster diversity of viewpoint is to screen candidates for the diversity of their views.” 

He later continued, “And I think the use of these racial and gender quota systems, I think, have actually created a new form of racism in the United States that otherwise would not have existed. It’s sad to me, I mean, I’ve hired, not because I was thinking about it consciously, plenty of Black women in different positions of authority in this campaign or other companies or whatever. And I can tell you it saddens me when people look at somebody who I hired on the basis of merit and say that they only got that job because of the race or gender. That doesn’t do anybody a favor. And so I think if we restore true meritocracy in this country, and embrace true diversity of thought, chances are we’re actually going to have a bunch of different shades of melanin and a range of genders in different positions. But let it be not the goal. Let it just be a byproduct of actually selecting for people who are the best person for the job, and especially in a university setting, diverse viewpoints as well. That’s what I think.”

2024 WHITE HOUSE HOPEFULS SHRED DOJ, ‘DEEP STATE’ OVER TIMING OF HUNTER BIDEN INDICTMENT: ‘SLOW-WALKED’

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Ramaswamy wants to make faith, patriotism ‘cool again’

Ramaswamy rejected the notion that his Hindu faith contradicts the values established by the Founding Fathers, telling an Iowan voter “we share the same value set in common” before listing several of his values that overlap with Judeo-Christian ones. 

“Would I be the best president to spread Christianity through this country? I would not. I’d be not the best choice for that. But I also don’t think that that’s the job of the US President,” Ramaswamy said. “But will I stand for the Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on ,that I was raised in even in the Hindu faith? Yes, I will. You’re darn right I will.”

“I think it’s my responsibility to make faith, and patriotism, and family, and hard work cool again in this country,” he later continued. “I think they’re pretty cool. And I think that’s my job. As your next president, to back to the First Amendment, we will stand for religious liberty in a way that neither Republicans nor Democrats actually have. That’s what the First Amendment says. You get to practice your faith. Every pastor in this country gets to do his job without the government getting in their way.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

LONDONDERRY, N.H. – Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he’s “disappointed” that he didn’t land the endorsement of New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu in the Republican presidential nomination race.

But Christie said that Sununu’s backing former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar “doesn’t change my strategy here one bit.”

And he pushed back on Sununu’s suggestion that Christie and Haley’s other Republican White House rivals should get out of the race, telling Fox News Digital that “I’m not going anywhere, so let’s be really clear about that.”

Christie made his comments as he took questions from reporters following a town hall Wednesday night in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Christie returned to the Granite State on the same day that Sununu was continuing to campaign with Haley across New Hampshire after endorsing her the previous evening.

SUNUNU ON HALEY’S 2024 RIVALS: ‘I THINK THEY SHOULD ALL GET OUT’

Sununu, a popular Republican governor who’s won election and re-election to four two-year terms as governor in the crucial northeastern battleground state, had said for weeks that his endorsement would come down to Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Christie, who he’s known for over a decade.

Haley has been rising in the polls the past couple of months and is currently in second place in the surveys in New Hampshire, far behind former President Donald Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run.

‘WE’RE ALL IN’ – SUNUNU BACKS HALEY IN MAJOR 2024 ENDORSEMENT

Christie, who’s repeating his strategy from his unsuccessful 2016 Republican presidential run of placing all his chips in New Hampshire, stands in third place in Granite State polls, a couple of points behind Haley.

“I would have been happy to accept his support,” Christie said of Sununu.

But he downplayed the significance of the Sununu endorsement, arguing that “I would have known exactly what it meant. It meant one vote.  And it would have been nice to hang around with him, and we could have done a buddy show like he and Nikki are doing, but in the end, these voters are not going to be told by anybody who to vote for.”

“I’m disappointed. I’m not going to be stupid about it. It’s disappointing not to get it but on the other hand, it doesn’t change my strategy here one bit,” he highlighted.

CHRISTIE UPS HIS GAME IN A KEY PRIMARY STATE

Asked after endorsing Haley on Tuesday if Christie should drop out of the race, Sununu told Fox News that “I’m behind Nikki Haley. I think they should all get out frankly, including former President Trump. I think everyone should kind of clear the way.”

But he acknowledged “they’re going to keep campaigning.”

A day later, Fox News Digital asked Christie about Sununu’s comments.

“He should know better,” Christie responded. “It’s not his job to tell anybody when to get out. He can support whomever he likes, but it’s not his job to tell anybody when it’s time to get out of the race. That’s an individual choice to make and I’m not going anywhere, so let’s be really clear about that.”

A night earlier, Sununu told Fox News that he had not given either Christie or DeSantis a heads-up that he was going to endorse Haley.

“I learned about it on-line,” Christie told Fox News. “That’s not the way I would have done it but everybody has to account for their own sense of what represents integrity and what doesn’t.”

Christie spoke with reporters after taking questions for more than an hour and a half from the crowd in a jam-packed American Legion post in this Republican-leaning town.

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The former New Jersey governor took aim at Haley early and often during the town hall, starting with what he called her “word salad” answers when it comes to the combustible issue of abortion. Later in the town hall he accused her of “political pandering.”

“The voters in this state have a right to know where she stands. Not just her happy talk. They have a right to know where she stands,” Christie told reporters after the town hall.

And he charged that Haley’s “unwilling to do it. She wants to be everything to everybody on that issue [abortion]. It’s too important an issue, it’s too personal an issue, and it’s too serious an issue to not answer it directly. I’ve answered it directly. She hasn’t.”

Sununu’s much coveted endorsement was a disappointment for DeSantis, but he’s concentrating most of his time and resources in Iowa, whose Jan. 15 caucuses kick off the GOP nominating calendar. 

But it’s much more of a setback for Christie, who along with Haley is aiming for a strong finish in New Hampshire.

Veteran Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett noted that “Christie is planting the flag in New Hampshire and to have the governor of the state, who clearly likes him and has an affinity for him, go with someone else and affirm that someone else has a much better pathway, if that’s your only state, it’s almost impossible, not just in New Hampshire but nationwide, to get the nomination.”

“He’s got to look in the mirror,” Bartlett said of Christie.

Neil Levesque, the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, said that the Sununu endorsement “does not help Chris Christie, and it is certainly a blow to his campaign.”

But he added that “I don’t think it changes the fact that he’s going to campaign here in New Hampshire and seek the votes, and you never know what’s going to happen.”

State Rep. Wayne MacDonald, a former state GOP chair who heads Christie’s steering committee in New Hampshire, told Fox News that “certainly we would much prefer to have Gov. Sununu on board with us than with Gov. Haley.” 

But he emphasized that “endorsements are nice but I think there’s a lot of hype attached to them. With all due respect to Gov. Sununu, I don’t think this is a game-changer.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Democrats in the House and Senate are furious at reports that the White House is open to new restrictions on asylum at the border to get a deal done on its supplemental funding request — with lawmakers accusing the White House of “selling out” migrants to appease Republicans.

“It is truly shameful that President Biden and his administration are considering selling out migrants and asylum seekers in order to placate extreme Republicans who are jeopardizing our national security and that of our allies just to score a political point,” Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said in a statement.

Talks have been ongoing between lawmakers and the administration over a supplemental funding request that includes border funding as well as aid for Israel and Ukraine. The border section would be around $14 billion of the approximately $106 billion package.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AGAIN TOP 10K IN A SINGLE DAY AS LAWMAKERS EYE NEW BORDER LIMITS

But Republicans have said that the package does not include enough restrictions on asylum and the use of humanitarian parole, and want measures in place to curb the release of migrants into the U.S. Lawmakers argue that those releases are acting as a pull factor for more migrants to come to the border.

As talks appeared to stall, with some Democrats opposed to policy changes to restrict asylum, President Biden indicated last week that he was open to “significant compromises” on the matter.

CBS News reported Tuesday that the administration has now indicated it is open to a new border authority similar to Title 42 — the COVID-era order that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the southern border until May this year — but without the necessity of a public health justification. 

The administration was reportedly also open to a nationwide expansion of expedited removal, which allows for recently-entered migrants to be quickly removed if they do not meet the initial asylum standard. It is currently only being used at and near the border. CBS reported that the White House was willing to mandate the detention of certain migrants as their claims are considered.

The White House and Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital, but the White House told CBS that it “has not signed off on any particular policy proposals or final agreements, and reporting that ascribes determined policy positions to the White House is inaccurate.”

5,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED EVERY DAY INTO US, ADMIN OFFICIALS PRIVATELY TELL LAWMAKERS

“The President has said he is open to compromise and we look forward to continued conversations with Senate negotiators as we work toward a bipartisan package,” spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez said.

Left-wing Democrats tore into the administration and accused it of trying to revive Trump-era practices on the border and immigration.

Menendez said it was “the height of absurdity that the Biden administration is putting forward, with a straight face, callous and inhumane changes to our immigration system that President Trump could only have dreamed of accomplishing.”

“There is no excuse for entertaining failed Trump-era immigration policies,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said.

“These cruel, extreme policies are a complete nonstarter for me and many other congressional Democrats,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said. “We need real, humane solutions to our immigration system and simply cannot be trading unworkable, permanent policy changes for one-time funding.”

Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., called the reported proposals “Deplorable. Irresponsible. Unacceptable.”

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“The fact we are considering exchanging the lives of asylum seekers for Ukrainian lives is draconian & immoral,” she said.

Meanwhile, some Democrats have said that they would require any policy changes to be accompanied by a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants already in the U.S.

It is also unclear if any compromise package would have enough votes to get through the GOP-controlled House, where top lawmakers have previously demanded the entirety of the Republican border security package be included as part of any agreement.

Meanwhile, there were another 10,000+ encounters at the southern border on Tuesday alone, the latest in a surge that has left multiple sectors overwhelmed.

First lady Jill Biden was blasted Wednesday night after posting a video to X showing dancers tapping around the holiday-decorated White House, whose theme this year is “Magic, Wonder and Joy.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the first lady shared the video from the official @FLOTUS account, along with the caption. 

“A bit of magic, wonder, and joy brought to you by the talented tappers of Dorrance Dance, performing their playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy!” the first lady’s post read.

But social media observers didn’t seem to be enjoying the musical content.

SUPPORT FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY GROWS WITH A NOTABLE LEVEL OF DEMOCRAT BACKING: POLL

“The United States of Bananas,” one viewer posted.

“Imagine thinking this gives America the Christmas spirit,” another wrote. 

“You are so strange. Bizarre. Freaky,” one said.

One comment even shared Melania’s video when Donald Trump was in office, saying how it was tasteful, seasonal, appealed to everyone and was absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous, unlike Biden’s, which they said was “utterly tacky, tasteless, and ANTI Christmas.” 

“Looks like the WH switched from cocaine to acid,” one viewer posted, an apparent reference to the discovery of cocaine at the executive mansion earlier this year. 

The video was filled with smiling dancers in brightly colored costumes, prancing and tapping all over the White House, but many viewers described the video as nothing remotely close to a Christmas theme.

POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP

“I wonder what that cost taxpayers,” another wrote. 

“ABSOLUTE GARBAGE,” another viewer said.

Some asked if the video was a joke, adding it was embarrassing and inappropriate for children. 

Other viewers asked what the cost of the video was and how much it was costing taxpayers. 

‘DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE’: DEMS REPORTEDLY BRINGING IN HILLARY CLINTON TO HELP WITH BIDEN’S RE-ELECTION

The White House was not immediately available for comment on the video. 

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President Biden on Wednesday said the southern border needs to be addressed as record numbers of migrants continue to overwhelm authorities while criticizing House Republicans over their impeachment inquiry into the business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden. 

In a statement released by the White House, Biden responded to the Republican-led House formally approving the impeachment inquiry. 

“The American people need their leaders in Congress to take action on important priorities for the nation and world,” the president said, before saying Congress should do more on a host of issues, including on Ukraine, Israel, the border, and the economy.  

On the border specifically, Biden said, “We have to address the situation at our southern border, and I am determined to try to fix the problem. We need funding to strengthen border security, but Republicans in Congress won’t act to help.”

Republicans have long called for increased border measures, arguing the record number of migrants poses a security threat as border authorities cannot properly screen them. 

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AGAIN TOP 10K IN SINGLE DAY AS LAWMAKERS EYE NEW BORDER LIMITS

Last week, a 49-51 Senate vote to issue billions of dollars in military and security aid to Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific fell short because Republicans wanted the president to focus on the border. Biden has asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund the wars in Ukraine and Israel and other security needs. 

On Wednesday, Biden noted that he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week.

“He came to America to ask us for help. Yet Republicans in Congress won’t act to help,” he said. 

HUNTER BIDEN CASE MOVE TO LOS ANGELES MAY BE EVIDENCE THE FEDS ‘FOUND SOMETHING’: DERSHOWITZ

Biden has signaled his willingness to make some compromises at the border, but has not said what policies he would embrace. He’s accused Republicans of wanting a political issue ahead of the 2024 presidential election more than bipartisan compromise. 

“Republicans think they get everything they want without any bipartisan compromise,” Biden said last week. “Now they’re willing to literally kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and damage our national security in the process.”

The president also accused the GOP of attacking his family amid a probe into his son. Hunter Biden on Wednesday defied a subpoena and refused to testify in front of House lawmakers about his business activities. 

He has maintained that his father was not involved in those deals. 

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“They belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service,” the younger Biden said at a news conference on Capitol Hill. “For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here.” 

President Biden said Republicans were “choosing to waste time on this baseless political stunt that even Republicans in Congress admit is not supported by facts.”

Senate Republicans say they are seeing progress in talks on potential border policy changes to be included in a supplemental spending package requested by the White House, although it isn’t clear if a deal is possible.

Talks have been ongoing between Senate lawmakers and the administration over a supplemental funding request that includes border funding as well as aid for Israel and Ukraine.

But Republicans and Democrats have found sharp disagreement on the contents of the border funding section, with Republicans demanding stricter limits on initial asylum screenings and the use of parole. House Republican leadership has called for the inclusion of a broader package passed in the chamber earlier this year, but Senate Republicans have shown openness to a more limited package.

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AGAIN TOP 10K IN SINGLE DAY AS LAWMAKERS EYE NEW BORDER LIMITS

President Biden said last week that he was open to “significant compromises,” and CBS News reported Tuesday that the Biden administration is open to a new Title 42-style authority, which was the COVID-era order that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the southern border until May this year.

The administration was reportedly also open to a nationwide expansion of expedited removal, which allows for recently entered migrants to be quickly removed if they do not meet the initial asylum standard. It is currently only being used at and near the border. CBS reported that the White House was willing to mandate the detention of certain migrants as their claims are considered.

While that report has sparked anger from left-wing Democrats, Republicans have responded positively, if cautiously.

“It’s a start, but I think the most important thing is the White House has finally gotten engaged, and it’s taken a long time to get there, but they finally did on Monday,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters. “But unfortunately, we’re so late in the year and with so little time left, it’s not practical to conclude between now and the end of the year.”

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he is open to the idea of having something like the Title 42 authority, citing the large number of migrant encounters at the southern border, and said that lawmakers should stay in Washington until a deal can be hammered out. Lawmakers are scheduled to leave D.C. for their winter break on Thursday.

“I’m going to take it as a good-faith offer, which is why I think we have to act in good faith and stay here until we get it negotiated out,” he said.

5,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED EVERY DAY INTO US, ADMIN OFFICIALS PRIVATELY TELL LAWMAKERS

Multiple lawmakers told reporters that there was nothing yet in writing from the White House and that the key would be in the details.

“We’ve been back and forth this morning, and we’ll continue to be able to work through. And again, yesterday was positive and we made a lot of progress on it to be able to go through it, and we’ll just keep working,” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that it was “good news” that the White House was involved in talks.

“Whether we can land this plane, I don’t know,” he said.

However, even if a package can be agreed to in the upper chamber, it is unclear if the agreement would gain the assent of the House, which has been eyeing more expansive moves. Meanwhile, Democrats in both the House and the Senate took aim at the reported proposals, blasting the Biden administration for what they see as a return to Trump-era policies.

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“It is truly shameful that President Biden and his administration are considering selling out migrants and asylum seekers in order placate extreme Republicans who are jeopardizing our national security and that of our allies just to score a political point,” Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Fox News reported that Tuesday saw another day in which overwhelmed officials at the border encountered more than 10,000 migrants in a single day.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former President Obama’s Senior Adviser David Axelrod commented on a recent Wall Street Journal poll that puts President Biden’s approval figures at a record low, saying it is “very, very dark” for his re-election campaign.

Axelrod made the comments during the “Hacks on Tap” podcast Saturday alongside political consultant Mike Murphy and former Obama White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

The Wall Street Journal poll Axelrod was discussing has former President Trump leading Biden 47% to 43% in a hypothetical with two people on the ballot. Trump leads 37% to 31% in a hypothetical ballot with five independent candidates also listed.

Biden’s job approval only hit 37%, a new record low for the WSJ poll, and 61% of those who responded see the president’s overall image in a negative light.

POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP

“Job approval down, ratings generally down, most of the comparatives with Trump not good,” Axelrod said on the podcast. “What I worry about, you guys, from a Biden standpoint, is these are the kinds of things you get when people are starting to rationalize their votes.”

“And they just put out another photo op with the Bidenomics sign next to him…it’s just unbelievable to me,” he added.

DEMOCRATIC ANALYSTS SOUND ALARM ON MORE ‘GRIM’ BIDEN POLLING SHOWING DIMINISHING SUPPORT IN KEY VOTER GROUPS

On most issues such as the economy, border security, and inflation, respondents to the poll sided with Trump. Only on the issue of abortion did Biden beat Trump.

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The Wall Street Journal poll surveyed 1,500 registered voters between Nov. 29 and Dec. 4, with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, defended Hunter Biden on Wednesday amid criticism by Republicans after he refused to testify before lawmakers behind closed doors. 

The president’s son was subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees. He instead held a press conference Wednesday on Capitol Hill in which he refused to sit for a deposition while declaring that his father was never involved in his business dealings. 

Republicans have threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress. 

HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT SIT FOR DEPOSITION BY GOP, SAYS FATHER NOT ‘FINANCIALLY’ INVOLVED IN HIS BUSINESS

Ocasio-Cortez joined a press conference with fellow Democrats to criticize Republicans where she said Biden was attempting to comply with the subpoena. 

“It’s also important to note, that not only is the committee not allowing Hunter Biden to testify publicly, but they have not called a single witness, a single first-hand witness to any of their allegations,” she said. “They haven’t allowed anybody to testify publicly, because they do not have a single witness to any of their alleged allegations. They don’t.”

“We have asked virtually every single person that has come to testify for this committee, ‘Have you seen, witnessed, participated, in a room, anything with first-hand testimony of any of what is being alleged?'” And every single witness that they have called before us has said, ‘No, I haven’t seen anything, didn’t hear anything, wasn’t party to anything,” she added.

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

“So this is just story telling at this point.”

During his press conference, Biden defended the president and said critics have “belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service. For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here.” 

“My father was not financially involved in my business,” he said, saying the elder Biden was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the United States.

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Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Kentucky, and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said they would start proceedings to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress. 

“Today, the House will vote on an impeachment inquiry resolution to strengthen our legal case in the courts as we face obstruction from the White House and witnesses,” both lawmakers said in a joint statement. “Today’s obstruction by Hunter Biden reinforces the need for a formal vote. President Biden and his family must be held accountable for their corruption and obstruction. And we will provide that to the American people.”

The judge presiding over the case against former President Trump and his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election acknowledged she does not have jurisdiction over the matter while it is pending before the Supreme Court, and put a pause on the case against the Republican 2024 frontrunner until the high court determines its involvement.

Special Counsel Jack Smith on Monday asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether former President Trump can be prosecuted on charges relating to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

TRUMP LEGAL TEAM FILES MOTION TO PAUSE PROCEEDINGS PENDING APPEAL

A federal judge ruled the case could go forward, but Trump said he would ask the federal appeals court in Washington to reverse that outcome. Smith is attempting to bypass the appeals court — the usual next step in the process — and have the Supreme Court take up the matter directly.

The Supreme Court, late Monday, asked Trump’s lawyers to respond to the special counsel’s motion by next Wednesday, December 20 — two days later than Smith had requested. 

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump filed a motion Tuesday urging Judge Tanya Chutkan to pause proceedings against Trump in the Jan. 6 case while his appeal is pending. 

SUPREME COURT: TRUMP MUST RESPOND TO SPECIAL COUNSEL’S PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY PETITION BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Chutkan, in a filing Wednesday, said she “agrees with both parties that Defendant’s appeal automatically stays any further proceedings that would move this case towards trial or impose additional burdens of litigation on Defendant.”

“Accordingly, and for clarity, the court hereby stays the deadlines and proceedings scheduled by its Pretrial Order, as amended,” Chutkan wrote.

Chutkan added that if Trump “asks the court reviewing his immunity appeal to also take a temporary jurisdiction over the enforcement of those measures, and that court agrees to do so, this court of course will be bound by that decision.”

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH TO USE DATA FROM TRUMP’S PHONE IN ELECTION INTERFERENCE TRIAL: COURT FILING

The trial was set to begin March 4, but now that start date could be delayed. Chutkan said that she would reconsider the trial date at the completion of the appeals process. 

Trump, in August, pleaded not guilty in federal court to all four federal charges stemming from Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

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Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

The Supreme Court’s next scheduled conference day for consideration of such matters is Jan. 5, 2024. The court’s brief order did not signal what it ultimately would do.

The support for a possible House impeachment inquiry against President Biden is growing among the American public, with nearly a quarter of Democrats saying they would back such a move, a new poll has found.

According to the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday, 49% of U.S. adults say they would support the House of Representatives officially launching an impeachment inquiry into Biden amid allegations of corruption within his family, compared to 48% who would not.

That number is up from the same survey in October that found 47% supported such a move, and 52% would be opposed.

HUNTER BIDEN FACES BACKLASH AFTER DEFYING SUBPOENA WITH PRESS CONFERENCE ‘STUNT’: ‘HOLD HIM IN CONTEMPT!’

An impeachment inquiry is most notably supported by 24% of adults identifying as Democrats, although a majority (74%) would still be opposed.

The poll found that Biden’s approval rating remains heavily underwater, with just 40% of adults approving of his job performance as president and 53% saying they did not approve.

That number is weighed down heavily by those identifying as independents, with just 36% approving of his job performance and 59% disapproving.

CALLS GROW FOR CONGRESS TO SUBPOENA JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S FLIGHT LOGS DESPITE DEMOCRAT ‘STONEWALLING’

Despite being a traditionally reliable Democrat voting bloc, younger voters’ views of Biden also appear to be dragging him down, as just 39% of Gen Z and Millennial voters approve of his job performance, and 50% disapprove.

On favorability, Biden edges former President Donald Trump, the current frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, with 40% of adults saying they view Biden favorably compared to just 38% for Trump. 

Among registered voters, 49% said they would vote for Biden if the 2024 presidential election were held today and 48% said they would vote for Trump.

WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION

Biden trails Trump among independent voters 45%-50%, but held a surprisingly slight edge among Gen Z and Millennial voters 52%-48%.

The poll also asked about a number of hot-button policies, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, border security, abortion and gender.

On funding for Ukraine amid its war with Russia and Israel for its war against Hamas, 36% said they oppose funding for either nation, and 32% said they support funding both. Sixteen percent said they support only funding Ukraine, and 15% only support funding for Israel.

Half of Americans said they would not support allowing any Palestinian refugees from Gaza into the U.S. while 47% said they would support such a move.

BIDEN FACES GRIM RE-ELECTION ODDS AS HE TRAILS LEADING GOP CANDIDATES IN TWO KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES: POLL

A majority of 54% support building a physical wall at the southern border and 45% said they do not.

On transgender issues, a majority of Americans (59%) said they believed whether a person is a man or woman is determined by the gender they were assigned at birth, while 38% said a person can be a man or woman even if it wasn’t the gender they were assigned at birth.

When it came to abortion, most Americans (54%) said laws should be determined by individual states, rather than at the national level (43%).

If a national law were in place, an overwhelming 84% said they would support exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, while 14% said they would support no exceptions.

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On limitations, 21% said abortion should never be allowed, 18% said it should only be allowed in the first six weeks of pregnancy, 21% only in the first 15 weeks, 13% in the first 24 weeks, and 25% said a woman should be able to get an abortion at any point during a pregnancy.

Former President Trump cannot assert presidential immunity in a defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, a U.S. appeals court ruled Wednesday.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a federal judge’s decision not to allow Trump’s blanket claim of presidential immunity in the case, prompting the former president’s legal team to seek a review from the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The Second Circuit’s ruling is fundamentally flawed and we will seek immediate review from the Supreme Court,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers in the case.

The appeal was heard on an expedited basis, ahead of his scheduled trial on Jan. 16, 2024.

JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP COUNTERCLAIM IN E. JEAN CARROLL DEFAMATION CASE

In the lawsuit, Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in damages from Trump over comments he made about her in June 2019, during his presidential term in the White House.

Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, initially accused Trump of rape and sexual assault in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. In response, the former president denied ever knowing Carroll and said she made up the rape claim for attention. She then sued in November 2019.

FEDERAL JUDGE DENIES TRUMP’S 4TH ATTEMPT TO STOP E JEAN CARROLL LAWSUIT, CALLING APPEAL ‘FRIVOLOUS’

In December 2022, Trump asserted presidential immunity shielded him from the lawsuit. The president’s unique office grants him complete immunity from many types of civil lawsuits while in office.

This delay, however, was ultimately cited by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan when he rejected Trump’s bid to dismiss Carroll’s case and refused to let Trump raise an immunity defense.

TRUMP SUES E. JEAN CARROLL FOR DEFAMATION

On Wednesday, the 2nd Circuit said those decisions were correct.

“A three-year-delay is more than enough, under our precedents, to qualify as ‘undue,'” the three-judge panel wrote in its opinion.

TRUMP VIDEO OF E JEAN CARROLL DEPOSITION RELEASED: ‘SHE WOULDN’T BE MY TYPE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM’

Robbie Kaplan, the attorney for E. Jean Carroll, responded, “We are pleased that the Second Circuit affirmed Judge Kaplan’s rulings and that we can now move forward with trial next month on January 16.”

Trump has pursued similar immunity defenses in his federal criminal case in Washington, where he is accused of inciting a riot, disrupting an official proceeding and for unlawfully trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

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Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, when he seeks a rematch against President Biden in the 2024 U.S. election. Trump currently leads Biden in head-to-head polls and holds a tremendous lead over other Republican candidates, including Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis.

The case is Carroll v. Trump, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A Florida school board passed a resolution Tuesday calling for Moms of Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler to resign from its school board after she and her husband, the Republican Party state chairman, became embroiled in a purported sex scandal.

The Sarasota County School Board voted 4-1 for Ziegler to step down, with board Chair Karen Rose saying that the woman’s continued presence on the board would only cause “irreparable harmful distractions” in light of the media scrutiny surrounding the scandal.

Ziegler’s husband, Christian Ziegler, has been accused of raping a woman inside the woman’s Sarasota home on Oct. 2. He denies the allegations and has not been charged with a crime at the time of this reporting.

MOMS FOR LIBERTY TAKES CENTER STAGE AGAIN IN 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Bridget told police previously that she, the victim and her husband had consensual sex together for over a year before the alleged crime occurred, according to reports.

According to text messages cited in the affidavit, the woman and the Zieglers had planned to again have group sex that day, but the woman backed out after Bridget “couldn’t make it.”

The board’s resolution is not legally binding. However, it sends a strong message that the board wants her ousted. Only Florida’s Republican governor can remove a school board member, and only under certain conditions, such as a criminal charge.

MOMS FOR LIBERTY RIGHTEOUS FIRE IS SPREADING FAST

“I personally care about Bridget and her family and deeply regret the necessity for this course of action,” Rose told The Associated Press.

Bridget is co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty group, a conservative political organization that advocates against school curricula that mention LGBT issues, race and ethnicity and critical race theory. The group began by campaigning against COVID-19 restrictions in schools, including mask and vaccine mandates. 

She also championed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bans school employees or third parties from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade in Florida.

Democrats and other critics say the Zieglers are hypocritical because the alleged sexual activities are at odds with the conservative views they espouse.

Bridget has served on the board since 2014, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott, and had previously been its chair. She voted against the resolution, saying she was “disappointed” but gave no indication she would step down. 

Prior to the meeting, several dozen people marched outside carrying signs and chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Bridget Ziegler has got to go.” Among the signs’ slogans were “Ban Bridget, not books” and “Real women aren’t homophobes.”

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The vote comes as Christian Ziegler faces a vote on Sunday to remove him from his $120,000 a-year job in light of the rape allegations and the alleged affair, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 

So far, he has steadfastly refused to resign even as Gov. Ron DeSantis and most state Republican leaders want him out, the Orlando Sentinel reports. 

Fox News’ Pilar Arias and Jessica Chasmar as well as The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Top Republicans in the House and Senate introduced legislation Wednesday to prevent Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) healthcare resources from being used for illegal migrants.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Rep. Mike Bost, R-Il., chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, rolled out the legislation — known as the No VA Resources for Illegal Aliens Act — after Fox News Digital reported on complaints that the Biden administration VA is providing healthcare administrative services to illegal immigrants, potentially exacerbating long wait times for American veterans.

“Joe Biden is putting illegal immigrants over America’s veterans,” Tuberville said in a statement. “It is outrageous. Our veterans should not be forced to wait in long lines at VA medical centers and clinics to get the care they EARNED while illegal immigrants waltz across our open border and get taxpayer-funded healthcare they NEVER earned.”

VA’S ROLE IN MIGRANT MEDICAL CARE DRAWS SCRUTINY FROM ADVOCATES AS BORDER CRISIS INTENSIFIES 

“Joe Biden’s failed border policies have created a humanitarian and national security crisis. Now it appears he’s taking resources away from our veterans to facilitate healthcare for illegal migrants,” Bost said in a statement. “As a Marine, I believe any dollar taken away from a veteran is a promise broken to those who served.”

When an illegal immigrant in ICE detention requires healthcare, they are typically treated on-site by medical professionals. However, if a specialist or emergency care is required, they may be transported to an independent private provider.

VETERANS PLAGUED BY ERRORS IN HEALTH BENEFIT SYSTEM DUE TO COMPUTER MISHAP

In such cases, ICE contracts with the VA’s Financial Service Center (VA-FSC) to process reimbursements to those providers. According to a report from July, ICE has hundreds of letters of understanding in which ICE’s Health Service Corps (IHSC) will reimburse providers at Medicare rates. That uses the VA-FSC’s Healthcare Claims Processing System — a portal that allows providers to submit and view claims and access other resources.

The arrangement long predates the Biden administration. It was outlined in a 2020 memo during the Trump administration, and the VA previously told Fox News Digital that it has an interagency agreement with the IHSC since 2002 to provide processing. The agency stressed that it is not the VA that either provides healthcare or pays for it.

SENATE DEMS SAY ANY CHANGES TO ASYLUM SYSTEM MUST BE COUPLED WITH AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS 

“VA does not provide or fund any health care services to individuals detained in [ICE] custody. At no time are any VA health care professionals or VA funds used for this purpose,” VA press secretary Terrence Hayes told Fox News Digital earlier this month. “[IHSC] provides and pays for all health care services for individuals detained in its custody.”

Joining Tuberville and Bost in sponsoring the bill are Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), along with House Reps. Keith Self (R-Texas), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa).

Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report. 

The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to weigh in on Jan. 6 rioters’ case disputing an obstruction charge that could have implications for one of former President Donald Trump’s criminal cases. 

The justices agreed to review a lower court’s ruling that revived a charge against three defendants accused of obstructing an official proceeding.

That charge refers to the disruption of Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.

Special counsel Jack Smith also brought an obstruction charge against Trump, among four counts brought against the 2024 Republican primary front runner. Trump’s trial in that case is slated to begin March 4th, but the Supreme Court’s decision to hear this case could impact Trump’s trial start date. 

SUPREME COURT AGREES TO DECIDE ON ABORTION PILL ACCESS, APPROVAL PROCESS

Over 300 people have been charged by the Justice Department with obstructing an official proceeding in connection with the Jan. 6 riot.

This case stems from three defendants – Garret Miller of Dallas, Joseph Fischer of Boston, and Edward Jacob Lang of New York’s Hudson Valley.

A lower court judge earlier dismissed the obstruction charge against three defendants, ruling that their conduct didn’t warrant that charge.

WHY JACK SMITH APPEALED DIRECTLY TO SCOTUS, WITH TRUMP TRYING TO DELAY CASE PAST THE ELECTION

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols found that prosecutors stretched the law beyond its scope to inappropriately apply it in these cases. Nichols ruled that a defendant must have taken “some action with respect to a document, record or other object” to obstruct an official proceeding under the law.

Biden’s DOJ challenged that ruling, and the appeals court in Washington, D.C. agreed with prosecutors in April that Nichols’ interpretation of the law was too limited.

SUPREME COURT: TRUMP MUST RESPOND TO SPECIAL COUNSEL’S PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY PETITION BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Other defendants, including Trump, are separately challenging the use of the charge.

Over 1,200 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot, and more than 650 defendants have pleaded guilty.

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The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in this case in the coming months and issue a ruling by the summer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hunter Biden arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday, not to comply with his subpoena and be deposed at the House Oversight Committee, but to hold a press conference and again offer to testify publicly. He maintained that his father, President Biden “was not financially involved” in his business, and saying there is “no evidence because it did not happen.” 

Hunter Biden offer to testify publicly is a de facto rejection of the GOP demand that he appear Wednesday for the closed-door deposition he was subpoenaed for. That deposition was scheduled to take place Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.

Instead, he delivered a public statement on Capitol Hill Wednesday, blasting “MAGA” Republicans who have “invaded” his privacy, “attacked” his family, and “ridiculed my struggle with addiction.”

“They belittled my recovery, and they have tried to dehumanize me, all to embarrass my father, who has devoted his entire life to public service,” the president’s son said. “For six years I have been a target of the unrelenting Trump attack team. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ Well, here’s my answer. I am here.” 

Hunter Biden added that “my father was not financially involved in my business,” saying he was not involved in his dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, or his Chinese investments and others in the U.S.

“No evidence to support that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said. 

The White House and President Biden have maintained that the president was “never in business” with his son. Biden has also said he never spoke to his son about his business dealings, but evidence–like email records and testimony from Hunter Biden’s former business partners–presented by House Republicans in their investigations seem to contradict those statements.  

The president’s son went on to blast House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., who are co-leading the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden. 

Hunter Biden said the chairmen had manipulated evidence and misstated personal information. 

“Republicans have lied over and over about every aspect about my personal and professional life,” Hunter Biden said. “So much so, that the false facts are believed by too many people.” 

He added: “They have taken the light of my dad’s love for and presented it as darkness. They have no shame.” 

Hunter Biden said House Republicans have “engaged in unprecedented political interference.” 

“Yet here I am, Mr. Chairmen—taking up your offer…I’ve chosen,” he said. “I am here to testify at a public hearing today to answer any of the committee’s legitimate questions.” 

He added: “Republicans do not want an open process where Americans can see their tactics, expose their baseless inquiry, or hear what I have to say.” 

“What are they afraid of? I’m here. I’m ready,” Hunter Biden said. 

The president’s son then left Capitol Hill. 

Comer and Jordan last week threatened to hold Biden in contempt of Congress if he defied the subpoena and failed to appear for his deposition. 

Comer and Jordan had vowed to release the full transcript of Hunter’s deposition if he did participate. They also vowed to then schedule a public hearing for the president’s son to testify in a setting for the American people to hear from him directly. 

Hunter’s failure to appear comes as House Republicans seek to vote on a resolution that would formalize the impeachment inquiry against the president. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.