NationalWatch

The U.S. national debt is rapidly approaching $37 trillion with no signs of slowing down as President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” is projected to raise budget deficits by $2.4 trillion over a decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) dynamic analysis. 

Senators from both parties sounded the alarm on the staggering debt crisis in interviews with Fox News Digital on Capitol Hill. 

“I’m very, very deeply concerned about that,” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said. “I think that’s gonna be part of the next big crisis, where we are gonna have to confront our national debt because it wasn’t that long ago that a trillion was unthinkable, and now that there’s 40 trillion approaching in our debt, we really have to address it, honestly.”

Trump signed his “one big beautiful bill” by Congress’ self-imposed July 4 deadline. It includes the fulfillment of Trump’s key campaign promises through the reconciliation process, including tax cuts and reforms to immigration, energy and Medicaid.

MAGA COUNTRY VOTERS SOUND ALARM OVER ‘RIDICULOUS’ NATIONAL DEBT AMID DEBATE OVER TRUMP-BACKED BILL

But conservative fiscal hawks, including Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who voted no and regularly sports a national debt clock badge, threatened to derail its passage as they spoke out against its contribution to the national debt.

DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED BUDGET OFFICE WRONGLY ANALYZED TRUMP’S BIG BILL, MISSED RECORD SAVINGS, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., a Trump ally and advocate for the bill, told Fox News Digital, “The time for tough conversations is now.”

She said the United States must continue to look for waste, fraud and abuse—a nod to former Trump-ally turned online foe, Elon Musk, who spearheaded efforts to cut government spending via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier this year, before a well-documented fallout between Trump. 

“When you think of things like Social Security and Medicare, people say that they could be insolvent within the next eight years,” arguing that interest on the U.S. debt and mandatory spending on programs, like Medicaid, are taking up a big portion of the pie. 

“We’ve got to make sure that we are more responsible with taxpayer dollars,” Britt added. 

Meanwhile, freshman Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, described the U.S. debt crisis as a “moral failing that we leave this country to our kids and grandkids with this kind of level of debt.” 

“$37 trillion of debt is unimaginable, right? We’ve got to balance our budget. We need to do it right now. If we don’t do it, what’s going to happen is interest [rates] are going to go up. Inflation is not going to be under control. It’s real simple,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. 

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., agreed, “We need to focus on spending, spending, spending. I’ve been beating this drum really since I got here, but particularly with this administration, since January 1st, trying to return to a reasonable pre-pandemic level spending.”

While Republicans have led the charge on eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government spending, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said the number one priority should be reversing “all these massive tax breaks of billionaires and millionaires in America.”

Trump’s megabill included an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), as well as new tax breaks on tipped wages and overtime. 

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Markey added, “We can save trillions and trillions of dollars that are going to be wasted in our country by giving these massive taxpayers by the trillions to the wealthiest. We also have to re-examine our defense budget. We actually don’t need a whole new generation of nuclear weapons.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 Friday that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg cannot move forward with possible contempt proceedings against the Trump administration.

The case involves the administration’s alleged violation of an emergency court order blocking the administration from using a 1798 law to summarily deport hundreds of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador — the latest in an evolving, high-stakes court clash that has played out for months in various courts. 

Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, two Trump appointees on the majority-Democrat bench, sided with the Trump administration Friday in blocking Boasberg’s contempt motion from moving forward. 

Judge Nina Pillard, an Obama appointee, dissented. 

The 2-1 ruling is all but certain to be appealed to the full court to be heard en banc, where the Democrat-majority bench is seen as more favorable to the plaintiffs, or directly to the Supreme Court for review.

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

“The district court here was placed in an enormously difficult position,” Katsas said Friday, writing for the majority.

“Faced with an emergency situation, it had to digest and rule upon novel and complex issues within a matter of hours. In that context, the court quite understandably issued a written order that contained some ambiguity.”

Katsas noted that the appellate court ruling does not center on the lawfulness of Trump’s Alien Enemies Act removals in March, when administration officials invoked the 1798 immigration law to send more than 250 Venezuelan nationals to CECOT, the maximum-security prison in El Salvador.

“Nor may we decide whether the government’s aggressive implementation of the presidential proclamation warrants praise or criticism as a policy matter,” he added. “Perhaps it should warrant more careful judicial scrutiny in the future. Perhaps it already has.”

“Regardless, the government’s initial implementation of the proclamation clearly and indisputably was not criminal.”

The ruling comes months after Boasberg originally found grounds to move on potential contempt proceedings in the case.

It comes as Boasberg has also ordered ongoing status updates on the location and custodial status of the 252 CECOT class migrants, after they were deported last month from El Salvador to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Venezuela.

It is unclear how many of those migrants had pending asylum applications in the U.S. or had been granted a “withholding of removal” order blocking their return to their country of origin. 

100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST ​​TESTS IN COURT

The long-awaited ruling comes months after Boasberg ruled that the court had found probable cause to move on criminal contempt proceedings after he issued a late-night temporary restraining order on March 15 blocking the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to summarily deport certain migrants to El Salvador.

Boasberg had also ordered all migrants to be “immediately returned” to U.S. soil, which did not happen. 

Despite the order, hundreds of migrants were deported to the Salvadorian prison, CECOT, in March, where they remained until late last month, when they were sent from the prison in El Salvador to Venezuela, as part of the prisoner exchange. 

Boasbeg ruled in April that there was “probable cause” to move on criminal contempt proceedings against the Trump administration for failing to return the planes to U.S. soil and said the court had determined that the Trump administration demonstrated a “willful disregard” for his order.

The appeals court granted the Trump administration’s request for an emergency stay of the ruling months earlier, prompting questions as to why they did not move more quickly on the motion.

APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT
 

Still, the decision is almost certain to be appealed either to the full circuit court to be heard en banc, or directly to the Supreme Court for review. 

The Trump administration for months has sparred with judges who have blocked the president’s executive orders from taking force.

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Boasberg, in particular, has emerged as one of Trump’s biggest public foes. Last month, the court attempted to have him removed from overseeing the case and have it reassigned to another case — a long-shot effort that legal experts and former judges suggested is unlikely to go far.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Carlos Gimenez, the lawmaker who fled the Castros’ communist regime as a youth, put forward a resolution Friday to boot “Squad” member Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., from the Homeland Security committee for violating her oath of office.

The resolution cites Ramirez’s comments in Spanish during an event in Mexico City earlier this week, in which she declared, “I am a proud Guatemalan before I am an American.”

“I was born in Cuba and exiled from my homeland shortly after the communist takeover,” Gimenez, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Friday, just before he filed the bill during the House’s brief pro-forma session.

“Everything I am, I owe to this exceptional country of limitless opportunities that paved the way for a Cuban refugee like me to become a firefighter, fire chief, city manager, county commissioner, county mayor, and yes, even a member of Congress.”

LONE CUBAN-BORN REP ‘AMPED UP’ TO SEE NATION LIBERATED, AFTER EMOTIONAL RETURN 64 YEARS IN THE MAKING

“Only in America,” said Gimenez, who is the only Cuban-born member of Congress.

While an immigrant himself, Gimenez said that when a fellow lawmaker “openly declares allegiance to a foreign nation” over the U.S., they lose the right to be in certain positions in the federal government.

“It is not only unacceptable, it is disqualifying for service on a committee tasked with securing our homeland,” he said.

Gimenez also serves on the House Homeland Security Committee, chairing its maritime and transportation subcommittee. 

EXCLUSIVE: VENEZUELAN OPPO LEADER JOINS CUBA-BORN REP TO LAUD TRUMP AFTER BIDEN’S MADURO OIL DEAL CANCELED

Blowback continued online throughout the week, with actor James Woods quipping, “Well, okay then, Hasta La Vista.”

Conservative commentator Matt Walsh added that Ramirez should be arrested. 

Ramirez’ office directed Fox News Digital to a statement on the blowback the Chicagoan received after her comments south of the border.

The statement said, “Republican commentators” and the social media presence for the Department of Homeland Security wrongly attacked her for “showing pride in her multi-cultural, multi-ethnic heritage.”

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Ramirez said she is a U.S. citizen by birth and that the attacks over the past days were “a weak attempt to silence my dissent and invalidate my patriotic criticism of the nativist, White supremacist, authoritarians in government. It is the definition of hypocrisy that members of Congress, who betray their oath each day they enable Trump, are attacking me for celebrating my Guatemalan-American roots.”

Ramirez added that “no one questions” her many colleagues who celebrate their Irish ancestry, or others of similar Caucasian descent.

“I am the daughter of immigrants and the daughter of America. I am both Chapina and American. I am from both Guatemala and Chicago, Illinois.”

Ramirez later offered a formal response to Fox News Digital, saying she saw Gimenez’ effort coming.

“It’s not normal, but it’s predictable. I am the most progressive member of Congress on the Committee on Homeland Security,” Ramirez said.

“I speak out and was the first to call for Noem’s resignation for the many ways she is violating our civil rights and undermining the Constitution. The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are attacking me because they hate what I stand for: I represent diversity, I fight for equity, and I demand inclusion.”

“They will use any opportunity to misconstrue what I said and weaponize it to attack me. I have and will continue to use my voice, my heritage, and my experience to defend everyone in America, our Constitution, and our rights,” the Chicago congresswoman concluded.

EXCLUSIVE – Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan says President Donald Trump’s social media attacks criticizing his move from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party validates his major switch in political affiliations.

“Failed former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, of Georgia, is a total loser,” Trump wrote early Friday on his Truth Social platform.

The president charged that Duncan was “never able to get anything done, all he ever did was complain. We didn’t want him in the Republican Party any longer, so I’m told he became a Democrat. Good riddance Geoff. You don’t even have a chance!!!”

Asked about the criticisms, Duncan told Fox News Digital in an exclusive national interview hours later, “I think he’s making my case for me that the Republican Party no longer wants to love their neighbor. There’s nothing in that tweet or Truth Social post or whatever that shows any sort of attitude that I want to be a part of.”

FORMER LT. GOV. GEOFF DUNCAN ABANDONS GOP TO JOIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

“So I wish him the best of luck. I hope he figures out how to run this country better than he is now for the next couple of years. But I’m proud to not be a Republican, especially with him at the tip of the spear,” Duncan highlighted.

In announcing his decision, Duncan cited several policy issues that played a part in his decision to change parties, including health care, Medicaid, gun safety, immigration and poverty.

He wrote that his time in office taught him the best way to “love my neighbor” is through public policy. 

Duncan told Fox News, “I find it easier to love my neighbor as a Democrat It’s not a perfect landing spot, but it gives me a better opportunity each day when I wake up to love my neighbor.”

GEORGIA GOP EXPELS FORMER LT. GOV. GEOFF DUNCAN FROM PARTY, CITING ALLEGED DISLOYALTY

Duncan, a former health care executive and minor league baseball player, served in Georgia’s legislature for four years before running and winning election as lieutenant governor in 2018. He decided against seeking re-election in 2022.

After leaving office, Duncan – who was a vocal GOP critic of Trump’s repeated efforts to reverse his razor-thin November 2020 election defeat in battleground Georgia to former President Joe Biden – worked towards what he said was “healing and rebuilding a Republican Party that is damaged but not destroyed.”

Duncan endorsed Biden in the 2024 presidential race and later supported Vice President Kamala Harris after she replaced Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket. Duncan spoke in a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last August.

The Georgia Republican Party expelled him from the GOP earlier this year.

“Neither party is hitting it out of the park. You don’t have to look any further than the stats to see that Republicans have their issues. Democrats certainly have their issues,” Duncan told Fox News. “I’ve tried this reform thing before on the Republican side, and Donald Trump has sucked the life and future out of the Republican Party, in my opinion.”

Duncan’s old boss, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, is term-limited and cannot seek re-election next year. Duncan confirmed to Fox News that he’s considering a 2026 run for governor.

“My family and I are certainly not ready to make that big of a decision right here, right now. But it is something that we’re considering for sure. I mean, my phone has continued to ring for months on end, from Democrats, independents and even some folks on the right that want us to consider this,” Duncan said.

Asked about his timetable, Duncan said “2026 is coming like a freight train. And certainly, if this is a decision that we go forward with, it’ll have to be within, within a few months.”

Duncan emphasized that “if Democrats, especially in Georgia, want to be successful, they’re going to have to live in the middle and not the fringes. They’re going to have to have a moderate slate of candidates that are able to use common sense to provide their leadership. And I think there’s a gravitational pull in that direction.”

Nearly half-a-dozen Democrats in Georgia have already launched gubernatorial campaigns, including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who later worked in the Biden administration.

Pointing to the two leading Republicans running for governor, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state Attorney General Chris Carr, Duncan said “I hope we’re able to sit back and find a Democratic candidate that can win the governorship and not allow a governor Trump to show up for four years in the state, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

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“The Republican slate is going to be dominated by whoever Donald Trump endorses, and that person is going to be a sock puppet for Donald Trump,” Duncan argued. “And no Georgian wants that. No Georgian wants the inconsistencies of Donald Trump to manage how their kids are educated, how their streets are kept safe and how government interacts with those that need it the most.”

Looking ahead to next year’s elections, when Georgia will once again be in the national spotlight, Duncan said “Georgia is going to continue to be the political center of the universe, as we watch the Senate race shape up. As we watch this governor’s race shape up. I do think Georgia has an opportunity to lead the rest of the country, and I hope we take advantage of that.”

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson warns that finances in the nation’s third most populous city have “reached a point of no return.”

The mayor said this week that the city will need to take steps to deal with looming budget shortfalls and that key systems that Chicago provides, including education, housing, health care and transportation, are “woefully underfunded.”

Eight-hundred miles to the east, there are concerns in the nation’s most populous city that if democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani wins the election in November as New York City’s next mayor, the city could be headed for a fiscal abyss similar to the crisis half a century ago, when it came close to bankruptcy.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE WARNS ‘HALLOWEEN COMES EARLY ‘ AS CITY FACES SHORTFALLS

Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped out of the 2025 race for New York City’s Democratic Party mayor nomination and who is running for re-election as an independent, struck a deal with the city council on a roughly $116 billion budget for fiscal year 2026.

“There are no perfect budgets. But we have come a long way, and this one gets pretty close,” City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said at a press conference announcing the deal in late June.

CUOMO FLIPS SCIPT ON MAMDANI IN NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL RACE

But the 33-year-old Mamdani, who is the polling frontrunner over Adams, former New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and two other contenders in November’s general election, is running on an expensive platform to tackle affordability and inequality in one of the nation’s most expensive cities. 

Mamdani grabbed national attention in late June after topping Cuomo and nine other candidates in the Democratic Party primary, as he took a big step towards becoming the first Muslim and first millennial mayor.

Mamdani, a Ugandan-born state assemblyman from the New York City borough of Queens, is proposing to eliminate fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5, and setting up government-run grocery stores.

There are concerns that the significant spending increases to pay for Mamdani’s proposals, along with the possibility of revenue shortfalls, could put a strain on New York City’s budget.

And at the center of Mamdani’s proposals to pay for his pricey plans is a “millionaire’s tax,” which critics say will spur ultra-wealthy New York City residents to flee.

Mamdani’s agenda has given Republicans plenty of fodder to use to go on offense, as they spotlight his “socialist” policies and try to anchor him to Democrats facing challenging re-elections next year. President Donald Trump has gone further, accusing Mamdani of being a “communist.”

And Mamdani’s rivals in November’s mayoral election are also taking aim at him.

Adams has said Mamdani is making “false promises” that will hurt low-income New Yorkers. And the mayor argues that Mamdani’s proposal to set up government-run supermarkets will “devastate the local bodegas and local stores.”

Cuomo on Friday took to social media to argue that “Chicago is proof that incompetent leadership can turn a deep-dish city into a half-baked mess.”

A day earlier, as he proposed his own plan to address affordability in New York City, Cuomo charged that Mandani is “proposing a theory of socialism that has never worked anywhere.”

“What is the best answer to affordability? It is business development. It is opportunity. It is jobs. It is economic growth. It is not anti-business socialism,” Cuomo said as he asked and answered his own question.

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Firing back, Mamdani campaign spokesperson Dora Pekec claimed that “trusting Andrew Cuomo to address New York’s affordability crisis is the equivalent of tasking an arsonist with putting out a fire — he created this crisis.”

“Trusting Andrew Cuomo to address New York’s affordability crisis is the equivalent of tasking an arsonist with putting out a fire — he created this crisis,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking into two political action committees for allegedly violating the law by assisting Texas state Democrats’ travel out of the state in an effort to avoid a quorum during a redistricting standoff.

The groups are the Powered by People PAC, led by former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and the Texas Majority PAC, led by members of his former staff. 

“Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable,” Paxton said in a news release on Wednesday.

O’Rourke unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in a closely-watched 2018 contest, and lost to Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022. Still, he remains a prominent voice in the state’s political scene.

GEORGE SOROS, BETO O’ROURKE BEHIND FUNDING FOR DEMS FLEEING TEXAS OVER GOP CONGRESSIONAL MAP

“Texas cannot be bought. I look forward to thoroughly reviewing all of the documents and communications obtained throughout this investigation. These jet-setting runaways have already lost public trust by abandoning our state, and Texans deserve to know if they received illegal bribes to do it,” Paxton continued.

Public records indicated that the Powered by People PAC does get a significant number of smaller donations through individuals by platforms like ActBlue, but it’s also received over hundreds of thousands from the progressive consulting firm Middle Seat, and $100,000 from Simone Coxe, a nonprofit leader who was a major funder of O’Rourke’s gubernatorial bid, according to the Texas Tribune. In addition, FEC records show that the Harris Victory Fund gave over $114,000 in January 2024 and $60,000 in December 2023. 

In 2024, it also received just over $5,000 from Luci Baines Johnson, the former first daughter of President Lyndon Johnson. 

AWOL DEMS’ FLIGHT FROM TEXAS MAY HAVE BEEN FUNDED ILLEGALLY BY BETO O’ROURKE NONPROFIT

According to the Texas Tribune, the PAC has acknowledged assisting lawmakers with travel outside of the state, including helping to cover $500 daily fines. 

“100% of your donation will go to supporting Texas Democrats in their fight against Trump’s power grab,” the website stated, Fox News Digital previously reported.

The group reports over $3.5 million in cash on hand as of June 30, according to Federal Election Commission records.

BETO O’ROURKE ASKED POINT BLANK WHY HE’S HELPING DEMS FLEE TEXAS RATHER THAN HELPING TEXANS

As for the Texas Majority PAC, it receives heavy funding from George Soros, a longtime Democratic donor.

“If Texas lawmakers are bowing to the Soros Slush Fund rather than the will of the voters, Texans deserve to know. Getting financial payouts under the table to abandon your legislative duties is bribery,” Paxton said in a Thursday statement. “Texas Majority PAC’s actions seem to indicate that it may be using its Soros-funded resources to break the law and fund the illegal abandonment of public office. If that’s the case as determined by this investigation, there will be a heavy price to pay.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Powered by People PAC and the Texas Majority PAC for comment on the Paxton investigation. O’Rourke responded to a post from Paxton on Wednesday, saying the Democrat is “scared of accountability.”

“Scared? If we stop the Texas steal & win the House, your guy’s crimes & corruption will be exposed for all to see. The girls traded with Epstein. The bribes taken from foreign governments. And when he goes down, your corrupt, impeached, twice indicted ass is going down with him!” O’Rourke replied on X.

A Texas judge ruled Friday against Beto O’Rourke and his nonprofit in a case brought by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused them of illegally raising funds to support Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to block GOP redistricting legislation.

Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey handed down a temporary restraining order Friday evening against O’Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate, and his group, Powered by People, over alleged “unlawful fundraising practices” tied to efforts to support Texas Democrats who fled the state — including funding air travel, lodging, logistics and daily fines. 

“Defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law],” Fahey wrote in her Friday evening ruling. “Consumer have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law.”

BETO O’ROURKE ASKED POINT BLANK WHY HE’S HELPING DEMS FLEE TEXAS RATHER THAN HELPING TEXANS

Fahey’s order bars O’Rourke or his group from continuing to fundraise or provide financial support to the fleeing Texas Democrats. The ruling came only hours after Paxton’s office filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke. 

Fahey is a Republican, and she was appointed by GOP Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott in 2019.

In response to the ruling, O’Rourke put out a statement arguing that Paxton is trying to shut down his nonprofit “because our volunteers fight for voting rights and free elections,” which he called “the kind of work that threatens the hold that Paxton, Trump, and Abbott have on power in Texas.”

GEORGE SOROS, BETO O’ROURKE BEHIND FUNDING FOR DEMS FLEEING TEXAS OVER GOP CONGRESSIONAL MAP

“They want to make examples out of those who fight so that others won’t,” O’Rourke added. “Now Paxton’s filed a restraining order to try to take us out of the fight. He wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization. He wants to stop us from fighting Trump’s attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power. But I’m not going anywhere. I plan on speaking at our rally to stop the power grab in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon.”

“Cry more, lib,” Paxton said in response to O’Rourke’s statement. “You lost in court because you’re breaking the law and deceiving Texans. We absolutely will make an example out of law breakers.”

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In addition to Powered By People, Paxton also launched an investigation into the Texas Majority PAC, which has also been accused of being a major funder of the fleeing Texas Democrats. 

Meanwhile, O’Rourke filed his own lawsuit against Paxton in El Paso district court on Friday, The Texas Tribune reported. O’Rourke has accused Paxton of launching a “fishing expedition” and asked a judge to block Paxton’s investigation into his nonprofit’s practices.  

President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts gained new momentum this week when Rwanda signed a formal third-country agreement, part of a broader push to partner with nations willing to accept deportees whose home countries refuse to take them back or present other barriers.

RWANDA

Officials in Rwanda agreed to take in 250 illegal immigrants in a deal forged with the State Department Tuesday, joining nearly a half-dozen other nations that have done the same.

When the talks between Washington and Kigali began earlier this year, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said the idea is not new to his country, as it previously forged a similar deal with the United Kingdom that was nixed by a London court.

Illegal immigrants deported from the U.S. will be given help to get back on their feet, according to a spokesperson for Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

They will need to be individually approved for resettlement and then receive “workforce training, healthcare and accommodation to jump-start their lives in Rwanda,” the spokeswoman, Yolande Makolo, told the BBC.

TRUMP HAS CUSTODY OVER JAILED CECOT MIGRANTS, EL SALVADOR SAYS, COMPLICATING COURT FIGHTS

ESWATINI/SWAZILAND

In another African nation, Eswatini, named Swaziland until 2018, five foreign nationals were deported from the U.S. to Mbabane in July.

But that operation reportedly lacked the same formal third-country agreement as Rwanda.

The tiny landlocked country, the last absolute monarchy on the continent, abuts Mozambique and South Africa.

The deported men were all convicted of crimes ranging from battery to murder to gang activity and methamphetamine-related offenses.

“This flight took individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

“These depraved monsters have been terrorizing American communities, but thanks to [Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem] they are off of American soil.”

The convicts hailed from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen.

A spokesman for King Mswati III, who has ruled Eswatini since 1986, told the BBC Eswatini hopes to “facilitate” returning the criminals to their homelands.

SOUTH SUDAN

South Sudan also received eight deportees in July. 

Boston federal Judge Brian Murphy issued a preliminary injunction blocking Sudanese deportations and others, ruling migrants needed opportunities to file for protection under a U.S. diplomatic Convention Against Torture (CAT) that precludes expatriation to dangerous countries.

The Supreme Court later stayed Murphy’s ruling.

EUROPEAN NATION AGREES TO ‘TEMPORARILY’ HOST DEPORTED IMMIGRANTS FROM US AMID TRUMP PUSH

COSTA RICA

In February, Costa Rica agreed to accept 200 deported migrants, which included some foreign nationals from India, according to VisaVerge. That nation’s law allows temporary migrant sheltering.

The government in San Jose also reportedly forged a $7.8 million deal in which the U.S. would help it deport immigrants, according to Reuters. The wire service further confirmed the February report.

PANAMA

Also in February, Panama’s foreign ministry told CBS News its first flight of about 200 non-Panamanian deportees arrived from the U.S. under another agreement forged with Washington.

The U.S. will cover the cost of those deportations, which included migrants of mostly Asian descent, from countries like China, Uzbekistan, Nepal, India and Vietnam. Migrants from as far afield as Cameroon and Iran were also reportedly among the group.

EL SALVADOR

The most visible country to aid in deportation efforts has been El Salvador, where congressional Democrats flew after a suspected human trafficker living in Maryland was deported to its infamous CECOT prison.

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Democrats like Hunter Biden have called out the Trump administration for the effort, which has been met by incredulous responses, such as a retort from Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele.

Bukele poked fun at Biden’s past drug use in response, asking on X if he was “sniffing powdered milk” when the former first son claimed he would threaten to invade El Salvador if he were elected president and if it refused to return deportees.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was the first to fly to San Salvador to visit Garcia, a trip that appeared to inspire more Democrats to go and others to attempt to gain entry into domestic ICE sites in Newark, Baltimore and New York City.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is seeking $1 billion from UCLA to settle discrimination and antisemitism allegations in exchange for restoring more than half a billion dollars in frozen grant funding to the university. 

The proposed agreement sent to the school Friday requires UCLA to pay the federal government $1 billion over multiple installments, along with establishing a $172 million claims fund for alleged victims of violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

The Trump administration has already suspended $584 million in federal grants from UCLA after the Justice Department announced it found the school violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

TRUMP CONGRATULATES IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL AFTER $50M DEAL TO RESTORE FEDERAL FUNDING: ‘WOKE IS OFFICIALLY DEAD’

In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, UC President James Milliken said the university system had received the document with the offer and was reviewing it. 

“Earlier this week, we offered to engage in good-faith dialogue with the (Justice) Department to protect the university and its critical research mission,” Milliken said. “As a public university, we are stewards of taxpayer resources, and a payment of this scale would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system as well as inflict great harm on our students and all Californians.

“Americans across this great nation rely on the vital work of UCLA and the UC system for technologies and medical therapies that save lives, grow the U.S. economy and protect our national security.”

“Demanding $1 billion from a publicly-funded, leading research institution is a misuse of tax dollars that will hurt the University’s mission of serving students and the public,” he said in a statement. “UCLA, and the larger UC system, has taken meaningful steps to make it clear that combatting antisemitism and protecting Jewish students, faculty, and community members on campus is a top priority.”

“They have been committed to increasing security, strengthening policies against hate, and engaging directly with Jewish voices to better inform their approach,” he added. “If the Administration’s mission is truly to protect the Jewish community, they would be supporting that work – not hamstringing it with these outlandish demands that would only take away needed resources and services for students and faculty.”

UCLA PAYS BIG SETTLEMENT OVER ‘JEW EXCLUSION ZONE’ DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS FROM STUDENTS

California state Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat whose district encompasses UCLA, said the Trump administration’s demand is “harming the engines of American power, innovation, and, indeed, greatness.”

The move came a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized settlements between Columbia and Brown universities, both Ivy League schools, and the Trump administration. 

“We’re not Brown, we’re not Columbia, and I’m not going to be governor if we act like that,” Newsom said while speaking in San Francisco. “Period. Full stop, I will fight like hell to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Columbia will pay more than $220 million to resolve multiple federal civil rights investigations, including $21 million to settle claims of antisemitic employment discrimination against Jewish faculty after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel. 

Brown will shell out $50 million over a decade to state workforce development organizations as part of a deal struck with the U.S. government.

In July, UCLA agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Jewish students and faculty members over the school’s handling of anti-Israel protests, including allowing protesters to ban Jews from a part of the campus known as a “Jew Exclusion Zone.”

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The lawsuit was brought last year by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which accused UCLA of “aiding and abetting” an antisemitic culture, including “segregating Jewish students and preventing them from accessing the heart of campus.” 

Republican senators offered a range of responses when pressed on how the Trump administration has been handling the Epstein files controversy, with some calling it a distraction and others arguing the American people are “entitled” to answers.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the “first phase” of declassified files related to Jeffrey Epstein Feb. 27, noting the move was following through on President Donald Trump’s commitment to “lifting the veil” on Epstein and his co-conspirator’s actions. Bondi also said the same month she was in possession of an Epstein “client list.”

However, the February declassification contained mostly information and files that had already been publicly available, and the Justice Department subsequently indicated that no “client list” exists. Since then, a series of events, including a clash between FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and Attorney General Bondi, have led to mounting pressure on the Trump administration to release more files. 

‘NOT GOING AWAY’: INSIDE THE EPSTEIN DRAMA THAT’S THROWN HOUSE GOP INTO CHAOS

“This is factual. Epstein trafficked a lot of young women, some of whom were minors. The American people are entitled to know who — if anyone — he trafficked these young women to, besides himself, and why they weren’t prosecuted,” John Kennedy, R-La., said. 

“Now that’s a very simple question that’s at the bottom of all of this. The Department of Justice is going to have to answer that question to the satisfaction of the American people.”

TABLES TURN AS HOUSE GOP BLASTS DEMS FOR SUDDENLY DEMANDING EPSTEIN TRANSPARENCY FROM TRUMP ADMIN 

Kennedy’s call for transparency comes after the president described the Epstein situation as a “hoax” while blasting Democrats and other “weaklings” who continue to buy into it. 

“Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bull—-,’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform last month amid mounting reports of internal division within the administration over its handling of the Epstein case 

When asked about how the Trump administration was handling the Epstein furor, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he thought the situation was being used by Democrats to create a “distraction” from the ongoing investigations into former President Biden and others, like the probe related to Biden’s use of an autopen tool to sign important documents and the investigation into whether Obama-era officials manufactured evidence to accuse Trump of Russian collusion.

“Look what’s being investigated right now through the Biden administration. … So, what are they going to talk about now?” Mullin asked. “This is nothing but a distraction from the actual facts that is coming out about the Biden administration. Of course, the Democrats say, ‘Well, we’re just about transparency.’ Well, where was the transparency the last four years?”

Democrats have suggested Trump could be implicated in the files, but Mullin said that if such a circumstance were true, the information would have been leaked by the Biden administration. 

Mullin’s counterpart in the Senate, Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford took more of a middle ground in his response about how the administration has been handling the Epstein files.

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“The challenge is there are people that are victims that are in it, and there are folks that are not criminals that are in it as well,” Lankford said. “And the challenge the Department of Justice has is you’ve got a girl that was 14, 16 years old and was abused. Well, now she’s, let’s say 26 or 30, married and has children. 

“Maybe her family knows about this, maybe they don’t. I don’t know the situation, but we gotta figure out a way to be able to protect those folks that are genuine victims on all this as well as getting out as much information as you possibly can.”

For Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the debate about the Epstein files was not something she was interested in talking about when approached by Fox News Digital.

“I’m going,” Collins responded when pressed on the matter outside the Capitol complex.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-US appeals court blocks Trump contempt proceedings ordered by Boasberg

-Inside NASA’s fast-track plans for lunar nuclear power and new space stations to outpace global rivals

–Ghislaine Maxwell prison transfer called ‘highly unusual’ by former federal prison official

Republican leader shreds Tim Walz over Minnesota law that freed axe murderer

EXCLUSIVE: The highest-ranking Minnesotan in Congress is blasting Gov. Tim Walz after a man who murdered his family as a teenager was released from prison.

“Once again, Tim Walz proves why he is one of the worst governors in the country,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital.

“Not only do his soft-on-crime policies rob victims of the justice they deserve, but they also put the safety of every Minnesotan at risk. Being a self-proclaimed knucklehead doesn’t excuse the chaos he has caused with his dangerous, far-left agenda.”

Emmer, as the GOP whip, is the No. 3 House Republican leader…READ MORE.

White House

CARTEL TAKEDOWN: Trump approves military action against Latin American cartels classified as terrorist organizations

IN CUFFS: Kash Patel slams ‘corrupt’ sanctuary sheriff indicted for cannabis company extortion

PARTY HOPPER: EXCLUSIVE: Duncan says Trump’s attacks justify his switch from GOP to Democratic Party: ‘He’s making my case for me’

‘REAL CONSEQUENCES’: Noem, in Illinois, calls out Gov. Pritzker, Chicago’s mayor over their handling of criminal illegal immigrants

World Stage

GLOBAL DEPORT LINKS: List of countries taking in illegal immigrant deportees grows with latest African partners

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: US, UK ‘disagree’ on Gaza plan but ‘share’ same goal Vance says ahead of Lammy meeting

Capitol Hill

PATRIOTISM UPROAR: Cuban-born congressman calls for ‘Squad’ member’s removal over ‘Guatemalan before American’ remark

HEATED BATTLE: Former Democratic advisor says party’s rhetoric on redistricting is getting ‘a little out of control’

Across America 

PACS UNDER PROBE: Texas AG investigates Beto O’Rourke PAC over support for quorum-breaking lawmakers

JOB RUNNING: Party of ‘crazies’: Dems comply with outrageous redistricting stunts due to primary threats, state rep says

ON THE RUN: Texas asks Illinois court to enforce arrest warrants for Democratic lawmakers

BREAKING POINT: Chicago’s budget shortfall puts spotlight on Mamdani’s ‘socialism’ agenda for New York City

CASH CLASH: Georgia attorney general sues GOP opponent in governor’s race over campaign financing

PUBLIC SCHOOL CRISIS: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker lambasted for new ‘disastrous policy’ requiring mental health screenings for kids

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

In a sweeping move aimed at rolling back pandemic-era mandates, the Trump administration on Friday directed all federal agencies to erase any records related to employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status, prior mandate noncompliance or exemption requests.

The guidance, issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), was a response to recent litigation and is part of a broader push to reverse what officials have described as “harmful pandemic-era policies” imposed under the Biden administration. 

“Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement. “That should never have happened. Thanks to President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, we’re making sure the excesses of that era do not have lingering effects on federal workers.”

TRUMP ADMIN ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION ACROSS FEDERAL WORKFORCE

Former President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14043 in September 2021, directing federal agencies to require COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of federal employment. 

After the controversial demand, numerous lawsuits were filed by federal employees, unions and states alleging the mandate violated constitutional rights and federal labor laws.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP ADMIN STRENGTHENS RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS IN FEDERAL WORKFORCE

A federal appeals court blocked enforcement of the order in 2022m and Biden repealed the mandate in May 2023, prompting OPM officials to issue a memorandum to human resources directors stating that “agencies should review their job postings … to ensure that none list compliance with the now revoked Executive Order 14043 as a qualification requirement.” 

The memo also reminded agencies that the executive order could no longer be enforced.

SUPREME COURT LETS TRUMP’S ‘WRECKING BALL’ FEDERAL JOB CUTS PROCEED WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES

In a memo to heads and acting heads of departments and agencies Friday, Kupor announced that, effective immediately, agencies are barred from using a person’s vaccine history or exemption requests in any employment-related decision, including hiring, promotion, discipline or termination. 

Unless an employee affirmatively opts out within 90 days, all vaccine-related information must be permanently removed from both physical and electronic personnel files.

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Agencies must certify compliance with the memo by Sept. 8, according to the memo.

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

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett fired back at a report that she has created a “toxic” work environment in her office due to her “diva” behavior by explaining that it means she’s “arrived” –  and suggesting that race is a factor in the criticism.

“Listen, goodness, I know that I have arrived, honey,” Crockett said after laughing in response to a question on CBS News about a New York Post report on Thursday where several former unnamed staffers accused her of terrorizing those who work with her, including by berating them.

“That is the way that I see this,” the Texas Democrat continued. “Because as Beyonce says, if they’re not talking about you, then obviously you must not be doing anything.”

The New York Post report also alleged that being talked about has been Crockett’s top goal since being elected to Congress in 2023.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HITS BACK AT JASMINE CROCKETT, CALLS HER ‘A VERY LOW IQ PERSON’

“The staff is really just an island unto itself, because she doesn’t care about the local issues happening in her district,” a source told the outlet. “She’s more focused on, ‘Get me on “The View,” ‘Get me on this late-night talk show.’”

Crockett went on in the CBS News interview to explain that her skin color played a role in the story.

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT CALLS TRUMP A ‘PIECE OF S—‘ DURING LIBERAL RALLY

“This is just more slander, more nonsense, more lies,” Crockett said. “You and I were joking before we got on camera about all the scrutiny that comes with being not only woman, but being young, and being a black woman. Yeah, there’s a lot of scrutiny that comes my way, and it comes my way from all different angles.”

Crockett then went on to reiterate her belief that when people “start talking about you, that’s when you know you are obviously getting under their skin.”

“So I am not going to give up. There is a song I like to quote once in awhile. It says, ‘Your hate is my motivation, so keep hatin’.’ All it does is motivate me to continue to do what I do, which is to be loud and proud on behalf of the American people.”

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The New York Post report on Crockett, arguably the most prominent critic of President Donald Trump in Congress, alleged that the congresswoman once berated a staffer to the point of tears and said that she would make staffers drive her short distances in a rented Escalade or similar vehicle rather than the usual practice of using staffer vehicles.

Crockett regularly goes viral for her criticisms of Trump and has called him a “piece of s***” and an “enemy to the United States.” The congresswoman is also known for blasting Trump during committee hearings in speeches that often get noticed on social media.

Earlier this year, The Atlantic reported that Crockett’s lock screen on her phone is a picture of herself and said that when she learned the outlet had reached out to her colleagues for comment on the profile piece they were working on, she tried “shutting down” the story. 

“She is laying around her apartment, won’t come into the office, and is really just indifferent to staff and will scream at them,” a former aide told The New York Post about Crockett in Thursday’s story.

“She is never in the office and is very disengaged. She does her bulls— that goes viral, and then freaks out over the most random things.”

President Donald Trump has secretly authorized military force against Latin American drug cartels designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, according to reports. 

The move, reported by the New York Times, would give U.S. forces permission to engage the cartels, which traffic drugs like fentanyl across the US-Mexico border,

“The president is determined to not just dismantle – but completely destroy – [Venezuelan dictator Nicolas] Maduro’s Cartel de Los Soles and obliterate their operations in the Western Hemisphere,” a source close to the White House said, the New York Post reported. 

The anti-cartel effort is being coordinated among several departments, including the Department of Defense, Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Treasury, the source added.

“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

Trump has previously discussed using military force against drug cartels in an effort to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants across the southern border. 

Most recently, he has used the threat of tariffs to force Mexico and Canada to actively participate in anti-smuggling efforts. 

In relation to Latin American cartels, the administration has also singled out Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is wanted by the U.S. On Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest. 

Many of the Texas Democrats who fled the Lone Star State to Democrat-stronghold states amid a Republican redistricting effort are complying with the political stunt out of fear of being primaried by “someone even crazier” within the party, Republican Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain told Fox News Digital in a Thursday interview. 

“If they were to come back, they would lose in a primary to someone even more socialistic than they are,” Cain told Fox News Digital in a Thursday Zoom interview. “So yeah, they’re actually there out of fear, not out of fear of the Republican legislation, but out of fear of their own people. And so they’ll continue to sit out of state at their own detriment, all because of the fear of being primaried by someone even crazier than they are.” 

“I can tell you that many of them don’t want to be there. They know that ultimately they’re going to lose, but because their party’s run by a bunch of crazies, they have to be there,” he continued of the Democrats who left the state ahead of Monday. 

Dozens of Democratic state lawmakers fled Texas for liberal bastions such as Illinois, Massachusetts and New York to prevent a quorum for a special session as state lawmakers prepared to vote on a redrawn congressional map for the state ahead of the 2026 midterms. 

State lawmakers have reported they plan to be absent from the state until the end of August, when the special session ends. 

ABBOTT, PAXTON LAUNCH LEGAL BLITZ ON FLEEING DEMOCRATS IN REDISTRICTING SHOWDOWN

Texas law requires at least two-thirds of lawmakers in either chamber be present to proceed with legislative matters, with the Democrat minority party currently holding 62 seats in the Texas house to the GOP’s 88.

The Texas House has been at a standstill since the Democrats fled over the weekend. Six Democrats are in the Austin area this week, Cain explained, meaning six more Democrats are required before the body can reach a quorum. 

Cain said that he heard three additional Democrats are in the Houston area and likely “taunting” Republicans to potentially arrest them over their absence. 

“They’re older members, and they’re kind of taunting us to arrest them with the idea that ‘who would arrest grandma?’ It’s kind of a clever play by the Democrats,” he said. 

Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows signed arrest warrants for the absent Democrats on Monday, following the state House approving of such warrants and Gov. Greg Abbott calling on the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the “delinquent Texas House Democrats.”  The arrest warrants are largely viewed as symbolic as they only apply to those within state lines. 

TEXAS RESIDENTS SAY ‘THERE SHOULD BE CONSEQUENCES’ FOR DEMS FLEEING STATE TO AVOID VOTE

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) reported Thursday that the FBI agreed to his request to help assist in locating the whereabouts of the derelict lawmakers as Republicans work to reach a quorum upon the Democrats’ returns. 

“I thank President Trump and Director Patel for supporting and swiftly acting on my call for the federal government to hold these supposed lawmakers accountable for fleeing Texas,” Cornyn said in a Thursday news release. “We cannot allow these rogue legislators to avoid their constitutional responsibilities.” 

Cain told Fox Digital that Republicans are doing “everything in our power” after Democrats fled the state, including launching investigations into potential bribery. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation Wednesday into former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s nonprofit, Powered by People, over claims it was helping fund the Democratic exodus from the state, which he described as a political bribe. 

“They’re being investigated for potential bribery,” Cain told Fox Digital. “And the Attorney General has launched an investigation into Beto O’Rourke’s organization for bribery as well. I’ll tell you, under the Texas Penal Code, offering or accepting or knowingly doing … a benefit to an elected official in exchange for their vote or some kind of discretionary action, like showing up to work, is considered bribery here in Texas. And it kind of looks like that and we need to launch an investigation.” 

In response to the investigation, O’Rourke described Republicans in Texas as “thugs” who are attempting to “steal our country” and accused Paxton of bribery himself.

TEXAS DEMS ALSO SKIPPED TOWN IN 2021 TO AVOID A VOTE, AND SEVERAL CAUGHT COVID-19 IN DC

Democratic governors, such as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, have since opened their proverbial doors to the Texas Democrats who fled the Lone Star State. 

Cain remarked the irony is not lost on him that the Democrats fled to states that have long histories embracing gerrymandered voting lines. 

“The irony of this entire walkout, of course, they go to states that are some of the worst gerrymandered states that we’ve seen. 

“We’re now being able to expose and show the world the maps of these hypocrites. And they also call themselves brave. But as to quote Governor Greg Abbott, they’re very un-Texan, Texans don’t run from a fight,” he continued. 

TEXAS DEMOCRATS FLEE STATE TO BLOCK TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING VOTE IN DRAMATIC LEGISLATIVE MOVE

Texas lawmakers have used quorum breaking as a political strategy going back to 1870, and last unfolded in 2021, when Democratic state lawmakers fled to Washington, D.C., out of an attempt to block the passage of voting and election integrity legislation, as well as the 2004 walk-out also over redistricting. 

Cain said history shows such stunts have not proven fruitful for Democrats. 

“Democrats lost seats every time they came back – might be a hint that the voters don’t appreciate those things. We also still passed the legislation. So it’s really a costly, futile move whereby it’s just pure theater, a chance to go and fundraise, but really they’re not standing up for democracy at all. Rather, they’re just being pure obstructionists and obstructing the will of the people that have elected them,” he said. 

President Donald Trump has encouraged redistricting in Texas, including remarking on Tuesday that efforts to redistrict in Texas could lead to the GOP picking up five seats. 

“In California, it’s all gerrymandered,” Trump said during an interview with CNBC Tuesday. “And we have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats. We have a really good governor, and we have good people in Texas. And I won Texas. I got the highest vote in the history of Texas, as you probably know, and we are entitled to five more seats.” 

For Cain, redistricting in Texas is needed as its demographics have shifted since 2020, when the state last redrew its voting maps. 

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“Over the last few years, Texas has drastically changed, our population has tremendously changed, not just from the open border policies of Joe Biden, but also because of our great economic conditions that have caused people to flee California and Illinois and Boston to come and want to live here. In order to reflect that population change, we need to update our map,” he said. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report. 

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, one of the leading Republican contenders for governor, has filed a lawsuit against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, challenging the legality of his GOP rival’s campaign funding.

Carr asked a federal judge to permanently block Jones’ ability to spend money from his leadership committee, a fundraising tool that allows the state’s governor, lieutenant governor and legislative leaders to raise unlimited funds. 

Both men are leading Republican candidates to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Brian Kemp after next year’s election.

Carr argues that Jones’ leadership committee violates the attorney general’s First Amendment right to free speech and his 14th Amendment right to equal protection by setting up a campaign finance structure that boosts Jones and limits how much Carr can spend on his campaign. A 2021 state law that created leadership committees does not allow Carr or other declared candidates to have access to the fundraising vehicle. 

Carr’s regular campaign committee is limited to raising $8,400 from each donor for his primary campaign and $4,200 for a potential primary runoff.

FORMER GEORGIA LT. GOV. GEOFF DUNCAN ABANDONS GOP TO JOIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Carr campaign spokeswoman Julia Mazzone said in a statement that Jones “is using his position to sidestep contribution limits, raise six-figure checks during legislative sessions and funnel unlimited money into a competitive primary through a structure only he can access.”

“Republicans cannot ignore the cloud of unethical, illegal and corrupt behavior that surrounds Burt Jones,” Mazzone said.

“Leadership committees were never intended to be unregulated campaign machines,” the statement added. “The court has ruled on this before, and the Constitution prohibits exactly what’s happening here. We’re taking action to uphold transparency and accountability standards.”

A Jones campaign spokesperson, meanwhile, has accused Carr of being hypocritical since his office previously defended the same law that he is now challenging in court. Carr has argued that the attorney general must defend challenged laws even if he personally disagrees with them.

“Georgia’s lackluster Attorney General defended this law two years ago,” Kendyl Parker, Jones’ spokeswoman said. “Now, he’s running for governor and wants to challenge the same law he once defended. If hypocrisy were an Olympic sport, he’d take gold.”

Carr launched his gubernatorial bid last year, saying he needed more time to raise money because he is not personally wealthy. His campaign has expressed concerns for months that Jones will use his leadership committee and family wealth to support his primary campaign.

REPUBLICAN DOOLEY JUMPS INTO GEORGIA’S SENATE RACE WHILE TOUTING SUPPORT FOR TRUMP AND TAKING AIM AT OSSOFF

The Carr campaign has sought to have the state Ethics Commission probe the source of a $10 million loan Jones made to his leadership committee, although the commission declined to launch an investigation, noting that Carr failed to allege a legal violation.

The attorney general’s campaign pointed to U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen’s 2022 ruling that a leadership committee for Kemp could not use money for Kemp’s re-election campaign during that year’s Republican primary. Cohen found that the “unequal campaign finance scheme” violated GOP primary challenger and former U.S. Sen. David Perdue’s First Amendment right to free speech.

Cohen ruled that Kemp could continue raising money for the leadership committee but said the governor could not spend it against Perdue in the primary.

“Despite full knowledge of this history, Mr. Jones and his leadership committee, WBJ Leadership Committee, Inc., are ignoring this Court’s prior rulings and using a leadership committee—that has no contribution or coordinated spending limits—in a primary election against a candidate without one,” Carr’s lawsuit reads.

Carr is seeking additional restrictions on Jones’ leadership committee than in Cohen’s ruling. The attorney general is asking a judge to cut off both fundraising and spending from the lieutenant governor’s leadership committee until the primary race is over.

He is also requesting that a federal magistrate judge be appointed to oversee all spending by the leadership committee and that Jones’ regular campaign committee repay any money already spent by the leadership committee to support Jones’ gubernatorial run.

“The loan and its amount are significant because Mr. Jones is also able to raise unlimited funds into the leadership committee, then repay the loan from funds raised that then can be applied directly to his campaign account, effectively removing the contribution limits from those dollars,” the lawsuit says.

Carr asks that the court block Jones from giving any cash to dark money groups or making any loans to his regular campaign committee during the primary. He also wants the magistrate judge to probe where Jones’ $10 million loan came from, citing a 2022 financial disclosure showing that Jones did not have enough liquid assets for a loan of that quantity.

The attorney general’s campaign continues to express concern that Jones could raise unlimited money to repay his loan and then give the repaid money to his candidate committee for the primary, arguing that this would wreck campaign contribution restrictions.

“Mr. Jones is raising and spending unlimited amounts of money in the primary—and Mr. Carr is limited in what he can raise by Georgia’s existing campaign contribution limits,” the lawsuit reads. “This Court should level this uneven playing field by preventing Mr. Jones from using his leadership committee during the primary election.”

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Carr’s campaign has also called on the Ethics Commission for an advisory legal opinion on whether Jones’ fundraising activity is legal.

The Republican primary will be held in May, and the general election next year in the purple state is expected to be one of the most expensive governor’s races in the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The lone House Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation is warning that his state could lose its main connection to the White House if Democrats there made good on threats to redraw district lines.

“Right now, as the sole Republican representative, I’m the liaison between the state and the executive branch and the legislative branch, and that would be lost if they went to single-party representation,” Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. “I don’t think Marylanders are going to put up with that.”

Maryland is one of the latest states threatening to jump into the growing redistricting war that’s taking over U.S. politics.

Texas Republicans are moving to change the Lone Star State’s congressional map with a proposal that could give the GOP as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives.

GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM

Democratic strongholds California and New York have threatened to make their own changes in response, which would sidestep independent redistricting commissions in both states.

Since then, the fight has spilled over to a number of other states, particularly those with lopsided congressional representation, like Maryland.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s office told Fox News Digital that the Democratic leader “will continue to evaluate all options as states around the country make decisions regarding redistricting,” while blasting Texas’ move as a “power grab.”

“Look, the governor talks a lot about bipartisanship. Obviously, that would not be a bipartisan bill, to attempt to make it a single-party delegation,” Harris told Fox News Digital. “And, you know, an attempt at that in 2022 failed in the courts. I think an attempt to that this time might fail again.”

GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS

Harris was wary of a wider redistricting fight across the country, but accused Democrats – not Texas Republicans – of starting the battle.

“I think that we should probably shy away from mid-cycle redistricting,” Harris said.

He added, however, “Look, the Democrats started it. I’m not surprised that Texas wants to do what they want to do.”

Harris pointed to states like Alabama, where a lengthy court battle led to the ruby-red state drawing in a second Democrat-leaning district ahead of the 2024 elections.

Voting rights groups had argued that an existing map by Republicans unfairly violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act by suppressing Black voters’ representation in the state. It resulted in Alabama adopting a court-approved map with two majority-Black districts, both of which are currently represented by Democrats.

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“The bottom line is that the Democrats started the discussion about whether or not redistricting would be accomplished mid-cycle,” Harris argued.

And despite his wariness of the practice now, Harris praised President Donald Trump’s call for a snap census that would exclude anyone in the U.S. illegally.

“I think Americans should realize that if we weren’t counting illegal aliens in our census, there would be 10 to 12, maybe 15 fewer Democrats in the House of Representatives,” Harris said.

The Department of Justice convened a grand jury to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, marking an escalation in President Donald Trump’s fight with New York’s top prosecutor.

The investigation is being run out of Albany, New York, and focused on possible deprivation of rights allegations, two well-placed sources familiar with the probe told Fox News Digital.

The investigation is in an early stage, but Fox News Digital has learned that James’s office received subpoenas for documents this week, including for information related to her civil fraud lawsuit against Trump.

James, a Democrat who was elected attorney general in 2018, has long been a target of Trump. James successfully brought civil charges against him for business fraud in 2022 and has had an instrumental role in challenging his current administration’s executive actions in court.

James’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the investigation.

NY AG’S OFFICE HIRES ATTORNEY THAT REPPED HUNTER BIDEN TO DEFEND LETITIA JAMES AGAINST FRAUD ACCUSATIONS

James began investigating the Trump Organization soon after she took office, eventually securing a $454 million judgment against the then-former president and some of Trump’s company’s executives, including two of his sons.

A New York judge found Trump and his business partners grossly overstated Trump’s wealth to obtain favorable loans and other financial benefits. James said at the time that financial fraud was not a “victimless crime.”

“If average New Yorkers went into a bank and submitted false documents, the government would throw the book at them, and the same should be true for former presidents,” James said.

‘DANGEROUS AND ILLEGAL’: DEMOCRAT AGS SUE TRUMP OVER EFFORT TO USE SNAP TO LOCATE MIGRANTS

James also has been a leading figure in bringing litigation challenging the second Trump administration’s executive actions. James and other Democratic attorneys general have sued to fight spending freezes on federally funded social programs, mass firings of federal employees and restrictions on transgender care for minors, among other matters.

News of a grand jury investigation comes as tensions have continued to build between Trump and James.

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In April, the Trump Federal Housing Finance Agency asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate James over mortgage fraud, and the DOJ opened a separate investigation into that matter.  James received grand jury subpoenas in the inquiry, the Washington Post reported.  

James denied the mortgage fraud allegations. 

At the same time, Trump called her a “wacky crook” on Truth Social.

“Letitia James, a totally corrupt politician, should resign from her position as New York State Attorney General, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote.

Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this story.

A Biden-appointed federal judge issued a nationwide injunction on President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship order, arguing that the directive is likely to be found in violation of the Constitution. 

U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman issued her opinion Thursday after agreeing to certify a class-action lawsuit from immigration rights group CASA. 

“The Court finds that the plaintiffs have shown they are entitled to a classwide preliminary injunction. The plaintiffs have established that they are likely to succeed on the merits of their constitutional claim because the Executive Order contradicts the plain language of the Fourteenth Amendment and conflicts with binding Supreme Court precedent,” Boardman wrote in her ruling. 

“The plaintiffs also have shown that the class representatives and members will suffer irreparable harm — the denial of citizenship — without injunctive relief. Finally, the plaintiffs have established that the balance of the equities and the public interest weigh in favor of a preliminary injunction,” she added. “The government will not be harmed by an injunction that maintains the status quo of birthright citizenship, and the plaintiffs will be harmed if the Executive Order is not enjoined pending the outcome of this lawsuit.” 

TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BLOCKED BY ANOTHER FEDERAL APPEALS JUDGE  

Boardman is now the fourth judge to issue a block on the executive order since a ruling from the Supreme Court in June, according to The Washington Post. 

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Trump’s order, signed on the first day of his second White House term, directed all U.S. government agencies to refuse to issue citizenship documents to children born to illegal immigrants, or who do not have at least one parent who is an American citizen of lawful permanent resident.   

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP EXECUTIVE ORDER 

It was almost immediately blocked by lower courts, before eventually making its way to the Supreme Court, which reviewed the case in May.  

The high court’s 6-3 ruling narrowly focused on the authority of lower courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions and did not wade into the legality of Trump’s executive order, which served as the legal pretext for the case. 

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In the ruling, the justices said plaintiffs seeking nationwide relief must file their cases as a class-action lawsuit — prompting a flurry of action from the ACLU, CASA and other immigrant advocacy groups who amended their filings. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is eliminating statewide standardized end-of-year testing for several subjects as part of an effort to give “local control back to school districts.”

OSDE stated that the changes will take effect in the 2025-2026 school year and will impact math and English courses in grades three through eight. In place of the standardized tests, Oklahoma will allow districts to use approved benchmark assessments that are already in use to report on students’ academic achievement and growth.

It said the change will reduce the overall testing burden on students and teachers as well as allow teachers to focus on classroom instruction rather than test preparation. OSDE noted that the benchmark assessments will continue to comply with federal and state protections for students with disabilities.

OSDE is also “exploring” future options to eliminate standardized testing for science and history in the same grades.

TRANS BATHROOM POLICIES HAVE 10 DAYS TO GO, TRUMP EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WARNS 5 VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS

This follows President Donald Trump dramatically reducing the scope of the federal Department of Education as part of an effort to eventually eliminate it entirely. After railing against the Department of Education during the 2024 campaign for being filled with “radicals, zealots and Marxists,” Trump signed an executive order in March directing that the department be dismantled and its functions “returned to the States.”

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said during a gathering of Republican and Democratic governors that returning education to the states “is really a nonpartisan issue” and “just means giving them back the part that is now provided by the federal government, and they’re anxious for it.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, OSDE explained its decision to eliminate standardized testing, calling it “a move to take power over performance from liberal teacher unions and undo a burden that has been placed on students and teachers.”

TRUMP DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO ABSORB SOME EDUCATION DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The department said it surveyed Oklahoma parents on the issue and found that 86% of the 15,349 respondents expressed that standardized testing was not necessary for evaluating student learning.

“For far too long, the teachers unions have used standardized testing to keep states in line with their woke standards,” the department said.

Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, a Republican, told Fox News Digital, “President Trump is returning power back to the states so we can return power back to hard-working Oklahoma families.”

RED STATE WILL REQUIRE NEW TEACHERS PASS PRAGERU ‘AMERICA FIRST’ TEST TO KEEP LICENSE

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“The teachers-union-approach is failing our kids,” said Walters. “By moving away from outdated state tests and empowering local districts, we’re reducing the burden on students, parents, and teachers while ensuring high-quality education that is no longer driven by bureaucrats or outside groups.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Oklahoma Education Association, Professional Oklahoma Educators and the American Federation of Teachers – Oklahoma for comment.